I'm off to see the lizzard!

[John Ebanks]

I leave today for a month on the "Upper Miss. River" as I will be part of the crew on the M.V. Mississippi which is a Army Corp Tug that does the "low water inspection tour" for the Miss. River Commision. I will be the First Mate and will meet the boat in Memphis. We will take the General of Miss.Valley Division and his staff up to St. Paul MN. and start the trip down, stopping at major cities along the river to host "town meetings" with the local politicos, etc. The afternoons will be an open house for the local populace! Will try to post a schedual in case we stop in your town. Y'all are invited to come see the largest tug on the river. It is 283' long(i think). Will know for sure this p.m. as the Mudsucker goes "Huck Finn"!!!!

You are in charge of polishing knobs- just like on the Wheeler!

[John Ebanks]

I leave today for a month on the "Upper Miss. River" as I will be part of the crew on the M.V. Mississippi which is a Army Corp Tug that does the "low water inspection tour" for the Miss. River Commision. I will be the First Mate and will meet the boat in Memphis. We will take the General of Miss.Valley Division and his staff up to St. Paul MN. and start the trip down, stopping at major cities along the river to host "town meetings" with the local politicos, etc. The afternoons will be an open house for the local populace! Will try to post a schedual in case we stop in your town. Y'all are invited to come see the largest tug on the river. It is 283' long(i think). Will know for sure this p.m. as the Mudsucker goes "Huck Finn"!!!!

You are in charge of polishing knobs- just like on the Wheeler!

Mudsucker walks along in front of the tug with a long pole checking the low water! Mississippi depth finder!

[mudsucker]

Who pulled your string, Dos Gris? About time you get more than two post! Tell the boys here how ya "pull" on that wiskey bottle with 'ol Spoonallard! Candy booty misses the morning Snow goose shoot! Talk to you later on the mid watch $hat stirrer! Polish "DIS" boy! This pond scum "works" on the dredge boat "Wheeler" too!!!!!!!!

[mudsucker]

This a.m. found us at lock and dam #10 at Debuque Iowa around 4:15. It was 62 deg. or so! I thought winter had come early. We finally left Illinois and are now looking at Wisconnsin on the right hand side as we continue up bound. We are now tied up in Marquette IA. for an open house from 6-8p.m. Glad I get off at 6! There is a Rest./Bar only steps over the RR tracks and an Isle of Capri casino boat just down stream! Decisions;decisions! It is BEAUTIFUL up here and heavily used by fishermen and recerational boaters. Lots of rental houseboats up this way!
Mud Finn
A.K.A. "Mike Fink"

[MudHog]

I hope your taking pictures Rufus T. Mudsucker.........

[mudsucker]

I hope your taking pictures Rufus T. Mudsucker.........

YES I am. Will post up after I get the film developed. I have a little digital but it is not all that great. Need to get an interface cable for it as I lost the one I had during my last move! Tonight is great out there with the full moon and the bluffs on either side. We are about 35mi. south of LaCrosse, WI now.

[Bully]

If you stop at Lacrosse, WI, take a walk around town. I was there about a month ago visiting the Trane centrifugal chiller plant. That is one awsome town. It is just how I picture the southern Mississippi River towns were back in their hayday, except it is still like that. Downtown is right on the river, no bluffs. Not only is Lacrosse the home of Trane, it is also the home of S&S engines, who builds aftermarket engines for Harleys and choppers. I told my wife I would like to move there, but the first time it hit -20 degrees, my redneck booty would be headed home!

[Chocolate Seal]

I LIKE THE PLAY BY PLAY YOUR DOING THERE RUFUS!

[Chocolate Seal]

HURRY UP WITH THE PIX!!!

[cwink]

Sounds like a great trip so far. Can't wait to see the pix

[mudsucker]

Here we are in St. Paul Minn.! Can't go any further as the boat is too tall to get under the next bridge!We are tied up just below said bridge. Today we will host an open house from 10am-2pm then will have nothing schedualed till 7 pm sunday which is our departure for the "meat and taters" of the trip. The Gen. of Miss. Valley, Corps of Engineers, who is also the President of the Miss. River Commision, will be on board with the other 6 or so Commisioners to take the trip down bound for their annual "Low water inspection". We will stop at the following locations for public meetings;

Aug. 14 7:00p.m. La Crosse, Wisc., at Riverside Park Landing

Aug. 15 6:30p.m. Dubuqe, Iowa, at City Front

Aug. 18 9:00a.m. Alton, Ill., at Mel Price Lock & Dam

Aug. 21 9:00a.m. New Madrid, Mo., at City Front

Aug. 22 9:00a.m. Memphis, Tenn., at Mud Island

Aug 23 9:00a.m. Greenville, Miss., at City Front

Aug. 25 9:00a.m. Houma, La., at Cenac Towing Dock


Hope to see you there. Any concerns about your local area can be brought up at these meetings by signing up(that day)to speak!

Rufus T. peace out

[mudsucker]

We lost our sattalite comunacations for a day or so. We have done the public meetings at Lacrosse WI and a Debuque IA. The midnight watch has been nice and cool. (low 60's)! Days are nice and sunny and I am seeing lots of Bald Eagles, Canada Geese, and a few local Malards! No teal yet. Hey Don Miller, You gonna come out when we are in Greenville? Any of you other boys ought to come out when we are in your area.
While in St. Paul, I went to the Mall of America looking for a place to get a haircut. What a big as$ed mall that place is! There is an amusement park in the middle of it, roller coaster an all!
Debuque is a nice town and I found a brewhouse/restarant called the Brickhouse. Nice place for a good beer! The Nat. Mississippi River Museum is there also. It was closed at 6p.m. when I got off watch but, I got some pictures of an old Corp dredge boat!
Will check in later as we are about to go through another lock and I gotta go out on deck!

The "towboating" Mudsucker!

[Chocolate Seal]

WOW!! I was told that place was huge. Have fun, be safe
PEACE OUT!

[mudsucker]

Well landlubers, We were in Alton, IL. on fri. morning for the public meeting for the St. Louis area. It was well attended and some invited guest rode down to St. Louis with us. One of the groups represented was "The Mississippi Valley Duck Hunters" out of St. Lou Mizzou! 4 older gents with their wifes in tow. Introduced my self to them and had a good conversation about duckin opportunities up this way. Gave them the addy to the site and told them to join the fray! The Arch was awsome and the sight of the Budwieser brewery at night bought a tear to my eye!

This mornig finds Rufus Mudsucker and crew in New Madrid, Mo. to await the arrival tonight of the Commisioners, as they went home for the weekend, and to do another public meeting on mon. morning! Got pics yesterday of the "Y" were the Ohio river meets the upper Mississippi to form the big river! Pretty impressive site to see. Hot temps and high humidity are back too!

Remember. Tue. Aug.22 9:00 a.m. is the date and time for the public hearing at Memphis. We leave Memphis at 12:45 and arrive at Tunica at the River Park @3:45 for a half hour or so. Come on out Tunica guys to say hay and I will try to get ya a quick tour!

Then, The public meeting for Greenville will be on Aug. 23 at 9:00a.m. We will arrive there @5a.m. and depart @ 12 noon. Come by even if it is before work as I go to bed @ 7:45 or so!

Will write more later!
Huck"Mudsucker"Finn

[mudsucker]

We were in Memphrica this morning and the public hearing was well attended. Some folks rode down stream and got off were the Tunica Belle docks. That is a nice facility and I did not have time, but heard the aquairum and mesuem there are nice. The big wigs got off to go to Doe's Eat Place! They did not invite the 'ol mudsucker.

Tomorrow morning we are in Greenville and I invite you Greenville area knotheads to come on down! Hell. Anyone from anywhere can come too.

Will write more later as it is time for a nap before the midnight watch!

Huckleberry Finn
aka Mike Fink!