PLEASE REFER TO SUNDAY'S BLOG FOR PHOTOS OF GREEN TURTLE BAY -- our additional blog space has arrived!!

Good morning -- we are cruising on Kentucky Lake/Tennessee River right now -- and there are whitecaps, believe it or not!  This blurb came across our email this morning and we're glad we locked through the Chain of Rocks Lock on September 9, thank you, Jesus:

Locks 27, Upper Mississippi River Mile 185.5
1. All navigation interests are advised that both the Main and Auxiliary Lock Chambers at Locks 27 in Granite City, IL will be closed until further notice effective at 1600 today. Last night the downstream protection cell developed a breech in the interlocking sheet piles and began to spill the rock fill into the approach area of the 1200-foot main lock. While the spilled rock remains an obstruction to the approach to the main lock, our engineers have determined that the cell is not stable enough for tows to touch or even for wave action caused by any water craft. Crews are in the process now of removing the remaining rock from the cell. We hope to have a better estimate of closure duration by morning.
2. All navigation interests should be alert for, and abide by, any special instructions that may be issued by the Lockmaster during this closure.
FOR THE DISTRICT ENGINEER:
//S//
Andrew C. Schimpf, P.E.
Rivers Project Manager

We arrived at Paris Landing State Park in Buchanan, Tennessee in the early afternoon.  What a beautiful state park.  The facility is immaculately clean, the dock rent is 70 cents a foot, including water and electricity -- unheard of!  There is a clean-as-a-pin office and store with some snack items, beer and soda, tee-shirts, etc. and showers and a laundromat.  I did another load of wash.  We played ball with Striper and settled her down a bit. She gets a little buggy when it rains and is kept inside the boat too much.


We were given literature about the park which included the events at a huge park meeting facility. Tonight was "Crazy Chicken Night."  Brandon, one of the Park Rangers provided our transportation to and from.  The place was packed -- "everyone comes to Crazy Chicken Night" we were told -- and they apparently do.  It was a buffet that had chicken prepared all different ways, a big salad bar and a dessert bar.  We talked to a couple who had just moved to Tennessee, after enduring several hurricanes in Louisiana and Mississippi.  We had a great time with them. When we talked about kids, they said they have two, ages 28 and 30 and I said "Ours or 38 and 44" and the husband said "They sound like pistols!"  What a great line!  "Well," I said, "they are!"    So the foodfest continues..I've already warned the Captain...tomorrow it is parsley and water.

The waiting room for Crazy Chicken Night

Everything was delicious

White caps on Kentucky Lake/Tennessee River

Water level stick at Paris Landing State Park

Say Good-Bye at beautiful Paris Landing

Paris Landing State Park Marina

Paris Landing Marina Office

A man and his dawg

Run, Striper, run!!!