Mai Thai Wanderings: life

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A day in the life of a liveaboard, part 10

It's been hot. We've had a heat wave since last week. Some mornings were nice and cool. Two days ago we awoke to 75 degrees F. I seized the opportunity to do some kayaking before it got hot. The high was going to be 95. As I was heading out, I spied a humungous log so long and thick it could do some serious damage to a boat.

Like a Good Samaritan, I moved it to the river's edge to get it out of harm's way. It took some muscling with the paddles, but I was able to get it to the riverbank and wedge it by the rocks, so it wouldn't break loose so easily.

I looked up to see a flock of Canadian geese on the side of the road making a cacophony of noises.

I paddled over to the other side of the dock to get a better look.

This is the graveyard of the marina. In 2011 a tornado had come through and tore the roof off of the same dock. Two winters ago, a Hatteras yacht caught fire and sunk. It's sad to see the remains left lying around and nothing being done about it. And that's the view when you drive into Hales Bar Marina & Resort, affectionately known as the Dam Marina. You can read more about the fire here.

G-Dock

The remains of the Hatteras

This Hatteras was a good looking yacht that sat at the end of our dock for years. The owner busted an engine while bringing her up from Florida, and it's been abandoned since. Neighbors had complained about the smell of mold and mildew, so management moved her over to G-Dock by the road.

Looking at the Hatteras from the blackberry patch, circa 2010.

Sometimes I see coots and ducks hanging out here. Not this morning.

coot and duck find a safe haven on neglected G-Dock

Beautiful sky and scenery

A trimaran sits at an old friend's slip

Reflection of the sky on the water

On the way back to my boat, I stopped to check on the blackberries. They've been cut back so there aren't many berries for picking.

Decent size blackberries are almost ripe to pick!

That's my exercise for the day. I'll be staying inside for the rest of the day.

Stay cool, y'all, and Happy Fourth of July!

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday and GMa's Photo.

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A day in the life of a liveaboard, part 3	Beat the Summer Heat with Refreshing Mojitos!	Tornado ripped up dock at Hales Bar Marina

Mai Thai Wandering's Favorite Photos of 2023

On this New Year's Eve, we take a look back at some favorite images that we took and/or posted in the blog this year.

Last summer's road trip, from Tennessee to Montreal with stops in Ottawa (Canada), New York City, Cape Cod (Massachusetts), and Ogunquit (Maine), was the inspiration for several blog posts. We took countless photos, culled lots and posted a select few in the blog. These are our 2023 favorites.

In Ottawa, the fascinating Rideau Canal mesmerized us for hours (24 hours in Ottawa, Canada).

This photo is quintessential Cape Cod scenery on a hot summer day, posted in Falling for New England: Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

It was fun watching the wooden Perkins Cove Drawbridge in action at Ogunquit (Falling for New England: York and Ogunquit, Maine)

We jostled with tourists to take this picture of Brooklyn Bridge, posted in A walk down memory lane in New York City

In May, we visited Louisville, Kentucky for the first time. The gigantic baseball bat, at 120 feet long, awaits baseball fans at the Slugger Museum.

In June, our guest blogger discovered hiking in the Canadian Rockies, and took some amazing photos of Spray Lake atop Little Lougheed.

We never tire of the beautiful view of the Tennessee River at Lake Nickajack. This particular day, we anchored out with some friends and enjoyed Korean BBQ ribs aboard.

We love exploring our adopted city of Chattanooga. With a new inflatable kayak, we are able to go further to explore other areas of the Tennessee River. Two favorite images were posted in Falling for the South: Chattanooga, TN.

Tennessee River Gorge at Raccoon Mountain

Market St Bridge in Chattanooga

A friend did a guest post of the incredible foliage in her new hometown of Eau Claire (Fall foliage in Eau Claire, WI).

December found us in Portugal, where we savored lots of delicious egg custard tarts (Foods of Portugal)

We close 2023 with an image of Mai Thai, anchored at St Augustine, Florida one winter. The city was listed as one of The South's Best Places to Retire.

Mai Thai anchored off Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Despite the ups and downs and the challenges of 2023, we are thankful for all the beauty in this world. We wish you a peaceful, healthy and happy new year!

This post is shared on Image-in-ing and Elizabeth's blog Altered Book Lover and Skywatch Friday.

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Thought of the day:Giving thanks and feeling grateful	Port of Call: Chattanooga, Tennessee	Where did the time go?

A day in the life of a liveaboard, part 8

Every time I wander into my little garden on the river, the fish stare up at me wondering where is their food? I go get some bread to feed them. All of a sudden, a coot appears before me. Hmm ...Where was it hiding, and how does it know I was feeding the fish?

I have to admit that I never cared for the coots. They are the harbingers of winter. When flocks of coots arrive in the fall. they bring with them the cold weather. These noisy waterbirds hang out in large groups; they kick through water making such a sound it's impossible to miss them. Some coots have made their home here all year round. In the last several years, some even have babies. The way the parents protect and care for them is admirable. I have gained new respect and fondness for them. Unfortunately, there are no baby coots this year. No baby ducks either, although we see a pair of mallard ducks wandering around. The video of the coots and their babies is from last year's.

duck and reflection of the sky

The Canadian geese, on the other hand, have expanded their population. They are aggressive when threaten, and very protective of their young and their turf. Their babies grow fast!

A log was trapped near our boat, so I moved it to an area by my little garden so I can spy on the turtles. These reptiles like to bask in the sun. They are very skittish. As soon as they sense your presence, they'll jump into the river.

Pretty sunset a few nights ago

This is one of the reasons why we like the liveaboard lifestyle so much. Do you have a variety of wildlife in your neck of the woods?

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday, My Corner of the World, Image-in-ing and Random-osity.

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Mallard duck eggs hatching	A day in the life of a liveaboard, part 3	Best nature park in Florida - the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida

Step into Spring

What a difference a day makes!

Spring has finally sprung! I am so glad I got to see the blossoming cherry trees along Broad Street in downtown Chattanooga yesterday.

Cherry trees in the median of Broad Street leading to the aquarium

It was a perfect spring day; the 80 degrees F temperature actually felt 20 degrees cooler due to the high winds blowing across East Tennessee. Not that we mind, but the 25 mph-wind was rocking the boat all day long! Weather like this always reminds me of the tornadoes that hit the marina eleven years ago. The severe weather did spawn tornadoes in neighboring states. We're lucky and grateful nothing major developed here. Ahhh, such is life in the south.

This morning I got up an hour before sunrise, hoping to see the planets Mars, Venus and Saturn cluster together. And this was what I saw.

Dark clouds so heavy you couldn't see a thing! It was disappointing, for sure. At least it didn't rain, and the sun came out in the afternoon. The wind has died down somewhat; sunny days are ahead.

And how was your day?

This post is shared on My Corner of the World and Skywatch Friday.

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First Day of Spring!	Port of Call: Chattanooga, Tennessee	Tornado ripped up dock at Hales Bar Marina

Sweet Summer: Yard Sale, Hiking, Sunflower and Okras!

The longest yard sale is back on this year! Always fun to look, even happier to find treasures at a steal! Don't you agree?

On the hiking front, we were shocked to see the falls at Foster Falls almost dry. The heat wave last week must have done it. We had hiked Foster Falls over the July 4 weekend, and not only were the waterfalls quite full, the place was packed!

Now you see it

Now you don't

This amazing sunflower captivated our attention the last several days. We're thrilled to see it transform from a mere seed to a plant over 5 feet tall.