Locking Through Wilson Lock

Hi all..thanks for your patience in awaitng a new entry. We are committed to keeping this blog current but sometimes the internet does not allow us. It is October 14th and we are awaiting entry in to Wilson Lock at Florence Alabama. On the other side of the lock is the rendezvous that we will be attending for the "America's great loop cruisers association" but getting through the lock will be an all day experience. The lock door was hit by a tow boat about a month ago and the lock tender will only take pleasure craft every third lock through..the huge commercial tows take precedence. There are over 100 boats attending the rendezvous so we have to queque up and await our turn...sounds easy but piloting around the huge lock doors is not easy. By the way, my hero , Tom is doing an amazing job captaining the boat. Below is an entry from a few days ago. The pics at right are of the snail squadron having a dock side pot luck, fog on the river at morning and various other pics, including the answer to everyone's question "where does Kodi go?"

Gorgeous day with sunny skies and winds out of the east at about 10-15k. We traveled with Julie and Gary (Room with a view) and Jeanne and Mike (Jeanne Marie). “ Room with a View” is a 36’ Grand Banks classic and “Jeanne Marie” is a 36’ Monk Classic. Both boats cruise about 7-8k, so we slowed down a bit and stayed with them. Julie named us the “Snail” squadron so from now on we are “Snail 3”. I love going slower..you see so much more and yesterday was the prettiest sight seeing day yet! This beautiful waterway is amazing with just the right mix of gorgeous homes and natural scenery. There are embayments (coves) everywhere if one had the time you could do serious “gunkholing”,(esploring small places) and never be bored. We also passed “Pilot Point” a 200’ hill that ship captains have used as a landmark for years. It’s also the place where a famous and unusual Civil war battle was fought in which the artillery defeated a navy! This is he only time in military history this has happened. For more on this battle look up Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. We stopped at Pebble Isle Marina..a very protected harbor. Tom and I went to Church and upon returning we saw three foxes being fed by people on an ATV! The Fox came right up to the ATV and frolicked in the grass. We ate dinner at the Marina restaurant and came out to find a full moon and a pack of coyotes HOWLING across the dark water! Tomorrow we’re off down river (actually up river as a tow boat captain reminded us today..we’re going south but the Tennessee river travels North.