Sometimes our scenic venture runs into each other from one lock to the other or the writer gets lazy. More than likely, I would go with the writer gets lazy. lol Let me tell you this…After we locked through Howell Heflin, the river was flooded with timber floating in it from all the rain we have had the last few days.

The dams were open to let water through. There has been so much rain, it is raising the rivers. We saw one of our anchorages gain between 1 and 2 feet.  Apparently, they have to control the levels. It looked like we were in a floating lumber farm. We just put our engine in neutral and coast through the lumber blobs till we can put it back in gear. Oh…my some of the trees were really BIG ones I couldn’t believe my eyes 👀 I stood on the bow and pointed to the trees so Bryce could avoid them.

As we approached another switchback turn to our surprise was a dredging tow and all the pipe-works dredging the river in the pouring rain.  Just what we needed with all the lumber floating. They had their anchor barge anchored between the red buoy and green. I suggested the we pass on the east-side of the barge. It’s the little barge in the pic below.  Yey.. for me it was the right one. We still had a ways to go.

The dredging of the river. The depth registered 17 feet

These tubes look like pipe-works that our children use to play with.

We are looking for anchorage but nothing to be found.  Don’t believe that for a second! No doubt, Bryce will find something. He never lets me down.

Oh…My the view just turned white like mountains of snow. Still on the bow, I pointed to Bryce..Look isn’t that a pretty view? He nodded yes, it is gray clay I think.lol

I just love the reflections of the river and the deep gray cliffs

You can still see the floating mess. lol

The widening of the river brought great possibility for a night anchorage for us. We nosed in a few areas but nothing was deep enough. We went on and found the perfect place. Although it wasn’t an ox-bow, it was a bank side anchorage protected by two points…Perfect!! We fit in like a hand in a glove. As we sat in the cockpit having coffee, we were passed by a Tow & barge. We could hear the captain talking to another tow on the VHF. We have a pleasure craft anchored near a bank at mile marker 245. They are well out of the channel.. they look good. The river was wide enough for us and two barges side-by-side.

Bryce put-out his new Danforth anchor aft to hold us straight along the bank. I felt safe and watching the tow & barges is neat.  We were anchored about 40 feet from shore in 12 feet.  We prefer to be protected by buoys.. but this area of the river has few buoys.

Have a great day everyone.