Tornadoes, unruly geese and Paducah, KY.

We are still at Green Turtle Bay.  The good news is our props are back from the shop.  The bad news is that due to a tornado watch, the yard will not haul our boat till tomorrow to put them on.  I appreciate the caution, and the delay will only cost us an extra day.  More Loopers arrived today, and the place is full of us.  The ones arriving today had to dock in 20 knot winds, so it was all hands on deck to help.

We took a side trip to Paducah, KY and had a great day there.  There is a small Civil War museum in town with a great curator.  General Grant made his comeback here and was then promoted to head of the Union Army.  Also, General Polk, the  former Episcopal Bishop for Louisiana, saw action here.  The Fighting Bishop, as he was called, was a West Point graduate and contemporary of Jefferson Davis.  I must say, I learned something new again.  (I am now reading Leonidas Polk, Louisiana’s Fighting Bishop by Cheryl White).   It has been delightful learning so much American History on this trip.  We also toured the River Museum and learned the strategic history of Paducah at the confluence of the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri Rivers, something General Grant recognized immediately upon taking command here.  The River Museum also had a simulator where I could drive a tow or Coast Guard Cutter down the Ohio.  I took command of the cutter, and promptly backed into a bridge.  Another Looper took the tow and inadvertently ran over a pleasure boat.  Oh well…..

Hopefully the tornado watch will end and we will have props again tomorrow and be on our way! 

These guys have been at every marina.  They demand food, and then party all night, very noisily.  We call them the macarena geese, as they seem to be line dancing all night long...

Green Turtle Bay has these gazebos at each dock where we have docktails with other Loopers.  

GTB is a very nice inland marina.  

This is the high water flood mark in downtown Paducah.  

The city is known for murals such as this one painted on the flood walls.  

The flood wall.  

Early Paducah 

General Grant was a man of few words.  He treated the town fairly, but those who tried to help the Confederacy were severely punished.  

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