January 2014

 Just told Cori I guess I had better write something for Over the Back Fence, and that after 24 years you sort of run out of anything to write about. She replied that helps when you actually go somewhere. I do miss going, and right now I’m looking forward to heading back to Columbia, MO to the mule sale held in February. In the meantime, guess I’ll find some other projects to fill my time.

Actually, tomorrow some of my coffee shop friends and I have a trip planned. We will meet Ron and Virginia Bertz of Higginsville in Columbia, then head north to the small Amish community of Clark. We have been making this trip to buy Christmas goodies for a number of years now, and of course we spend a long, leisurely lunch visiting before parting ways. Our weather here in Missouri has taken a turn for the worse; yesterday it was a beautiful 65 degree day, it was 24 when I got up this morning, and tomorrow as we head north the high is supposed to be 22. It seems I dislike winter weather more each year.

Our morning conversations at the coffee shop seem to center around health care, and the lack of approval of some treatments for seniors. I mention on page 49 that I received back issues from Mike McGinleyand I’ve reprinted a letter that was in the August 1980 issue. After reading this it sounds like a lot of the same issues were taking place back then as we are undergoing today, only today our government has added other problems as well.

The new copies of the second addition of The Natural Superiority of Mules should be arriving in our office any day now. Several phone conversations with the author John Hauer of Moab, Utah has us anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new book. I’ve seen a photo of the front cover and that is very impressive. John says this new book contains 32 pages more than the first edition, with more than 32 pages of new material added, as some pages from the previous edition were deleted.

 As you read this we will be working on the 23rd annual Jack Issue. As I’ve said many times, this is one of my favorite issues; I love donkeys, and enjoy working with the owners of the donkeys that market their animals in Mules and More in this special issue.

  Thanksgiving holidays were busy around here. On Wednesday night I attended a surprise house warming for Cori, Davy, Camri and Alison, their kitchen was bursting at the seams with family and friends. On Saturday evening before that I enjoyed a non-traditional holiday supper with my family at Larry and Becky’s; the enchiladas were delicious, along with other Mexican dishes, and of course Lenice brought one of her delicious home-made pies. Thanksgiving day I enjoyed a traditional meal with Lenice’s family at Loren and Lenice’s. Turkey with all the trimmings was topped off with five different kinds of pie.

  Now by the time you read this I probably will have eaten my way through the Christmas holidays. I’m looking forward to spending time with Alison, 6 and Camri, 8, and the rest of the family, but Christmas is really special for these two little girls.

Here’s wishing all of you a very Happy New Year; we’ll keep working on things at the morning coffee breaks hoping to make 2014 better for all of us.

Camri and Alison with Santa, December 2013