MuleCam, Pork and a DVD signing – Oriental, NC
This week I’m visiting Oriental, NC ,where I began my circumnavigation aboard Sea Bird – and my mule trip across America.
Coast-to-coast mule trip departure – Oriental, NC, March 2004, Melinda Penkava photo
But no, this time I’m not here to go sailing, muleing or dragon hunting.
Nope, this time I’m here to attend Tennessee Ronnie’s annual block party barbecue.
I caught up with Ronnie this morning as he was inspecting the grill on his pig cooker.
Ronnie checking for… Continue reading
Your Basic Busted Wheel Moment – Southern Pines, NC
Now before you say “Awww man!” like I do when Woody sticks his leg through Maggie’s cart and busts the wheels, remember this – mule and boat travel is fraught with delay.
Your basic “Awwwwww man!” moment – Fairbank, AZ
When you count on wind and hooves for locomotion, as I often do, travel times get skewed. A few years ago, old man Neptune took a bashing to my boat and I spent a year and half in New Zealand… Continue reading
Three Questions – Southern Pines, NC
As you know, I like to have themes when I travel. Lost Sea. 65 Days Alone. Litter by State. Budweiser vs. Keystone. Moonshine and Voodoo dolls…
Voodoo doll in anonymous hand – Slab City, CA
Ok, so I haven’t told you about the voodoo dolls. Let’s just say people show you the neatest things when you travel by mule.
But let’s get back to the theme for the next trip.
First and foremost, I’ll be investigating the Lost Sea, the… Continue reading
Not Knots and Miles Anymore
I recently returned to Oriental after a five-day shake down cruise in my new vessel.
Bill wonders… (Susan Edwards photo)
Now in the old days when I returned from a sailing trip I liked to brag a bit about how many miles I’d gone. “Oh yeah.” I liked to let slip once Sea Bird was snuggly moored and I invariably stretched the number of sea miles it was to Bath or Beaufort.
“30 nautical miles” I’d hear in my head… Continue reading
Shark Tooth on Main Street (or Why it's now the Lost Sea Expedition…)
So I drove my mule team from Oriental to Aurora and smack on the corner of Fourth and Main I found a shark tooth.
For real.
Ok, let me back up the plot a little. First let me explain how downtown Aurora is laid out.
Main Street runs down the middle of it. On one side of Main Street is the Aurora Fossil Musuem. On the other is what they call the fossil heap.
Debbie Richardson and Richard Olsen of… Continue reading
Mule Hair Raku – Bayboro, NC
“Where do we sleep tonight?”
That’s Question Number One every time I strike out on a mule or a boat.
From Oriental Jack and Bill and I struck off toward Bayboro. 22,696 steps later we pulled up in front of a massive anchor on the Bayboro waterfront.
Bill: “I don’t have another step in me.”
Jack: “I know. Feels like we’ve done our twenty-thousand for the day. Let’s anchor here tonight…” – Bayboro, NC
Norm Czuchra and Candace Young of… Continue reading
Off Down the Road – Southern Pines, NC
Watch those fingers…
For months I’ve welded, glued, hummed and painted a wagon body into existence. This week, with a bit of good advice and horsepower, I mounted the wagon body on the chassis.
Now all that remained was the shake down. Once the brakes were adjusted and bled (this took three days, mind you) I hooked Jack and Bill up to my new creation.
Ok boys, “Up! Up!”
Then we hit the road for shakedown number one.
Off down… Continue reading
Let's Get This Thing on the Road! – Southern Pines, NC
There comes a time in any journey’s preparation when you look at the parts and say “Ok, no more building… Let’s get this thing on the road!”
So last week I decided to tow the wagon body out of Mel’s garage and mount it on the chassis I’d been using under my hay wagon.
Hay wagon chassis
I pulled the flat bed body off the chassis but then I got to looking at that red running gear. “You know” I… Continue reading
The Stove – Southern Pines, NC
A large percentage of gypsy wagons that are being restored show scorch marks. They come from where the wood stove set the wagon on fire.
Not good.
So to guard against this sort of Viking sendoff, I lined the stove nook with plywood and aluminum sheeting. Just to make sure the air circulated up behind the panels, I routed some air holes into the frame work.
Frame work for stove nook with vent holes that (should) dissipate heat (I hope).… Continue reading
Building the Interior – Southern Pines, NC
Between catching my mules, hauling hay, working on the book and sewing up the odd cat, there’s been scarce little time for working on the wagon.
The wagon shell waits…
Which isn’t all bad.
It gave me time to think…
In the end, I realized that most projects consume exactly as much time and money as you have on hand. So you might as well start off small, on a scale you can finish.
And afford.
With that in mind,… Continue reading
