Waiting for the Tumbleweed Connection

The Lost Sea Expedition
The “Lost Sea Expedition” is the 4-part documentary I filmed about my 14-month wagon journey from Canada to the border with Mexico. The goal of my journey was to film a documentary about the ancient sea that covered what is now the Great Plains. I filmed the entire journey with only the gear I carried in my wagon: two movie cameras, an audio recorder, tripods, and a laptop. All powered by a 100-watt panel bolted to the wagon’s roof.




The Second Wagon Winter
I soon learned that winters on the Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas plains were a lot like winter most everywhere else on the Great Plains. Lots of cold, snow, sleet and frozen rain which, if you’re traveling with a mule and wagon, that means lots of icy water buckets, numb fingers and waking up to a mule with frozen-shut eyelashes.





Message in a Tumbleweed
Surrounded by all these tumbleweeds, I got the idea to tie some notes to them and send them off across the empty expanse. The Great Plains equivalent of a sailor launching a message in a bottle. I snagged a few of the largest Kali tragus I encountered (also known as Russian thistles), spray painted them orange for visibility and taped a note inside each. Scrawled on each note was a plaintiff message to the tune of “Hi. I’m Bernie. I’m traveling across the land with my mule Polly. I’m lonely. Please write me back. Thanks. Bernie” To that, I added my mailing address and, so the finder wouldn’t have to spring for the postage, a stamp in the top right corner.







New Book Update
Work on the new book about my latest mule voyage from North Carolina to Idaho is going really well. This week I worked on passages on why you can’t jerk a mule across a bridge with a golf cart, the Frogman’s sandwich and deflating a Nebraska calf with a pocket knife. I hope to have the second draft completed early in the new year. If you want me to give you a shout when the book comes out, just sign up for my newsletter right here.One hundred Sixty Seven Lost Sea Expedition Thanks
A great big thanks to everyone that has reviewed the “Lost Sea Expedition” series on Amazon Prime. The 4 part Public TV series is about the voyage I took from Canada to Mexico with my mule Polly. Polly is doing great.
How Your Reviews Help
Reviews and word of mouth are the #1 way to spread word of the series. If you haven’t already, it would be great if you left a review. A few words and seconds is all it takes. You can do that right here.
If you’d like to stream the series, you can do so right here on Amazon.
Or if you just want to drop us a line, mule Polly and I always like hearing from folks. You can contact us right here.
Over 700,000 of Minutes Streamed
Mule Polly and I got to wondering. How often is the “Lost Sea Expedition” being streamed on Amazon? The series is about mule Polly and my solo wagon voyage across America. According to Amazon, it’s been viewed over 700,000 minutes in the last 3 months. That’s almost 12,000 hours. Wow!
More importantly, the series has gotten over 80 reviews.
These reviews are vital. They show Amazon the series is engaging viewers. That means Amazon (okay, Amazon’s algorithm) encourages folks to stream the series. That really helps word get out about this beautiful series.
If you’ve reviewed the series, thanks. If you haven’t, a few words and a few seconds is all it takes. You can leave your review right here.
Thanks from mule Polly and me!
PS: If you haven’t watched the series yet, you can stream the series right here.
EQUUS INTERNATIONAL Film Festival Selection
The “Lost Sea Expedition” is crankin’. A few weeks ago it won a Winnie Award at the EQUUS film festival in New York. This week, the film has been selected to appear at the EQUUS INTERNATIONAL film festival in Missoula, Montana.
This is very cool because Polly and my trip covered parts of Montana. No matter what the judges think, Polly scores a win with us. Brace yourself for a bonus ration of carrots my traveling friend!
You can stream the series on Amazon.
More about the EQUUS INTERNATIONAL film festival right here.
Thanks For Your Review
A huge thank you to everyone that left a review of the “Lost Sea Expedition” on Amazon. We got 17 new reviews this week which put us 6 over our goal of 50. To celebrate, Julia and I rode up the mountain. In the photo above, I’m riding Brick and leading Polly, star of the series. You can bet Polly got her carrot bonus!
If you’d like to review the series that would make a little mule very happy. You can leave your Amazon review right here.
Everyone have a great weekend.
Lost Sea Expedition wins Winnie Award at EQUUS Film Festival
A man walks across America with a mule. The man makes a movie. The movie goes to New York City and wins a shiny gold trophy.
Yeeehaawww!
Okay. Sorry. I got carried away.
It’s just that I’m so excited that the Lost Sea Expedition, the account of my mule voyage across America, just won a Winnie Award at the EQUUS Film Festival in New York City. It won for best Full-Length Equestrian Film Travel Documentary.
What now? Well, mule Polly, star of the series, can’t eat a trophy so I have a better idea.
On our latest jaunt, a 6-week amble from North Carolina to Virginia and back, Polly developed a real love for little red apples. So red apples it is – a whole bag full if that’s what it takes.
In the meantime, here are 2 ways you can watch the award-winning Lost Sea Expedition!
-buy the DVD at the LostSeaExpedition store.
-stream the series on Amazon
“Lost Sea Expedition” Screens Friday, November 30 at EQUUS Film Festival (12p)
News just in that the Lost Sea Expedition is scheduled to be the first movie to be screened at the 2018 EQUUS Film Festival in New York City. The movie about mule Polly’s wagon voyage joins other movies ranging from gypsy wagon life and Marwari cavalry horses to the California vaquero. Festival bonus: this is the first time the Lost Sea Expedition, originally released as a series, will be shown as a feature-length film.
Where: Wythe Hotel Cinema
N 11th St & Brewers Row & Wythe Avenue – Brooklyn, NY 11249
80 Wythe Avenue – Brooklyn, NY 11249
When: Friday, November 30, 2018
Time: 12pm
Click through for the entire schedule.
Continue reading ““Lost Sea Expedition” Screens Friday, November 30 at EQUUS Film Festival (12p)”
Horse Radio Network Interview
Big thanks to Glen and Jamie of the Horse Radio Network’s “Horses in the Morning” show. I had the pleasure and amusement of being a guest on their show this (Monday) morning. We had a great time discussing the Lost Sea Expedition series, messages in a tumbleweed and why anybody would set off across America in a wagon. Stream the interview or any of the 6,000-plus interviews they’ve done, at www.horsesinthemorning.com.
Mule Polly’s Next Adventure
If you’re wondering what mule Polly’s up to after the Lost Sea Expedition, come on over to my travel site RiverEarth.com. Of course, we’re running away again!