2010-11 Archives

January 2011 Over The Back Fence
By Sue Cole
Senior Editor of Mules and More Magazine


November 27 my friend Joann Edwards and I set out for Apache Junction, Ariz. with my little "fufu" dog Spencer. This was a huge undertaking for two 70+ ladies traveling with a dog that had never been over 30 miles from home. We loaded my SUV with enough clothes and incidentals for a three month stay in a rented (furnished) mobile home in a much warmer climate, although November in Missouri had been experiencing some pretty mild weather. 

Our trip of almost 1,400 miles was pretty uneventful, with the exception of running into snow on the western border of New Mexico, and again as we headed south from I-40 toward Payson.

Joann was driving and she could hardly see the car in front of her but kept commenting on how pretty it was. I had trouble agreeing, I just wanted to get over this mountain and out of the snow.

We arrived at our trailer three days after starting out, and have pretty much settled in. Joann is still working for a St. Louis-based company doing computer work, and thanks to her computer skills and knowledge, she had both of our systems up and running in record time. Since Joann works five days a week, this only gives us weekends to get out and explore the area. So I have already volunteered to help at a park breakfast, and Spencer and I spend time walking.

Today I'm going to the club house to see what other activities are available. I'm in need of a coffee shop “fix,” as I am missing my morning visits to Judy's, the local coffee shop in Bland. I visited Judy’s daily when I went to pick up the mail each morning. I'm sure the crew there have a bet going on how long it will be until I make a trip back home.

Joann will be going home for a week in January, but Spencer and I will be staying here. We are looking forward to a visit with Ron and Virginia Bertz, who have plans to come out here for a week in mid-January. Also, I am looking forward to George and Mary Margaret Stambaugh's arrival later this month. They have been wintering here for several years and were very helpful in helping me find a place to stay and giving me great directions.

As we were traveling along in New Mexico we met Loren and his buddy Tim Cross (of Iowa). They left Thanksgiving morning for a 3,700 mile round trip to deliver several mules here in the Phoenix area, and they were on their way back to Missouri. Thanks to cell phones we kept in touch. Maybe Loren will sell a couple more mules out this way while I'm here and he will make another trip this way this winter.

I have some contacts to make so I can get a mule fix and talk mules and donkeys. We did manage to see one mule at a local tourist attraction.

I'll keep you up to date on our happenings. If you want to email me my new address is mulesandmore@gmail.com

On another note it is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Dr. Tex Taylor of Bryan, Texas. Dr. Taylor died suddenly November 6 and his complete obituary can be found elsewhere in this issue. The mule and donkey world has lost a great person, as well as a wealth of knowledge with his passing. Our sympathy to Annie and Ethel on their loss.



 
December 2010 Over The Back Fence
By Sue Cole
Senior Editor of Mules and More Magazine


What a beautiful fall we are having here in Missouri. It makes me wonder if I’ve made the right decision to spend three months wintering in Apache Junction, Arizona, with 40,000 other “snow birds.” The decision for Joann Edwards and me to travel to Arizona was made suddenly last summer when my oldest, Larry and his wife Becky purchased a beautiful new camping trailer. At first we discussed using this trailer and spending the winter in warmer climates, and as the discussion progressed we decided to “just do it.” After talking with subscribers (thanks George and Mary Margaret for all your help) and researching for hours on the Internet we decided to rent a trailer for our first experience away for this length of time.

We will be packing the car with personal belongings and we’ll head west with my little “fufu” dog Spencer November 28! This will be Spencer’s first road trip. He rides well just going to the groomers, or to the vet, but this will be a new experience for us.

He will have some adjusting to do in his new winter home, but I’m sure he will enjoy not having to go outside on cold winter mornings. He comes with a lot of baggage also, toys, crate, bed, food, treats and I’m even taking water from home so he doesn’t have to adjust to strange water while traveling. He has a new purple collar with his name and my cell phone number in case he should escape during our trip. I can’t believe how many things I need to take care of before I leave, and I’m beginning to feel overwhelmed. I know we’ll have a great time, and I also realize these 75 degree November days won’t last!

I have discussed this move with Camri, who is very adamant that I not leave, and especially not be gone for Christmas. Cori has set up a Skype account for Camri and me so we can visit using our computers. Hopefully, I won’t miss too many of her kindergarten programs and acro events during this time.

The mule and donkeys events are winding down for 2010. I’ve already starting marking dates on my 2011 mule calendar.

Cori has spent hours working on this issue of the magazine, setting up the new Christmas gift guide. Several advertisers have taken advantage of this form of free advertising, allowing readers to have several gift items at their fingertips for the mule and donkey people on their list.

My next column will be written from sunny Arizona. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


November 2010 Over The Back Fence
By Sue Cole
Senior Editor of Mules and More Magazine


The beautiful fall weather here in Missouri seems to beckon me to be outdoors for any excuse at all, rather than sitting at the computer finishing up my article for this months’ issue.

I was able to attend the Boone County Mule Sale in Columbia, Mo., in September. I have attended every single mule sale George Harris has promoted in Columbia, even prior to his move to Boone County. George and his wife Willie are extremely nice to work with, and I’ve enjoyed having a booth and meeting many mule and donkey people that have attended over the years. In February 2011 I will not be attending the sale, but I’m sure Mules and More will be represented.

Cori has been picking up where I’ve left off. She recently attended the Ada, Okla., sale with her dad, Loren and brother, Cole. Then this past weekend she ventured off to the new facilities for the Reese Brothers sale in Westmoreland, Tenn. She made this trip on her own, and of course being a grandmother I had a lot of concerns about her safety and capabilities. It’s really hard to realize she is a grown up young lady that is very capable of taking my place with the magazine. But it’s Monday morning and she is safely back at her computer with stories of her trip.

This weekend our family will be headed to the final showdeo of the season at Sycamore Springs Ranch in Locust Grove, Okla. This is always a fun-filled weekend.


Camri is getting all excited about Halloween. I take her to school one morning a week, and we have some very neat conversations. Of course some of the stories she tells, when I relate them to Cori later, I find are a little exaggerated. She is very grown up for a 5-year old, and never seems to meet a stranger.

I was at the barn yesterday and noticed the mules are beginning to get “fuzzy.” Of course, the main topics at the coffee shop are the weather, followed closely by politics. Doesn’t seem to be a lot that we’ve been able to do about either subject. My old mule is going into winter looking good for a 40-year-old mule. She moves at a slow pace, but always talks to me as I make my way to the barn to feed every morning. She doesn’t venture very far from the barn during the day, and a lot of mornings she just stands in the barn with her head hanging out. Gene bought Star when she was nine years old and I started riding her a year later. She and I have ridden a lot of trails together and she has always given me a great ride. She has definitely earned her retirement years here.

Sounds like the dog is ready to come back indoors…just another excuse to get outdoors for me.

I would like to take this time to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

October 2010 Over The Back Fence
By Sue Cole
Senior Editor of Mules and More Magazine


Oh no, as I walked to the barn this morning I heard geese going south!! This is not a good sign, as it is only September…way too early to think about the upcoming winter. We have experienced a very hot summer here in Missouri, but have been fortunate to have plenty of rain; in fact it is raining again this morning.

Camri has started kindergarten, and each day is a new experience. At the end of the first day of school she and Papa Loren were getting ready to go for a mule ride and discussed just how many more days she would have to go. Cori informed them she would need to go until she is 18, and possibly longer. I think she would prefer to go half days, and spend the rest of the day helping run this office.

Our family once again has had the pleasure of attending the National Championship Chuckwagon Races in Clinton, Arkansas. This was Cori’s first year to attend, but I don’t think it will be her last. As usual the races were exciting, and for our family it is a special thrill to watch my 19-year old grandson Cole compete in the mule races each day. He and BB, for the third consecutive year, captured the National Championship Mule Race title. His time on Friday was good enough to put him in the lead, and Sundays’ race found BB shaving off a couple seconds to again put him in the lead. Cole swung on BB at the line and got her headed in the right direction, this is always a factor that can quickly put you out front, or find you at the end of the pack.

As usual wagon racers and outriders provided thrills and spills. Loren and his friends put Joann and me up a canopy early in the week, providing us a shady vantage point from the top of the bluff. Although this years’ weather was almost perfect, the shade made us more comfortable.

On the way to Clinton we stopped for a brief visit with early arrivals at the Ozark Mule Show in Ozark, Missouri. This show got off to a wet start with over 14 inches of rain in two days, but I talked with show manager Les Clancy after the show and he said the arena was fine for the weekend event. It sounded like there was a good group of mule and donkey exhibitors, and the bleachers were full for the Saturday performance. Les is already planning the event for 2011.

I have a few more events scheduled for this year; next week I’ll head to the Boone County Mule Sale in Columbia while the Basham family attends the Sycamore Springs Ranch showdeo in Oklahoma. I’m not sure if I’ll be attending the Pea Ridge, Arkansas mule jump this year, but it is penciled in on the calendar. The last event of the season will probably be the Sycamore Springs Ranch finals; it should be a great weekend in southern Oklahoma. Trail riding days are getting shorter, and mule/donkey events are slowing down, so get out there and enjoy your animals while you can.


September 2010 Over The Back Fence
By Sue Cole
Senior Editor of Mules and More Magazine


After the wonderful, relaxing boat trip I wrote about last month, my life has turned into this fast paced, mule show about every weekend, turn of events. 

In July we traveled to the Great Celebration Mule and Donkey Show in Shelbyville, Tenn. This was my 19th year for this event, and once again I was pleased to have a friend, Virginia Bertz of Mayview, Mo. travelling with me, and helping me in the booth. This gives us an opportunity to catch up on one another’s lives.

Our next trip was to Jerry Rush’s Sycamore Springs Ranch and Showdeo in Locust Grove, Okla.

Cori, Camri and I stayed in one of Jerry’s beautiful cabins on the ranch. I love to watch wild game and was surprised to see deer, wild turkey and peacocks right out the window when I got up the first morning. The weather was hot, but Jerry provided canopies so we were able to watch the Mule Challenge in the shade. His events are laid back and provide exhibitors a more relaxed atmosphere than some of the more professional shows we attend. The competition is still tough in most of the events. Be sure and note the date change for the September Showdeo from Sept. 24-26 to Sept. 17-19.

We spent this past weekend at the Fort Smith, Ark., mule and donkey show where Cori, Cole and Camri all competed in events. Congratulations go out to Cole for bringing home the High Point Gymkhana Youth Award, as well as the High Point Youth Award. Of course, 5-year-old Camri doesn’t have the pattern deal down yet and didn’t get a time for her walk-trot barrel run, but she and Ellie Mae did get second in the teddy bear pick up race. I’m sure many spectators went home knowing Camri; she is a pretty social little girl.

The weather has been a great hindrance when it comes to riding and showing all across the country, except maybe in the mountains. You really have to admire the exhibitors for getting out there in the 100 degree weather in their show attire. Also, it takes a lot of time and practice to get (and keep) their mules and donkeys in show condition. So much of the time this is a thankless job, but this is a great way to promote the industry to the public.

We still have several mule and donkey events coming up for fall. Our next exciting event will be the National Championship Chuckwagon Races in Clinton, Arkansas. Check out the calendar of event and advertising in this month’s issue; there are a lot of great mule and donkey things scheduled for fall.


August 2010 Over The Back Fence
By Sue Cole
Senior Editor of Mules and More Magazine


What a great experience I’ve had since my last column. For several years I’ve talked about taking a cruise on the Mississippi River. I originally planned on making the journey from St. Louis to New Orleans, but due to the economy it seems all of those cruises have been discontinued. I guess Lenice listened to me talk about this until she got tired of hearing it and finally emailed me information about a two day cruise. This was last winter, and during some down time in the office I checked out the website www.riverboattwilight.com.

I talked it up to a couple of friends, and June 19 JoAnn Edwards, Virginia Bertz and I headed to LeClaire, Iowa. I love planning trips so lined out a motel for our first night in LeClaire with a balcony overlooking the Mississippi. We arrived in town early enough during the day that we were able to wander through some of the little antique and novelty shops in this river town. We also enjoy seeing some of the countryside, so we made a drive down by the river to sight-see and look at the beautiful riverfront homes with their immaculate lawns and landscaping.

I am a fan of the new reality program American Pickers, and while watching it one night happened to notice their home office was in LeClaire, so that was a must on our list of places to visit. I was able to have my picture made with Danielle (see above), one of the members of the cast, and received a couple of autographed photos of Mike and Frank for my oldest son Larry, and his buddy Matt.


We were to board the Twilight at 8:30 Sunday morning and of course we were eager to get underway and were one of the first in line. What a great trip. I spent almost the entire day, what time I wasn’t enjoying a snack, lunch, another snack and then dinner, just sitting on the second deck watching the sights of the river. We saw a large number of Bald Eagles, and their nests, pelicans, barges, and it being a Sunday a lot of small watercraft. That night we stayed 88 miles upriver in Dubuque, Iowa at a beautiful hotel within walking distance of the boat, our room again faced the water.

We had about 30 minutes to get ready for a two hour trolley tour of Dubuque. This was a small group of us from the boat and we learned a lot about the history of the town, plus saw many of the old buildings from the 1800’s. Monday morning we were on our own to tour with a complimentary shuttle dropping us off wherever we wanted in town, and coming back to pick us up. We toured a beautiful Methodist Church that contained 100 Tiffany windows then went on to the old jail that was built in the 1800’s and was in use until 1972. By the time we finished there it was time to head back to the boat for our return trip to LeClair. We again parked our chairs outside (on the opposite side of the boat so we got to see the other side of the river). Again we saw a lot of Eagles; so many in fact when the Captain of the Twilight pointed them out we didn’t even bother to look if it was on the other side of the boat.

Cori says I can’t have two pages for my column, so I’m not able to continue with all the activities of the trip, but I will say this is probably one of the most enjoyable things I have done in my lifetime!!