Wednesday 31 January 2007....

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Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day...... is from Jeff and Missie

Hey Bill,
    Jeff & Missie from North of Hannibal Mo. Sending you a few pictures of us in our Duck Blind in November of this year. Had a GREAT season of hunting ducks and Geese.
   The Picture was taken on the tip of Turtle Island, between Mo. and IL.
   P.S. Thank you for showing our Picture of the water spout this past summer!
 

That was Great.

Jeff & Missie

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

The "Pictures of the Day" from one year ago (2006) was  a picture a cruiser heading down river on a Sunday afternoon as it approached the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.  Well folks it belongs to a year round boater, and friend of mine, named Dutch.

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The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) was a shot of the Grafton Ferry and a Wintertime Boater. who happens to be Dutch !   The houses in the distance are on the bluffs along the Illinois River.

 Tuesday 30 January 2007....

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Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day...... is from Sue Mc Mahan.  It's a Happy New Years sunrise picture of the river.

Sue wrote:

This is another great reason why we live on the river. I took this from Grafton about 8:00am on New Years Eve after spending the night in one of the (tree houses) Rubel's cabins. We go there every year in the winter. Happy New Year & best wishes to all!!!!

Sue Mc Mahan
"Sarah Marie"

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

The "Pictures of the Day" from one year ago (2006) was a shot of Carl and Mary Tiemann's boat motoring past Dale and Lynn Williams house at the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers yesterday afternoon.   You can see Grafton. IL. in the background. .........What a great Winter Day !

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The "Pictures of the Day" from two years ago (2005) was a shot of the boat named Scoundrel that was tied up at Sharkey's yesterday. Yes, Yesterday !   January 29 !   Boating season never ends for some folks. Dutch, who is the captain of the vessel, told me he keeps it toasty warm inside and that he uses the boat all year long. Hats off to you Dutch !    

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Dutch and RiverBill............  It's a picture of Dutch and River Bill.   I seen Dutch at Sharky's this past weekend....... and... just so happens that his boat, the Scoundrel was featured as "picture of the day" on this day in 2005.   A snowy dayin St. Louis and Dutch was out boating !..

    Dutch told me that it's good to come home to St. Louis and visit with all of his friends.......And... that it will be just as good to get back to his boat that is presntly moored in Miami......

RiverBill says...Good to see you again Dutch.  Have a safe journey to where ever your travels may take you..

  Check out Dutch's website the Scoundrel to see where he has been since he left St. Louis earlier this Fall.

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Ice .... Ice is starting to form on the rivers because of the cold temperatures we are having.  Above is a picture of the ice forming above Winfield Dam taken yesterday evening by the web camera located inside the lock.
  Click here to go to the Winfield Dam River Cam website..

ITCS Memo ......High Water Watch on Illinois River  Mile 50 .0 - 90.0
 ---- There is a high water watch on the Illinois River, mile 50 - 90.  Towing  vessels should proceed at the slowest safe operating speed, debris and floating ice may be an issue.  Mariners use extreme caution.

Click here to read the ITCS Memo # 2467  

Missouri Conservationist on-line Magazine........The February edition of  Missouri Conservationist on-line Magazine is out..       Click here to view it.

Missouri State Water Patrol Safety Education Classes...........  Added information to RiverBill's "Upcoming Events" page about the Missouri State Water Patrol's Safety Classes scheduled for February and March.

Click here to go to Upcoming Events

Click here to go to the Missouri State Water Patrol website's education page. 

 Monday 29 January 2007....

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Boater Safety......     

   The Missouri State Water Patrol would like to remind boat operators about the mandatory boater safety education law. The cold winter months are an excellent time to complete a certified boater education course. If it is necessary for you to get certified, you have several options. You can take the online course, order the home study course, or take one of our classroom courses listed on our website, www.mswp.dps.mo.gov. Call 1-800-830-2268 for ordering a Missouri home study course. You may also get a certification card from any other state's NASBLA approved course; however, you will be required to have proof of successful completion of the course and a photo ID with you while you are operating the boat.
   Missouri's mandatory Boater Safety Education law that went into effect on January 1, 2005, required all Missouri boat operators born after January 1, 1984, to get a boater safety certification card before operating boat on the lakes of this state. This date of birth requirement does not change for next year. If you have a boat operator 
who was born after that date, they must have successfully completed a boater safety certification course and have their certification card with them before they can operate a vessel. It should be noted a personal watercraft (PWC) is considered a vessel. Additionally, beginning January 1, 2006, all non-resident boat operators born after January 1, 1984, will be required to have successfully completed a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved course and carry proof of completion with them when operating the boat. 
   The Missouri State Water Patrol would also like to inform boaters that every state has specific laws regarding boater education, please check local laws that apply. The education card issued by the Missouri State Water is valid in many other states. 

Patrolman Lou Amighetti
Missouri State Water Patrol 
District 5/ Alton Pool 

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

The "Pictures of the Day" from one year ago (2006) wasn't a river picture, but but I decide to post it anyway, just because I like it.  A Key West sunset sent in by Larry Sansone.    It's great shot...the silhouette of the sail boats against the very bright setting sun...the reflection on the water...and all of those colors that seem to almost blend together.

River Bill says.......Thanks for the picture Larry !  

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was a shot of an eagle and a tow.   A retractable wheelhouse towboat is pushing a load up-river while an eagle sits in a tree and watches.     What a shot ! This picture was taken from Mike D's house last year. Mike told me he never sees tows pass his house time of the year, especially heading north. Thanks for the great picture Mike !!!

Update on Boat Stolen from Duck Club............  An update on the stolen boat from Duck Club Harbor, the Missouri State Water Patrol has completed its investigation. The Missouri State Water Patrol has issued an arrest warrant for an individual involved in several thefts around the state. 

Patrolman Lou Amighetti
Missouri State Water Patrol 
District 5/ Alton Pool 

Con Trios Yacht Club's Website ------  Captain Darryll Weil, the Con Trios Web Master, has their site updated with a new look and the 2007 Board and Officers.  The 2007 events are set.  Past Commodores Party is still in the works, will update when plans are complete. 

Click here ....and take a....Look / See... at the Con Trios Website

CaptainWeil.com ------ Has been updated with some pictures Keith and Teri's Birthday Party at Sharky's Cove last Saturday night.

Darryll wrote: 

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..

Winter River Festival and Polar Plunge - River Road Trip............  About 8 of us took a "river road trip" up Louisiana, Mo. last Saturday in Capt'n Jack's suburban to witness the event.   Made a few stops along the way and met a lot of new river people.   Pictures, pictures, pictures later this week.  What a blast !

 Fri, Sat Sun.. 26, 27, 28 January 2007....

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@8:00 AM

Our River Picture of the Day....(Sunday).. are from Keith and Teri Ruf's birthday party at Sharky's Cove last night.    We have a picture of Teri, Ashly and Keith at the top of the page then one of  Ashly and RiverBill.

Happy Birthday Teri and Keith

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@6:00AM

Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day....(Saturday).. are from Capt'n 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 just finished moving a ship, The Pacific Spirit,  from Japan to New Zealand.

Greg wrote:

River Bill,
We arrived safe in Dunedin, New Zealand last week, Good trip! No major weather or mechanical issues.  I'm still here enjoying the weather and sites, It's too nice here to hurry home.  It's summertime here, temperature is in the 60-70's, Gets dark about 10:00 PM.  Fish and Chips are common here, and the fresh mussels are excellent. I cook them in the microwave.  
   My Verizon cell phone works here at about .59/min. The trip from Japan was 5,572 nautical miles, that's 6,408 statute miles.
The circumference of the earth is 21,600 nautical miles (360 X 60).
    How many of you know that one minute of latitude equals 1 nautical mile?
    Japan was N 36 degrees, Dunedin is S 46 degrees latitude. Icebergs have recently passed by here, but I have not seen any.  We caught about 12 fish while cruising at 10 knots.  The one pictured is a Dorado (about 5 kg.), Our largest catch was a 120 lb. (55 kg.) YellowFin Tuna.  It took 5 of us to get it into the boat.   Very good eating!

Don't know when I'll be home?
Greg

   By the way... This boat is for sale.... A steal at around $1 mil. US, and Delivery available to 'most anywhere in the world.

Here are the specs.

LOAxBxDx (d): 56.30x9.10x3.90x3.5
Launched: January 1989
International gross tonnage: 709 tons
International net tonnage: 212 tons
Builder: KANASASHI Co, LTD, JAPAN
Speed: 14.33 knots (Trail), 11.50knots(Service)
Range approx. 25,000 miles
Complement: 67 persons
Fuel oil capacity: 305.79m3
Fresh water capacity: 125m3
Main engine: FUJI 6S32G2 1500ps 300rpm
CPP, Kamome (variable pitch propeller)
Generators: YANMAR 350kva x 2 sets, 60kva x 1 set
Bow Thruster: 2.2 tons 
Flap Rudder
Navigation & Radio Equipment
Auto Pilot, ARPA Radar, Hybrid navigation system
AIS, GPS, Fish finder, Weather Satellite Receiver
GMDSS, SSB, VHF, INMARSAT
General comment:
Ideal vessel for conversion with excellent sea keeping,
High quality mechanical fit out,
Long range and large internal volume.

Particulars believed to be correct,
But cannot be guaranteed

RiverBill says....Sounds like you had a good trip, and from where I am sitting today, it looks like you are in a great line of work.  Enjoy, be safe...And see ya when you return.

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Our River Pictures and e-mail of the Day.....(Friday)... are from Capt'n Darryll Weil, who hails out of Woodland Marina in the cruiser........"After You".

Darryll wrote:

Bill:
Here are pictures of two floating houses on Bull Shoals that I took back in 2000. These are well up the White River arm from the main lake. Thought they would continue your floating house theme.
Darryll     

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

Sunday

The "Pictures of the Day" from one year ago (2006) was sent in by Carl Seidler, who hails out of Grafton Harbor.  Carl snapped this picture of a  tow on the Illinois River from the Brussels Ferry a few weeks ago.

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was a shot of some of the river crew that took a train ride to the Windy City last year to see the Chicago Boat Show.   Ron and Darlene Skeen sent in this picture and they said everyone had a great time !!!!!    I can put names on 4 out of the 5 couples. From left to right: Gary (in hat) and Jan (in red), Colon (in hat) and Linda, Ron and Darlene (both in white) and Ron (red shirt) and Linda.    Thanks for the picture..

United States Power Squadron's - America's Boating Club    "Boat Smart Course"  held 2/27/2007 (tues) - 3/20/2007 (tues)

BoatSmart is a 4 week class consisting of 4, 2 hour sessions

Click here for more info. on class and location

Education Officer, Gus Elia, sent us the following information on the upcoming class

 Click Here for Boat Smart Course flyer 

Antique Postcards with River Scenes  ------  I ran across on a site with some antique postcards that have St. Louis River scenes on them.  

Antique Metro St. Louis Postcard Collection

Scott K. Williams, Florissant, Mo.

Click here  .....Make sure you scroll down to the one picturing the ice !

40th Birthday Party ..Keith & Teri Ruf..... This Saturday, 27 January 2007, at Sharky's Cove .  Party starts at 7:00 PM. .

For more info e-mail Ashly

Belleville Boat & Fishing Show This Weekend  ------ The Belleville Boat & Fishing Show is going on this weekend at the St. Clair County Fairground. 

Friday 5 to 9 PM, Saturday 10 AM to  9 PM,    Sunday 10 AM to  4 PM

Belle-Clair Fairgrounds Park

200 South Belt West, Belleville, IL  62220   

For more info    Click here or call  618 - 233- 0052.

Winter River Festival and Polar Plunge............ This weekend at Louisiana, Mo. Take the short drive and join in the fun....take the plunge !

  What is a POLAR PLUNGE?  An event sponsored by the Louisiana Police Department as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics.  A few common nouns/adjectives used to describe the participants:  Idiots, crazy people, they’re out of their minds!!  The POLAR PLUNGE consists of individuals jumping, diving, or running into the Mississippi River .  The Plungers collect donations for the Special Olympics.  

Go to ..........http://www.visit-louisiana-mo.com  for more info.

 Thursday.. 25 January 2007....

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Our River Pictures of the Day...... are aerial shots of some of the marinas on the river sent to us by Kim.  There are pics of John's Boat Harbor, Two Branch, Lake Center, Woodland, Capt'n Jack's, Polestar Marina and Port Charles 

Kim wrote:

Hi Bill,
This is Kim... (a friend of Tauni Shuck). I am an Aerial Photographer for a mapping company and last week the pilot and I flew over the river. I got some great shots of the marinas. Thought everyone might like to check them out!
See ya on the river, can't wait till spring!
Kim 

RiverBill says......  Thanks for the great pic's Kim.  Send us some more when you can !     

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

   The "Pictures of the Day", shown above, from one year ago (2006) was sent in by Capt'n Slow Ride.. Robert cope.  It was a great panoramic river shot taken from the overlook at the Church at Principia College  The  hot linked version is quite detailed so make sure you click here and check it out.  I think this picture was taken between the UMR 213 and  214 mile marker.  Looks like Portage Island directly across the river and I think that is Hideaway Harbor Park on the other side of the island.  

This picture was also on the RiverBill's posters you see in businesses around the river.

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of  more gulls. This time they are on the ice that was on the up-river side of Alton Dam this past weekend when the temperatures where still below freezing. Some of the gulls were always diving into the cold water for food and the rest seemed to be waiting to fight over and hopefully share part of the new catch. One of the gulls on the ice has some food in front of him that he is trying to keep the others away from. The river channel is on the other side of the island that is in the background.

Floating House  ------  Did you ever want your own floating house on the river ?

Capt'n George Shindel sent us a link to one on the lake that you could model yours after.......

Click here and take a look !

Grafton Eagle Days  ------  There was an article about Grafton's eagles and the Piasa bird in the on-line Associated Content.  Click here to go to the article.

Yacht Drop  ------  This one might make you cry a bit! 

   Capt'n Don Bright sent me a picture of a 78 foot yacht that was dropped 100 feet while being unloaded in Port Hueneme, Oxnard, California.   Click here to go to Sail World and read the story..

 Wednesday.. 24 January 2007....

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Our River Pictures of the Day...... are from Mike Stuertz of Liberty Harbor.  They are pictures from the New Years Day Charity Ski on the Mississippi River, downtown in front of the Arch.

RiverBill says......  Thanks for the great pic's Mike !     

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Little Johns Motorsports LLC.....Racing Update.......

Bill
   Attached is a picture of Ashly Ruf getting her award at the St. Louis Drag Boat Assn. dinner.  She is runner up in her class in IHBA (International Hot Boat Assn.)

   Since we returned from Phoenix, We have taken time from our schedule of work and school
to put a new coat of paint on the boat, freshen the engine, and a lot of polishing.

There is a reason for this.  Some people here know that we had Ashly try for her racing license in Phoenix. She passed with flying colors, 1100 HP, going from 0 mph to 100 mph in 3.5 seconds.  She is the youngest licensed female race boat driver in the nation.  ASHLY RUF will drive my boat, KWITCHABITCHIN for the 2007 season.

   Saturday afternoon, we had a very proud moment in my shop.  The president of International Hot Boat Assn., who was in St. Louis for the awards banquet, personally came out to my shop to meet every one, check out our equipment, and congratulate Ashly and our team, for what we have done. Moments like that are few and far between. We are all overwhelmed.

   Things are happening very fast for us right now.   Assembling sponsorship, getting rigs ready, planning the race schedule, ect.  We ran 25.000 miles last year, in 14 events.  With appropriate sponsorship, we plan a schedule, at least that aggressive.  Please check out our sponsors on my website at http://WWW.LITTLEJOHNSINC.COM

Little John
Little Johns Motorsports LLC
 

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of gulls flying around on the down-river side of Alton Dam. Must have been lot of food for them there. This picture does not really represent all of the birds that were in the area. It seemed like thousands and thousands of them flying around, all diving into the cold water for food. When one gull got something out of the water... the rest chased him trying to steal his catch.

 Tuesday .. 23 January 2007....

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Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day....... was sent in by Terrie & Bert of the boat Gulliewash

Bill,

   Was at the Zoo today (30 Dec, 2006) and saw this on the wall outside of "The Rivers Edge" exhibit.

Love it !!!   had to share.

Terrie & Bert

The Gulliewash

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

  The "Pictures of the Day", shown above, from one year ago (2006) was sent in by Mark Newlin.  It is of a tow pushing 16 barges up-river past the beach at Royal Landing in Calhoun County, Illinois.  The channel is really close to the sand in this area......  So close that it looks like a person could almost reach out and touch the tow as it was going past.  

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of the Highway 54 Bridge that spans the Mississippi River from Louisiana, Mo to Illinois around the UMR 283 mile marker. Two Rivers Marina is on the far side of the river....And it's a a good destination for St. Louis boaters.

From Everyone At Sharky's Cove ..... Thanks for your continued patronage  and support during these long boat-less Winter months !   

    We are open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday ...so, stop by and say hello.......You know Spring is just around the corner !

Update... Palisades Yacht Club............ I received the following e-mail from Mark Muckensturm with an update on the things going on at Palisades Yacht Club 

Bill.... Did you know Palisades was sold last month?  The new owner has already gutted the place. The new owner is Scott Lewis. He's the police chief of Cottleville.  My good friend Rich Agee is doing the rehab. 

    The place was really getting run down. He's planning on selling fuel again and running the place like a real harbor should be run.... 

Best Regards,

Mark Muckensturm

RiverBill says...Thanks for the update Mark !   Any additional info would be much appreciated.  Palisades has always been one of my favorite places on the river.  It has one of the best views of the cliffs from the pool and the restaurant.

 Monday .. 22 January 2007....

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Our River Pictures of the Day....... were sent in by Mary Beth Tiemann.  It's the band... Powder Keg....featuring Rickie Lee Tanner (center) at Portage Grill last Saturday night.   You should have been there !  They packed the house !   Their music is GOOD and includes everything from country,  to  Jimmy Buffett to Eric Clapton.   Make sure to catch them next time they play the river area..

Yes ...that's Dale Williams, formerly of the Jamaica Daze band..Stripper Named Phoebe, on the left.  Dale plays keyboards, mouth harm and sings in Powder Keg.

   More pictures from Saturday night in tomorrow's edition of RiverBill's 

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was named  Oh Buoy! The channel is getting narrow !     I think that it might be tough navigating your boat through these buoys. This is another one of those great River pictures taken by Steve Schulte. Take a look at his website http://www.steveschulte.com .   

United States Power Squadron's - America's Boating Club    "Boat Smart Course" being held 2/27/2007 (tues) - 3/20/2007 (tues)

BoatSmart is a 4 week class consisting of 4, 2 hour sessions

Class Location: The College School
1 Newport Place
Webster Groves, MO 63119

Click here for more info.

Grafton's Landing Restaurant located at Grafton Harbor is Closed  !  

Reported by Carl and Mary Beth Tiemann....And ...Joe DeSherlia of Grafton Harbor.

Winter River Festival and Polar Plunge............ This weekend at Louisiana, Mo. Take the short drive and join in the fun....take the plunge !

  What is a POLAR PLUNGE?  An event sponsored by the Louisiana Police Department as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics.  A few common nouns/adjectives used to describe the participants:  Idiots, crazy people, they’re out of their minds!!  The POLAR PLUNGE consists of individuals jumping, diving, or running into the Mississippi River .  The Plungers collect donations for the Special Olympics.  

Go to ..........http://www.visit-louisiana-mo.com  for more info.

 Weekend Report .. Fri, Sat Sun .....19, 20, 21 January 2007....

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Our River Picture and E-mail of the Day.......( Sunday ) is from Joe Gryiel

Bill, 

    This is a picture of a sunset a couple of months ago. Looking behind the boat is the Miss. River, we are heading through the shoot towards Capt Jacks. I am in the boat Party Cruz and hail out of Woodland Marina. 

  Thanks for the great web site, good luck in 07

Joe Grygiel
Area Manager
Southern Illinois
Air-Evac Lifeteam
417-274-0419

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Our River Picture and E-mail of the Day.......( Saturday  ) is from Capt'n Mike

Hi Bill, 

    Here's a PIC I took from our place just up from the Yacht Club Saturday afternoon of a guy with his new dock. Now that's a long slow journey. 

Thanks, 

Capt Mike.

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Our River Picture and E-mail of the Day.......( Friday )  is from Capt'n Tauni Shuck. Tauni and his friend Jeff were out doing some Winter boating a few weeks ago.

Hey Bill,

    Thought I would send you a pic from Sunday (Jan.7, 2007) at sunset.    Capt. Jeff Craig from Woodland Marina and I were
out enjoying the sunny afternoon and snapped a pic. 

   Have a great week.

Tauni

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

Sunday 

    The "Pictures of the Day", shown above, from one year ago (2006) was one of those great Steve Schulte photograph's.  He caught the silhouette large bird as it was floating in for a wet landing in water that was oozing with orange and blue reflections from the setting  sun.  

      Check out  Steve's website...... www.steveschulte.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     The "Pictures of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was a shot of the Clark Bridge that connects Alton, IL with Missouri. The Melvin Price Lock and Dam can be seen in the background. The Clark Bridge is at UMR 202.5 and Dam is at UMR 201.

Con Trios Yacht Club Website Updated........  Capt'n Darryll Weil, who hails out of Woodland Marina in the cruiser "After You", e-mailed me that the Con Trios website has been updated with the January newsletter, new board members and pictures from the Holiday Party at Crowne Plaza taken by Teri Ruf.

  Click here to go to Con Trios Yacht Club website. 

Check out the New Ads for the St. Louis Boat Show and Little John's Marine Service ..... 

    ~ Enter to win a canoe at the St. Louis Boat Show ...click on the ad for details

    ~ Little John has 2000 ft of stainless tubing, 1500 fittings and a new tube bender to repair your damaged rails !   See the ad below.

40th Birthday Party ..Keith & Teri Ruf..... 27 January 2007 at Sharky's Cove 

More info will be posted as it becomes available  or contact Ashly and Casey Ruf.

Rickie Lee Tanner & Powder Keg..... 9:00PM  Saturday Night , Jan 20th ------  Portage Grill ---- 636-899-1139

Click here to go to the Powder Keg website 

 Thursday  .....18 January 2007....

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Our River Picture and E-mail of the Day.......  is from Gayle LaMarr, who hails out of Alton Marina in the boat  "Sound Waves".   

Carol wrote: 

Hi, Bill

   Welcome Home?
   I took this picture New Years Eve coming down the river road on our way to Alton.
   We love your web site!  It has become our link to what we love and miss during the winter.    We visit your web site daily.
Thanks!
Gayle (SOUND WAVES)

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

    The "Pictures of the Day", shown above, from one year ago (2006) were submitted by Gary Lucy out of Palisades marina and are nothing short of Spectacular !    

Gary wrote in his e-mail :

Bill, 

I enjoy your river picture of the day and Alton pool information.  I have enclosed a couple if you would like to use them:  1)  Sunset on the River  2) Grafton at Sunrise.

 I have a 35' Kingscraft houseboat, The River Rover, that I am making into a river studio for my work.   She is at Palisades marina.  I am an artist with a studio and gallery in Washington, MO.  Go to www.garylucy.com for information about my work.   I have been working as an artist for 34 years and using the river as a subject for about 25 years.

 Let me know if you would like to have more photos of the river.  I have thousands.

 Keep up the good work my friend,

Gary R. Lucy  

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     The "Pictures of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........were from the Winfield Live Cam on an icy da in 2005.. The 1st pic shows the ice in the River above the lock at Winfield Dam. The 2nd pic shows a harbor tug clearing the ice away from the lock wall on up-river side of the Dam for the on coming tows. The 3rd pic shows the harbor tug breaking up more ice. Sort of looks like it could be making sharp turns by the angle of the vessel. The 4th pic shows some open water as the harbor tug starts to head up-river towards the oncoming tow. The pic of the day has the tow aligned to enter the lock. 

Rickie Lee Tanner and Powderkeg..... 9:00PM  SATURDAY NIGHT , JAN 20TH ------  PORTAGE GRILL ---- 636-899-1139

Click here to go to the PowderKeg website 

See Upcoming Events for more info.

Grafton Riverfront Lighthouse  ------  There was an article about the current plans to build a lighthouse on the Grafton riverfront in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch.....   Click here to read the story in the on-line STLtoday.com

There is a phone number in the upper left hand side of this webpage for anyone that would like to make a donation to this effort.

 Wednesday  .....17 January 2007....

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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day.......  are from Carole Bindbeutel.

Carol wrote: 

Hi Bill,

I was feeling cold on this icy Saturday morning and found this picture from the 2006 Blessing of the Fleet remembering how hot it was and how COLD that water was when we went under it.

Hopefully all the Marinas get thru this ice storm without further damaged.

Have a great weekend,
Carole

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was at the helm of RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

    The "Picture of the Day" from one year ago (2006) was sent in by

was sent in by Robert Cope of the boat Slow Ride.  Robert captured a shot of the Grafton Ferry crossing the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers at a time when there was a bit of drift wood in the water.  Those chalky white bluffs along the Great River Road can be seen in the background.

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was a shot of a wooden boat with very classic lines moored in front of the Lighthouse at the entrance to the Duck Club. This is another one of those great pictures taken by Steve Schulte. Take a look at his website http://www.steveschulte.com

RiverBill's Visitor Stats ------  The visitor stats for December 2006 are in !.

40,365 unique visitors .....2nd all time highest month for unique visits to date !

    Up  22,804 visits ......from the Dec 2005 numbers.

    Up    9,452 visits ......from the Nov 2006 numbers

    352,450 unique visits in 2006...... up 139,046 visits from the 2005 numbers.

Click here to look at the visitor stats chart.

RICKIE LEE TANNER AND POWDERKEG..... 9:00PM  SATURDAY NIGHT , JAN 20TH ------  PORTAGE GRILL 

Click here to go to the PowderKeg website 

Saint Charles Convention Center
One Convention Center Plaza
St. Charles, MO 63303

Friday       2:00pm-10:00pm
Saturday  10:00am-8:00pm
Sunday    11:00am-5:00pm

$5.00 Regular Admission, $2.00 ages 10-15, Free for 9 & under
                                      Ages 60+ $3.00 on Friday only

For more information :

http://www.letsgoshows.com/stcharles/index.html

636-669-3000

River News From Last Week

"Old" Chain of Rocks Bridge  ------  According to an article in the on-line Post Dispatch..... the National Park Service has added the 78-year-old Chain Of Rocks Bridge to the National Register of Historic Places.
 

  Click here to read the story dated 1-12-07 in the on-line STLtoday.com

River News From Last Week

The St. Louis Riverfront ------  There was an interesting editorial about the St. Louis Riverfront in on-line Post Dispatch last week......about floating Islands, swimming pools, river realism and worst case scenario..... not doing anything at all.
 

  Click here to read the story dated 1-11-07 in the on-line STLtoday.com

River News From Last Week

Choteau Island Area To Remain Closed ------  According to an article in the on-line Post Dispatch..... The river access area on Chouteau Island by the Low Water Dam will remain closed to the public through 9 February 2007.

  Click here to read the story dated 1-11-07 in the on-line STLtoday.com

 Tuesday  .....16 January 2007....

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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day.......  are from Captain Glenn Sadowski, who hails out of Woodland Marina.

Glenn wrote: 

Hi River Bill,

The power was out this morning but it came back B/4 noon.

We got out for a while and circled around the islands. There were some eagles but not quite as many as usual. Here are some photos taken today. They are pretty self explanatory. 

I hope everyone is doing well. Spring is just around the corner.

I always look forward to seeing what's going on at ''River Bills".

Glenn

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 (2006) was sent in by Jim Vineyard of the Duck Club.  Jim wrote in his e-mail:

Bill,

 Went to Tera Point Last Saturday evening for a night with friends. Took this sunset picture on the ferry ride over

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was a shot of the fresh snow that covered the Riverbanks. This picture is looking up-river near UMR 233. That is the upper end of Two Branch Island on the right hand side of the picture. There were a few sheets of ice floating in the River, but it is mostly open.

Back From Vacation ......... I am back from a much needed vacation on the island of Jamaica with a bunch of Mississippi River boating friends.   You know where it's at....Just south of Havana, Cuba....down Jimmy Buffett's way.  

    We spent a few days in Montego Bay and a couple of weeks in Negril.  What a blast it was. Each day lingered on and on, with blue skies, a few afternoon showers, blue water, warm temperatures, cold Red Stripe, rum, reggae, jerk chicken, lobster, boat rides, cookouts, snorkeling and most of all ....we got to see all of our Jamaican friends. Noel, Nicolas, Captain Jack, Elvis, Ingrid, Andre', Beverly, Crazy.  The list goes on and on. 

  A special thanks goes out to Captain Gary Bowers, who hails out of the Yacht Club,  for keeping RiverBill's on course and between the buoys while I was gone

THANKS GARY !   

    I have tons of e-mail to go through, so please be patient and I will get to them all as soon as I can.  

  Thanks for your support.

Bill

Missouri State Water Patrol News Release

   Arrest in Lake of the Ozarks Thefts------  The Missouri State Water Patrol has issued a News Release concerning arrests that have been made in the Lake of the Ozarks thefts that occurred in November of 2006 at the Parkview Bay Towers and the Palisades Yacht Club.

Click here to read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07070001 dated  01-04-2007. 

 Weekend Report.....Sun  .....14 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a shot of the Grafton ferry coming into the ferry landing in Grafton, IL just at dusk.  The sun is just showing above the tree line......And I think that the bright sky and the dark blue water lend a special effect to this picture. 

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 (2006) .....was a bright sunny picture of the upper end of Dardenne Slough with the channel and Calhoun County, IL in the distance.   I thought the late afternoon sun created an interesting affect by casting those long shadows in the foreground and everything else so bright and sunny in the distance.  Even got the shadow of my vehicle in there...Oops !

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of the Grafton Ferry in a snowy and partially frozen river. The "Hackermax" sent me this picture right after Christmas and I didn't get a chance to post it. It seems fitting to post today considering all of this snow and cold weather we have again. Thanks for the great pic "Hackermax" ! 

 Weekend Report.....Saturday   13 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a shot of the Duck Club located at about the UMR 221.5 mile marker of the Mississippi 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 (2006) .....was named "Sorry ~ No Lunch".  It's of a fox on the ice trying to catch a duck.  This pic was taken by Dave Kelly, who hails out of Woodland Marina, on one of his many trips moving boats up and down our rivers.

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was looking down river near the end of Highway C in St. Charles County at UMR 231. There are two eagles in the picture. One is in the air after taking to flight from a lower branch of the tree in the foreground and the other is sitting in the higher branches of the same tree.

 Friday  .....12 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a picture of the Golden Eagle Ferry coming towards the ferry landing next to Kinder's Restaurant on the Illinois side of the Mississippi 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 (2006) .....was named The Joy of Winterizing.  It was sent in by Gramps, AKA Lloyd Dorn.  It's a picture of his son, Rick, winterizing his 24 ft. Sun Runner at the St. Louis Yacht Club earlier in the year.  It takes a dedicated boater to get into those tight quarters.  

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was another great shot from Steve Schulte.  Make sure to take a look at Steve's website http://www.steveschulte.com . He has a lot of great pictures on it.     

January 12, 1812 in River History ------  On this day in 1812.... the New Orleans, the first steam ship to travel the Mississippi River, arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana. The steamboat experienced the New Madrid Earthquake of 1812 on this trip, but continued on to their destination. She hit a stump and sank two years later.

Click here to go to the US Army Corps Of Engineers website name "Mississippi River Navigation"   for more information.

 Thursday  .....11 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a good shot of the Clark Bridge that crosses the Mississippi River at Alton, IL.

   Dark blue winter water and a mostly clear sky ! 

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 (2006) .....was of the rusting houseboat Ma Belle setting in a harbor off of Dardenne Slough near South Shore Harbor.  Take a look at "Last Year's Picture Of The Day" below to check out how she looked a year ago on this date.  Not much change....Just rusting away near Dardenne Slough.

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of the old houseboat Ma Belle setting on the Missouri bank of the Mississippi River near South Shore Marina around UMR 226. This old rusting hull has caught my attention quite over the past years as we motored up and down Dardene Slough. I took this picture yesterday when I spotted it for the first time from the landside of the River. Looks like it might have been "some boat" in its day.

River History....Did you know ?  ------   the MacArthur Bridge, that spans the Mississippi River at St. Louis, was originally named the Municipal Bridge….And the official name of the bridge is "Gen. Douglas MacArthur Bridge"

  For more info go to http://bridges.midwestplaces.com/mo/st-louis-city/macarthur/

Wednesday  .....10 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  It's another bench with a view.  This one is in the Lincoln  Shields Access Area on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River.  You can see Alton across the river.  It's another good place to sit and watch the river flow.

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 (2006) .....was of a large bird on a point right below Sharky's Restaurant.... Looking for Lunch !  This is looking down-river towards the point where the Dardenne Slough dumps back into the river channel. Looks like there is a houseboat out in the main channel.

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of Old Glory flying proud with the bluffs on the Illinois side of the River at UMR 233.5 in the background.

River History....Did you know ?  ------  The United States Power Squadron was organized in 1914.  It's a non profit, educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in seamanship, navigation and related subjects.

  For more info go to http://www.usps.org/newpublic1/guesthome.htm

The New Issue of BoatingLifeMag.com is out.........

Click here to view the new issue.

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 on your boat..

Tuesday  .....09 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is of a bench with a view.   

   Looking for something to do....this bench is waiting for you !   It's along Highway 367, on the Missouri side of the river.   Sit , relax,  watch the river and the wildlife.  Enjoy the moment.

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 (2006) .....was of the Kar-Mill Woods Boat Club pavilion and their park area on the banks of the Mississippi River around the UMR 230 mile marker.  That is Two Branch Island across the river channel in the distance.  I bet this is a good place to " Watch The River Flow." 

For more information  

Go to .........http://www.greatriverroad.com/Pere/eventswinterpere.htm

Call 618-786-3323.

River Fact....Did you know ?  ------  Towboats have names like

 ~  Mv. City Of New Orleans

 ~  Mv. Joseph Patrick Epstein. 

  Did you know that the acronym "Mv"…….. means ……. "Merchant Vessel"

Monday  .....08 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day....... is a nice Winter scene of a few ducks swimming in some backwater from the Mississippi River near Alton, IL.  .

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 (2006) .....was a picture taken from the ferry landing in the back part of Dardenne Slough.  This is the landing used when the river comes up and the point becomes flooded.  That is Kinder's Restaurant in the distance on the Illinois side of the river.

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of the Golden Eagle Ferry heading towards the Missouri ferry landing on a bright winter day. This picture was taken from Calhoun County just down-river from Kinder's.

River History....Did you know ?  ------  The name "Grafton" was given to the township of Grafton, IL by Prescott Whittemore who was honoring his old home in New Hampshire, which was also called Grafton Township

  For more info go to http://history.rays-place.com/il/mch-grafton.htm

Weekend Report  Sunday  .....07 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a shot of one section of the new Alton Dam taken from the Missouri bank on the up-river side of the structure.   You can see a tow entering the lock in the distance.   Again we have that dark blue Winter water.

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 (2006) .....was A   "Blast From The Past"   1st  published on 03-19-05

   It is another   "Award Winning"   photo from Steve Schulte.   It is of the river bluffs and more reflections.   What a beautiful photo !    That water looks dead calm.   Make sure to check out his website by clicking on his hot-link on the right hand column of this web page.

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of the bluffs along the Great River Road taken while driving from Grafton towards Alton, IL. You can see the power plant is in the distance.

Missouri Conservationist on-line Magazine........The January 2007 on-line edition of  Missouri Conservationist on-line Magazine is out.  

   Click here to check it out

Weekend Report  Saturday      06 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is of the one section of the old Alton Dam that remains in tact on the Missouri side of the river across from the City of Alton, IL.  This shot is looking up the up the rock covered levee on the up-river side of the structure. 

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 two years ago (2005) ..........was looking at Kinders across the Mississippi River from the Golden Eagle ferry landing at the head of Dardenne Slough. The docks that float in front of the restaurant in the summer up on the bank in front of the parking lot. This time of the year really makes the "blues" stand out in a photograph.

Friday   .....05 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a shot of the Alton Riverfront.  We have some dark blue Winter water and a cloudy sky.   You can see the Alton Belle and the new entertainment complex.  

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 (2006) .....was A   "Blast From The Past"   1st  published on 02-03-05

   It is a is a series of 3 pictures of an eagle catching lunch on the Mississippi River near Alton, IL. The first picture is of the eagle right after grabbing a fish out of the river. He has one leg down and is holding the fish with the other leg sort of behind his body. In the next one he has his head down checking out the catch. (He is flying towards us.) The 3rd picture is an excellent shot of the eagle and his prey. Mr. Pat Reid of "Crystal Photography" also took this set of pictures. Check out his website http://www.crystal-photo.net.     Thanks for the pictures Pat

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of another one of those spectacular fall sunsets taken a couple of weeks ago looking up-river towards the power plant.

January 05, 1994 in River History ------  Construction on the new the Clark Bridge that crosses the Mississippi River at Alton, IL was complete. Dedication ceremonies were held on this day.

Collinsville Boat Show....... Friday through Sunday, Jan 5 - 7

Collinsville, Illinois 

Gateway Center (618-345-8998)

Highway 157 at I-55 / 70

For more information go to:

http://www.letsgoshows.com/collinsville/index.html

Thursday   .....04 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a smooth water picture of the Mississippi River with a large bird sitting on a red buoy.  

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 (2006) .....was A   "Blast From The Past"   1st published on 9-18-05.

  It is a dramatic picture a boat on fire at around 5 PM on, Sept.17,  in front of Woodland Marina.   This picture was sent in by Barbara Rhoades, Commander of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 17-04.  

  According to reports that were e-mailed to RiverBill's; no one was hurt, the boat was out of Portage and channel 2, 5 and 11 news were all there.  

River History....Did You Know  that in the first half of the 19th century the Mississippi River formed two channels at St. Louis, forming an island between them named Bloody Island. A smaller island, named Duncan's Island, was formed below the city.. 
  Fearing that the levee at St. Louis could be left high and dry……. federal assistance was obtained and under the direction of Robert E. Lee.  Levees were built on the Illinois side of the river to direct water toward the Missouri side, thus eliminating the second channel. Bloody Island was joined to the mainland of Illinois and Duncan's Island was washed away by the river
  

Click here to go to the Encyclopedia Wikipedia for more info.

Wednesday   .....03 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a picture of Palisades Yacht Club taken just at dusk late last Fall.     

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 (2006) .....was a  "Blast From The Past"   1st  published on 7-06-05.

   It is a of a tow and a runabout .  I heard that the two vessels had a near near collision  right in front of Iowa Island.   Captain Gerry Richardson took these pictures and sent them in.  Thanks Gerry !

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     The "Picture of the Day" from two years ago (2005) ..........was of a sunrise taken from the deck of Mike D's house. The ice was floating down river in sheets that day. Thanks for the picture Mike.

River History....Did you know ?  ------  The Mississippi River flood of 1993 was the worst in U.S. history. It covered 17,000 square miles in nine states. Forty-eight people died in the 1993 Mississippi River flood. Damages where estimated as $15 to 20 billion.

  For more info go to http://www.mhhe.com/earthsci/geology/mcconnell/saf/miss.htm

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 on your boat..

Tuesday   .....02 January 2007....

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Our River Picture of the Day.......  is a "Golden"....Golden Eagle Sunset.  

   It's the Golden Eagle Ferry with a golden sunset in the background.  

   The ferry is loading cars on the Illinois side of the Mississippi river for their trip to Missouri.

Look at those colors !  

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 (2006) .....was a "Blast from the Past" picture.......1st published on 7-06-05. 

   It's "Herbie",  the Love Bug,  rolling on the Mississippi River.  The pic was sent in by Kathleen Tackett and Eric Williams of Portage.  Kathleen wrote that this was the talk of the river last weekend among their group of "Riverizers".  Their river crew spends a lot of time at the new sand bar beach across from Sherwood Harbor that they have named Willaimsburg !    Thanks Kathleen and Eric for sending in this one of a kind river picture....

  Take a look at the archives on 07-07-05 for more pictures of the floating love bug.

River History....Did you know ?  ------  Pere Marquette State Park Lodge was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1933-1939, opening for business in 1940. 

  For more info go to http://www.ilresorts.com/pml/

Missouri Boaters...It's Time  ------  to send in your Missouri  "Motor Fuel Refund Claim" form.

    Click here for the "Motor Fuel Refund Claim Form

    Click here for the Marine Fuel Purchases Form

 New Years Monday   .....01 January 2007....

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Our 1st  River Picture of the Day.......  is a Two Branch Sunrise.  It's a bit different with the silhouettes of the trees in the foreground and the orange and yellow colors in the morning sky reflecting on the water.

 Happy New Year to All 

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 (2006) .....was a special sun rise for the new year.  Captain Dave Kelly took this sot of a sun rise "somewhere up-river" on one of his many trips moving boats up and down the waterways.  Dave wrote that it was one of the unusual sunrises he had ever seen.

New Years Day Fund Raiser  to promote water-skiing for Disabled Athletes

WATER-SKIING ON NEW YEARS DAY on the Mississippi in front of the ARCH in St Louis 

CRAZY sure it is but I have done this to raise $$$$$$$$ for Charity. The $$$ raised will promote water-skiing for Disabled Athletes who are now forced to be in Wheelchairs. 

The money raised is used to purchase specialized water-skis & equipment for the Disabled. We will be doing some Snow Skiing this winter & the we then do an annual Learn to Water Ski Day on Creve Coeur Lake every July with over 50 Disabled Athletes water-skiing for two days ITS AWESOME and we now have a Specialized Wakeboard for them to ride on as well. 

None of this would be available for the Disabled Athletes with out the courage of several people who raise $$$ MONEY & water-ski on New Years Day and the many friends & sponsors who donate their $$ to the event along with the support & sponsorship of STATEAMIND Watersports and TIGE Boats who bring the Boats to the river so we can ski 

For more information click here