SNOW

12/11/08---What a sight! The grass is covered with white stuff. "Snow"!!?? This is Youngsville, Louisiana---not Wyoming. The snow flakes looked large while it was still dark. A fine snowman was promptly built. It will not last very long as the ground is still warm. As the day temperature rises, the snow will melt away. My daughter (Crystal) enjoyed making a snow angel. It is looking a lot like Christmas as Santa stands near the reindeer.

HOLIDAYS

11-29-08 thru 12-07-08 The days pass quickly here in Louisiana. We are all busy preparing for Christmas and doing household projects that seem to stack up when we are gone for long periods of time. Lafayette, LA kicked off the Christmas season with the lighting of Santa over the cross walk from the medical center to the hospital. There was a nice crowd out for the evening. Keith & Maryann posed by a nicely lighted tree. Carol chose one that was on display in a store. Keith may have looked a little grumpy, but he soon smiled as the free popcorn was finished and put in a sack for him. You can see by the jackets that it was a little cool. But not "cold" like you folks in the north are experiencing. There were local groups singing Christmas carols and everyone had a good time. That activity took place on the 5th.









Sunday the 7th we went downtown and enjoyed the "Sonic" Christmas parade. There were 17 floats and 13 high school bands. The various floats were throwing candy, soft drink tokens, stuffed animals and other things. Those things were being tossed into the crowds of people that lined the streets. The children really enjoy catching the toys and candy. Of course the last float was carrying Santa Claus. He probably had a tired arm from waving by the time the parade ended.

DRIVE

11/28/08---The weather did not look good for boating. So we loaded up the vehicle with enough things to last about a week. Left the foggy marina and drove to Youngsville, LA. It rained off and on throughout the day. A side trip through Mandeville and Madisonville Louisiana extended the travel time from 6 hrs to 8 1/2 hrs. We looked at marinas on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain. Some of the area still looks rather rough from the hurricane beatings that have occurred in the past tree years. Damaged docks and sunken boats do not create a pleasant environment. Keith and Maryann are in their home and I am home with Carol. We all plan to be visiting in the Youngsville area for about 10 days. As a result of our departure from the boat, the blog will not be done daily. I will provide an occasional update and then let you know when we return to Demopolis, AL. Hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving and continue to have a good time throughout Holiday Season.

THANKSGIVING

11/27/08---Thanksgiving by the water. About 20 of the boaters living at the Demopolis Marina, or just passing thru, contributed to make a very nice table of food. Each family had prepared a favorite dish. We gathered outside the boaters lounge as final preparations took place. Many fun boating stories were told. The outside area is commonly referred to as "The Wall". Inside there is a small kitchen and separate dining area that was just right for the group. After giving thanks, a very good dinner was enjoyed by all.

HISTORY

11/26/08---There are numerous historic sites throughout Demopolis. Demopolis, Alabama is located approximately 200 miles North of Mobile Bay on the Tombigbee River. Located south of Tuscaloosa about 75 miles there are many college football fans in this area. Tuscaloosa is the home of the Crimson Tide at the University of Alabama. Their team is presently ranked #1 in the nation. Back to Demopolis history. Demopolis means "City of the People". There seems to be a lot of pride and spirit in the community as many activities are planned for the Christmas season. This is quite an old city as many are that grew up along the banks of the rivers. On March 3, 1817, Congress passed an Act which paved the way for the settling of Demopolis by a group of political exiles who had been banished from France by King Louis XVIII following the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte. About 150 people started the community two years before Alabama became a state in 1819. The Rooster hall is where the town council presently holds their meetings. Roosters were sold to raise funds for construction of the Rooster Bridge. An alligator in the window of the library is showing the Christmas spirit.

TURTLES

11/25/08---Laid back today. There was plenty of fog as the sun began to shine. After the fog lifted a tug was seen pulling into the fuel dock. This seems to be a popular place for tugs as we have seen several since our arrival. View of Keith and Maryann taken from the balcony of the marina restaurant. Moving around about like the turtles that were enjoying the sunshine. There is a picture of the church where Maryann attented services last Sunday.

TV-FOOTBALL

11/23-24/08--- Maryann thought brother & I were a total waste on Sunday as we watched football games all day.
On Monday we did a little better in her eyes. We cleaned the water strainers and air intake filters on the three heat/air conditioner units. Cleaned the screens on the two shower sumps and vacuumed what we call the basement. That is the crawl space where we access the various pumps and equipment that need service. Between showers we filled the fresh water tank and cycled the water softner. The day was windy with overcast skys. Generally just a rather dismal day. Should be nicer on Tuesday.

Those of you who recall the stories I have done on Ashly Ruf, who drives the boat for Little John's Motor Sports, may be interested in her progress. Click on "Little John" part way down on the right of this blog to go to his web site. Click on the line about Phenoix for his info. Ashly is now one of the two female PRO race boat drivers in the world qualified to run up to 180 MPH. Good luck to her next season!

COOKOUT-DEMOPOLIS

11/22/08---Did a few things inside the boat and decided to go uptown for lunch. Found the battery totally dead in Keith's van. After several attempts to get it jumped from other vehicles had to change tatics. Were not able to get enough power off another car's battery. Used the marina courtesy car and drove to Walmart for a new battery. Had lunch at El Ranchero Loco. The mexicans served some good vitals. Back to the marina with the courtesy car as a lady was looking for it to take her turn to the grocery store. We were allowed two hours and just got back in time to keep from causing a stir. Installed the new battery and what a difference! The van actually started. At 3:00 p.m. we gathered with a dozen of local boaters for an evening cook out. I call them locals because some of them have been in this marina for a long time. The rest of us are considered transients. Every one brought something for the meal. The hot dogs and hamburgers were cooked on an outdoor grill and everyone ate plenty. We sure needed it after the recent lunch! The main thing was we had a great visit with the folks. It is always fun as everyone has a boating story or two to tell. Also got some recomendations for more of our journey. Some of the travelers are planning to leave next week. There are some pictures of the work in progress where the marina is going to expand by adding 400 additional boat slips. There are many boaters who like to winter here and preparations are being made to handle a lot more of those boaters.