Close Encounters with Wildlife

Hello All-
Snakes, armadillos, a skunk, countless deer... we can't imagine what we'd do if Hank broke free and ran down the skunk which seems to rummage around the Joe Wheeler Park lodge every night. Hank did get loose and chased an armadillo one evening, with results that were unsatisfactory to both parties.

Here is a photo of Doug & Hank on a sunny afternoon, overlooking Wheeler Lake on the Tennessee River. We had just seen a lot of deer when this was snapped, and Hank is still keeping an eye for them.

Let's play "Count The Deer." There are at least six within the frame of this photo... one second after Kathie clicked the camera, we saw that many waving white tails bounding away through the woods.

Deer are not fearful of people, but they are wary of rowdy dogs. They are difficult to see when they freeze, utterly motionless, and watch you walk by. Even Hank seems to miss them much of the time, until one of the herd will snort a warning signal and they all bolt.


A few days back when we first arrived here, we gave a mis-count on the number of Great Loop cruising boats attending this rally... there were 78 here at the Joe Wheeler State Park marina. Around 250 people attended, many arriving by cars since their boats were elsewhere. It was a lot of fun getting together with friends that we've made along the way, meeting some new folks, learning a little about the navigational challenges ahead along with the anchorages and ports waiting to welcome us.

Sincere best wishes to all-
Doug & Kathie