Still at Joe Wheeler State Park

The weather continues to hover around 75 to 80 degrees every day and we just cannot get enough of this wonderful State Park. Jim and I golfed with our friends Greg and Barbara from Goncruzin. Barb and I maxed at 9 holes and the guys played 18. The topography is beautiful and fun for golfing, biking or anything else.

Other loopers are arriving and we are seeing friends we have not seen for some time. The Rendezvous starts tonight so our schedule should be hectic. AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruisers Association has a website that sends an email daily. Members post topics and we receive an email daily. We can also go to the website and research a topic that has been discussed earlier. Extremely helpful.

For the Rendezvous, topics include various geographic areas of the loop. One topic is the Bahamas, another Mobile Bay to Tarpon Springs - the Big Bend and all around the loop. You can bet our notebooks and pencils are ready to take lots of notes. About 80 boats are expected and others have arrived who are staying at the lodge. Some are thinking of doing the loop - others are planning the loop and the rest of us are ON the loop!

Last night one of the loopers supplied fresh shrimp for a party. There were about 70 people and the rest of us brought a dish. Great food and great fun.

The boys are becoming well known. They are known as the "brothers with different mothers". People have said to us when they arrive, they don't recognize us right away, but they recognize the boys! Buddy and BooBoo are getting lots of pets and neck scratches. Boo hangs out on the boat with his orange life vest. His favorite sitting spot is on the front of the boat on the hatch. If someone calls him to the rail, he complies and gets a nice pet. Buddy is a sunworshipper, but is happy to meet anyone at the rail for a scratch.

Jim is enjoying the time he now has to relax and read magazines. Our mail is routed to a mail service who collects the mail and sends it when we know where we will be (and when). Not so easy much of the time, but now that we are at Wheelers, we have been able to collect our mail on two occasions. Lots of magazines to read!

We expect to be here until about November 1st, then we are off to the confluence of the Tennessee River and Tenn-Tom. This confluence is where the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee meet.