My Cin Update

Greetings from the shores of Kentucky. We are having a wonderful time. Jess has been busy with boat projects (beats having to mow a lawn) and I stay busy with my chores. Last Saturday, we had the great honor of cruising with the Governor and First Lady of Kentucky. He is first cousin to Danny Fletcher, our boating buddies that are with us from Corpus. We had a great time and they are very very nice.



We have decided to change our schedule some and take some side trips before heading south in the fall.



We are leaving here on 8/12 and cruise to Nashville. For Fabin Miller's birthday, we are going to the Grand Ole Opry. We will be back at Green Turtle Bay by 8/23 and everyone is expecting Labor Day weekend guests. Then on 9/7, we will leave Kentucky and head back to the Tennessee River and cruise to Knoxville. We will then end up at Joe Wheeler State Park (Tenn. River) by 10/15 for a three day Great Loop Society Rendezvous. After that, we will head to the Keys.



That's the best thing about being retired....we can make changes, just cruise and explore. We will send updates and pictures along the way.



Jess & Cindy

WE MADE IT

GREEN TURTLE BAY MARINA -- GRAND RIVERS, KENTUCKY

July 15, 2007, we arrived to our home base for the next 3 months! What a wonderful trip. This area is so beautiful...we just can't believe we are here.

We met alot of neat folks along the way. We met one couple from Rockport and they have seen My Cin and Whichaway before at Key Allegro Marina in Rockport. Many times when we pull into a marina and folks see the Texas Flag, they will come over and let us know that they are from Texas. One guy shouted from the shore, I'M FROM DALLAS!

Jess and I finally figured out how to download pictures to the blog. Here are a few from the trip. The one with me on the back of the boat was taken in Lake Charles as well as the one with the crawfish. Two pictures are in the 84ft lift lock. That's my pole that I bent in the Demopolis Lock when we tried to wrap up in a thunderstorm. When we were at Midway Marina in Tupelo, MS., I had my picture taken with Billy Bob Thorton (the dockmaster looked just like him - which he has been told that many many times). The last one is one of the many beautiful sights we have seen. Now that I know how to do this.....I will be sending more pictures and updates. We have full service for phone and internet so we are set to go. Take care and more news later.

Columbus, MS

Arrived in Columbus on July 4th. Very very nice Marina. When we left Mobile, we had no internet service and very little cell phone service until now. We are leaving today and will travel about 45 miles to Smithville, MS. We should arrive in Kentucky anywhere from July 15th to July 20th (depending on Lock delays and how many days we stay at marina's).

The locks have been interesting. There are a total of 12 locks along the Tenn-Tom Waterway and we have mastered 5 so far. Two of them were very challenging. The average rise in the lock is 25ft to 40 ft. Lock number 12 is a 84ft rise (shoud be fun). When we arrived to the Demopolis Lock, we were greeted with a very bad thunderstorm. We had a very hard time trying to tie up to the bollard due to strong winds in the lock. It was pouring down rain, thundering and winds whipping us around. We finally made it and when they closed the lock doors, it was like the "the doors to hell" have just been closed.

We have met some pretty nice folks along the way. We met a couple in Mobile and they are cruising to Kentucky (same marina where we are going to stay). So it has been fun having them join our group.

Happy Birthday to Jacob Thomas Still, one year old today, July 6th and to Lainy Lynn Still, 3 years old July 7th. Love to my babies!!!!

We are having fun but boy do I miss all my grandbabies.

We are ready to shove off so I will update again hopefully in a couple of days (providing if we have service).

Jess & Cindy

UPDATE

Hey all you readers this is Mandy. My Cin asked me to let everyone know that they are doing well. They are in an area that does not have good reception or service. They plan on updating the blog in a few days, so until then I wanted to let yall know everything is OK. They are currently in some marina somewhere in Alabama.
Love, Mandy

Mobile, Alabama

Dog River Marina: Happy Father's Day! We arrived at the marina around 11:00am today. After all lines were secured, electrical hooked up we settled in. Before we left Corpus, Jess bought us two boat bikes (they fold up and store very easily on the boat). Well, today...I starting hosing down the boat and Jess had put the bike on the dock. Now picture this all slow motion.....I am moving the hose, hose hits the bike...bike starts to fall....I'm screaming....Chuck runs over and is grabbing for the bike....Jess is inside the boat....hears me scream...runs out...bike goes down. I felt sick to my stomach. Jess and Chuck tried to find it with long poles....too deep. Jess went to the marina store and came back with a grapler. It worked and the bike was retrieved. Big lesson learned.

We will be here for 10+ days. Chuck has generator and port engine problems. This will be a good time for us to restock, run necessary errands and take care of boat chores.

The trip has been incredible and it's only the beginning. Very beautiful country from the water view. We will update again when we head up the Tenn-Tom Waterway (to Kentucky).

Love to all

Jess & Cindy
My Cin

Morgan City, Louisiana

This has been the first chance I have been able to give everyone an update. We have anchored in places that we did not have any service for internet and sometimes cell phone. As we travel on this leg of our journey, it is only two boats...My Cin and Whichaway (Chuck and Fabin Miller). All is well, really great weather, very hot and encountered only two thunderstorms. We truly know that we are really retired and enjoying it. We ask each other "What Day Is It." Jess and I are getting the anchoring down....he works the anchor and I control the gear shifts from the Flybridge. We have a third boat (Failte) that is about 3 weeks ahead of us. They are currently in Mobile and leave tomorrow cruising the Tenn Tom Waterway to Kentucky. We will arrive in Kentucky around July 15th and will be there until first of October. Then we will head back to Gulf Coast and plan to be in the Florida Keys for the month of November, the Bahamas Dec - Feb, East coast in the Spring, Great Lakes in the Summer and head back down to Gulf in the Fall.

Love to all...thank you for your notes, we love seeing your comments.

Louisiana port at last

Finally we are here and ate 50 pounds of crawfish. I am learning this new system and I am from the old school....where you used white out and changed the ribbon.
I will get better and send more news as I learn. Love to you all.