Sunday, August 25, 2013

DUCK CLUB

The Duck Club on the Mississippi R. is a private marina marked by its lighthouse and located right next to Port Charles Harbor where our boat, Great Escape is docked. 

Our social membership allows JoAnn and I to enjoy the pool and restaurant there.  The views from the two marinas I believe are just awesome.

Transient boaters staying at Port Charles Harbor are usually treated as guests at the Duck Club and can use the facilities which is mutually beneficial.

The club house as seen from the gazebo is beautiful.  JoAnn and I as Harbor Hosts for the Amer. Great Loop Cruisers Assoc. often bring fellow "great loopers" over for dinner to enhance their stay with us at Port Charles.

The facilities are first rate and the boaters actually own their own boat slips.

Many large yachts can be found here.

Dock owners take pride in decorating their dock patios.



Located at the point where Dardine slough and the Mississippi river meet We are easy to find at Mile 221.5 RDB.  Just hang a right at Grafton and enter the Mississippi thru Mason Chute across from the Duck Club.
Fine dining with a magnificent view
and more casual dining in the bar
are made possible by the talents of our chief chef Mark who runs the restaurant and bar at the club.

All this in a dreamy setting on the Mississippi river at mile 221.5 next to our marina Port Charles Harbor.  This is the only spot in the USA that you can watch the sun set in Missouri over Illinois.  (Mighty Mississippi is running north for a short stretch here)

Monday, August 12, 2013

Emmergency "C-Section" on an Electric Stingray

The Electric Ray is an abundant visitor to the Gulf beaches at times and can inflict a rather "Shocking" feeling on any one who bumps it.Sting- rays can be good to eat.  So we decided to try our gourmet talents on them while at Orange Beach Ala. on our annual family trek...
After euthanizing them I noticed the belly of a female was moving rapidly in spite of the her being dead.
After opening the abdomen with a mid line incision the uterus was cut open and seven viable little 
Electric rays were delivered.
My grandkids were my surgical assistants and they transported the rays to the ocean. There the rays quickly did what sting rays do by burying themselves in the sandy bottom.