16 AUG 09

YOWSER CAN YOU SAY EYE CANDY WE ARE COMING INTO THE MARINA AND THESE TWO SOUTHERN BELLS DECIDE WE NEED TO SEE THE LOCAL SIGHTS SO THE TOPS CAME OFF AND THE DANCING BEGAN WE OF COURSE COVERED OUR EYES AND TURNED OUR HEADS I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS WE HAD SEEN THAT ONCE IN CHICAGO AND ONCE ON THE OHIO WHILE ON THE TOW BOAT CAPT TOMMY WILLIAMS SAID IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME TO THE TOW A BOATER WE REFERRED TO AS COWBOY SAW US COMING IN AS HE WAS COMING OUT AND YELLED TO ASK IF WE WERE COMING IN AFFFIRMATIVE SO HE WHEELS AROUND AND COWBOYS BACK IN AND IS THERE WAITING FOR US AND DOCKING US WE GAVE HIM THE APPROPRIATE COLD DRINK AND HE LOVED US WE SAW COACH WHO LIVES AT THE MARINA AND HIS LOVLEY WIFE SONJA WHO HELPS RUN IT ALSO THE LOCAL CELEBRITY AND STATE POLITICIAN WHO OWNS THE PLACE NICE NICEFOLKS

15 aug 09

HEY WE ARE BACK HEADED TO CUBA LANDING TODAY CAM FROM FLA IS COMING TO PARIS LANDING TO JOIN US AND TO HEAD OUT FLEW INTO NVILLE AND MET THEIR FRIEND BILL SINCLAIR WHO PICKED HIM UP AT THE AIRPORT AND BROUGHT HIM TO MEET US AND OFF WE GO HAD TO JUMP THE PORT ENGINE BECAUSE THAT POOR BATTERY HAS BEEN BOILED DRY SO MANY TIMES THANK GOD BILL EDSTROM TALKED ME INTO A BATTERY PACK AND I GOT A GOOD ONE A JOB WELL DONE HAD A GREAT TRIP NO LOCKS YET GET TO CUBA LANDING AND GENEVA RUNS THE PLACE AND SHE IS A SWEETHEART AND SO IS JENNIFER WHO WORKS THERE AND WAS HAVING HER 24 BDAY SO OF COURSE WE CARRIED HER HIGH AND THE NEXT DAY I USED MY OLD SMOOTH JAILHOUSE QUESTION ON HER ASKING WHEN SHE GOT OUT OF JAIL THAT MORNING AND OF COURSE SHE WAS SO SWEET SHE THOUGHT I WAS SO FUNNY CAN YOU SAY CORNBALL ALSO HER HUSBAND WORKED THERE AND HE DID NOT APPPRECIATE HER HOSPITALITY AND FRIENDLINESS I E A LITTLE SURLEY SO WE HAD JENNIFER COOK US SUPPER AFTER I ANNOUNCED WE HAD NO PROPANE FOR THE GRILL AND THEN FOUND 4 0F THEM THE NEXT MORNING CAN YOU SAY COLD BEER BUT A FINE STOP PICKED UP SOME GOODIES FOR BILL E UP AND OFF TO CLIFTON

15 AUG 09

PARIS LANDING TO CUBA LANDING ON SAT BEAUTIFUL WEATHER CUBA LANDING IS A FAIRLY LARGE MARINA NOT LARGE FOR TRANSIENTS BUT QUITE LARGE FOR LOCAL FOLKS GOOD FISHING AND GOOD SANDWICHES AND NICE PEOPLE GENEVA RUNS THE PLACE AND IS A REAL SWEETHEART TOOK GOOD CARE OF US ANOTHER NICE GAL THERE WAS JENNIFER WHO COOKS AND WHOSE HUSBAND ALSO WORKS THERE AND KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON HER JUST FOR YOUR INFO BUT SHE HAD HER 24 BDAY AND WAS AT WORK BRIGHT AND EARLY THE NEXT DAY OF COURSE I HAD TO TEASE HER ABOUT BEING IN THE LOCAL JAILHOUSE THE NITE BEFORE STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE PORT BATTERY WE HAVE TO USE THE BATTERY PAC TO START IT EACH DAY BUT NO NEW BATTERY UNTIL NEXT SEASON JENNIFERS HUSBAND ALSO WORKS THERE AND IS NOT NEAR AS PRETTY NOR FRIENDLY AS SHE IS

FRIDAY 14 O9

END OF THE SUMMER TWO WEEK TRIP TO DEMOPOLIS FOR BOTTOM WORK ON THE BOAT DOING THE BOTTOM ON THE HARD OBVIOUSLY AND LEAVING IT UP FOR THE WINTER MONTHS ON ADVICE OF PETE HANSEN FIRST NITE OUT SPENT AT COACH COOKS MOM AND DADS IN CENTERVILLE EIGHTY SOME YEAR OLD FOLKS WHO ARE JUST MARVELOUS MARVELOUS DELIGHTFUL PEOPLE FARMERS WHO WERE ALSO HORSE AND MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS DURING THEIR DAY THEY ARE SO HOSPITABLE AND ENJOYABLE AND FUN TO VISIT NOT TO MENTION THE FOOD HIS MOTHER SERVES A LITTLE GAL ALL OF 75 LBS BUT WHAT A COOK SHE AND SISTER ROSIE WORKED ON THE MEAL WHILE JOHN MOWED AND FATHER JIM AND I SAT IN THE SWING AND TALKED AND TALKED ALSO TRADING KNIVES WE HAD THE FARM SUPPER COMPLETE WITH FOUR MEAT ENTREES THREE POTATOE DISHES AND THREE PIES PEACH CHERRY AND PUMPKIN DID NOT NEED TO EAT FOR A WEEK SHE WANTED US FOR BREAKFAST BUT WE PASSED ON THAT ALTHOUGH I HAD A PIECE OF EACH PIE AND A COFFEE JIM COOK HAS A MILLION STORIES ALL WHICH I AM GLAD TO HEAR SO WE TALK AND TALK SARAH A NEIGHBOR STOPPED BY WITH CORN AND STAYED TO VISIT WHAT A NICE GAL AND SAYS SHE MAKES GOOD SALSA LOOKING FORWARD TO FINDING OUT ABOUT THAT WE ARRIVIED FRI NITE AT PARIS LANDING TO THE VISIT AND DINNER WITH RON AND TERRY FROM MARQUETTE YACHT CLUB DAN AND REBECCA FROM KENTUCKY LAKE AND THE HUBBS FROM K LAKE AND FORMERLY FROM BOONE GROVE GREAT START FOR OUR TRIP THE NEXT MORNING OUR GOOD BUDDY CAM FROM FLA JOINED US AND THE CREW WAS ASSEMBLED

HERE FOLLOWS SOME OF NUT AND MY FAVORITE SOUTHERN SAYINGS WE PICKED UP ALONG THE WAY GET ER DONE GOT ER DID HONEY HOLE IS A GOOD FISHING SPOT GO FETCH EM ATTENTION ALL BOATERS THE NUMBER ONE BIGGEST DEMANDING PROBLEM IN BOATING IS WHEN YOU ARE TAKING ON MORE WATER THAN YOU CAN GET RID OF TATERS MATERS AND MINNERS EAT THE FIRST TWO AND FISH WITH THE LAST ONES THAT OLD GAL IS AS COUNTRY AS DIRT YONDER SHE COMES AND JANS FAV SHE GOT A KICK OUT OF THIS ONE BISON AMERICAS ORIGINAL RED MEAT

I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LIST TOFIGS AND FIG PRESERVES CHEW ON NOW THAT THE REAL CAPTAIN HAS GONE HOME TO PREP FOR THE REAL WORLD THE NUT AND I ARE ALONE ON THE BOAT YESTERDAY WE BROUGHT HER FROM KENTUCKY DAM MARINA TO PARIS LANDING WE SURE DO MISS OUR FIRST MATE THE FIRST MATE HAS A GOLD PLAQUE ONBOARD THAT SAYS MY HUSBAND IS THE CAPTAIN BUT I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED ADMIRAL NUT AND I GOT HERE LAST NITE AND FISHED FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND THEN ATE AND HIT THE HAY THIS A M WE WERE UP AT 5 30 AND HAD ALOT OF OUR CHORES DONE BY 8 30 OH MYY INSPIRATION TO DO THIS BLOG CAME FROM MY NEW FAVORITE DRINK SWEET TEA SO I DECIDED TO GIVE YOU SOME OF OUR NEW FOODS FOUND ALONG THE WAY FIGS AND FIG PRESERVES AS MADE BY JO JO AT WAVERLY REALLY GOOD WARM ON A HOT BISCUIT HALEPENO SLICES SAUTED IN THE OIL TO BE USED TO POP SOME CORN OF COURSE GRITS PERSIMMONS GREEN FRIED TOMATOS FRIED DILL PICKLES THESE SOUTHERN FOLK NEVER HAVE SEEN SOMETHING THEY CAN NOT FRY PECAN COBBLER IT WAS REALLY GOOD SO I ASKED THE GIRL AT THE RESTAURANT FOR THE RECIPE AND SHE SAID TO BAKE A PECAN PIE THEN TURN IT OVER STIR IT UP AND SERVE IT SMOKED BOLONGNA SANDWICH THOSE LAST TWO WERE ACTUALLY MY LUNCH IN GRAND RIVERS ONE DAY OH AND A BIG GLASS OF SWEET TEA TO WASH IT DOWN SALT PORK JERK CHICKEN DANDY WINE HERES A NEW ONE FOR YOU DEEP FRIED GREEN BEANS CHOW CHOW JAN IS ADDICTED TO THAT STUFF AND TOOK HOME A CASE SLAW SERVED ON YOUR BBQ SANDWICH GUMBO CRAWFISH THE 34 99 SPECIAL WAS A CASE OF BUD 5LBS OF CRAWFISH POTATOES AND SLAW BACON SERVED ABOUT QUARTER INCH THICK HERES ONE FOR YOU CHOCOLATE GRAVY AND I WILL END ON THAT ONE GOOD PADDLING FROM THE NUT AND I

Thursday, July 23

The night was one of those that you hate. You know you need your rest because the day was going to be long but you keep waking up because your worried the alarm won't go off. When the alarm did sound I thought about the beautiful sunrise pictures I might get as we moved toward the lock, which made getting up at this hour on my vacation more palatable. What I saw was fog! Thick, heavy fog that made it impossible to see the shoreline across the river. My heart sank, but I kept thinking positively. We completed our morning routine of checks and I voiced my thoughts. You know I don't do fog! Of course I already knew the response, if we want to get through this lock before Saturday we don't have much choice. We waited as long as we could but witnessed no change in the fogs density. The decision was made to go ahead. Tom concentrated on the radar and depth finder and I on the computer and the river directly in front of the boat for logs. We kept reassuring ourselves quietly and out loud that it was going to burn off at the first signs of light, but it didn't. When we came within a mile of the lock we came upon a a tow tied up and waiting as well. We were told to be here at 7am. It was now 6:50. I called the lock on the phone and told them we were here. The news was not what we wanted to hear. They had problems overnight and the gate was not yet repaired. It would be noon or 1pm they hoped. As far as we were concerned there were no choices, we were not going to go back through the fog to Riverview, the river was calm so in neutral we went. As we drifted we could faintly see a park and small dock. Since our options were to float for several hours or tie up we carefully moved towards the dock and successfully tied up. About thirty minutes later we received a call from the lock to come ahead and tie up on the lock wall. They would talk with us when we arrived. The Lockmaster, Billy Boyd and Mark met us and explained the situation. The engineers were working on the gate and would have to test it before they could chance having a tow come through. They were going to try and get us through on the test run. Once in the lock, if the gate didn't open we would have to turn around in the lock, exiting the way we came in. Billy Boyd and Mark stayed and visited with us. It was a great conversation filled with laughter which made the time pass quickly. We expressed our gratitude for their kindness and willingness to help us. Their response was so genuine, "we believe in treating everyone like they are our neighbor". We wanted to help you if we could! Why are we living up North! Billy Boyd has worked at that lock for 21 years. I would love to hear some of the experiences with boaters she has had. A little over an hour passed and we received word to move into the lock. We secured ourselves to the mooring pin and waited. The fog had lifted and the sun was warm and bright. About 40 minutes later the engineers signaled they were going to try the gate. We listened to the calling of orders with nervous anticipation. The gate creaked open several inches at a time with each call. When I realized that gate was really going to open a sigh of relief traveled the length of my body and a smile the width of that gate appeared on my face. Because the gate had been closed for two days, a lot of logs and garbage had drifted up against it. Once given the word to exit the lock we carefully maneuvered around it all. Billy and Mark wished us a safe journey and the best of luck in arriving at our destination on time. They asked us to make sure we stopped in if we came back that way. We again thanked them for all of their efforts, making it possible for us to get through. We had met two more exceptionally kind people! At 10:15 we were on our way. We arrived at Barkley State Park marina at 7:45. We had been on the river for nearly 13 hours, a very long day!