Passing Old Friends on a Sunshiny Day

What a difference a sunny day makes! When we lived in Alaska there was one winter month that the sun orb didn't rise over the mountains near us. We thought we were okay, just fine, no one depressed, etc. But the day that sweet yellow ball rose up beyond the crest of the snowy peaks across the street from us, and a shadow was cast on the ground for the first time that spring, we all ran for our cameras!  Yeah, we all need some sunshine....

However, our day began with FOG.... 

 We could not see across the river... it was suppose to lift by 10a but at that hour it was still too low to take the chance of missing channel markers.

In this photo we can't really see the end of the dock let alone the river.

At about 1020a the fog lifted enough to leave the dock. The Captain had called the railroad bridge and told them it would be about 20 minutes before we would be there allowing time to roll up the electric cords and drop the lines holding us secure on the dock. The bridge master said to come on..... we were just getting in position to go under the bridge when a long freight train came along...

 this was scary as it would seem the bridge tender didn't know the train schedule? Anyway, we coasted around and after awhile the bridge lifted for us.

As we got closer to where the Looper's Rendezvous was held we began to see boat after boat coming toward us going up river.... these loopers were not going home as most had not yet completed the loop. They were going to Chattanooga along with some other places up river. It was so exciting to see friends that we met in the spring along the Loop. .

Here are a few of them by boat name: In My Element from Fox Island, WA

Freya from Rockport, TX  

Sun Gypsy

 Humbug from Mystic, CT

Another Looper

Journey Trawler... really just “Journey” but there is also a catamaran called Journey doing the Loop so everyone calls them “Journey Cat”.  On Journey trawler is our favorite Looper, Hank... and he is the oldest looper at age 90. These folks live near our home so we hope to see them back in New Bern.

I was alone on the helm when this boiling water of a different color came at Miss gg. But Walter had already told me we were about to come to the area past an Atomic power plant where their cooling water is dumped. Still, I was glad he was back on the bridge as we crossed it.

Toward the afternoon the water was so green and calm... hardly showed the 1 knot current.

In all our going up and down the TN River we have not been slowed down by barges in the locks. But our second lock today, Wilson lock, already had barges parked out side of it and more barges and the tug were entering it from the bottom. The good news was we were allowed to tie up on an auxiliary lock wall. So we didn't have to burn fuel for that 2 hours we waited.

We walked down to the other end of this lock and saw the tug pushing in the last barge to lock up and connect with his other barges.

We would be dropping 93 feet to the level of the river below this lock. We had left late and the wait took daylight time.....when the huge (over 100 feet) doors finally opened the sun was setting!

It was just about dark when we had to find our assigned slip on our own as the marina office was closed.  We noticed several looper flags on boats here in Florence, AL.  We ended up with plenty of help with our lines.  What a wonderful group of folks... we are blessed!