We awoke to a beautiful sunrise in the Smoky Mountains, grabbed a quick breakfast at the Hampton Inn, and were back on the road. We encountered patches of dense fog at the higher elevations, but it burned off and a yielded a deep blue sky background for the fall foliage we saw at a rest stop.
Interstate 81 is one of my least favorite roads as it is only two lanes and full of truck traffic. We got stuck behind a wide load for a good half hour that tested our patience. We needed to pick Barry's brother and his wife up at the airport at 3:00. We didn't have much of a cushion. The escort finally pulled onto an exit and the entourage followed. Traffic picked back up to normal cruising speed, much higher than the posted 70mph. We managed to pull into our driveway with just enough time for me to unload and Barry to head out. From the airport, the three went to the funeral home for final details on the interment that would take place in less than 24 hours. While we were at the service, the wonderful Flower Fairy delivered a basket of sunshine. Unbeknownst to me, I had to read "When I'm Gone." I didn't think to bring my reading glasses, but just in time, a bright ray of sunshine illuminated my sheet and I got through it.
The next few days were spent cleaning out Julian's apartment, dividing up memories and arranging for the donation of furniture, medical equipment, and his car to local charities. We heard today that one of his rollators had already found a special new home and that made us smile. We thankfully also had time for several special visits with friends before our planned departure. Once again, Mother Nature had other plans for us, and produced an ice storm in the Shenandoah Valley that delayed us for another day. We both put our extra day to good use. Everything happens for a reason and everything came together perfectly.
We departed the next morning with a destination of Knoxville and my long-anticipated visit to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. As we climbed Afton Mountain we saw the lingering accumulation of ice on the trees and guardrails. It was cold and the wind was whipping, but we were making good time. A recalculation of our ETA showed that we could knock out the whole 800 miles in one day ... if we didn't stop. So, we didn't stop and continued straight through Knoxville. We crossed into Georgia and quickly came upon a backup. Waze showed that there was an accident less than a mile ahead of us. Driver comments sounded pretty bad. We were able to check the local news for the sad report while we sat parked for over three hours. We had good cell service and streamed Cars 3 while trying to pass the time.
We also came to the realization that we wouldn't make it back to the marina that evening. When we saw the "Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama" sign we started looking for a hotel and found one in Gadsden. A good night's sleep was now our primary concern. With four hours still to go and a noontime kickoff for the Alabama football game, we again left early. The Crimson Tide was well-represented on the highway, but we did see a lone Citadel fan as we passed the massive Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa County. Our trusty Hyundai Tucson arrived at Columbus Marina just in time to prepare our sweet potato casserole for the holiday luncheon. While it was in the oven, I began the daunting task of unpacking, while Barry returned the rental car.
We put over 2,213 miles on our trusty rental. The marina had fried turkeys and prepared dirty rice. Boaters brought a wide assortment of sides. We visited for most of the afternoon, returning to Crossroads as the sun was setting and the temperature was falling. A plan was put together that we would delay departure for a couple of days, get some more boat projects done, and then leave with a group of Loopers. Barry installed the new shelf in my closet, we pumped up our fenders which have deflated in the cold, and cleaned some of our running gear/lines that have turned a disgusting shade of green. Today we began replacing the hoses connecting the hot water heater to the engine. We believe these to be original 18-year-old hoses and were in desperate need of replacing. Following multiple runs to town to pick up antifreeze, a new hose, a new radiator cap, and to drop off the used antifreeze for recycling, that project is now done. While out we caught a movie, enjoyed pizza for supper, and discussed tomorrow's departure.
Columbus Marina has been a great home to us for close to three weeks now. White pelicans float by just off the docks, eagles glide overhead, and the moon rises in a sky unpolluted with light. We were able to use the courtesy car for errands and to reprovision at Walmart. I visited the ball court one more time, in between rainy days. The Christmas decorations sprang up at the park and we had fun hanging with Frosty.
We are, however, very much ready to leave. We have two locks and about 60 miles tomorrow to reach our target anchorage. We are now current. If you made it through this, congratulations. I will be back on my daily schedule starting tomorrow. Thanks for following along.
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