Day 139: Howell Heflin Lock & White Cliffs of Epes

Day 139: December 4: It was a nice morning on Gainsville Lake at our anchorage called Cooks Bend Cutoff. Still not as warm as I would like; its amazing how far south we have to go to feel warm. 

At around 8:00 a.m. the 3 Musketeers (John, Frank and David) got in the dinghy to find our jugs and hopefully our dinner. 

While we slept, a large grass pad had floated in between the boats. It looked like we had planted it overnight. 

We untied Summer Fling and Zendeavor; pulled up our bow and stern anchors and got UW at 9:00 a.m. Skies turned sunny and temps got warm enough for us to shed our coats even while driving from the flybridge. We still haven't found 80 degrees yet! We've been chasing for a long time. 

The Howell Heflin Lock, located at Mile 266.1 was only about 10 miles from our anchorage; we contacted the Lock-master while en-route; she came back with such a friendly attitude. In her lovely southern drawl, she told us to keep her coming and the lock would be ready for us. We had passed a sailboat named Just Right a few miles before the lock and alerted the lock that he was coming along and would be locking through with us as well. Shortly thereafter Just Right called the lock and offered to wait until the next locking cycle if the Lock-master preferred locking us through first; but she told him that we would wait on him which we had no problem with. 

Our travels took us from Gainsville Lake to Demopolis Lake along the Tenn-Tom Waterway. Houses on stilts, shacks, eroded banks, floating logs, deadheads and warning signs kept our attention. From one river bend to another, things change and you never know what you might see. 

We soon cruised by the White Cliffs of Epes in Epes, AL. They are part of the Selma Chalk formations which were deposited at about the same time as England's famous White Cliffs of Dover. The 80-foot cliffs towered over the river, catching the afternoon sunlight. Near the cliffs is Fort Tombecbe, built by the French in the late 1730's during skirmishes with the British and their Native American allies. It eventually became a supply post for European settlers and later gave the Tombigbee its name. 

According to archeologists, the chalk is a form of limestone; it is exposed where the river cut through and also lies underneath the land of Alabama's Black Belt. It began forming in the Cretaceous Period millions of years ago and is composed of the remains of single-celled marine organisms and lime-producing algae. The stunning cliffs are a window into what Alabama might have been like when dinosaurs roamed the region. 

Slàinte Mhath passing by the Cliffs

Our destination for the day was Rattlesnake Bend around Mile 224. We had read a post by a Looper awhile ago that recommended this area on the Tombigbee near Demopolis; not so much for the anchorage itself, but for its potential for a side trip. The tip was we would find  Jim Birds Hay Bale Art, an expanse of property owned by Archie Bird and previously by his father Jim until his death about 6 months. The word was that Archie welcomes boaters to anchor below his home, use his dock for landing the dinghy and tour his 1400 acres with one of his numerous golf carts. The highlight of visiting this spot is the hay bale art formations up on a field close to the road. Sounded intriguing so we were anxious to check it out. 

The advice was to enter the bend and continue for about 6.8 miles further in, passing landmarks identified in the post; a pavilion up on the bluff to the starboard side and a half submerged boat halfway up the bank. Being adventurous, we decided to venture slowly into the oxbow and explore. It was getting late in the day and we wanted to anchor before dark so we were hoping we were not on a wild goose chase and we would indeed find a perfect spot. We were happy to spot the landmarks, including the car jammed up onto the bank, signifying we were indeed at the right place. 

While we were busy dropping the hook, Archie rode his golf cart down the hill from his house to his small dock. He yelled to us, asking if we were the ones who had called ahead of time to make arrangements for a tour. We told him it was not us. He then suggested taking us out on his pontoon boat to watch the sunset. We could barely hear and we were busy trying to set the anchor and then get Zendeavor and Summer Fling rafted to us; we did shout that we would like that and were hoping for a tour of the property in the morning.We just weren't sure if he heard us. 

Archie drove his pontoon boat out, we clustered around the swim platform assuming he would pick us up. Suddenly he waved and headed back to his dock. We were a bit confused, wondering if we had misheard or misunderstood something. With nothing more to do, juggin became a priority as the sun set lower and lower. 

We traveled 52.7 NM in just under 7 hours, winding south!