GRAND HARBOR AGAIN

May 13, 2009---Slept in a little and had a fine breakfast. Pulled anchor at 9:30 a.m. and traveled 36 miles in 3 ½ hours. Maryann exercised along the way. The water is much cleaner and the rolling hills add to the view. A very interesting pattern is created where the water flows over the leve and cascades down a divided erosion control. Looking at the Garmin chart plotter by the fly bridge controls you can see the speed is 12.5 MPH in 17.9 feet of water, traveling north at 359 degrees. Arrived at Grand Harbor Marina on the entry to Lake Pickwick and tied up in the same slip as we were in last fall.. We are still in Mississippi but you can look out the window and see Tennessee on the north side of the Marina. Look east, Alabama is about a mile away. When weather conditions are suitable we plan to travel new territory on the Tennessee River.

FIVE FINGERS

May 12, 2009---What a great day! Left the Columbus Mariana at 6:30 a.m. Out in the channel it was a relief to find very little debris in the water and the current not as strong. Boating had become easier. We caught up with “Pharm a Sea” at the first lock of the day and traveled together through seven locks. Total lift for the day was 264’. The Whitten lock was last and the most single lift of the day raising 84’. Just upstream of that lock at mile 414 we left the main channel to the starboard side. Water depth was greater than 50’ and we had to go nearly to the end of one of the five fingers to find 13’ of water in a secluded cove. We went past an anchored Trawler named “Captain and The Kid” that had left Columbus yesterday. We set anchor at 6:30 p.m. It was a good 12 hour day having made 79 miles.

CONTINUED STAY

May 10 & 11, 2009---Stayed longer in Columbus, Mississippi than originally planned. It has rained every morning and the wind has been brisk. It appears the front has fully passed for now. Hope to continue northward in the morning. We visited with the folks on the "Pharm a Sea" and the "Gold Watch". They also plan to continue in the morning. The proud geese were showing off their little one's.

COLUMBUS, MS

May 9, 2009---Performing the morning tasks of checking engine fluids we noticed the other two boats were already gone. Leaving our safe place at 7:00 a.m. and turning into the main channel showed nothing had changed. There was still plenty of debris floating down the river. We caught up with the two Trawlers at the Tom Bevill lock (mile 306.8). When the gate opened to let us out there was lots of debris. We had to slide over some of it. The props caught. It took a few bumps forward and reverse to work the beast out from under the boat. I pulled the tree trunk out from under the swim platform by hand. The blasted thing was about 4" in dia and 8' long. As Keith eased forward and increased the rpm's there was no vibration. Whew!--Lucked out.


We again passed the two trawlers. Almost friends, we have come to know the boats by their names: "Gold Watch" and "Pharm a Sea". They were left well behind by the time we reached the next lock. The gate was open at the Columbus/Stennis lock, mile 334.7. Several bass boats passed us by and rushed into the lock. When I entered the lock one of the boats finally moved to allow room. It took me a few trys then to get our boat over against the wall on the starboard side. The anxious fishermen began making remarks about my driving skills and then cheered when the boat was close enough for Keith to secure the line on the floating bollard. When the gate closed behind us there were 24 bass boats in the lock.



A couple of them held onto our boat. They said there was only an hour left before weigh-in is the reason everyone is so anxious. Looking over at the dam side the rushing water could be seen coming thru the control gates. Back to the lock as the gate opened the bass boats rushed out. They seemed glad that we were the last out. Really we were not in a hurry because of weather concerns the decision to pull into the Columbus Marina and spend the night had already been made. It was a short traveling day as we tied up at 1:00 p.m. The Dream Manor looked good from the balcony above the fuel dock. The Gold Watch and Pharm a Sea must have also been concerned as they too decided to stay in Columbus. As I am writing this blog the weather front of concern arrived with a vengence. The wind blows hard and rocks the boats as the rain pours down from the heavens. Looking out the windows into the night there is very black as there are only a few lights visibal at the marina. This is our first night back in Mississippi as we remind each other we were here last November 19th 2008.

HEADED NORTH-Cochrane

May 8, 2009---We took on fuel and said our goodbyes to the great folks at the Demopolis Yacht Basin. Everyone there was very helpful and kept watch on the Dream Manor during times we did not live aboard the last 5 1/2 months. Everything done? Let's go boating.

As Keith maneuvered from the fuel dock into the channel at 9:00 a.m., the dodging of floating debris began immediately. An old rusty hot water tank floated into the marina. We took turns all day steering around as many of the floating old weathered tree branchs as possible. Still an occasional thump told us not all had been missed, and underwater demons were at work. Fred (owner of Demopolis Yacht Basin) refers to all the dislodged materials as "lift bait". When props are damaged he gets to use his lift to pick the boats out of the water to do repairs. (I seem to remember the experience we had last year.) Steering with watchful eye we are hoping to escape any damage.

70.7 miles up the Tombigbee Waterway at mile marker 287.4 we entered an open area out of the main channel near the Cochrane Cut-Off. The water averaged 11' deep compared to the 42' depth in the main channel. At 5:00 p.m. the anchor was dropped into the soft sandy/mud bottom. It proved to be a good spot. The plow anchor dug in and held the boat securely in the steady current. Two other boats chose to anchor in the same area. One we had passed just before the Heflin lock. We waited a short time for them to join us in the lock at mile 266. The lift was only 20' as the river is about 10' above normal pool. This means there is a lot of flood water which accounts for the floating debris. There were interesting sights along the way. The old abandoned trailer house was vacated for good reason! Notice how green the trees are compared to last fall.

MCGEES IN MOTION

May 2-7, 2009---On Monday the 4th, packing was completed and bags loaded in Keith's Roadtrek. The 4 mcgees are now together again and spent a fun day traveling from Youngsville, LA to the boat in Demopolis Al. Enroute we stopped at the Cart Man in Jackson, MS to get propane. It was a treat to see the 10 Commandents on public display in front of the business.



Upon arrival at the marina the flowers attracted attention. The old alligator almost looks real.











Preparing the boat to travel certainly requires groceries. That was first priority followed by getting all of the supplies stowed away.

On the 5th we shopped for various other items to finish the maintenance list.

Carol and Maryann may have been dreaming as they took each others picture in the arms of Elvis Presley. Seems to be quite an attraction at the marina.











Wed the 6th, brother & I installed a pump on the transom inside the engine compartment and equipped it with sufficient 3/8" hose to reach the engines and transmissions. It will now be much easier to change oil & transmission fluid. Before this a bucket with the pump on top was used to pull out the fluids. Also installed about a foot of hose on each of the two sediment bowl drains to more easily get the fluids into a container sitting on the floor. A trip to the laundry was needed to wash the bedding and a few clothes.

It was partly cloudy on the 7th with warm sunshine breaking through the clouds. A fine day to wash the boat. The Dream Manor looks great now and seems anxious to travel up the Tombigbee Waterway. If conditions are favorable in the morning that is what will happen.













Carol & Allen went to James Suttles place to view his old trucks.




Carol wanted her picture taken with the 1929 Model A truck that was used on the Walton's show.

MS-LA

Hi! I just got a complaint from our daughter that there is nothing “new” on our blog. So I guess I’d better get busy & send you our stuff. (BTW, on our last entry, I was told that the coal mine & new electric plant are NORTH of Gillette, not south. Sorry – “my bad”, as they say.)
Love, M 0:-)




April 25 – May 1 MS to LA

The 2 “Wandering” McGees arrived at Jim and Laura Harrell’s home near Sardis, MS, on Friday evening. It was wonderful to see both of them and especially to see Laura getting her old “spark” back again after her victorious year-long bout with cancer. As promised, Keith spent part of Saturday working on Laura’s computer; hopefully it will behave now. We McGees got in some more target practice with our new pistols too, which was fun. Sunday morning Laura and Maryann attended church in town. After a lovely lunch with the Harrells and another couple, we bid adieu and headed south in our Roadtrek.

We reached Vicksburg, MS, that evening and ate dinner at the buffet in the Riverwalk Casino by the MS River. On our way in we noticed some neat metal sculptures on their grounds. After dinner we walked along the river, and Keith got a nice sunset shot. Not knowing how “welcoming” the casino was to campers, we spent the night in our old faithful Wal-Mart parking lot along with the 18-wheelers and other RVers.

Early Monday morning found us at the waterfront (where else?!) boarding the “Sweet Olive” for an ecological river cruise. Jim Jones and his son (http://www.msrivertours.com/) take school groups and others, and we were lucky enough to be able to ride along with the students. The children and we learned many interesting facts about the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers plus ways to protect our waters. It was neat to see and feel the difference in the two rivers where they joined together. And it was good knowing we were in the capable hands of “Captain Sonny” who had been on the MS for over 40 years as a barge captain. We appreciated his advice and enjoyed hearing his colorful stories! As we were leaving the boat, we noticed that the river has been a good deal higher in the past...





We were told that lunch at the Walnut Hills Restaurant was “not to be missed,” so we hiked up the steep hills of the historic old town section of Vicksburg and were indeed rewarded with a




delicious meal there. The restaurant is famous for their big round tables, where they serve “everything on the menu.” Knowing we didn’t need all those calories, we had “The Blue Plate Special”, which was just right. While there, we met a man and his wife who have been with NSA (the maker of Juice Plus+) for 22 years. What a neat coincidence! After lunch we walked a few more blocks to the historic Old Courthouse, where we spent an hour or so immersing ourselves in the history of the area. Coming down the hill (MUCH easier), we saw an historic railroad station at the bottom. Across the street were colorful murals painted on the seawall.










After our riverside adventure, we drove north to the Vicksburg National Military Park, the site of a huge Civil War battle. As it was getting late in the day, we opted for the driving tour. We saw many statues and monuments from the different states denoting lines of their engagement along the ridges. Illinois seemed to have many more troops represented than others, and they even had a beautiful rotunda on the grounds. Inside were listed the names of their military leaders of the time. Along with ground troops, the North had sent naval ships to the battle. One such ship, the U.S.S. Cairo (pronounced Karo, like the syrup), was sunk by a Southern “torpedo.” Years later the ship was removed from the river bottom and re-assembled on the grounds of the Park. It is massive, and you can still see where the blast opened the port side of the keel. The ship and its museum, containing artifacts retrieved from the wreck, were fascinating to tour. Later on we saw miles of gravestones, reminding us that many thousands of men from both sides had died there on the hillsides of Vicksburg.








On that sobering note, we left MS and headed for LA. It was a welcome site to cross the MS River and to be in LA again. The first night in our “land home” in Youngsville was pretty quiet after our camping adventures in all the states we had been through. We’ve spent the past few days working on our “to-do” lists in preparation for our return to Dream Manor next week. We 4 McGees are getting excited to be back on the water again!