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