Livin' Life

Miles Covered:  um 275- to um 221 (54 miles)

Closest towns or landmark (chart): just before Lock 24  to Squaw island (a nice beach, chair exchange)

 Original Post date: June 7, 2009

Woke up just outside of lock 24 where we had settled the night before. We had lost our anchor due to a “Keystone Cop” type incident. While trying to slow our speed, Tom asked me to drop anchor. I proceeded to hoist it up and chucked it out into the current where it immediately sunk to the river bottom and will probably remain there forever. You see, the rope was not attached to the anchor. It looked to be tied but it wasn’t. Tom and I just kinda looked at each other wondering who to blame for this unbelievable act that just took place. Whatever it was then is now just another funny story to tell.

Passing the lock was pretty smooth and the conversation with the lock master is always pleasant – they were working to move a Corps of Engineer crane around for some maintenance on the lock, once that was done we were through – a smooth pass.

From there we stopped a few minutes in Clarksville and then floated as breakfast cooked – egg and bacon sandwiches, good.

The day was great and the river calm, it was a pleasant ride – we pretty much just walk around the boat and trade steering whenever one of us wants too, but this morning I spent most of the time on my lawn chair reading out front as Tom found places and ways to move things around in the cabin. It’s amazing how Tom can stay busy doing something in such a small area. 

Sorry Tom

The scenery passing by is just awesome to look at.  

At lock 25 the lockmaster wouldn’t return our call, we were beginning to think our radio was bad and without any further information we tied up to the last green ‘can’ before entering. It was the nicest pool of water that we could remember entering – until we mentioned that, and then the wind turned on us and our only saving grace was the buoy we had tied to.

calm before the whitecaps

Another tow, the “Bill Berry” began working his way around behind him and we were able to establish contact with the “lock master” via telephone – we made it through between the two tows.

That’s the short story, all of this took more than two hours of beating wind and current….. we were never too concerned for what the tow pilots were up to, because they are absolutely aware of their surroundings – which includes us little guys.

For some reason on the low side of the dam/lock the wind diminished and the river became much calmer. Just outside the lock at the 240.2 we found the Cedar Hill Resort.

It was a very nice place overlooking the river with a Tiki bar and a 1957 Trojan boat for a stage, nice setup.

Kelley, the bar tender, served us drinks and some fried green beans, really good – just like fries. During conversation with some patrons, we found that the folks there had done a similar trip down the Mississippi in 1991, – and they were still friends.

Several of them were there and so was a model of their boat “Middleage Crazy” that they took to Nawleans and sold there for 700 bucks.  Nice home made raft (boat), built by Al Morgans Dad (who is in his 90’s now).

 After some beverages, we boated on down to The Riverbend Marina at 232.5 and met up with Jeff and Al again, they gave us an extra stool.  Great hospitality and nice marina. Al even piloted the ‘bird’ down the river from there a short way to his house where we checked out his welding inventions, workshop, and where he gave us an anchor to replace what we had lost, nice.

The river and the folks along her are friendly, helpful, open, and just awesome – we haven’t had a negative encounter.

After saying good bye to our new friends, we headed down river for a few more miles and  found a nice beach to tie up to. I’ve got a feeling though that we might be in for “storm world” again tonight. We’ll see…….

Calm before the storm!