Well, we arrived in Beaumont on Sunday night. Let me tell you, rainman was absolutely
driven to reunite with his wife as soon as possible. It made for some long and exhausting days, and my nightly Trawler Forum updates suffered. It was all worth it when we finally backed into their slip and I saw her standing there waiting for him. Those last few minutes seemed to draw out, and it seemed that both of them were ready to swim the last few feet. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a happy couple.
The long days did nothing to dull my enthusiasm though. I was having a ball. Each day I awoke refreshed and eager to hear that big Detroit rumble to life. We alternated between anchorages and marinas, so I learned a little more at the end of each day. rainman showed me how he handled the everyday tasks, big and small, of running a boat.
We spent far more time talking to tugs on the radio than I expected. The recent threads about commercial traffic versus recreational traffic are interesting to read because we found the tug captains to be helpful, courteous, and appreciative of our willingness to accomodate their need for greater maneuvering room. I think I actually picked up a new language in the two days spent among the commercial traffic west of the Mississippi. I'm still working on my Cajun accent though.
I'm struggling a bit to upload photos, so it looks like I'll need a new post for each one. I'll try to improve upon that next time!
My first lock experience. I doubled up the line for a minute so I could let go to take a photo. I was waiting for the lockmaster to yell at me.
We were nearly close enough to hear the welcoming party cracking our beers.
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