Saturday Madness

Hello mule lovers: HOW ABOUT THIS SPRING WEATHER

Drives me crazy. I should be firing up the diesel. The mules hear that
and they are at the gate. They are as bored as I am. They want to
go trail riding too.

I know they are bored because they are trying to eat their barn lean too.
They have chewed on the rafters and the feed bunk. They have loose
salt minerals hay and grain. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING11
I know it is boredom. I have even wanted to eat my toothbrush.
Spring where are you.

Kirk and Lacey came by this morning about 8:30. I have been working
a lot and last night I did not get home until after 1:00 am. I was
barely out of bed. Lacey said she wanted pancakes and bacon and
that is what we had.

My sister, Mary Ann, called me from her home in Canada while I
was cooking. She talked to Glen which was a first for a while. He is
ill and sometimes hard to talk to.

I want to fix my hair go dancing go camping. Guess what I am going to
do. I am going to Walmart to renew some of Glen's perscriptions.
Not very exciting but I am glad that I am able to do it and pay for
them as well.

I tried to find my cat Marco this morning and he was at the foot of the
bed on my side under the covers. I forgot to put him in his cage last night
too much tequila nightcap I guess.

incredible view

We live in a river valley. The English river comes in to the Des Moines
river straight north of our home about one half mile or less. When
we ride our mules on the bluff and look every direction the view is
like it was one hundred years or more ago. All you see is trees
and bluffs and the river and the bluffs on the north side of the river
we are on the south side. We ride our mules there 3 times a week.
Usually in the winter as well, but this year we have ice and Glen is
ill. Our friends think we have an incredible view.

The weather is warmer today and I have Spring Fever. Anyway I have to
go to work this pm.

I am glad to have a job at the Nursing and Rehab Center. It is hard work
and I get really fond of the residents.

mules and Model A cars

During World War 11 my dad trained draft horses and mules. and raised
draft mules as well. My dad always spent a lot of evenings in the barn
and he would say he was nursing one little animal or another. Actually
he was nursing Mr Jim Beam. One January he had bought some new
two year old Draft Mules to teach to pull the plow etc. As he left the
barn one dark night he stopped in to say good night and neglected to
shut the gate to the lot. The rest is history.

His mother was staying with us and my sister was a baby one month old.
We all got in the Model A to chase those mules. My dad and his mother
were yelling at each other and the baby was crying. We went around a
corner and the door of the car came open and the baby fell out and the
car ran over her. There was a lot of screaming. The baby fell under the
wheels on a snowy road and was not injured. I don't know if they
ever rounded up those draft mules I must have gone to sleep

Mardi Gras

Welcome to New Orleans the new Mr. and Mrs. Ogletree. The states
of Alaska, Alabama, and Iowa are so proud of you two. They are
on their honeymoon for a few days and then Jason is returning
to the special forces in Iraq to complete his tour of duty. We are
all a military family now for sure.

I told Micole our granddaughter to be careful in New Orleans as the
city has a rep as a crime city. She said laughing "Well grandma I am
with a trained killer you know" She is so proud of him

1930's and toilet paper

I did not live in the 30s but I remember everything that happened because that is all anyone ever talked about. We used our
cream and eggs in Knoxville to trade for what ever we needed that
we did not produce on the farm. We lived on mud roads with no
electricity. I remember clearly an argument that was about
toilet paper. My mother was yelling at my dad "why do we have to buy
real toilet paper for you mother" We used old papers and catalogs.

Richard came to visit

Richard came to visit today. We bought two of our mules from him.
He is a coon hunter and he confessed today that he was lost this Fall
for about the first time in his life. He was ready to return to the
truck about 10:00pm and he did not find it until 3:00 am. That
is a remarkable confession to make. He did not ride his mule as
it was so ice covered that night.

He likes my new mule. We walked right up to her out in the pasture. Most
of my other mules are a little more hard to get.

inauguration day

Today is an historic day for sure. We have one very black mule. When
I did the chores this morning I brought her uptodate on what a great
day this is to be black. We voted for Barrack and we in Iowa are so
proud of him and his family.

air ports

Took our daughter to the Des Moines Airport today to return home
to Olympia Washington. She had been home to visit her father who
has cancer.

The Iowa day is beautiful in the overcast way of an approaching snow
fall. The plane was on time.

Now it is time to call in the mules for their evening feed and keep'
them in the lot for the night

sunday

Hi folks

Walked the fence today. County followed me begging for a job to do.
She is a big black mule with so much hair she looks like a buffalo.
She is very gentle and was wishing I could just jump on and she
would take me for a ride.

Saturday at the ranch

Hi Beautiful cold windy snowy weather. The mules are so lucky to have
such a good warm coat. I just came back from the barn and they are
all warm and cozy eating their hay and a small ration of grain.

Reminds me of my childhood in rural southern Iowa where we lived
in the mud roads. My dad used a team of one mule and one mare called
Jack and Dolly. He could direct them with gee and haw and get up and
whoa. It was so fun and I thought I was driving them. We had no electricity only smoky old oil lamps. But us kids could see in the dark
anyway and we were never scared.