Leaving the Mississippi, up the Ohio

We loved the anchorage at Little River Diversion—docktails with Fugitive—locals came by with their families.  We took off early in the morning and around 1pm we rounded the bend leaving the muddy Mississippi and finding the prettier water of the Ohio.  We got to Olmstead Lock around 3pm and waited with Valentine and Fugitive to start the lock through process—Olmstead, then Lock 53, then (if we are lucky) Lock 52.  Everybody we talked to had a different ways to get through so we just showed up at Olmstead and trusted them to run us through all 3.  This was not to be…we came out of Lock 53 at 6:30pm –just enough time to get to Bean Branch Creek to anchor—we will have to tackle Lock 52 in the morning.  Locks are NOT fun anymore.  We did see eagles—most of them perched on sandbars sunning themselves and go by Metropolis, Illinois—birthplace of one of my favorite student workers—Mike McCoy and Superman?!?  5pm we exited Lock 52 on the Mississippi—we had traveled 15 miles and waited 6 hours but we are finally weeding our way through the Barge/Tow interstate they call the Lower Ohio to anchor in Cuba Towhead. Tomorrow we will be on the Cumberland River and Green Turtle Bay—our stomping ground. 

We loved this--the family (for fun) goes out and catches the Asian Carp
 by letting them jump into the boat and the little girls throw them back in

Olmstead Lock (under construction) lines up the tows/barges and the pleasure craft
 for going through the 3 locks --Olmstead, 53, 52 took us 2 days to go the 25 miles 

After Lock 53 we had to anchor across from the concrete plant after dark-not fun

Ft. Massac outside Metropolis, Il--we anchored and dug in for the wait for Lock 52

Our buddies Fugitive from Penetang, Canada were great running friends

Barge/Tow Interstate--the day we came to Lock 52 there were 21 tows with multiple barges there to lock
 through as well--they worked us in but some of the barges were going to have to wait for 3-4 days 

Of course, through all this we cracked an injector cable and it is a blessing
Fitz can fix it

Paducah, Ky 

Swimming squirrel --who knew