Up a Lazy River
Ambler Isle
V and S
Fri 3 Jul 2009 14:05
A Kaleidoscope, that is what the river looks like today. The shore casts a reflection on the calm, ripple-less water making a mirror image on both sides. The river is incredibly beautiful and varied. To start, there are broad, sandy beaches. Locals ground their boats and go ashore to gather, BBQ, and to swim. Sometimes we see a big alligator sunning himself. Next come the tall, limestone cliffs. Sometimes we see kids jumping from the cliffs. Other places the dense forest meets the river, some trees sticking their feet in the water. After Aberdeen, we see outcropping of trees standing in the water, a memory of the pre-flood days. Amazingly, some continue to grow and flourish.
Birds dot the shore. We saw huge conventions of white and blue herons nesting in trees. Turkey buzzards flock together. Song birds and woodpeckers abound. The surprise was several flocks of rare white pelicans migrating north for the summer. We see deer, raccoons, and an occasional muskrat. It is like our own National Geographic show.
We stopped at several nice anchorages. When we could stop early, we BBQ'd rack of lamb, steaks, and chicken. On late stops we enjoyed leftovers or sandwiches. The total lock count is 13 til we reach the Tennessee River. Most locks were standing ready when we arrived, but since commercial traffic has the right-of-way, we waited several hours at one or two locks to let them pass. We stopped in Fulton, MS to get a few supplies and to do laundry. The only other stop was Bay Springs, MS where we anchor out to rest and swim. The lake is spring fed, and while not like the Bahamas, is very clear. The two days we were there the temperatures reached 106 degrees. So we bobbed in the water for hours. Local friends Becky and Phil have a 58' bayliner and joined us in our cove for the weekend.