Paris Landing to Pebble Isle 10/7/09
This morning was my Girlie morning, I needed some "Linda Time", so I asked Capt if we could leave the dock later than usual so I could do a good run, come back and take a long shower while hooked up to dock water. Permission from the Capt granted!
So off I go, Janis Joplin was with me for the first part of my run (she really belts it out!), then Tom Petty joined me for the last part. I was coming back toward the marina and still had about 7 min left of my 5K time and decided to run up a hill shown on the map as a picnic area with a historic bridge up on land, so wanted to check out the significance of it. No significance whatsoever it seems as no plaque, however there was a monument to Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, telling about a unique battle which instead of reading I decided to google him later, on with the run. I turn the corner to head back, when I hear a sound NOT on the Tom Petty soundtrack, is it a golf cart behind me honking? I turn my head to see a large white goose coming at me, neck sticking straight out, honking and hissing. Jeez! After leaving a little blue streak of profanity between me and Goose I decided to go into the marina office and ask about Guard Goose.
The marina manager heard me ask the office girl and he came out to say that he had previously heard the goose was a little aggressive and decided he would go up and try to relocate him. His story: "I got out of my truck, walked toward the goose waving my arms saying "shoo shoo" Goose who was behind a garbage can came flying out honking and hissing, I turn to flee and the damn goose bites me in the ass, and hangs on! If I'd have known his M.O. I would have taken a different tack" Background: Mr. Goose had made friends with the visiting Canadian Geese, hung around the Canadians and protected their goslings, but when they left to go south he was all alone, so he has begun to protect the garbage can. Moral of story; when your friends leave you , youhave to befriend whatever you "can", even if it's a garbage can (pun intended). As we were leaving the marina I had Bob slow down to try to get a picture of Guard Goose; as we passed by I saw a fisherman getting out of his truck to use the porta-potty near the garbage can and it's protector Mr. Goose, lots of honkin' and the guy ran back to his truck.
Once on our way I looked up General Nathan Bedford Forrest, what a guy! For those of you interested in Civil War History it is a remarkable story. First of all Forrest was a merchant in Memphis with no military training, going in as a private, and ended the war as a lieutenant general. He relied on his frontier experience and natural instincts to place his troops, make lightning attacks then disappear. Northern generals regarded him as an unconquerable terror. Johnsonville, where were will are staying the night at Pebble Isle is located within Johnsonville Park where a unique battle took place. Forrest used calvary to get to battle areas quickly, tied their horses to trees and fought as infantry. Forrest had 30 horses shot out from under him during the course of the war. The battle at Johnsonville ended with Forrest sinking 33 union vessels, destroying two trains, burning a warehouse with over 6 million dollars in supplies, and capturing 150 Union soldiers. In contrast Forrest had 2 men killed, 9 wounded and two guns lost.
Once we arrived at Pebble Isle we were greeted by a group of loopers (boaters who are in the process of doing The Great Loop, eastern seaboard from FL, thru Great Lakes, Illinois River to Mississippi, then down the TennTom to Mobile and back to FL. The welcoming committee was great as they actually listened to "a woman" as to where they should put our lines and how to do so. I did not have to resort to "Just drop the damn loop over the cleat!" as I often have to do. One boater said, "there's a woman that knows what she wants and knows how to do it" Capt Bob loves to hear compliments regarding his first mate! (so do I!)
We took a nice walk to find the historic site of Johnsonville, the redoubts (reinforced areas dug out for cannon placement), and the cemetery. We found the cemetery, along with some weird "fruit" that I have seen advertised at our corner store to ward off spiders. If anyone knows what this is, please tell me. (I remember them from my childhood), they peppered the ground around the historic site. I cannot imagine the pain it may inflict upon ones head should one land there! We then walked down to the lake until a fisherman mentioned he had seen a copperhead snake, at which point I wanted a piggy back ride to the asphalt. Our new best friend said "careful where you step as you can't see em, they blend in with them copper colored rocks you're walkin on" GREAT. Fast long steps back to the asphalt.
As we returned to the marina we watched as one of my favorite smaller boats came in, a C-Dory, and on the deck was a beautiful woman holding the lines, talking to them later we found that they are classical musicians from Summer Opera at Cooperstown, NY. They had their boat trailered to St. Paul where they started down the Mississippi. It is a quick boat, can go 18mph, and is so cute! I have a picture of them coming in. Before my run I stopped by their boat and gave her a sweatshirt with Veda L embroidered on it, they said "you will never believe this, but we just lost a sweatshirt, so Thanks!" Fun folks on an adventure!
I then had a great run, saw some scat that looked like bear so picked up a big stick so maybe a bear would think I was "packin." I took a left turn instead of the right that Bob and I took and when I saw the hill in front of me I thought to myself "it's all uphill from here!" At the top was another cemetery, did not venture in as it had long grass and I had snake visions. Coming back down to the marina I met a park employee, Andy, and asked him about bears, "Nope, no bears but lots of different snakes..we got rattlers, copperheads, cottonmouth, water snakes…." I say..GREAT. Glad I opted not to go down the wooded path into the woods.
He then proceeded to say "know that road down by the marina, the narrow one, one night I saw a rattler that was crossing the road that filled up ¾ of it, must've been 8 feet, and was this big around(shows me about an 10" circumference with his fingers" GREAT. A friend of mine got one that was over 8' long was at least the same width, and had 27 rattles on it. GREAT.
I threw my fake rifle in the ditch, stayed in the middle of the road and returned to the marina for a gratis breakfast of homemade cinnamon buns at the restaurant, just a great bunch of people run this place a frequent it. Also, the best damn catfish that we have had along with the sweetest yet spiciest hush puppies ever. Bob doesn't usually enjoy them, but I made him take a bite and he was hooked.
Snakes behind us, the remnants of Union boats sunk years before below us and many new adventures ahead of us….
LIFE IS SWELL ON VEDA L!
