We've gone days without seeing, hearing or passing any boats on the river...and today we were swamped by three power boats (why don't they slow down as a courtesy?? We do!!!!) and this barge. Three empties and one full...not a very big load compared to some we've seen, that's for sure. But he did find us on a narrow bend in the river...so it was a pretty close pass. I have yet to figure out how all this action seems to happen when it is my turn at the helm....yep, adds to Floyd's grey hair population!!!!

Just when we thought we were far enough from Knoxville to escape the orangeness...look at this!!! What was he thinking??? not exactly blending in to the landscape!!!! I am amazed at the creativity though...

Just in case you thought all the water around here was deep...this is obviously a shallow spot. Who knows how long that flag has been there...we saw it on the way up and it doesn't seem to have been disturbed. Skinny water over there...

What a disappointment Blue Springs Marina...not only was it one of those kind of run down, character type marinas...the restaurant was only opened on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...so there we were 25 feet from the place on Wednesday...cooking!!!! not fair!!! They should really mention these things in the guidebooks!!!! Oh, did I mention that internet and cell phone coverage was the pits...and when we called about using their Wi-fi, they wanted $5 a day. I don't think so...see why we prefer to be on the hook???

About the only excitment we had today were a few hitchhikers...butterflies everywhere...big, little, black, yellow...seemed like we always had one riding somewhere...and this is the only one I managed to catch on camera....but isn't he (or she) something???? On the bow pulpit!!! poising perfectly!!!! captured in the moment!

When we headed out Wednesday morning, we noticed that this stranger had arrived...Worker bees...we did not volunteer to hang around and help. We were on our way to Blue Springs Marina, Ten Mile, Tennessee...restaurant, plugged in to AC...woo hoo. No cooking for us tonight!

Little Paint Creek was a delightful anchorage...lots of swing room...No neighbors to speak of. There was a family at the entrance swimming in the shallows and canoeing...but they left before 6. The water was just too cool for our liking...but we did sit and dip our toes...well, Floyd may have jumped in and then right back out!!!! He tried to call it "refreshing" but I wasn't buying that...he moved way too fast. When I posted a comment on Facebook that we were anchoring in a creek, my uncle was a bit worried..."a creek," he said, "how will your boat fit?  I assured him we weren't in Kansas...creeks here are deep and wide.