Home of Meow Mix

Goal to New Orleans: 1865 miles
Paddled since last blog: 119 miles
Total paddled: 539 miles
To go: 1326 miles

Current location: In Florence, Alabama

Granola bars consumed since last blog: 14

Total: 66

Fun Size Snickers: 4 more bars

Total: 31

Days of paddling: 23

We've made it to Florence, Alabama to Grandma's house again. Since we blogged last, we paddled across the biggest lake in Alabama, Lake Guntersville and interacted with some authentic Alabama homies. It started with some young people who proclaimed "Y'all ain't got no fishin poes!" Then an angler who stated "Y'all ar brayver than me." At lunch, an older gentleman heading out onto the water said, "Y'all er more of a man than Iyem!" Another old man talked to us out of his idling Chevy pickup while we were  having lunch. In the course of 20 minutes, he hit on a number of topics including, but not limited to; alligators, big cats, bears, pickles, diapers, and 56 years of marriage to a woman who still cooks for him. Yesterday at the Wheeler LocknDam, while waiting for barge traffic for two hours, we listened in on radio conversation between the lock master and barge driver.

         Lock Master: Once this upriver barge gets through, we need y'all to tie up 'cause we've got two kayaks locking down and we don't want them to meet chu and I'll just hold them in there 'til yer secured.

         Barge Captain: I'm sorry, did you say kayaks?
         Lock Master: Yes sir I did.

         Barge Captain: (through not so muffled laughter) Okay

Apparently, not that many people kayak here this time of year and on such a long trip..... We don't understand why because after our first experience of "wintery mix" (or, as Kara likes to say, snain), we still think this trip is a good idea.

Highlights:
-Lots of birds
-Two locks in one day
-Strong winds!
-Nautical band radio jargon
-Current

-Decatur Alabama: Home of Meow Mix

-Lots of barges