A disappointing day turns good

It started out as a disappointing day. Adam and I drove an hour to get to Point Pleasant for the Tribute to the River festival, which usually features open houses on two towboats, and there were no boats. We were told that AmherstMadison might have the Charleston and the J.S. Lewis there tomorrow, but there would be none today. Megabummer. Adam was somewhere between disappointed and heartbroken. He looks forward to this day all year.

We went over the Point Pleasant River Museum so Adam could play on the pilot simulator for a while. A retired AEP captain whose name I can't remember -- he used to run the M/V R.L. Carter Jr. -- said AEP got way behind hauling coal during the weeks and weeks of high water this past spring and still hasn't caught up, so it probably didn't have any boats to spare for an open house this year. Adam and I talked about it later and figured that may be one reason we haven't seen many AEP boats idled at Lakin this year.

After that, we piddled around here and there for a little while. We went back to the festival and paid $15 for a one-hour excursion boat ride, which turned out pretty good when we got a good up close look at the M/V D.A. Grimm pushing one barge up the Ohio River.

Before we left, we ran into Jack Fowler, director of the Point Pleasant River Museum, and he told us something that means we absolutely have to be back there tomorrow. If it comes to pass, it will be something Adam will talk about for the ages.

I'm too tired to process a lot of photos tonight. Maybe tomorrow night or -- more likely -- I can upload a batch on Sunday. But I need my rest. Good night.