An Afternoon on the Tennessee River...

Last weekend I had a free day to do anything I wanted. My friend I am staying with had a visit from her husband who is working out of town.  I thought they might like some privacy so off I went to take pictures. The Tennessee River is the main water supply and recreational center for Northern Alabama. On a previous visit I had driven to several cities that rest along the river.  I decided to go back and do some exploring. This is the river with a large train trestle that spans the river. There are huge plants and factories that sit along the river. One after another for miles and miles.

Like most rivers they have a tide just like the ocean.  Everything drains and finds a way to the ocean. I happened to be there during low tide.  The shore was this thick brown mud. Thank goodness I keep an extra pair of crummy shoes in my car for such adventures.  Several times I thought I was going to walk out of my shoes.

This is what the shore looked like. I was amazed there were so many shells.  All of these are fresh water shells. Mussels etc.

This is an old guy I met. He is a mussel fisherman. He did not find a lot but they were much bigger than I thought.  He complained of new regulations on catching and selling mussels that Obama had passed.  He said most of the mussel fishermen in Alabama had been put out of buisness. He was catching his dinner. One of the things I have really enjoyed this past year is all the interesting people I have met.  Everyone has a story.

After my walk on the shore I had to find some water to wash off my shoes.  I headed to the local marina in search of a hose.  There I met this sweet woman and her dog. They live on this boat.  She divorced and sold everything and decided to hang out for awhile on the boat she got in the divorce.  She said it was alot of fun. The small space does not seem so small on the river she informed me and her dog was better company than her husband.  She had real spirit!

The bridge at sunset. Note the large plant to the left of the bridge. I was so amazed at how many of these there were.  It does make for a robust economy.  One thing about Alabama is they have pulled in all sorts of different type of buisnesses.  It was a lovely day on the river.  I will share more pictures of the wildlife areas at another time. Hope you enjoyed my mini tour.