We started out the 2014 season with a visit by Nicolas Lambert on his book release tour for “A People’s Art History of the United States”. In our library, Nicolas gave a reading out of the book to the assembled crowd on the history of the IWW. Patrick Dodd, a IWW musician friend of the BBCRC based in Ashland, then led a round of music in the boxcar, followed by some noise bands. It was a good start to the season.Along with his talk, Nicolas Lambert set up an art show from the Just Seeds Art Collective, of which he is a member. Just Seeds is an activist art group which, among other issues, focuses on natural resource/environmental issues.We continued with the expansion of our office/caretaker residence by adding on a depot style bay window on the west side of the building.At our Spring Work Party in May, our outdoor pizza/bread oven started to take shape.Minneapolis-based old time band Pert Near Sandstone played the Spring Work Party. A boxcar in Weed, CA was the only small town exception to their big city west coast tour.Well-known rail photographer Dick Dorn paid us several visits while documenting the last days of the Black Butte searchlights (see our Searchlights page) and in the process took some spectacular night shots at Black Butte.
Summer/Fall 2014
Minnesota-based folk blues legend Charlie Parr came to Black Butte for the first time in July as part of a west coast tour. He was very well received, people wanting to see him play in a boxcar came from as far away as the Bay Area and Portland.Dawn Riding (aka Sarah Rose), a Bay Area based friend of the BBCRC, opened for Charlie Parr.At the Fall Work Party, we continued on the construction of our wood-fired pizza/bread oven.As part of the Fall Work Party, we had an art show opening/art hike to view the “Pest Habitats” that Lance has constructed around the land at Black Butte. The artistic structures provide shelter/homes for wildlife and are already seeing use by many critters.This habitat is located right near our garden and the pond.The day after our Fall Work Party, on a dry and windy day, a devastating fire struck our local community of Weed. While the fire started almost two miles from us, the smoke was visible from the BBCRC and enough to give us a scare. Over 150 structures — homes and local institutions such as the town’s library and food bank — were lost in the fire.
Hobo Olympics 2014
Birthday cake for “Air Tramp Brody” who had to swallow his hobo pride and fly commercially for the first time in his life in order to make it out to Black Butte in time to officiate over the eventMatt and Moe playing to an appreciative audienceMatt and Moe. Hear them on our You Tube channel “www.youtube.com/channel/UCEOqftgbGZwt29NIIh8sLHg/about“‘Bo-Lympics Registration table and BBCRC merch salesOpening Ceremony: Metro takes the ‘Bo-Lympics torch (a railroad flare) and begins the procession to the wyeRail Wobble: A game of balance, skill and daring‘Bo Pageant: A spectator is clearly not impressedWet and windy cigarette rollBetween Events: Taking a break in the outdoor kitchenBetween Events: Taking a break in the outdoor kitchenBetween Events: Taking a break in the outdoor kitchen
Hobo Olympics 2014 (part 2)
P-38 Bean can open-offJungle Bucket Fight: A crowd favoriteFirst one to be dislodged from their bucket losesReferee Croatian Mike is tough but fairTommy shows the stuff that made him champKali flattens her opponentContestants take a breakA new event for 2014: The Comatose Boyfriend DragThe potential for excited dogs to bite adds to the dramaClosing ceremony: Tommy (Oops) gets the Gold!The assembled crowd cheers on the medal winners
