M/V Roger W Keeney

Yesterday I was sitting in my office in beautiful downtown Huntington WV (America's Best Community) when a photographer at the paper emailed me with a photo she had taken of a towboat that was Harris Riverfront Park. She had the photo but no information.

As the park entrance is only three blocks from the paper, I walked down there and saw the M/V Roger W Keeney there. As I gazed at it and got some pictures with my phone, a guy on the boat struck up a conversation with me. I introduced myself and we talked. A few minutes later another guy came out of the pilothouse and joined the conversation.

I was told the Keeney was at the park awaiting a part it needed before it could go back, pick up its tow and resume its trip. Soon Capt. Randy Chapman, manager of linehaul operations, showed up to tell the crew they would have to wait a little longer for the part to be delivered. Chapman and I sat and talked for maybe 20 minutes about the industry, the companies he's worked for, the boats he's worked on and such. We exchanged some funny river-related stories before my lunch hour ended.

As it turns out, I was glad I texted my younger son to tell him the Keeney was at the park. He had gone with me Pittsburgh in spring 2017 to attend the christening of the M/V Tommy H, a boat similar if not identical to the Keeney.

Adam arrived and got a photo of the Keeney with his phone while I was back at work. He texted to tell me another tug-and-tow combination was coming up the Ohio and I had time to walk down there to see it. Too bad I had to stay at my desk and finish my work day.

I got home and my phone would not let me download the photos I took. And it would not connect to the internet. This is a problem I've had for a few weeks. Lucky for me Adam had emailed me a photo he took of the Keeney.

So tomorrow I'll probably get a new phone I'll be a responsible citizen and recycle the old one, although it would interesting to see how far I could throw it from a bridge. But I won't do that.