Very early this morning TT, Lu-Lu, Uncle Bersie, and Scud Hodagg succumbed to the overwhelming desire to jump-in and headed north. No - not to Alaska but to Lake Martin. You have heard me talk in the past about sunrises. How they are Mother Nature's way of signifing a beautiful new beginning - Starting of a new day - a new adventure. Something about driving through hills, vallies, and past ponds and streams - All full of early morning mist - One just sits there in awe watching it all go by and whispering - "God, I feel honored to have seen that!"
At 7:14 am we began our first dive. One that would take us to 41 feet beneath the blue surface and last for 67 minutes. We rounded the point and followed fixed lines out the the concrete roadbed of Old Kowaliga Bridge (south end). Skimming along the bottom TT made a grand discovery. A 6 1/2 ounce Doctor Pepper bottle. First mild thermocline is at 27 feet. Refreshingly cool at 79 degrees - the thermal layer lingered just above the roadbed. Dip down to cool off come up to get warm again. Visibility was so-so at about 10 feet. The second thermocline at 41 feet felt rather cold and had all the silt trapped underneath. No good to go deeper today. Water temperature at the surface was 86 degrees. Sort of like bathtub warm - almost too warm for comfort.
The crew went out the span until we got tired and turned to come back on the other side of the structure. Nothing has changed from last year except a new layer of silt and algae. Still an awesome dive - and the price is right.
The surface interval was pleasant - listened to the singing portion of the Church in the Pines service. Everyone going to church stopped to ask the same questions -
How deep do you go?
Are you scuba diving?
How long do you stay down?
Is it dark down there?
Is it cold down there?
Do you see any fish?
I used to dive but my license expired.
I used to dive but I sold my oxygen tank.
I used to dive but I blew out my ears.
I've always wanted to try that.
You know - the normal stuff. Second dive began at 9:19 am and took us to 33 feet for 65 minutes. Church in the Pines let out about 10 and the boat traffic sounded like the Interstate on Friday afternoon. There were some amusing discoveries on this one. We just stayed on top of the roadbed and swam slowly - enjoying the view. TT picked up a broken fishing rod and started poking it at the largemouth bass fingerlings. To his surprise, instead of running away, they came up to the rod and stared at it. He tickled them on the belly and they just went in a small circle and resumed staring at the rod. In addition to great entertainment for us, this interaction solidified Uncle Bersie's theory "Fish like to look at stuff." We saw a few serious bass and one mondo catfish. I saw the tail under a timber and motioned for Lu-Lu to look, she started laughing and motioned for me to look on the other side. His enormous flat head with long whiskers stuck out. I tickled him with the fishing rod and he just rose up from the silt - looked at me with beady eyes, and slowly swam off.
As we were packing - cousin Lem Hodo came by in his old truck. He had been jug fishing on Sturdivant Creek all night and was on his way home. It takes lots of beer for Lem to fish. He wasn't driving too straight as he rolled down the window, spat a mouthful of tobacco juice and hollered. "Bersie, yall crazy!" and drove away. Lem is so crosseyed that you never know if the beer or his vision is the reason his truck weaves down the road like a shrimp boat.
End of a great trip came with a stop at Cat Creek Farm and dinner with Maw Maw Hodagg. Fried chicken, squash, green beans, tomatoes, cornbread, tea, and an apple pie. Maw-Maw can set a mean table.
Those who missed this one - well they missed a lot....
More on this as it develops.
TT Hodagg..
At 7:14 am we began our first dive. One that would take us to 41 feet beneath the blue surface and last for 67 minutes. We rounded the point and followed fixed lines out the the concrete roadbed of Old Kowaliga Bridge (south end). Skimming along the bottom TT made a grand discovery. A 6 1/2 ounce Doctor Pepper bottle. First mild thermocline is at 27 feet. Refreshingly cool at 79 degrees - the thermal layer lingered just above the roadbed. Dip down to cool off come up to get warm again. Visibility was so-so at about 10 feet. The second thermocline at 41 feet felt rather cold and had all the silt trapped underneath. No good to go deeper today. Water temperature at the surface was 86 degrees. Sort of like bathtub warm - almost too warm for comfort.
The crew went out the span until we got tired and turned to come back on the other side of the structure. Nothing has changed from last year except a new layer of silt and algae. Still an awesome dive - and the price is right.
The surface interval was pleasant - listened to the singing portion of the Church in the Pines service. Everyone going to church stopped to ask the same questions -
How deep do you go?
Are you scuba diving?
How long do you stay down?
Is it dark down there?
Is it cold down there?
Do you see any fish?
I used to dive but my license expired.
I used to dive but I sold my oxygen tank.
I used to dive but I blew out my ears.
I've always wanted to try that.
You know - the normal stuff. Second dive began at 9:19 am and took us to 33 feet for 65 minutes. Church in the Pines let out about 10 and the boat traffic sounded like the Interstate on Friday afternoon. There were some amusing discoveries on this one. We just stayed on top of the roadbed and swam slowly - enjoying the view. TT picked up a broken fishing rod and started poking it at the largemouth bass fingerlings. To his surprise, instead of running away, they came up to the rod and stared at it. He tickled them on the belly and they just went in a small circle and resumed staring at the rod. In addition to great entertainment for us, this interaction solidified Uncle Bersie's theory "Fish like to look at stuff." We saw a few serious bass and one mondo catfish. I saw the tail under a timber and motioned for Lu-Lu to look, she started laughing and motioned for me to look on the other side. His enormous flat head with long whiskers stuck out. I tickled him with the fishing rod and he just rose up from the silt - looked at me with beady eyes, and slowly swam off.
As we were packing - cousin Lem Hodo came by in his old truck. He had been jug fishing on Sturdivant Creek all night and was on his way home. It takes lots of beer for Lem to fish. He wasn't driving too straight as he rolled down the window, spat a mouthful of tobacco juice and hollered. "Bersie, yall crazy!" and drove away. Lem is so crosseyed that you never know if the beer or his vision is the reason his truck weaves down the road like a shrimp boat.
End of a great trip came with a stop at Cat Creek Farm and dinner with Maw Maw Hodagg. Fried chicken, squash, green beans, tomatoes, cornbread, tea, and an apple pie. Maw-Maw can set a mean table.
Those who missed this one - well they missed a lot....
More on this as it develops.
TT Hodagg..
Sounds like a great time, I need to try Lake Martin out some time or another.
