A blow-by-blow catch up! As I write, I remind myself that the purpose of this blog is twofold: a way to keep in touch with all 7 children and many friends in one fell swoop; and a memoir of our travels. So do read on, or just enjoy the photos, or do both---or gasp at the length of this epistle, and do neither! Here goes!
Heading west from Panama City, we were happy to dock next to LAZY DOLPHIN in Ft. Walton Beach. Barb and Randy are also heading for WVA (along with Joe and Punk Pica aboard CAROLYNN ANN) and our plan is to all catch up along the way.
Randy, Barb and Barb’s parents were having lunch at the gazebo, and it was a real treat to hear WWII stories from Larry, Barb’s dad, who went to North China to repatriate Japanese citizens held there, after the war ended. Who knew?
Saturday’s run got us to Orange Beach (Gulf Shores, FL) where we stopped for the night. Went to the Compleat Angler for a glass of wine, and had a long talk with our server, Kim, daughter of two Vietnamese ‘love children’, who came to America for a better life 20 years ago. It is so amazing to hear people’s stories, and to see the tears well up in Kim’s eyes as she relayed how much her parents love her, and how committed she is to enjoying that ‘better’ life…
The wind was at our back as we crossed Mobile Bay, and by noon Sunday we were at Dog River Marine. We’d stopped near there on the way ‘down’ when we did the Great Loop in ’09. Richard was waiting with the a/c motor we ordered and had shipped to Turner Marine (next door, but not open on Sunday. Kat drove the box to Dog River on her Sat. lunch hour. People are wonderful, helpful and amazing!) We fueled up, using, for the first time, our new spiffy fuel nozzle adapter! Very exciting.
We hurried on through the busy-ness of Mobile, and into the Tombigbee River. We are still in the deep south, and to our amazement, we saw both children and alligators in the river. Doesn’t compute for me, but I guess those parents know what they are doing….maybe…
Late in the day we hung a right to enter the Tensas River and anchor for the night. My back was turned, and I was surprised to feel the boat come to a dead stop, and begin to back! A fisherman was frantically waving to Fred. A trot line had just been strung from bank to bank across the river, and weights not yet applied to bring it below the surface. Poor fisherman was afraid we’d cut his line and wrap it around our propeller(s). He, of course didn’t know that a Great Harbour Trawler has protective skegs for the props, and he need not have worried. We waited while he weighted (don’t you love English) the line, and everyone was happy. He came by our anchorage later to apologize for scaring us, and to thank us for stopping. Nice.
At Cairo, IL, near where we will enter the Ohio, the River is about 320 feet above sea level. We can’t boat up steep hills, so the Corps of Engineers has installed 12 locks along the Tenn-Tombigbee Waterway. Locks can be found to be wide open and waiting as the boat approaches, or, for a number of reasons, it can be the boater who does the waiting. Such was our experience at the Coffeeville Lock, the first we’ve encountered. We were excited as we arrived just behind the Tug VOYAGER, who was pushing such a small group of barges that we could easily fit in the lock behind her. Sad to say, the lockmaster informed us that VOYAGER is a ‘red flag tow’, carrying dangerous materials, and had to lock alone. So wait we did. Our day ended at dusk when we pulled up to the dock at Bobby’s Fish camp, just beyond Coffeeville, and some 30 feet above sea level.
An early start and uneventful travel made Tuesday a great day, despite the fact that phones and internet don’t seem to reach to the middle of Alabama…Happily, the lock at Demopolis was open and waiting for us, and, again at dusk we tied up starboard to the long dock in the Yacht Basin.
Travelled 79.8 miles on Monday, and 80+ on Tuesday, with a lock each day. Not bad for a couple of ‘early depends on when we say it is’, typically late rising boaters…
Well, I’ll tell you what! There may have been phones in Demopolis but there sure weren’t rental cars. I spent the day phoning people (Chamber of Commerce, City Hall, 7 Churches, Auto sales and repair shops, Police and Fire) attempting to find a ride to the Montgomery airport for a 6 am flight to Minneapolis. My 50year reunion from Nurses’ Training was Friday and Sat., and I’d reserved a flight---never dreaming that transportation would prove to be such an issue. Fred finally secured a white Chevy pick-up that we could borrow---a VERY southern Alabama vehicle! Hooray for our side!
A fun happening on Thursday afternoon was when Doug and Eric came for a tour of YA. Eric, a 23 year old who was transporting his dad’s boat from Stuart, FL to Knoxville, TN, had been parked behind us way back at the Panama City Marina. He was thoroughly disgusted, as only a 23 year old would be, that these two oldsters got to Demopolis ahead of him. Shook his head several times, saying “We passed you twice! How could you get here first?” Chuckle. We just did, that’s how!
I made my flight and had a fabulous time in Minneapolis. 51 of my 77 classmates attended the event. Our class president lamented that she’s served as “Class president for 51 years” and we were the 'Golden Girls' at a luncheon for 250+ Swedish Hospital graduates (the school of nursing was closed in 1975). We gave a presentation that was funny and serious, musical and poetic. What a fabulous group! Created some wonderful memories for us all!
On the drive back to the boat from Montgomery on Sunday afternoon, we went through Selma, and stopped at the Edmund Pettus Bridge to see the Civil Rights Memorial. A sign there read, “Hands that once picked cotton, can now pick presidents”, with a drawing of a voting machine lever being pulled down. Brown’s chapel, where Martin Luther King organized the 54mile march to the steps of the capital (Montgomery) in 1965 is a beautifully maintained historic site, and the entire route is designated as a national historic trail.”. Brave men and women, those
While I was celebrating, Fred, bless him, was replacing the salon a/c motor. Coolth in the salon is much to be sought after in AL, MS, TN, KY, Ohio and WVA at this time of year. Happiness!
Fred also located a fella with a sewing machine who made us a cover for the exposed wires living inside the mast. And he did a fine job in less than ½ a day.
On Tuesday we were at the fuel dock topping off. Demopolis hardly noticed our 100 gal. This is the only major fueling stop for tugboats between Mobile and Paducah, KY. 30,000 gal. is an average fueling, 50,000 is not uncommon, they say. YIKES.
By 4 pm we were at the Heflin Lock, being elevated another 30 feet. The lockmaster gave us many instructions in a drawl so thick that about all we understood was ‘life jackets’. We had them on. A few miles up the river we entered the Sumter Landing which Fred says he recognized from ’09. How does he do that? It is trees and water. Ok, and a park. But still…
We rafted up with LAZY DOLPHIN, and enjoyed happy hour on YA. Shortly after dark, Fred and I were ready for a good solid, well cooled sleep. Wednesday morning I baked cinnamon rolls, but by the time they rose (real yeast, mind you) and were baked we were underway. No problem. The River was really foggy, so we pulled over, and while we waited for the fog to clear, Fred passed a ‘bag o’ buns’ to LAZY DOLPHIN via boathook. Barb loved the challenge. Buns weren’t bad, either! Gluten Free and baked in our new convection microwave. Yay.
We were elevated through two locks on Wednesday…the Tom Bevill and the John C. Stennis. Happily, no problems at either, and by 5:30 we were safely docked at the Columbus, MS Marina.
We joined Barb and Randy, and Dennis and Wanda (VENA NARCOSIS) for dinner at Huck’s in Columbus. Had very elegant transportation here—the courtesy car is a late model Toyota van. Seats 6 and drove like a dream!
On Thursday morning we bade LAZY DOLPHIN adieu. This is as far as we go for now, and hopefully we will catch up with them before we pass going opposite directions on the Ohio!
We’ve now flown back to Newburgh, and are in the final planning stages for an amazing trip to Europe! The 3 weeks of travel will culminate with the reason for the trip---son Geoff, (that would be Army Col. Geoff), will be installed as a Brigade Commander in Schweinfort, Germany on June 26! We plan to be there!
All details will be forthcoming when we return. Until then, remember to breathe, and live one glorious moment at a time. If the moments are challenging, try to remember that this, too, shall pass.
We send love and peace to you and yours.
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