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Published: November 10th 2016
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November 8, 2016
Cruising the Tenn-Tom Waterway into the Tombigbee/Black Warrior River is one of the most scenic journeys…so far (I am putting that as a disclaimer, since I seem to keep saying that). Around every turn there are new vistas that can take your breath away and prove there is still vast, unspoiled beauty in this world. This part of the river is increasingly remote and wild, leaving for lots of natural spectacles and animal sightings.
A few days ago, we passed some beautiful, white chalk cliffs. As we came around a bend in the river, a wall of white unfolded before us, framed by vivid green and deep red foliage. The contrast was startling and the magnificence of nature’s artistic display almost brought tears to my eyes. I would do more research on the geological make up of these cliffs, etc. but somehow this would take away some of the magic. Sometimes, my simple mind just enjoys things in their native presence without interpretation (or else, I am just too lazy?? Lol).
Along the river we have continued to spy more and more animals as well (besides the ones we are traveling with… ha
ha). While I have not yet seen an alligator, several friends of ours spotted one the other day, just swimming across the river. Apparently he was about 10 feet long, so not the sort you really want to mess with. But I must say, I would still probably be jumping in the water, if it just wasn’t so murky. It is not gators that make me nervous per se, it’s the not seeing them swimming around me!
The other day, at anchor, we spotted several wild boars. As we pulled into the anchorage, Lukus and I saw three trotting along the shore, stopping to shove their nose in the dirt. The following day, Lukus and some of our rafting buddies saw a few more. If we weren’t so well provisioned and fed, we might have considered a dinner of bacon and ribs. (All I could picture was Pumba from The Lion King - “Are you achin’, for some bacon?? He’s a big pig, you can be a big pig too. Hu!!)
Several times we have spotted mama deer and their babies along the shore. Yesterday, passing through the lock, we saw a whole herd; a ton of deer
according to Lukus (I don’t know how he knew exactly what they jointly weighed!) They are quite a bit smaller than at home, but do not seem to be scared off by the sound of a boat passing by.
Yesterday, we left Demopolis marina and headed south. We are now on the Black Warrior river, currently about 120 miles from the gulf, and just in time. The weather keeps getting cooler; yesterday I wore a sweatshirt almost all day! It’s a good thing that even though we were going south, we thought to bring warmer clothes. I am looking forward to the days that I can spend my whole time in shorts (less laundry!).
While marinas provide a welcome chance to get off the boat and actually walk in a straight line (as opposed to walking circles around the boat), it is also a whirlwind time.
Stopping at a marina means loads of laundry, showering, emptying garbage’s and black water off the boat and provisioning. We try to get into a marina earlier in the day so we can get everything done and take full advantage of being docked.
Most of the marinas along this stretch
offer courtesy cars, many questionably run down and an adventure in themselves just to drive down the road (one fellow boater joked that if they weren’t glitchy, they wouldn’t be “courtesy” cars). But they serve us well enough in getting all our provisions. Try balancing two cases of beer plus water and loads of groceries on a bike, and any motorized means of transportation becomes a bonus.
By the time you do all your laundry, fill up tanks, stock provisions and shower, most of the day is gone; however, we often squeeze in a nice dinner out before the end of the evening ~ the other night dinner was at a quaint, rustic old red barn, aptly named “The Red Barn” (thanks to our friends, Jack and Andrew for treating us!). Then, it’s up and out of the marina the next morning to get some distance covered; although I can usually throw a run in before we push off.
Yesterday, we had our first “night run” of this journey. Because of the time change., the sun set at 5pm. With an extra half hour of light after that, we ended up traveling in the dark from about 5:30
until 8:00pm. It’s a good thing Edison invented the lightbulb! You would not want to run this river without lights; so many bends and turns…and barges. But Lukus is very experienced in running at night, and I think he has missed it, so he really enjoyed himself! A bit of a challenge.
Life on a boat is quite different. I cannot deny there are dull moments, where you can be lulled into a state of monotony. But when we talk to friends and family about life back home, we are reminded how surreal this experience is. There are moments in every day where I am awe struck that a year ago, this trip was not even a concrete idea, and now here we are.
Looking back over the past two months, it is incredible what we have seen and experienced. And while we miss our friends and family, we realize each morning how blessed we really are!
November 10, 2016
Since cell reception has been very sketchy, I had not had a chance to post this until today.
In the meantime, I can now say, I have seen gators!
I was beginning
Three Rivers Lake
Near our anchorage at Three Rivers Lake in Alabama
to think people were just making up stories to keep me out of the water – where are these “make believe”, so-called “gators”? Well, now I am a believer in their existence…lol.
Two days ago, we anchored at Three Rivers Lake with Nancy, James and boys, about 64 miles up river from Mobile, Alabama (our friends Kevin and Steve joined us later in the day). That afternoon, we put the dinghy in and headed to explore the area. Marcos and Lucas asked to join us, and so the 4 of us set out.
It was one of the most eerily, beautiful vistas I have seen so far. I had thought we had seen swampy, but this area was the definitive reflection of what I had always imagined as the “bayou”. As the river became narrower and shallower, we slowed to almost idle as we dodged trees and stumps. Sitting at the front of the dinghy on the floor, I felt like I was almost right in the water itself.
Then as we turned a corner, there it was, laying on a log about 10-15 feet away from me; a gator, basking in the sun. I must admit,
Hunting for Gators
Out in our dinghy looking for gators my heart jumped a little as I quickly pointed it out to the boys. Before we could get out a camera or get any closer, the gator flopped to it’s side into the water, and disappeared….right under out boat. Gulp. Typically, I wouldn’t have been too worried, but being in an inflatable boat, with two young children, made me a little more nervous!! From then on, I was pretty strict about “all hands and feet in the boat”!
The following day, our fellow rafters left the anchorage and Lukus and I decided to stay an extra day. We jumped back into the dinghy and spent the morning on a hunt to “shoot” gators…with our camera. We saw 6 gators, all of varying sizes, including the guy we had seen the day before (or so we assumed since it was on the same log). He (she??) was definitely the largest, probably about 8 feet long, while the smallest was maybe only 1.5 – 2 feet.
Unfortunately, they were all in the water, so we couldn’t get great photos, but I will still post a few.
All in all, this was one of the most breathtakingly, rustic and wild
Gator Corner
The log in the middle of the photo is where we saw the gator, he took up almost the whole length of the log, so we estimate he must have been 8+ feet long!!
areas we have seen! And the gators added just a hint of adrenaline. Great day!
P.S. If anyone is trying to reach us and is having a hard time getting through, just want to let you know we are not ignoring you! We have had very sketchy cell reception in this area. Going through connectivity withdrawal.. ha ha.
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Michi Inoue
non-member comment
Beautiful!
Hi, it's Michi here from Tokyo. I'm reading your blogs and every time I'm deeply impressed! You're really having a special experience that not many people (especially like me) can have. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures and blog. I feel like I'm sailing down the river, too! I enjoy hanging around with your mom. Last night was Grace Bible Study at my church and we had a great time with the members. Do take care of yourselves, watch out for alligators and continue your adventure! Love in Jesus, Michi