Post Trip Happenings

Since arriving home from our road trip we've been busy with family, friends, and working around the house. On the family side my Princess had another birthday on August 6th. She just gets better with age! We also had an addition to the family. My son Addam had a girl. She has light brown hair, big ears, four legs and her name is Miss Demeanor. She is an American Pit Bull Terrier. Her ears remind me of the old TV show the Flying Nun! Missy as she will be called is named to commemorate his dog Felony who died of cancer earlier this year.

Miss Demeanor
Our area has had a lot of rain in the past few weeks causing the Mississippi to spill over her banks. High water creates opportunities for some boaters like us who like to venture into the areas we can't normally access. Unfortunately the high water also creates problems for others who live along the river.

Wet floor.

Receding waters on the bike path.

Sunset in one of the less frequented areas.
Pam and I were able to be on the water while it was high courtesy of our friends Kim & Lu Ann on board Vagabond, their 44' Sea Ray.

Pam & Kim creating a concoction of some type. Don't let the water bottle fool you!
More recently we were asked to go with Mike & Nancy on Eireann, their 34' Silverton to Savanna, IL. for the week-end. Of course we said yes! One reason being that Mike & Nancy are fun to be around and two is that Savanna is the home of Manny's Pizza!
We cast off on Friday and headed south with the threat of storms being forecast by NOAA. To get to Savanna requires one lockage at Bellevue, Ia. With luck on our side we were able to pull into the lock without much delay. We grabbed the lines and then noticed the lightning starting to crackle and the booming of thunder to the west of us. A conversation with the lockmaster about the storm gave us hope that we could beat it to Savanna. Once out of the lock we were off. Mike wasn't sparing the horses and it appeared that we were distancing ourselves from the storm. That is until we turned that last corner a couple miles from our destination. The picture below is what we saw.

Storm clouds on the horizon.
We made it into the marina entrance just in time for the storm to hit. 53 mph winds pushing the rain in sideways and pushing the boat around just as we approached the fuel dock. After the rain subsided we went to our slip to dry out and prepare for Manny's.

Eireann drying out.
Pizza and tacos at Manny's were as good as ever with no leftovers'. It's hard to believe that we could get up the next day and eat breakfast but that's just what we did. The marina at Savanna isn't much but it does have Blondie's, a small shack that serves breakfast and lunch to all the local fishermen and boaters. The meat lovers omelet filled the plate. I now look like I'm pregnant after the last two meals!

Breakfast at Blondie's.
Saturday following breakfast we waddled upriver a few miles to anchor out of the channel but still able to watch the passing traffic. Later in the day we were joined by Vagabond and Out Biddin at the anchorage. Of course they both went into Manny's for dinner before returning to the anchorage.

Channel view.
Sunday after breakfast and Bloody Mary's we started the journey back north. With no storm to outrun we were able to do trawler speed all the way home. Even at that pace we hit the lock just right and were able to lock through with our friends who passed us shortly after we left the anchorage. As always locks are the great equalizer on the river system.

Out Biddin & Vagabond waiting at the lock.
We arrived home with fuel to spare. A good time had by all!