Thursday-Friday May 19-20: Snaking Through North Georgia

      We left Brunswick Landing Marina close to noon, after spending time in the laundry room, buying some fresh meat at the local grocery, and paying a little visit to Art and Pam on Tinacious.  It was squally with thunderstorms.  It’s warm and a little rain wouldn’t bother us, but the giant green biting flies were more than we could handle.  We closed up the hatches and spent the day in the pilot house.  Those flies had descended on us as soon as we crossed from Florida into Georgia, and they are some obnoxious.  It was a losing battle with the flyswatter on the way to Brunswick Landing, and we didn’t even attempt a mass murder when we departed.  We sat in the pilot house and watched the flies buzz all around the windshield.  I know flies have a purpose on this Earth - especially in a swampy area filled with birds and fish who will prey on them - but a few hundred less of them would be alright with me.  

     We ended up spending two days in the pilot house, winding our way through the swamps of coastal Georgia.  The air was muggy and still with occasional lightning, thunder, and rain: a front was taking its time moving through.  Dan kept watch over the auto pilot, I ducked outside for the occasional picture.  

Spanish moss hanging over Ft. Fredericka's Oglethorpe Barracks.  (Revolutionary War Historic Site.)

     I also decided to try out my stove top oven - basically a bundt pan with a lid that sits in its own stover burner ring - that we’ve carried all this time but have never used.  I made brownies.  They turned out great, especially if you like a lot of brownie edges.  

Brownies from my stove top oven.

     Wednesday we anchored at Mile 653 in the South River, where there was just enough sun during an evening shower for a rainbow.  Thursday night we anchored near Mile 599 in the Odingsell River, just behind Wassaw Island, near the Ossabaw Sound.  Dan had talked me into making another overnight passage tomorrow.  I confess it didn’t take much talking.  I was ready to do anything to get away from those flies.

Muted rainbow over the Georgia marsh.