All Kinds of Critters and Raconteurs too.

The critters started arriving on the same day. We have Capt. Jack, the moggy on the boat next door, with his servants Karen and John. He is usually on a leash, which he tolerates, but prefers to poke his nose into places he shouldn't be, of course. Talk about herding cats! aieee! He is quite the character, and we have enjoyed his company, selective though it is. He surveys the minions from a perch in the Pilot house of his servants vessel. He graciously allowed me to photograph him, after a chuck under the chin, of course.:)

Another sail boat appeared with a grey wooly dog, on board, then another vessel arrived with two cats and a dog aboard. Goodness me! The critters proved a little bit much when we had to run for cover yesterday (Monday)...more on that later.

After being almost on our own at the dock, for a couple of days, we were suddenly inundated with transients. Most of them left the next day, but four of us stayed. Cinnamon Rolls and coffee brought us all together in the dining room, each morning, and we stayed and enjoyed the company for at least and hour, each time. We also had company each evening, from Friday onwards, at dinner there. We felt that it was only right that we avail ourselves of the fine catfish dinner on the menu...although Waz had to try the grilled chicken and pronounced it worthy. They ran out of sweet potato fries the third night....did I eat them all??? shock horror! I hasten to add that I ate all the cole slaw too!

All the boats that arrived, did so ahead of bad weather. It must be Fall, because the weather is so darned changeable right now, and not in a good way.
This is the typical is typical view right now...low rain clouds!

Some were brave enough to leave, regardless of the Tornado warnings, and we wondered how far south or north they would get before having to seek shelter.

Monday dawned thus...

We had been warned on Sunday of another approaching front with high winds and severe thunderstorms. We had decided to stay at Pebble Isle Marina for the week, anyway, and have been enjoying the hospitality here  and the lovely location to boot.  The leaves on the trees are turning more as the cold weather approaches. We manage to do most things in between showers. A long walk to the Johnsonville Civil War Battle site where we had taken the car, was  good exercise and much enjoyed.

We borrowed the van again for a quick trip, on Saturday, into Waverly, specifically for another Latte. The café closed at 3pm, and we arrived at 10 after...but they let us in and order a to go latte each. Kind of them. We have been back there today, before our food shopping expeditions (Tuesday).

Well, Monday turned out to be a bit exciting...not necessarily of the good kind. Not being familiar with tornadoes, but having seen news items on TV where whole streets and towns have been flattened by them, we didn't really want to experience them up close and personal.
Randy and Tammy, the owns of the marina kept us apprised of the progress of the forecast Tornado in the area, and suggested that we put more lines out to secure our boats, and then finally, to make our way to either the tornado shelter open in town (a bit far) or to the concrete block bathroom facility at the top of the parking lot. We all opted for the latter.
As I said...critters....Jack was duly brought into the bathroom/laundry building, on his leash, and so was one of the other critters...a dog which didn't think the cat should have been there. Too many wet animals in there at one time, me thinx.

Tom is hamming it up for the camera, while Karen is laughing too hard to be useful:) Grant and Cindy watch from the rear. Waz is checking out the turbulence in the clouds!

The clouds moved very swiftly, overhead. We didn't feel threatened at all, but being in a solid building with a roof with hurricane ties sure helped there.

The tornado did touch down somewhere in Waverly, and one of the staff members told of the foliage at his double wide home being flattened. His home was ok, fortunately!

We had arranged with Randy and Tammy to cook them dinner in the restaurant kitchen, Monday night. We thought to cancel, but as nothing more happened with the weather, apart from torrential downpours, we decided to go ahead and cook. Randy had caught some beautiful salmon in August, on a Pacific Nthwest  Fishing trip, so we thawed some of that, and I made a cream sauce to poach it in, with a saute of fresh veg, on the side. I had made one of my no sugar cheesecakes for them, on sunday, and took that over earlier in the day...fortunately, coz we couldn't get back to the boat in the rain, to get it, or anything else, for that matter.

We have been retiring early, and sleeping for 8-9 hrs at night...rather unheard of...why are we so tired?? We don't feel like we are doing anything!
I guess vacuuming the inside of the boat might help, as does cleaning tall the stainless on the outside???Nice to have those two jobs done:)

The mornings encourage me to take photos of the sunrise...some are quite dramatic, with these adverse weather patterns.

That large, dark, threatening cloud didn't diminish!

The sun tried hard, but the clouds overcame very quickly. It was nice while it lasted though.

Yesterday we saw some older teenagers inspecting a couple of things on the ground in the parking lot but didn't go and find out what....until we went to use the car, later on. It was a bit disturbing to find that these two critters...one a baby turtle, the other a small snake, looked like they had been deliberately trodden on. Their injuries are the result of pressure, we figger. You can see how tiny this turtle is!

 And again, the snake has been stepped on!

Not good! They weren't around to say anything to, when we left the premises.

As for the Raconteur....Billy Joe is one of the long time Marina staff, and bakes the cinnamon Rolls in the mornings. We all turn up at 8am to get them hot from the oven. He is a sociable fellow...well, he is a self confessed Tennessee Curntry Boy! He tells a great yarn, and gets lots of laughs. He obviously likes the attention and telling the yarns:)

We will be sorry to leave, tomorrow morning...that is, if we actually do leave. Randy has invited us to stay another day...he wants me to show him how to cook the Halibut he caught on the same fishing trip as the other. Thursday is supposed to be fine, but tomorrow is going to be drizzly, we are told. Hmmmm...choices!

Most of the other boats are leaving tomorrow.  We have two days travelling to get to the Tenn/Tom where we will finally be going DOWN river, instead of against the river flow. That should help with the fuel consumption. Speaking of that...Waz has been trying to figger out the best prices on the rest of the trip to the Gulf of Mexico, and where we will stop for a top up. I am none the wiser, I have to admit!
Well, I am supposed to be in the land of nod. I did got to bed, but got up again with an active brain, and realized I hadn't posted this blog, so here it is! Can I go back to bed now? IT is very cold...and supposed to get no more than high 50;s tomorrow...oh joy! get the gloves out!!'Ciao for now..