UPDATE #30 11/08/06 thru 11/15/06

  Howdy Everybody,

    We are very interested in hearing from ya’all.  If you have missed out on any of the previous emails and would like us to re-send them, please let us know.

Please let me know if these emails containing pictures are too large and we will send you a version with text only.

The period 4/1 thru 11/07 has been covered in Updates 1 through 29.

 UPDATE #30   11/08/06 through 11/15/06.

     As you may remember, we have been traveling and exploring along the Tennessee River in Alabama and Tennessee.  At the last UPDATE, we had spent the night at Goose Pond Colony Marina in Scottsboro, AL.  We now continue our adventure back down the Tennessee River.

 

11/08/06   WEDNESDAY   GOOSE POND COLONY MARINA, SCOTTSBORO, ALABAMA  TO DITTO LANDING MARINA, HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA

     The weather at 5 am was very “iffy”.  Of course, it was still dark but the evidence of low cloud cover and mist was easily recognized.  We decided to wait around for improved conditions and set our destination goal a little less aggressively.  By 7:05 am, I could see that we would be able to safely navigate on the river.  At 7:16 am, we rejoined the main channel at Mile 378.0.  About a hundred “coot” escorted us out of the narrow harbor channel.  They were skittering along, sort of half running and half flying , across the calm water surface.  Meanwhile, literally thousands more rested peacefully along the shallows on each side.  The American Coot is an interesting bird that is often misidentified as a duck.  The main characteristic differences are that a coot has a pointed bill (more like a chicken) that is all white except for a black spot at the tip.  This is in sharp contrast to the all black feathers covering the whole body except for a small patch of white under the tail.

 

 

     Another major difference is that webs do not connect the feet.  Rounded, bulbous growths along the long, striped toes enable the coot to “run” across the water.   In a flock, they will splish-splash their way ahead of you for about 100 feet, settle back into the water, and then skitter on ahead as you approach them again.  It’s quite fun to watch.

     As we made our way downriver, it started out a misty, foggy, 56 degrees. Bruce and Jeannie Elder from “Inevitable Too” left the marina about 15 minutes behind us and followed in close pursuit.  A gradual improvement occurred with the skies finally clearing at our destination.  “Painted Bluff” is a prominent landmark along the river shoreline.

 

 

     At 9:55 am, we arrived at the upper region of the Guntersville Lock and Dam.  The lockmaster advised that we would have approximately 45 minutes delay for an up bound tow.  We idled around in the wide area of Guntersville Lake awaiting our turn.  After what seemed to be an eternity, we entered the lock and would exit the lower gate at 11:57 am for a total of 2 hours and 2 minutes.  So much for the 45 minutes.  In the lock, “Inevitable Too” hooked up to the bollard behind AMARSE.

 

 

  One thing is for sure, a person must develop an attitude of patience and understanding on a trip like this or you would end up frustrating yourself way, way too much.

 

 

     At 1:30 pm, we were tied to Dock T-1 at Ditto Landing Marina.  The area was named for a James Ditto, pioneer and ferryman, which settled these parts in 1807.  With the delay this morning, this marina choice provided an excellent stopover from which to continue in the morning.

 

 

     This old Mack fire truck fascinated me.  I think that it would be so cool to have one of these old beauties to restore.  The design really intrigues me.

 

 

  AMARSE hosted the cocktail hour with Bruce and Jeannie as guests.  We had a delightful evening just chatting away.  Bruce and Jeannie had lived in the Boston area where Bruce had a gynecological practice.  Now retired and living on Tybee Island near Savannah, Georgia, they are enjoying the loop cruise in their Chris Craft Motor Yacht.  We had traveled with them in Canada but are now enjoying this little reunion.  I showed them a video clip that I had taken in Canada.  It was of our whole group at a “First Nation” (Indians) tribal event where many “pale-face” were invited to join in for a tribal dance.  We laughed heartily at the ridiculous bunch just bouncing up and down without a whole lot of skill or rhythm. 

     Dinner fare consisted of delicious, gourmet Chicken Pot Pies.  Made by Marie Callender’s, the famous restaurant chain, these contain all white meat chunks and crisp vegetables in a nice, flaky crust.  We have enjoyed these for dinner on several occasions.

POSITION: N34 34.646 W086 33.552        HUNTSVILLE, AL    MILE 333.3  

 

11/09/06   THURSDAY    DITTO LANDING MARINA, HUNTSVILLE, AL TO ANCHORAGE, FIRST CREEK, JOE WHEELER STATE PARK, ROGERSVILLE, AL.

 

     The low-lying fog quickly dampened thoughts of an early morning departure.  Around 7:30 am, we heard the rumbling of engines as Bruce started up readying for departure.  The fog seemed to be lifting rapidly.  Not far behind, we were off the dock at 7:45 am to reenter the main channel at Mile 333.3 just five minutes later.  Upriver, it was a solid fog bank.  Downriver, it was as clear as a bell.  What a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky and 53 degrees already.  The winds and rains of the last few days have taken a toll on a lot of the foliage.  A large amount of leaves have been blown down leaving many branches bare, however, it is still very beautiful in some areas and still delightful in others.

 

 

    We are so glad that we chose to travel this area during this particular time period to enjoy the most beauty that the area could offer.  It has been truly spectacular.  The temperature continued to rise into the mid 70’s and the water was as calm as a millpond.

     The view of the huge Browns Ferry Nuclear Power plant poses an impressive dominance along the shoreline.  At one time, this was the largest nuclear facility in the world.

 

 

 

     Bruce and Jeannie had long disappeared from view.  Their motor yacht travels a bit faster that our slow trawler.  When we arrived at our agreed anchorage, they were established in a lovely spot across from the Joe Wheeler State Park Marina and Lodge.  We maneuvered into the same general area and set our Fortress Anchor in about 15-18 feet of water.  With very calm conditions forecasted, this would be a delightful place to rest and enjoy the fabulous, rural setting. 

     What about my “Nap”?  Yes, I did!

 

 

     With the sunset at the early hour of 4:46 pm, we prepared an early dinner.  It seems like months since we have been able to use the BBQ grill.  Judy fixed a batch of Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and I grilled some Emeril’s Chicken/Apple Sausage.  Served with home style, chunky applesauce, this has become one of our favorite meals.  Tonight, early to bed, then, early to rise as we head for the challenges of Wheeler and Wilson Locks.  These are notorious for miserable delays.  We’ll see….

 

POSITION: N34 49.047 W087 20.103   ANCHORAGE IN FIRST CREEK NEAR MILE 277.0

 

11/10/06   FRIDAY    ANCHORAGE IN FIRST CREEK  TO  FLORENCE, ALABAMA

 

     Normally, Bruce and Jeanne like to get a later start than we do.  After a little discussion on the virtues of early rising and the possibilities of extended lock delays, they agreed to join us in the wee hours.  Sometime after 5 am, I phoned the lockmaster at the Wheeler Lock.  He said that if we could be there soon, he would do what he could to get us on our way.  Bruce answered the VHF radio call in a half-awake, half-asleep tone.  It was still dark when we started to raise the anchor.  Under clear skies, the big moon cast enough light for Judy to see a piece of heavy fishing line wrapped around the anchor.  It was good that her sharp eyes saw it since it would have surely gotten tangled in our propellers as soon as we got underway.  We cut away the entanglement and headed out of the anchorage at 5:35 am.  “Inevitable Too” was close by in our wake.

 

 

  True to his word, the lockmaster had the upper gates open and ready for our direct entry under the flashing green light.  Fifteen minutes later, at 6:30 am, we were running downriver in Wilson Lake toward the Wheeler Lock and Dam.

 

 

  Our early arrival at the Wheeler was very fortunate as we would have incurred a significant wait of perhaps 3 or 3-1/2 hours because of the two tows that were approaching from downriver.  A call to the next lockmaster at Wilson Lock informed us that we would have at least 2 or more hours delay.  If that would have been accurate, we would actually only need a half hour more since it would take us 1-1/2 hours to get there.  At 8 am, we were instructed to tie to the main lock outer wall and standby for further instructions.  The outer wall was not conducive to tie-up so we found a couple of spots on the main lock long wall.  By 8:15 am, we were secure and anxiously awaiting our sequence.  As you may remember, the main lock has been closed for several months to accomplish repairs following a barge accident to the upper gate.  In place of the upper main gate, they have installed an “emergency gate”.  A sign on the crane barge stated that it weighed 376 tons.  In the next picture, behind “Inevitable Too”, you can see the emergency gate installed.

 

 

     The surrounding area was full of heavy equipment being used to repair the main lock.  One can only venture a wild guess as to what this accident has cost.

 

 

     The auxiliary lock is comprised of two stages with the first locking chamber feeding directly into the second locking chamber.  The narrow, short chambers are only large enough for one barge unit at a time.  This very long process has resulted in over 100 barges being backlogged. 

     Commercial barges have priority over pleasure craft.  The rules provide that pleasure craft can be locked after 3 commercial barge lockings.  To complicate matters even more, commercial passenger vessels take priority over barge traffic.  Here is how that affected us.  We heard the call from the passenger cruise boat, “Delta Queen”, requesting up lockage.  Now we knew that we would have an extended delay.  Fortunately, the weather was absolutely wonderful.  It was calm, sunny, and warm.  We were prepared for the delay that followed.  We took the time to make up a special line to be used on the floating bollards.  We used a piece of rope and about a 4-foot length of water hose.  We fashioned a large loop and secured it with knots.  Judy would be able to place the loop over the bollard using a boat hook and then secure the running length to the amidships cleat at the exact length she needed.  Other folks had told us about this method, however, we had not yet tried it.  Today would be a good test.  The device worked quite well and we will use it again on subsequent lockings.

 

 

     One of the difficulties for the “Delta Queen” was that her overall length is 300 feet.  The lock dimension is also 300 feet in length.  This required that she hoist her “gin pole” or forward bowsprit to an abnormally high position.

 

 

    The lockmasters also needed to give her some extra depth over the “miter sill” between the two lock chambers.  She draws 9-1/2 feet and they were able to get 12-1/2 feet of water over the sill.  The “miter sill” is the concrete lip that meets flush with the base of the giant gates or doors.

 

 

  The friendly lockmasters assured us that they would find a “hole” for us as soon as the Delta Queen was clear.  In that manner, we entered the upper lock chamber at 12:15 pm, exited the lower chamber at 1:13 pm.  The locking event had taken us 5 hours and 13 minutes total.

     An hour later, we were tied up at the Florence Yacht Harbor Marina.  The helpful staff guided us to our slip and helped us secure the boat.  We made a phone call to our good friends, Sam and Donna Jansma.  We knew that they were in the area and we have been trying to get together for some time now.  They keep their boat at Pebble Isle Marina upriver in Kentucky Lake.  You may remember that we visited that marina several weeks ago and that Sam and Donna were back in Texas.  This time, they anticipated our arrival at Florence and were almost there to visit us.  I must tell you that we had a delightful afternoon and evening with them.  Back when we were all still in Rockport, Texas at the Key Allegro Marina,  Sam and I had spent many pleasurable hours talking about making plans for the cruising lifestyle.  They set out first and made their way to north to the Tennessee River.  While there, a freak storm toppled a tree down across their boat and ruined it.  After purchasing another boat in Virginia, they made their way south along the east coast, through Florida, and along the eastern portion of the GIWW (Gulf Intracoastal WaterWay.)  They now commute between Texas and Tennessee to do their cruising and to attend to their business in Texas.  They hope to resume more extensive area cruising in the future.

 

 

     Together with Bruce and Jeanne, the six of us had a delightful Mexican dinner at Rosie’s Cantina.

 

 

     We had hoped that Sam and Donna could stay over, however, their adventuresome nature beckoned them toward the Natchez Trace Parkway and back to the Lone Star State.  We thank them so very much for coming all the extra way to visit us.  They are quality folks and we deeply value their friendship.

     The evening was relatively warm, in the high 60’s, and we had a very comfortable night.  Late in the night, the temperatures started to drop significantly.  Tomorrow afternoon’s temperature would drop to the 40’s and into the 30’s tomorrow night.

 

POSITION: N34 47.225 W087 40.437     FLORENCE HARBOR MARINA, FLORENCE, ALABAMA    MILE 256.1  TENNESSEE RIVER IN PICKWICK LAKE

 

11/11/06   SATURDAY   FLORENCE HARBOR MARINA, FLORENCE, ALABAMA

 

     We had rented a car for the weekend from Enterprise Rental Car.  They have unbelievably good deals for weekends.  In a nice Nissan Sentra 1.8S, we set out for some tourist-type sightseeing.  We drove to Huntsville, AL to the home of the Marshall Space Flight Center, the Redstone Arsenal, the SpaceCamp, and the US Space and Rocket Museum.  From this area in 1950, the US rocket program development surged and, a decade later, the US space exploration program began development.  All of this under the direction of Wernher Von Braun, his team of specialists, largely drawn from a group of German scientists formerly working in the rocket program of Nazi Germany, they succeeded in sending a man to the moon.

 

 

    At the Space and Rocket Museum, the weather was very chilly and the temperature was dropping.  All of the outdoor events were being shutdown at noon because of the cold.  We managed to board one of the last sessions of the “G-Force Simulator”.  This device is round and you are strapped to a sloping wall.  As the device spins around, the occupants are subjected to the force equal to “4-G’s” or 4 times the force of gravity.  In essence, your effective weight is four times normal.  You can feel the stretching of your face and body.  If you try to move your legs out, it is nearly impossible.  The simulator was both interesting and fun to ride.

 

 

 

  We walked all about the grounds viewing the large collection of huge missiles and rockets.  There is even an actual Saturn V rocket like those that propelled our astronauts into space and to the moon.  The upright assembly is a full size replica. 

 

 

     The horizontal modular section is the real thing.  A complete set of modules await the completion of huge museum building annex now under construction.  This picture shows only the lower module with the five humungous engines attached.

 

 

    The museum boasts the only full sized model of the Space Shuttle.

 

 

    Inside, we boarded the “Mission to Mars” simulator.  It was more of an amusement ride than an actual simulator.  It was fun.

 

 

     The halls of the museum are filled with the most complete assortment of space memorabilia anywhere in the world. 

 

     The museum building contains a huge IMAX film theater that houses a 67-foot, domed screen.  Neither Judy nor I had ever seen one like it.  The immensity of the projection gave a superior, dimensional aspect to the two film presentations that we attended.

 

     When we returned to Florence, we went to Barnhill’s Buffet Restaurant.  Sam and Donna had highly recommended this chain.  It was very enjoyable and, of course, we ate way too much.  These two tired kidz were happy to get to bed after a busy day.

 

11/12/06  SUNDAY   FLORENCE, ALABAMA

 

     Today’s weather was a great improvement over yesterday.  The skies were blue and the sun was beginning to warm us up.  The same Barnhill’s Restaurant hosts a breakfast buffet on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  At the special price of only $4.99, they arrange an extensive buffet and even include coffee.  It was too good a deal to pass up.

     We headed west this morning toward Iuka, MS and then north to the Shiloh National Battlefield in Tennessee.  I had wanted to visit this place to see firsthand where the vicious Civil War battle occurred.

 

 

     During that very dark period in the history of our country, so many young and brave men engaged in a bloody battle that would severely change the course of history.  The formidable engagement, between the “Blue” and the “Gray”, lasted but two days yet left a combined total of 23,746 men killed, wounded, or missing – more casualties than America had suffered in all previous wars.  This early battle in April, 1862 was the first of the major engagements of that war.  The Union would record the victory, however, the carnage of a brutal war would continue for years to come.

     Numerous monuments to the valor of the Union soldiers are evident throughout the park.  Cannons and placards mark the lines of battle and positions of engagement.

 

 

 

  Such places as the Hornet’s Nest, the Sunken Road, the Peach Orchard, the Shiloh Church, Water Oaks Pond, and the Bloody Pond all leave an indelible impression on the observer.  The Union forces established a mile long front along the “Sunken Road”.  Judy and I walked along a portion of that area.  It was as if this particular place had been set on the earth specifically for this battle.  Strategically, it was almost perfectly designed.  Esthetically, it was a solemn experience to imagine the grief, pain, and human destruction that brutalized this, now, tranquil and secluded spot.   The Confederate attack from the open fields met very strong resistance from the thicket along the “Sunken Road”.  The wooded ravine earned the name of “Hornet’s Nest” from the buzzing of Confederate rifle bullets whizzing through the trees.

 

 

     After Confederate infantry attacks failed to break the Hornet’s Nest line, the Confederates employed the cannons from 11 Southern Batteries to bombard the Sunken Road thicket.  This line of over 60 cannon lobbed artillery ordinance breaking the strength of the Union defense.  The battle was in Confederate hands.  Union General William Wallace was mortally wounded and General Prentiss was captured along with 2,250 Northern troops.  This is a picture of part of that cannon line known as “Ruggles’ Battery” that unleashed so much deadly destruction on the Union position.

 

 

 

     This lovely monument, dedicated to “ her valiant sons” of Wisconsin, who “fought on this battlefield for the preservation and perpetuity of the Union”, is among the many tributes to the fighting men of the Union.

 

 

     The US National Cemetery holds the bodies of so many Union soldiers.  After the battle, Union and Confederate dead were interred in separate mass graves.  Years later, those of the Union were relocated to the National Cemetery grounds.  Only one-third of the Union dead have been identified.  Most of the graves are marked simply and respectfully with a small stone engraved with a number.

 

 

 

 

    Meanwhile, the lost of the Confederate forces remain in those several, original mass graves across the various fields.  Only two of those many, many Confederate men have been identified.

 

 

     The Commanding Officer of the CSA, General Albert S. Johnston, was shot and died upon the battlefield.  He was the highest ranking Confederate officer to die during the entire war.

 

 

     During the first day of battle, the Confederate forces dealt a crushing blow to the Union encampment.  During the night, Union reinforcements arrived and the succeeding day joined to rebut the attackers and forced the Confederate retreat to Corinth, Mississippi.

     A visit to this site is the kind of experience that touches you deep inside.  We had heard the names, the places, and the events during our formal educations.  We were now able to attach the reality of the events and feel the sense of history that surrounded us.

 

     Twenty two miles south in the city of Corinth, Mississippi, we continued our tour along the path of the Civil War soldiers.  At the Interpretive Center, we gained more insight as to the importance of these areas to the war effort.  Sitting at the crossroads of two great railroads and the proximity of the Western Rivers, these were strategically vital positions for control of men, equipment, and supplies.  In the following month of May, Union troops forced the occupation of Corinth.  The city was further fortified with earthen batteries and other earthworks to repel invasion forces.  In October of 1862, the CSA attempted to regain control in another bloody, but unsuccessful, engagement.  The Union Army would occupy Corinth until its departure in 1864 bound to join General Sherman’s massive campaign in the Eastern theater.

 

     Before we headed out of Corinth, we took a driving tour through the historical district that is studded with marvelous old homes and mansions.  Many picturesque Antebellum, Colonial, and Victorian structures mark time as they offer us a historical view of architectural design spanning the period from the 1850’s to the 1930’s.  Although the Union Army burned most of the buildings of the war years upon their departure, a few of those remaining were the headquarters of the military leaders from both sides.  Here is a picture of our favorite.

 

 

     Once again, we were tired out after our drive back to Florence and chose the fast-food option for some quick and easy nourishment.  We warded off the chill on the boat with the help of the main heat pumps assisted by the small, ceramic heaters.  Once tucked into our comfortable bed, we found a wonderfully, restful sleep.

 

11/13/06   MONDAY  FLORENCE, ALABAMA

 

     At 8 am, it was still quite chilly but clear and calm.  A phone call convinced Bruce and Jeanne to join us for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  Today was errand day for all of us.  Judy and I had the use of the car for the rest of today only.  We did some shopping for supplies and searched around for engine oil for the boat.  We use only Rotella T in SAE 40 grade.  This is somewhat difficult to locate at times.  We finally found a guy who would order it for a delivery tomorrow morning.

     I know that many of you are very experienced travelers.  I know that many of you have seen many of the wonders of the world.  I know that many of you have been to the mountains, been to the seas, been to the plains, and been to the prairies.  I know that many of you have been to the great cities and the small towns throughout the four corners of this earth.  Well, my friends, Judy and I can now boast about something that I doubt any of you have done.  Today, yes Today, my intrepid friends, Judy and I visited the “Coon Dog Cemetery”.

 

 

    We traveled many miles on the very rural, wooded back roads of Alabama to reach this unique location.  It is the only one of its kind in the world.  Many, many famous, and perhaps some not so famous, “Coon Hounds” have found their final resting place here among the fallen leaves.

 

 

    There are all types of markers ranging from the elegant granite stones to the simplistic wood or stone type.

 

 

     Most bear the names of these “men’s best friends” and some even record an epitaph.

 

 

    One stone revealed the fact that this faithful dog had “treed more than 200 coons” during its life before being “struck by a car while running a raccoon”.

 

 

     Another stated “ he wasn’t the best, but he was the best that I ever had.”  The grounds became sacred in 1937 and have become hallowed for these many Coon Dogs since.  Only bona fide “Coon Dogs” are allowed to be interred in this remote, tranquil site.

 

 

     Okie-Dokie, all you world travelers, let’s see if you can top that one!!!!!    (Hank? Gwen?  How about y’all?) 

 

     On the way back to Florence, we hunted down some O-Rings for the boat.  It is amazing how difficult it is to find these small parts.  Although we couldn’t get exactly what we wanted, we did find an acceptable substitute for our diesel fuel fill caps.

     A little side excursion allowed us a unique view of the Wilson Lock and Dam from the outside, topside perspective.  We were able to drive across the huge dam and then walk out over the locks for the birds eye view.  The picture of the auxiliary lock shows the two distinct chambers, as well as, an idea of the topographical differences in the lake water levels.

 

 

     In contrast, the huge, modern single stage lock dwarfs the auxiliary in every respect.  This is the highest single lift lock in the eastern US.  To the left in this next picture, you can see the shoals down at the river level.  On the right beyond the lock, runs the canal that provides egress from the locks and rejoins the main Tennessee River 3.3 miles downriver.

 

 

     The car was due back and the folks at Enterprise dropped us off back at the boat.  For dinner, we enjoyed “smoked” pork.  Judy had rack of ribs and I had “pulled pork”.  We had picked up these delicacies at a deli grocery the other day.  With a baked potato, and pecan pie for dessert, what could have been better?

 

11/14/06  TUESDAY  FLORENCE, ALABAMA

 

     A rap on the boat at 8:15 am signaled that Bruce was ready to go to the auto parts store.  We had arranged for our special engine oil to be delivered to O’Reilly Auto Parts.  Bruce had the car and we loaded the 4 cases of oil to keep on the boats.  The rest of the morning was spent puttzing on the computer with these logs and Judy busily cleaned and used the laundry facility to do the floor rugs.

     With a lot of that wonderful, “Pulled Pork” barbeque still left, we thoroughly enjoyed our sandwich lunch.  The weather gradually deteriorated and a cool, damp chill was prevalent in the afternoon.  Bruce and Jeanne Elder had left the marina by car headed for Atlanta.  They will visit kids there, then, fly to Boston for Bruce’s partner’s retirement.  After another visit to Atlanta, they will resume their “Loop” cruise sometime after Thanksgiving.

     Previously, we had bought a Gourmet meat loaf from the Deli department of the Foodland store.  Judy baked it in the small toaster-oven.  She uses that appliance the most of any onboard.  We have not yet used the large oven as this small one will cook everything we like without heating up the big oven.  Served with butter/herb mashed potatoes and a rich, brown gravy, it turned out wonderfully.  A slice of Georgia Pecan Pie with whipped topping satisfies even the sweetest tooth.

     For the evening, we set up the TV and inserted the disc for the DVD movie “Gettysburg”.  The epic film reenacts and reconstructs the most horrendous battle of the Civil War.  We found it to be even more interesting after our recent visit to another huge battlefield at Shiloh.  From the movie, we could see how the cannon batteries looked and sounded.  We could envision the strategy and implementation of the battle plans.  We could only begin to imagine the horror and suffering of the brave soldiers engaged in close combat.

     It was not until the final credits rolled passed that we realized that we had only seen the second half of the movie.  The first half was contained on the other side of the same disc.  We had wondered why there had been no writing on the disc.  It was because this was one of those new “two-sided discs.”  Oh well, we were a bit tired and opted to watch the first half later, probably tomorrow evening. 

 

11/15/06  WEDNESDAY   FLORENCE, ALABAMA

 

    HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DEAREST, HARRIET LAW.

 

     Just as forecasted, the heavy rains began during the night.  Almost steadily, it was really pouring down.  Our stateroom is very, very quiet, however, we could still hear the splattering of the pelting rain.  The morning continued under rainy skies, heavy at times.  I worked on the computer logs and various stuff.  Judy attended to some of the more mundane chores of daily life.  Lest you think that this cruising lifestyle is just “sun and fun”,  perhaps this next picture will portray the not so glamorous aspects of traveling. 

    

 

     A dinner of pasta and meatballs was our choice for tonight.  After dinner, the remainder of the movie “Gettysburg”.  The rain is forecast to continue tonight and into tomorrow morning.  It is nice to be comfortable here in the marina.  We will be here tomorrow and plan to resume our trip on Friday at daybreak.  We both look forward to heading out to see the sights ahead.

 

POST SCRIPT:

       The next installment UPDATE will continue with our voyage downriver in Pickwick Lake along the Tennessee River.  Thence, we will head south along the Tenn-Tom Waterway from Iuka, Mississippi to Mobile, Alabama.

       We sincerely hope that you are enjoying these email UPDATES.  Tell us how you like the revised format enhanced with larger print size and the use of staggered photos.  We thank those of you who have contacted us recently and we are looking forward to hearing from each of you in the near future.

ATTENTION: SPECIAL NOTE:

       My Verizon AirCard that operates my computer internet still operates slowly and sporadically.  The coverage areas are not as good as we had hoped.  Friends tell us that coverage will deteriorate significantly along the Tenn-Tom Waterway.  We will be sending out updates when we can.

     Judy has Cingular Wireless cell phone service.  So far, it seems to work even better than the Verizon Wireless (except Canada where Verizon’s North America Plan worked well).  Judy can be reached at 361-550-5353 and Fred can be reached at 210-296-4933.  We can be reached at either number.  Please call us if you like, we’d really like to hear from you.

 

"AMARSE".  is pronounced "AM-ARE-SAY".  Our website is:   www.amarse.net   .

Check it out while we will attempt to keep you informed via email

  We would like to hear more about what is happening in your lives.  Let us know as we very interested in what’s going on with our friends and family.  Please call or email us with your thoughts and comments and ideas too.  Thanks

Lot of Love,

Fred Reed and Judy Law

AMARSE

MT40