Thanks Catty for the welcome home. It is SO nice to be back home, especially this time!

Ewwwww! I don't know if you want to hear about THAT trip or not!!!This was the most eventful trip I have ever had out there in all my years out there. I'll try to keep it brief and not a book length story...

1st morning back... Engine room alarm goes off (not unusual at all)... EVERYBODY on the boat runs to the engine room. (Very odd)
I go about my business in the galley and I smell smoke, look up and the boat is fast filling up with smoke.. OK! Now I am scared! I run to my room. get my life vest, grab a few things and wait for the general alarm... It never rang..PHEW! A oil line broke, squirting hot oil all over the hot engines, making a HUDGE mess and a lot of smoke.

Just days before Christmas, our big main refrigerator goes ka put! Line up a refrigeration man in the next town to come fix it, get there and he is a no show!

They sent us below New Orleans and due to delay after delay after delay, we were down there forever.. Traffic delays, tug delays and fog delays. We are all but out of groceries before we got back up to Baton Rouge. I sent in my grocery order for Vicksburg, 36 house away by boat and we are on our way..

Christmas eve I just have gone to bed when the general alarm goes off, warning of a collision... the Captain is on watch and in my 7 years with this man, he has NEVER rang the general alarm, he is to good a steersman to ever get in any trouble like this so I KNOW it is bad when HE rings that alarm... I carefully get out of bed, get my shoes and life jacket on and head out to make sure everyone off watch is up.

To make a long story short, WE GOT HIT! Another boat hit the head of our tow, busting half of it a loose. That other boat (and his tow that he didn't loose) skidded down our tow, damanging barges and busting the rigging that held it together. One lone barge of his floated right on downriver, grain flowing out of it as it went. SO, Christmas eve and Christmas day, my poor guys were out on tow all night and day, trying to hold everything together until help could arrive to help us. I got to give it to my Captain, he immediately shoved it all into the bank to keep us from loosing anything and I give it to the entire crew for being out there for 36+ hours on this major hoilday, working their butts off without the first complaint! THEN, we get under way and make it to Vicksburg where "they" are waiting for us! We got invaded by lawyers, the coast Guard and claims people. I fed so many people that day that I lost count.

Not to end the trip without something else, our darn ice machine went out so when we got off, it was still out..

I told my Captain on the way home I have been out there about 12 years now and NEVER have I experienced anything like this and all of it in ONE trip! Needless to say, this was one of the times I was so GLAD to see home!!! We were all tired and ready to get off of there!