So here's a little summary of this trip...

• Left Wichita on April 30...returned June 25
• Car side trips to Franklin and Lynchburg, then Asheville and Scottsboro...Civil War Battle sights, Jack Daniels distillery, Biltmore and Unclaimed Luggage Store
• TUMBLEWEED traveled Tennessee River from mile 333.3 (Ditto Landing) to 652.1 (Three Rivers junction, just passed Knoxville...318.8 miles
• boat side trips on the Hiawassee River (28 miles), Clinch River(23.1 miles) and the Little Tennessee River (29.1 miles)
• 8 weeks gone from Wichita
• 27 days boat gone from Ditto Landing
• 22 days of cruising
• 12 days on the hook
• 10 locks ( 5 up and 5 down)
• Speed was between 7.5 mph and 12.1 ( we had some current help and then time "blowing out the cobs"
• 798 total miles traveled ( could we round that to 800???)
• 759 gallons of gas 
• 1.3 miles per gallon...we also used the generator for important tasks...like AC, fans, recharging phones and batteries, cooking and MAKING COFFEE....
• Only real boat issue was the fresh water line blow out...easy fix ...$23

Yes, we would recommend this trip to all our boater friends...very pleasant and scenic. though maybe do this in the Fall...it would be so pretty in the Fall!!!! and of course not so freaking H O T!!!!

So now we are into the chore list...though I made blogging first on my list this time...last couple of times I waited till we got home and it didn't happen so well...this time I'm gonna finish and then attack the cleaning, etc. Our schedule will include a couple of days cleaning and closing, fueling and pumping out, covering and storing away. Then we are headed to Grand Rivers, Kentucky Lake area, before returning to Wichita. Floyd wants to visit a couple of marinas in that region. We're looking at moving the boat there for next year. We also want to talk about new bottom paint and maybe new canvas...yes, we need to go to white canvas...that blue canvas is a heat generator!!!! We are thinking that next year we'd like to re-visit to the Cumberland River, Nashville and beyond...maybe even some time on the Ohio...though with that new grand baby on the horizon...????? at this point we have more questions than answers...but hey, it is not TV...we don't need to decide in the next 15 minutes...so we'll explore possibilities and options...and then decide. Stay tuned for further developments!!!! What we know for sure is that we'll be back here to travel by boat to the Looper Rendezvous in October...and probably move TUMBLEWEED to somewhere on Kentucky Lake after that.

Right on the Captain's schedule...3:30pm...we pulled into our covered slip at Ditto Landing...secured the TUMBLEWEED and then went to retrieve the car. We were pleased that the dock workers had taken such good care of the Jag...didn't  add any miles on the odometer, windows and tires still intact...you know, all those things a Jag owner would worry about leaving keys and car with dock workers ....However, we were most surprised and saddened to learn that George, Ditto Landing manager for the last 30 years, had a heart attack on Memorial weekend and died.  What a sad deal!!!! He was a charming fella, a fountain of information and good will. We liked him so very much. He will be missed around here, that's for sure.

One last lock...then into the home stretch...Floyd thought photos of that new line technique were in order. So here they are...two counterclockwise loops, line from front to back cleat, line comes off the front of the bollard so it doesn't rub the rusty slimy lock wall...yep, all works quite nicely!!!Doesn't it look like the First Mate is busy???? working hard????... on her tan, that is.

HOT HOT HOTTER...but the day was full of a couple of other delightful moments...as we were in that zone of hours of pleasant boredom...we heard engines...we expected to see a fast fishing boat or big jet ski...instead just at fly bridge level was a Cessna 180...yep, gone before we could grab the camera...but we did get this shot later...what a hoot!!!! Buzzed by an airplane...that's a first for us!!! Though Floyd did talk about how he used to do that kind of stuff to folks at Lake of the Orzarks...BL (before Linda)...

Later we saw a raccoon walking along the shore line...again by the time I got the camera on, he was behind the bushes...outta sight. Cute little fella...reminded us of the baby raccoon we meet in Canada last summer...which reminded us again of how hot and humid it is here...and how cool and delightful it was up north this time of year. Sure hope Carolyn and Susan are enjoying the weather!!!!

It is a very weedy lake...pay attention to the charts and don't venture off the channel.

Bound and down...it proved to be a very delightful day...a little breeze to keep us from melting, one of us could always find a bit of shade...and then ..."what is that ahead???" Well, it was one very big river boat...the SOUTHERN BELL heading back to her dock in Chattanooga. Floyd talked to the Captain on the radio.  We thought it was most interesting that she was not around for that Riverbend Festival craziness either. She sure was a pretty sight on a very calm Sunday on the river. (notice the weed growth just off channel).

6/18...3:30 addition....as I was cleaning up my stack of papers,  I discovered an old Ditto Landing newsletter...guess where the SOUTHERN BELLE has been??? That's right, Ditto Landing. Seems the Rotary Club had some sort of fund raiser...tickets at $95 per person for Friday...salsa night or Saturday..Hawaiian night...is that not a hoot????