After a productive visit home getting the cottage and yard ready for winter, planning work ahead for the guys, catching up on Carmen's 4 year old antics and family birthdays, we met Hollis, Joy, Dean and Betty for brunch on Sunday and then left for the trip back to Kentucky. Our plan was to just drive 7 of the 13 hour trip and spend the night somewhere. We were so amped to get back to Blue Moon we drove all the way back. We got to the security gate around 1:00 a.m. We left the boat in a nice secure, gated marina but failed to get the code for the gate before we left. Of course there was no one on duty. Nuts! So Dave inched the car around the gate leaving no scratches on the rental car! We got to the boat and crashed.
Monday - Dave installed some new cleats on the boat while I took a road trip into Paducah. I am really digging Kentucky. It's so pretty and well kept. They actually mow the roadways here like New York State used to do! I did the old lady thing and went to the Quilt Museum. My Mom and aunts in West Virginia were very talented quilters. All hand stiching-- no machine stitches! They hung the quilt frames from the ceiling and they would sit around the quilt and laugh and gossip while they worked on it and I loved being with them. I was around 7 years old and wanted to quilt too of course. My Mom would thread a needle for me but leave off the knot and later remove my messy stitches. Miss you Mom.
The quilts at the museum were exquisite works of art. Quite impressive. Makes the quilts in my life seem quite primitive but I wouldn't trade one of them for one of the museum pieces.
The town of Paducah is on the river and has been wonderfully restored. I had lunch in a pre-civil war storefront restaurant. Pimento cheese sandwiches were on the menu. Delicious and very southern. The farther south we get it feels like I'm having a real nostalgia fest!
The flood walls around the city have beautiful murals painted on them. Floods are still a way of life here.
Still taking advantage of the rental car, I found a Kroger and stocked up for the trip down the Tennessee River.
Meanwhile back at the boat, Dave was changing the oil and other maintenance stuff. He took a little fishing break but so far fish do not like him.
For dinner we went to the famous (at least around here) Patti's 1880's Settlement. It was nice but a bit too touristy and what I imagine what Branson must be like. Very predictable and stores full of tacky chachkies. Their restaurant boasted a 2" pork chop and a sky high lemon meringue pie. We ate both and felt like slugs later.
Note to self... If it looks too touristy stay away!!
After dinner it was World War 2 movie night on the boat. My favorite. Once a week or so Dave indulges my WW2 obsession and watches a movie on the subject with me. We watched a 1940 Hitchcock production called "Foreign Correspondent". It was made before we entered the war and full of "join the fight" propaganda, as many Hollywood creations were then. The country was still in bitter conflict over what to do. Of course Pearl Harbor took care of the indecision. Pretty sappy movie but I enjoyed it.
Tuesday, today, I took the rental car back to the Paducah Airport and Dave stayed on the boat to repair the freshwater pump that just quit working. At least we are somewhere where we can get parts! He had it repaired by the time I got back. Our friend Dick back in Pt. Breeze just replaced a sea water wash down pump for that was still under warranty. We give these little pumps a real work out!
With the punishment that was the Mississippi River behind us we are so looking forward to this next chapter. Tomorrow the plan is to have better weather and head down the river about 75 miles to another nice marina. No locks for the next 200 miles or so! yaaay! Fewer barges, more marinas for awhile, prettier scenery and cleaner water. Take me to the river!
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