Oct. 21, 2010. Took my Mom for a ride down the Alabama River

On Thursday, a week after my Mom's 83rd birthday, she and I trailered the KnotSoFast down to the Montgomery Marina on the Alabama River. After breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we arrived and launched the boat at 9:00 am. The weather was fantastic - cool enough that we kept the windows and back door shut for the first couple hours as we motored at a blazing 6.2 mph down the river.

 Just a few miles down river, we saw military planes from the Air Force base pass overhead as we puttered past the site of Wilbur and Orville Wright's flight school, which was the first commercial flight school in the nation. We passed Cooter's Pond and then Catoma Creek, both of which have Corps of Engineers campgrounds and boat ramps.We watched fish jump and ospreys circle above us on the way to Pintlala Creek where we anchored out and had lunch. An osprey serenaded us with continuous high-pitches screeches the whole time we were eating, but he was just out of sight behind the trees that lined the creek bank, and we never saw him. I'm not sure what he was so upset about - maybe we were anchored in his favorite fishing hole!

On the return trip, Mom took a nap while I tried to get some good video clips of some of the grey herons and white egrets that seemed to line the riverbank at every creek, slough an nook. Our speed going back upriver was just about the same as it was in the morning -  between 6.0 and 6.2 mph. As slow as that sounds, its amazing how often I find myself slowing down from even that pace to look at a bird or stream or creek that I hadn't noticed before. I guess you're really getting old when 6 mph is too fast for you! :)  I'd love to do some cruising on the Alabama by canoe, but I'm not sure my back would hold up to it.

We stopped at the Montgomery City Dock where Mom stretched her legs by taking a walk while I packed up everything and got the boat ready to trailer back home.

This morning I got an email from a 2nd cousin who lives in Montgomery. She was excited that she had spotted the KnotSoFast as we passed through Prattville on the way home. My little tug always gets lots of attention, and I have to admit that I love it when little kids yell at their parents to look at it as we go by. I think it's shape and colors are the same as the pictures of boats in so many children's books, that they immediately identify with it.

Even though it seemed much too short, this was a good trip, and I think Mom enjoyed it. I always get a kick out of being on the water, and it was a special day for me get to share something I love with my Mom.