Getting back to the routine of life after an absolutely wonderful, beautiful 5 days on the banks of the St. Mary's River. How I wish I could have just stayed up there even for a few more days. But something called work beckons us home. So I am back to re-live last years trip in a valiant attempt to get this blog back up to speed.
I have been pondering the pull that grabs at my heart to a little campground called Aune Osborn. It is not an overly beautiful park, besides the river. There isn't this grand playground for the kids and although the bathrooms are very nice, they are just bathrooms. I think it is the pull to see the low rumbling machines that move quietly through the water.
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| St. Clair |
There is a name for those of us that love to watch the vessels, for those of us that love to follow their favorite freighters around the great lakes online. Those of us who think nothing of taking a 30 min drive at 11pm in hopes of watching the freighter find its way through rock cut. Those of us who call several times a day to hear what freighters are moving through the Locks and when. Those of us who keep our scanners on at all times to hear where the boats are. That name is called Boatnerd. I wear that name proudly. My children are sprouting Boatnerds, my husband is a Boatstud. For those of us that have been bitten by the Boatnerd bug, it is a lifelong illness that has no cure.
When you have been bitten by the bug, you tend to stop everything you are doing just to watch one move by. You can't help it. It's just what happens.
You also try and take pictures of every one you see. Each vessel has different characteristics. You learn them, you love them.
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| Michipicoten |
You take off at neck-breaking speeds to make it to the observation deck before the next vessel gets to the Locks.
As one ship exits...
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| American Century |
The next ship takes her place..
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| Paul R. Tregurtha |
You have your family picture taken by a stranger, but is he really a stranger... He is a Boatnerd.
The Paul R. Tregurtha is the largest vessel sailing the Great Lakes. She is 1013ft 6in. long and 105ft wide. The Poe Lock is only 110ft wide, it is amazing to watch her pull into the locks with only feet to spare on both sides.
We all smile no matter how many times we watch, no matter how many different ships we watch.
After the excitement is over, you drive back to your perch on the rivers shore and wait for the next ship and the craziness starts all over again.
Blessings!!
3 comments:
Ok - fellow boatnerd here. What kind of boatnerd are you that spells both the American Century and the Paul R. Tregurtha wrong on their blog? Sorry, couldn't resist Anyway, - did I tell you that as we speak Nicholas' favorite the Lee A Tregurtha, Paul's new favorite the Saginaw and the biggest Paul R. Tregurtha are all at the locks.....and the Edwin H Gott just went upbound under the bridge (an yes, I knew this before I saw your blog, Nicholas and I looked before he went to bed) Oh to be back there again :)
The kind of Boatnerd that was trying to type this while making dinner, serving dinner and cleaning up from dinner. My fingers were typing faster than my eyes were reading. Forgive my mistakes. They are now fixed. And just for the record, I saw the Tregurthas and Saginaw were all at the locks too. Saw my Gott and wished I was back up there for the salute that was a few hours away. :(
I'm glad we didn't need those heavy coats this year!!
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