Our lovely TUMBLEWEED in the yet-to-be-named cove on Joe Wheeler Lake...sooooo pretty!!! Maybe we'll go back ..but those things are never as special the second time...

After locking through at Joe Wheeler, our friends went straight and we took a left into a yet-to-be-named cove for truly the most enjoyable anchoring experience we have ever had. Great space, plenty of swing room, and most important, we were the only boat in there. The day had become uncomfortably warm...so we donned those swimsuits and went for a "refreshingly cool" swim, the one thing I had thought we'd have done way more often on this boating adventure than we have. I miss that. And here it is October, and we are swimming...who'd thought???? A short dinghy ride once again provided some great photos of the TUMBLEWEED.

Locking through to Wilson Lake was the highest lift we've ever had...built in the 1950s it was once the world's highest single lift lock...it now ranks 6th. We are going up...93 feet!!!! Wind and all that water made it one of the worst rides we'd had in a long time...not a moment of sheer terror...just a rough ride. And long!!! We spent an hour in the lock. We made the trip with FREE TO B (all white) and SOMETHING SPECIAL (blue hull). Looper boats who had been with us at the Florence Marina...we traveled behind them most of the day...again didn't matter how fast we went as we had the Joe Wheeler lock a couple of hours away.

Our hearts were heavy as we looked at the TOURISTs empty slip the next morning. We knew they would need to pick up the pace if they were going to make it to Chattanooga ...we offered to let them stay in our unoccupied slip at Ditto Landing...which they can make in one day...we'll be taking two. They left early...while we found a nice gentleman (former looper) who offered to take us on a grocery run (in a yellow jeep no less). We finished around 11AM, called the lockmaster and he said, "Hurry on down. I've got two pleasure boats waiting and you can lock through with them." We dropped the groceries and pulled away from the dock at 11:05...ran a little fast and had time to spare.

The fun that night included Happy Hour at the dock restaurant, Rick's imitation of Walter Brennan, and steaks at the Legends. We are still celebrating my birthday...wonder how much longer I can milk that???? Seems to be working fine so far!!!!

First things first...FUEL!!! And then the dock guy said just flip around and stay here...so we did.

Signs of civilization....Natives and others...teepees and covered wagons!!!! We were snickering!!!!