thanks, I eventually will setup a control surface so that I can do that more comfortably which I in general prefer to drawing in automation, I tried to hook up my Steinberg CC121 but Logic did not immediately pick it up. I may get an iPad (yes , unbelievably I don't have one) and use the new Apple Remote or one of the apps out there, so that I can do at least two channels , the CC121 only supports one channel at a time
Sure, but this isn't about control surfaces per se. You wanted to automate a channel. Anything in Logic that is "automatable", including mixer channels, plugin settings and so on, can be performed directly (in eg touch mode), done by a control surface, or drawn in automation lanes in the arrange page - as Eric mentioned, in this case you have a channel you want to automate - you just didn't know how to access an automation lane for it.
Now you do!
(There are other ways too..)