POSITION UPDATE - FLORENCE, ALABAMA

As you know, we broke down the day before Thanksgiving.  We got out of the yard yesterday, December 2.  The total time for repairs was only 4 days. The pricetag could have been worse.  Well, there you go.  We are done with that episode and hopefully, we make it through the rest of this cruise without any further mechanical issues. 

We had an interesting time where we were, however.  I have described how we did not merely sit idle by, but rather explored the area in the courtesy car provided to us by Grand Harbor Marina.  We visited, Savannah, TN, Iuka, MS, Tupelo, MS, Memphis, TN, Crump, TN, Counce, TN, Corinth, MS, and all the little places in between. 

We also met some really nice folks, like Garth and Kathy on a boat called Algonquin, and Jerry and Jenny on another Roughwater 41 called Sweetgrass.  All wonderful and interesting folks we enjoyed meeting very much.

For the next couple weeks, we will be traveling on the Tennessee River on our way up to Chattanooga, TN.  We have been told that, if we thought the Cumberland River was something, the Tennessee is like the Cumberland on steroids.  So, how can we not go?  It's always hard to imagine where you may be many years from now, but travelling up the Tennessee River on a boat is not something I can clearly imagine so we have to take advantage of this time.  We are here.  So, let's go.

Those black spots at the top of the tree in center are bald eagles.

At present, we are in Florence, Alabama.  We got here late yesterday afternoon.  After all the rain we had during the last week or so, the lake levels are rather high so the dams are spilling and causing a significant increase in the current on the nose as we head UP river.  I think we barely made 5 knots for the better part of all day yesterday.  So, it was a long 37 miles from Iuka.

When we got here, we hit the town and enjoyed what the locals call First Friday.  This is an evening street festival that includes music, and lots of street vendors.  The restaurants and stores stay open late.  It clearly reminded us of Art Walk in Fort Myers, FL. 

Florence is in the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama which is known for great music. Many of the studio musicians for some of the greatest acts in history came from the Muscle Shoals area including, but not limited to, The Swampers.

We encountered this band playing on Court Street that was a Christian Rock band called Fervent Worship.  Their music was pretty good.  Their message was very religious.  Then there was the crowd.  I have seen this sort of thing on TV before, but I have never personally witnessed anything like it.  When the music was playing, a large crowd of folks in the street right in front of the band swayed back and forth with their arms in the air just like you see on the religious TV stations on Sunday mornings.  It was good, though.  There was not a single dirtbag among the crowd, and everyone seemed content.  There was absolutely nothing but good feelings.  But, it was almost scary that folks who look just like us and who are seemingly otherwise completely normal got such a religious charge on with the music. 

After we had had enough of the revival style music in the street, we headed back to the marina and found that the upstairs bar and grill was still open so we went up.  What we found up there was the extreme opposite of what we witnessed dancing in the street.  At the bar upstairs, there were blues musicians going at it all loud and bawdy.  The booze was flowing and there was a lot of laughing, commaraderie, and carrying on.    We ended up staying really late and closing the bar with the locals who own the place.  (YES, WE ARE "CLOSERS" IN ALABAMA, TOO...HA!  THAT MAKES US "MULTI-STATE CLOSERS" - PLEASE LET LINDA AND CECILY KNOW WE WILL NEED AMENDED "CLOSER" HATS)

Due to the extended party call last night, we will stay in Florence another day and see what this very cool city has to offer.  I am aware that the house where Hellen Keller grew up is here, and there is some interesting archetecture to view.  And, there is a rather famous musician playing at the marina tonight.  So, we'll check it out and report more later.

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The next day we woke up really late.  I think Brenda was asked what time she woke up this morning and she replied, "This afternoon."  So, I had some time to get some boat chores done.  Then, we hit the road in the courtesy car and visited a couple of the recommended sites in Florence. 

We had lunch at this place in the downtown area.  The sandwiches were great and we met a nice girl who attends the University of Northern Alabama which is in Florence.  The school is pretty small, but has apparently just made the decision to go to Division 1 in athletics which is a huge undertaking.  Ultimately, this will mean a big hit in terms of income and in terms of school population.  In the interim, however, it is a really nice place to go to school.  Their mascot is the Lion and there are a pair that actually live in a special enclosure on the campus.  This time, we did not get to see them, but will probably stop and visit on the way back.  Florence is really into their Lions.  There are painted paw tracks on the streets, on the walls and even in the courthouse.

In fact, Alabama, in general, is really into sports - but not just any sports - COLLEGE FOOTBALL - is where it's all at.  If it ain't red, you ain't wearin' it on Saturdays.  The expression, "Get a rope" originally thought to have evolved in connection with the notion that reasonable salsa could come from New York City, actually emerged when a travelling business man once (and only once) suggested a professional football program would be good for Alabama.  No way, Jose.  College football is the rule here.  Actually, not just college football, but all college sports. 

Then we went off to visit Hellen Keller's birthplace which is across the river in Tuscumbia, Alabama. 

 I had never bothered to learn much about this amazing woman before.  Of course I have heard of her and of the multitude of jokes that have spread so far and wide.  Really, however, this woman is no joke and the things she accomplished in her life for herself and for the folks who endure her plight - the blind and the deaf - are truly astonishing. 

Helen Keller was not born blind or deaf; instead, it was not until she had a serious illness which may have been meningitis or scarlet fever, did she lose her hearing and her sight. However, she overcame these obstacles and became a world famous activist, a lecturer and an author.  She is the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor's degree.  The essence of her story is how, throughout her life she learned to communicate, and the things she did with that ability.

After spending some time visiting the Helen Keller Museum, we moved on to something that does not appear in too many crusing guides - the Coon Dog Cemetary.

This place was introduced to us in concept in the movie, "Sweet Home Alabama".  So, when it came up on our radar screen so to speak, we just had to go.  The road out there is long and you really get the feeling you are way out in the sticks.  Then you turn off the main road and you keep going and going and going, further and further out into the middle of nowhere and then you see  the sign telling you the Coon Dog Cemetary is only a couple miles away.  Then the road winds on and on and on.  It was getting dark.  We were driving a courtesy van that was in the shop when we arrived in Florence.  We had driven the van for a couple hours the first day and then a couple hours the second day before heading out to the cemetary and had not seen the gas guage move.  So we were concerned.  Nevertheless, we headed on out not knowing if we were going to encounter some bearded toothy feller with a shotgun.  Anyways, we found the cemetary just as the sun was about to set.

We were unable to determine if this place is private or public property, although there was a sign with a phone number to call.  However, what we did discover is this really beautiful place where only Coon Dogs are allowed to be burried.  What is a Coon Dog?  Glad you ask.

A Coon Dog is a variety of scent hound.  This hound was named after its original purpose: hunting raccoons.  The hunters do not eat raccoon (at least not here in Alabama).  The sport of coon hunting however involves cutting the dogs loose and allowing they to chase raccoons up trees.  Coon Dogs are developed and chosen for their keen sense of smell, the ability to track, chase and corner any manner of animal independent of human commands.  Most importantly, however, they have to have the ability to follow an animal both on the ground and when it takes to the trees. A good coonhound will bark and keep its prey treed until the hunters arrive.  The folks who engage in this sort of hunting apparenly have great admiration for their animals and hold them in ridiculously high esteem.  Here, they even have their own cemetary.

Well, we had another great evening at the bar and grill at the marina.  This evening, we enjoyed more wonderful music and met some new friends, and continued to learn about this place and its people. We'll probably stop here one more time on our way back down the Tennessee River.  In the mean time, we headed out of Florence with some beautiful weather.  We are now anchored in a nice little embayment where we will stay for at least a night if not more before continuing up the river towards Chattanooga.  Next stop will be either Decatur or Huntsville.

First, however, we engaged the biggest lock we will see on this entire cruise.  It is one of the biggest locks in the world - the Wilson Lock and Dam.  The photos really do not do it justice.  The lift was a little less than 100 feet (due to higher than normal pool levels). Not withstanding the turbulence you can imagine when over 50,000,000 gallons of water go sloshing in and out, it was a smooth ride and a great experience.