People have been requesting more photos from the trip. Photographer and crew member Tod Seelie has posted a gallery of beautiful photos from the past month. Check it out here.
Archive for August 23rd, 2006
First, apologies for the lack of updates. We returned the fancy wireless card (that allowed us to be online while on the river) just before the money-back-free-trial-period expired. So, posting regularly now is a bit more difficult.
Things on the Armada have been going smoothly. Our engines, named Mortimer and Jenkins, are neck and neck in the breakdown tally, but aren’t overheating or breaking down as nearly as much as during the first few days of our travels (thanks to Nick, Iris, Paul, Andreas and Austin).
Currently we’re in Winona where yesterday we did a day of workshops including stencil-making, wild-edibles, silkscreening, leather work, and songwriting and face-painting with kids. We also set up a story booth where people made audio recordings stories about their lives in Winona.
By nightfall a crowd had gathered down at the levee and we put on our show– it was…well…a little rough around the edges, but had a whole lot of character.
On a sad note, as September approaches, some crew members will be returning home or leaving the boat to pursue other adventures. Jeff, Phil, Rebecca, Paul, and Ledia have left the Armada over the last week. We’re sending you love!
Catch us tonight on Latch Island or in Lacrosse the following couple of days!
More updates coming soon.
Wabasha! What a town. We pulled up to the gently sloping grass covered bank of Wabasha just as the sun was setting and as people poured from their homes saying, “Well, I never have seen anything like this in my whole life on the river,” we realized that this would be the perfect time for an impromptu evening performance. Without being asked people passed a hat. In the morning they brought coffee and donuts.
The next morning, when we left, City Councilman Dean (above center) followed along with us by land for two locks, first delivering produce that folks had rounded up from their gardens, and later to report that platypus our pet duck (that Brandy adopted and rehabilitated with Spark’s help), was being well taken care of and swimming happily in Wabasha’s duck pond.
What a town.
