Calling All Ducks

Gail Lee, left, and Margaret Ronzio, right, after fighting backed up I-44 traffic August 27, 2016.

Calling All Ducks

The trip from St. Louis to Rolla, Mo. August 27, 2016 was supposed to be an easy drive for my two friends so we planned to have lunch. After almost 4 hours in backed up traffic because a car hit an electrical tower, we still decided on lunch at a very local restaurant, Randy's Roadkill BBQ and Grill, off Highway E.

I had tried to find the place open a few times before but their business hours fluctuated. The fact that one of the owners, Cathy, was also a beekeeping student made the visit even more attractive.

When we arrived on site, we found a wonderful surprise - ducks, swimming in the pond on the back side.

We had two pet Peking ducks when we lived in southern Illinois so I brushed off my duck calling  to see if I could still bring them in.

When I first started quacking, I wasn't sure they had heard me so I stopped to watch them.

Randy's Roadkill BBQ and Grill is an ecclectic restaurant with a good dose of humor. Once we went inside, funny sayings on the wall had us distracted from the menu. Known for barbecue, the restaurant is only open Thursdays through Sundays. Randy told us, who wants to work all of the time?

And the ducks?

Definitely some response from the swimming ducks, they were all converging.

Looks like they are heading our way, doesn't it!

Ducky Wucky and Toodle Noodle - names my father gave to our two Peking ducks - would also come to me when I called. We used to have "conversations" in quack, to the delight of my brothers who also tried to imitate the duck sounds.

Well, I haven't lost my touch, here come Randy's Roadkill BBQ and Grill ducks!

Didn't take the ducks long to join us, some even opening their wings to help them move faster.

Do they look disappointed? They were, we didn't have any food for them!

Now that they were with us, it was obvious they were disappointed.

Cathy, my beekeeping student, said they were used to being fed so our empty hands must have been quite the let down.

Not that they were suffering, Cathy said the chef feeds them leftovers every day. 

Gail Lee, left, and Margaret Ronzio share leftover french fries with the waiting ducks.

After we split an appetizer, left-over french fries were cut into small pieces and, with Cathy's approval, fed to the ducks.

The food was good but I will confess, I may visit Randy's Roadkill BBQ and Grill just to see the ducks again!

Charlotte