Two Coots in a Canoe: An Unusual Story Of Friendship

by David E. Morine, Paul Flint

A journey of whim, humor, and self-discovery along the Connecticut River   When retired CEO Ramsay Peard, 61, called his old friend David Morine, 59, and asked the longtime conservationist if he wanted to canoe the Connecticut River,  Morine said he’d do it under one no camping. “We’ll rely on the kindness of strangers.”   And that’s what they did. Mooching their way down the river and staying with strangers every night, Morine and Peard got an inside look at such issues as the demise of farming, the loss of manufacturing, gay rights, and Wal-Mart versus Main Street, and they were able to delve deep into the lives of complete strangers. But Morine soon realized the one life he never dug into was Peard’s. After spending a month with him in a canoe, he had no idea that his friend’s innermost thoughts had taken a fateful course.   Written in the tradition of Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, this book will be treasured by conservationists, canoeists,  and old friends still seeking a thrill. Everyone else will be delightfully entertained.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel, Friendship, Nature, Humor, Contemporary

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[dead letter office · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel bad trashing this, but I found the author distractingly hard to take. He's not half as funny, witty, or clever as he thinks he is. On top of this, his casual sexism really started to rub me the wrong way about 50 pages in. From a single two-page spread about a third of the way in (if I seem hypersensitive about this, please factor in that I just pulled these off of the first two pages I opened the book to):

1.

Woodsville looked old and tired, like an aging call girl in need of a facelift.

Because what an aging call girl needs is a facelift. It's a lazy, amateurish simile anyway.

2.

"I like a cold wash. If you use warm water, your T-shirts shrink."
What the hell was he talking about? "I'm pretty sure Ruth washes my shirts in warm water, and they never shrink."

I guess men of a certain age can't even be completely sure how their wives have been washing their clothes all their lives.

3.

"While you're doing laundry, I'm going to get a haircut, buy some stamps, and see if I can find an automotive store where I can buy Luke Eaton a girlie calendar."

One of the families they stayed with had a seventh grade boy who was a gifted machinist, and the author was appalled by the absence of girlie calendars in the kid's machine shop. He's--spoiler alert--unable to find one in any of the 3 automotive shops in town and is told they no longer make them because of "all this women's liberation stuff". Bear in mind this trip took place in 2003.

4.

Seeing the spinning [red and white barber] pole means you know you're not going to end up in some unisex shop sitting next to a garrulous gossip with curlers that make her head look like the inside of an old radio.

This from an old guy who wrote an entire book gossiping about a canoe trip he took once, a trip where he chatted up every stranger he met the whole way down the river.


---

The reason this book is interesting is the friendship it documents. It's a problematic friendship, and the month they spent together on this trip made it clear they didn't really know each other all that well. Really this isn't a travel story, or an adventure story, or a "story of friendship" so much as it is a story of tragedy. The everyday tragedy that you'll never really know what is inside the soul of the people closest to you; but it also veers down a dark path and ends in real disaster.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it less and less as the book went on...I started out really liking it. I love the Connecticut River, and the first part of the book described some of my very favorite places, so that was fun. But Bugsy seemed like he cared a lot more about conservation than his friend. I doubt that's true, but his focus was much more on donor issues than on Ramsay or rekindling their friendship through this trip. The constant talk about donor issues mixed with slightly intolerant/ insensitive commentary became grating. I wanted to really like this, but it's hard to feel positive when the story ended so dark.

[Christine Agrez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. The premise was good, but the delivery was lousy. Ramsay seems like a tough guy to spend time with, but at least some funny stories come out of it. On the other side is Dave and his rather long accounts of people asking for money for conservation projects. While I don't object to conservation, or being told about it to some degree, sometimes I felt that the book was more about this than the two coots.

I barely made it to the half way point reading each page. I then began to skim, followed by skipping chunks looking for the actual story. I knew there was something sad to come and I wanted closure, but had to wait until after the end of the book to get it. I should have started there and I would have saved a lot of time.

Unless you really like to read about two old guys who have no real relationship at all, conservationists and a host of sexist comments, don't bother with the book, read the afterword and epilogue.

[Elaina Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a Southern friend who loved it, and knew that I had lived 3/4 of my life (until a move to SC) close to the Connecticut River on one side or the other in NH/VT. While several reviewers are focusing on the relationship between the author and his friend (rightly so), I was searching for my own memories of the river, history, places, and people. I was not at all disappointed in this regard. It was like going home again.... It strikes me afresh that many urbanites stick close to their cityscape where "everything" is readily available, but that rural folk tend to have a broader scope and knowledge of the landscape they inhabit.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially, this sounds like something my dad would do.

Yep, something he'd do. Canoe down a river, staying with a wide variety of semi-strangers with a healthy dose of conservation interests thrown in on the side.

On another note, it is my opinion that the author does not understand, nor have a semi-working knowledge of depression. He explains away all clues and when he does get a stronger whiff that there might be a problem he dismisses it. I was disturbed and saddened by his lack of understanding, even years later when he wrote the conclusion.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The end was hard to read because 1) I already knew that Ramsay would die by his own hand, and 2) he was such a jerk as the end of the trip grew ever nearer. Was he a jerk because he knew of his impending death? No one knows. But the book itself was well written and you really liked all the characters you met in it. I especially liked the Afterward at the end which explained what happened to many of the people they met on the river. I felt like it was a nice touch.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is much I liked and much I did not like in this book. The two coots wanted to take a trip down the Connecticut River from source to delta. I enjoyed this because I know the river, mostly from the shore! While the trip took place in 2003, I am hoping that the area around Springfield, MA has been cleaned up a bit more. There were some lovely scenes. Most of the discussion centered around the conservation groups that they became involved with as the author was on the trip for the main purpose of giving money to conservation groups. Every night they old coots stayed with people they did not know. The depended on "the kindness of strangers." Most of these strangers were connected with conservation groups and were lined up ahead of time. Interesting if you know the area.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

such a sad ending. great book, similar in vein to "a walk in the woods." great book about the need to conserve our rivers and nearby land!

[Olivermagnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book about two men, 61 year old Ramsay Peard, and his old friend David Morine, 59. One day Dave gets a call from Ramsey asking him if he wanted to canoe down the Connecticut River with him. Dave tells him he doesn't want to haul all their camping equipment in the canoe, so they decide to do what Blanche Dubois does in Streetcar of Desire, “rely on the kindness of strangers”.

This is a humorous story about what they learned and the people they met along the way. They stayed with different strangers every night. I got an education myself, about conservation and the groups that are trying to keep our waters clean. The bonding and relationship between the two men was insightful. The book is very well written, the real life characters are engaging, and I enjoyed it very much.

[Niffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What does your son-in-law have that I don't have?"
"My daughter."

ba dum tsss

The handful of one-liners like the one above manages to push this book from 2 1/2 stars to a 3 star book for me, but just barely. Overall I was really underwhelmed by this story. The description had me anticipating the two "coots" would be knocking on doors, asking for handouts and a place to stay, and that each stop would be a bit further on their journey. In reality they had plans for who they were staying with every night of their trip. Yes, most of the people they stayed with were strangers, but it was much less spontaneous than the description implied.

More than that, though, I felt as though the author did not really elaborate on the interactions at each stop. Many times the overnight stay would be something like this, "We were told there was a party in our honor tonight. We had steaks and plenty of beer lubricated the conversation. Then we crashed gratefully into our beds." I was hoping for more about the conversations.

I have the feeling that the author was trying to piece together the trip well after it happened and had not kept a journal or any real record of it, so he was left with what were the most vivid memories and nothing specific about conversations. He was a conservationist before retiring, so the bulk of the book tended to have more in depth conversations about conservation and not much else. From a conservation standpoint, it was interesting, but it was not really what I was expecting.

[Anieta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A canoe ride down the Connecticut River with a college friend seen very little in the 20 years after graduation reveals: the complexities in a friend's personality the author thought he knew, the Connecticut River is now as much lakes and dams as it is river, 911 has created a land rush and a push to preserve nature because those leaving the city want to take the city with them more than they want to live in the country.

Four months after the trip, David E Morine comes to realize he still hadn't come to really know or understand his old college pal.

I rated this a 3 not because of any error in the author's writing style but because the theme of "the land is dying" is taking on a repetitive nature. Though conservation is still important, it is time for new ways to tell that story. Morine did raise an interesting question though, "The Pentagon doesn't pay for itself, why should the national parks. One's for our national security, the other's for our national serenity. That's why we pay taxes" (p. 268).

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like other reviews, I was a little disappointed in how the author talked about certain topics. As a lifetime resident of the Connecticut River Valley, I'd hoped for a more naunced approach to the very real issues that affect the river: environmental degradation, changing populations, and lack of support for conservation. I found David to really misread his friend's emotions, and I really question how it never occurred to him that something might be up. Like others, I was also bothered by the treatment of women and people who weren't like them, especially Native Americans. I really think this could have used a good editor, to focus the points of the novel and dull some of the rude and thoughtless commentary. The author was fairly unapologetic about his writing style, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

[John Geary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a book. It has a very interesting premise and there are some really humourous moments throughout its pages. In some ways, there are many things that happen that I was not expecting when I started reading the book. That being said, there were also many things that did not surprise me, based on what I had read in advance of getting the book.
Based on the details of the book, the author is someone I would definitely enjoy taking a canoe trip with; on the other hand, Ramsay, the guy he paddles with, is NOT someone I would want to get into a boat with, even for a day trip never mind a month-long trip on a River.
The ending of the book has a very poignant and surprising development, which I won’t go into here, so as not to spoil it.
If you enjoy outdoor adventure, or reading about paddling trips, this book would make a very good addition to your library.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; I am not so sure someone who doesn't live near the CT River would love it as much. I have been to many of the towns/cities mentioned and yet I learned something new about each of them. I regret that the Windsor Locks Canal was not mentioned, but they had progress to make!

I found the strangers whose kindness they accepted in their overnights to be very interesting and wished we could have learned a tiny bit more about each.

I don't think I would be giving a spoiler to mention what happens after the trek, as others have mentioned it, but with that knowledge, it added some depth to the story.

My public library, in a town that borders the river and has a boat launch, did not have a copy of this book and had to get it from another library downriver. I think every library along the river from source to sound should have a copy of this book and promote it, as the river truly is something that needs some conservation and recapture.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought this book would be more about Ramsey & Dave's actual time in the canoe, what they saw as they paddled down the Connecticut River along with the hopefully humorous events & conversations that can happen on a trip designed in such an unusual way. Instead Morine focuses on all the conservation groups & their various projects all along the river. Not to say that the people they stay with & the others who are working on conserving the river aren't interesting, but he could have written much the same book just driving from town to town meeting these people & never bothering to get in a canoe. I guess I'm saying it wasn't a bad read, just not what I thought or hoped it would be

[Deb M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

DO NOT let the reviews that make this sound like a downer book keep you from picking this gem up. I loved the book. These two "Old Coots" made the trip of a lifetime together. It is not until the last page of the book when you learn of the darkness shadowing one of them. The epilogue gives more information but even that only serves to wrap up the loose ends. I will be passing this one one to one of my conservationist friends and can only hope he will do the same. Thank you David E. Morine for giving an old female coot something to dream about and plan for.

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had expected more of an adventure type story with lots of action and activity. This book was more a statement about conservation. It tended to drag and get a little boring when they met with the various conservation groups. I had to agree with Ramsey in that respect. I was surprised at the ending. Although there was some foreshadowing, I didn’t expect it to end like that. The term “old coots” fit very well as both had the curmudgeon personality honed to perfection.

[Vicki Lanzendorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two friends who haven't seen each other in 20 years revive a dream to paddle 400 miles in a canoe on the Connecticut River. And, no camping, no motels. They rely on the generosity of strangers to put them up each evening. Interesting book full of geography, conservationism and friendship - the the trials of spending 24 hours a day with someone, for days on end. The ending was one I never saw coming.

[Marj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of two old friends who decide to canoe the Connecticut River. They decide to not take any camping gear at all, instead they plan to rely on the goodness of strangers to put them up for the nights. They meet a lot of people and are able to see the impact of farming, manufacturing and political issues on the river itself and the people they meet along the way.

[Bill Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite books tell stories of people traveling point A to point B by some conveyance or another. But, it’s not the trip itself tut is the highlight. It’s the new people you meet along bag the way.
This is such a book. Two old friends, two “coots” traveling down the Connecticut River and the people they meet along the way.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun book about sassy guys who decided to canoe down a river in their retirement. Loved hearing about the characters they met and stayed with. But NOT prepared for the twist at the end. I won't give it away, but I wasn't ready for that. Hmm.

[Hollive · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it primarily because it is about our local river. Reminded me a bit of "A Walk in the Woods." The ending was unexpected.

[Chris Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well told account, full of familiar places and interesting people.

[Diane McGarry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read. Knew so many of the places and people.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was good…although a tad slow…but the end blew me away…I was not expecting it

[Sandra Walker]

Wonderful story of adventure and friendship!

[Harold Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comic misadventures of two old friends. I liked it because this sounds like a book that I would have written.

[Sarah Dansereau · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a whim! Picked ip in Kittery Maine. What a wonderful storyteller and so appreciative of the wonders of strangers and life.

[todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was attracted to this title only because of a sign advertising the author doing a signing at a local bookstore, which of course was during the middle of a Wednesday! The signing was not going to happen, but Amazon came through as always.

This is the tale of two 60 year olds, who were classmates many years earlier but had not seriously crossed paths in 20 years. For some strange reason they decided it would be cool to paddle the length of the Connecticut River, "relying on the kindness of strangers," a la Blanche DuBois in Streetcar. One is a career conservationist. The other is a retired "deal guy." The year is 2003. They advertise their plans, sort through a large number of responses of people willing to put them up for a night, and work out an itinerary.

Knowing a bit about the Connecticut River made the book more interesting to me, but my big problem was that I liked the people they stayed with much more than the main protagonist coots. Not surprisingly, two people who knew little about paddling or had spent any time together in decades had some rough patches.

The book is recommended to reinforce two things that probably should not need reinforcement. First, preserving or resusitating our rivers should be a major priority for all of us. Second, the time spent on such larks should be with people you never have enough time for in your everyday lives. I kept thinking this is why we go on Quetico trips rather than go on alumni sponsored tours.

If you pick up this book (and my copy will be available to circulate if anyone is interested) DO NOT READ THE INTRODUCTION OR ANYTHING BEFORE CHAPTER 1. I don't know what the author was thinking putting important "tells" in this material. Any suspense I was supposed to get from the actual narrative was spoiled, which is why I only rated the book 3 stars.

[Connie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ramsay Peard asked an old college buddy, David Morine, to take a trip down the Connecticut River in a canoe. Ramsey was a former CEO who had felt bored with his life after he retired, and this trip was a "bucket list" request. They traveled 400 miles from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, going through the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. They relied on the kindness of strangers for lodging and dinner every evening, mostly through contacts with environmental groups.

As they paddled, they saw the decline in the number of farmers and manufacturing plants in the region. They noticed the effects of huge dams put in by electric companies. Water quality was especially poor in Massachusetts. They also spoke to many organizers of land trusts about efforts to preserve the land along the Connecticut River. The author is the former head of land acquisition for The Nature Conservancy so this was a subject of great importance to him. They also took out time to chat up the people they met along the river, and party with their hosts in the evening.

The book started on a humorous note since neither of the guys was an expert paddler. But there was an undercurrent of friction between the two men by the end of the trip. It would be difficult for any two people who have not seen each other in many years to suddenly spend a month together. They also had quite a few rainy days on the river. The book ended on a somber note with a surprising tragedy.

I enjoyed taking this trip with them down the Connecticut River as an armchair traveler. This book would be of special interest to people who live or vacation in New England who are familiar with the locations along the river.