It warmed up to 50F by noon…that might not sound like ideal boating weather but the forecast still says that it won’t be getting better any time soon. We head for the ramp, winter coats and all. My crawdad lure still has some luck left in it. I catch 3 more bass and a nice size crappie. Kent graciously took them all off the hook for me….I did hold them for photo ops!

Seven eagles at once. The clear blue sky, light breeze, and bright brilliant sun must have made for ideal soaring conditions. These are magnificent creatures.

The lake is choppy but winds are forecast to calm so we launch the boat to try our luck fishing again. Lake temperature is 59F making the breeze coming across feel pretty cool but the sun is warm and we find some out of the wind bays and get to fishing. First it is float fishing with nightcrawlers. Nothing! We try a different bay and casting among snags. Still nothing. Eagles are out and about again today but this fishing part is really not a lot of fun. Ok, lets try trolling…it can’t be any less successful. I end the day having caught (and released) two bass. I am good with that. It is Lynn 3 Kent 0. It is supposed to get chilly then rainy…it would be very unusual if we actually leave here with me having caught more fish than Kent. We shall see.

The wind finally calms enough to get out on Rayburn Lake. It is cool but sunny so we give it a try. There are eagles, egrets and loons to entertain us. Good thing, because the fishing is no good at all. I caught one little pan fish.

Feet up in the bright Texas sun, our shoreline view is beautiful. We have set up camp but will wait to launch the boat until after Thanksgiving in Houston with Brian and Johnna.

Sunset 1st Night

Sunrise 1st Morning

We have been here four days and I just figured out that is what the local weather guys are saying. ‘Cause we are in the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi tri-state area. Dah.
It is rainy and chilly with a thick fog here in camp along the river but we head into Natchez hoping weather will improve as the day goes on. The city is perched high on bluffs above the Mississippi with what should be a great view…maybe a little later if the fog clears? We tour the William Johnson House managed by the Natchez National Historic Park then go for a southern BBQ lunch at the Pig Out Inn. Not bad. After lunch, the weather has improved a bit and we stroll through historic downtown to check out lots of great old architecture. There are some beautiful bed and breakfast if you are into that sort of thing. Ok, lets try the Riverwalk. It is still gloomy but the view is much improved. We even head into the “under the hill” section of old Natchez. As you might guess, it is the area at the foot of the flood wall, at the base of the bluff, on the lower riverbank. As you also might guess, it was the red light district and home of all activities unwholesome in those booming river traffic years. It is pretty gentrified now-a-days with a few fun sounding clubs, restaurants and accommodations. It is quiet now but might well be jumping on a warm summer night.
Chilly and a bit damp we head home. It is a chance to enjoy a few more miles of the peaceful Natchez Trace parkway.

Not for our next trip through : the Frogmore Cotton Plantation. They aren’t doing tours right now.

Grand Gulf Military Monument State Park in Port Gibson, Mississippi. The river town of Grand Gulf is long gone thanks to yellow fever, a freak tornado, the ever-meandering Mississippi River and of course, the Civil war. Confederate troops dug in here and for a time managed to slow the advance of Union ships up river to Vicksburg. It was a proud end for this little southern town. The area now houses a museum, several 1860s and earlier structures and a collection of carriages and wagons. Check out this hearse. The story told here is clearly one born of confederate tenacity and southern pride.
The park is on the banks of the Mississippi and a bit out of the way but an amazingly quiet retreat where the air is filled with bird calls and deer roam through camp every day. One oddity, the nuclear power plant cooling tower just to our south. I wondered about the siren towers along all the roads and the bright red mileage markers counting up as we head away from camp in any direction. It doesn’t really bother me to be this close but it does seem a bit odd to think that when we see the steam from the tower on the horizon, we know we are almost home.