Someone who lives just south of the Demopolis dam has a sense of humor, posting a sign that says "see Rock City" and the other sign on the deck says Harbor Master and has a rope attached to a bell.

Just one of the Gazoodles of Egrets who have been hitching rides south vs. flying on trees floating downstream, this one is floating by Bobbies Fish Camp, they have Gumbo and fresh catfish!

Bobbies Fish Camp from another day when the sun was shining, moss hanging from trees, and Bobby cooks up some delectable dinners!

Demopolis lock and dam as we leave at the crack of dawn

Corner of Franklin and Commisioner Street In Demopolis, a more depressed area of town, as a rule I love Demopolis Al, a very historic area.

Ah, the beautiful Veda L waiting at the gas dock for the fog to lift so we can leave for Bobby's fish camp for the night.

Oh Oh. Bob's new friend "Mr. Policeman" sitting along the shore to be sure that Bob and Veda L. are getting out of Dodge before Capt. Bob creates any more traffic violations!

I just found this DRAFT in my Blog file, who knows why I didn't find it before, but it is an interesting one (I think) so off it goes totally out of order: This is morning mist hanging over Cooks Bend our anchorage before Demopolis, aka The Dismal Swamp.

This is just one of many "diving buoys" as we call them, it's the ones that are totally submerged that you have to try to miss by watching buoy position on your chart, the river is over 13' above norm here, so the tow boat capts say "go anywheres you want to", but the buoys may be hanging just below the water line, so OUCH.

Coming into Demopolis Bob yelled for me to run up to the pilot house, of course camera in hand I caught these two deer swimming across the river. Beautiful!

A Real Bob Day!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Linda Besk <lindabesk@gmail.com>
Date: 2009/10/15
Subject: A Real Bob DaY!
To: Lindabesk <Lindabesk@gmail.com>


Dear Family,  5:23am Thursday

If I ever get online again this will go through, I am at Demopolis Yacht Basin, thought I would get up early while other boaters are off-line and perhaps get an internet connection, my at&t wireless card which should allow me access shows a great signal but is not connecting either, which the "Help" guy the other day explained to me is due to cooperating companies such as Bell South having lesser signals.  Yippie, love technology!

Anyway, yesterday morning leaving Cooks Bend was uneventful, the drift was less than the day before but still the occassional tree that drifted by!

As we approached Demopolis Bob yelled for me to come up to the pilot house to show me two deer crossing the river in front of us.  I quickly grabbed my camera, Bob cut back the engine and drifted closer to them as to give me a good angle but not scare the b-jeesus out of them.  IF I EVER GET INTERNET CONNECTION I will send you one of the pics. It was a Doe and her youngster who was almost as big as she.  Very cool.

Demopolis did not have room for us on the end of the T dock where they usually put us, so they put us down at the end of a couple of finger docks, Not so bad coming bow in, but will be a bit of a challenge getting out.  Bob has studied the situation however and has a spring line fashioned with a fender for me to fend off our swim platform from the dock if need be.  I will get the full explanation of the "How To" when he gets up and has some coffee.  People think this boating is easy, takes an engineer and a shoe horn to get out of where people put us in, like I say...it's like driving a Greyhound bus with no rear view mirrors.

When will I learn to take my camera even when going to the grocery store.  I had it in my hand and thought to myself "why would I need a camera at a grocery store?"  Mistake.  

First of all, Bob is one of the best boat captains ever regarding navigating and steerage, no matter where he is.  But put the man in an unfamiliar car, or even mine for that matter, then put him outside of Stillwater and we have a problem.  I usually tolerate it for about 5 minutes then say "pull over, I'm driving."  This time I was kind and let him fumble his way to the post office, trying not to criticize his skills, then I let him proceed to the grocery store. 

 At a T intersection we had to go left, due to a curve in the road Bob did not notice that the road had a median, so as Bob made his left turn he suddenly realized that he was turning into oncoming traffic, I yell "U-Turn!" just as he was making the same choice.  Problem....the only car coming down the "wrong way" street was a squad car, I say "great..you just made a u-turn in front of a squad" so he makes a right turn into McDonalds and waits for the flashing lights to pull in behind him.  Officer is very large, has the hat with the strap behind his ears, rope on the brim, he folds his arms and along one forearm in large letters is tattoed TRUST NO ONE.  To Bob...you know why I stopped you?  To Officer:  I made an illegal u-turn in front of a squad car on a wrong way street?"  To Bob:  Yes Sir  To Officer:  I had 3 choices; I could have kept going and had an accident, I could have stopped and gotten hit, or I could make a quick U-Turn which I did as nothing was coming but you officer.  To Bob:  You made the right choice, you from the Dempolis Yacht Basin?  (Yes we are, at this time hands Ofcr the license), from MN Sir.  Officer: You by chance didn't come in with that big white boat not long ago did ya?  Bob: The trawler?  Yes, we did.  Officer:  Beautiful boat, beautiful boat, was having lunch with my Dad at the restaurant there and we watched you come in, you knew exactly how to work that entrance channel with the current (I interject...He drives a boat much better than a car)  So, Bob did not get a ticket, but we had a hard time leaving the officer as he wanted to talk boating, telling us how he used to be on the Miss Rita tow boat and how he has to be consious of how he treats people when giving tickets and arresting them as someday he will be accountable to God.   Bob making friends. 

I went for a nice run through town, they have a historic section and an old fashioned town square, so it's a fun run.  Coming back I see Bob on the next dock over chatting with an incoming boat.  Just Bob making friends again, later after dinner a couple were in the lobby of the restaurant (where I had a crawfish wrap which was delicious, Bob had crab cakes) I thought these people were a little "cool" as we chatted and parted ways, Bob commented that he didn't understand why they even spoke to us; "Why Bob?"  "Well, he explained, when they pulled into their slip the man got off the boat, raised his arms up and said "on a scale of 1-10, how did I do?"  Bob replied "I would only give you a 5" Boater says "Why only a 5?"  Bob..."Because you didn't back in!"  Bob says to me, "anyone can pull a twin engine boat bow into a slip...what was the big deal?"  Bob out there making friends!!  The couple were completely decked out in Exuma Wear to show where they have been, she had on the Chat and Chill T-shirt from what we call "chicken island" as so many boaters get there and never go further.  Now that I think about it, when I saw her T-shirt I said "So you've been to Chicken Island" later found out from Bob that they never went further than that....Guess I make friends well too!  Husband had his Exuma Yacht Club T shirt on.  Gold chains of course.

On our way up to dinner we met two boaters that came in on a Hatteras.  Entering the restaurant there was only one booth that actually had good light, so I asked them if they wanted to join us and take the large booth in the corner.  We introduced ourselves; the small dude was Oscar, the elderly gentleman was Hal.  Hal Jones.  Bob says "THE Hal Jones?" As Bob's jaw dropped to the table! Hal says "Yes, indeed.  My wife doesn't get it, it's embarrassing sometimes"  Now, I of course have no idea who the hell Hal Jones is, but finally pick up that he is famous as the largest Grand Banks dealer in the U S of A. He also knows Stan Hubbard and spends time on MIMI in the Bahamas every year.  He said he has probably had over 80 boats in his lifetime, and interjected "almost as many wives."  A crusty character that I hung back and chatted with on the way back to our boats, my arm thru his to steady him in the dark going down the ramp, as we approached our boat he said "You have a fine boat and a fine husband, I responded that I felt very lucky on boat counts, and can you believe it...he even plays the banjo"  Don't know why I added that really, but his face lit up and said "Really?  I simply love listening to someone play the banjo"  He was impressed when I told him that Bob plays a 5 string Gibson, and that tomarrow night at Bobbies Fish Camp he is comin' aboard and Bob will play banjo for him.  Of course Bob is as happy as can be, incredulous in fact that he will be playing banjoy for Hal Jones.  Oh, why would the largest dealer of Grand Banks buy a Hatteras?  Just for this trip.  He wanted to do the Tenn-Tom, there was a good deal on a Hatteras, so he bought it, hired a captain and away he goes..... 

A perfect day, but of course, as LIFE IS SWELL ON VEDA L!!

This Armadillo at Columbus Marina says "ya'll can kiss my hairy backside!" I never realized how hairy they are, and their finger nails/claws...my my, so much in need of a manicure/pedicure!

We had "issues" all day, I do believe a little gremlin got onboard. First the starter did not work, so we thought we would lose a day getting it fixed, then Bob realized that he had a spare part for it and fixed it by 10am, my hero! We got into Stennis Lock and Dam and this is what we saw, water hyacinths galore and lumber, trees, stumps you name it. We knew it was going to be another day of Dodge-em cruising. The river has gone up 14', Our boat is full displacement so we tend to push things out of the way, and our prop is up into our hull, less likely to get damaged by debris. Regardless, we pick stuff up on our stabilizers and all of a sudden hear a clang and banging, then have to get the sticks off and proceed. We tried to go into Sumter Cove but barely slid over a sandbar at the entrance with our depth showing 0 under the keel. REVERSE! So, we came back north to Cooks Bend and here we are anchored for the night, safe and sound!
LIFE IS SWELL ON VEDA L

The bouncing red ball shows where we are on Bob's computerized chart, getting closer to Mobile and Rachaels Mom "Sista Sue" My Sister Janet will be meeting us in Mobile to join us on the Oyster Run....where we eat oysters as many times a day as possible!

This guy gets the award-"Tenancious fisherman"!

These crazy Cormorants played leapfrog with us, fly a few yards ahead, then land,fly,land,fly, land, till they finally flew down a creek enmasse.

We noticed a boat we knew from a previous trip as we arrived at Columbus, and they had gone shopping; the opportunists (us) decided that they needed a furry greeter, and if you look on their bow you will see who paid them a visit. A video would have been great when they returned, their final comment "Pay back can be hell!"