Hurry up and wait

So we get up early - btw did you know that if you get up at 5:00 AM you can eat 6 or 7 meals in a day!. Anyhow we got up early because we wanted to get thru the next lock before it got busy. Well, we were too late. We had to wait for 3 barges to clear the locks before we could get in. Listening to the barge talk is exciting and humorous. Some you can understand but "Joe Cain" was something else. He didn't even know what was on his barges when the lockmaster asked him and then one of his workers fell in!

But we waited and eventually made it thru the lock. Went to Marina Cove and walked to an antebellum home and a historical working paddle boat. Next day we left early to go to Bevill Lock. Had to defrost windows with hairdryer. (my idea!).
When we got to Bevill Lock there were 2 barges already there. So we went to a supposedly "anchorage". Well it was a good one - we got stuck in the mud! We managed to back out with lots of tries and then we found a better spot and anchored, waiting for barges to go thru.

Out & About out & about again

Well we are starting the second part of our great adventure. We drove back to Columbus, Ms., on 1/27/08 to get back on the boat. We met some really nice fellow loopers, Robet & Patty Mitchell (who have a Tollycraft like ours), Brenda & Ken Bloomfiled, on Tellico Lady from Maryville and Graham on Sea Shell. We cleaned and did some minor maintenance and plan to leave traveling with Tellico Lady on Friday, 1/27/08. Weather has been cold with freezing rain! Can't wait for the sun.

First Leg of Journey Complete

So here we are safely at Columbus Marina. Looks like the home of the "loopers".
(for those who don't know loopers are people doing the great loop). Lots of looper flags. Weather today is 70, sunny and beautiful. We have been working on boat all day. Going out to dinner with Red Boat tonight at the nice restaurant here.
Tomorrow we are using courtesy car to pick up rental car at airport. Then home.

Kind of sorry to be leaving the boat. Everyday it gets to be more enjoyable as we become more familar with the "nuances" of the boat. But we shall be return the end of January to begin again!

One Thing Leads to Another

November 29, 2007 - Everything going great - but wait! We go thru our first of serveral locks on the Tenn Tom. We call the lockmaster to lock-thru and he asks us to switch to channel 18 US - not international. We didn't know we were international! So of course we don't know how to switch radio without reading the manual. So I going digging thru our electronics bag looking for the portable radio. By the time I find it Paul and the lockmaster have agreed to go to another channel. So anyhow we are locking thru - I do my job of throwing the line over the bollard - and then I notice that the swim platform if down in the water. For those who have not been on our boat, we have a hydraulic swim platform for the our yet to be bought dingy. So Captain Paul can't of course figure out why the swim platform in in the water! You can't travel far with it that way. Then it becomes clear that when I was digging in the electronics bag I set off the remote for the platform.
Paul was able to go into the lazerette and found a reset button that made it come back up.

So as I said - One thing leads to another! On we go to Midway Marina where temp is 52, water 53.8. We borrowed their courtesy car and went to Walmart - the only place I seem to shop!

History Lesson

So today I am going to fill you in on a little history. So far we have gone thru 7 locks with 7 more to Columbus - our pre-holiday designation. Locks for those who aren't familiar with them are like huge bathtubs that either fill or empty. This lets you down to the next river or up depending on which way you are traveling. Because we are headed south we will always be going down in the locks. There are post - called bollards which float that you tie onto while you take the ride down/up. That is my job - to lasoo a bollard. Paul's job is to get me close enough to be able to do that. So far so good! We started at Ft. Loudon Lock last of the nine dams on the Tennessee River - also the second highest lock on the river. Next we went thru Watts Bar Lake to the Watts Bar Damn. "This complex is unique because it's the only TVA site shared by a hydroelectric dam, a coal-fired power plant(inactive) and a nuclear power plant." It is also the shortest of all the dams on the Tennessee. Then next lock was the Chickamauga Lock. The name came from a warlike tribe that separated itself from the Cherokee Indians. The next lock is called "Nickajack". After that we went thru Guntersville Lock and then Wheeler Lock. Wheeler Dam is named after a general in the Confederate Army who fought in more than 500 skirmishes, commanded in 127 battles, had 36 staff officers wounded at his side and HAD 16 HORSES SHOT FROM UNDERNEATH HIM!!!!! Now that is interesting!

Tonight we are on the Tenn-Tom. More about the history of that tomorrow.

Hope I haven't bored you all but thought the horse part was interesting!

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Hello everyone -
Love to see the comments on my blog. Yesterday we literally "blew" into Bay Hill Marina. It was so cold and windy I begged Paul to drive faster. Fortunately we had some helpers - Bill and Pat - who helped us land the boat.

Today we were on to Florence (Alambama - not Italy) and went through 2 locks to get here. Much nicer day - sunny. We are currently at Florence Marina - very nice.
Some of the permanent boats have xmas decorations! We borrowed the curtsey van to look for a yarn store (out of business) and then to GNC at the mall. Then we went to the movies to see American Gangster. Actually pretty good if you close your eyes at the violent scenes.

Tomorrow off to Grand Harbor Marina - about 45 miles.

Space Museum

Hi ya'all,

I am in the South now to need to say a big "ya'all". Yesterday we did some maintence on the boat. I got mine done in 15 minutes - a plugged drain. Paul's took all day - install new drain in sink and new heat ducting.


Today went to Space and Rocket museum. Grey and rainy but not terriblly cold.
Interesting museum - wished I had my great nieces and nephews with me! But I did have Paul to make it interesting. He tried the space simulator and did much better in landing the shuttle that I did. They gave him 2 chances and me - they said to come back later!

Leaving tomorrow if weather permits. Sorry if you have to turn your computer on it's side - apparently I should have somehow turned photos!