New platforms for Timbuctoo, California

As you can see by the date of my last post, I haven’t been posting to this blog in a number of years. But that doesn’t mean I’m no longer interested in Timbuctoo, California. I’ve set up a website and a Facebook page dedicated to Timbuctoo. Currently I’m posting to the Facebook page. I’ll have a blog up and running on the website soon. So please check out Timbuctoo, California on the web and on Facebook!

the Smartsville "s"

I noticed recently that the Weather Channel feature on the Smartsville and Timbuctoo Project's homepage changed from reading "Smartville, CA" to "Smartsville, CA."

This due, of course, to Kathy Smith's earlier efforts to get the "s" in Smartsville officially returned. Congratulations once again, Kathy!

Pioneer Day 2011

Another Pioneer Day draws near. This will be the fourth year for the festival, I believe.

I'm looking forward to getting back up to Smartsville for the day and seeing everyone again. I'm also looking forward to meeting the first-time visitors.

If you want more info about the event, please click the link in the sidebar on the Smartsville and Timbuctoo Project homepage.

still here

Well, no one can accuse me of being a prolific blogger. I see it's been almost a year since the last time I posted on this blog. I have, however, been checking occasionally for comments, and I'm always glad to see comments to a post.

Please feel free to leave a comment, and to visit the Smartsville and Timbucoo Project on facebook and post there. You can also leave a comment on the Project's Guestbook page.

Pioneer Day

As far as I know, we had yet another successful Pioneer Day in Smartsville and Timbuctoo.

I served as a tour guide for three tours of Timbuctoo, and I could have led at least one more tour, the demand was so great.

After talking with Kathy, it seems that between 800 and 1,000 people (at any one time) attended this latest Pioneer Day.

On the tours I led, people asked a lot of great questions, and seemed genuinely interested in the gold rush town of Timbuctoo. This made the experience extremely rewarding for me.

I'm looking forward to the next Pioneer Day. I'm also thinking of posting more about the day. Maybe this account is Facebook-worthy?

calling back the salmon

Once again, I learned too late about a special ritual held the past four years in the Smartsville and Timbuctoo area in eastern Yuba County. Once again, I missed the annual "Calling Back the Salmon" ceremony, held this year on Saturday, October 10. Although I can't offer a first-person account of the event, I did talk with my Smartsville and Timbuctoo Project partner Kathy Smith, who filled me in on some of the details.

The early-morning ceremony began on the eastern side of the Yuba River beneath the Parks Bar Bridge. After about an hour, the gathering disbursed temporarily: Reportedly, the catching of the totem salmon is a private ritual reserved for members of the participating Maidu tribes.

Runners carried the salmon up Timbuctoo Road through Timbuctoo, then through Smartsville and up to Lake Englebright (Englebright Reservoir). From there they continued to South Yuba River State Park, a.k.a. Bridgeport State Park, where everyone was invited to attend closing ceremonies and a lunch featuring-- you guessed it: salmon.

Kathy estimated that there were about 25 runners participating this year, up from perhaps 10 runners last year. (During the morning ceremony under the Parks Bar Bridge, someone asked, "Is that bridge still out?" referring to the dilapidated Timbuctoo Bridge, still closed to vehicle traffic.)

Admittedly, the above account is just a hint of this special event, marking its fourth year. You can find out much more by visiting the official Calling Back the Salmon site, plus the South Yuba River Citizens League page, and its Save Yuba Salmon page.

I live about two and a half hours' driving time from the Smartsville and Timbuctoo area, so I need to plan a bit to attend this event. At least I can pencil in the event for October of next year.

yet another Timbuctoo?

Recently found out about another place in the U. S. called Timbuctoo. This Timbuctoo is in upstate New York, in the town of North Elba. There's an archaeological dig going on in this 1850s settlement. Looking forward to finding out more about this place, in addition to the New Jersey Timbuctoo.

There's a good chance there are more U. S. places named Timbuctoo. Looking forward to finding out about those, too.