Nickajack

A big delivery. The ton truck and gooseneck trailer.  More chemicals than I should have been carrying.  With every bump, turn, and touch of the brakes, the 275 gallon tanks sloshed in unison.  The truck and trailer wiggled side to side going down the road.  More so forward and back when starting and stopping.  It felt like I was driving a slinky.

Up and over Mt. Eagle on I-24.  The radio stays on 97.3, WUUQ, Classic Country.  The signal gets stronger with each mile.     

https://www.wuuqradio.com/

I look forward to listening to country music from the 70's 80's and 90's.  Jerry Reed's, "When You're Hot You're Hot", from 1971, was playing.  97.3 FM is an honest to goodness radio station, with live on air personalities, and not a lot of commercials.  Jimbo got me over there, and Dale got me back home.  At work, when I can, I listen to 97.3 online.  It sounds great through the speakers on the office computer.                   

The day's destination:  Bryant Alabama, ten miles past the state line at South Pittsburg.  The roads there run beside the river. I took the picture, below, on the way back when I was empty.  The view is looking upstream, toward the Nickajack dam. 

When I got back I looked up some interesting facts about the Tennessee river.  From Nickajack, to Guntersville is 74 miles. The river drops 38 feet in elevation in that stretch. 








The drop rate is six inches per river mile. To compare, the Mississippi River from Memphis to New Orleans drops at less than half that, 2.5 inches per river mile.  (569 river miles, dropping 115 feet in elevation.)  

That makes for strong currents, and massive volumes of water.  
My google search tells me that the average flow of water through Nickajack dam is 42,000 cubic feet per second.  TVA has perfected the creation of usable, clean energy through the turbines deep within their Hydro-electric dams.  

Beside the river are all types of homes.  Mansions. regular houses, single wides, and camping trailers that have not been moved in years.  Everybody loves a river view.   

There is an orchard that I slowed down and took a picture of.  The trees are dark and look like a scene from a scary movie. 


The ride back was easy enough.  I stopped at South Pittsburg and got a quick bite of lunch.  The Tesla people were charging up at the station there.  Most were sitting alone in their cars, hoping no one would bother them.  A few came into Taco Bell where I was, and played on their phones.  

The last stretch back on I-24 was no problem.  Straight and smooth.  
The afternoon sun was warm on the drivers side. 

A couple of times it seemed like the truck was wiggling like it did loaded.  It reminded me of years ago.  As a kid, in the car after a long day at Point Mallard in the wave pool, it felt like you were still going up and down on your float.  Or, on a rare trip to the beach, at night, trying to go to sleep, it felt like you were still fighting the waves.    

Crosssing back over Mt. Eagle Mountain, Classic Country, 97.3 was still coming in strong.  It had been a good day.  No problems, a safe drive, and everything delivered as it needed to be.  I'm careful to not get over confident, or brag.  But like ole' Jerry says,  "When You're Hot, You're Hot." 


Link to the song...