Prairie Solitude

Here are some more great photos from Lincoln....gotta run now...need to load my Subaru for the first part of my journey...the 200 mile drive from my ranch country home in southern Wyoming to Casper where I'll have to deal with traffic, stop lights, noise.... Will be so relieved to have everybody in Wyoming and ON THE TRAIL.

Just 4 days to launch.

Onward to Oregon!

--Candy

In the Background

When we had our big production meeting back in January, I remember talking about the people it would take to create this film and Bob making the comment, "There will be as many people behind the camera as in front of it."

Well....not quite. But we do have a good crew to bring In Pursuit of a Dream to life....We're still putting it together but already on board are the folks I mentioned earlier: Bob, Quackgrass, Jacqueline, Lincoln, Patrick, Susan, Lynn. Plus Jeff Nicholson and Matt James as primary production assistants (PAs)...we have Connor Novotny to assist as a PA and will be getting one more person lined up for that role, too.

In the support camp in Wyoming we'll have Bob Lovato and Floyd Barela with the production trailer/vehicle shuttle crew; Rod Henderson and Doris Leigh, cooking for the crew; Ben Kern and Carl Jones, water and other support for the crew...and cast.

Quackgrass and I have traveled many a mile on the trail with Rod, Doris, Ben and Carl....Ben's been doing wagon trains since the 1950s and at age 82 is still going strong, making plans for a run with the Wyoming Stagecoach later this year.

Here's another picture of the trail veteran. The top one shows him with mules Jim and Jake.

--Candy

Eight Days Until Launch

Quackgrass and I have a zillion details to work out. I was determined to sort through all my piles in my office, but at 2 a.m. decided I better hit the hay for a few hours and left it undone. I did get my bedroll out and hung it on the fence to "shake out the spiders" who might have found a home there since I used it last summer on the Overland Trail wagon train. Fortunately there really were no spiders, because I hate bugs!

Also washed bedrolls that some of the kids will use, and drove in to my little town of Encampment to make the arrangements with Doggett Greenhouse for some props we need. Mary and Gary donated a portion of them...thank you guys! Mary told me next time I plan something like this to keep her in mind, she'd love to go along as a chaperone....And she'd be a good one cuz I happen to know she's a great cook! Not that the cooks we have this year are anything less than great, mind you.

I'd be better prepared for this film shoot if I could get some of my other work out of the way...Let's see, before Tuesday I need to finish the layout for the OCTA News From the Plains, which I edit; finalize the proof on the Western Writers of America Roundup magazine, which I also edit, write two articles for True West magazine, one for Wild West magazine, and four columns for The Fence Post. There are clothes to wash, script elements to finish, plus doublechecking on all of our permissions and permits....better hop to it....after some zzzzs.

--Candy

Take a Dip in Sunscreen

Remind people to dip themselves in sunscreen twice a day, bring good hats with a wide brim, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
How else can I help?

Lincoln Morrison

Camera/Lighting/Sound

Lincoln's Photos

Here are some of Lincoln's photos from the production of "Footsteps to the West" for the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, WY.

Lincoln's Packing his Equipment

Hi Everybody!

Tonight I worked at Universal Studios filming a concert in the Gibson Amphitheater sponsored by Rock Corps, an organization that requests volunteers donate their time to various community service projects in exchange for concert tickets. A number of bands performed, including Puddle of Mud, Busta Rymes, and Akon to name a few. Its hard to believe that in one short week I'll be in a much quieter place...

I'm gettin' really excited about heading off into the wild west.
I was lucky enough to work with Boston Productions on the films for the National Historic Trails Visitors Center in Casper and I've got to tell you - we are all in for a tremendous adventure! The people here in LA that I tell about the trip, friends and professional film-makers, are awestruck with envy at the opportunity we are all sharing.
I'm starting to make lists: film equipment, sound gear, camping stuff, clothes... Will it be hot or cold, or both?, I promise myself to remember my good rain gear, while hoping I'll never need it. Don't forget the little camping pillow from the trip I took hunting for Bigfoot with the Sci-Fi channel. Granola bars, chocolate, and beef jerky. Let's see, what else. Oh yeah, a petsitter for the cat. Hmm - pay the rent and bills before departure. The excitement builds!
I think the students are going to be amazed at the hardships endured by our forefathers...and we'll have it easy by comparison! Will the animals have enough water? Will the people? What do you mean, we can't just run to the 7-11?
Let your imaginations run wild! And I hope we have a really capable, inventive cook!
Bring a book or two, a deck of cards, some sort of small instrument. No TV! We're going to have to talk to each other!
Get ready to navigate the desolation in our prairie schooners, our desert ships.
I'll enclose a few pictures that will help you envision our trek...

-- Lincoln Morrison
Camera/Lighting/Sound

Some of Our Friends

You don't put on a wagon train, or a film shoot that involves a wagon train, without a lot of help...Here's a photo from a trip Quackgrass and I did in 2006. Quite a few of the folks in this photo will be out with us as support for In Pursuit of a Dream.

--Candy

Jacqueline's on Board

Had a production meeting conference call today with Quackgrass, Bob, and Jacqueline Sheridan, who has joined our team as another producer. She has lots of experience with film making and with living in a tent so we certainly do welcome her. I'm joining Quackgrass in the "list pile" department. As my family will tell you, my office is always a disaster...but never more so than now.

Other crew who will be helping create In Pursuit of a Dream are Lincoln Morrison (sound), Susan Bryant (sound), and Patrick Ruth (camera).

--Candy

Lynn's Dress

Lynn Porter, our EMT for the shoot (who is a student at Idaho State University in Pocatello) just sent me this message:

I just did a photo shoot for the University Relations photographer. That meant wearing my dress to work to satisfy all those "I want to see your dress" people. I learned plenty; a/c is good, rolling secretary chairs are bad and drivers cannot see you when you cross the street.

My anthropology advisor said that I should go home and put shorts on now that everyone had seen my dress.

--Lynn Porter
Semper Vigilans K-9 Rescue and Recovery

Camera Rigging

Just got off the phone with Bob...He's working on a camera rig for the wagon that my husband, Steve, will build. Now Steve has built a lot of things in his day, including our house, furniture under his Flying S Ranch brand (all custom, really gorgeous stuff, if I do say so myself), wagon pieces and parts, and my desk (which you cannot see because it is piled so high with notes, paperwork, research books, etc.)..he's never built this kind of camera rigging. With this camera rig we hope to capture some great views of our wagon drivers and Dreamer cast as they ride the trail. Gotta race now. Still have 16 things on today's "to do" list.

--Candy

Hey, Where's the Dog?

Cows are calved...... pastures and hay fields are growing.... my draft horse mare has her 2 mo. old spotted filly in the corral and its 70 degrees outside in Montana! Where did the time go and it can’t be only a week until Candy and I take off for “Dreamers” to begin! Ahhhhhhhh !!!!!!

The piles of “props” and stuff are taking over my dining room!!!! You have to weave through the big canvas bags marked “flour” and “beans,” dodge the boxes with journals, canteens and “housewives” in them and maneuver past baskets of quilts, cast iron pots, and rice bags. My poor husband has to check with me before eating anything in the kitchen in case it’s “prop food” and my dog “Surrey” is hiding out under the roll desk for fear of being packed up in a sleeping bag. BUT it’s organized chaos, even if I do tend to “twitch” on and off when I read the latest e-mail from Candy!

I think the “just one more thing” list is seven feet long and the sticky notes have taken over the computer screen AND keyboard now! I have 6 clip boards of lists and today I’ll hook up my horse trailer to the pickup so I can start loading it. (It’s the Official Prop/Production Trailer... good thing I scooped out the horse poop yesterday) I’ve e-mailed all the kids, reminding them to label all their gear (I AM the Official Nag of this adventure) and I’m working on getting the tons of horse feed we will need for the mule teams. Ah the joys of “film making”...... where is Sam Elliott when you need him! Gotta run....HEY, is that bag moving.... ok, where’s the dog..............??!

--Quackgrass

They're In the Mail

Howdy to our Dreamers....I have just mailed each of you an "In Pursuit of a Dream" T-shirt...Please wear it on the first day of our journey as you head to the airport so you will be able to recognize each other.

The days are ticking down...lots to do so will keep this short.

--Candy

My Own Wagons !!!

Happy Day!!! Steve and I went to an estate auction down in North Park, Colorado, today and I came home as the proud owner of two wagons! My very own...something I've wanted for a long time. My cousins Jim and Valerie and friend Corey hauled one home on their trailer and other cousins Ron and Cyndi loaned us their trailer to haul the other.

--Candy

Production planning

Bob captures some images of Kim and his students while the kids visit Kim's ranch during a school field trip.

Janet, Dave, and Kim share some trail images during our production planning meeting in Casper as Bob captures the action!

Our Cast is In Place

Bob and I have made the final decisions on our cast and I had both the joy of calling students to tell them they have been selected, and the difficult task of telling others they won't be able to travel with us. Our decisions were based on so many factors.... In some cases we wanted a kid who was tall, or perhaps short; we wanted one who was funny, or serious; we wanted one who had never traveled, or who had been to many areas of the country; we wanted kids in top physical shape, and those who may not be. In a nutshell, we wanted real diversity in our cast. We have an equal number of boys and girls all between the ages of 12 and 17.

To those of you who were not chosen for the cast....we loved your interest, enthusiasm, and talent. I just wish we could take all of you on the trail, but, alas, our space and resources are limited.

--Candy