It was now the end of October and we had given up wishing for an Indian Summer. We planned to leave the boat at the marina for over two weeks so we were assigned to the resident dock which was a short walk to where the other boats were tied up. That night I reluctantly put on a pair of jeans and we boarded the golf cart shuttle bound for the Thirsty Turtle at the other end of the property. The drinks flowed and the heat lamps were fired up as a group of us enjoyed dinner reminiscing about the last few long days on the rivers.
Green Turtle was a resort located in western Kentucky and a renowned Looper gathering spot. The resort overlooked Lake Barkley and had many amenities, including a spa, which added to the appeal. We had a few days to enjoy the surroundings before we had to be in a Nashville to catch our flights, so we made the most of them.
The next day we caught up with Renee and Pierre and heard stories of their travels since we parted in Chicago which now seemed like a lifetime ago. We were greeted by Poilu, who welcomed us aboard and let Duane pet him before he scampered off. Laughing over drinks, we also met a few Loopers they had been traveling with the last few weeks. Gallus and Adagio were scheduled to leave in two days, so we made plans to have dinner on Pete and Teresa’s boat with Dave and Denise the following night as a sort of “until we meet again” celebration. Pete was a Doctor of Poultry Science and served up the most delicious wings we have ever tasted. He gave me some pointers but I still have not mastered the recipe. Between laundry duty, packing and taking the courtesy car to Walmart, we went over to say Goodbye to Greg and Pam on Salty Dog as they were going home to visit with family and may have moved on by the time we returned. On the walk back, we bumped into Geoff and Ruth who had just arrived on Geru. They had some tales to tell since we last physically saw them in Alton. It strangely felt like we were all leaving on a break from college as we wished everyone well and vowed to keep in touch. A lot could transpire in the two weeks we would be gone.
The last to arrive before we left were Jim and Wendy on My Everything. It was so great to see them since our solemn parting back when the port engine was still in pieces. Group 1.5 was well on their way toward Mobile at this point and we gave up hopes of seeing them until possibly Florida. Jim ended up renting a golf cart and we all went to town to see the Christmas light spectacular and have dinner. Duane was very excited to see his buddy Pumpkin, their sweet cat who reminded him of his kitty, Val, who passed away before we left.
We had been torn between renting a car or taking an Uber two hours to Nashville the next day to enjoy a night out before our separate trips when we saw Harold and Deb from Columba who were heading that way with Zyg in the morning and they offered us a ride. Our sailboat friends saved the day! Zyg was only a few days away from crossing his wake and was going home for a visit before he brought his sailboat, Domino, to its original and final destination.
Nashville was a treat. We walked the streets past one bar after the other playing live music before settling on Whiskey Row and then parking ourselves on the rooftop of Kid Rocks Honky Tonk. Before dropping us off at the airport hotel, Zyg gave us all a tour of Opryland which was a marvel to see.
That night I took a nice hot shower not worrying about time or water consumption and tried not to sway too much on solid ground. Don’t get me wrong, being lulled to bed by the slapping of the waves on the hull can be soothing, but after 83 days on the water, we were immensely looking forward to being stationary for a few days.
In the morning we hurried to get ourselves together and board the shuttle to the airport. I was off to Texas to visit family and Duane was off to a job in Maine. Realizing we were headed to different terminals, it hit us that after being together in such a small space for almost three months, we would not be squeezing passed each other to grab a glass or use the bathroom for the next ten days. I know he was secretly elated at this prospect as he could now leave his socks hanging from the hotel light fixtures if he so desired.
I hadn’t seen my brother, Jim, or Linda and Nicholas and little Lily in a year and a half so I was very excited to arrive and spend the next week with them. It was great to catch up and spend some quality time in their beautiful home. Linda and I were able to squeeze some shopping in as well as pamper ourselves with pedicures and massages. The boys caught up with us for dinners and Nicholas introduced me to my first experience as a character in a virtual reality game. It was a great time even though I could not quite get a handle on my super powers. The Escape the Room challenge was more my speed. All in all it was a terrific week and I was sad to go, but hoped I would see them somewhere along our travels soon. Before I hightailed it back to Bella Donna, I was able to spend a quick weekend in Nashville with my old friend, Tara, who flew in from New York. For two days we hit all the hot spots and enjoy great music, food and conversation.
It was now Nov 11th and I was headed back to Grand Rivers, KY. As I grabbed an Uber, I was now feeling anxious to make sure our home was safe and secure. The skies were grey and dreary as the chill descended upon us. I was elated to see Bella Donna and realized how much I missed the comfort of her surroundings as I unpacked and reluctantly plugged in the heaters for the first time. That night was terribly cold and, to my shock, it snowed two inches overnight. I woke up to an unexpected winter wonderland and to the sounds of boaters hammering away at dock lines to free themselves from the cleats. A wave of emotions flowed over me as Duane was not expected to be back for two more days, and I was now stuck on the boat as the dock was a complete sheet of ice and the beer stored under the dinette was as cold as the beer in the refrigerator. I could not resist sending a picture of the bright blue mountains on the Coors Light can to Duane to emphasize my plight as I gathered all the available blankets and hunkered down with the three small heaters pointed directly at me. It was a very long and frigid 48 hours before I spotted Duane making his way down the icy dock to the boat. Before he even had a chance to step into the cabin, I informed him not to get comfortable as there was no time to waste as we needed to get ready to depart our present tundra as soon as possible. Winter had made an early appearance and I wasn’t waiting around for her to settle in.
