Fri, Sat, Sun .... 30, 31 march & 01 April  2007........

Welcome To The Weekend 

@ 11:50 AM

Our River Picture of the Day...Sunday... is of some of the River Crew at Longshot Saloon on Saturday night.    Longshot Saloon is located on the river at Portage Des Sioux .  They are open for the season.... 636- 899 - 1104

Open Thurs & Fri  at ......4:00PM   

Open Sat & Sun  at...... 12:00 Noon

Happy Hour 4 -7 PM on Thurs & Fri...$1.75 Beer...$0.35 Wings

Thurs...$0.69 Tacos 7-9 PM

Appetizers, Pizzas, Burgers 

Full menu coming soon

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Our River Pictures and e-mail of the Day...Saturday... are from Jan DeSherlia of Grafton Harbor fame. 

Jan wrote:

Hi Bill,

We have a slip holder that has earned the name "Bumper" here at Grafton Harbor.
He thought that he could get even with us by paying his annual slip rental in one dollar bills!

Brian and Linda are enjoying a beautiful March day in their dingy! How lucky are we to have such great weather this time of year.

Jan

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day...Friday... are from Tauni Shuck.  He sent us another flood picture.  

Tauni wrote:

Hey Bill,

    How are ya doing? I am itching for this water to start 
dropping.
Slipped off today with Johnny P of Eagles Landing for a river day and snapped this shot of the high water coming into Eagles Landing marina

Tauni

RiverBill says.... Thanks for the picture Tanui.....  A person can get a feel for how much the water has come up by looking at your picture.. Helps put it all in perspective.   

Yester Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was steering RiverBill's up-river on this day in years past ? 

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

  CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Sunday 

  The "Picture of the Day"  in 2005  was   is an aerial shot of the   Missouri River, Highway 40 bridge and a great sunset   taken by Steve Schulte 

 ~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

  CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Saturday

  The "Picture of the Day"  in 2005  was  great view from the deck   of Aeries Riverview Winery, located high on the bluffs above Grafton, IL.

 ~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

  CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Friday 

  The "Pictures of the Day" on this day in 2005  were a series of  6 pictures named,  "It doesn't look good !"     What is that guy doing wading in the water at the boat ramp ?     Again, we have a few clues -- OH NO !.   it's another vehicle in the water.   Keep pulling -- just a little further.    OK -   Just a little more ---Pull !  Now that we are checking things out --   are there any fish in there ?     Yes, everyone agrees What a mess !     

    These pictures were taken by Lisa Beckman a couple of summers ago at the Long Shot Saloon in Portage Des Sioux.   She was quick to point out that it wasn't her truck, nor did it belong to any of her friends and that it took two different tow trucks to get it out. 

IDNR NEWS RELEASE..... CPO II Jon Davis of the IL. Conservation Police sent us some information about National Safe Boating Week, press releases on the  Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) web site, along with safety courses and boating rules and regulations.

RiverBill,

   Hope everyone is having a safe spring. With National Safe Boating Week coming up this May 19-25, 2007, just before the Memorial Day holiday, check out the IDNR web-site and go under the press releases section for March. 
    This will give updated information on boat safety courses. Illinois also has an on-line safety course that is offered for a small fee.   All boating related rules and regulations can be accessed by going to the IDNR homepage, click under agency offices, then click on legislation. 

   All compiled statutes, and administrative rules will be available 
there.


CPO II Jon Davis, IL. Conservation Police
Region IV, Dist. 9

RiverBill says...Thanks for the information Jon....Please continue to keep us informed.

Grafton Ferry Update ------ Talked to the folks in the Grafton Ferry Company on Friday afternoon     The Coast Guard is going to do an inspection on Monday.....The ferry should be back in service sometime next week.    
   Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available

Long Shot Saloon  ------ opens for business this weekend !  

  Portage Des Sioux  ........ 636- 899 - 1104 

Open Thurs & Fri  at ......4:00PM 

Open Sat & Sun  at...... 12:00 Noon                            

Happy Hour 4 -7 PM on Thurs & Fri...$1.75 Beer...$0.35 Wings

Thurs...$0.69 Tacos 7-9 PM  

Appetizers, Pizzas, Burgers 

Full menu coming soon

ITCS Memo 2519 ....Lock 24 ...Scheduled Closure Cancelled ---  The 3rd scheduled closure of lock 24 has been cancelled. The Corps of Engineers has completed all necessary work during first 2 scheduled closures. 

Click here to read the ITCS Memo #2519  

Mississippi River Forecast….  Click here today's river stages and forecast.  

Missouri Conservation Magazine........The April on-line edition of  

Missouri Conservationist on-line Magazine is out..      

Click here to take a look !

Missouri River Communities Network........Added a link to the Missouri River Communities Network website in the left hand column.  

   "The Missouri River Communities Network (MRCN) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve and restore the historic, cultural and natural resources of the Missouri River and its surrounding communities, and to encourage citizen participation in these endeavors."

    Click here to go to the Missouri River Communities Network website. 

Saturday  May 12 ..........       

Missouri River Relief 

Clean-up Banks of Missouri River Near St. Charles 

Assemble at the pavilion near the Lewis & Clark Boathouse adjacent to riverfront Frontier Park in St. Charles

For more info go to:

http://www.riverrelief.org/events/07stcharles.html

With Deepest Sympathy........ Little John, of Little John's marine Service, sent us the following e-mail :
 
I am very saddened to let people know that Keith Ruf's uncle passed away this (Thursday) evening.

He happens to be one of three people left in Kieth's own family. The mans name is Edgar Swinsord (age mid 60s). Many of the older crowd on the river will know who I am speaking of. He and Kieth's father built the house that Kieth lives in. There are many pictures and old movies of life in our setting today, as it was then. (the 50s). In a better time, I know Keith will show them to people interested. Keith may or may not be happy for me to send this out, But this was a person that had the foresight and started the enjoyment of the river that we all enjoy today. I am calling out, as a true river person, for people to come and show respect for one of the people that started in making our great river experiences possible for all of us.

Kieth , Ashly, and Casy really need a hug right now, they really have their hands full. This gentleman's wife needs to know that we, the people in today's world, appreciate just what her husband has done to get us where we are today.

Edgar Swinsord will be laid out at Baue Funeral home Sun. 2.00 till 5.00
                                                                  
Funeral Mon. 10.00

Thanks
Little John.

 Thursday .... 29 March  2007........ 

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Our River Pictures and e-mail of the Day...... are from boaters from the Duck Club Yacht Club that are cruising around in the waters off Florida !.

HI River Bill,

    We took our boat, STARSHIP, from the Duck Club to Florida. We keep it in Lighthouse Point on the east coast. We travel to the Exuma Islands south of Nassau with the boat, Over The Edge, also from the Duck Club. 

  Here is a shot of us running off the Florida coast and one of our latest catches. It's a 65 lb whahoo. 

   We enjoy your site all winter.... since we have been boating on the river since 1973. Keep up the good work.

Al and Annette Morgan

RiverBill says....A "Big Hello" from all the boaters in St. Louis !      We are envious.   Whahoo.....Looks like a blast !

   Enjoy and keep us up-to-date on your travels. 

Yester Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was steering RiverBill's up-river on this day in years past ? 

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

  CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

  The "Pictures of the Day" on this day of the week in 2006  were a series of sunset shots sent in by Robert Cope.... of the boat Slow Ride. 

Robert wrote in his e-mail: 

    Went to Principia College again, but this time we went hiking and found a way all the way out on the tip of the bluffs, It was such a nice view, and a great sunset, my son and I just sat there for about an hour and a half, even though we were both freezing.  To top it all off, a barge came along at just the right time to make it complete.....

Robert Cope

Long Shot Saloon  ------ is opening for business today  

  Portage Des Sioux  ........ 636- 899 - 1104 

Open Thurs & Fri  at ......4:00PM 

Open Sat & Sun  at...... 12:00 Noon                            

Happy Hour 4 -7 PM on Thurs & Fri...$1.75 Beer...$0.35 Wings

Thurs...$0.69 Tacos 7-9 PM  

Mississippi River Forecast….  Click here today's river stages and forecast.  

        Winfield will drop below flood stage on Friday

        Grafton is forecast to stay just a bit above flood stage for a while

Missouri River Relief ------  There was a news article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch about this year's clean-up effort on the Missouri River....all the way from St. Louis to the first dam, 805 river miles upstream in South Dakota 

    Click here to read the article on STLtoday.com

Party at Kinder's   ------    April 28th ........ 8 PM - 12 midnight

 The Works Band  will be playing the tunes ........Let's Dance ! 

    Click her for Kinder's Restaurant website

Found….  Box of tools.... at the Yacht Club of St. Louis. 

         To claim.....e-mail RiverBill with description .. riverbill@prodigy.net

RiverBill's Upcoming Events Page  ------    

Add your event  ....Just send an e-mail to riverbill@prodigy.net

 Wednesday .... 28 March  2007........ 

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day......is from Fran Kennedy.

River Bill,

Our Chip sired 6 Dachshund puppies this thanksgiving with Tinkerbell, they are precious.

Fran Kennedy

Marty Faupe

RiverBill says....Looks like you have River Dawgs everywhere !  

Yester Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was steering RiverBill's up-river on this day in years past ? 

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

  CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

  The "Picture of the Day" on this day in 2005  was a series of four.   

We named them

Guess what we caught at the boat ramp ?"     

  These pictures are from the 80's. I think they were taken at John's Boat Harbor and I am not exactly sure who all the people are anymore.   If you need a few clues as to what they caught -- click here.   Yep - It looks like a wet SUV.    How wet is it ?   REAL WET !

Mississippi River Forecast….  Click here for current river stages and forecast.

Found….  Box of tools.... at the Yacht Club of St. Louis. 

         To claim.....e-mail RiverBill with description .. riverbill@prodigy.net

Long Shot Saloon  ------ in Portage Des Sioux is opening for business this Thursday !      636- 899 - 1104 

Open Thurs & Fri  at ......4:00PM 

Open Sat & Sun  at...... 12:00 Noon                            

Happy Hour 4 -7 PM on Thurs & Fri...$1.75 Beer...$0.35 Wings

Thurs...$0.69 Tacos 7-9 PM  

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 .... 27 March  2007........ 

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day......is from Barb Appel.  Barb sent in the "top picture" and the following e-mail:

Bill,
   Here's a picture of the high water at Kinder's Saturday.

   Brian and Dana Graff, my husband Brad Appel, and I, took a ride over the high water to Illinois Saturday on the Golden Eagle Ferry. We also crossed on the Brussel Ferry and made stops at Kinder's, the Loading Dock, and Mississippi Half Step. It was a great spring day enjoying the river we all hope to be boating on soon.

Barbara Appel

RiverBill says...the 2nd picture is a closer view that I took on Sunday.... the water is starting to get close to the concrete deck pilings.  

Yes... that is Ernie on the porch steps.

Mississippi River Forecast….  the Mississippi River is forecast to stay above flood stage for a while at Winfield and Grafton........The good news is that the crests have been lowered !

Click here for current river stages and forecast.

Con Trios Yacht Club's Spring Ice Breaker Pics -----  Capt'n Darryll Weil has the Con Trios website updated with pictures from  the first event of the season....The Spring Ice Breaker.   

Click here to go to the Con Trios website.....click on the links from there..

Update...Water Resources Development Act -----  The bill was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the 15th of March.  Now the Committee Chairman is urging leadership to schedule it for House floor consideration.
   Among other things ....the bill would authorize navigation improvements and ecosystem restoration on the Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois Waterways…. 

Click here to read the news article in the Waterways Journal

ITCS Memo 2518 ....Illinois & Mississippi River Update ---  for miles 50.0 -230.9 of the Illinois River and miles  241.4 - 324.8 of the Upper Mississippi River.

Click here to read the ITCS Memo #2518  

Capt'n Jack's Bar and Grill  ------ is opening for business on Wed, April 11. 

Grand Opening.... Saturday, April 14th

Music by the band Rail

Click here for more info

The Band Powder Keg  ------ is scheduled to play at KJ's Place in Portage Des Sioux, MO on May 5th....(Formerly Portage Grill ) .   

Illinois Conservation Police  ------ the link to the Illinois Conservation Police, in the left hand column,  has been fixed.  ( again )

   Click here and check it out...write the phone numbers down in your boat...put them into your cell phone.

 Monday .... 26 March  2007........ 

Our River Picture of the Day......is of a birdhouse along the riverbank just above the Golden Eagle ferry landing on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.  The flood waters are taking over land that is usually dry.  Lots of the floating derbis..

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was steering RiverBill's up-river on this day in years past ? 

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

  The "Picture of the Day" on this day in 2005  was an   aerial shot of the river   taken by Steve Schulte.   The aircraft is flying down-river, around the UMR 217 mile marker, heading towards Portage Des Sioux.   Looks like "Slim Island" on the right hand side of the windshield, just a bit down-river from that southbound tow.   I think that the next island down river on the right hand side is "Portage Island".   Check out Steve's website with the hot-link on the right hand side of this web page.  

Capt'n Jack's Bar and Grill  ------ opening for business on Wednesday, April 11. 

Grand Opening Saturday, April 14th

Music by the band Rail

Click here for more info

Mississippi River Forecast….. As of 8:30 PM on Saturday

   The Mississippi River is forecast to go above flood stage at Winfield and Grafton today.  Alton is forecast be high, but expected to stay below flood stage.

Click here for current river stages and forecast.

Golden Eagle Ferry  ------ was using the ferry landing in the "back of Dardenne Slough" on Sunday due to the high water.    

RiverBill's Upcoming Events Page  ------    

Add your event  ....Just send an e-mail to riverbill@prodigy.net

 Friday .... 23 March  2007........  WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND !

 Updated Sun @ 4:30 PM 

Our River Picture of the Day......Sunday.... was taken by Jennifer and sent in by Mike Reed of the Valley Sailing Association.

Mike wrote:

Yes, there is very competitive sailing that goes on between Happy Hours on the river in/on the Alton Lake!

Mike Reed
Valley Sailing Association

www.valleysailing.org

RiverBill says: Great photo Jennifer...Thanks for sending it in Mike !

Our River Picture of the Day......Saturday.... is from Kinder's Restaurant on Friday night.  They are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.   Stop in and say hello, have a clod drink and something to eat..

Life Is Right

It's Friday Night

At Kinder's Restaurant

RiverBill, Mary and Carl during "Martini Hour" at Kinder's Restaurant on Friday night.

Click here to checkout Kinder's new website....pictures and info being added daily.

Click here to check out this year's menu.

Our River Picture of the Day......Friday....was sent in by Steve Schulte in 2004...I think it's one of those shots that is timeless...I've named it

It's Flood Season Again.

  Looks like a person could walk all the way from one bank to the other.

The river is coming up.....Click here for the river levels, river forecast and weather.

Last Year's River Picture of the Day  ------  What picture was steering RiverBill's up-river on this day in years past ? 

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

Sunday

  The "Picture of the Day" on this day in 2005  was of the   Piasa Bird   that is painted on one of the bluff walls near Alton, IL.   This picture was taken from the new parking lot that is next to the Great River Road and the Mississippi River.   The Piasa Bird painting will be real noticeable to motorist and boaters alike this summer because it will be illuminated at night.

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

Saturday  

  The "Picture of the Day" on this day in 2005  was of part of the river-town of   Grafton, IL. as seen from the bluffs above the city.   The large building with the red roof is the Loading Dock and the sandbar on the right is at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

Friday

  The "Picture of the Day" on this day in 2005  was of a   runabout that crashed through the side of a cruiser.   Looks like the bow of the smaller boat went all the way through the cruiser, knocked the top loose and up away from the boat.   Captain Gary Bowers, who hails out of  Woodland Marina, sent in this picture.   He is not sure of the origin, but I did notice that the cruiser has Missouri numbers on it.   They are probably "Lake Boaters".  

Mississippi River Forecast….. As of 9:15 AM on Saturday

   The Mississippi River is forecast to go above flood stage at Winfield on Monday and above flood stage at Grafton on Sunday.  The Alton is forecast be high, but below flood stage.

Click here for current river stages and forecast.

This Saturday, March 24 - Con Trios Yacht Club's Spring Ice Breaker 

Pere Marquette Lodge

~~ See ya there ~~

Click here for more info. 

Click here to look at pictures from last year's event...It was country western boaters having fun.

Noodling for Catfish ------  There was a news article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch..... about how noodling for catfish may soon be a thing of the past.

   Noodling is a method of catching catfish by hand.   Noodlers poke around in underwater caves and crevices with their bare hands for fish instead of using a rod and reel.  Sometimes they come up with snakes, beavers and turtles....Yikes.
   

    Click here to read the article on STLtoday.com

Hydroelectric power plant at Melvin Price Lock and Dam ------  Capt'n Robert Cope, of the boat "Slow Ride", sent us a link to a news article in yesterday's on-line Post Dispatch..... about building a hydroelectric power plant at the Melvin Price lock and dam at Alton Illinois.  The plant would be capable of a generating capacity of 60 to 100 megawatts.

    Click here to read the article on STLtoday.com

Grafton Ferry Update ------ Talked to the folks in the Grafton Ferry Company on Monday ……….The ferry is "tentatively" scheduled to be back in service at the end of the month. 
   Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available

Safe Boating Course ------ Gus ELia sent us the following information about the United States Power Squadron's Safe Boating Course.

Hi Bill,

   I'm going to do a Safe Boating course at Kilroy's Restaurant starting on Tuesday April 3rd. This course will cater to the student of Orchard Farm High School but everyone is invited. Please post the attached flyer. Lori will be serving dinner before class.

Gus Elia

Click here for more info

 Thursday .... 22 March  2007....

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Our River Picture of the Day......is from Milt and Fran Ohlsen....who are wintering in the Bahamas......and....they check out RiverBill's to see what is happening on the Mississippi River here in St. Louis.

Milt and Fran wrote:

   Life is good here in the Abacos---thru your website we have watched winter storms take their toll on the river, and pleased to just read about it! 

   The cruising life fits us and we will soon leave here to summer in the Chesapeake before returning here next winter.

Milt/Fran Ohlsen 

49' Krogen Express 

Sea Fox    

~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

RiverBill says.....I had to e-mail Milt and Fran back and ask them to tell me more about themselves and their journeys.   

Capt'n Milton sent me the following reply;

Bill,

     I was on the Board of the Duck Club and for the two years prior to last year I headed up the Spring event there that featured a Boat Show, Chili Blast and "Yard Sale" that attracted a bunch of people and signaled the start of the Boating Season. 

  I also represented the DCYC and the boaters on the Pool in working with the Corps to find safe solutions to our concerns. 
  Been a boater on the River for 20 years and tickled the cash registers of boat stores frequently----lived in St Charles till last June when we retired, sold our home, moved aboard the Sea Fox and went to the North Channel before turning around and coming back thru the Inland Waters to Mobile and eventually to the Abacos in early January.       What a ride it has been!! 
    Next month we head back to Florida and then to the Chesapeake for the summer/fall before doing the St Johns River--then back to the Bahamas!     We are, to my limited knowledge, part of only a handful of boaters from the Pool who have done this. 
    I have taken quite a number of photos---tell me if you want me to send some--and if so, what subject matter? 

Take care,
Capt Milton Ohlsen

.  RiverBill says.....Please send us some pictures of your journeys Milton.  Pick some out that the boaters in St. Louis would enjoy looking at.....  Be safe and enjoy !