Tuesday ...... 31 October 2006 ....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day.....  Are from Robert, Slow Ride, Cope.

Robert wrote:

Bill, 
   Was out on the river Saturday and Sunday to take in the Fall colors. Got a few good Panorama pics you may want to share with the group. 

The Mi.Queen was at Grafton Sunday and I took a few up close pics. I'll send you those tonight when I get home. 

Robert Cope

 RiverBill says........Thanks for the great sunset pictures Robert !  Those colors are beyond description this time of year......... 

   Look for a panoramic pic of the river bluffs from Robert on RiverBill's tomorrow ! 

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

The "Pictures of the Day" from one year ago  were sent in by Roy Jonas...And... you have to admit this is something that you don't see on the river everyday........

Roy wrote in his e-mail:

Attached are some pictures of my three daughters and a friend practicing some cheerleading on Iowa Island Sunday 10/30/05. This was our last boat outing as I winterized that afternoon.

 RiverBill says........Roy took some good action shots of their routine........up, up and away, with a safe landing.   I love the expressions on the faces of the girls.... as the one becomes air born..... and again........ as they catch her.  Good job, girls !

Boat Burning Halloween Tradition......   The Long Island Maritime Museum hosts a boat burning party around this time of year for local residents . 

Click here and check it out !

Pumpkin Boat Races......  We might make cardboard boats and race them in the St. Louis area.....but for something a little different  click here for a picture from the MainePumpkins.com website of a "pumpkin boat" equipped with an outboard motor and ready to race! 

For more pumpkin boat pic's  click here.

Grafton TV Ad  ------  According to an article on TMC.net....... the river town of Grafton, IL  received a grant from the state of Illinois  that will help pay for television ad's promoting Grafton tourism. 

Click here and check it out on TMC.net

Fall Colors Predictions......Missouri Department of Conservation foresters update fall color reports weekly from mid-September through early-November.  

 Click here for this weeks forecast. 

Another Flu-like  Outbreak On The Mississippi  Queen  ------  According to an article in the on-line La Crosse Tribune  .....The the Mississippi Queen has cancelled it's cruise from St. Louis to St. Paul after more people became ill with flu-like symptoms

Click here and check it out in the  lacrossetribune.com.

Funding For A New Research Center Near the National Great Rivers Museum  ------  According to an article on on-line Alton Telegraph....Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is expected to announce $6.8 million in funding fto build a field and research station next to the National Great Rivers Museum at Lock and Dam 26 across the Mississippi River from Alton, IL..  

Click here to read the article in the on-line Alton Telegraph.

River Report on last weekend's Boat Trip to Mel's ......... from Jeff and Sherri Easley

Hey RiverBill,

   The trip to Mels was really nice, with a light jacket it was comfortable, I had Texas smoked chicken breast and it was excellent, the wife had smoked beef brisket and I think it was one of the tastiest things I've ever had. I give mad props to Mels..lol..
   There were about 5 of us, although I ran ahead of the pack. It was The slow ride (Robert), Whats up (Jim) and a coupla others. We had a great time on a nice day that will more than likely be my last trip til spring, I'm already dreding it. You do a great job on your site, keep up the good work, I check in at least every day to see what's happening. I think the water temp may be acting up on your site, my boat said 49 degrees water temp...brrrr..
Take care, say hello to the Mrs.
Jeff and Sherri Easley

RiverBill says...Thanks for the update Jeff and Sherri...Mel's a good Illinois River destination....Good people and great food.    

   Dr Bike also alerted me about the water temp not being right.  We are working on it.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Fishing Report......... for 10-27-06  is out for the  Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

Click here for the Mississippi River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.  

Click here for the Illinois River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.  

For the complete report go to http://www.ifishillinois.org

 Monday ...... 30 Boatober 2006 ....

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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day.....  

Hi Bill, 
   Here are a few pics of the recovery team loading the boat that burned in Grafton on Oct 2nd...I was just returning from the trip to Mels Dockside a few of us made and got back in time to get a few shots of their effort...

Jeff Easley

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

The Pictures of the Day from one year ago are from a few of the River Halloween parties in 2005.  

The first is from the Sand Bar.....Who said they weren't having a party !

Fred and Wilma at Sharkys

Some scary folks at Capt'n Jack's

Some soldiers ( ? )In line waiting for the ferry

A lovely couple at Kinders

   Happy Birthday Brandon Slayden

Elsah, IL..... A Bit of History ------  There was an article in the on-line Alton Telegraph last week about the river town of Elsah, IL that is located around the  UMR 214 mile marker of the Mississippi River. It contains a lot of interesting information about the town.  

Click here and check it out !

 Fri, Sat & Sun ...... 27, 28, 29 Boatober 2006 ....

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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day..(Saturday)...... were sent in by Luttrell Marine

Bill:

Here are the pictures of Tip's Boat who is returning to the river from Florida for the 2007 Boating Season.

Florida boating just couldn't beat boating with all his friends here at home on the Mississippi. 

Richard Luttrell picked up the boat last week in Florida on a return trip after a delivery to Marco Island. 

Welcome Back to the River Tip!!! 

Who in the heck is "Tip" you say...Click here and .Click here

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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day....( Friday ) .... were sent in by Steve Schulte

Steve wrote: 

Hello Bill,

I was doing a helicopter photo job last Friday afternoon down town and we had a few minutes to make a quick detour to the river front for a few pics!

Enjoy Steve

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 on this day last year was sent in by Mike Kolisch of the boat "Cool Breeze".   Mike wrote in his e-mail:

My wife Joan  and I were cruising along the bluffs below Grafton today (Tuesday, Oct.25) checking out the Fall colors and the Mississippi Queen came by.....  What a sight !

Saturday  

The Picture of the Day on this day last year was of  a river dredge and it's dredging equipment locking through Winfield Dam about 4:50 PM on a Thursday afternoon.   Looks like there is a towboat in the back pushing everything down river.

   This picture came off of the Winfield Live-Cam.

.

Sunday    2:30 PM

The Picture of the Day on this day last year was of a small section of a much larger  river landscape  (that stretches for 42 inches ) sent in by Mike Kolisch.   Mike took this river landscape in seven different shots and pieced it together for us.   What a picture.    This is one of the best pictures I have seen of the bluff 

area.   It just keeps gong and going.   

  A scaled down version of this picture was the header picture for RiverBill's  for almost a year.   Thanks Mike !

Capt'n Jack's Bar and Grill..Closed For The Year.......  Matt, one of the bar tenders at  Capt'n Jack's  sent us the following e-mail:

Hi Bill, 

Denise closed Captain Jack's last night for the season, we will not be open this weekend. Thanks to all our great customers for joining us during our second year. We'll be open next Spring bigger and better and under new management. 

Matt

Zebra Mussels........ This one is sort of river related........

   According to an article in the on-line news service.....Kansas.com.........An alert marina worker in Texas stopped the spread of the dreaded zebra mussel into that state.

Click here to read the story in the Kansas.com news service.

The River Trip to Mel's in Hardin........ The group trip up to Mels has been moved from this Sat to this Sunday due to more favorable wind/weather on Sunday. We'll be leaving ISL 526 and heading for Mels at 11:30 Sunday. (don't forget to set your clock back Saturday night). Given my Slow Ride, I'll get to Mel's at about 1:00 others with go-fast boats will prob arrive a bit sooner.

Additional / Developing Info is here: http://whatsupontheriver.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=714&start=30 

If anyone is interested in joining but doesn't have/want a login to the bulletin board, I'd ask that they send an e-mail by noon on Sat to me at: rcope2@sbcglobal.net. Let me know how many people in your party and when you think you'll be arriving, and I'll make a reservation for a room or tables depending on how many confirmations I get..………

Robert Cope 

Cedar Hill Resort Update .......Stop by this weekend and say goodbye for the year.  

Carrie Ash e-mail us an update on Cedar Hill.

Bill,

   Please let everyone know this weekend will be our last this year. We will re-open 1st weekend in May with new docks on the river. 

   This weekend's Hours-Saturday.... 11:00 to 9:00 

                                            Sunday....... 11:00 to 7:00

Tell everyone we would love to see them.

Carrie

With Deepest Sympathy........ We report a great loss for Debbie House of John's Boat Harbor.  Debbie's father passed away last Sunday.  

The memorial service will be this Saturday. 
Visitation starts at 1:00 and memorial service will start at 2:00 at the Discovery Church,  8134 Mexico Rd (at corner of Belleau Creek Rd) in St. Peters. 

Corn Maze ......Is open for business this weekend !


Hey Bill, 
The corn maze is owned and ran by my Dad (Wayne Boschert), Brother (Scott Boschert), and I (Don Boschert). This is our first year doing a corn maze and plan on doing a corn maze with a different theme every year. It has been something we talked about for a couple of years now. With me being in the party rental business already (Fund Ways of Missouri 636-250-4200), it worked out pretty well. We did not design the picture of the maze, it was done by an expert threw a company in Pennsylvania. They helped us get started and taut us how to make the maze. We start designing the corn as soon as it starts growing the first weeks of June. Some of the techniques are secret so I cannot get into that. It does take about a month to lay everything out and cut the corn. Believe me, you do not want to be standing in a corn field in the months of June and July ITS HOT! 
  Their are two different mazes here. We have our big maze which take about an hour and half to complete because its just not a maze its also a scavenger hunt, and our mini maze which is shaped as a cow for the little guys with a different game. 
We do have a lot of different things besides the corn maze when you come here. We have a pumpkin patch, so you can pick your own pumpkin along with Indian corn, straw bales, and corn stalks everything you need to dress up you house. A petting zoo with live farm animals to feed and pet. You can take a hay ride in our corn field. Eat some BBQ we have prepared under our huge tent or buy some canned goods we have for sale to take home. Something the kids love to do is go swimming in our pool filled with shelled corn. 
There are lots of things to do when you come out. So plan on spending the day when you come! 

Look Forward To Seeing You, 
The Boschert Family

 River Thursday ...... 26 October 2006 ....

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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day........ were sent in by Captain Carl Seidler, who hails out of Grafton Harbor.

Carl wrote: 

Bill, 

  Marsha and I took a cruise this evening (Tuesday).  Was a little cool but sure was pretty with the best colors to come yet. 

Here is a few pictures I took.

Take Care ,

Carl 

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

    The River Picture of the Day was sent in by Robert "Slow Ride" Cope.  He snapped a shot of the ferry heading towards the Missouri side of the confluence with the changing colors along the bluffs in the background....And ..there are a few motorcycle riders up front enjoying the view.  

Cedar Hill Resort Update .......Stop by this weekend and say goodbye for the year.  

Carrie Ash e-mail us an update on Cedar Hill.

Bill,

   Please let everyone know this weekend will be our last this year. We will re-open 1st weekend in May with new docks on the river. 

   This weekend's Hours-Saturday.... 11:00 to 9:00 

                                            Sunday....... 11:00 to 7:00

Tell everyone we would love to see them.

Carrie

Missouri River Relief  - Collects Info on Missouri River Trash........ According to an article in the on-line Post Dispatch .....The Missouri River Relief Organization recently passed through the St. Charles area gathering information on trash in the Missouri River.   The data will be compiled and used for future river clean-up efforts.

Click here to read the story on STLtoday.com  

October 26 & 27, 2002 in River History ------  The Grafton Ferry celebrated it's Grand Opening Weekend.  The ferry began regular operation the following week.

Click here for more information.

 River Wednesday ...... 25 October 2006 ....

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Our River Pictures and E-mail of the Day........ were sent in by Sherri Stanczak.  They are some aerial shots of Captain Jacks Marina.

Sherri wrote: 

Bill, 

  Here are the aerials of Captain Jack's. I am doing a marina profile on them for Heartland Boating Magazine next spring. We may send in a couple of these pictures. My husband, Mike, took these last week from his powered parachute. 

Talk with you soon. 

Sherri

RiverBill says....Thanks for the pictures Sherri....and...Good luck on the article, we will be looking forward to reading it.

Note:  You may have seen Mike and Sherri flying around above the river from time to time in their back and red powered parachute.

Our 2nd River Pictures and E-mail of the Day........ were sent in by Lockhardt.  They are pictures from last Saturday's ACBS Fall Classic..Parade Down the River.

Alice wrote: 

Bill,

The first annual ACBS Fall Classic was a GREAT success! We have lots of pictures that will be ready to share later this week! It was exciting to see everyone at Grafton Harbor enjoying lunch and conversation before the "parade down the river" began! 
The colors were beautiful as well as the sight of the boats together. 
Looking forward to next year! Here are a couple pictures sent by Timothy Miller from the bridge of Timtation (1968 Chris Craft Commander Express)....Thanks Tim!

WHAT A GREAT DAY ON THE RIVER!!!!! 

Thank you to the staff of Grafton Harbor and the GREAT service and food at the restaurant!!!

Alice

RiverBill says....Can't wait to see your pictures of those classic boats.

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

    The River Picture of the Day was aa Golden Sunset taken from the Grafton Ferry by Debbie House, of Affiliated Insurance and John's Harbor, while on a motorcycle ride last year.  

Capt'n Jack's Is Coming Back Next Year... BIGGER and BETTER .......

Denise Groecki, one of the owners,  told me the following items are currently......... "in the works"......   for Capt'n Jack's in 2007.

• New 50' & 60' docks in the lower harbor.

• 3 new buildings for 280 rack storage spots. 

• To make the bands sound even better:

  • New carpet on the floor and half way up the wall in the bar / restaurant 

  • New acoustic tile on the ceiling

• New paint for the bar and restaurant.......

  • No more writing on the walls!

Mississippi Queen .......According to their on-line schedule....The Mississippi Queen is scheduled to depart from the St. Louis Riverfront today and head up-river towards Hannibal, Mo.  The excursion boat should pass through pool 26 today, unless there are still problems from the flu like illness they recently had to deal with on-board.

  Click here for more information on the schedules

  See yesterday's edition for more information on the on-board illness.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Fishing Report......... for 10-20-06  is out for the  Mississippi River.

Click here for the Mississippi River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.  

Click here for the Illinois River report dated 10-14-06 and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.  

For the complete report go to http://www.ifishillinois.org

 River Tuesday ...... 24 October 2006 ....

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Our River Pictures And E-mail of the Day........ Are from Captain Robert Cope of the boat "Slow Ride". Robert took a boat ride this past weekend and sent us an e-mail and some pictures.

Robert wrote: 

   It was cold, and it was windy, but I had to see the bluffs. Even had whitecaps on the way out, but the wind died down a little as the day wore on. Wandered up to Grafton Harbor and saw the Classic Cruisers getting ready for their trip down the bluffs. there were some pretty boats there, but, I chose to stop on an Island , build a fire and cook some hot dogs with my daughter instead of making the run down to Alton. 

A couple of barges and a bright red sailboat were waiting for me while I was on the way back to the harbor, so I had to take a few pics. 

According to the pictures I took last year, next weekend should be the best weekend for fall colors. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. 

Reminder: this Sat 10-28 is the date set for a group trip up the Illinois to Mels. Keep an eye on this thread for details:

http://whatsupontheriver.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=714

Robert Cope

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

    The River Picture of the day was a shot of the American Queen Riverboat locking through Winfield Dam about  9:30 on Sunday evening.  According to the on-line itinerary,  the American Queen is heading north on the Mississippi to St. Paul Minnesota on a Fall Foliage Cruise, with stops in Hannibal, Dubuque, La Crosse and  Red Wing.  This picture came off of the Winfield Live-Cam. 

Note:  There is a good article about the history of the Delta Queen, a sister ship of the American Queen, on the Delta Queen Steamboat website.  Click Here.

Flu Like Illness On Board St. Louis Bound Excursion Boat .......According to a story on 5ksdk.com.....   Dozens passengers aboard the Mississippi Queen Riverboat got sick from some sort of stomach virus on a trip from Cincinnati to St. Louis.  The boat to make stops in Paducah, Ky and then Cape Girardeau, Mo. where the sick were provided medical treatment.

   Click here to read the story on KSDK NewsChannel 5

Grafton..... A Bit of History ------  There were a couple of articles about the City of Grafton, IL in the on-line Alton Telegraph...Check them out !

Early City History through 1993......

   Click here  to read the article in the 10/22/06 on-line Telegraph.

Still Reeling From The 1993 Flood......

  Click here to read the article in the 10/23/06 on-line Telegraph.

 Monday...Monday ......23 October 2006 ....

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Our River Picture of the Day........ is of the colors on the bluffs along the Great River Road last Saturday afternoon.  

   We did notice that the colors were better 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 ? 

  Well....we didn't have a picture of the day last year on this day for some reason.... so I went back into my archives and chose a picture of North Shore Harbor that I took back in October of 2004. 

   How things have changed !

Con Trios Website Updated ........  Captain Darryll Weil, Con Trios Web Master, has updated their website with some pictures from Saturday's Con Trios Yacht Club's cruise on the Grampa Woo.

Click here and check them out !

Stay anchored right here...

There's more pics from the cruise coming down river.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Fishing Report......... for 10-13-06 and 10-14-06 is out for the  Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

Click here for the Mississippi River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.  

Click here for the Illinois River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.  

For the complete report go to http://www.ifishillinois.org

Fall Colors Predictions......Missouri Department of Conservation foresters update fall color reports weekly from mid-September through early-November.  

 Click here for this weeks forecast. 

 The Weekend Report ......20, 21, 22 October 2006 

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Our River Picture of the Day........(Sunday) is of the Grampa  Woo docked at Sharky's yesterday afternoon.  The captain brought the boat in to the dock with precision and ease and the crew quickly secured it to it's moorings...then they readied the boat for the waiting Con Trios Yacht Club members to board. The day was a bit rainy and overcast......but weather it didn't dampen anyone's spirits.   

   Another great Con Trios Yacht Club outing ! 

Keep your anchor right here ....we will have more pictures soon !

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Our River Pictures of the Day........ were sent in by Debbie Luebbert.  She sent us some pictures of the Tall Stacks Festival held in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Debbie wrote:.  

Bill,

Attached are some great photos of the Tall Stacks Festival which was held October 4 thru October 8. This event is held every 3 years on the Ohio River. Both Ohio & Kentucky riverfronts join in the festivities. It was great to see all the old steamboats gather at one site for this fun event. 

Debbie Luebbert

Click here for more info on the Tall Stacks Festival

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Our River Pictures of the Day........ were sent in by John Payne.  He took these pictures of the sunset through the clouds last Monday, October 6. 

RiverBill says........Incredible pictures !

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

Friday

   It was a picture was sent in by Captain Randy Bicknese of the boat "Lady Di".   

   Randy wrote in his e-mail:

  "The pic was taken last Thursday ( 10-13-2005) while we were skiing in Dardenne Slough.  The water was great and there was not many other boats around. If all goes well, we'll be back out there this week.  The girls ( Diane of Lady Di and Susan of Cutty's Ark ) won't give up on ski season which helps keep me out there too."

Bill says ....Randy's picture made it on to the    "RiverBills.com posters"    you see at river bars& restaurants, boat dealers and other river businesses in the area.....Thanks for sending it in Randy !

Saturday  

   It was a picture of the start of the  changing of the colors on the bluffs that grace our river along the Great River Road between the cities of Grafton and Alton, IL.  

   Captain Robert Cope, of the boat Slow Ride, sent this one in and I think its a really good shot of the bluffs, the river road, the blue sky and the blue water.  Its worth putting in a frame.

Bill says ....Thanks for sharing your picture with us Robert.

Sunday  

   It was a picture of the Grafton Ferry as it crosses the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers heading for the ferry landing in Grafton, IL. I think that most folks would agree that the scenery we have in this area of the river has to be some of the best around. 

Sunday........ THE FIRST ANNUAL ACBS FALL CLASSIC  


Well, the weather report looks like we will have rain on Saturday...That is why we made a rain date for the ACBS Fall Classic! The Fall Classic will be on Sunday, October 22nd instead of Saturday. The schedule will remain the same. Meet at Grafton Harbor 11:00am - 1:00pm..."parade" down the river starts at 1:00..Entertainment and "Classic Special" at Grafton Harbor before and after! ALL BOATS WELCOME!! 

Any questions Email Alice at aelockhart@yahoo.com 

It is going to be a great day on the river!

Alice

River Dawg Cloe......... has been added to the River Dawg Page. 

Click here to check out al of our River Dawgs !     

Homemade Houseboat Collides With Barge......... According to a story on 5ksdk.com .... A home made houseboat collided with a barge on the Mississippi River near East Carondelet, Ill on Wednesday.

Click here to go to KSDKNewsChannel5 and read the story..     

Our Great Rivers Scenic Byway......... There is an article in the New York Times about the St. Louis area of the Mississippi River and the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway.  The story touches on Grafton, Elsah, Pere Marquette State Park, Melvin Price Lock and Dam, Piasa Park and much more. 

Click here to go to the New York Times to read the story.     

 Missouri River Closed To Shipping......... According to a story on 5ksdk.com .... the Army Corps of Engineers has closed the Missouri River to commercial navigation earlier than usual due to low water levels.

Click here to go to KSDKNewsChannel5 to read the story.     

Capt'n Jack's Bar and Grill.......

              Thursday, Friday and Saturday Happy Hour Prices

              Progressive Happy Hour    4- 5 PM.........$1.25 Beer

                                                     5- 6 PM.........$1.50 Beer

                                                     6- 7 PM.........$1.75 Beer 

                                                     7- 8 PM.........$2.00 Beer

Capt'n Jack's will be OPEN this Sunday

Corn Maze ......More info in the Boschert Family Corn Maze....Stop by this Weekend !


Hey Bill, 
The corn maze is owned and ran by my Dad (Wayne Boschert), Brother (Scott Boschert), and I (Don Boschert). This is our first year doing a corn maze and plan on doing a corn maze with a different theme every year. It has been something we talked about for a couple of years now. With me being in the party rental business already (Fund Ways of Missouri 636-250-4200), it worked out pretty well. We did not design the picture of the maze, it was done by an expert threw a company in Pennsylvania. They helped us get started and taut us how to make the maze. We start designing the corn as soon as it starts growing the first weeks of June. Some of the techniques are secret so I cannot get into that. It does take about a month to lay everything out and cut the corn. Believe me, you do not want to be standing in a corn field in the months of June and July ITS HOT! 
  Their are two different mazes here. We have our big maze which take about an hour and half to complete because its just not a maze its also a scavenger hunt, and our mini maze which is shaped as a cow for the little guys with a different game. 
We do have a lot of different things besides the corn maze when you come here. We have a pumpkin patch, so you can pick your own pumpkin along with Indian corn, straw bales, and corn stalks everything you need to dress up you house. A petting zoo with live farm animals to feed and pet. You can take a hay ride in our corn field. Eat some BBQ we have prepared under our huge tent or buy some canned goods we have for sale to take home. Something the kids love to do is go swimming in our pool filled with shelled corn. 
There are lots of things to do when you come out. So plan on spending the day when you come! 

Look Forward To Seeing You, 
The Boschert Family

 River Thursday......19 October 2006 ......... Updated @ 5:15 PM

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Our River Pictures And E-mail of the Day........ were sent in by Bob Slough of Luttrell Marine.  They are from the 1st Annual Pig Roast at the Yacht Club of St. Louis last weekend.

Bob wrote:

River Bill:

Just a couple of pictures from the First Annual "Pig Roast on the Point" at the Yacht Club of Saint Louis this past Saturday.

Pictured are the Chefs Mr. Mike McDermott (right) hailing out of the Yacht Club of Saint Louis and his brother Matt(foreground). 

They stayed up all night Friday cooking the pork through some blustery weather so that we could enjoy the feast on Saturday afternoon.

A good time was had by all with a nice bonfire in the evening listening to the Cardinal game. A great way to spend an October afternoon on the 
river.

Look for this event next year around the second week of October as part of October Fest at the Yacht Club.

Sincerely,

Bob
Luttrell Marine Brokerage

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

   It was a picture sent in by  Tony and Carole  Binbeutel of the boat "Change In Latitude".  I am naming this picture  Go Cards !

  Tony wrote in his email:

   Thought we would send you this pic.  Labor Day weekend on Island 521, which we renamed early this summer to:

 No.5...Pujols Island

As you can see with all of the boats, our normally quite island was hoppin !   

GO CARDS !!!!!

INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRST ANNUAL ACBS FALL CLASSIC


Well, the weather report looks like we will have rain on Saturday...That is why we made a rain date for the ACBS Fall Classic! The Fall Classic will be on Sunday, October 22nd instead of Saturday. The schedule will remain the same. Meet at Grafton Harbor 11:00am - 1:00pm..."parade" down the river starts at 1:00..Entertainment and "Classic Special" at Grafton Harbor before and after! ALL BOATS WELCOME!! 

Any questions Email Alice at aelockhart@yahoo.com 

It is going to be a great day on the river!

Alice

With Deepest Sympathy........ We report a great loss for Ron Meier and Family, of ByOwner Yachts.

Megan Taylor Meier
November 06, 1992 - October 17, 2006

For more information click here

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

Click here to view the new issue.

 River Wednesday......18 October 2006

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Happy Birthday Chuck Berry

80 years old today !

Thanks for all the great music!

And
Keep On Rockin !

Click here top go to the ChuckBerry.com website for a picture of Chuck in his River Captain's Hat playing the guitar and singing his rock and roll. 

Our 50th River Dawg ! 

Our 2nd River Picture And E-mail of the Day........ was sent in by Josh and Brandon.  It's a picture of their RiverDawg named ...... "Digger".

Josh and Brandon wrote:

Bill:

  This is our RiverDawg, Digger. 

  Digger has been known to jump out of the boat before you get to the shore , she just can't wait. She does not like to be left at home, she knows what the word boat means and is instantly ready to go. 

Josh and Brandon Fleming 

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

 Send us a picture of your River Dawg...... on your boat, at the beach, swimming in the river, guarding the cooler ......... or... even driving the boat (hah) and join the ever growing list of RiverBill's River Dawgs.  

THEN

Look for pictures of your River Dawg at the 

"Dog Days of Summer Festival" 

on Main Street in St. Charles next August

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

   It was a picture of Tim Holland with his  Catch Of The Day. There is a bit of a story to go along with the picture......

   As it goes...Gary Bowers, his wife Linda and their friends, Tim and Deborah Holland, were taking a boat ride on Sunday afternoon up the Illinois River.   Just below the Pere Marquette Lodge they decided to try and stir-up some of the flying carp that have invaded our area.  Seems as if Gary knows a spot around there where those carp like to hang out.     

   While motoring around on the west side of the river they stirred up some of the carp and they started jumping out of the water, mostly behind the boat.  It was sort of neat to watch but Tim is an adventurous type guy and  decided to do a little fishing.... with a fish net.... Yes ...A Fish Net !   

   He positioned himself near the back of the boat ....And wouldn't you know it, before long Tim landed one...Right out of the air....Or... It might have jumped into the fish net that he was holding !    

  Either way, this sure gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Fly Fishing." 

Bill Says ......Thanks Gary for the pictures and story....And....Tim - Keep On Fishin !

Click here to take a look at other Flying Carp pictures and stories on the RiverBill's "Asian Carp Page".

Cedar Hill Restaurant   ......Received a phone call from Dave Ash, owner of Cedar Hill Restaurant.  

Staring this weekend 

Cedar Hill Restaurant will be open 

on Saturday and Sunday only.

Click here to go to Cedar Hill's website

Sharky's Cove Floating Restaurant ......Received an e-mail from Cindra, of Sharky's Cove fame, with some information about upcoming events.

Cindra wrote:

Bill- 

Update info for Sharky's.

Halloween party 
   Saturday , October 28th 8:00 
   Music at 9:00 by The Sharks
   1st prize $200.00

Winter hours beginning October 23rd
   Thursday and Friday open @ 4:30 pm
   Saturday and Sunday open @ 11:00 am

We will still doing trivia on Thursday nights beginning at 7:00.

Sharky's Landing open November 3rd 7 days a week at 11:00 am

Thanks so much, Cindra 

Click here to go to Sharky's website

Added a New Boaters Website ......It's  Dutch Haugh's website.

www.thescoundrel.com

Click on the link above and check it out !

Lots of pictures from the river and Dutch's many other trips..  

Some adult content.

 River Tuesday......17 October 2006

Our River Picture And E-mail of the Day........ was sent in by Tina Bohrer.  It's a picture of her RiverDawg named ...... "Cloe".

Tina wrote::

Bill:

  Would like to add Cloe onto your River Dawgs page. 

  Cloe is owned by Tina and Greg Bohrer who you can see almost every weekend on the river in their Mach I "Cabo Wabo Dreamin'". 
   Cloe met up with a little girl from the boat Profiling? (a white baja) and they became best friends, unfortunately didn't get the little girls name but do know her birthday is October 29, so we would like to thank you for playing with Cloe all day today (10/1) and HAPPY BIRTHDAY


Tina Bohrer
It must be from me 

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

   It was a picture sent in by our roving reporter, Captain Robert Slow-ride Cope.  

Robert wrote in his e-mail;

"These pics were taken at the Dardenne chute side of Isl. 521 on the way home Saturday night.  It seams someone brought a projector TV, and set up the screen right there on the beach.  Now that's livin right. "

Robert also noted in his e-mail that its "Larry The Cable Guy" that these folks were watching on the tube.

Recommended River Reading ......Received an e-mail from, a long time friend, named .... Captain Johnny Camaro.... about a book he read,  titled..."Blue Thunder".

John wrote in his e-mail;

   It's a book about how the Mafia owned and finally murdered Cigarette Boat king Donald Aronow. By Thomas Burdick.
   The book chronicles the rise and fall of the man who founded Formula, Donzi, Magnum, and Cigarette; and the investigation into his murder. Miami Vice meets Martin Scorsese, is an apt description. (there is a mention of that cornfield scene in Casino........)

   Look for used, I found my copy on Amazon.com.

Johnny Camero

Added a New Link ......to the 4kmov.com Riverfront Web Cam in the left hand column of the  "River Web Cams" section.

    Click here and checkout what's going on at the St. Louis Riverfront without even staring up your boat. 

Corn Maze ......More info in the corn maze pictured on RiverBill's on October 10th from Don Boschert.

Don wrote in his e-mail:

Hey RiverBill, 
Just wanted you to know the corn maze pictured on Oct. 10th was Boschert Family Farms GET LOST Corn Maze. It's open every Sat. and Sun. till Oct. 29th from 10 a.m. to 6p.m. at 5118 Blase Station Rd. St. Charles, MO. 63301 #636-250-4290 

Come see us, 
Don Boschert www.cornmaze.com 

Love your web site - keep it up! 

Click here for map....Tell them you seen it on RiverBill's

 River Monday......16 October 2006

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Our River Picture And E-mail of the Day........ was sent in by Robert (Slow Ride) Cope.  It's a shot of a sailboat tacking back and forth across the river with Great River Road and  those white chalky bluffs in the background..

Robert wrote:

Bill:

  It's that time of year again when the north winds, the sailboats, and the fall leaves come out. For the same reasons, I start putting in my boat down at Hideaway this time of year. 

   This last Sat, there were 2 larger sailboats zig zaging their way up river and up wind. The whole concept of driving a boat into the wind and the current without a throttle has always intrigued me, but, i guess that's how it all started. One of these days, I may learn true seamanship.

This pic was taken with the sailboat just down river from Raging Rivers Water park and the confluence of the MI/IL rivers.

Robert Cope

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

   It was a picture of  John and Pat Difatta's Retirement Party  at Park Carl near Eagles Landing Marina.  These two river boaters set themselves free from the constraints and grind of a daily job........Free to boat everyday, party late and get up whenever they want !    There was lots of food and drink, but the main attraction was Steve's Big Pot-O-Chili ....(30 Gallons).  

To JOHN AND PAT 

HAPPY  1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF YOUR RETIREMENT 

FROM ALL OF YOUR RIVER FRIENDS !

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..

Fall Colors Predictions......Missouri Department of Conservation foresters update fall color reports weekly from mid-September through early-November.  

 Click here for this weeks forecast. 

 Weekend Report ...Fri, Sat, Sun the 13th, 14th & 15th , 2006

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Our River Picture And E-mail of the Day...(Sunday)..... is from Captain Darryll Weil, who hails out of Woodland Marina in the cruiser "After You".  Darryll sent us a picture of the Grafton Ferry that he took yesterday.

Darryll wrote:

Bill:

Took a boat ride Saturday and got this pic of the Grafton Ferry passing a cruiser inside the buoys Pete put out in the ferry cut. If you look close you can Pete's white SUV on the ferry. 

Wonder if he gets a discount?

Darryll

RiverBill says........Thanks for the picture Darryll.......

 Just ran across this last night;

 For a A Ferry... Bird Blast from last February....Click here

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Our River PictureAnd E-mail of the Day...(Saturday)..... is from Linda Hemsath.  She sent us a picture of River Dawg.......Chelsea

Linda wrote:

Bill, 

  This is a picture of our little Chelsea (she is a 1/2 Yorkshire terrier and 1/2 Shih Tzu mix) on the aft deck of the Sea Lord III this summer enjoying a beautiful morning on the boat just after sunrise behind Two Branch Island. This is only her 3rd summer on the boat and river, she just turn 11 yrs. old the end of Sept. She's still a little nervous about those engines and that LOUD horn Captain Rich has on the boat, but is settling in nicely here. Sorry it's taken so long for us to get this picture to you. I have tons of sun sets and some sunrise photo's I hope to send soon. We love your website and look at it daily thank you so much for sharing all the river events with us.

Sincerely,
Rich Goslin Captain of the Sea Lord III
Linda Ann 1st mate
and Chelsea mascot

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Our River Pictures And E-mail of the Day...(Friday)..... are from Mike Vitale, who hails out of Polestar Marina the Duck Club (Sorry Mike) in the cruiser "INXS".  It's some pictures of their boat trip to Aries Winery a few weeks ago.

Mike wrote:

Hi Bill,

    A group of us got together last weekend, piled on "Oh Tina" & "Swing Set" and headed to Grafton Marina, and up to Aerie's Winery. If you have not seen the view from the winery it is amazing. I feel sorry for the people who put their boats away early. The River is at its scenic best in the fall.

   Here are a few Pix of the "scenic best". There may be a candidate for "Girls of Alton Lake".

Good Boating, Mike

Michael Vitale
Regional Vice President
Merrlin Mortgage Corporation

RiverBill says.....Thanks for the pictures Mike.  I agree with you...The river is at it's scenic best this time of the year.  Watch for the picture of the 4 river girls on the "Girls of Alton Lake" page soon.

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

Friday

   It was a picture was sent in by Captain Randy Bicknese who hails of Lake Center Marina in the cruiser Lady Di......... 

Randy wrote in his e-mail:

    "The attached pictures were taken a couple of weekends ago while a group of us were spending the night on the new section of sand above Iowa . "Lady Di" and "Chasing Dawn" are out of Lake Center and "Rain or Shine" is out of Two Branch. (taken at sunrise) 

    Our group, including many others out of Lake Center, not shown in the pictures, has made it out there three weekends straight. We're all trying to squeeze the most out of what has been one hell of a good season on the river. Lets hope the nice weather and great water continues throughout the fall and next season. Don't tell those lake boaters what they are missing. "

Randy also sent us a picture of a river sunset taken from the same spot

Saturday

It was another addition to the " Girls of Alton Lake" ----  We have some of the best women in the world boating on Alton Lake and   ... Debbie.... of the... Sand Bar Restaurant.. Fame.. is definitely one of them.... Friendly... Outgoing... And.... Beautiful..  

Sunday 

It was a picture sent in by Captain Robert Cope of the boat "Slow Ride".  Robert went out for a cruise on a last year on and took this  picture of the changing leaves along the bluffs.

LOOK !..... THE RIVER RAMSPAGE........ 

   Captain Bert is a boater of the Mighty Mississippi River and loves football almost as much as boating....check out his view of the up-coming RAMS game against the Seahawks....

   Click here to read this week's edition of Captain Bert's River RamsPage.....

Go RAMS !

Added New Links....... to left hand column of RiverBills.com

- One.... to the Great Steamboat Race of 1870 between the Robert E. Lee and the Natchez .  Click here.   

 -Another.... to the Marquette Monument, located along the Great River Road between Grafton, IL and Pere Marquette State Park. The cross is located on the spot where Jacquet Marquette first landed in the State of Illinois.  Click here

Added A New RiverBill's Header Picture....... at the top of this web page.

  It's a panoramic view from Aries Winery in Grafton, IL taken by Captain Mike Vitale, who hails out of the Duck Club in the cruiser "INXS".

  RiverBill says......Thanks Mike !

Added a new Link....... in the left hand column to the to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's "Navigation Information Connection" website that has links to "Locate A Vessel" on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

   Click here and check it out ...find out where the Delta Queen is today !

ACBS Fall Classic on Ocotber 21st......... We received an e-mail from Alice Lockhart about the.... Antique and Classic Boat Society's... Fall Classic coming up in a few weeks !

Alice wrote:

 Hi Bill,

We are all looking forward to the ACBS Fall Classic on Octotber 21st! We have had a big response and just want all to know that ALL BOATS ARE WELCOME!!! 

The event is put together by The Antique and Classic Boat Society, Mississippi Valley Chapter, but you don't have to be a member or have an old boat to share in this great event!

Remember, meet at Grafton Harbor between 11am and 1pm. Grafton is having entertainment and a "Classic Special" for that day!    The "parade" down the river road will begin at 1pm. Check out October events for more details. 

Any questions, please Email Alice at aelockhart@yahoo.com.

Alice Lockhart

River Trip......... Robert Cope, of the boat Slow Ride,  sent us some information about an up-coming River Trip - up the Illinois River to Mel's in Hardin IL..

Robert wrote:

    The next "event" is a trip to Mel's in Hardin on Sat, Oct 28th. At this point, the plan is to meet on the sandbar across from Loading Dock at noon, head up to Mel's for food/Cocktails/Pie, return to Loading Dock for cocktails/more food & music if they have any, and finally, camp out on Isl 526 (musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments). Details/plans for the trip will develop in this thread:

http://whatsupontheriver.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=714

Old Settlers Days - Kampsville.........October 14 - 15, 2006.

   On the banks of the Illinois River.   Depicting the life and times of the early Calhoun County settlers.

Click here for more information.

 River Thursday ...........  12 October, 2006

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Our River Pictures And E-mail of the Day..... are from Eric Hagedorn.

Eric wrote:

Bill, 

   We went to Cedar Hill today October 1st, What a wonderful day it was. We left Alton Motorboat Club around 11:00am and thought I would share some of the wonderful sites along the way. 

GREAT WEBSITE!!! keep up the great work. 

Eric Hagedorn

RiverBill says.....This one sort of got lost in my in-basket .... Sorry it so long to post Eric !

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

   It was a picture was sent in by Captain Robert Cope of the boat Slow Ride.   He caught it all in this one photo.....A white sailboat heading up the blue waters of the Mississippi with the Great River Road in the background ......And......Those chalky white limestone bluffs with a mansion on top. 

Robert wrote in his e-mail:

"Went out with my daughter for a bit of a fall cruise, it looks like the trees are starting to turn.  Headed towards Alton this time and got swarmed by sailboats."

A Bit O' River Info ------  Tauni Schuck sent us some interesting information about the area where the Mighty Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico. 

Tauni wrote;

.  

Hi,

I was doing some searching about the Mississippi River and came across this website by The Science Museum of Minnesota. It speaks of the area at which the Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico and creates a Dead Zone. Its pretty interesting and I thought I would pass it along.

Have a great day and see ya on the river.

Tauni.

Click here for more information.

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River Dawg Cody Update......  

.  

Hi Bill,

    Thought I would give you an update on Cody. We had a Riverbills.com family interested in Cody but the dog was going to be for their son, who has Down syndrome. Since Cody is pretty strong we were concerned about the boy being able to handle Cody. We decided it would not be a good match.

    We have now neutered Cody and have had his rear dew claws removed. He has also been micro-chipped. We are currently treating him for an ear infection.

    I’m still hoping to find a loving home for Cody. Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Kathy

Old Settlers Days - Kampsville.........October 14 - 15, 2006.

   On the banks of the Illinois River.   Depicting the life and times of the early Calhoun County settlers.

Click here for more information.

 Wednesday ...........  11 October, 2006

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Our River Picture And E-mail of the Day..... is from Mark Newlin.  You can spot Mark up around the Golden Eagle Ferry / Two Branch Island area in his kayak from time to time.  

Mark wrote:

Bill,
   Sunday was probably one of the last perfect days on the river Sunday. The Golden Eagle was running 2 Ferries for all the "Sunday drivers". Me and a buddy kayaked up to the top of Two Branch and back. There were a lot of Bald Eagles out. I saw a lot of Pelicans last Sunday but they weren't to be seen this week.
   Chris even found a tail feather from a Bald eagle, has to be lucky?

Mark

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What picture held the anchor spot on RiverBill's last year on this day ? 

   It was a picture of an 80 ft. Skipperliner sternwheeler, The Watts Bar Belle, being piloted down the Mississippi River by Captain Greg Sadowski and crew on its way to Kingston, Tennessee last Wednesday.  Today's pictures are a group effort.  

   Dave Kelly, of the cruiser Gypsy Rose, took the pic above from the Illinois side of the Mississippi River as she was passing the Arch and one of the vessel as she was passing the Dome and the Eads Bridge.   

  Greg Sadowski sent me a picture of the Watts Bar Belle, taken by his brother Glenn, as was moored at Woodland Marina last Tuesday evening.   Greg wrote the following in his e-mail last year;

  "We are on our way to Kingston , Tennessee (close to Knoxville).  We stopped in Woodland last night on our way from Wisconsin.  Total distance is about 1400 miles, down the upper Mississippi, up the Ohio and up the Tennessee River.  It will be used for dinner cruises and private charters.   

    Just leaving Mel Price at 9:00 AM (10-05-05).   Sending this wireless." 

A Bit O' River History ------  Found this article in the Chicago Tribune that contains interesting information about our area of the Mississippi River, Ft. de Charters and the towns of  Kaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher.  

    One real interesting part of the article was written about the fact that in 1881 the Mississippi River severed the land that the town of Kaskaskia stood on from the mainland of the State of Illinois and turned it into an island....And...By 1909 the island was gone too.  

   Today the town of Kaskaskia, IL is connected to the mainland of the State of Missouri and is separated from the State of Illinois by the Mighty Mississippi River. 

Click here to go to the Chicago Tribune and read the article named "Our France: Colonial history with an Illinois Accent"

Note: According to the on-line Wikipedia Encyclopedia there were  9 people, 4 households, and 3 families still residing in the village of Kaskaskia, Il in the year 2000.

Con Trios Yacht Club's Website ------  Captain Darryll Weil, the Con Trios Web Master, has their site updated with the on-line  October Newsletter and information about the Grampa Woo Cruise coming up on October 21st. 

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

Click here for info on the 120 ft.  Grampa Woo excursion vessel......

RiverBill says........Keep up the good work Darryll !

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

  30,903 unique visitors .............

   -  Down 11,635 from the August 2006 numbers

   -  Up  3,020 from the September 2005 numbers.

  Click here to look at the visitor stats chart.

 Tuesday ...........  10 October, 2006

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Our 1st River Picture And E-mail of the Day..... were sent in by Darryll Weil who hails out of Woodland Marina in the cruiser "After You".

Darryll wrote:

Bill,
Pete Tully told me he put some yellow buoys to mark the ferry cut for his Captains. They are also helpful to us boaters that use the cut to make certain we are in the deepest part. Pete said just stay inside of the buoys at least 20 feet from either side and you should be good to go. Attached is a photo from the Mississippi channel looking towards Grafton.
Pete also said the Grafton's Landing Restaurant is offering a discount to all emergency service personnel, such as Police, Fire, EMS, Coast Guard, Water Patrol, etc. Just show them your ID or badge.
Darryll.

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Our 2nd River Picture And E-mail of the Day..... were sent in by Sherri Stanczak. 

Sherri wrote:

Hey,
    Mike took some aerial pictures last night of the corn maze. Thought you might be interested. 

Thanks
Sherri

River note:

Sherri and her husband Mike can often be seen flying around above the river in a red and black powered parachute. 

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What the heck was the picture on RiverBills.com last year on this day ? 

 It was another picture of River Dawg.... Taz.  She loves to swim and surf on the Mississippi.  Her owners, Steve and Linda Thompson, wrote;

   "She is a natural on the boogie board.  She bends her legs and rides the waves all the way into the beach, then steps off onto the sand.  She is 9 years old and just loves the River.  She goes crazy whenever I pick up the boating bag."  

  Look for Taz and her owners, Steve and Linda, on Island 521 in a 20 ft Sea Ray named "Shark Bait".   

 Monday........ 09 October, 2006

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Our River Picture of the Day..... was sent in by PopDorn, AKA Lloyd.    It's a shot of some of the boats at the Chili Cook Off on Saturday.

Pop Dorn wrote:

The River  Answer to natural gas shortage, Chile Cook  Off, Island 521.

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What the heck was the picture on RiverBills.com last year on this day ? 

 It was another picture of the winning Mississippi River Barefoot Endurance Race Team taken last year on the deck at Sharky's.  The Ski Pro East members are (not all pictured) Tony Buonaivto, Pete Fleck, Bob Case, Jason Lee and John Skobrak.  They Congrats Guys !

  Sharky's parking lot was full of ski boats as you expect for a competition like this, all shined up and looking good ! 

 Weekend Report ...Fri, Sat & Sun ..... October 6,7 & 8 2006 

   Updated Sun @ 8:45 AM

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Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day..... (Sunday) ......... was sent in by Lonny Unverzagt.  It's a picture of a Mississippi River... Large Mouth Bass for our Catch of the Day page.

Lonnie wrote in his e-mail;

Bill,

  My brother Joe's B-day was today October 7, 2006.  He took this picture of the bass I caught off the Mississippi River near Hartford. We caught several this morning..... they must be feeding well getting ready for winter. 

  All bass were caught and released for future fun for our kids. 
Lonny
.

RiverBill says........Happy Birthday Joe....and....Nice catch Lonnie.  Thanks for releasing them our your kids to catch !

The Catch and Release Program  motto is:

“Limit your catch, don’t catch your limit” 

Added a link to the Catch And Release Foundation in the left hand column of this page

The " Girls of Alton Lake" ---- (Saturday) ........We have some of the best women in the world boating on Alton Lake and ....Amanda, of Kinder's Fame... is definitely one of them.    

  Here she is, at this year's Jamaica Daze Party, looking beautiful while posing for Gary Meinershagen, who snapped this shot. 

Amanda has just been added to the Girls Of Alton Lake page !

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day..... (Friday) ......... was sent in by Captain George Shindel.  He drove his land yacht to the Golden Eagle Ferry landing on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River and snapped this shot of The Golden Eagle Ferry and Kinder's Restaurant on the Illinois side of the river.

  Lots of lights...headlights, street lights, restaurant lights, ferry lights...And it's all topped off by those light reflections on the Mighty Mississippi.

RiverBill says...Great shot George !  

   Kinder's seems to be calling to us.....It's Friday......Come on over...Have a bite to eat and something to drink.

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What the heck was the picture on RiverBills.com last year on this day ? 

Friday 

    It was a picture of the Port Arrowhead Sea Ray Cruise Club locking through Winfield Dam last year on their way to Louisiana, Mo on their  2005 Fall Rendezvous trip.  J.D. Schmid of Port Arrowhead Marina organized this trip and many other get-togethers throughout the year.   Photograph by Larry Sansone, also of Port Arrowhead............

Saturday

 It was a picture that I named this one  First Light.  It was taken by Jeff Smith while waiting in line to cross the Golden Eagle Ferry on his way to work in Calhoun County the other morning.   Jeff is a carpenter and is working on a house on the bluffs behind Two Branch Island over looking the sandbar where Jamaica Daze was held the past 2 years.  Jeff wrote that the view from atop the house is amazing...

Sunday

 It was another picture taken by Jeff Smith.  It was shot  looking across the river  towards St. Charles County that he took from atop of a new house that is being built in Calhoun County, IL .  You can sure see a long way .....the church steeple in St. Peters, the tree line along Highway B and  Sue's house right on the river.  This is the river just above Kinder's and just below Two Branch Island around the  UMR 229 mile marker. 

This Week's..... River RamsPage is out ------  Captain Bert is a boater of the Mighty Mississippi River and loves football almost as much as boating....check out his view of the up-coming RAMS game against Green Bay.....

   Click here to read this weeks edition of Captain Bert's River RamsPage.....

Go RAMS !

Shark's Landing ------  We got an e-mail from Paul Asher about Sharky's Landing....The "Land Based" Restaurant that is the sister to Sharky's Cove....the floating restaurant on Dardenne Slough.

Bill

Sharkys Landing has a sign out front that says November 3rd is the opening day. My house is a stones throw away and I can't wait until it opens.

Paul Asher

Catch Of The Day ------  Added some more trophy catfish to the Catch Of  The Day page.    They are from February of 2006...It's Dale Williams , of the band Stripper Named Phoebe, and his son, Eric,  with some more big catfish.  They caught all of these guys on rod and reel in the Missouri River.  

Click here to go to the.... Catch Of The Day Page.... and scroll down.

River History ------  On October 8th, 2005.......Piasa Park, which is located along the Great River Road near Alton, IL was dedicated.

Click here to read the article about the dedication in the on-line Alton Telegraph.

Added a new Link....... in the left hand column to the to the U.S. Coast Guard Auxilary's Public Affairs / News Releases website.

Click here and check it out.

The View Is Awesome At Cedar Hill......... Carrie Ash, of Cedar Hill fame, wrote me an e-mail yesterday.  Here is part of it;

Bill,

The bluffs by Cedar Hill are at their peak. They are awesome. The deck will be open this weekend with the games on. Sounds like the weather will be great for a ride up to see the leaves. 

Carrie Ash

RiverBill says....Must be time to get out, head up-river and enjoy the Fall colors !  Thanks for the info Carrie !  

 Thursday...... October 5, 2006 

Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day......... was sent in by  Little John from Big Dicks Half Way In Racing.  It's a pic of one of their boats, KWITCHABICHEN, at this years "New Athens Drag Boat Classic" that was run on the Kaskaskia River at New Athens, Illinois this past September.  

John wrote:

Bill

   A quick update on what we are doing.
   We finally got a decent picture of what the launch looks like with KWITCHABICHEN.  We are now going from 0 to 90+ in about three and one half seconds. (notice the drivers head sunk back in the helmet)
   The IHBA point standings are coming in, We stand in fifth place in two divisions.  Ashley's points can not really be totaled until after the world finals.  If we stop now, we have done very well for our first season.

   We are now doing maintenance, and getting ready for the World Finals in Phoenix. Our consistent progress this season, gives us a very good chance of winning this thing.
   If anyone out there wants to be a part of, or, help us offset our fuel expense for the trip, that is really all we need. 

   It would be AWESOME to bring a world championship back to our group

Little John

  Click here for pictures from the 2006  New Athens Drag Boat Classic 

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What the heck was the picture on RiverBills.com last year on this day ? 

Is was a picture titled Golf Anyone ?    It's a large piece of wood with the grass and flag painted on it..... And.... a hole at the bottom of the flag for hitting golf balls through !     

    You can find this golf board on the upper end of Dardenne Slough above the power lines.   Someone is setup for hitting golf balls across the slough and through the hole in the board.......Wow ! ........  Just never know what you will see on the river.

Missouri Conservationist Magazine........Check the following articles in the October issue of the Missouri Conservationist Magazine:

• Buying Time for Endangered Species - it's an article about how the Missouri Conservation Department is working to support endangered fish and mussel populations.   Click here to go to the article.

• Coast Guard Retiree Still Saving Lives - it's a story about saving the life of a  bass with a 9-inch bluegill lodged in its throat.  Click here  and scroll down article.

This Week's..... River RamsPage is out ------  Captain Bert is a boater of the Mighty Mississippi River and loves football almost as much as boating....check out his view of the up-coming RAMS game against Green Bay.....

   Click here to read this weeks edition of Captain Bert's River RamsPage.....

Go RAMS !

See the Mississippi River from a Bird ' s Eye View......... This month's Visit-Louisiana News Letter is out.  Below is one of the featured articles:

See the Mississippi River from a Bird ' s Eye View

October 7 - 12th Annual Mississippi River Run - There’s only one chance each year to walk or run across the Champ Clark Bridge , and it’s coming soon. The Twin Pike Family YMCA invites you to join in the 5K Run 1 Mile Run/Walk across the Mississippi River . Participants begin across the river in Illinois , then cross the Champ Clark Bridge . The 1 mile runners will be shuttled from the ending point; 5K participants will end the race at the Twin Pike Family YMCA. Call the YMCA, 573-754-4497 for more information.


Medals are awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each age category. Registrations are available in advance but not required. 

U.S. Rep Jerry Costello Touts Water Resources Projects ------  According to an article in the on-line Alton Telegraph.......U. S. Rep Jerry Cosetello's tour that is promoting ...."the need for upgrading river infrastructure and other water resources"......stopped at the National Great Rivers Museum earlier this week.

Click here to read the article in the on-line Alton Telegraph. 
 

 Wednesday...... October 4, 2006 

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Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day......... was sent in by Bill Majors for his  son, Brandt.   What a shot ....you can can see Dardenne Slough, Bolter Chute, Snake Chute, the channel, Dardenne Island, Bolter Island, Iowa Island, Enterprise Island and the bluffs in the far distance !

Bill wrote:

Bill,

  Here are some pictures my son, Brandt, took flying over the Mississippi River this Summer

Bill Majors

RiverBill says...Good picture...Brandt !

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What the heck was the picture on RiverBills.com last year on this day ? 

      It was a picture and a bit of River Humor sent in by Tom and Sandy ............ I named it........That Subliminal Message 

Tom wrote the following  in his e-mail;

  "As Dan looks around for a place for lunch.....I think the girls (Sue and Sandy)   have an Idea on their minds !"

Boat Fire / Explosion on Mississippi River  ------  According to  the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release.... there was a fire / explosion at MM 218 on the Mississippi River on 10/02/06  at 10:30 PM.  The Wellcraft runabout was totaled...No one was injured.

Click here to read the Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N0706178  

What To Do With Those Flying Carp…Make Animal Feed ------  An article in the on-line Post Dispatch  contained some information about how researcher's are trying to create animal feed out of those pesky Asian Carp 

  Click here to read the story in the on-line STLtoday.com

 Tuesday...... October 3, 2006 

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Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day......... is from Mark Newlin .  You can spot mark out in the Mississippi in his kayak up around the two Branch island area.

Mark wrote:

Bill,

   I was out behind Two Branch Tuesday, was a perfect day. This Osprey dove and caught this fish just a few yards from my kayak. Also had a Golden Eagle following me for a few miles.

    I swear this (the 2nd pic) looked like a gator, was just a raccoon swimming to the island

Mark

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What the heck was the picture on RiverBills.com last year on this day ? 

      It was a picture of the  Mississippi Queen   between locks 10 and 11 on the upper Mississippi River.  Captain Greg Sadowski, out of Woodland Marina,  took this picture just after sunset on this day last year on one of his many trips up and down the river.

Con Trios Yacht Club's Cruise on The Grampa Woo......... is scheduled for Saturday, October 21.  Enjoy Excursion on the Mississippi, the Bluffs, and Seasonal Colors

   Click here for more info on the cruise.......

   Click here for info on the 120 ft.  Grampa Woo excursion vessel......

National Boating Association Weighs-In  .... There was an article in the on-line News Star about the National Boating Association's ruling on the issue of considering flooded areas along the Mississippi River as "navigable waters" or as "private property."

Click here to read the story in the News Star.com.

The Alton Area...The Mississippi, River Road, Pelicans, River Sunsets .... There was an artilce in the on-line Belleville News Democrat about the Alton Area...The Mississippi, River Road, Pelicans, River Sunsets ..And more..

Click here to read the story in the on-line Belleville News Democrat.

 Monday......2 October, 2006 

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Our River Picture and e-mail of the Day......... is from Robert "Slow Ride" Cope. 

Robert wrote: 

Bill,

   I was on the way into the harbor last weekend, and managed to get real close to a blue heron. It just stood there for a good 5 minutes and looked at us looking at him. 

Robert Cope

RiverBill says.....Good picture Robert !   

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What the heck was the picture on RiverBills.com last year on this day ? 

      It was a picture of  (from left to right)   Jeanne, Kirk, Judy, Jeanne and Gary at Kinder's on Friday night.   Kirk and Jeanne (3rd from left) live in Chattanooga, Tennessee now and are in St. Louis for the weekend.  One of the first things they did when the got into town is go for a boat ride to Kinder's with Gary and Judy.   When they lived in St. Louis years ago they were avid river boaters so it as to feel good to be on the river again.   Hope you both enjoyed your time here.

  River Bill says.......Welcome back to St. Louis and welcome back to the river !

For Sale ~ Cedar Hill Resort........Restaurant, 2 houses, 1 mobile home lot,  approximately 17 Acres. Turn key Operation.........  $ 750,000...... 

Call Dave Ash 314-280-8997                 Click here to view website

Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Fishing Report......... is out for this week for the  Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

Click here for the Mississippi River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.  

Click here for the Illinois River and scroll down to your favorite fishing area.  

For the complete report go to http://www.ifishillinois.org

Fall Colors Predictions......Missouri Department of Conservation foresters update fall color reports weekly from mid-September through early-November.  

 Click here for this weeks forecast. 

 The Weekend Edition  Fri, Sat, Sun ...Sept 29, 30 & Oct 1, 2006....   

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Our River Picture of the Day.. (Sunday) ....... is one I snapped at 

Kinder's Restaurant on Saturday night.  It's the lights of the new deck on the restaurant and the Golden Eagle Ferry at the ferry landing on the Calhoun County side of the Mississippi River.    Oh yeah.......And... that moon beam ! 

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Our River Picture of the Day.. (Saturday) ....... is one I snapped at Eagles Landing Marina..  It's Gary Fels and the flathead catfish he caught Friday on a trout-line in Dardenne Slough.  

RiverBill says....Looks like you get the "RiverBill's Catch Of the Day Award" ......When's the fish fry ?

 A new page has been added to RiverBill's.....named.....  "Catch Of The Day"

Click here to check it out ! ..........  Gary gets the first entry

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Our 2nd River Pictures and e-mail of the Day.. (Friday) ....... are from Kelly Young.  They were on the river this past Wednesday to celebrate his son's birthday and snapped us a picture of the Celebration Bell cruising past.

Kelly wrote: 

Bill,
We were on the river Wednesday 9/27/06 celebrating my son Jordan's 2nd birthday. He loves to go to the beach! This is a picture of the "Celebration Belle" as it went by going pretty fast.
First thing I do every morning when I turn my computer on is look to see what the picture of the day is. Great Website!

Kelly Young

Click here to read the article in the this week's on-line Telegraph about the Celebration Belle when they stopped in Alton.

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Our 1st River Pictures and e-mail of the Day.. (Friday)....... are from Frank and Cindy.  Last Sunday they almost "stayed home" because of the weather....but, decided to go boating away and ended up having a Great River Day !   

Frank and Cindy wrote: 

Ahoy River Bill,

   Sunday morning my wife and I woke up to a cool and windy day. It just didn't seem like a good day to hit the water, but we said what the hell let's bundle up and go for a boat ride.  It turned out to be a very interesting day on the water.  

    We pulled up to Enterprise island and was amazed by the new sand bar formed by the dredging of the channel. As we walked the sand bar we could see the America pumping sand and water up onto Iowa Island.   Quite an operation!! 

   As we headed down river to Grafton we seen a paddle wheeler docking at the Loading Dock.  It was a wonderful looking old boat named The Spirit of Peoria. 

    So even though the weather wasn't that great the river still provided us with a great day.....Ain't she great !!! 

Attached are pics from our day 9-24-06.

Keep up the good work.

Frank, Cindy
and our River Dawg B.J.

Last Year's River Picture of the Day ------  What the heck was the picture on RiverBills.com last year on this day ? 

Friday  

      It was a picture of  a row of sailboats silhouetted against last  Saturday's sunset......What a picture......Look at those magnificent colors !

    The pic  was taken by Captain Harry Ragland, of the sailboat "Tapacolo".   

    Harry wrote:

" Saturday (last year) was a good day for sailing, with steady winds out of the East.   I sailed "Tapacolo"  from Portage Des Sioux to Alton and back.   By the time I got docked the sun was setting... and this is how it looked from the back porch of Palisades Yacht Club."

Saturday 

     It was a picture of  ... MaryBeth....one of the " Girls of Alton Lake" ----  We have some of the best women in the world boating on Alton Lake and  Mary is definitely one of them.    

    Here she is cruising along on the river,  looking beautiful, her gorgeous red hair all up in a bun,  sporting them Jamaican braids.....And soaking up that Summer sun.   

  Click here to check all the Girls of Alton Lake

Sunday 

     It was a picture of  Tom and Lou's clubhouse on the upper end of Dardenne Slough.  It is a really neat place ...all decorated in river stuff.    

   This picture was taken by Mike & Sherri Stanczak, who can be seen flying around above the river in the black and red powered parachute.

Tall Stacks Festival in Cincinnati......   Rick put a message on RiverBills Message Board about why we have seen so many riverboats in the area recently..  Thought I would put it on the front page and dig up some more info on it.

Rick wrote:

    Most of the river boats that are in the area are heading up to the Tall Stacks Festival in Cincinnati. Tall Stacks happens every 4 years and is next week. Its allot of fun it see 20 plus steam boats and replica all in one place. 

Thanks Rick of MOCONE

  Click here for more info on the Tall Stacks Festival

Look.....Wild Animals At This Weekend's Alton Block Party .....According to  the on-line Post Dispatch.....This Saturday's "Blues Fest" is going to be the last block party of the season at Alton.  Live music........wild animals and plenty of tasty treats.

   During the band breaks exotic animals take the stage.

  Click here to read the story in the on-line STLtoday.com

Kinder's Restaurant   has a live band scheduled for this Saturday night....

 "The Works"....... will be playing on the outside deck starting at 8 PM.    

    Lets Dance !

The Celebration Belle docks at Alton ------  According to the on-line Alton Telegraph ..... the Celebration Belle Riverboat docked at Alton, IL....... next to the Argosy Casino this past Wednesday.  

  Click here to read the article in the on-line Telegraph.

A Real House Boat .........   We received an e-mail from J.K. Chapman....He spotted an on-line story and picture of a "Real Housboat", but....... he wasn't sure it could lock-through.

    Click here to go to The Observer News and check it out !

Fishing Report  ------ The Missouri Department of Conservation has issued this week's Fishing Report.  

Mississippi River (above St. Louis):

66 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on nightcrawlers; flathead catfish fair on live bait; all other species slow.

(Report made on 9/28/2006)

Missouri River (below New Haven)

68 degrees, low, muddy; catfish good on natural bait;  all other species fair.

(Report made on 9/28/2006)

Check out the report for the entire state of Missouri

.................go to  http://www.mdc.mo.gov/fish/fishrt/