MEMORIES ON WATTS BAR

Last Sunday (9/28) Charlotte and Gary called and asked us to meet them at Blue Springs Marina, which is located on Watts Bar Lake, near Ten Mile, Tennessee.

They suggested we have lunch, a big burger, at the marina’s restaurant called “The Crow’s Nest”, before going for a slow cruise up the river to, and around, Thief Neck Island, which is nearer Rockwood, Tennessee.

Of course we jumped at the chance for one more cruise before colder weather comes. We’ll probably have one last fall cruise, so we can enjoy the color of fall, but this may be the last in shorts and short-sleeves!

The burgers we ordered were big 10 ounce bad boys with all the trimmings, and choice of fries or onion rings. They were delicious, and held us for the balance of the day.

Along the way we passed “Camp Buck Tom”, which evoked memories for Gary. He related a story of his first visit to the historic local summer camp for Boy Scouts.

Gary said they arrived just about sundown, and were allowed to get 1 or 2 hours sleep before being awaken by attacking Indians (counselors dressed the part)! The “Indians” tied the sleepy scouts to each other, hand to hand, and were lead off into the deeper darkness of the surrounding woods. The frightened little captives were marched until dawn, and then put to work clearing areas around the “real” camp. They were given only water and just enough cold food to keep up their energy.

Later the counselors sat everyone down and asked if there was anyone who felt like they couldn’t make it through the week and wanted to go home. Two or three boys raised their hands and were lead away. Once the others were out of sight, the remaining Scouts were rewarded with a grand breakfast of everything one could imagine!

The rest of the week there, he said, was filled with games, swimming, canoeing, good food, and other things that make up a great summer came.

If you click on the photo, you can make out this year’s tents!

We circled Thief Neck, where Judy and I used to plug the banks bass fishing, and just lounging in the sun. It was good to see the island and to rethink all the old memories.

Memories like the time I got eaten up by seed-ticks squirrel hunting, and shooting two crows with one .22 shot! There were also the Saturday and Sundays that several of us gathered our boats on the island to eat, drink, laugh, and ski! Those were good times, even the day I lost my bathing suit and had to crawl up onto my boat “naked as a jaybird”! (I have a photo of that somewhere, wearing nothin’ but a towel!)

Ah yes, I even remember “My Girl Bill”, a gay family friend, and the day “Big Ronda” mooned us from another boat! Ronda had butt…lots of butt!

We circled our memories, stopping along the way, from time-to-time, to give in to nature’s call. At one “pit stop”, we saw a persimmon tree, heavily laden, with its bright red-orange fruit (click for a larger view). Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the boat close enough for a good close-up shot.

The girls, including Neena, who decided to join us even though Ron was off camping at Indian Boundary, had another great day of cackling laughter. Gary and I enjoyed a few brews and a cigar apiece.

A side note: Terri and Steve were off with Tony (the Dragon’s brother), visiting San Francisco.

It was a wonderful day filled with memories of past days on Watts Bar.