Rode our bikes again this morning. Went across the bridge so we could see what was on the other side of the canal. Went down a very pretty tree-lined road. On the way back, we were threatened by three large dogs. Roy was a little way ahead of me when I saw a dog with teeth bared charging across a yard towards him. I yelled, and Roy immediately jumped off his bike and faced the dog. The dog slowed down, but then two other dogs came dashing out, and all three kept barking their fool heads off. I expected the owners to emerge from their houses and call off the dogs, but none did. Apparently, they'd gone off and left their beasts running loose. We carefully and slowly walked our bikes past the dogs, while yelling, "Stay!" The dogs followed us a short distance and then returned to their turf, thank goodness.
By the time we got back to the boat, it was nearly noon, so we took off right away. Crossed Current Sound, which was breezy and choppy. Then we headed up North Landing River. Around two o'clock, we crossed the line from North Carolina to Virginia. Everything was going great. Then I really blew it. We were on a very twisty, turny stretch of river. Fortunately, the markers were close together. I was carefully following the markers and watching the chart. It looked as if I was supposed to go between a red and a green and then bear right, but as soon as I did so, the depth gauge started dropping alarmingly and I was unable to see another marker ahead. I immediately reduced the speed, which, of course, brought the skipper popping up from the main cabin. I told him what the problem was, and he told me to stop completely, which I did. Then he took the wheel, while I climbed the ladder to see if I could see any markers. Yep, there they were, in a different channel. By dumb luck, the water was just barely deep enough and wide enough for Roy to swing the boat around and get us back where we belonged. That was much too close for comfort. When I studied the chart some more, I saw that I had taken the boat into Blackwater Creek.
In the evening, we were approaching a bridge and a lock. There were a couple of sailboats tied to a long dock on one side of the channel. I asked a man on one of the boats if that was a public or private dock. He said it was public and it was free. That sounded like our kind of price, so we immediately tied up.
This is a really pretty place. We're right next to a thick woods. To our amazement, when we walked through the woods, we came out on a very busy highway, with all kinds of shops and restaurants. You'd have never guessed it was there from the waterway. We walked up the road a little ways and ate supper at a Kentucky Fried Chicken. They had a lot more variety than most KFC's have. Really good. Roy ate five pieces of chicken to my two, plus a slice of lemon pie. Oink oink.
After supper, we walked a little farther and found the most beautiful super market I've ever seen. Everything was spotless and attractively arranged. Not only was there a bakery, a grocery, and a pharmacy, there was a bank, a bookstore, and a video rental all in this one big store. It was amazing. We bought a few groceries and returned to the boat.
It's remarkable how cool it is here, especially at night and early morning. I'd have been more comfortable in long pants and long sleeves, instead of the shorts and sleeveless top I was wearing. Every time we went into an air-conditioned store, I nearly froze.
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