WW -

A couple years back I was bicycling on the Coon Rapids dam (in the Twin Cities) on the Mississippi.  I saw this older guy "portaging" around the dam & decided to offer him a hand.

Turned out he had started 16 days earlier at the source of the river.  His intention was to paddle the whole doggone river down to the Gulf of Mexico!  It was his "retirement present" to himself.  

I only hope I do myself such a favor upon retirement....

Jimbo