Down the Tombigbee

         This river is exceptionally winding.  One minute we’re heading south, the next minute we’ve switched to northwest, another bend and we’re heading east.  No engineer has come along to cut canals across the oxbows yet.  As the crow flies, we’ve been a hundred miles or less from Mobile Bay, but as the river takes us, we’ve been over three hundred miles.  Good thing it’s been very pretty!  We’ll pass some industrial plants or barge loading docks, and the occasional home, but for the most part it’s been moss-draped hardwoods and softwoods. 

        We’re keeping an eye out for alligators but haven’t seen any yet.  Perhaps the weather has been too cold.  It’s been getting into the 60s during the day, but it’s cold enough at night that we’re treated to sea smoke in the morning. 

We had a very quiet Thanksgiving, with the traditional fixings except the food came out of cans.  Turkey and potatoes with gravy, and butternut squash.  In Grafton we had found a sourdough bread mix - just add a can of beer! - and Dan made that to accompany the meal.  The bread was very tasty, and baking it warmed the cabin.  We spoke with both our sons and were treated to watching our grandson Leo crawl.  He’s growing right up!  He turned eight months on Thanksgiving day.  

Yesterday, (Sat Nov 26) we turned a bend in the river to encounter s/v Bullimundu, from Chicago, hard aground. Darius and his father had been stuck on a bar in the middle of the channel for about three hours, diverting the tow-and-barge traffic around them as they tried everything they could think of to get free.  We offered to help, and managed to get them off the bar.  This the fourth time Dan put his tug skipper’s hat on during our Great Loop adventure.  Bullimundu was very grateful, and followed us to our anchorage.  Their boat draws seven feet, and they have become well acquainted with the ground as they’ve made their way south.  Darius said he’s looking forward to getting to Florida (his destination) and staying put for awhile. 

Tomorrow we will enter Mobile Bay.  Looking forward to getting back into salt water!