Saturday, December 11, 2010

It's been since Tuesday that I've written anything in here. Sorry. We have been busy, though. Wednesday was spent doing boat chores. Then there was a Harbor Christmas Party in the Tiki Hut. Our slip is right in front of the Tiki Hut door. That made trips to the restroom a lot easier. Ken (the harbor manager) rented two large propane heaters like they use at outdoor restaurants and that made all the difference. Last year's Super Bowl Party in the Tiki Hut was so cold, people didn't stick around for very long. At the Christmas Party, there were still people there at 10:00 (that's an hour past boaters' bedtime).
Thursday, I went consignment store shopping with Sue, Marsha, and Sandy. I'd never done an all day consignment store run before. We had a great time. Meanwhile, John and Norm went to West Marine. Everyone got yo do things they like to do. Thursday evening a bunch of us were invited to Herb and Marsha's for a potluck dinner. Yum! It seems I know a lot of great cooks!
Yesterday, Paul and Patty invited Norm & Sue, and John and me to their house here in Florida for dinner and Farkle. Another awesome meal! So, even though we are without wheels, we have been getting around (much like my mother).
Five more days until we leave for home. We are anxious to see everyone.

GROUNDED

Jelly fish next to the boats at Orange Beach Marina

Breakfast by the pound at IGA in Carrabelle

It is nice to feel the earth under our feet. Sue and I went to CVS this morning and walked back. I had 114 pictures printed so that I have physical evidence of our adventure in hand when I get home for Christmas. Speaking of which, we will be leaving here on the 15th for home and staying until about January 8th. We are babysitting one week while we are home and have a ton of doctor appointments to take care of. We are looking forward to seeing family and friends while at home. I will continue to blog until we leave for home and then start back up when we arrive back in Florida. I am including a couple of recent pictures for your inspection.

North Fort Myers

We spent last night at anchor in Pelican Bay, rocking and rolling all night. The wind blew all night long, so there wasn't much sleeping going on in our boat or Runaround Sue. We missed Paul and Patty during these last couple of days. However, I'm certain they are glad to have missed the turbulent night at anchor.

Today we made our way to Paradise Marina in North Fort Myers where we spent most of last winter. It was a very enjoyable cruise. There weren't many crab pots or fishermen to slow down for. Many of the people we met last year were on hand when we arrived. We will be here until about the end of January.

What's up with this weather? We are in sunny Florida and it's supposed to get down to freezing tonight. Brrr!

ALMOST THERE

We slept in this morningand then took a walk. Right across the street from Marine Max in Venice is the Venice Airport which is where the 9/11 terrorists trained. There is also a circus school there with a trapeze outside to train on. We untied our lines at 10:10 A.M. We only went 31 miles to Pelican Bay and anchored out. It's raining, but not hard. It's a good thing we crossed when we did because today there are 7 to 10 foot waves in the Gulf. Tom Conrad certainly knows his stuff. We are expecting 15 to 20 mph winds tonight. It's less than one day's cruising time to get to North Fort Myers. We're hoping Paradise has room for both of our boats. So far we haven't been able to get a hold of anyone there. We'll have to wait and see.

EVEN LONGER DAY

Carrabelle has a unique breakfast opportunity at the IGA across the street from C Quarters Marina. They sell breakfast by the pound. Paul, Fred, John, Norm, Sue,and Yvette all took advantage of this oddity. They said it was good too.

We thought Thursday was a long day. The report was that the weather window would be from noon on Friday until noon on Saturday, with no other good days to cross in the near future. So, we left Carrabelle at noon on Friday. We cruised with Runaround Sue and Trusty III all night. We came into protected waters at Tampa Bay around 11:30 A.M. and reached Marine Max in Venice at 4:30 P.M. Saturday. We cruised 250 statute miles in 28 1/2 hours straight. Paul and Patty met us on Wednesday at Panama City. Friday we took turns doing 3 hour shifts throughout the night ( Paul and Patty for three hours, then John and me for three hours, etc.) We ate and talked and laughed and ate some more. It was wonderful spending that time with them. We hope they enjoyed the experience as much as we did.

Once we got to Marine Max, they informed us that tonight is their Christmas Boat Parade. There were 41 boats entered in the parade and it ended here at this harbor. The boats were awesome. I tried to take pictures, but they didn't turn out with a flash or without one. So, I'm sorry that there aren't any pictures of the wonderfully lit boats. If we travel again tomorrow, it will be a short day as we are all very tired.

Long Long Day

Today we left Panama City at 6:00 A.M. in clear, cool, 48 degree weather with light winds. We planned on going 90 miles before stopping for the day in Carrabelle. After crossing Pensacola Bay, Lake Wimico, Appalachicola Bay, and St. George Sound, we arrived at C Quarters in Carrabelle at 5:00 P.M. We fueled up (140 gals @ $2.80 per gal), paid for our slip, and made dinner. We are hoping that we can cross the Gulf tomorrow at noon. We'll check out the weather/ wind/ wave situation before making our "final decision". It's really nice to have company on this leg of the trip.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

December already! Yesterday after the chores were finished, John and I began our Christmas shopping at the ship store. Now I have to stay away from there or I'll spend LOTS more money than I really want to part with. They have really cool unusual items that I find terribly appealing. Yesterday the temperature dropped from 68 degrees at 4:00 P.M. to 52 degrees at 4:30 P.M. There was a tornado watch until 2:00 P.M. and we had thundershowers off and on all day. The wind picked up and blew the flag right outside our cabin window all night long. We should have brought it in as it kept John awake. We were glad to be tied to a dock instead of on a hook.

Today is clear, but cooler. Our guests are due to arrive between 3:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. We are looking forward to traveling with them. We plan to head to Carabelle at the first sign of light. We have about 80 miles to go tomorrow. So, it'll be a long day, but we are ready to stage ourselves for crossing the Gulf.

Monday, November 29, 2010

The prediction was 70% chance of rain, high in the 60s, and winds 12 mph for today. We left Fort Walton Beach at our customary 6:30 and headed for Panama City. We had 3 to 6 foot waves in the Choctawhatchee Bay and had to make certain everything was secure so that things weren't flying around and getting broken. It took us about 4 hours to get through the Choctawhatchee Bay. The clouds were extremely dark. One time we had a little drizzle, but that was all. Pensacola had heavy rain after we were past there. Sunglasses and hats weren't necessary items today. We arrived in Panama City around 2:00 P.M. at the Panama City Marina. We rinsed the salt off the boat and headed for the ship store. All of us were impressed by the merchandise in their store (Christmas shopping?).
Later, we walked into town and had a delicious dinner at "The Place". Still no rain. Tomorrow there is a 100% chance of rain. We shall see. Our plan is to stay here until our guests arrive and then make our way to Carabelle and wait for the weather window to make the Gulf crossing. In the meantime, this seems like a nice place to hang out and do a little exploring.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Friday was spent doing chores. We had Happy Hour on "Trusty III" and were treated to a viewing of a video of Claude and Yvette's first trip around the loop. We all brought our Thanksgiving dinners (we had bought a turkey breast not knowing we would be invited out) to "Trusty III" and ate together. After dinner, we assembled on "Runaround Sue" and played Farkle.

We stayed put on Saturday as well. The weather was chilly and windy. There doesn't seem to be a weather window to do the crossing for several days, so we stayed. Lunch was at Calypso Joe's at the marina. Then we borrowed the courtesy car and investigated the surrounding area. Orange Beach is a big fishing destination and known for its beaches, although right now it's much too cold to swim. We saw a big jelly fish right next to our boats in the harbor.

Today we left Orange Beach at our usual 630 A.M. There may be a crossing window on Thursday night. We are making our way to Panama City where we hope to pick up John's Aunt and Uncle, who are planning on doing the crossing with us. We are looking forward to seeing them and are excited that they want to cross the Gulf with us. Time will tell exactly when that will happen. We don't want to take unnecessary risks.

Thanksgiving

Well, we had a change of plans. Instead of leaving this morning, we decided to stay here and have our Thanksgiving dinner. Byron and Donna who both work at the marina and live across the street, invited all of us on the dock to their house for "lunch". The six of us, 2 other couples who have finished the loop, and a man who lives here all of the time, walked over to their house around noon. They fed us all and their family a complete Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings. It was delicious! They treated us like kings. Later, we spoke to our family via Skype. That made us feel like part of their celebration as well.

The marina is closed today and tomorrow. So, we are planning to stay here until at least Saturday morning because we have to pay for tonight and tomorrow night and because it's supposed to storm tonight and all day tomorrow. Tomorrow night we are teaching Yvette and Claude how to play Farkle. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Eve

This morning we had fog again and did not leave the harbor until 8:00 A.M. We cruised across Mobile Bay and into the ICW (Inter Coastal Waterway). We stopped at Orange Beach Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, only about 8 miles from Pensacola, FL. It was a perfect cruising day, 76 degrees and the sun was shining, plus a little air moving. We are hoping to make Destin, FL tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We all have so much to be thankful for.

Weekend Traveling Frenzy

We have not had Internet or cell service for a couple of days. So, it's time to catch up.

Saturday morning we left Demopolis Yacht Basin a little earlier than planned. We were up at our usual 5:30 and about 15 minutes later, we heard a boat from Demopolis talking to the lockmaster. The lockmaster said he was turning the lock around and to bring it on. So, we hurried and left the harbor at 6:10. There were nine boats in the lock together. We spent the night at Bashi Creek, anchored out with "Runaround Sue", "Trusty III", "Surprise", and "Livin the Dream". We had Happy Hour on the back of our boat. They all came by dinghy.

It was so quiet and peaceful back in that creek until 3:00 A.M. Ann and John on "Livin the Dream" had an intruder on their boat. They woke up and there was a man on their boat. He swam/waded across the water to the boat. They think he was looking to steal gas. They yelled at him to get off the boat and he did leave. How scary is that?

On Sunday morning, we tried to leave at 6:30, but there was too much fog. We pulled up anchor at 7:15, but once we got out on the river, it was foggy again. Once we got through the fog, it was smooth sailing until we reached our anchorage at Three Rivers Lake. We had passed through the final lock (Coffeeville) along the way. We had cruised 81 miles and it was just getting dark when we arrived at Three Rivers Lake. The 81 miles was too far for the 2 sailboats to make before dark, so it was just "Runaround Sue", "Trusty III", and us. We were ready to call it a day. We had a wonderful, peaceful night's sleep here with no surprises.

On Monday morning, we left at our usual time. It was beautiful out for most of the day. Once we reached Mobile Harbor, the AIS was driving Captain John crazy. There were so many tows that the alarm kept going off and the screen looked like a mine field. Mobile was not as deserted as in the spring, but it's not as active as last year when we made our way down river.

We saw our first crab pot. Yikes! We must be ever vigilant, keeping our eyes peeled for the pesky little devils.

We reached Dog River at 3:00P.M. after doing 85 miles today. As we were pulling up to the fuel dock, our boat became grounded. When we made our way along the 7 mile channel to the harbor, the water depth beneath our boat was only 3 to 4 feet. We had spoken to the fuel dock attendant on the radio as we entered Dog River and he was standing on the dock watching us and failed to mention that the route we were on was too shallow. We were going very slowly and it was a soft grounding. After being pulled off (Thank you, "Dollar Boat"), we tested to make sure there were no vibrations. Of course, during all of this, it decided to rain. By the time we were fueled up and tied to a slip, every one of us was soaked to the bone. It felt so good to tie up and go to Happy Hour on "Trusty III". Yvette and Claude are gracious hosts and we enjoyed ourselves yet again.

We plan on stayng here Tuesday to reprovision and get caught up on some maintenance chores. Hopefully, we'll be back on the water on Wednesday.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Yesterday we cruised from Columbus Marina to an anchorage called Tombigbee Ox Bow just below the Howell Heflin Lock. We passed through four locks John Stennis, Glover Montgomery, Amory, and Howell Heflin. Whew! Dropping from one level to the next is a lot easier than being lifted from one level to the next. We had clouds and drizzle all day long.

Today we had a short day. We left our anchorage at 6:30 A.M., as per usual. It was foggy early on, but it burned off within an hour. We had no Locks today. Demopolis Lock is very near this harbor, so we'll have to do that one first thing tomorrow morning. By 1:00 P.M. we reached Demopolis Yacht Basin. We are doing chores and then we shall eat dinner in the restaurant here at the marina. Tomorrow should be another long day.

Sunshine

We left Midway Marina this morning at 6:40 A.M. in the fog. Thank goodness for radar. We didn't have far to go to the first lock and by the time we pulled out of the lock, the fog was considerably less. From that poin t on, the day kept getting better. The sun came out and felt sooooooo good. We traveled through 4 locks today: Fulton, Grover Wilson, Amory, and Aberdeen. We traveled with "Runaround Sue" and "Surprise". We all ended up at Columbus Marina in Columbus, Mississippi. We were cruising for 9 1/4 hours and covered 60 miles. Today was the way cruising is supposed to be (not like yesterday).

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

We left Joe Wheeler State Park yesterday morning at 6:30 A.M. It was cold, cloudy, and drizzling off and on. We went 71 miles, passed through 2 locks, and arrived at Grand Harbor around 2:30 P.M. After getting settled in, Norm and Sue, and John and I borrowed the courtesy car and went to the grocery and to The Rib Cage for dinner.


Today started out about the same way except it rained all day long. It's so gray and cold. Before we left, we took the windshield cover off, in case it rained so hard that we had to drive from the lower helm. In the process of removing the cover, it ripped. The tear is about 24 inches long.


Along the Divide Cut we saw a fox walking along the shore. A little farther, we saw some wild turkeys. Can't you just imagine the feathers flying when the fox made it as far as the turkeys? Hopefully, they got away.


John installed a new marine radio before we left Joe Wheeler. It has an AIS receiver built in. That allows us to see the name of approaching tows on the radio screen. He tied it into the GPS/Chartplotter as well. So, if we put the pointer on the image of the tow, a whole page of information comes up about the tow. It tells us the name, which direction it's traveling, how fast it's going, and what it's carrying among other things. It's really cool.


Today we traveled 56 miles and passed through 3 locks. We spent the entire day in our rain gear. We were happy to arrive at Midway Marina around 2:45 P.M.


I am posting some pictures to this entry from Cancun of the scenery because it's lovely and the weather here is not. Hope it makes you smile like it makes me smile.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Well, we are back at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, Alabama. Yesterday was one long day, beginning early in Cancun, arriving in Atlanta at 4:00, and then getting back to the boat around 11:30P.M. We were all tired by then. Norm's brother bought Norm's van and is currently taking it to Indiana. We will be without a car until we arrive in North Fort Myers, where Sue's car has been parked since April.

The Great Loop Adventure starts back up again tomorrow morning. We will be leaving here and heading south, hoping to avoid too much cold and rainy weather along the way.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Yesterday we moved from The Royal Sands to The Royal Islander. We have a beach front villa this week. This is nice for a change. The view of the ocean is beautiful. It feels a little bit removed from where the action is, but that's okay with me. Yesterday and today have been cloudy, windy, and cooler than last week. However, I understand that it's colder in Alabama where the boat is docked.

End of First Week

Tomorrow we move from The Royal Sands to The Royal Islander. This first week has been wonderful. On Tuesday, Norm and I got to do the BOB. BOB stands for Breathing Observation Bubble. It's an electric scooter that has a helmet attached to it. An oxygen tank on the front blows into the helmet and you just breathe like normal while you ride on the bottom of the ocean floor around 20 feet deep. The bottom of the helmet is open, but the water stays at shoulder height. We got to hold a sea urchin, a spider starfish, and a sea cucumber. It is so cool to see the colorful fish swimming all around you.

Today we were supposed to go to Cozumel on a "Jeep Adventure". We were supposed to drive our own jeep, snorkel, shop, and have lunch there. The weather was really windy and it was raining in Cozumel, so they canceled our excursion. So, instead, Sue and I went to Playa del Carmen on a shopping trip sponsored by Diamond International. They paid for the bus ride and gave everyone a charm bracelet and a charm. The town is picturesque, with cobblestones and colorful buildings on Fifth Avenue. The road is closed to automobiles and you walk right down the center of the street. We saw a wedding in town at this unique looking church. The back wall of the Church was made of glass that had a colored glass religious design in it. You could see through most of the wall though and it looked out onto the ocean. Just beautiful! I took pictures. When I get back to the boat I will post a few of the pictures.

Beautiful Cancun

Well, it seems that the Royal Sands now has free WI-FI. How nice is that? We arrived Saturday around lunchtime. Sunday morning we attended the Orientation Meeting where we were told about the available excursions and the new things for this year like the change in bus fares since last year. There was a free party complete with beer and rum runners. Next we found ourselves in the pool and at the pool bar when Happy Hour started.

Today we had a free breakfast before seeing a model of the new Grand Residences. They are absolutely fantastic. You can buy one a full time one like a condo or 5 weeks at a time like a timeshare. They will split a 5 week timeshare into 2 and 3 week pieces if they can find buyers for both pieces of the 5 weeks. We are happy with our timeshare here at the Royal Sands. After the sales presentation, we went by bus to Walmart for groceries for some of the days. Tonight we had shrimp, salad, mixed vegetable, and rolls. We lazed around the pool and simply unwound.

Tomorrow morning, Norm and I are doing the excursion called BOB (Breathing Observation Bubble). I have done this before. Norm has tried to do this trip on 4 different occasions, but something has happened each time to keep that from happening.

Cancun Bound

It's been a few days since the blog has been updated. The AGLCA Rendezvous just wrapped up last night. It was so much fun! They kept us busy from 6:45 A.M. until about 9:30 P.M. each day. The most popular of the seminars each described a leg of the upcoming section of the loop, as far as Norfolk, VA and the Bahamas. There was a separate women's and men's talk that was a quite interesting. At the Women's talk, they talked about the reluctant spouse, provisioning of the galley, creative storage ideas, boat sex, and a full ten finger bouquet. Ask me about the last two when you see me. At the men's seminar, they asked them how many of their spouses would be able to dock the boat in an emergency. By a show of hands, 90% said their spouse could do it. However, in the Women's Session, the moderator determined that only 20% of the women thought they were capable of docking in an emergency. We both agree that I could dock if I had to do it. It may not be pretty, but I could get it there.

Two of the days had boat crawls. That's where people open their boats to others to look at. It's fun to see all of the different styles of boats. We saw catamarans, sail boats, Nordic tugs, and an assortment of trawlers. There was a tornado near here Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon, the Chamber of Commerce of Rogersville, AL sent school buses to the park to take us into town to shop and have dinner. We really appreciated their generosity. Later on Tuesday, they took us to a concert at the Longing for Home Bed and Breakfast. The concert was fantastic! Brianna Dean performed with the Randy Basham band. Almost everyone bought one of her CDs. They had a s'mores bar, a massage tent, a cigar tent, besides the concert itself. To us, this was the highlight of the Rendezvous.

Even with all of that, the absolute best thing about the past few days is that we met some really neat people, some of which we hope to stay friends with from now on.There is a family on the boat docked beside us (Google Parrent Family to read about them). The children are 4, 7, and 9 years old and they are doing the loop. The kids went Trick or Treating last night on the dock. The children looked so cute in their homemade costumes. It gave us a chance to experience Halloween even though we are far away from our grandchildren.

Last night after the Awards Dinner, some of us got together for a jam session. There was a hammered dulcimer, a harmonica, and three guitars, one of which was John. It took a lot of prodding to get him to bring his guitar and participate. I am so glad that he did. It was fun.

Tomorrow we are leaving to go to Cancun for two weeks with Norm and Sue. I'm telling you this because I may not be able to blog while we are away. When we return, we will head down the Tenn-Tom. We're excited about having Paul and Patty joining us for the Gulf crossing. So, until next time.....

Saturday, October 23, 2010

The weather has been delightful. It's cool at night and in the morning, but warm during the day. Perfect! Last night we grilled chicken and ate out on the back deck with Sue. It just doesn't get better than that. Tonight there is a "Shrimp Feast" over on the first dock. Everyone is supposed to bring a covered dish. The Rendezvous starts tomorrow, but this way we can meet a lot of the loopers before the actual event. (We have been meeting a lot already. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow they expect quite a few more boats to come in.)

It sounds like we are going to get rain Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. That will interfere with the kayak races and the dinghy races. Everything else is indoors. We are looking forward to meeting the people, the seminars, the food, and the concert on Tuesday night.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Since we are here without a car, we seem to be more focused on things that need to be done on the boat. John installed a new marine radio that has AIS on it. Now we are anxious to see it work as the barges approach us. He and Norm both bought one (I think they were $335 each). The day after ours arrived in the mail, there was a blog on the Active Captain site telling people what a good deal this radio is. Our Captains are pretty smart, huh?

The last few days, I've been sewing. Some of the latches to hold the canvas in place on the back deck had ripped off, so I sewed them back on. I embroidered a jacket for John, made a new cover for the TV on the back deck, and made some "potato bags" like we saw at a craft show.

Sue and I walk every morning for an hour. It's not the same as walking in Florida. For one thing, it's cooler and the biggest difference is it's so hilly here and flat in Florida. We see dozens of deer during our walks. They are so skinny too. There's just too many in too small of a space. They have cottages for rent right along the water's edge. They are only two years old and really nice. A person from the housekeeping staff let us walk through the one she was cleaning. Great place for a sisters' trip (except for how far it is).

Monday, October 18, 2010

Friday night we had Happy Hour on the back of our boat. Sue didn't come over because she was waiting for a phone call. Norm stayed until about 6:30. When he left, I went down to the galley to prepare dinner. John was still out on the back deck watching television. About 10 minutes later, he saw a raccoon climb our stepladder and get on the boat. It was still light outside, for crying out loud. He jumped up and knocked his drink over. He tried to flip the raccoon into the water with the boat pole, but the little devil jumped back on the stepladder and got away. I am SOOOOO glad that the door to the boat was closed because I'm certain he would have come to visit the galley and I would have been very unhappy about that. The next day John went up to the lodge to tell them how brazen these raccoons are, and they said they would set traps for them. We haven't seen any traps yet. We turned our boat around, so that our back deck is facing the water and we are bringing the stepladder into the boat at night.

Saturday Sue, John, and I went into Rogersville for a Fall Festival. They had a car show, a craft show, an art show, a band, and a chili cook off. It was small and only took an hour and a half to see everything. The little girl on the boat next to us won the Pedal Tractor Pull. The mayor gave her a nice big trophy.

Sunday we went to Florence because it was the last day we'll have a car for awhile. We ate a late lunch, got everything for the boat caught up, and enjoyed the scenery. Later, at the marina, the loopers who are already here had Happy Hour together. Two of the couples have finished the loop when they arrived here. We are enjoying ourselves and meeting lots of nice people.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Coon Dog Cemetery

Rattlesnake Saloon

Yesterday was a most interesting day. We went to the Rattlesnake Saloon in Tuscumbia, Alabama. This bar is built in a cave. It's actually outside under a rock shelf that extends from the side of a rock cliff. While we were there, some people arrived on horseback. They tied their horses to a rail, like in the Old West, went in the bar for a drink, and then left. The parking lot is at the top and a truck with bench seats in the bed, brings you down this steep, windy, narrow, dirt road to the bar. They are only open Thursday through Saturday, from 11:00 A.M. until 10:00 P.M. They have a band each night starting at 6:30 P.M. It was way cool!

On the way back from there, we stopped at The Coon Dog Cemetery. Only pedigreed coon dogs are allowed to be buried there. It was built in 1937 and is the only one of its kind. Supposedly, its the dog cemetery in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama". You just never know what you'll get to see along the way.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Tuesday Paul and Patty came to visit. They were in Alabama and they took a detour on the way home to come to see us. We chatted, had Happy Hour, had dinner in the lodge, played Farkle, and then they left the next morning. We really enjoyed their time here.

Last night, we were awakened at 1:15 A.M. to the sound of a crash. We had a raccoon on the back deck. He ate a can coozie and part of the grill brush. Then he pulled the screen out of the frame in the galley porthole. The porthole was closed, so he couldn't get in there. John got up and closed all the other windows. We were grateful that the hatch above the bed was closed. Could you imagine waking up to a raccoon falling on top of you in the middle of the night? Rocky Raccoon was on the boat next to us too. They have children on board and the raccoon broke their water balloons.

Tonight we are going to a place called Rattlesnake Saloon in Tuscumbia, Alabama. This is a bar built in a cave. They are only open Thursday through Saturday and we are told they draw 900 people in one weekend. I'll let you know how it is. Hopefully, I'll be able to take pictures.

Mon., Oct. 11, 2010

Yesterday morning we planned on leaving Florence Harbor Marina at 8:00. So, we called the Wilson Lockmaster to see if there were any tows that we had to wait for. There was one, but it had 16 barges and the Lockmaster told us to wait about 3 hours before coming out of the harbor. Florence Harbor is right outside of the canal that leads to the lock. We listened to the marine radio and later heard him tell a pleasure boat that the wait was 45 minutes. So, we waited 30 minutes and got in line. There were four of us in the lock together. This is the biggest lift that we have seen so far. It says it has a 93 foot lift, but our depth finder before we went up read 26 feet and after it read 104 feet. Wow! It was extremely turbulent and really hard to keep the boat off of the lock wall. Both of us had tired arms when we pulled out of there.

We arrived at Joe Wheeler State Park around 2:00 yesterday. This park is in a beautiful setting. WIFI is only in the lodge lobby, so I hope that I still manage to keep up with the blog. I promise to try.

Today we stocked up on groceries. There is no courtesy car here. Norm's van is here right now, but after the weekend he has to travel in it for work. He won't be back until it's time to go to Cancun. So, what we have now will have to make it until we leave for Cancun.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

"Trail of Tears" Indian Statue.

Bicycle on ceiling of The Palace.

The Palace Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop.

Una the Lion at North Alabama University.

Delightful lunch spot!

Front of The Rosenbaum House.

Living room of The Rosenbaum House.

Portrait of Helen Keller.

The water pump where Helen Keller put it all together.

Today was an absolutely wonderful day. Rennie drove Sue and me all over town. First, we went to Helen Keller's Birthplace (Ivy Green). What a smart, remarkable person Helen Keller was. Her accomplishments are unbelievable. The tour was informative and interesting.

Second, Rennie took us to the Rosenbaum house which is a Frank Lloyd Wright house. We really enjoyed the tour. The lady who gave the tour thoroughly enjoys her job and knows so much about Mrs. Rosenbaum. The three of us, however, decided we would not like to live in that house. The furniture looks really uncomfortable to us.

Third, we went to lunch at Sweet Magnolia's. It could not have been nicer. The service, food, and ambiance was perfect.

Fourth, we went to North Alabama University. Their mascot lions are in cages on display for all to see. It was pretty warm, so they napped the entire time we were there. Oh, well.

Fifth, we went to The Palace Ice Cream And Sandwich Shop. This place was an old fashioned ice cream parlor. There is a bicycle hanging from the ceiling that they used years ago to deliver prescriptions (it used to be a pharmacy/soda fountain). In the restrooms, there are actual prescriptions from many years ago pasted on the wall as wallpaper. People disappear into the restroom and don't come back for 30 minutes because they are in there reading the walls. It's too cool.

Sixth, we happened, by accident upon a city park named The Spring Park. There were people preparing for a wedding while we were there. There was a petrified tree trunk that a sign said was 325 million years old. How do they know? There was also a beautiful waterfall, an Indian carved out of the front half of a tree, and a statue of an Indian woman that represents the Indians along the "Trail of Tears". After all of that, we were pretty tired and went back to the boat. What a great day! Thank you, Rennie, for chauffeuring us around all day.

Friday, October 8, 2010

We have been meeting so many people. Last night we had reserved the car to go to Freddy T's for dinner. A boat came in and docked behind us. The harbor master Barry told us that they would like to go to Freddy T's as well. So, we all went together and sat together. We had a really good time. Their names were Don, Donna, Karen, and Brian.

Today we left Grand Harbor at 8:00 A.M. We had another great traveling day on the water and ended up at Florence Harbor Marina. The harbor master here named Eva is extremely nice. She clued us in on all of the places to visit. We caught up with Rennie and James again here. Dinner was at Rosie's Cantina with Norm, Sue, Rennie, James, Bill (new acquaintance), Connie, (new acquaintance), John, and myself. See what I mean about meeting new people? It's awesome!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Graves in the National Cemetery at Shiloh.

Sue and Carol dressed in Union and Confederate Uniforms.

We got to Grand Harbor yesterday late in the afternoon. The cruise was beautiful. We got right through the Pickwick Lock with no wait. I saw Rosie (Rennie and James' friend) last night at the laundry room. She had just come back from Columbus where she had gone to the doctor for her fingers. She hurt her hand trying to bring up a fouled anchor line. She has to have an operation on Monday. They are only two days cruising away from finishing the loop. So, today they took back the rental car and left on their boat toward Columbus. I hope everything goes smoothly for them on the way back.

The four of us (the Mayers and the Sagels) took the courtesy car and went to Shiloh. That was really fun and educational. We went to the museum, saw a movie about the battle, went to the national cemetery, and did a driving tour with a CD. Afterwards, we went to the Rib Cage for a late lunch. All in all, a great day.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Loretta Lyn's Plantation House.

Sue at the Rock Memorial of Patsy Cline's Fatal Plane Crash Site.

Rennie, James, and James' son Charlie joined us on Thursday afternoon. We had moved our boats to Cypress Creek which was only 30 river miles from our anchorage at Duncan Bay. All three boats left on Saturday for Pebble Isle. We enjoyed our time at Pebble Isle. The people were really nice. Their restaurant was yummy ( they have a large grill outside in a covered screen room where they prepare the best smelling hamburgers and steaks. The scent lures you in like a fish to a hook.) They also have a decent courtesy car that you can use in two hour increments.

On Saturday, we made an executive decision to stay at Pebble Isle until Monday morning. Rennie and James left on Saturday without us. Norm, Sue, John, and I borrowed the car and went to Walmart for a few groceries. Along the way, we passed a sign that said the Patsy Cline Airplane Crash site was 3 miles down this one road. So, John humored Sue and me and drove to the crash site. It was down a pretty big hill and all that was there was a large rock with the date and names of the people who died in the crash. There was a little cross and flowers beside it, like you might see along the highway where someone has died in a wreck. Norm and John were NOT impressed. Sue and I took pictures which I will post when we get somewhere with WIFI.

Sunday Sue and I reserved the courtesy car back to back, so we could have it for four hours. We went to Waverly, to the Loretta Lyn Plantation and Museum. We used the GPS to find our way and the road it told us to take was closed. After that, poor Martha (the GPS) got all besmuckfuddled and took us along one lane gravel roads that turned out to be driveways. We found ourselves in front of a farmer's house where we decided to pull over and call the museum. The farmer came down to our car. I told him we were lost. He said, "Are you trying to get to Loretta Lyn's?" I told him we were. He said, "I bet you used your GPS. It happens all the time." So, he told us how to get there. It was well worth the trip although it took us 1/2 hour longer to get there than it should have. We could have spent another 3 or 4 hours there, but we had to have the car back at 2:00. We had a good time.

This morning we left Pebble Isle. We cruised to Beech Creek Island where we dropped anchor for the night. The Tennessee River is so picturesque. We saw deer on an island that's only visible because the water is low. We saw a dirigible, probably coming from covering a football game yesterday. There aren't many houses along today's stretch, but the ones that are here are nice to look at. It seems strange that out here I can get online when I couldn't at Pebble Isle. Everything is fine and dandy.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

We stayed put yesterday waiting for Rennie and James. They are taking their boat to Florence, Alabama which is near Joe Wheeler State Park where we are going. However, they are having work done to their boat which wasn't quite finfished yesterday. Hopefully, they will join us today. Even so, we will move a few miles to a different cove and anchor for the night. Kentucky Lake is beautiful. There are so many coves and quiet niches to be investigated. Yesterday I went on Norm and Sue's dinghy to the Rock Quarry. People have painted graffitti on the rock surfaces, but the general consensus is that it looks nice, so they aren't removing it. I will post a picture when I get one from Sue (I forgot to take my camera with me).

Can you believe today is the first anniversary of us selling our store? That time has certainly flown by. We've had some great adventures since then and hope to have many more along our traveled path. John is starting the engines. I've got to go.....

Ready to Go!

Diane, Mom, Jenny, and Me

This past Wednesday, I took our van home to store it for the foreseeable future. That night I spent overnight at my Mom's. Thursday morning, my two sisters picked us up and we drove back to Kentucky Dam Marina. Jenny, Diane, and Mom spent Thursday through Sunday here. They took a room at the lodge. We ate a lot, we went to the Bar-B-Q Festival in Paducah on Friday, we went out for a breakfast cruise on Saturday morning and then to see the show "Variety" at the Badgett Theater in Grand Rivers. Every night we played cards at the lodge in the lobby. It was so nice to be together and I miss them all already. It's going to be Christmas time before we see our family and friends at home again.

Tomorrow we are casting off our lines and heading out. Preparations have been completed. Food, fuel, water, clean clothes, and charts have all been loaded aboard. We plan on traveling slowly on the way to Joe Wheeler State Park. We have enjoyed our time here this summer, but we are anxious to get moving again.

September 21, 2010

We went home last Wednesday through Sunday to get one last grandchildren fix. We had dinner with each family and then one night we all got together at Jay and Cynthia's house. I thought that was it until Christmas time, but on the way back Sunday, John suggested that I take the car back tomorrow and leave it there. We decided it's going to be too difficult to drag the car from place to place when we won't be spending much time anywhere. My sisters and Mom are coming to spend the weekend (Thursday through Sunday). I am riding back with them so I get to spend a little more time with them.

Norm and Sue decided the same thing. So, they are selling their van to Norm's brother. Norm is keeping it until we come back from Cancun. That way we will have transportation to the Atlanta airport. It's nice for the four of us to brainstorm these kinds of decisions. There are so many situations that come up that wouldn't be an issue if we were staying put.

We are getting excited. We leave here on the 28th for Joe Wheeler State Park. It's time to get moving again. It's been nice to be close enough to home to visit and have guests, but we are all anxious to be underway again.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Lutis, Sagels, and Mayers anchored out in Kentucky Lake

Replica of The Pinta

Oh my goodness! It's been so long since I've blogged. Sorry. Since the last you've heard from us, so much has happened. Two weekends ago, on Friday we went to Green Turtle Bay to tour the Nina and Pinta replicas. That was a lot of fun. You can find out about them by going to TheNina.com. Be sure to use the word "The" or you get a porn site. The crew told us stories about how the poop deck got its name and why women tell their children or husbands "No elbows on the table".

That Saturday John and Norm went to Paducah to pick up a rental car for our friends Ed and Kyle. In the meantime, Sue and I went to a fabulous craft show in Grand Rivers. We bought a couple of things, but I got many ideas for future gifts to make.

Sunday was spent getting ready for our company. On Monday, Mike and Linda, and Ed and Kyle arrived by boat from Lighthouse Point in Aurora, Indiana. We visited awhile, went out to dinner and then Ed and Kyle had to drive back to Cincinnati to work all week.

Tuesday brought Charlie and Joan to Kentucky Dam State Park . Wednesday we anchored out and had a wonderful grilled salmon dinner. Charlie and Joan stayed until almost dark and then took their jet boat and went back to the lodge. Thursday brought Dave and Donna. On Friday night, Ed and Kyle were back and all twelve of us went to Patty's for dinner.

Saturday, Charlie and Joan had to leave. Boo hoo. We already miss them. We were so happy to spend some time with them. The rest of us went to Green Turtle Bay for a boat show. We looked at boats until lunch time. Then, we had lunch at Miss Scarlett's. Then we all played miniature golf and then we drove little race cars around a track. It was a lot of fun. Mike won the race and got to do a lap around the track holding the checkered flag. We grilled out on the back of our boat and ate dinner out on the picnic tables. It was a fun! fun! day.

Sunday brought another departure when Dave and Donna left after breakfast. We hope they had as much fun as we did while they were here.
The rest of us anchored out last night. It was perfect. We swam in the lake, grilled chicken for dinner and hit the hay pretty early. There's something about being out in the air all day that just makes you so tired.

Today we came back to Kentucky Dam Marina from our anchorage in Dunkin Bay. It's sad to think that tomorrow all of the rest of our company will be leaving to go home. It's been so much fun being with everybody. We were sorry that Dean and Debbie couldn't make it, but we are grateful for the ones who did.

On Wednesday we'll be driving home for a few days to see our family one more time before we take off for Alabama at the end of the month. The time surely goes by in a hurry. September 30th is one whole year since we retired. It doesn't seem like it at all.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

We have a new boat neighbor as of yesterday. Therefore, our happy hour group continues to grow. Last night we were out at 5:00 P.M., as per usual. When the ship store closed, they asked us to watch out for the replicas of the Nina and Pinta. They are going to be at Green Turtle Bay for the weekend for tours. They were supposed to arrive around 7:00 P.M. last night to our harbor, just for the night. Well, we stayed out until about 8:30 P.M. and at that point, gave up. About 9:10 P.M., a lady knocked on our window and asked John if he could tell her how to get to the restaurant. Her name is Constance and she is the current cook on the Nina. They were told there is a restaurant within walking distance. Well, we offered to drive them to a restaurant or to go pick up carry out for them, but they all needed showers and by the time they were finished, it was after 10:00 and they opted to skip it.

They were not informed that this is a dry county either. So, we supplied a couple of beers and sat and talked with them for an hour or two before going back in. This morning we watched them take off for Green Turtle Bay. Tomorrow we plan on going there for a tour. Most of the crew are volunteers. The Captain and Pilot are the only ones who are not volunteers. They sign up for at least 4 weeks at a time. They are not required to be experienced sailors. It sounds like fun with a minimal commitment of time.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Tuesday Sue and I went to the LDS Family Research Center in Paducah. Their hours are 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. We were there from 10:15 A.M. until 2:45 P.M. The lady who works there was very helpful and spent the entire day helping us. Both of us were able to find information on one of our "brick walls". We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and look forward to visiting again. When we returned to the marina, we took our boats out to Dunkin Bay and anchored out for two nights. We swam and Norm and John fished. We had fresh fish (bass) for lunch on Thursday. Yum Yum!

The weather has been so much better this week. It's been only in the upper eighties. It's been pleasant sitting outside for Happy Hour, so much so that we don't want to come in and fix dinner. Friday night we went out to a Mexican restaurant called Habeneros. All four of us enjoyed our meals.

Last night the marina had a movie outdoors. It was "Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock. John and I both really liked the movie and it's a true story to boot. If you haven't seen it, it's worth your time.

It won't be long before the boat people (our boating friends from Cincinnati) will be here (the week after Labor Day). We can't wait to see them all. It's hard to believe that it's the end of August and school has started already. Where does it go?

Sunday, August 22, 2010

John's parents left for home Friday morning. We miss them already. While they were here, we anchored out one night with Norm and Sue. We swam in the lake in the afternoon and then again the next morning. It felt soooo good to be in the water. The water temperature is 90 degrees. I held lousy cards the last night we played bridge. That makes for a long game. We went to the Maritime Museum. We were disappointed because all of the interactive displays were broken, including the simulator. (Supposedly, the simulator allows you to drive a tugboat.) We ate at Whaler's Catch in Paducah and at Patty's 1880 Settlement.

Yesterday we went to Kuttawa to the Bar-B-Q Festival. There were lots of booths with food and pretty many with crafts. Parking was the biggest issue, but we had a good time.

Our plans for this week are: Tuesday, Sue and I are going to the LDS Family Research Center in Paducah to do some genealogy research. Tuesday and Wednesday nights we plan on anchoring out with Norm and Sue. That's all I know for now.

Tues., Aug. 17, 2010

We have visitors. John's parents are here for a few days. We are happy to see them and show them around. Tomorrow we plan on going to the Maritime Museum in Paducah. We also want to take them to Patty's 1880 Settlement for dinner. Of course, we have to fill in with a few games of bridge. It's nice to see family. It's also nice that we are close enough to Cincinnati that some of our friends and family will come to visit.

We finally got a break in the weather. The temperature is in the 80s for a change. We had thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday. I think that' the first time all summer we had any measurable rain here. Hopefully, this trend of cooler temps will continue through the end of September when we head out and make our way to Joe Wheeler State Park for the AGLCA Rendezvous.

Friday the 13th

Today was just like any other day even though it was Friday the 13th. John is trudging along with his cardiac rehab three times a week. It's still really hot. I recently got a new computer. Hip Hip Hooray!!! Now I can blog faster than ever before. My genealogy research goes much smoother and I'm learning so much about our families now that it doesn't take 10 minutes for each page to load.

John and I checked out a restaurant at a marina tonight. The marina is called The Moors Resort and Marina and their restaurant is called Ralph's Harborview Grill. The food was delicious and there were ample choices for John to pick from.

John talked to Mike Luti. They got their boat back today. They had a new swim platform and steps fabricated on the platform. It would have been awful if their boat wasn't finished in time to come to Kentucky Dam Marina with the others from A Dock.

August is half over. School has started here in Kentucky already. Where has the summer gone? Why is it still so stinking hot? It's cooler in Florida than here. What's that about? Our power was out on the dock this morning from 4:00 A.M. until 7:30 A.M. A wind storm blew through last night around 4:30 P.M., but I don't know why the power went out that much later. Well, that's everything I know for now.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Ron and Melissa Robben came to visit with us for a few days this past week. We took a drive through Amish country, although very few places were open. Then we took a very interesting drive on some skinny, remote roads, thanks to the Garmin, to Harrah's. I won $13.50. John won $280.00. Melissa won $5.00. Then there is Ron. He did not win. But, we all had a good time.

Last night we anchored out with Norm. Sue is in Cincinnati. The evening was quite comfortable. John and I went swimming behind the boat yesterday and today. The water was quite warm, but it still felt good to be wet. Now we are safe and sound in our slip at Kentucky Dam Marina. It's still extremely hot with no relief in sight.

August 1, 2010

Well, we were at home Tuesday, Wednesday, and back on the boat Thursday. John had a doctor appointment in Cincinnati on Wednesday. The doctor was pleased with his progress so far. We had our brakes fixed at Luti's and ate lunch with them, played bridge with John's parents, had lunch with some of our Delhi business friends, shopped, etc.. Cardiac Rehab starts tomorrow at Marshall County Hospital.

Since we have been back to the boat, John replaced our head (toilet for our non-boating friends). We've both begun a walking routine together every day. It's not fun because it's so hot, but we are doing it. All this week it's supposed to be 95 to 100 degrees.

Tonight we had Happy Hour on the dock under a dining fly type thing. It was Norm & Sue, Terri & Larry, and John and myself. A pontoon boat pulled up to the fuel dock after the dock and the store were closed. They said they were running on fumes and needed gas. John got them the gas for our dinghy. He had filled the gas can the last time we went out. They had to go 12 more miles to get to their dock. I hope they made it and before it got dark.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

On Friday, Sue, Terri and I went to Paducah to the National Quilt Museum. WOW!!! Those quilts are absolutely works of art. There are quilts from all over the world. We were in awe of the talent displayed. After the museum, we had lunch at Whaler's Catch. We plan on bringing our husbands back to that restaurant. It was a lovely, comfortable place with excellent food.

On Saturday, the marina had a boaters' appreciation dance on our dock. They had a live band and "heavy" horsdevours. Sue and I stayed until the band quit playing. They gave away door prizes like $100 worth of fuel, $50 Ship Store credit, 2 free pump outs, etc... It was really nice of the marina owners to do that. We were told they have three functions a year.

We will be coming home Wednesday overnight so John can go to the doctor, then back here on Thursday. I think the doctor will be pleased at how well John is doing. I hope he continues to do as well.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Tonight we had a wonderful potluck dinner on the dock with our new boating friends, Terri and Steve, Terri and Larry, Rennie and James. The food was delicious and the conversation was even better. I just love boating stories. John is really behaving himself. I am so glad. I want him to be around for a very long time. I hope he keeps on doing what he is supposed to do.

Catching Up

Today is July 20th, Clara's birthday. We were home for her party. We got to visit with family and a few friends while home. It was really nice to see everyone. As some of you know, John's trip to the Doctor didn't turn out too well. The Doc sent him to the hospital for a stress test, which he flunked. He had an angiagram at the hospital and they had to put 2 stents in the same artery. We had to stay in Cincinnati until today according to the doctor's orders. He is doing well, although he's not allowed to lift more than 10 pounds until he sees the doctor again. (The toilet will have to wait to be installed until he gets the oky-doky from the doctor.) Carolyn (age 3) asked John if he went to the hospital to fix his broken heart.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Gina, Jim, Clara, and Lindy spent the holiday weekend with us. They brought their new Glastron boat they bought at the Cincinnati boat show this past winter and we went out in it Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The fireworks were directly behind our boat on Sunday night. Lindy was wowed by the fireworks at first and then not so much. It was nice to spend some time with them. They left Clara with us for the rest of the week. We are bringing her back home this coming weekend. The park has activities every day for children. Clara has played corn hole, gone to a dance, made a beaded dolphin, played water balloon derby, made beaded jewelry, played Putt-Putt golf, made a class craft project from school. Tomorrow she is going for a pony ride and on Friday she is going "ice fishing" (picking up marbles in the baby pool with her toes). It's wonderful to spend time with her. She was a little homesick the first night, but since then she's been fine.We will be home next week to visit family and friends, and do the doctor thing. I probably won't post again until the 19th. Have fun and stay safe!

A mechanic has been to our boat and removed the affected parts from both engines. He will bring them back fixed when we return from Cincinnati. We also have a problem with the rear head. We have ordered a new toilet and will install it when we return from Cincinnati. B.O.A.T.= Break Out Another Thousand. It really feels like that. Every time one thing gets fixed, we think that's it and then something else happens.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Yesterday we spent the day picking up Norm and Sue's van. Sonny from Dog River Marina was kind enough to drive it up from Mobile, AL to Birmingham, AL, saving us about 4 to 5 hours drive time to pick it up. That was nice!

Today was spent doing chores and getting ready for a visit from one of our children's family. We are so anxious to spend one on one time with them. There is still some chores to be done tomorrow, but we'll get finished in time to relax with them. The temperature was about 86 degrees today. It was lovely!!!! It makes you feel more like doing your work when you aren't sweating before you start.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Jeff, Susan, and Kate came to spend the weekend with us. It was so good to see them. It's nice to spend some one on one time with our children and grandchildren. Kate is getting so big already. She smiles just about all of the time. The only time she cried while they were here, was when she was hungry or had a dirty diaper on. We took Kate to the beach and let her put her feet in the lake. She didn't mind at all. The water is really warm.

John and I went out in the dinghy today after the kids left. We swam in the lake and it felt wonderful. This could become part of our regular routine. The temperatures are supposed to drop a little next week. There are supposed to be no days over 90 degrees. That's better.

We met the President of Jefferson Yachts the other night. He keeps a houseboat here. We have met quite a few people. There are 2 other boats across from ours, who are here until October 1st like us. They are traveling together and both couples are from Louisiana. Another man came and introduced himself because he saw our AGLCA flag. He has a houseboat he keeps here as well. People have been so kind to us, asking if we need to be driven anywhere or borrow a car. It's fun to hear people's stories.

First Week at Kentucky Dam Marina

Monday: We rented a car and drove to Lake Cumberland to pick up our van. Patty and Paul had driven it there from Florida for us. Norm and Sue came with us. It was a very pleasant drive because there was very little traffic. We had reserved the car for 11:00 and it was 6:30 before we got back to Kentucky Dam State Park. We had dinner at the lodge before returning to our boats. It took up most of the day to get the car.

Tuesday: Sue and I drove around for two hours trying to find a laundromat. We used the GPS. It didn't really help much. The nearest one, according to GPS, didn't exist. The second closest one, was pretty run down and dirty. So, we had seen one Sunday night when we went out to dinner at Patti's 1880 Settlement. We drove to Patti's, but saw no laundromat. We drove back to the park. We asked at the lodge if they knew of a laundromat and they gave us directions for one in Calvert City. We found that one and finally managed to get our clothes clean. What an ordeal.

Wednesday: Today we checked out the campground at the park. Our children are planning to come here to camp and visit us. The campground looked nice, electric and water at each space, nice looking restrooms and showers, newer looking playground equipment for the kids, plenty of trees and the grass had been recently cut. We are so looking forward to them visiting. I spent the rest of the day embroidering prayer flags for when Gina and her team climb Mt. Adams later in July. It's still really hot and muggy. The poor air conditioner struggles all day long to keep the boat at 86 degrees. At night, though, it gets comfortable so that we can sleep.

Father's Day Weekend

We did arrive at Paris Landing State Park on Friday afternoon around 3:00P.M. It's a good thing because the office closes at 4:00P.M. We got the air conditioners running and showered and called the ranger to drive us to the Lodge for the Seafood buffet. It was nice and cool in the lodge and the food was good. After we ate, we went to our respective boats and chilled for the remainder of the evening. We had called Kentucky Dam Marina to see if they had available slips. Our reservation doesn't start until July 1st, but we got this far earlier than expected and wanted to get situated. They had no slips over this weekend due to a Poker Run on Saturday. They told us to call again on Sunday or Monday.

We spent all day Saturday at Paris Landing. We played Farkle and Euchre with Norm and Sue.

On Sunday (Happy Father's Day to all Fathers!), we made our way to Kentucky Dam Marina. We went slowly because Norm was running on one engine. we got here at 2:30 P.M. It's 97 degrees. The air conditioner is working so hard.

Around noon we went past a creek named Jonathan Creek. It made us think about our newest grandchild Jonathan. I'll bet he is getting soooo big. I can't wait to see all of the children and grandchildren now that we are this close to home.

Friday, June 18, 2010

This is the Mermaid Marina "mascot".

This was taken at Mermaid Marina. How did they get that up there?

This was taken at Freddy T's.

We have had no service since the last time I posted, so here we go. Wednesday we tried to get an early start (5:45), but we called the John Rankin lock and they told us to wait for an hour because there was a barge going through. We also went through the Sonny Montgomery Lock and the Jamie Whitten Lock on Wednesday. The Tombigby Waterway is mostly undeveloped and nice to look at. There are, however, lots of "jugs" floating to avoid, much like the crab pots. They have fishing line, weight, hook, and bait on them. No metal traps though. We stopped on Wednesday shortly after 3:00 at Grand Harbor. We were all so hot that Sue, John, and I all got in the swimming pool. Ahhh! After about an hour, a storm blew in and we had to get out. We borrowed the courtesy car and went to Freddy T's for dinner. What a cool place that was. When you see John, ask him about the men's restroom.

On Thursday, we discovered a diesel leak from our port engine. It leaks only under pressure and into the pan under the engine. We put absorbent pads under it and were told by a mechanic that we can wait until we get to Kentucky Dam Park to have it fixed. There was only one lock to pass through on Thursday (Pickwick). We stopped for the day at Mermaid Marina. Their restaurant is only open on the weekends, so we went to the harbor next door for dinner. It was called Fisherdock. They have live bands on the weekends. It sounds like a really good time. When I get to a place with wi-fi, I'll post a couple of pictures from Mermaid Marina.


Today , it's gorgeous out, the skies are clear, the birds are singing, and we are in the beautiful Tennessee River. It doesn't get better than that. We are planning on staying at Paris Landing State Park tonight .

Getting Ready

Today was spent doing all of the chores to prepare to cruise again tomorrow morning. We worked hard today. It's still very hot and we had a thunderstorm right at happy hour. Boo hoo. It's going to be an early night so we can be up and ready early in the morning.

We appreciate any comments you make on the blog. It lets us know someone is reading it.

ELVIS' BIRTHPLACE

The kitchen in Elvis' childhood home.

The bedroom in Elvis' childhood home.

Monday, June 14th, Sue and I went to visit Elvis Presley's birthplace in Tupelo. Our driver Mike took us there and then out to lunch. We got to see the Church where Elvis found his love for music, an Elvis museum, and we saw the house where he was born. The house consists of just 2 rooms, a kitchen and a bedroom and cost his father $180 to build. It is small. Really small.

After the touring, we went to a bar/restaurant named "The Stables". Apparently, it used to be the livery stables many years ago. There were pictures on the wall from the old days and the way it looked back then. It's across the street from the courthouse, so lots of lawyers eat there. Mike drove us around Tupelo and pointed out the highlights. We had a very enjoyable day and are grateful to Mike for his time and patience with us.

HOT HOT HOT !!!!!!!

We had another glorious day traveling on the Tombigby Waterway. We left Columbus, Mississippi at 7:15 A.M. and made our way upstream. A boat named "River Miles" pulled out of Columbus Marina at the same time we did. We ("Runaround Sue" & "Seas 2 Day") cruised with him all day. We passed through 4 locks, Aberdeen, Amory, Glover Wilkens, and Fulton. We stopped at Midway Marina in Fulton, Mississippi. "River Miles" went on, hoping to reach Pickwick today. For as many fishermen as we saw yesterday, today was pretty much the opposite. Today we spotted more people tubing and skiing, and pontoon boats out cruising. Not so much slowing down, speeding up like yesterday. There was one PWC with a man and a woman on it, riding the waves from our three boats. One of their passes over our wake brought them up and right smack into a green buoy. They didn't even slow down. They kept right on going. It had to hurt. Then we were chugging along when all of a sudden "River Miles" stopped dead in the middle of the river. He had run aground right in the middle of the channel. He got on the radio and warned us and the Mayers, and then complained to the lockmaster at the next lock about it not being marked. The lockmaster told him he would pass the information along to the people who could do something about marking the spot in the river.

Once we were tied to the dock and the air conditioning cranked up as high as it would go, we borrowed the courtesy car and went into Fulton for dinner at "Peking Palace". It was clean and very cool in the restaurant and we enjoyed our meals. When we got back to our boats, it still wasn't cool, but it's working on it. Tomorrow we plan to go into Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis. This marina has a hot tub, a very, very small pool, and a lake. We should be able to cool off tomorrow after our trip into Tupelo.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Today is Tony and Cara's Wedding Day. We hope your future is filled with lots of happiness and prosperity. We wish we could be there with you tonight. However, we are in Columbus, Mississippi. Today is also Jay and Cynthia's Anniversary. Happy Anniversary!

We left our anchorage at 6:50 A.M. We passed through two locks, Thomas Belville and John Stennis. There were so many fishermen on the river today. Slow down, speed up, slow down, speed up...... We saw many gorgeous homes and lots of boats. We even saw a red telephone booth on shore sitting all by itself. I thought that was hilarious.

We are docked at Columbus Marina in Columbus, Mississippi. This is a nice marina. We borrowed the courtesy car and went into town. There were lots of old antebellum homes near town. They had signs in the front yard that had the name of the house and the year it was built. We enjoyed our self guided tour. The courtesy car was a Chevy van that would only stay running if you kept your left foot on the brake and your right foot on the gas at the same time. It was only running on about 3 or 4 cylinders and the rear tire felt like it was going to shake off the car. Driving was an experience, but we got there and back with no incidents. It's nice when the marinas have courtesy cars. We appreciate it a lot.

ON THE MOVE

We fueled up at Demopolis Yacht Basin at 6:00 A.M.and left at 6:30 with "Runaround Sue". We headed north on the Tombigby Waterway. We passed through Howell Hefflin Lock and Dam. The morning was wonderful. The sky was blue and there was a nice breeze. We grilled chicken while on the way for lunch. Yummy! Once we were through the lock, the sun was blazing hot. It was 93 degrees and extremely humid. We anchored out at Cook's Bend Oxbow near Carrollton, Alabama. It's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow. Welcome to summer. It's what we've been waiting for since winter.

JUNE 10, 2010

Today I received lots of well wishes for my birthday. Thank you all so much.

The handle did not arrive today, but we are moving on tomorrow anyway. Today was a nice relaxing day. Hot and humid, but nice all the same. We are anxious for a change of scenery. Til tomorrow......

STILL IN DEMOPOLIS

This is starting to feel like a second home. We know where the stores all are located. The bad thing is there are no fabric stores for 50 miles. Doesn't that stink? Well, our refrigerator arrived a day ahead of schedule. It came yesterday. John and Norm installed it. We went to the grocery store today and filled it up. We are ready to move on, except that Dog River Marina is mailing our handle for the windlass. Supposedly, it was mailed on Friday, but we have not received it yet. We will wait one more day and then call and tell them to figure something else out. The plan for tomorrow is to go for a dinghy ride to explore, if it isn't too hot and humid.

We heard this afternoon that our old store (Billie's Pony Keg) was robbed at gunpoint again on Sunday night. The surveillance video is on the Cincinnati Enquirer's web page. The images are very clear and we hope the police catch the guys and that this doesn't happen again. We feel really bad for the new owners.

Demopolis

Demopolis has a strange hold on us. We can't seem to just pass through. Our refrigerator should be here Wednesday. We have been eating things like Dinty Moore Beef Stew, Chef-Boy-R-D Ravioli, peanut butter and jelly(things that don't require cold).

Today we borrowed the service dept. truck. The speedometer is stuck on 120 mph. It feels really strange to be going 25 mph and have the speedometer say 120. Norm, John, and I all went to get haircuts. It feels so much better. It's supposed to be in the 90s every day this week.

Demopolis Yacht Basin is digging a new section of marina. This has been going on since before we were here in the fall. Supposedly, the new part should be done by Nov., 2010. They have remodeled the laundry and women's restroom and showers. It's nice to be spending this time with Norm and Sue. It makes the waiting time go faster.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

We had decided that on Friday we would sleep in and only travel 40 or so miles. We left Bobby's Fish Camp at 7:50 A.M. So much for sleeping in. We were only a half hour later leaving that the day before. We anchored out just north of the State Highway 10 Bridge. We did the bow to stern thing again and didn't swing at all on anchor. We were completely tied and ready to relax by 3:00. That was kind of nice to have some time to chill. We had leftover fish for dinner, played farkle, and then John got out his guitar and we sang until we couldn't think of any other songs to sing. What an enjoyable evening.

Today we got underway at 7:00 A.M. and hoped to reach Demopolis Yacht Basin. We had only seen one barge and one fishing boat all day until about 8 miles before the Demopolis Lock and Dam. Then 3 boats our size or larger, passed us. Their names were "Lady Michigan", "Last Chance", and "Galati". However, we all locked through together and we all headed into Demopolis Yacht Basin. We arrived here at 2:30 P.M. John says he'll be happier here this time than on the way down river because now he has his satellite TV. No more PBS.

We had dinner at the restaurant here at the marina. The food was good and the air conditioning was wonderful. By the time we finished dinner, our air had cooled the boat down and made it quite comfy. We will be here at least until Thursday due to the refrigerator issue.

MOVING ON

Port of Mobile, June 2, 2010

We were without wi-fi service yesterday, so now you get two days worth.

The fuel dock at Dog River Marina opens at 7:00 A.M. We were there and ready at 6:50 A.M. on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. After getting fuel, we pulled away from the dock at 7:30 A.M. The day was cloudy and humid.

Mobile Harbor is like a ghost town. When we came through in the fall, there were so many large ships and towboats moving around in all directions. It made us feel small and insignificant. On this trip there were only three tugboats moving and three ships docked. The docked ships were not being loaded or unloaded. They were just sitting there idle. It's really sad to think of all the people the oil spill has put out of work. Three nights ago, as we were having happy hour on the back of our boat, we saw a Carnival cruise ship leaving Mobile. We wonder if the passengers will have to make alternate return transportation.

We had a thunderstorm just like every day for the last 10 days or so. We only passed about 4 pleasure boats all day. I really thought we would see a fair amount of boats our size trying to head north away from the spill. Most likely, they got an earlier start than we did.

We stopped Wednesday at Bates Lake This is a lovely anchorage. We tied up differently this time since there is very little current and no wind. One of us is pointing upstream and the other is pointing downstream and we both have our anchors deployed. So we're thinking this is the same as having a front and rear anchor out. We arrived at 5:00 P.M. just in time for happy hour. All in all, it's been a great day!

Today, Thursday, June 3, 2010, we left our cozy anchorage at 7:15 A.M. We called Demopolis Yacht Basin to ask if we could have a refrigerator delivered there. Ours is running 65 degrees. We had to pitch a bunch of food and move the rest to the coolers.

We were held up briefly by barges that were scattered across the river. We think that towboat captain wasn't paying attention and ran his barges up on shore and they scattered across the river.

We stopped for the day at Bobby's Fish Camp. Bobby Dahlberg, the owner, passed away in February and his daughter is now running the place. We ate catfish at the restaurant. It was really good and a lot of food. We also had fried pickles. I don 't like pickles, but I discovered I like fried pickles. We arrived here at 5:00 P.M. Bobby's doesn't have electric service and our generator isn't working. It's 90 degrees in the boat. Welcome to the joys of boat ownership. It's always something.