We were heading up the ditch on the last leg of the first half of our trip. The next day we would be passing mile marker “0”. But today we were trying to make the last locking heading into the great dismal swamp.
The plan was to make the last locking then do the swamp that night so we would be waiting for the lock at the other end first thing in the morning. This is an example of the go, go, go twisted mentality that keeps us unattached and oblivious to the beauty around us. Luckily for us a fate would step in and save us from ourselves.
Arriving in time to make the last locking to enter the great dismal swamp with ten minutes to spare; we joined four other vessels that had anchored in the river and were waiting to enter the lock. The attendant opened the gates and the outgoing vessels departed the lock. Then the attendant signaled us to enter one at a time. We came to rest against the wall of the lock. Holding the boat in place with deck lines wrapped around bollards on the top of the wall we started to talk with the crew of Angel.
This was not the first time for Angel’s crew had been making this trip for over a decade. They told us of a dock on the back side of the tourist information center not far from the lock.
We departed the lock last and started up the swamp intending to run the full length that night. But as we approached the tourist information center decided that we would stop there for the night.
The next morning we got rewarded for our spontaneous decision. The air was still and the temperature in the low seventies as we castoff our lines. It was a beautiful spring morning.
The early sun light filtering thru the trees and the smell of the flowering bushes that lined the bank filled the enclosure of the bridge.
For a few hours as we slowly made our way through the great dismal swamp we took in our surrounding and enjoyed what nature has to show if you take the time to slow down and allow all your senses to take in your surroundings.
We were heading up the ditch on the last leg of the first half of our trip. The next day we would be passing mile marker “0”. But today we were trying to make the last locking heading into the great dismal swamp.
