Dippin' Our Toes In The Water

Day 141  | Clifton to Diamond Island  |  5.3 Hours  |  31 Miles 

There was a pleasant peacefulness this morning at Clifton Marina. The water around the transient dock was still and mirror-like and I enjoyed the reflections while I was on chamois patrol. A tiny turtle climbed from the water and onto a piece of floating debris to bask in the morning light. As I worked my way around the deck, I came face to face with a little frog that was just sitting on our caprail. I'd like to think that he had been munching on spiders. Barry returned him to the dock. We were almost through our departure sequence when I spotted him once again trying to stow away with us. Thinking that was probably not in his best interest, I removed him from the top of our midship fender and placed him as gently as possible back on the dock, before releasing our final dockline to set us on our way.

We are still in the Tennessee River, but the topography is changing. Limestone walls still rose from the water's edge to start the day. The one below is notable for its large eroded cave. Within an hour, the banks had turned to soil and small beaches provided room for wildlife. A single cow had strayed from a larger herd up on the hill. A pair of bald eagles watched us pass.

This section of river is highly developed and it is interesting to see the varying methods of construction and how different builders tackle the issue of rising water. The castle on the left is new construction, built on a rock face. The second photo shows a structure comprised of stacked shipping containers. Photo three has a basic house elevated on block base. The private marine railway from the garage is a nice extra. One thing for sure is that construction is booming. This riverbank section was being graded in preparation for the delivery of reinforcing riprap.

We pulled off behind Diamond Island around 2:00 and anchored in a quiet channel. A two-knot current has kept us pointing straight and steady. Our swim platform was the perfect spot to spend a few minutes of this Indian Summer day where the temperature again reached the upper 80s. We both took the opportunity to dip our feet into the Tennessee River and laughed at Barry's "sock" tan lines.

We will be in a marina the next two evenings as a front passes through and drops our daily highs by about 20 degrees. Today was probably our last opportunity for a while to enjoy and relax on the swim platform. The entertainment for the evening was provided by a crop duster that made several passes back and forth just above and beyond the trees lining the shore. At the base of the same trees, a male cardinal came down to check out his reflection in the water. This is the first cardinal I've seen since our trip up the Hudson River.

We have a one-hour sprint to Pickwick Lock to start our day tomorrow. We're hoping to get in position for a rather quick passage. Wait times here have recently been upward of four hours so its best to be in line early in the morning.