Dispatches
Fragments of the journey—quick glimpses, fleeting moments, and raw impressions captured before they drift away. Snapshots from the river, in words, images, and sound.
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The hot dry dusty town of Grimes reminds me of where I grew up with my grandparents
The hot dry dusty town of Grimes reminds me of where I grew up with my grandparents
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Hazel builds a little chuppah in the heat of the day
Hazel builds a little chuppah in the heat of the day
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Jeremiah spends the morning working a particularly tricky knot
Jeremiah spends the morning working a particularly tricky knot
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We love that people frequently bring us homegrown veggies. Who brought us the peck of pickled peppers?
We love that people frequently bring us homegrown veggies. Who brought us the peck of pickled peppers?
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Ships mate Jeremiah Daniels on his birthday, member of shantyboat crew on every expedition since 2014
Ships mate Jeremiah Daniels on his birthday, member of shantyboat crew on every expedition since 2014
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“County’s heritage from the ante-bellum South and states-rights sympathies”
“County’s heritage from the ante-bellum South and states-rights sympathies” is a bit of an understatement. In fact, Colusa County, a mostly rural Southern Democrat county, voted for California to secede from the Union. When Lincoln was assassinated many in the county celebrated, resulting in the arrests of the most adamant revelers by Union soldiers. While…
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Anthurium in the shantyboat. These civilizing touches are an important part of our wild journey
Anthurium in the shantyboat. These civilizing touches are an important part of our wild journey
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Association of Shantyboaters certification and various photos on the shantyboat
Association of Shantyboaters certification and various photos on the shantyboat
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Radio shelf, engine gauges, and tobacco shelf from top to bottom on the shantyboat
Radio shelf, engine gauges, and tobacco shelf from top to bottom on the shantyboat
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Behind the wheel of an early 80s Ford pickup to breakfast in Colusa thanks to Mike
Behind the wheel of an early 80s Ford pickup to breakfast in Colusa thanks to Mike
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ABC10 out of Sacramento has us do stupid human boating tricks for an extensive report about the Secret History project
ABC10 out of Sacramento has us do stupid human boating tricks for an extensive report about the Secret History project
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Benzy’s patches to our meece-eaten screens probably saved us
Benzy’s patches to our meece-eaten screens probably saved us from getting eaten alive by bloodsucking carnivores in the night
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Happy and exhausted after an amazing day shantyboating with great friends
Happy and exhausted after an amazing day shantyboating with great friends
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After a morning dodging snags and gravel beds through a series of hazardous and scary ordeals…
After a morning dodging snags and gravel beds through a series of hazardous and scary ordeals, we deserve a moment of quiet drifting, fishing, and lunch buffet
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Breakfast birthday blackberry shantyboat pie! Yes, we have an oven
Breakfast birthday blackberry shantyboat pie! Yes, we have an oven
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Joe Lorenzo known around here as just Riverrat owns the boat that partly inspired the Secret History shantyboat
Joe Lorenzo known around here as just Riverrat owns the boat that partly inspired the Secret History shantyboat when we saw it ten years ago https://flic.kr/p/sLPi2F
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Al brings us fresh vegetables from his garden as we interview his friend Mike
Al brings us fresh vegetables from his garden as we interview his friend Mike
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Mike Frawley retired contractor in Princeton tells us about idyllic life in a tiny town of 400
Mike Frawley retired contractor in Princeton tells us about idyllic life in a tiny town of 400
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Cocktail hour after a great interview with Caged Heat and Dr Thunder’s hella Peachy Fire Whiskey. Great day
Cocktail hour after a great interview with Caged Heat and Dr Thunder’s hella Peachy Fire Whiskey. Great day
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A tailgate ride from a stranger down America’s dustiest road
A tailgate ride from a stranger down America’s dustiest road
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A moment of blissful relaxation between moments of terror
A moment of blissful relaxation between moments of terror
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Spoiler alert: We are still alive. Just went through the sketchiest bit of boating I’ve done in a ten year career of sketchy boating
Spoiler alert: We are still alive. Just went through the sketchiest bit of boating I’ve done in a ten year career of sketchy boating
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Cocktail hour refuge from the sun in the shadow of the shantyboat. JG Ballard’s The Drowned World
Cocktail hour refuge from the sun in the shadow of the shantyboat. JG Ballard’s The Drowned World
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“Yeah, we did see some gravel beds. How did you know?
“Yeah, we did see some gravel beds. How did you know?
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Anchor line set disappearing into the green depths while we fish from the stern
Anchor line set disappearing into the green depths while we fish from the stern
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Our Official Engine Provider Mercury Marine’s next new ad photo
Our Official Engine Provider Mercury Marine’s next new ad photo
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Sara Jane Hall, BBC producer joined us on the first few days of the expedition @bbc
Sara Jane Hall, BBC producer joined us on the first few days of the expedition @bbc
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Dave: “You got water in your fuel, Chief.”
Dave: “You got water in your fuel, Chief.” Not a little bit either. Note the line between clear and cloudy liquid. But how did so much water get in our fresh gas in a fresh tank? Sabotage?
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Amy, who finds herself homeless after being laid off as a dental tech, was excited about the tiny house possibilities of the shantyboat
Amy, who finds herself homeless after being laid off as a dental tech, was excited about the tiny house possibilities of the shantyboat
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Sara Jane Hall interviews Sheriff Chad about Red Bluff history
Sara Jane Hall interviews Sheriff Chad about Red Bluff history
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The saddest boat trailering experience ever. Sad face
The saddest boat trailering experience ever. Sad face
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We are camped under beautiful cooling oaks and sycamores in 135 degree heat 50 feet from the Sac River
We are camped under beautiful cooling oaks and sycamores in 135 degree heat 50 feet from the Sac River
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Secret History exhibit at the Sacramento History Museum through July
Secret History exhibit at the Sacramento History Museum through July
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Sac River maps arrived at the last minute! So fun to see every little slough, channel, and marina
Sac River maps arrived at the last minute! So fun to see every little slough, channel, and marina
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Important last minute printing tasks. Leave your river story at the Secret History exhibit at the Sacramento History Museum in July
Important last minute printing tasks. Leave your river story at the Secret History exhibit at the Sacramento History Museum in July
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Jeremiah puts the finishing touches on the new instrument panel
Jeremiah puts the finishing touches on the new instrument panel
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Miah wires up our homemade wiring post for gauge panel
Miah wires up our homemade wiring post for gauge panel
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Making big holes in the motor well to bolt on the new motor. @mercurymarine
Making big holes in the motor well to bolt on the new motor. @mercurymarine
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After years of effort to make sure our motor well was sealed I am cutting a huge hole in it
After years of effort to make sure our motor well was sealed I am cutting a huge hole in it
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Steering: check. Throttle: check. Shift: check. Battery: check. Controls: check. Freddy2 ready for action. @mercurymarine
Steering: check. Throttle: check. Shift: check. Battery: check. Controls: check. Freddy2 ready for action. @mercurymarine
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Oh nothing much. Just routing cables within Freddy2’s guts
Oh nothing much. Just routing cables within Freddy2’s guts
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Making holes in a perfectly good boat with a clever jig
Making holes in a perfectly good boat with a clever jig
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James and Wes rewiring (turns out unnecessarily) the new MerController
James and Wes rewiring (turns out unnecessarily) the new MerController
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MerControl2 wired up for new power. Good day of work w Benzy, James & Miah
MerControl2 wired up for new power. Good day of work w Benzy, James & Miah
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Setting in supplies thanks to a pretty sweet sponsorship
Setting in supplies thanks to a pretty sweet sponsorship
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Studying up on the new Mercury parts from our Official Engine Provider
Studying up on the new Mercury parts from our Official Engine Provider
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Dirty, covered in paint and epoxy after a full day of working on the shantyboat
Dirty, covered in paint and epoxy after a full day of working on the shantyboat
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Benzy works on her thesis among the chaos of shantyboat work
Benzy works on her thesis among the chaos of shantyboat work
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We had a problem with the hold doors on the shantyboat always creeping open. Magnets
We had a problem with the hold doors on the shantyboat always creeping open. Magnets
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Decommissioning the old MerControl on the shantyboat
Decommissioning the old MerControl on the shantyboat
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The untidy state of the shantyboat between journeys
The untidy state of the shantyboat between journeys
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Not seen the new Secret History trailer yet? Check it out!
Not seen the new Secret History trailer yet? Check it out! http://peoplesriverhistory.us/blog/trailer2017/
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Only 5 days left: $3230 still to go! Great rewards.
Only 5 days left: $3230 still to go! Great rewards. Project full of https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1245766964/a-secret-history-sacramento-river-expedition
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Weird things afoot – cutting into the shelves for a crossbeam to support the extended loft
Weird things afoot – cutting into the shelves for a crossbeam to support the extended loft
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Yesterday moved half a ton of brush to make room for the shantyboat
Yesterday moved half a ton of brush to make room for the shantyboat
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River Voices – 2017 Trailer
After 3 years of fieldwork, 1000 river miles, 15,000 road miles, 85 interviews, and now 1 month of combing the archive, and innumerable editing hours, we are extremely excited to present the new trailer.
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Wes futzes with the shantyboat electrical system
Wes futzes with the shantyboat electrical system (photo by @dudicusmaximus)
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Another day spent under the decks of the shantyboat-full system shutoff relay
Another day spent under the decks of the shantyboat-full system shutoff relay
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Miah replaces aging bike tube shelfkeepers. Now stuff won’t rain down on us constantly @dudicusmaximus
Miah replaces aging bike tube shelfkeepers. Now stuff won’t rain down on us constantly @dudicusmaximus
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Only 2 weeks left of the Secret History @Kickstarter & still long way from goal. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1245766964/a-secret-history-sacramento-river-expedition
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The continuing Surprising Things The Mouse Ate series
The continuing Surprising Things The Mouse Ate series
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Yeah, I guess our mouse visitor really wanted olive oil to go with their other snacks
Yeah, I guess our mouse visitor really wanted olive oil to go with their other snacks
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Won’t be sorry at all to see our leaky unreliable hand pump faucet go
Won’t be sorry at all to see our leaky unreliable hand pump faucet go
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Trying to break the shantyboat into California
After 3 years of fieldwork, 1000 river miles, 15,000 road miles, 85 interviews, and now 1 month of combing the archive, and innumerable editing hours, we are extremely excited to present the new trailer.
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@gooddoghazel watches the Secret History media cabinet
@gooddoghazel watches the Secret History media cabinet
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Miah marveling at the amazing generous gifts flooding in
Miah in total amazement at the amazing generous gifts flooding in from fans of the Secret History project. Thanks Frank for the new water system
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Secret History shantyboat clean-up day and mouse habitat exploration
Secret History shantyboat clean-up day and mouse habitat exploration
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A sad mouse casualty aboard the shantyboat. He may or may not have died of natural causes
A sad mouse casualty aboard the shantyboat. He may or may not have died of natural causes
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What surprises await us in the Secret History installation media cabinet?
What surprises await us in the Secret History installation media cabinet?
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Secret History shantyboat nestled in the redwoods in California
Secret History shantyboat nestled in the redwoods in California
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Shantyboat home in Felton California
Shantyboat home in Felton California. Benzy has to lift the telephone wires on the little road up to where the shantyboat nestles in the redwoods
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Shantyboat in the Paducah Labor Day Parade
Shantyboat in the Paducah Labor Day Parade. Nathan Lynn playing banjo while Wes tries to make banjo sounds that are not too disharmonious. Photo by Mitch Kimball
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