A journey that started with a single paddle stroke is over.

Richard Grove can now move on to another adventure. Saturday night he wrapped up his monthlong kayak trip from Gwinnett County to the ocean.

"I accomplished everything I wanted. I brought attention to the river, had a good time and met some wonderful people," the Cumming resident said as he headed for his final takeout spot.

Grove spent a few hours with about 20 friends and relatives at Mudcat Charlie's restaurant near U.S. 17 before he made the final push to the Atlantic Ocean.

Strong winds and the tide combined against his recreational kayak. He tried twice to make his way past the Intercoastal Waterway, but he made only about 150 feet in 25 minutes. "I was going nowhere."

Grove was stopped a mere three of four miles away from the Atlantic Ocean.

"Mother Nature won."

But Grove was the big winner. He paddled more than 500 miles in sometimes rough conditions. His trip started on the Yellow River with cold weather and many spills in the chilly water. He had to deal with the sun, heat and mosquitoes.

Yet he took it all in stride. He had witnessed some of Georgia's best beauty.

Now it's back to Atlanta on Sunday afternoon with one of his sisters. (Grove returned Sunday in time to do a little water skiing on Lake Lanier with family).

Grove -- who is thankful for family, friends, strangers who befriended him and sponsors -- says he wants to help clean metro Atlanta rivers. His memories and thoughts are written in his journal, to remind him of the river and its people.

In a readers forum that accompanied this log, sister Sandy Lehmann wrote to Grove, "we would never want to get 80 or 90 years old and say the words - 'I wish I would have...' When you are 80 or 90 you will be able to relive the stores of what you did - not of what you wish you did. How wonderful - What a life!"

Mother Nature showed off her majesty Friday as Richard Grove came within a few miles of his journey's end.

"The days change like the weather," Grove said this morning from a DNR island on the Altamaha River near Darien.

The kayaker has seen occasional alligators, but on this day he saw nearly 30, including a young one that swam right up to this craft.

During the day, Grove heard a loud crack behind his kayak. Then he saw an arc of lightning in front of him, gray skies and -- finally -- a downpour that forced him to pull his baseball cap bill down low on his face.

"I was at her mercy and I could say, 'thanks, that was a great show.'"

The Cumming resident built a campfire Friday night, endured more rain and reflected.

"Last night was my night to say goodbye" to the river, he said.

Today, Grove will reach Two-Way Fish Camp around 1 p.m., greet onlookers, friends and family, and then paddle to the Atlantic, completing his odyssey.

(Return this evening for update)

When he paddles Saturday to the Two-Way Fish Camp and Mudcat Charlie's restaurant near Darien, Richard Grove will provide quite a sight for friends who haven't seen him in a while.

Wearing a swimsuit and sun-weathered skin that "is like a turkey -- nice golden brown," Grove will "be a shock to these people...They've only seen me in a tuxedo."

The kayaker spoke this morning about some chums from Savannah and Brunswick who will greet him at the end of his monthlong 500-mile trek from the Yellow River in Gwinnett County to the Atlantic Ocean.

Also on hand will be his former wife, Linda, daughter Krista and one of his sisters, Donna Simmons of Cumming.

Grove, who made about 18 miles on the Altamaha River on Thursday, is only about 17 miles from Darien. He expects to leisurely cover half of that today before reaching Darien on Saturday, where he will paddle 13 miles to and back from the Atlantic.

Grove will have to negotiate tides and a sea breeze to reach the ocean. "Let's just hope this story doesn't get ugly," he laughed.

The adventurer repeated his sadness about the odyssey's imminent end.

He'll return to Cumming on Sunday and read his mail, seeing how many pledges he received for the Georgia Diabetes Research Foundation.

And Grove will be back in the real world.

He hasn't been able to follow the news in the past four weeks.

"My world is the river," he said shortly before setting out this morning for the coast.

Being squeaky clean on his 27-day river trip hasn't been a top objective for Richard Grove, but he has been able to keep fairly approachable.

Paddling through two Altamaha River thunderstorms gave Grove a "bath" Wednesday. Most days he shaves and takes a bottled-water bath on the sandy shores. On a couple of occasions, including at a landing this week, he was able to actually take a hot shower (!)

The Altamaha is clearer than the Ocmulgee, where a rinsing of one of Grove shirts left it with a nice tan color.

The kayaker make about 26 miles on Wednesday. He was treated to his first water lilly pads and a gorgeous white flower, almost transparent, growing near the river banks. This stretch of the Altamaha, which included several bluffs, was "one curve after another curve after another curve."

His menu included sausage, a fig bar and dried mango and pineapple.

For his last three days, Grove will ease up on the pace.

"I have seen the best of nature that Georgia has to offer. I'm going to sit back and enjoy the paddle more."

After he paddles past Darien and into the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, Richard Grove will return to metro Atlanta with river cleanliness and another trip on his mind.

The kayaker, who has only about 72 miles to go, this morning reminisced about 440 miles of adventure, friendly people, "violent" mosquitoes and fickle weather.

"I know I'll feel sad when I get to Darien," he said from Oglethorpe Landing, where he spent the night on a picnic table. "It's like you meet a good friend on the trip and it's the end of summer."

Grove, who made about 18 miles on Tuesday and expects to travel 20 today, will return to do a couple remodeling jobs before he sets out for another unchosen river (the South or Ohoopee are possibilities) later this year.

The mightly Altamaha he is now navigating is up to 200 yards wide in places, lined by willow, river birch and sweetgum.

He saw on the shore tracks that indicated a large cat, perhaps a panther, pursuing a deer. He also spooked three alligators.

"One of them came up by my kayak, swirled around and went off."

MAY 17 (Tuesday morning)

Richard Grove relaxed at Adamson's Landing this morning, sipped a cup of coffee offered by someone he'd just met, and recalled the "most violent thunderstorm I may ever have seen in my life."

It hit about 11:40 last night. He had pulled into Upper River Landing well before dark. The weather was clear with no indication of rain. Grove sat down to dinner, opening an MRE, a packaged Meals Ready to Eat, courtesy of the Georgia National Guard. It was cheese tortellini in tomato sauce. "It was outstanding!" he says. (It included applesauce, a fig bar and a Tootsie Roll.)

As he scouted out the park, he saw a king snake.

The park at the landing was large, with areas for picnicking. "I figured I'd sleep on a picnic table," he says.

He climbed steps to a large pavilion on a hill with a view of the river and park. He laid his air mattress on a table and arranged himself under a sheet to shut out mosquitoes. (He'd earlier gotten rid of his hot sleeping bag in favor of a single sheet.)

He was sound asleep when "all hell broke loose." Rain poured down. The thunder was loud. "It was violent," he says of the storm. "This thing was major."

He jumped up, raced to the river to tie up his kayak, then retured to the metal-roofed pavilion to watch the storm.

Was he afraid? "One of these days I'm going to be afraid of something," he says, but not right now.

This morning, he hightailed it out of the park quickly, heading down to Adamson's Landing.

He's paddling under a cloudy sky today, planning to cover the 11 miles to Oglethorpe.

"Yesterday was absolutely incredible," Richard Grove says. He paddled 9 1/2 hours until 8 p.m. At midday he passed a sandbar where about 40 people were picnicking and enjoying themselves.

Late in the afternoon he stopped at a landing and found a group of more than a dozen people fishing and cooking catfish. He chatted with them, explained his journey and fielded questions.

"How do you have enough food [in the kayak]?" one woman asked.

A moment later, "she sets down a plate of fried catfish, fried sausage and fried potatoes. She says, 'Here, eat this.' I thought I'd died and gone to heaven," Grove says.

While Grove relishes his solitude, he has been very moved by the attitude of the people he's come across. He says it's taught him about the hard-working people of this country. Money doesn't matter, he says. What you do for a living doesn't matter. There's a sincerity and generosity of spirit, he believes.

Paddling 12 hours on Friday, Richard Grove reached the Altamaha.

Coming around a bend on the Ocmulgee, he found himself head to head with the Oconee River.

"It's like two automobiles [meeting] in the same lane," he says. The rivers meet head-on, forming the top part of a "T." They turn together and become the Altamaha, the bottom leg of the "T."

At that point, the Altamaha is about 100 yards wide, Grove says. He paddled out into the center of the juncture, having been told a whirlpool might be there. "I went looking for it," he says. "This is supposed to be a wild trip."

The currents did not oblige -- he found no whirlpool. However, after dusk had fallen, Grove found something else. Paddling along in the middle of the river, he suddenly ran aground. He'd hit a sandbar covered by about three inches of water.

No harm was done and he continued on. He was a little worried about being able to find his destination, Deen's Landing, in the dark.

At about 9:45 he spotted the lights of the RV park near the landing. He pulled ashore and tried to stay awake long enough to meet his sister and brother-in-law, who were driving in that night. But he finally fell asleep in the cool sand by the landing.

Today, the three are spending time together. They plan to have a steak dinner tonight at Benton Lee's, a well-known restaurant near Hazlehurst. On Sunday morning, Grove will resume his trip, hoping to make Jesup by Tuesday evening.

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MAY 13 (Friday morning, Lumber City)

Police just seem to find Richard Grove. On Thursday night he was at the boat ramp in Lumber City when a local police officer happened by. The officer wanted to know, in no uncertain terms, just what Grove was doing. Apparently, the explanation was satisfactory.

In fact, the officer presented him with a sew-on patch for his shirt that reads: "Lumber City Police." He also told Grove he'd have officers come check on him during the night to make sure he was safe.

"When you tell the police your story, they're just as nice as they can be," Grove says. And now, with the patch, Grove appears to be an honorary member of the police department.

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MAY 12 (Thursday evening, Lumber City)

After four days and 86 more miles of paddling, Richard Grove reached civilization and a telephone Thursday night to bring readers up to date on his journey.

He's seen about nine alligators, "thousands" of turtles and two bald eagles in recent days, Grove said. The weather has been very warm, the swift river muddy but less trashy than upstream.

Friday afternoon, he will reach the massive Altamaha River for the last leg of his journey, with likely arrival May 21 in Darien.

"The excitement is building," said the Cumming kayaker, spending the evening in Jeff Davis County at Lumber City (northwest of Hazlehurst).

Grove has heard that a whirlpool where the Ocmulgee and Oconee meet to form the Altamaha makes navigation tricky.

The Ocmulgee has typically been 8-9 feet deep. He's passed several fisherman catching stripers.

"This is God's country," Grove says of the river and counties he has paddled through since April 23. At night, he hears frogs, jumping fish and he can see an array of stars.

Do the crickets or other creatures keep him up in the evening?

"When you paddle 10-12 hours a day, nothing keeps you awake at night," Grove joked.

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MAY 12 (Thursday morning)

Now in Coffee County, just north of Douglas, Richard Grove is close to the Ocmulgee's merger with the Oconee River. The kayaker, out in the wilds and out of cell phone range, is expected to reach Hazlehurst this evening.

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MAY 11 (Wednesday morning)

Richard Grove came away with a new philosophy after he lost his mother in a 1984 plane crash.

The kayaker learned "you have to do what you have to do today," says one of his two sisters.

"You don't know what tomorrow will bring," says Sandy Lehmann of Cumming.

Grove has been open to new adventure, including in 2004, when Lehmann's son, Michael, had a conversation with Grove that resulted in the latter paddling down the Chattahoochee River to the Gulf of Mexico.

Grove joked with Michael that if no in the family had time to use their kayak he would.

Lehmann says her brother, divorced and father of a 29-year-old daughter, "has no responsibilities other than himself." Grove shares a Cumming house with his other sister, Donna Simmons.

Grove has been out of cell phone contact for two days as he makes his way down the Ocmulgee River toward the Altamaha. Lehmann says she plans to visit with him in Hazlehurst over the weekend.

Lehmann and her husband, Paul, are hiking enthusiasts. She believes they could get Grove hooked on the Appalachian Trail. In the meantime, there are more journeys for her brother to make.

"It wouldn't surprise me if the next one is down the Mississippi."

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MAY 10 (Tuesday morning)

Many readers are making the trip vicariously with Richard Grove, who was out of cell phone range Tuesday morning. One is Gwinnett resident Frank Mercer, who wrote this JOURNAL ENTRY about his day of paddling with Grove on the Ocmulgee River. Mercer said he always wanted to make a similar river trek but hasn't been able to because of family obligations.

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MAY 9 (Monday morning, 3 miles below Abbeville)

Richard Grove is nearly halfway through his journey and already is a little sad that it will end in about two weeks.

"I just want the days to slow down," he said Monday. "The river is just like therapy."

The kayaker, who made about 15 miles Sunday, related that he's finally gotten to take his first hot shower of the trip.

Frank Mercer, who came down to paddle Friday with Grove, let him use the shower in his hotel room. Grove, who declined to stay overnight at the hotel, joked that Mercer might have had to pay the hotel extra for all the grime and gunk that Grove left behind.

Mercer contacted Grove earlier this year after reading about his adventure plans.

"He said this was an environmental awakening for him," Mercer said of Grove's journey and another Grove took last year on the Chattahoochee River.

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MAY 8 (Sunday night)

(Richard Grove was out of cell phone range Sunday night, but he indicated earlier that he would try to reach the Abbeville area.)

For the remodeling contractor and Eagle Scout, paddling Georgia's rivers to the Atlantic Ocean is like a step back in time.

"You get the feeling like you're an Indian," Grove says.

Grove, who grew up in West Virginia, says he spends some of his hours on the river thinking about growing up and the outdoor fun he enjoyed as a kid.

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MAY 7 (Saturday morning, Dodge County landing)

A kinship has developed on the kayaker's odyssey to the Atlantic Ocean.

"When I say 'we' [in conversations about his trip] I mean me, the kayak and the river," says Grove.

Grove's companion is a 12-foot recreational kayak donated by maker Current Design. A Kestrel 120, the craft weighs close to 55 pounds. It carries about 130 pounds of gear and food, plus the 185-pound Grove.

Dubbed Asa (Sanskrit for the word hope) by a friend, the polyethylene Kestrel and Grove have become constant companions.

"We are real comfortable together."

The kayak is faster, but a little trickier to use, than one Grove used last year to paddle the Chattahoochee River to the Gulf of Mexico.

Grove packs food in a secure dry storage behind him. Small bottles of Gatorade and water are right behind his seat. Near the bow and exposed are an air mattress, sleeping bag and a bag containing clothing and a battery-powered light. Near his feet are larger drink containers.

The kayaker loves the cushioned, adjustable seat. One adjustment makes "it like sitting on a recliner, paddling down the river."

His vessel looks like a NASCAR race car. It's festooned with sponsor stickers, including Kroger, Cingular, Rivers Alive, Go With the Flow Canoes & Kayaks of Roswell, Keep Georgia Beautiful and more.

Grove, who paddled on the Ocmulgee about 25 miles Friday with Berkeley Lake resident Frank Mercer, was spending the day at the Dodge landing Saturday, getting a little rest. He is heading toward Abbeville on Mother's Day.

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MAY 6 (Friday morning, Hawkinsville)

Grove had a great fish story from Thursday -- but it's one he actually witnessed.

Bobby Taylor/Special Charles Purvis, 67, with his big catch of the day.

On an overcast and cooler day, the kayaker made 31 miles on the swampy Ocmulgee to reach Hawkinsville, where he met up with Gwinnett resident Frank Mercer for a day of paddling Friday.

His journey Thursday was light on wildlife sighting, but Grove did spend some time with a fisherman, Charles Purvis, "a jewel of a prince" from Telfair County who was camping and fishing at a park belonging to the town of Bullard.

Purvis, 67, showed Grove a couple of channel catfish he'd caught and then a whale of catch caught on a trout line -- a 40'' fish weighing about 25 pounds. No one, including a game warden, was quite sure what is was. Grass carp? Sturgeon? It was a whopper, whatever it was.

Grove -- whose meals included saltines, a fig bar and peanut butter in a tube -- would have liked to have stayed a little longer, but the call of the river and the need to reach Hawkinsville beckoned.

Purvis said he enjoyed spending a couple hours with Grove.

"I think he was a very determined man to carry out what he set out to do. He was very mannerable and nice."

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MAY 4 (Wednesday evening, below Ga. 96 bridge SE of Bonaire)

After a full sun-soaked day on the Ocmulgee, tasty things can come in a plain pouch -- and there's no KP afterward.

Richard Grove has been enjoying the classic Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), compliments of one of his trip's sponsors, the Georgia Army National Guard.

"They're better than the C-rations I ate in Vietnam," said Grove, who served 11 years in the U.S. Navy.

The MREs contain a heating pouch. A small amount of water activates a heater, and in 10-15 minutes or so, voila, you can dig into tasty enchiladas, cajun rice and beans and beef stew.

"I was told the spaghetti was worth fighting for," laughed Grove. "They are incredible [meals]. It's almost too much to eat."

The kayaker hasn't seen many humans the past few days as he paddles 20-25 miles a day. He expects to make Hawkinsville later Thursday.

He saw more wild hogs and a 10-foot alligator on Wednesday. The river is pretty high, though muddy in places. He also noted more trees growing in the river and the spike-leafed palmetto.

Grove's also having close encounters with mosquitoes, trying to ward them off with campfire smoke. Good luck!

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MAY 3 (Tuesday evening, near Robins Air Force Base)

A day full of wild hog and flower sightings came on "my best day on the river," said Grove.

Grove, who spent the evening east of Robins Air Force Base, said the river was full of multiple twists and turns. Willow, wisteria and honeysuckle -- along with patches of yellow flowers -- greeted him. He saw many trees floating or growing in the water.

The paddler, who is keeping a journal, also lamented the heavy amount of trash on this stretch of the Ocmulgee.

In addition to a couple of snakes and what he believes was a swimming bobcat, the kayaker spotted several brown wild hogs along the banks Tuesday.

Grove's meals included corn, sausage and a can of apple sauce he got in Macon. He used a peach can to make coffee on a fire he built along the river bank.

He made about 20 miles and hopes to make that many more Wednesday en route to Bullard's Landing. His sunburns are turning to tans and he still exercises at night after a full day of paddling.

He was circumspect about Mother Nature. "She's cruel and she's good." Referring to his brutally cold start in Gwinnett County last week Grove said, "she's toughening you up for the elements."

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MAY 2 (Monday evening, south of Macon)

All along his route, people are amazed when Grove tells them he is paddling from Atlanta to the Atlantic Ocean.

The "river people," as he calls fishermen, boaters and homeowners, are always quick with a wave or hello. "There is just no such thing as an unfriendly person," he says.

Ahead of his schedule by a day, Grove spent Monday a little longer in Macon, talking with a local newspaper and telling people about his adventure. "My interest is drawing attention to the river." He talked about trash in Jackson Lake, particularly from the Yellow and South rivers.

He also took in the city's riverwalk, which includes a fountain and a statue of native son Otis Redding. He is spending Monday night about 5 miles south of the city.

He's off Tuesday southward toward Warner Robins, before he makes a turn on the Ocmulgee to the southeast. The river's change in current means the trip will be "slow from now on out," Grove said.

Sunday night, he saw the first alligator of his trip in the dark near his campsite.

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MAY 1 (Sunday afternoon, Macon)

A confident Grove paddled into Macon Sunday afternoon, 101 miles into a eight-day journey that started in Gwinnett County. He said goodbye to his sisters's brother-in-law after two days of padding together on the Ocmulgee River.

"I am roasted. I look like a came out of the oven," Grove laughed as he described his sunburn over the last two days. Paddling has been good of late, and Grove is jogging at night along the river.

He jokes about the different approaches he and Carl Lehmann, 45, take to their gear. Grove travels light and has no cooking equipment or gadgets. Lehmann carried a stove for coffee, a hammock and heater and water-resistant clothing.

And Lehmann used GPS to plot their position.

"I don't give a damn where I am," Grove joked.

The journey is about to take a significant turn.

Grove, who has a new stock of MREs and Gatorade, passed several towns and people between Gwinnett and Macon. The Ocmulgee from now on is much more remote and he will encounter few people for at least three days, when he hopes to reach Hawkinsville.

"My goal was to get away from civilization," he said. "I'm pretty much alone now."

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APRIL 30 (Saturday, Ocmulgee river)

Richard Grove left Jackson Lake headed south on the Ocmulgee River toward Macon, paddling with his sister's brother-in-law, Carl Lehmann, 45, of Buford. They encountered some shoals and "all hell broke loose" Saturday morning when a heavy rain battered them for several hours.

They made 26 miles on the broad river, seeing plenty of turtles, geese and ducks. They also saw a shark -- a concrete statue in a homeowner's back yard.

They enjoyed fried green tomatoes and apple dumplings at the famous Whistle Stop Cafe in East Juliette.

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APRIL 29 (Friday morning, at Jackson Lake)

"Cooked" and warmed by a full day of sun, Richard Grove passed the confluence of the Yellow and South rivers and will paddle his way across Jackson Lake Friday.

"It was wonderful yesterday," said the adventurer, who made about 20 miles Thursday on wider waters, taking in views of fishermen, waterfowl and "the biggest owl of my life." The day started in Porterdale, where he got wet trying to navigate tricky shoals.

He spent the night on a dock at the lake, which has a large power plant. Georgia Power workers will pick up his kayak late in the afternoon and drive him around a large dam to the Ocmulgee River, where he'll spend the night before paddling toward Macon.

Fueled mainly by fruit, power bars and Gatorade, Grove is looking forward to a barbecue sandwich at Sack O Suds, a lake fixture featured in the film "My Cousin Vinny."

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APRIL 28 (Thursday morning, at Porterdale in Newton County)

After a day notable for sunshine (welcome after a shivering start), a swimming snake and curious bovines, Grove is taking advantage of deeper water Thursday to approach Jackson Lake, about 50 miles southeast of Atlanta.

Grove enjoyed swifter water on his 20-mile Yellow River paddle from Conyers to Porterdale. "The kayak moves very well," he said. "I'm in the best of spirits."

Wednesday's sights included fishermen and a couple of cattle at a nearby farm. "They both watched me. 'What in the world is this'?" At the day's end, Grove says a cottonmouth swam toward him at his camp under a Porterdale bridge. It made shore. "I just kicked it into the river."

Grove, who feasted on Rice Krispie treats, fruit bars, figs and a burger at night, hopes to make Jackson Lake tonight after navigating shoals early in the day. He's enjoying the solitude of his journey.

"I feel like a lone Indian on the river," he said.

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APRIL 27 (Wednesday morning, near Ga. 20 in Rockdale County)

A big day lies ahead for Grove, who got in only a couple hours of paddling during Tuesday's precipitation. "It was a nice run, good paddling, even though it was raining."

After a breakfast of Gatorade and granola, he trying to make it to Porterdale in Newton County by Wednesday nightfall. But first he must portage around a dam with a 20-foot drop. Once he's back in the water, the Yellow River drops for a good distance amid shoals.

Though he's warmed up a good bit since a rough, cold weekend start near Lawrenceville, Grove says he hopes to resume jogging to increase circulation in his ankles, feet and hands.

Tuesday night, he went to a nearby Ruby Tuesday for a salad with his sister, Sandy Lehmann, also of Cumming, and returned to build a fire under the bridge. Sheriff's deputies paid him a visit, asking him why he was there. After telling him the fire should be moved, they left Grove for a cool night under the stars.

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APRIL 25 (Monday night, under Irwin Bridge Road, Rockdale County)

A sunny Monday was "the nicest day yet" on the Yellow River, with some shoals and waterfalls making the going challenging at times. "I was cold but I didn't freeze," Grove said.

He and his kayak are becoming a team. "We're doing real well together." There was one rough spot when they went over a waterfall and the craft was swamped.

The adventurer made about 12 miles, seeing two fisherman en route to camp. Opting not to cook on the trip, Grove ate raisins, other fruit, cashews, cheese crackers and an MRE (meal ready to eat), given to him by the Georgia Army National Guard, consisting of cajun rice and beans. "It was pretty good."

Cold water temperatures and the need to portage around countless fallen trees leaves Grove pretty tired at night, but he has time to keep a journal. When he regains his strength, he plans to resume jogging in the evenings.

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APRIL 24 (near U.S. 78 in Gwinnett)

Frigid weather and fallen trees conspired to make for a rough start over the weekend. Grove had to remove his kayak -- which weighs more than 100 pounds -- 39 times to get around the trees and paddle 21 miles.

But the 45-degree water was the true test. "It was 10 times worse whan I had anticipated." Grove's kayak turned over twice Sunday, leaving him shivering most of the day. "My legs turned blue."

He paddled south to U.S. 78 near the Yellow River Game Ranch and spent the night along the river bank after getting out for 90 minutes to eat and warm up. He was feeling better later, tucked in a 20-degree sleeping bag.

Grove said the river appears healthy, although he did see debris, including tires and a refrigerator. A particularly strange site was a "television up in the tree with a branch stuck through the picture tube." The determined kayaker is hoping for warmer temperatures Monday. "You're not stopping me," he said.