To Elizabeth City

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Thu 24 Nov 2011 23:37
To Elizabeth City
 
 
 
 
 
Beez Neez in the autumnal colours of the Dismal Swamp, kindly taken by Old Shoe
 
Time to move on now the weather has improved and once again the sun has put his hat on. Not a long journey ahead of us, just fourteen miles. The happy convoy of Ptarmigan, Old Shoe and Beez slipped off the Visitor Centre dock at ten o'clock, through the open footbridge and on down the Dismal Swamp.
 
 
 
Beez Neez rounding a bend, taking one of Bear's gentle meandering curves to stay in the channel
 
 
Ptarmigan and Old Shoe trotting along nicely
 
 
 
 
Moseying along, through the bridge on request and on into the lower lock
 
 
 
Lock Master Al and Miss Lucy welcomed us in, although unlike U-turn who came over for a hug; Lucy just wanted to sniff about
 
 
 
 
 
The lock gates swung shut behind us, we settled for the rise and looked at the sign - 1067 miles to Miami - a little way to go then
 
 
Twenty minutes later we bade farewell to Al and Lucy; leaving the lock behind
 
 
 
Now out of the swamp the scenery became what we associate with ICW travel, even a potential for the 'One Careful Owner'
 
 
A rather handsome tree I thought
 
 
As a nippy night fell, I hunkered down wearing my towel turban under my hoodie and kept warm with the computer charger under the bedclothes.
 
We passed through the 'bridge on request' and almost immediately pulled into the free Elizabeth City Town Dock at twenty to three. On the radio the bridge master asked me to give him a ring. I did and he asked if we needed anything as he had a few supplies he could let us have as emergency cover or we could walk over and borrow his truck to go off to the supermarket. We thanked him for his kindness, telling him we were 'jus fine'. I tried to connect to the internet, four bar signal but no band width. Even farther behind on emails and blogs; I now realise I will probably have to get to Beaufort before I can get stuck in. Oh Well. The local landlady has invited us all for a free turkey supper fest but as I had made cottage pie en route, Bear said he would prefer that, well OK but a little concerning that Bear should turn down fodder - and turkey at that............................................ 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL
 
 
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