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Published: October 18th 2016
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Baking biscuits
On a boat, you have to be inventive. Here, James is cooking up biscuits on his bbq in homemade "beer can" muffin tins. It has almost already been a week since we left Nashville, and we are now back enroute towards Mobile, Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico.
Since our last blog, we travelled northwest, back down the Cumberland and into Barkley Lake, deciding to stop again at Green Turtle Bay at the northern end of the lake to refuel, fill up with water and provision up.
For those of you “boat people”, this is our first fuel fill since Port Washington on Lake Michigan. When we arrived in Green Turtle Bay, we had used 160 gallons since then, and travelled 841 miles. That is an average of 5.25 miles to a gallon. For you non-boaters (or in my own simple terms), that is a lot of distance on very little fuel!
On our way back to Barkley Lake, we had our first “three-way” raft off. Nancy had previously met a wonderful couple from Texas, Kevin and Steve, aboard their Nordic Tug “Lonestar”. They happened to be headed to Nashville and our paths crossed along the way. We dropped our anchor (having the bigger anchor) and both “Living Life” and “Lonestar” tied up to us. It was a great night; Kevin
Kids at Play
Lucas, Marcos and Lukus playing cards. cooked us a fabulous meal (she is a great cook – and lucky girl, she has a nicer kitchen onboard then I even had at the apartment in Tillsonburg!) and we all enjoyed getting to know each other. We parted ways the next morning, but we hope to meet up with this gracious and hospitable couple again soon.
The following day, we had our first two guests to actually travel with us on this voyage (minus our stowaway spiders and grasshopper). As we were journeying the same route as Nancy, James and the boys, Lucas and Marcos decided one day that they should come on our boat to keep us company. We had great fun playing games, watching a movie, and eating – those boys can eat a lot!
The sweetest moment came when Lukus decided to take a short nap down below, and I took the wheel while the boys were playing a game. The boys game had finished and I noticed Marcos head down below. I peaked downstairs and Marcos had curled himself in a ball on the minimal floor space by the bed. A short while later, I peaked down again and he had eased
Naptime
Lukus taking a nap while Marcos waits patiently for him to wake up himself onto the bed, not touching Lukus, but just laying there watching him sleep. Marcos lay there for 45 minutes just waiting for Lukus to wake up. I think that boy certainly enjoys spending time with the man.
Arriving in Green Turtle Bay, we filled up with fuel and got a pump out, then scrubbed down the boat. It was then on to doing copious amounts of laundry and scrubbing ourselves down. This was the first “real shower” in 2 weeks (just to assure you, we have been sponge bathing and washing in the sink – if we stunk too bad, don’t think the boys would have jumped on the boat). All cleaned up, we used the marina’s courtesy van and headed into town for provisions.
Once we were full of fuel, water and provisions, we headed a few miles back down Barkley Lake to cross through a short canal, taking us into Kentucky Lake. According to one employee at the marina, Kentucky has more shoreline than Florida!! Looking at a chart, you could see how that is possible. Kentucky lake is full of little inlets and coves, and so we easily found a beautiful anchorage about halfway
Kentucky Lake
Entering Kentucky Lake through the Barkley Canal down the lake.
We arrived at Clay Bay on Sunday. As soon as we anchored, I could hear continual splashing and as I looked out, I could see fish jumping everywhere. They were just smaller fish but it seemed as if they were using underwater trampolines and springing up into the air. Even as we spent the day there yesterday, they were still flopping around throughout the bay.
Yesterday, Lukus decided to jump into the lake to refresh, however I was more leery as I was just imagining one of the fish jumping up into the side of my face. Not that I am afraid of swimming with fish, but not so keen on being fish-slapped! So instead, Lukus rigged up our camping shower bag, and we enjoyed our first full on-boat shower of this voyage. It is a little surreal, yet very freeing to shower out in the wide open of nature’s splendour!
Now for the more serious side of our post (promise, it's not
too serious)...
On Sunday, I received the news that my faithful and loyal dog, Ebony, had been put down. She had lived a wonderful life, filling mine with joy; she
Sunset on Clay Bay
Our anchorage spot from Sunday - Tuesday. We were angled east to west and so at one point we could see both the sun setting and the moon rising at the same time! was well-loved. Her passing reminded me again, of how short life can be and how precious it is. Every day begins with the potential of being spectacular, yet often we end up trudging through it in mediocrity.
Some days, as I try to organize thoughts in my head for this blog, I notice that there are times where everything blurs together, nothing really standing out until I make a concentrated effort to focus. It made me realize again, how quickly and easily we can fall into complacency and fail to take notice of all the little, but awesome things that add up to make life great (if you see them).
There was a day, not too long ago, that a realization hit me; and it was both startling and a little alarming. I, who had always been a dreamer, a visionary, didn’t seem to be having dreams anymore. What had happened? That was when I recognized, I wasn’t creating fanciful projections of my future because I didn’t have time. I was too busy living life as opposed to fantasizing about it.
This life may not be one I had ever dreamed before, but that is
Kentucky Lake
An abandoned and sinking building on Kentucky Lake what makes it great. Rather than spending my days dreaming of my dream, I am living it as it unfolds before me.
Not to say there is anything wrong with having dreams. Dreams inspire goals, and goals spur us into action. I read a Japanese proverb the other day that made an impression ~ Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Without dreams, goals, visions, we can begin to wander aimlessly and our efforts just fall into an empty void of futility. However, if we spend our days dreaming of what may be, we can lose out on the life that is. So I encourage you, dream; dream big! But then go out and live it.
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Dave Herring
non-member comment
Pictures
Emmy. Enjoy reading about your travels as we are trying to do the same in 2 years, do you have pictures of the inside of your boat. We are looking to sell our sail boat and buy a trawler/tug and I like to look at what others have done. Thanks Dave