Thursday, June 23, 2016

Batteaux and Banjo

The 2016 James River Batteau Festival came through Scottsville on Wednesday.  Batteaux are shallow, flat bottomed boats, propelled by current and poles, that were used to move good on the James River until the advent of the railroads. They start in Lynchburg and float the James River down to a point near Richmond in the course of a week, stopping each night to camp on the river bank.  It's interesting to see them and we actually know someone who built a batteau and makes the annual trip. There are assorted hangers on who accompany the batteaux in canoes or kayaks as well.  It sounds like a lot of fun.


We walked along the river bank, saw the boats, and Clay talked to a lot of people he knew and then we went on to James River Brewery for a couple beers.  Maya came along, of course.  Clay got a shout-out from Tara Mills who was playing guitar, which prompted an ovation from many of the patrons in the beer garden who were happy to see Clay back at JRB, now on the consuming side of the bar.  I guess I haven't written about this but Clay took a new job a few weeks ago with Wood Ridge Farm Brewery over in Nelson County.  It's a new brewery, not yet open, but it was an exciting opportunity.  I'll have plenty of occasions to write more about that in the future, but the folks who knew him from James River Brewery miss him there and were glad to see him again last night.
 















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