|
Weekend
Report Sunday ..... 31 December 2006 ....
|
|
HAPPY
NEW YEARS
From
RiverBills.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
 Happy
New Year From RiverBills.com....... Thought the above picture
was appropriate for today. Celebrate, enjoy and most of all be safe
See ya all next year.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was neat looking sunset taken of the
deck at Sharky's Restaurant a few weeks ago . I thought it was very
appropriate for closing out the year. Its looking up Dardenne Slough towards
the power-lines. Neat
colors and an ominous looking sky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ..........was a picture of the sun
setting on 2004 .
|
|
|
|
Tonight....
New Years Eve At Sharky's Cove
$ 15.00 cover charge per person
Includes:
.....Appetizer Buffet & More from 7-9
.....Live Music by "Sitting Ducks" 9-1
.....Champagne at Midnight
.....Cash Bar
Click
here for Sharkys Cove website
|
|
|
|
Weekend
Report Saturday.... 30 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day....... is a pic from
last Summer. Boats all rafted up in Mason Chute for an afternoon of
Summer fun. That's hills above Grafton in the distance.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was a a shot of a gorgeous
sunset that Dave Kelly, who hails out of Woodland marina, took while crossing
the Gulf of Mexico after traveling down the Mississippi River on one of his boat
delivery trips in mid December.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ..........was of the of the Grafton Ferry
heading across the Illinois River.
The sun was just about ready to disappear for the day when this picture was taken creating an orange glow in the sky that sort of outlines the trees on the
island in the background.
|
|
|
|
Tomorrow
Night ..
New Years Eve At Sharky's Cove........
$ 15.00 cover charge per person
Includes:
.....Appetizer Buffet & More from 7-9
.....Live Music by "Sitting Ducks" 9-1
.....Champagne at Midnight
.....Cash Bar
Click
here for Sharkys Cove website
|
|
|
|
Friday.....29
December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day....... is a picture of
the bluffs along the Great River Road on the Illinois side of the Mississippi
River between Grafton and Alton, IL.
I bet they have a great view from that house on the top of the bluffs. (right
hand side.)
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was a a shot of a gorgeous
sunset that Dave Kelly, who hails out of Woodland marina, took while crossing
the Gulf of Mexico after traveling down the Mississippi River on one of his boat
delivery trips in mid December.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ..........was of the of the
Grafton Ferry
heading across the Illinois River.
The sun was just about ready to disappear for the day when this picture was taken creating an orange glow in the sky that sort of outlines the trees on the
island in the background.
|
|
|
|
Tonight
.....Cindra's Birthday Party at
Sharky's
Big Five Oh ! Birthday Party For Cindra At
Sharky's Cove
Cindra is the manager at Sharky's..... you all know her !
Stop by and help her celebrate
Everyone is welcome
DJ and finger foods
Dec 29th......Starts at 7:00 PM
|
|
|
|
Sunday
Night....... New Years Eve At Sharky's Cove
$ 15.00 cover charge per person
Includes:
.....Appetizer Buffet & More from 7-9
.....Live Music by "Sitting Ducks" 9-1
.....Champagne at Midnight
.....Cash Bar
Click
here for Sharkys Cove website
|
|
|
|
New
Years Day.... Winter Water Ski
Fundraiser
------
To all Wake boarders ,water-skiers, friends, is it getting to COLD for you ??????
WATER-SKIING
ON NEW YEARS DAY on the Mississippi in
front of the ARCH in St Louis
If you would like to help, ski, attend, raise $$ or any thing please send me your e-mail and
I will forward you the necessary info and set some plans for reaching our Goal
!!!
Send an e-mail to Hotttdog@aol.com
Click
here for more information
REMEMBER
BE A CHAMPION !!
Kevin Day
LAKESHORE SKI CO.
|
|
|
|
Thursday.....28
December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture and e-mail of the Day....... Is
from Sean Koepke. He sent us a couple of pictures of a tow and the
Golden Eagle Ferry that he took a few weeks ago.
Hey,
I'm Sean, I took this picture from the weekend of the 16th of December. We were coming home from our river home above Winfield Dam on the Mississippi River and seen a barge passing in front of the Golden EagleFerry and took a quick picture, it was taken while waiting in line for the ferry.
The next picture is taken off the ferry facing down river as the barge keeps on moving
Keep up the work, I love this website.
-Sean
RiverBill
says....Thanks for the pictures Sean. Keep them coming
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------
What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was a
fantastic sunset taken Monday evening from the deck of the Grafton Ferry,....
taken by Captain Carl Seidler, who hails out of Grafton Harbor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ..........was of the Golden Eagle Ferry that was taken on a bright cold day
last year. The ferry is heading towards the Missouri side of the Mississippi River to unload some vehicles from Illinois.
|
|
|
|
River
Fest 2006 ---- Mike Vitale, who
hails out of the Duck Club in the cruiser IN_XS, has created a slide show he
named "River Fest 2006" for us......featuring pictures submitted by
many of Mike and Tammy's river friends. This time of year it's good to
look at pictures from last Summer ...And.....What a good year it was !
The collection of pictures is quite entertaining and it's set to music.....so
log on, sit back and enjoy !
Click
here to watch River Fest 2006........(Adults
Only)
|
|
|
|
Wednesday.....27
December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture and e-mail of the Day....... Is
from Greg Sadowski, who hails out of Woodland marina. Greg moves a lot of
boats all over the United States by piloting them up and down the Mississippi,
Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee Rivers, Inter-costal Waterways, up and down the
eastern seaboard, across the Great lakes, the gulf of Mexico and
more. He has been all over the place in the short time I have know
him !
This trip he is moving a ship from Japan to New Zealand. When they
stopped in Guam, he sent us a Christmas e-mail:
Hello all and Season's Greetings from Guam, staying here a few days.
ere's a picture of the boat attached. This place is beautiful!
We have come 1,370 nautical miles from Japan, average speed 10 kts. Destination "New Zealand" is still approximate 3,800 nautical miles to go.
Greg, Sid, Malcolm, Catherine, Murry, Rod, Lewis, Callum
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was sent
in by Captain Dave Kelly, who hails outt of Woodland Marina. Its a mature
eagle on the ice on the river. What a good picture !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ..........was was sent in by Brad and it's
a pic of some of the bluffs along the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.
The picture was taken in late October of the year.
|
|
|
|
ITCS
Memo ...... Illinois River Update ---- ITCS Memo
dated 26 December with more info on the flood water coming down the Illinois
River.
Click
here
to read the ITCS Memo #2456
|
|
|
|
An
e-mail from Joe Cona.....This one got lost in my in-box. I have
had it since the snow storm back in early December.
It's an e-mail and website link from Joe Cona. He used to boat the
Mississippi River, but he is now sailing in Floridian.
Joe
wrote:
Hi -
A friend just sent me a link to your site regarding the snow storm damage.
Great site, I didn't even know you existed.
I kept my boat Carpe Diem, a C&C Landfall 43 sailboat, in Harbor Point
Yacht Club (www.harbor-point.org) for 13 years. I was elected to the Board
of Directors of Harbor Point for two years, serving as Commodore in 2002.
A couple years ago, I moved the boat to FL, and embarked on a slow
six-month tour of the Florida Keys. I thought you might want to include a link
to my website and it's detailed cruising log at www.cona.net
Joe Cona
905 North Harbor City Blvd
Unit 303
Melbourne, FL 32935
RiverBill
says...Thanks for the e-mail Joe !
I added a link to your website at the bottom of the left hand column of this
web page. Stay in touch and keep us updated on your travels.
|
|
|
|
Pere Marquette Bald Eagle Days: ----
Tuesday and Wednesday at
Pere Marquette State Park,
Grafton, IL .......8:30 AM
Learn to tell between mature and inmature bald eagles, what they eat, why they
winter in this area and much more.
Reservations are required. Includes a short video and an observational drive
for some eagle watching.
For
more information
Go
to .........http://www.greatriverroad.com/Pere/eventswinterpere.htm
Call 618-786-3323.
|
|
|
|
Tuesday.....26
December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day....... is a pic from
the Winfield RiverCam yesterday morning....Christmas. It may be
Christmas, but the river keeps on flowing and the tow operators keep on
pushing that cargo up-river.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was sent
in by Jim Vineyard of the Duck Club. Jim took this one of an eagle
in a tree last winter up-river from the Duck Club's clubhouse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ..........was named
.....
Oooh Oooh Oooh Lookin Out My Back Door ------
1st.. A
bit of history on the picture... Mike D was talking to me on the phone. He stops in the middle of a sentence and says "OH MY GOD ~~~~ I got to go !" Later he called back and told us what happened. A towboat pulled right up in front of his house. He said it was very close to the house and
parallel to his seawall. After that it backed out into the river channel turning until it was 90 degrees to the riverbank. Then it pulled up on the rock bank
right outside of Mike's backdoor.
Wow - What a picture ! It was between Mikes house and the pavilion at the entrance to the harbor at Two Branch Marina. A couple of guys got out and loaded boxes from a waiting pickup truck on to the towboat. Then the towboat backed out away from the bank and
headed back up-river.
All in a day of living next to the River.
|
|
|
|
ITCS
Memo ......Update On Flood Water Coming Down The Illinois River ---- Update
ITCS Memo with some info on river levels, forecasts and crest levels.
Click
here
to read the ITCS Memo #2455
|
|
|
|
Progress
Report ~~ Dutch & the Scoundrel......
Dutch
updated his website on December 21 with more pictures from his trip from St.
Louis to the Bahamas where he plans to spend the Winter.
Then
around the loop and back to St. Louis. Keep your anchor right here for updates and pictures as he sends them in or
click on his website link,
TheScoundrel.com ,
in the left hand
column of this web page to check for travel updates.
|
|
|
|
The
Quagga Mussel.....Larry Demko of
Fastrac Media, who
hails out of the Duck Club, sent us a link to an article from the on-line
Cleveland.com Newspaper about another species of invader mussel that is
currently in the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.
Click
here to read the news article in Cleveland.com
Click
here for more information on the Quagga Mussel
Click
here for information on where they are at in our waterways
|
|
|
|
Pere Marquette Bald Eagle Days: ----
Tuesday and Wednesday at
Pere Marquette State Park,
Grafton, IL .......8:30 AM
Learn to tell between mature and inmature bald eagles, what they eat, why they
winter in this area and much more.
Reservations are required. Includes a short video and an observational drive
for some eagle watching.
For
more information
Go
to .........http://www.greatriverroad.com/Pere/eventswinterpere.htm
Call 618-786-3323.
|
|
|
|
Christmas
Monday.......25 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day....... is great shot of
the sun setting over the Illinois River near Grafton, IL.
|
|
|
|
Pere Marquette Bald Eagle Days: ----
This Tuesday and Wednesday at
Pere Marquette State Park,
Grafton, IL .......8:30 AM
Learn to tell between mature and inmature bald eagles, what they eat, why they
winter in this area and much more.
Reservations are required. Includes a short video and an observational drive
for some eagle watching.
For
more information
Go
to .........http://www.greatriverroad.com/Pere/eventswinterpere.htm
Call 618-786-3323.
|
|
|
|
ITCS
Memo ......High Water On The Illinois River ---- Safety
advisory issued due to high water levels on the Illinois River.
Click
here
to read the ITCS Memo #2454
|
|
The
Weekend Report.......Fri, Sat, Sun......22, 23, 24 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day.....(Sunday)... Is
named
T'was the night before
Christmas
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day.....(Saturday)... is of
a "Lost Red River Buoy"..... floating up against the rocks across
the river from Alton, IL. That "Winter Blue" water of
the Mississippi River really seems to offset the red color of the buoy in this
shot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day.....(Friday)... is a shot of a
flock of Doves Gulls feeding / fishing......diving into the river for their
dinner........ at dusk last Sunday evening.
Riverbill
says....Thanks for all the e-mails..... and one a phone call about these birds
being Gulls and not Doves.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
Sunday
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was named
The Night Before
Christmas
........
I used it again this Christmas !
Saturday
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was of an eagle on an ice flow in the Illinois River, taken
by Charles Wickenhauser who is the Manager of Grafton Harbor. Charlie
named it
Grafton
Harbor's very first transient guest.
The
"Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was of the Loading Dock in Grafton, IL. located at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers with the bluffs along the Great River Road in the background. This picture was taken
near the end of the day and you can see the reflection of the glowing winter sunset in the windows of the building.
Friday
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was a
great shot of an eagle taken by Captain Glenn Sadowski, who hails out of
Woodland Marina.
Glenn
wrote:
Hey
There Bill,
This
is a photo that Maribeth and I snapped out here today.(Sat 12-17) ....
We
had to break a little ice to get out of the marina.
We
cruised around the islands and saw approx. 35 Eagles.
Thanks,
Cap't
Glenn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The
"Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was a great October River Sunset
sent in by Brad. The next picture was taken a bit later as the sun dips below
the tree line and the sky seems to come alive with hues of yellow and red
.
|
|
|
|
Info
On Boat That Burned Near Hoppie's Marina.......
Jim Svoboda sent us an e-mail with information about the
boat that burnt near Hoppie's Marina on the Mississippi River, just south
of St. Louis last weekend..
Jim
wrote:
Bill,
FYI, the burnt boat is the 40 foot Carver that was stolen from the Duck
Club sometime last week.
- the water patrol is involved. Looks like it may have been
taken early Wednesday - they asked our Harbor Master, Harry Steele, if
anyone noticed someone on the dock, which no one apparently did. I
would think the water patrol would have an incident report in the near
future. Happy Holidays!
Jim
RiverBill
says....Thanks for the information Jim.
|
|
|
|
Two missing Amish
Boys ...... Lure of the Mississippi River & Reading About Huck Finn ........ There
was a news story on 5ksdk.com about the two Amish boys that were missing
earlier this week in the Bowling Green area of Missouri.
It was all about reading some of Mark Twain's novels and the lure of the
Mississippi River.
Click here to read the story in 5ksdk.com
|
|
|
|
Thursday.....21
December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Pictures of the Day...... are some shots
of the burnt out hull from last weekend's boat fire on the Mississippi River
just south of St. Louis near Hoppie's Marina.
Adams
Kilbum wrote in his e-mail to Robert Cope:
Robert,
Bill (Aanstad) went back over and the boat does appear to be a 40 footer as he
did pace it off. These eight additional photos should help identify.
Note there is nothing left of the transom for name.
Kilburn
Pictures
by Bill Aanstad, e-mails by Robert Cope and Adams Kilbum
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was of
the work that was going on at the Grafton Harbor last year at this time.
Charles
Wickenhauser, the Manager of
the harbor, wrote in his e-mail;
Here's
a couple of pictures of our progress if you wish to post them. They show the
levee that forms the leading edge of the marina starting to appear out of
the water. It will raise 22 ft. out of the water when completed. That puts it
at 441 ft. above sea level. ('93 flood stage).
The
second picture is of the
matting and rip wrap being applied to the excavated bank of the marina to
prevent erosion. It's starting to look more like a Marina every day. I'll keep
you posted as we proceed. Thanks for helping keep the boaters informed.
Regards,
Charles
Wickenhauser
Manager
Grafton Harbor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was a shot of River Santa
riding outside the wheelhouse on the Brussels Ferry as they ferried cars and
trucks across the Illinois River. It "tis" the season to see Santa
everywhere.
|
|
|
|
Winter
Is Here ...... Today is the Winter Solstice. It is the
shortest day of the year and the sun is at its lowest point in the
sky. Fall is behind us and it is now Winter.........
A
splash of good news too...
Tomorrow.....
the number of day light hours start getting longer
For
more info Click
Here.
|
|
Wednesday.....20 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
River
Picture of the Day...... is a shot of some of the
inflatable pontoon barriers that have been put across the entrances
to the harbors up and down the river. The barriers are meant too keep
the gasoline and motor oil that is seeping from the engines of the sunken
boats in the harbors from entering the river.
Click
here for more info on mechanical containment and recovery.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was of
ski
boats lining up for the start of a barefoot race on Cuivre River Slough last
year.
Picture sent
in by Dri-Port
Marine.
|
|
|
|
Update….Wood
River Drainage
and Levee District........ There
was a news article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch about the repairs
needed on the levees in the Wood River Drainage and Levee
District.
The district's levees protect Alton, East Alton, Hartford, Roxana, South
Roxana and Wood River from flood water of the Mississippi River or its
tributaries.
Click here to read the story in STLtoday.com
|
|
|
|
Tuesday.....19 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK
ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Boat
Fire...... Robert Cope
forwarded the above pictures to me from Bill Anstead.
The
following is from the string of e-mails:
The
boat was burning on the IL side of the Mississippi River near Hoppies Marina
this past weekend. The pics were taken by Bill Aanstad. He and another guy were flying in their
ultra lights, and Bill landed to assist. He got the close-up pics, but they never saw anyone on or near the boat.
RiverBill
says...Thanks for the pictures Bill...
And thanks to Robert Cope for forwarding us the e-mail
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was a shot of the Grafton Ferry
taken by
Robert Slow Ride Cope. He caught the ferry heading across an icy river in
a beautiful Winter setting
|
|
|
|
Boat
Theft........
Received an e-mail from Russell Halloway about a boat theft at
the Duck Club !
Russell
wrote;
Just
wondering if anyone heard about the 40’ carver that was stolen out of the
duck club last week ? It was only docked a few slips away from my
boat, the name of the boat was JUST DO IT. If anyone saw or
has any information that might help find the thief, they might want to contact
the marine patrol, these kind of people we don’t need around our playground.
Russel Holloway
RiverBill
says...Thanks for the info Russell.
Please contact the authorities if you seen
anything.
|
|
|
|
Alton Riverfront Amphitheater Update........
There was a news article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch with an update
on Alton's proposed Riverfront Amphitheater.
Click here to read the story in STLtoday.com
|
|
|
|
Missouri
State Water Patrol News Release.....Ice
Safety------ The
Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release encouraging ice safety.
Take a moment to read it and please take
heed.
Click
here to read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07060193
|
|
|
|
New
Years Day.... Winter Water Ski
Fundraiser
------
To all Wake boarders ,water-skiers, friends, is it getting to COLD for you ??????
WATER-SKIING
ON NEW YEARS DAY on the Mississippi in
front of the ARCH in St Louis
If you would like to help, ski, attend, raise $$ or any thing please send me your e-mail and
I will forward you the necessary info and set some plans for reaching our Goal
!!!
Send an e-mail to Hotttdog@aol.com
Click
here for more information
REMEMBER
BE A CHAMPION !!
Kevin Day
LAKESHORE SKI CO.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monday.....18 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
River
Picture of the Day...... is of Dale (left) and
Dave (right) taking a harbor cruise at Two Branch Marina yesterday afternoon
! Nice day for a ride.
Actually they are paddling Dale's boat lift to the ramp to take it out of the
water. Notice they are wearing their life jackets.....And... Dale is
paddling with a shovel.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was a shot of the Grafton Ferry sent in by Mike Kolisch of
the boat "Cool Breeze". Mike snapped this picture of the ferry
when it was still in the Mississippi River .... And...... heading towards the
cut through to the Illinois River.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was a shot of the Piasa Bird
taken by Tony Trice. The Piasa Bird is painted on a cliff along the Great River Road between Alton and Grafton, IL.
|
|
|
|
ITCS
Memo ......HIGH WATER CONDITIONS ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER ---- There
is high water on the Illinois River...And it's got to be heading our way
Click
here
to read ITCS Memo #2450
|
|
|
|
Paying
Too Much For Boat Insurance ?.......
Check out Mixon Insurance.
Fill out
Bill Mixon's on-line
quote form for a fast, friendly insurance quote for rates
on your boat..
|
|
|
|
Big Five Oh ! Birthday Party For Cindra At
Sharky's Cove
Cindra is the manager at Sharky's..... you all know her !
Stop by and help her celebrate
Everyone is welcome
DJ and finger foods
Dec 29th......Starts at 7:00 PM
|
|
|
|
Fri,
Sat, Sun.....15, 16, 17 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
River
Picture and E-mail of the Day......(Sunday) was
sent in by Frank and Joy. It's a sunset and a new River Dawg.
Bill,
Taken at two branch just above Kinders.
May husband & our dog, Scrappy is always ready to go fishing. I just love to go out on the river and watch the
sunset. It reminds me that life is very short but the sunset of life can be very beautiful.
Frank Joy & Scrappy
|
|
|
|
|
|
Major Bill Johnson (second from right, back row) shares his boating enthusiasm with members of Coalition Forces in Iraq
|
|
|
|
River
Picture and E-mail of the Day....(Saturday)..
is part news and part advertisement from MarineMax.
From Missouri Lakes to Iraqi Desert
MarineMax Boating Enthusiast & Serviceman Takes Boating Dream Abroad
LAKE
OF THE OZARKS, Mo. —Dec. 15, 2006—When Major Bill Johnson and his wife
Tammy purchased their boat three years ago from the dealership that would
become MarineMax Port Arrowhead, boating instantly became a family pastime, a
fun way to spend time with their four children. Today, stationed in Iraq as a
part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Major Johnson is keeping the boating dream
close to his heart.
“It is times spent apart and separated from our families that we really
cherish our time spent on the water boating, fishing and swimming,” says
Johnson. “The memories we have will last a lifetime, and we hope our
children grow up to share and remember the time on the water spent as a
family.”
Johnson that he asked MarineMax sales manager David Paisley for MarineMax
flags to take with him on his tour of duty in Iraq . “I asked for the flags
to show support for MarineMax,” said Johnson in an email to Paisley . “You
really impressed me with your level of concern and care for me and my family
during our purchase of our boat and even after the sale. You went above and
beyond on the sale because of your true American patriotism and genuine care
for our service members…I know that you company supports all soldiers here
and abroad.”
After a career in the military that has taken Johnson to such remote places as
Bosnia , Kosovo , Germany and now Iraq , Johnson appreciates every bit of time
he spends with his family. “Family members are the real fabric that keeps us
– both soldiers and civilians – together. They are the quilt that keeps
this nation warm,” he says. The time Johnson spends with his wife and four
children, especially relaxing and enjoying life on the water provides memories
he can cherish while away and something which he eagerly looks forward to upon
his return. “In addition to MarineMax, I would like to thank all Family
Readiness Groups for their support of deployed spouses during the holidays,”
adds Johnson.
MarineMax, the nation’s largest boating and yachting retailer, has a history
of supporting members of the United States armed forces. Whether it’s
working to ensure a new boat is ready for a soldier’s return or providing
the service support a soldier’s family may need, MarineMax is committed to
serving the individual men and women who defend our country.
On a larger scale, the company also seeks opportunities to thank military
personnel for their service. MarineMax Gulf Shores recently hosted a Military
Appreciation Day for members of the 711th Signal Battalion, planning a day of
island fun, food and festivities as a way to thank these brave men and women
for protecting the American Dream.
For additional information, please visit www.marinemax.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
River
Pictures
of the Day......(Friday)
are some pics from last weekend of the logging operation going on at Two
Branch Island. As you can see there are plenty of logs stacked up and
ready to be trucked away. Two Branch Island is across the river directly
behind the piles of logs.
Some readers were afraid that the island was going to be stripped and cleared,
but that is not what 's going on. The area of the island behind these
logs has already been cut.... and as you can see there are still plenty of
trees standing .
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
Sunday
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was is
from Captain Greg Sadowski. It was another of Greg's, Dave Kelly and Don Accord
boat trips....this time to Florida.
Greg wrote in his e-mail:
Bill,
Here's
a picture of the "Barbara
Ann"
This
boat was sold by Tony Green of Safe Harbor Yacht Sales, and has left
the Alton pool.
I
took this picture at Paducah on the Tennessee River.
It's
on its way to Key West Florida. The trip will take several weeks.
It
was owned by Dan and Barb Wagner and was docked just above Liberty Harbor.
They
lived on it there for about 4 years.
Greg
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was of some of the River Crowd at Stevies Rays on Main Street in St. Charles
at the annual "River Christmas Party".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was a shot of the Love
Shack. It's a clubhouse on the Calhoun County side of the
Illinois River just up from the Brussels Ferry. The sign caught our
attention on a cruise up to Hardin in October of 2005.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was of a
boat heading home for the winter on a cold dreary day last week. The road and the house shown here are at the end of highway "C" on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River at about UMR 231.5.
Friday
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was of a shot from the Summer of 2005. It was a dose
of blue water and blue sky . This is a sun set picture taken taken
at water level behind Two Branch Island .......
Two
Rivers Marina chose this picture later on for their ad button.........The
button is just to the right of this text.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was of a towboat pushing a barge full of mulch.
Took this picture around the end of October in 2005 because of the contents of the barge caught my eye.
The picture was later re-published by Jack Simpson in his Bitts & Bytes
Newsletter.
|
|
|
|
Added
New Section....River & Boater Message Boards in the left hand column,
near the top of this page. Check it out ...More
coming
|
|
|
|
Water
Resources Development Act Dies In Congress.........
The WRDA died in Congress on December 5th according to a news
article in the Waterways Journal.
Click
here to read the story.
Click
here to read a Waterways Journal editorial.
Click
here for more info on the WRDA bill on GovTrack.US
|
|
|
|
Thursday.....14 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
River
Picture
of the Day...... is another River Winter
Wonderland picture from Michael Stuertz, who hails out of Liberty Harbour
.
Mike
named it:
A
Frozen Nautique.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was of a very large River
Shark........ This
6
ft monster fish was hanging from a tree along the river's edge when I
first spotted it .......... at........ Captain Jack's Bar and
Grill.
Ok ! .....it's made of plastic, but I think that the night time lighting effects
made it
look pretty real in these
pictures.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was of a 2 story house with a red barn on the Illinois bank of the Mississippi River near UMR 234.
|
|
|
|
ITCS
Memo #2448......St. Louis River Stage Forecast
The St Louis district ACOE Water Control office issued a
St. Louis river stage
forecast for the next 5 days.
Click here
to read the ITCS Memo.
|
|
|
|
RiverBills.com
Visitor Stats are out for November.........
The visitor stats are in for November 2006....
25,725 unique
visitors !
- Up ........7,650 from the November 2005 numbers.
- Down.... 3,206 from the October 2006 numbers
Click
here to look at the visitor stats chart. |
|
|
|
Rivers
Pointe Fire Protection District..........
A new article in Firehouse.com describes the new fire district that
protects some of our marinas and harbors. The new district will be
created from a merger of the West Alton and Portage des Sioux fire protection
services and will be named "Rivers Pointe Fire Protection
District"
Click
here to read the story on Firehouse.com
|
|
|
|
Big Five Oh ! Birthday Party For Cindra At
Sharky's Cove
Cindra is the manager at Sharky's..... you all know her !
Stop by and help her celebrate
Everyone is welcome
DJ and finger foods
Dec 29th......Starts at 7:00 PM
|
|
|
|
Wednesday.....13 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
River
Picture
of the Day...... from Michael Stuertz . It's a Great River
Winter Wonderland picture of a frozen slider.
Michael
wrote:
I
thought you'd enjoy the pics.
Happy
holidays
Michael
of Liberty Harbour
RiverBill
says....The picture is postcard quality....good shot Michael !
OK.........
I didn't know what a slider was, so I had to e-mail Michael to ask the
question.
Michael's
reply:
The frozen slider is like for wakeboarding or wakeskateing like you ride by it then ramp onto it and grind on it hope this attached
pic explains it.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) ....was sent in by Debbie House. It's a silhouette
of a southbound tow with an
orange sun setting behind it.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was of the
cliffs and Popleton navigational light at UMR 233.5 on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River on a cold dreary day.. Since the leaves are off the trees this cliff and the reddish colored layer of rock at the top is more noticeable this time of the year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
From
3500 Feet........
Capt'n Greg Sadowski sent us an interesting e-mail from 3500 ft
in the air.
Greg
wrote:
I won't be able to go to Jamaica with everyone,
Because I'm off to deliver another boat.
Just left LA bound for Tokyo.
I have free wireless Internet at 3500 ft. , flying Singapore Air, The Stewardess are very nice.
We hope to leave Japan on Friday, Destination New Zealand.
I may not be home for awhile, but I'll try to stay in touch.
Here are some pictures..
Greg
|
|
|
|
MyFoxSTL.com...News
Report -
Who
Is Liable For Ice & Snow Damage ?
MyFoxStl.com had a good report on the liability
associated with the recent Ice and snow damage in our area, including at the
marinas.
Click
here to
watch the MyFoxStl.com news report.
|
|
|
|
CW11tv.com...News
Report About
Storm Damage in the St. Charles Area.... features a news report
about John's Boat Harbor.
Click
here to
watch theCW11tv.com news report.
|
|
|
|
Tuesday.....12 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
River
Picture
of the Day...... is of River Dawg "Bandit", who belong to
Kris and Lou Silverberg. Bandit was watching the boat
salvage effort at Two Branch Marina last Saturday when I snapped his
picture.
What a good looking boxer !
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....
was sent in by Captain Mike Kolisch. Mike wrote in his e-mail;
Here
are some pictures
that I took today (Sunday) near Sharky's. My daughter, Emily,
and I spotted 4 guys in a jon
boat breaking through the ice in Dardenne Slough. What a noise they
made. As they passed by we could see they were deer hunters on their way
to the island.
River
Bill says......Thanks for the pictures Mike......Buoy that water looks COLD !
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was a "set of two pictues" of a southbound tow being pushed by a Retractable Wheelhouse Towboat. The first one is from the Winfield Live-Cam of the Tow locking through the Dam and the 2nd picture is of the same tow heading down-river past Mike D's place at UMR 231.5.
I also found a picture of retractable wheelhouse towboat with the wheelhouse retracted all the way down. Really looks different ! Take a look.
|
|
|
|
Big Five Oh ! Birthday Party For Cindra At
Sharky's Cove
Cindra is the manager at Sharky's..... you all know her !
Stop by and help her celebrate
Everyone is welcome
DJ and finger foods
Dec 29th......Starts at 7:00 PM
|
|
|
|
Myfoxstl.com...News
Report -
About the Sunken Boats in Harbors........
MyFoxStl.com interviewed Pat Riley at Two Branch Marina on
Saturday as they were starting to raise their sunken boat. It's the same
boat that we had pictures of yesterday on RiverBill's.
Click
here to
watch the MyFoxStl.com news report.
|
|
|
|
Monday .....
11 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
Missouri
State Water Patrol News Release.....
Winter Storm Damage
Update------ The
Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release about "downed
docks and boats on Missouri's waterways".
The news release includes warnings about getting near unstable docks, wearing
your life jacket, not venturing into areas that are not safe and reporting
hazards such as fuel leakage and downed power lines.
"The Water Patrol is requesting that boat traffic in affected damage
areas throughout the state be kept to a minimum."
Click
here to
read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07060191
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pat Riley in the
water
Attaching the air
bags & blowing them up to raise the boat
|
|
|
|
Up out of the water.
Pat is holding the
bow down to keep water from coming in the back
|
|
|
|
Pumping water from
the hull---green hose on left
|
|
|
|
Left to right
Lou
Silverberg, Pat Riley and Tony Roberson
|
|
|
|
Floating on it's own
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
River
Pictures
of the Day...... are of Pat Riley and crew raising their boat at Two
Branch Marina on Saturday. In the first pic you see Pat in the icy water
attaching blow-up airbags to the stern of the boat and then filling the bags
with air to raise the stern out of the water. A few pictures down
you can see the large green hose they used to pump the water out of the
hull.....and several hours later they had it above water and floating on it's
own.
RiverBill
says...Thanks for inviting me out to watch your salvage operation....good
job. Hope you get it repaired and running again.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was looking
out of the mouth of the harbor at Two Branch Marina around the UMR 231.5
mile marker. The sheets of ice are gone from the main channel of the
river, but there is still plenty of ice in the harbor. Also capture a
large bird hanging out right at the edge of the ice and the open
water....Waiting for a meal to swim by.
Notice that Winter-Blue water.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was of a great looking house on Cuivre
River Slough around UMR 234.
This pic was taken on one of our last boat rides on the River for
the year 2004.
|
|
|
|
Mississippi
River Navigation Notice ......Locks 11-22.... Information on
Winter Lockage Hours and repairs to lock 11 &19.
Click
here
to read the Navigation Notice
|
|
|
|
The
Powder Keg Band....... One of or favorite river
bands....Stripper Named Phoebe,,,,,,,is no more ! We thank the
band for playing Jamaica Daze and River Bill's Rocking River Extravaganza.
You guys were great....and Thanks !
Dale Williams is now a member of the band....Powder Keg !
Click
here and check them out or pick on their link in the right hand column.
|
|
|
|
Spend
New Years Eve At Sharky's Cove........
$ 15.00 cover charge per person
Includes:
.....Appetizer Buffet & More from 7-9
.....Live Music by "Sitting Ducks" 9-1
.....Champagne at Midnight
.....Cash Bar
Click
here for Sharkys Cove website
|
|
|
|
The
Weekend Report ..... 08, 09, 10 December 2006 ....
Updated Fri @ 12:30 PM
|
|
|
|
Missouri
State Water Patrol News Release.....
Winter Storm Damage
Update------ The
Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release about "downed
docks and boats on Missouri's waterways".
The news release includes warnings about getting near unstable docks, wearing
your life jacket, not venturing into areas that are not safe and reporting
hazards such as fuel leakage and downed power lines.
"The Water Patrol is requesting that boat traffic in affected damage
areas throughout the state be kept to a minimum."
Click
here to
read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07060191
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
|
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Winter
Storm Damage......Sea Lord III.... & ....River
Winter Wonderland
Hi Bill,
1st
picture
This is a picture to follow of The Sea Lord III and it's dock fighting to stay erect under the pressure of the snow and ice.
2nd picture
I thought you might like this picture I took of the snow across the yard along the river near Rich
Goslin's place in the Dardene Slough at the end of Huster Rd. I thought it was kind of neat the way the tree made it's shadow on the snow. Rich's dock was hit pretty hard by the ice and snow but so far the roof is still holding up although a couple of the arms of the dock were under water. With each day of melt down it
emerges from the water a little more. We are hopeful that there will be little damage to repair as the spring storms had already played
havoc with the dock earlier this year.
Thanks again for your wonderful website we visit it daily.
Sincerely,
Captain Rich and First Mate Linda of The Sea Lord III
|
|
|
|
|
|
PIC 006
|
|
Winter
Storm Damage......Alton Motorboat Club
Cheryl
and Dan Rauschkolb wrote;
Bill,
Here are some pics of the Alton Motorboat club docks after last weeks
storm. One boat is completely submerged under water on pic 006 there is a boat underneath the rubble, you can just barely see the ladders
sticking up.
Nice meeting you at Jamaica Daze 2006
Cheryl & Dan Rauschkolb
Alton Motorboat Club Members
Click
here for more pictures
RiverBill
says........Thanks for the pictures Cheryl and Dan. Hope your boat is OK
!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE
|
|
Pictures
of the Day......River..
Winter Wonderland Pictures .....(Friday)
from Clarence Torti..........
Clarence
wrote;
I just found your site and thought I would send you these pics taken the day after the ice
storm........
Clarence
RiverBill
says...."Welcome Aboard" Clarence.......Thanks for the
pictures!
Keep them coming. I bet you get a lot of good shots from your deck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
Friday
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .....was taken by Capt'n (of the camera) Pat Reid of
Crystal
Photography. It's a shot looking
down Sandy Slough at a tow heading up-river towards Winfield Lock and
Dam. Notice how low the water is right now in the slough.
There is a bit of ice forming in the shallow areas of the slough and deeper
water is still open.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) ......was of Winfield Dam with all of the gates open because of the high water. This pic was taken by
Capt'n Tony Trice earlier in the year of 2004.
Saturday
The
"Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .......was sent in by Mike D. Mike who has a house on the river
at about the 231.5 UMR mile marker. He captured the first sheets
of ice floating down the river. I also got a picture off of
the Winfield Live-Cam of the sheets of ice
collecting above the lock gates.
|
|
|
|
Channel
5 News Report From Two Branch Marina........
Channel 5 News did a report about the damage at Two Branch Marina and the
Alton Pool on Wednesday.
If you missed it on TV click
here to read the story and watch the video on KSDK NewsChannel5.com
RiverBill
says....I think that is Mike D's skiff motoring about the harbor.
George and Dianne .......you look good on TV !
|
|
|
|
Spend
New Years Eve At Sharky's Cove........
$ 15.00 cover charge per person
Includes:
.....Appetizer Buffet & More from 7-9
.....Live Music by "Sitting Ducks" 9-1
.....Champagne at Midnight
.....Cash Bar
Click
here for Sharkys Cove website
|
|
|
|
A
New Restaurant In Alton, IL With A River View........
Another place to dine while enjoying a view of the Alton Mississippi
Riverfront and the Clark Bridge......... Gentelin's, 122 E. Broadway, Alton,
IL.
Click here to read the story in on-line Alton Telegraph
|
|
|
|
Thirsty
Thursday
..... 07 December 2006 ....
|
|
|
|
CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE
|
|
River..
Winter Wonderland..... Another River ..Winter
Wonderland picture ! This one is from David Haas..........It's
Frosty at the boat dock....notice the damage in the background.
RiverBill
says....Good picture David !
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .......was
the first
entry for the "December" Grafton Ferry picture
Contest. It was an entry sent in by Capt'n Carl Seidler who hails out of
Grafton Harbor. He
captured the ferry leaving the Grafton ferry landing and heading across the Illinois River
towards Missouri with a load of cars.....And of course......... those gulls,
all lined up on the parking lot..looking downriver ...into the wind.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) .......was of a southbound tow entering the lock
at Winfield Dam. It is almost hidden from view because of the brightness of the spotlight. That is a harbor tug on the port side supplying some help to get it into the lock. This pic was
from the Winfield Dam River-cam.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Woodland
Marina Ice Storm Cleanup.......
Capt'n Darryll Weil, who hails out of Woodland Marina in the
cruiser "After You", sent us some additional pictures of the damage
and of the on-going cleanup activities at the marina.
|
|
|
Darryll
wrote:
Went up to check on the boat. So far, so good. It appears the docks have sunk a couple of inches at the finger ends, probably because the shore side ice is melting faster. Took some pictures of our docks and some of the cleanup process. Check them out at:
Darryll
Click
here for more pictures of the damage and on-going cleanup.
|
|
|
|
Cleanup
at Two Branch Marina........
Dianne Krause, office manager at Two Branch Marina told me today they were
applying rock salt to the roofs of the docks that remain standing in an
attempt to melt the snow off.
I also heard that Channel 5 News had a report about the damage and cleanup
going on at the marina yesterday evening.
|
|
|
|
It's times like these that
make boaters drink !
|
|
|
|
Marina
Damage Story ........ StLtoday had
an article in yesterday's on-line edition about the damage at the marinas in
St. Charles County.
Click here to read the article in STLtoday.com
|
|
|
|
People
Look-Up ............ Received
an e-mail from Little
John yesterday. It don't have anything to do with the river or
boating, but it sure is something to be aware of right now...........
John
wrote:
Bill
I had a situation yesterday, not unlike Grumpy Old Men, but not nearly as funny.
I was standing near a steel building, and from nowhere, and with no time to respond,
about 60 to 80 pounds of ice, in a two ft. by three ft. block, flattened me to the ground.
I am fairly beat up, and bruised, But a trip to Dr. John, My Chiropractor, should do it.
This is something, right now, that most of us do not think of.
PLEASE pay attention, this stuff is heavy, sharp, and HURTS and it is most everywhere.
Little John
|
|
|
|
Missouri
Conservationist on-line Magazine........The
December 2006 on-line edition of Missouri
Conservationist on-line Magazine is
out.
Take a look at the picture on the cover...I think it's
awsome !
This month's edition paper edition has some information
about erosion control myths...... such as dumping junk
cars, old washing machines into streams to stop erosion.
Click
here to check it out
|
|
|
|
Grafton
Lighthouse Fund........ Added
a link in the left hand column for the Grafton Lighthouse
Fund. They are trying to raise money to build us a river
lighthouse in Grafton, IL. I think it will be another good
addition to pool 26.
Click
here to check it out ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday
..... 06 December 2006 ....
|
|
Missouri
State Water Patrol News Release.....
Winter Storm Warning for
Waterways------ The
Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release about the winter storm
that passed through the area on Thursday night and some precautionary measures
for affected waterways:
Click
here to
read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release
N07060190
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE
|
|
River..
Winter Wonderland..... Another River ..Winter
Wonder-Landscape shot from Lynne Williams. I think this is a view
from their house. It's looking down the Mississippi River at the bluffs
just below the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.
RiverBill
says....Thanks so much for the pictures Lynne.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .......was of a very
large boat and a houseboat entering the lock at Winfield Dam.
This is just a guess....And nothing but a guess.......I was guessing that it
was Captain Greg Sadowski and Dave Kelly on another of their delivery
cruises...And it was !
This pic is from the Core
Of Engineers Winfield Live Cam
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago
(2004) .......was of the Party Pavilion
at South Shore Harbor on Dardeene Slough at about UMR 226.5 mile marker..
|
|
|
|
Dan
Owens Boat Photo Museum.......
Added a link to Dan Owen's Boat Photo Museum in the left hand
column. Boat Photo Museum that is located in Maryville, Mo. It consists of
about 40,000 photos of inland waterway boats.....mostly towboats. It
is not on-line, but I heard that if you e-mail him he usually has a photo of
the towboat your looking for.
Click
here for more info.
|
|
|
|
Paying
Too Much For Boat Insurance ?.......
Check out Mixon Insurance.
Fill out
Bill Mixon's on-line
quote form for a fast, friendly insurance quote for rates
on your boat..
|
|
|
|
Tuesday .....
05 December 2006 ....
|
|
Missouri
State Water Patrol News Release.....
Winter Storm Warning for
Waterways------ The
Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release about the winter storm
that passed through the area on Thursday night and some precautionary measures
for affected waterways:
Click
here to
read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release
N07060190
|
|
|
|
12-01-06
Patrolman
Lou Amighetti, of the Missouri State Water Patrol is asking
everyone to stay away from the marinas in our area. All have
damage.......the weight of the snow on the roofs of the docks is
causing docks to sink and collapse. Stay off the docks
! Stay away from the Marinas. Traffic on the water is
limited to essential personal only !
Thanks,
Lou
Amighetti
Mo
State Water Patrol
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Snow
Storm Damage at Eagles Landing Marina...... sent
in by Chuck
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snow
Storm Damage ...... Aerial shots of some of the
marinas sent in by Lindell Gray. Click
here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Port
Charles...Update.......
Bill,
Thank you so much for posting my message to all "River Bill" followers. River Bills has once again proved to be a very important part of our river community. People know just where to go for the latest "River News". Thank you for the great job that you do!
I have updated our website, www.portcharlesharbor.com
with storm/dock damage pictures.
I hope that your boat is still okay...........Ours was in the dock that fell
Gina Hopkins
Port Charles Harbor
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .......was of Jim
and Barbara Svoboda at the Con Trios Yacht Club's Holiday Party at the
Crowne Plaza last year.
|
|
|
|
Winter
Storm Page ------ New
pictures from the daily edition of RiverBills.com will be added to the " Nov 30 Snow Storm page"
in the left column. Click
here and check them out.
|
|
|
|
Lake
Ozarks Winter Storm Damage ------
http://dealerimpact.com/ozarks/
I
received e-mails from the following folks with the above link..... to pictures
of winter storm damage at Lake of the Ozarks..
Bob
Slough, Jim Vineyard and Lloyd Bollinger
|
|
|
|
Monday,
Monday ..... 04 December 2006 ....
|
|
12-01-06
Patrolman
Lou Amighetti, of the Missouri State Water Patrol is asking
everyone to stay away from the marinas in our area. All have
damage.......the weight of the snow on the roofs of the docks is
causing docks to sink and collapse. Stay off the docks
! Stay away from the Marinas. Traffic on the water is
limited to essential personal only !
Thanks,
Lou
Amighetti
Mo
State Water Patrol
|
|
|
|
 |
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day....... sent in by Lynne
Willams. Lynne and husband Dale live the Missouri side of the
confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. I called the Williams
residence and left a message last Thursday evening while I was stuck snow
storm traffic.....asking for one of Lynne's River Winter Wonderland
pictures.
And here it is...... the snowy banks of the islands at the confluence on the
Mississippi and Illinois Rivers in the foreground with Tara Point and the
bluffs of Grafton, Illinois in the distance. The Illinois River can be
seen through the trees on the islands and the channel markers for the Grafton
Ferry on the left hand side of the picture..
River
Bill says.....More of Lynne's pictures tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Snow
Storm Damage at Two Rivers Marina......
Hello
everyone,
The storm got to us at Two Rivers Marina also.
Attached is our boat on C dock .
ED & NANCEE SHAHAN
BOAT NUTS BROKERAGE FIRM
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .......was sent in by Capt'n Mark Cutler of the boat "Cuttys
Ark".
Hi
Bill,
Well,
here are a few pics of my crazy wife (Susan)
and son (Zac)
who water skied the Dardenne Slough last Saturday. That’s right the
Saturday after Thanksgiving. Nick Vohman (Dave and Pam’s son) was also
there, but he had the good sense not to ski. Water temp posted on your
website that day was 41 degrees. Some people never get enough skiing…..
Mark
Cutler
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......was
sent in by Greg Moore. It is a picture of the Clark Bridge
that crosses the Mississippi River at Alton, IL..
Note the strange red glow in the sky that extends all the way down onto the
rock dike .
|
|
|
|
Missouri
State Water Patrol News Release.....
Winter Storm Warning for
Waterways------ The
Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release about the winter storm
that passed through the area on Thursday night and some precautionary measures
for affected waterways:
Click
here to
read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release
N07060190
|
|
|
|
Winter
Storm Page ------ Added
a Nov 30 Snow Storm page to the left column with pictures and info on the
winter storm that passed through our area last Thursday night. Click
here and check it out.
|
|
|
|
River
Dawg ....Gyspy..... Has been added to the River Dawg
page.
Click
here to check out all of RiverBill's River Dawgs.
|
|
|
|
The
Weekend Report Fri, Sat & Sun ..... 01, 02,
03 December 2006 ....
Updated
Sun @ 10:00AM
|
|
|
|
12-01-06
Patrolman
Lou Amighetti, of the Missouri State Water Patrol is asking
everyone to stay away from the marinas in our area. All have
damage.......the weight of the snow on the roofs of the docks is
causing docks to sink and collapse. Stay off the docks
! Stay away from the Marinas. Traffic on the water is
limited to essential personal only !
Thanks,
Lou
Amighetti
Mo
State Water Patrol
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Updated
@ 10:00AM
Snow Damage At
The Yacht Club......
Capt'n Rick Dorn sent us some pictures of the Yacht Club St. Louis.
Rick
wrote:
River Bill,
Here is a link to some shots of Yacht Club Saint Louis that I have taken Saturday, 12-02-2006. Looks like the Marina faired pretty well. Wish I could say the same for all our neighboring marinas, but wanted to share these photos so that fellow boaters who may be out of the area or unable to check on their boats will have some heads up.
Thanks, Rick
A.K.A LUNATIC, REDDY FREDDY
Click
here for more pics.
|
|
|
|
 Updated
@ 6:30 PM
Port
Charles...Closed.......
Bill,
Since so many of our customers are loyal "River Bill" followers I was hoping that you might be able to post this message. Thanks so much!
At this time Port Charles Harbor is currently closed for saftey reasons. We faired the winter storm better than some of the other marinas, but we lost dock 6. Our crew has been working since 3:00 am Friday morning to secure and maintain the rest of the docks. Some of the docks are extremely unstable. Electric was restored to Dock 6 yesterday afternoon, and our crew has been removing the roof structure from the boats.
I will be posting some pictures on www.portcharlesharbor.com
in a few days.
Warmer days are ahead!!
Gina Hopkins
Port Charles Harbor
www.portcharlesharbor.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
Updated
@ 6:30 PM
More
Pics of Snow Damage At John's Boat harbor......
Debbie House sent us some additional pics of the damage at John's Boat Harbor
Click
here for more pics.
|
|
|
|
Updated
@ 6:30 PM
Need
Help Raising Your Boat ?......
If you need help raising their boats do not hesitate to call Pat Riley
636-299-2728. We can't do anything until the electricity is turned off but do
not worry to much. At the water's temperature there will be little
or no severe damage to the boats as long as they stay under the water, its
when they come up that the rusting starts.
Again I hope you are safe and secure and if you need anything let me
know.
Pat
Riley 636-299-2728
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Updated
@ 6:00 AM
More
Pics of Snow Damage At Two Branch Marina......
Matt & Gwen Hahn sent us some additional pics of the damage at Two Branch
marina
Click
here for more pics.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Updated
@ 6:00 AM
More
Pics of Snow Damage At Multiple Marinas......
Jeff Craig sent us some pics of the damage at multiple marinas.. I think
they are Woodland, Lake Center, the Duck Club and Polestar.
Click
here for more pics.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Updated
@ 5:30 AM
More
Pics of Snow Damage At Woodland......
Capt'n
Darryll Weil sent us an e-mail with more pics of the damage at Woodland
Marina.
Darryll
wrote:
Posted some pictures I took of the damage to docks and boats at Woodland Marina from last night's ice storm. So far our boat is still floating although the docks are listing about 15 degrees towards the open harbor. My guess is that at least 40 to 50 boats and docks have been destroyed. These are docks that survived the ice storm about 8 years ago where about 100 boats and docks were lost. Talked to some of the other boat owners while we were there, pretty devastating. Several of the boats that are still actually floating may still be lost because the power is off to the collapsed docks and bilge heaters cannot run so the boats (which are not winterized) will eventually freeze the sea gates and sink. Will head back up there as soon as we can get onto the docks. Right now our row of docks are stable and our power is still on. To see the pictures click on the link below.
http://captainweil.com/WoodlandIceStorm2006
Darryll
|
|
|
|
 |
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Updated
@ 5:30 AM
Snow
Damage At Polestar Marina...... These pictures were
taken Friday of the snow damage at Polestar Marina by Mike Halley of the
Cruiser Over Exposed.
Mike
wrote:
Here
are some pics of the damage at Polestar Marine. Mine & Karen's boat
"Over Exposed" is in the damage. Dock 3 is collapsed
Click
here for more pics.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Updated
@ 4:30 AM
Snow
Damage At John's Boat Harbor...... These pictures were
taken Friday morning of the snow damage at John's Boat Harbor. Debbie
House told us Friday evening that another one of their docks collapsed
after these pictures were taken. Click
here for more pics.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
 Updated
@ 1:50
Snow
Damage At Two Branch marina....... Above are a few
pictures taken this morning of the snow damage at Two Branch Marina. The
weight of the snow is causing the docks to sink and collapse.
Click
here for more pictures.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Updated
@ 1:50
Snow
Damage at Woodland Marina
------
Click
here for pictures from Woodland Marina sent in by Little
John
|
|
|
|
 |
|
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
|
|
Our
River Picture of the Day....... is of a river-sunset
last weekend. The winter water sure reflected the red and blue hues from the
sky as the sun set last Saturday evening.
This picture was taken around the UMR 231.5 mile marker of the Mississippi
River with Two Branch Island and the Calhoun County shore-line merging in the
evening light to form a silhouette of the distant shore.
I am sure it looks a bit different today after the snow storm we had
yesterday.
Click
here for a picture of the conditions last night as recorded by the
Winfield Dam web-cam. Look real close and you can see a tow just
up-river of the lock gates.
|
|
|
|
Last
Year's River Picture of the Day
------ What picture
held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ?
Friday
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .......was sent in by Brad Hefferon. It is of a 408
Meridian
being unloaded off of a semi at Port Arrowhead, along Highway 70 near Highway
94.
Brad wrote in his e-mail;
These
are not your
Typical
River
pictures, but thought you might find these interesting. These Pictures
are of the Crew at Port Arrowhead of St. Louis Offloading
a 408
Meridian
Yacht off of the Semi Truck on Tues Nov, 29. The boat
came from the factory in the state of
Washington
. The Truck driver said it took him 8 days from the factory to us.
It
took 2 cranes to offload the boat which is 42.2’ Long 14.4’ Wide
and has a Dry Displacement of 29,000 lbs. For anyone who doesn’t
know the crane's are the exact same way we get the big Cruisers and Yachts
into the St. Louis Boat Show and other shows that we take them to. It’s
a little bit different and definitely more nerve racking than your typical
Travel Lift that can be used out at a
Marina.
The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2004) .......was
of the rusty towboat America
as it sat moored on the Illinois side of the Mississippi just below Winfield
Dam in the Fall of 2003. The next pic a ghostly looking up-close shot
of the vessel. Notice that someone left a window open. Of course we have a rear view.
These pictures were taken by Capt'n Tony Trice who hails out of Woodland
Marina.
SaturdayUpdated
@ 1:50
The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago
(2005) .......was
was sent in by Captain
Glenn Sadowski out of Woodland Marina. Glenn wrote in his e-mail;
In
regard to today's (11-30-05) "Not your normal Patrol" ....
Hats
off to all those emergency responders!
Here's
a photo of the Auxiliary Vessel "Liberty"
that I snapped on that day.
River
Bill says.......... A person has to wonder just what is going in the minds of
these folks when this picture was snapped. They are heading out towards
a large burning boat and all kinds of things could happen. Looks like
the firefighters, a man and a woman, are from Orchard Farm (OFFPD).
The Coast guard Auxiliary is transporting them to the fire.
Both, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Firefighters did a fine job on that
day...And they usually don't get enough credit for it.
As
you said......
HATS
OFF TO ALL THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.
|
|
|
|
Con
Trios Yacht Club's Holiday Party
------
is this Saturday.
Crown
Plaza Hotel (Lindbergh & Highway 70)
Bridgeton,
Mo
Music by
Rail
For
more information click
here.
Go
to ..........http://www.contriosyachtclub.org/
|
|
|
~~~ RiverBill's Archives~~~
