Well, we were back at the dealership by 9:30, we let the people in service know we were waiting.  About 9:45 a person comes back.  She wants to know if we are carrying.  No, no guns on us…..do we need one?  Well, turns out they got the coil in but now something else is wrong, they have the part ordered and it will be here by 10:00.  Ten?  That is only 15 minutes away, no sweat.  No she says, not today…..tomorrow!  Crap, double Crap!  I don’t think I can sit around here all day again listening to politics and peoples family history. We decide not to wait and head back to the boat.  The dealership agrees to keep the van there until we can pick it up.  So we jump in the rental and head head back to Columbus and the boat.

So we are back at the boat for a while and guess what?  The toilet broke again!  That same set screw.  I guess I better start using more fiber or something :(.  Hopefully Gary can fix it without taking the whole dang thing out again.  Well, that will be a project for another day.

While we were at Columbus Marina, we met another couple on the dock. They too were living aboard their boat.  They are originally from Montana.  They have been at Columbus for quite a while so they took us under their wing and showed us a few places to eat.  While meeting all these new people, I have come to the conclusion that not many meals are made on these traveling boats.  Luckily for Gary, and the budget, I am enjoying cooking so he is getting by cheaper than some other guys traveling with their wives :).  Anyway, one of the places they took us to was called Profits Porch.  I don’t think we’d ever find it again as it was way off some back road and of course it was dark when we went there but it was a great place to eat.  Great Cajun food.

Didn’t have any of that but doesn’t that makes your mouth water!

Well, we were finally able to leave on January 8^th from Columbus.  It was pretty dang cold in the morning, we even had frost on the windows

Frosty window

And look at that ice on the shore!

Ice on the shore 🙂

Man, now that’s cold! ;).

This leg of the journey we’ll be traveling with a new boat called Jack and Water

Jack and Water

They are out of Chicago and heading south too.  Again, they travel faster than us so we have to pick it up a bit to get thru the next two locks with them.  Once we are thru the final lock, we slow down and they continue on their way.

I think hunting season is still in full force here as we see a lot of boats pulled onto the shores any many people dressed in camo, like these two

Hunters, you should of seen them from the front!

We made good time with the current so we got to our first anchorage by 2:00, and guess what?  There are PALM PLANTS here!

Palm Plants

OMG, we are getting closer!  We are sooooo excited!

You can see by this picture of the tug behind us that we are not too far off the channel

Tow Boat in the channel

Of course at night, with no power, we have to run the generator and find ways to amuse ourselves.  I’ve suckered Gary in to playing a few card games we have learned along the way.  Even the cat likes to get in on the action.

Smokie, playing cards

So after beating Gary in a few games, it is off to beddy by and we’ll hope the anchor holds 🙂