Author: rvingwithapurpose

Sunday, August 19, 2018

It’s been a great weekend! We got up Saturday morning and did our walk and then headed back to Blount County to visit with the Aunts, get a haircut and do a little shopping. We checked on the houses and then went to Camp Sumatanga to visit with some dear NOMADS friends, Dave and Carol. They are doing some drop-in work and invited us up to eat and visit. We had a great time eating tacos under the pavilion at the camp ground and catching up on each others summer travels. Thanks so much Dave and Carol! Looking forward to working with you in Mississippi.

This morning we met Dave and Carol at Huddle House in Oneonta for a hearty breakfast and some more visiting before we all went to worship and Sunday school at Lester Memorial UMC. It was another wonderful day of worship at Lester. After another visit with the Aunts we headed back to Tuscaloosa. Anne’s brother Jim arrived late afternoon. We had a nice visit and were able to make some more decisions about the estate. Lots more work to be done next week but this evening, feeling very blessed.

Friday, August 17, 2018

Wednesday and Thursday were more hot Alabama summer days with scattered pop-up thunderstorms. We were able to spend a good deal of time outside reading, relaxing, hiking, sitting on the fishing pier and just watching the river go by. They continued to dismantle the equipment used on the gate installation at Holt dam but by Thursday there really wasn’t much left so see. Today it didn’t appear they were working on the construction site. Of course, the barges continued to lock through but at longer intervals between than when the lock first reopened.

We have really enjoyed our time back really camping rather than the driveway camping we have done all summer. On our morning walk today we saw six deer and two turkeys. This week we have also seen a young coyote at the dumpster, seen where the raccoons got into someone’s garbage but didn’t see the raccoons, and unfortunately, several wolf spiders. Fortunately they were all outside. It’s amazing how their legs look almost exactly like the pavement. It makes them hard to see unless they are moving. They are big guys – about 2.5” across. Would not want them inside the house.

Last night we had new neighbors arrive. We enjoyed the little time we had with them. They are Romanians living in California, driving their oldest son to Virginia to begin college at a Christian university. You just meet the nicest people camping.

Tonight we are back in Tuscaloosa at Mama Ruby’s, doing laundry, and enjoying our three mile walks that end with Cookout milkshakes. Hope everyone has had a good week and has an even better weekend.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Sunday night after we completed the blog, at about 10:15, we heard the first commercial barges headed to the lock. Not sure, because of the darkness, but we think they were loaded with coal. Some people that work at the lock told the first lock through was actually at 6:30 Sunday night but it was a COE tug moving some of the construction barges. The first barges we could actually see and know for sure was at 6:00 am Monday morning and it was another tug pushing coal down river. All day Monday the COE tug was moving/removing the huge 500 ton hoist that was used to install the new gates. They were using a huge crane that looked more like a big drag line with a hook rather than a bucket. It was quite interesting to see how they were doing such heavy duty work on the water and watching them swing these huge parts of the bajillion dollar hoist out over the river. BTW, we were told project of replacing the gates cost us tax payers a mere 16 million dollars. More coal barges were pushed down stream and through the lock throughout the day.

The rest of Monday, when we weren’t watching the guys work on the dam, we cooked a wonderful breakfast, walked about 7.5 miles, and did some accounting.  We also transplanted some succulents that are traveling with us. We hope our brown thumbs don’t get the best of them. We just had a good day.

Today, we went into town to meet with a realtor and a rental manager as we continue to move forward on Mama Ruby’s estate. When we returned the COE was still hard at work removing cranes from the construction site. The huge drag line looking crane was down on a barge and they were taking down another. The site looks totally different tonight than yesterday. Most things are now loaded on barges and ready to take back down the river to the COE district headquarters in Mobile. We will see what pictures we can get to tomorrow.

Sunday, August 21, 2018

It was another beautiful morning at the campground. We, of course, started the day with a 3.5 mile exercise walk. It was cooler when we started this morning but by the time we returned to Fred about 55 minutes later, it was hot. We were back at Fred in time to grab the computer and watch the live stream of our church service at Lester Memorial. It was another very good service with the youth that are headed off to college this week helping with the praise band today. It was also sort of cool to sit outside looking at the river and watching the service. Wouldn’t want to to that every week but it was fun today.

We were looking forward to the resumption of river traffic tonight at 6:00 pm and returned from our afternoon walk just in time to watch. There was noise and some action. They removed a crane today and moved another. At 6:00 a Corp tug pulled into place behind one of the work barges beside the lock. After about 30 minutes of sitting there, the tug backed off and moved over like he was going into the lock and pulled up behind another work barge. And that’s where the action stopped. It’s now 8:48 pm and they have all the lights on at the lock lighting up the world and nothing has moved. Can’t find a navigation bulletin from the Corp indicating another delay but there’s no traffic tonight.

The campground is really quiet tonight. All the weekenders have left and we have the bottom loop by the water to ourselves.