This was my second big adventure of the year. This time I was heading to a big mule gathering in the Shawnee National Forest in IL. It was a gathering of list members from a Yahoo internet group called MulesOnly. I had originally planned to fly down and ride one of Anthony McAllister's mules. But my friend Bonnie had sold her mule River to a man that was attending the gathering. So, I agreed to haul River to IL. And since I was hauling, I figured I might as well bring my mule Louie along too. I invited my friend Amy Been to join us on this adventure. Much to my delight, she was able and willing to go. With two such good friends along, it was bound to be a fun trip. And with my truck being a single cab, we would soon be very close friends......literally.
My friend Susie Reinheimer offered to take my horse Marie while I was gone. I so appreciated this offer as I would not have to worry about Marie and she would not be alone at my house. I trailered Marie over to Susie's Tuesday afternoon. The mules were heartbroken their horse was taken from them and bellowed for her all night. Amy came to my house on Tuesday night and stayed over so we could head out early Wednesday morning. We stayed up too late talking so only got about 4 hrs. of sleep. We still managed to get up on time. Bonnie arrived at 4:00 am and we loaded up the mules at 4:30 am. Louie was not happy about loading into the trailer but it didn't take long to persuade him. The drive was quite easy and pretty uneventful. Our drive took us about 13 hours with gas and food stops. I also soon discovered that I was traveling with the "texting Queens". They did chat with me occasionally..... between text messages. Amy reprogrammed the GPS to an Australian accent voice and we had to rename the GPS from Martha to Matilda. Matilda got very confused as we neared our destination in PA. Thankfully I had printed Mapquest directions. We ended up having to ignore Matilda and follow the printed directions. The mules traveled very well. They ate plenty of hay and finally drank at our last stop where we had supper at a Cracker Barrel. They were quiet and relaxed. Though by the time we arrived at Hartslong Valley Training Stable, where we were spending the night, they were more than ready to get off the trailer.
What a lovely place the stable turned out to be. Judy Brown, the owner, was absolutely lovely and made us feel so welcome. Truly the vacation fairies were smiling on me when I picked this place by chance off the internet. The barn was lovely. There was also a large turnout available which which the mules thoroughly enjoyed. They ran and rolled and ran and rolled in true mule fashion. We decided to leave the mules outside for the night. We knew they'd be happier outside than in stalls. There was a wonderful little apartment in the barn that we stayed in. There were only two beds but I had my air mattress with me so that worked out perfect. We put out plenty of hay for the mules then quickly got settled into the apartment for the night. Bonnie and I watched a bit of TV though neither of us could figure out how to work the channel changer. Amy wrote in her journal then read for a while.
Hartslog Valley Training Stable in Huntingdon, PA
Louie Running (looks like the roadrunner)
Bonnie cleaning out the trailer
Amy relaxing in the apartment
Bonnie trying to figure out how to change the TV channel
Thursday October 14th 2010
We were up by 6:15 am. It sounded like it was really raining outside so we decided to get the mules into the barn and feed them there. When Bonnie and I got outside, it was actually only sprinkling so we got the mules in before they got wet. Judy arrived shortly after we brought the mules into the barn. We asked her for a suggestion on where to go for breakfast. She gave us directions to a restaurant not far from the stable. She then told us to take her truck so we wouldn't have to unhook my trailer or take the entire rig. We took her up on that offer and we sure appreciated such generosity. We had a nice breakfast then returned to the stable to finish packing up. It was nearly 9:00 am by the time we loaded the mules and were ready to go. Louie put up some token resistance to loading but once again it only took a moment to persuade him. Today we were heading to Leitchfield, KY and the home of a MulesOnly list member, Doug Farmer. I was excited about finally getting to meet Doug and his family. We had another long drive ahead of us and knew we'd be arriving late. I wanted to call Doug to let him know our approximate time of arrival. He had emailed me his phone number and I knew I'd written it down somewhere, but I could not find it. I had Bonnie call Lee Blake in WY to ask Lee to email Doug to tell him to call us. This worked as eventually Doug sent me a text message. I left the texting correspondence to the texting Queens.
We stopped for an early supper at a Cracker Barrel. The mules drank some water there and were quiet and relaxed. We went through Lexington but unfortunately it was dark by then. We would have liked to see the horse capital of the world in daylight as well as Lee Major's "castle". Just as I was driving through the city, Bonnie and Amy were both talking on their phones at the same time. (Their hands must have gotten tired from all the texting so they decided to talk on the phones instead...) So, I couldn't hear Matilda giving directions. I had to get the girls attention so they could help me navigate through the city. Matilda behaved today and got us right to Doug's house. We arrived at about 10:00 pm. Doug came out and showed us where to park and where everything was. He ran an extension cord out to our trailer so we'd have power. We put the mules in Doug's round pen. We fed them and left them with lots of hay for the night. We then went into the house and met Doug's wife Nancy, aka Fluff #1. She is a lovely woman and has an obvious talent for interior decorating as their house looked like it could be featured in Better Homes and Gardens! This was shaping up to be a great vacation for sure! We didn't stay in the house long as it was getting late. We quickly set up the trailer and went to bed.
Friday October 15th 2010
In the morning Doug called us on my phone to see if we liked coffee and muffins. Nancy had to work half a day but had made us some muffins and coffee before she left. We went inside and just sat, talked, drank coffee, and muffins and talked some more. We then went outside and did some buying and bartering, selling and trading of tack. Bonnie and Doug traded saddles. Bonnie traded Doug a set of britchen for a metal mule welcome sign. We9*132 bought a breast collar for Anthony. Amy bought a bridle for her pony. I lost track after that. We went into town for lunch and met Nancy at a Mexican restaurant that was very good. On the way back to Doug's house, we stopped at a convenience store and bought some ice. And if only we had actually taken the ice it would have been great. Well, Amy got her ice, it was Bonnie and me that didn't pick up our ice after paying for it. And they say two head are better than one. Apparently this rule doesn't apply to Bonnie and me.
After we got back to Doug's house, we saddled up the mules to go out for a ride. I rode Louie, Amy rode River, Doug rode Fluff ll and Bonnie rode Doug's little mule Banjo. It took a while for Bonnie and Doug to get ready as they were both using saddles there were new to them. So, Amy and I went out for a short ride while we waited. This was Amy's first ride on a mule. River seemed to like Amy and was very good for her. When we got back from our short pre-ride, Bonnie and Doug were in the round pen with Banjo. Once Bonnie was all set with Banjo, Doug took Fluff into the round pen to warm her up. Fluff was a bit excited at first but quickly settled down and we were soon on our way. Bonnie was in the lead and felt the need to practice her emergency dismount technique when Banjo jumped a ditch. At least that is the story we are telling everyone and we are sticking too it. Bonnie was unhurt other than her pride. Banjo got spooked when Bonnie came off, ummmm, I mean made her emergency dismount and ran back towards our mules. This spooked all our mules when Banjo tried to run by. No one got out of control though and Doug managed to grab Banjo.
Louie did great on the ride and we had a fun time. The trails are very nice from Doug's house. He took us by an old plantation house out in the woods that has long been abandoned. He told us there were still chains on the walls in the outbuilding where the slaves lived. There was something very spooky about the place and even the mules seemed to feel it. Or maybe the mules were just picking up the spooky vibes from us.
This evening Nancy made us a wonderful supper of garden vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. We stayed up and chatted until about 10:00 pm then finally headed for bed.
Doug and Nancy Farmer's home
Nancy and Doug Farmer
Louie in Doug Farmer's Round pen in Kentucky
Louie, getting ready to go for a ride
Louie trimming Doug's lawn
Amy on her first mule, River
Bonnie on Doug's mule, Banjo
Doug on Fluff II
Cindy on Louie and Doug on Fluff II
On trail in Kentucky on ride from Doug Farmer's home
Saturday October 16th 2010
We all got up around 7:00 am and fed the mules. Nancy had cinnamon rolls and coffee for us. We tried to buy a bale of hay from Doug but he would not take any money for it. This saved us from having to unwrap one of the bales in the back of my truck. We stuffed the hay bags as full as we could then packed up the trailer. Amy had gone in the house to take a shower while Bonnie and I finished packing. I got in my truck to pull the trailer forward so we could load the mules. As I started to pull forward, I hear Amy yelling from the house porch. I stopped and looked at her and she is frantically pointing at the back of the truck. That is when I realized our coolers were still sitting between my truck and trailer. Not to mention Doug's extension cord that is still plugged into the trailer. Doug was right outside with Bonnie and me so apparently even three heads are not better than one. It's a good thing Amy has come on this trip with us! She was turning out to be the brains of this operation. So, we then really did finish packing up and loaded the mules. We only had a 3 hour drive to get to High Knob Campground in the Shawnee National Forest in Illinois today.
It was an uneventful drive and Matilda got us there without incident. Kathy Lawless had called us the previous day to tell us there was a spot beside where she was camped for us to park. We had reserved pens for the mules which were not set up when we arrived. So, we unloaded the mules and put them on the high line while the pens were set up. Louie has never been on a high line that I know of. He was good about it other than feeling the need to wrap his lead line around his hay bag. As we were setting up camp, a very nasty chunk of road kill was discovered plastered to the jack handle on my trailer that thoroughly grossed us all out. Amy had told me to be more careful about avoiding driving over road kill, I should have listened to her. When I headed down to the campground office, I met the "Texas Outlaws". They were camped fairly close to us and it was fun to finally meet then. The Texas group consisted of Donna and Jackie Bryant, Lois and John Carroll, John and Dottie Jordan, Sheron and Robert Hollis and Deb Doctor with her daughter Belle. I also met Cindy King and her partner Marshall from PA. Unfortunately they were packing up to leave so we would not get a chance to ride
together.
High Knob Campground
We made ourselves some lunch and relaxed for a while. Soon Kathy Lawless, Ruth Reynolds and Jackie (from FL riding a horse) came in from riding. There were happy greetings and introductions. Soon Rod Wenger and his family arrived. Rod was buying Bonnie's mule River. He had brought a mule for Bonnie to look at. The mule was a 10 year old molly mule named Dolly. Dolly was taller than Bonnie had expected her to be and she was a little put off by that, not sure she even wanted to try her out. But, Amy and I convinced Bonnie to give Dolly a try before making any decision.
While hanging out at the trailer, the "Texas Outlaws", Lois, John, Donna and Jackie rode up and asked if we wanted to join them for a ride. Though they were already mounted, they said they would be happy to wait for us. Bonnie didn't want to ride and told Amy to take River. So, Amy and I quickly saddled up. While waiting, Jackie decided he didn't really want to ride. Cindy Price took his mule Bobby and joined us. We met up with the main group out on the trail. I quickly spotted Ival McDermott as well as Gail and Bill Dillon. There were happy greetings between old friends and introductions to new ones. The group was heading back to camp. Anthony offered to lead a longer ride which Amy, Cindy, Donna and I joined. Louie was fabulous and we started out in the lead. After a while I put him behind River. Then I let some other mules get between him and River. Louie didn't like this and wanted to be close to River. But, he listened to me and behaved very well. When the riders in front of me sped up, I would check him back and ask him to wait for my cue to change his pace. He quickly learned to wait and I was very pleased with him. The only ride story we heard from today was about Anthony getting bucked of JJ, the kid broke mule. Ival was riding JJ today and saddled her up in the morning. Ival put the rear cinch strap way back and tightened it like she does with her own mules. Anthony got on JJ first and it seems JJ took exception to the rear cinch rigged up this way and proceeded to buck Anthony off. They loosed the strap, Anthony got back on and JJ was fine.
Donna Bryant on Jab, Amy Beem on River at Whiskey Cave
When we got back from our ride, Amy and I quickly whipped up a pot of chili for the potluck supper. Bonnie was nowhere to be seen. I figured she was with the Wengers. The food at the potluck was wonderful. JoJo, the camp owner, provided hot dogs and hamburgers. She had also hired a DJ for a dance after the meal. We all had a lot of fun. There were a lot of people, a lot of dancing and a lot of "apple pie" tasting. Doc Leuking attempted to teach me how to dance the two step. He made a valiant effort and I kind of got it after the second dance. This new found skill came in handy later. Ruth was getting all the dances with all the handsome cowboy's so the rest of us hardly stood a chance. But, when you are in the presence of the "Queen of Everything", that is just how it is.
The mule Ival had ridden, JJ, was for sale and Ival wanted to show her to me. So, we went over to Anthony's camp to view mules by the light of our flashlights. After visiting the mules, I went back to the dance and Ival headed for bed. I was feeling bad about leaving Amy in a group of people she didn't know. It was a baseless concern. When I got back to the dance, she was out on the dance floor, somehow having managed to steal a handsome cowboy away from the Queen of Everything and was having a great time. After the dance, I gave our mules more hay and then we went over to Doc's trailer to visit with him, his wife, Jacquie and friends Steve and Connie at their campfire. They told us they only invited us over because they liked listening to our Yankee accents.Amy's mostly as she has that good Maine accent.
Louie in his pen at High Knob Campground in the Shawnee National Forest, Illinois
We were up about 8:00 am. I had cereal for breakfast then Amy and I went down to Anthony's camp to see who he wanted Amy to ride. Anthony was very busy matching up mules and riders. Amy was to ride Diablo. Ival was riding JJ again. Bonnie decided she would try out Dolly, the mule the Wenger's had brought her to try out Rod's wife was riding River. Louie didn't fuss at all when Rod came up and got River. While we were waiting for Anthony, Amy and I sat on the McAllister's camp porch and looked through the two photo books I'd had made for them. Ival asked me to hold JJ while she mounted. She told me she wasn't sure if the bucking display from the previous day was from the tight rear chinch or JJ just routinely bucked off the first person that mounted her each day. JJ was a perfect lady when Ival mounted. By this time everyone was getting ready so I went up to our camp to saddle Louie. When I tied Louie to the trailer, there were a lot of riders around us. Just as I was heading towards Louie with the saddle, all of the riders rode off and Louie threw a small tantrum. This only consisted of swinging his hind end back and forth for a few minutes. Then he settled down and was good, if not totally happy about being abandoned. I rode down to the McAllister's camp and there we waited, and waited, and waited. I'm not sure who was causing the holdup but it didn't matter and eventually we were on our way. Janelle had Anthony pony her mule Topper. Topper had previously had a habit of spinning and running for home after about an hour on the trail and Janelle was a bit concerned he would try it again. Janelle and Topper did fine that day.
Not too far out of camp. Therese Swift's mule Waylon bucked her off. She was unharmed and got right back on. We decided the group was too big and split up. One group being led by Anthony and another by Tony Lusch. Amy, Bonnie and I went with Tony's group as it was going to be the faster riding group. We had a great ride. In our group was Tony's wife Jean, Ival, Karen and Jesse Wenger and their friend Jim, Bill Dillon and Pam and Charles who are from Texas and riding a pair of paint horses. They were loads of fun to ride with. We stopped for lunch at Lost Lake (Grindstaff Lake) which is a beautiful spot. After lunch we rode back to camp and took a 1/2 hour break. When we went back out, Amy and I switched mules. Karen Wenger stayed in camp and Rod joined us riding River. Switching mules with Amy made me realize what a smooth ride Louie is. I sure was coming to appreciate Louie in a way I had not before. The guys took turns riding River and cowboy-ing him around. And River was sure showing them all what an athletic mule he is. Louie slipped and fell while trying to climb over some slick rocks. Amy skillfully rode it out so Louie was able to get his feet back under him so neither were harmed. Louie did great all day. He handled the terrain with no apparent trouble at all aside from that one spot with the slick rock. When we got back to camp I hosed off Louie and River and put them in their pens with plenty of hay. Amy and I headed straight for the showers. We had supper with the Texas Outlaws that night. It was cheeseburger night and what great cheeseburgers they made. Pete Kriger and I got out our guitars after supper and played for a while. Amy went to bed early and I was too tired to stay up very late myself. Bonnie spent the evening with the Wengers.
Cindy on Louie, Lois on Barney (I think)
Cindy on Louie
Louie at lunch stop at lost Lake
Cindy with Louie at lunch stop at Lost Lake
Ival McDermott and Amy Beem at our lunch stop at Lost Lake
Bill Dillon and Ival McDermott at Lost Lake
Me and Bill Dillon at Lost Lake
Pam McMichaels at Lost Lake
Cindy on Louie
Amy Beem riding Louie
Monday October 18th 2010
We were up about 7:30 am to feed the mules. It was another chilly morning that made getting out of our sleeping bags unappealing. But, it turned out to be a lovely day after the morning chill was gone. Kathy made biscuits and gravy for breakfast. After we ate, I washed our dishes then saddled up Louie. Amy was riding Moonshine today. Rod and Karen's son Jesse came with us riding his mule Marley. Bonnie was keeping an eye on him for the day. He was a very pleasant young boy to have along. We rode out with Doc Leuking's group. Doc and Steve got a bit turned around on the trail but not for long. We met up with Anthony's group at NoNo Rock. Amy was the only one to venture onto the rock (that we dubbed wobble rock) We stopped for lunch at Initial Tree. We then split up into smaller groups. Some heading back to camp and others that wanted to ride longer. Later we split up again with some heading back to camp. Amy and I stayed out with the longest riding group and we got back quite late. Once again Louie did fabulous handling the terrain with no trouble. He did not seem to tire either despite his lack of conditioning. And I was finding out he has good 4 wheel drive. That evening for supper Amy made us moose burgers. Steve and Connie were kind enough to let us use their campfire to grill our burgers. After supper we visited the Texas Outlaws for a while then headed to bed fairly early.
Sheron Hollis on Judy
Cindy on Louie
Jonica Lassiter on Sweetie
Amy Beem on Moonshine up on NoNo (Wobble) Rock
Lunch stop at Initial Tree
Charles McMichaels on Chester
Pam McMichaels on Dixie
Tuesday October 19th 2010
We were up by 8:00 am and fed the mules. Today Amy rode Sheron and Robert Hollis' mule Inca. We rode to Garden of the Gods and had lunch there. It was another lovely day. The Park Service was having a workday at the Garden of the Gods livestock tie up area putting in new tire rails. Ival was leaving for home today but figured she could fit in half the ride before heading to the airport. Ival didn't want to miss a minute of riding time. So, she rode Moonshine on the way out to Garden of the Gods. Jonica, who was helping on the park service workday, drove Ival's rental car to Garden of the Gods. Then Jonica rode Moonshine back to camp. Brilliant plan! Jonica was looking forward to this as it would be her first ride on a mule. Pete had also driven his rental car out to help with the workday. Though it wasn't planned, Pete ended up riding Ruby back to camp after lunch and Bill Dillon drove Pete's rental back to camp. Ruby was a bit naughty for Pete doing her best to take full advantage of him. Pete did a fine job of handling her though. Bonnie's new mule Dolly was in full a blow heat cycle and it was quite a chore for Bonnie to keep her moving at times. Towards the end of the ride, Pete, Bonnie, Amy and I went ahead of the rest of the group so we could travel along a bit faster. At this point we were on the River to River trail and Anthony said it was a straight shot back to camp. This wasn't quite true. We came to an unmarked intersection and of course took the wrong trail. We didn't go all that far before deciding to go back when we passed a sign that indicated a direction "to" the River to River trail. We also stopped quite a few times to take photos. When we got back to the River to River trail, we were still ahead of the main group. Once back to camp, I quickly took care of Louie and headed for a shower. My trailer had a flat tire and Anthony camp up with his semi to put air in it. There was another potluck supper at the community building that evening. We cut up some cheese and took that along with some leftover chili from the previous night as well as a cake that Bonnie had brought. Amy disappeared and was gone for quite a long time. Bonnie and I got a bit worried since Amy had said she was starving but disappeared before eating. It turned out she had gone down to Pam and Charles' camp to visit.
Sheron Hollis' mule Inca
Me and Louie at Knight's of the Golden Circle
Charles and Pam McMichaels, me with Louie and Anthony at Knight's of the Golden Circle
Me with Louie and Inca at Knight's of the Golden Circle
Pam and Charles McMichaels, me and Louie at Knight's of the Golden Circle
Amy Been and Anthony McAllister at Garden of the Gods
Me and Anthony McAllister at Garden of the Gods
Me, Charles, Pam and Amy at Garden of the Gods
Pete Kriger and Anthony McAllister at Garden of the Gods
H Rock
Wednesday October 20th 2010
We were up by 7:30 am. I had cereal for breakfast while Amy and Bonnie joined the Texas Outlaws for biscuits and sausage gravy. They both decided not to ride today and were going to join some others that were going into town. I decided to give Louie the day off and ride Socks, one of the mules Anthony had brought from KY that was for sale. I went down to Anthony's camp and caught Socks and brought him back up to my trailer to saddle him. I did groom him and saddle him but he freaked out at being alone at my trailer and reared up, pulling back hard, several times. So, I made a last minute decision to join those that were heading to town. I quickly unsaddled Socks and brought him back to Anthony who ended up riding him for the day. I joined the Texas Outlaws for breakfast though I only had a biscuit as I'd already had cereal. After breakfast we headed to town. Sheron and Robert Hollis drove one truck with Deb, Becky and Terrie riding with them. Bonnie, Amy and I rode with Pam and Charles in their truck. Our first stop was at MacDonalds where I only got a cup of coffee. Then we went to a McKinney's tack shop in Marion, IL. I was a good girl and only bought a horn bag. Bonnie was an even better girl and didn't buy anything at all. Amy made up for us both. But, she was making purchases for Christmas. At least that was her story and she was sticking to it. We stopped for lunch at the Hideout Steakhouse for lunch. After lunch we stopped at Rural King. Here Amy shopped until she dropped. And it was here that I noticed the Hollis' had bought a couple bales of grass hay at McKinney's Tack Shop. Grass hay is harder to find in this area as alfalfa is more commonly grown. I needed a few bales of grass hay for the trip home. Charles took us back to the tack shop so I could purchase a couple bales and we then headed back to camp. We had so much fun riding with Pam and Charles. We kept comparing, and laughing at each other's accents. Pam and Charles are from Texas. Pam stated that sometimes she just could not understand our Yankee "whine". Once back to camp, Amy went to the packing demo being put on by Pete. I went down to the McAllister's camp to visit for a while. That evening 21 of us went to Elizabethtown to the floating restaurant for a catfish dinner. We had a wonderful evening. Amy and I sat at a table with Pam and Charles. Somehow Bonnie ended up at a larger table next to the Conger family. Pete's friend, Julie, paid for all our meals! WOW! By the time we got back to camp it was dark. My trailer tire was flat again but we did not want to mess with it in the dark. So, we decided to stay one more day. We'd take the tire off in the morning and see about getting it fixed. And, that would give us the chance to squeeze in one more ride. Bonnie, Amy and I went down to the McAllister's camp that evening. Anthony requested that I get my guitar and play. I did but only played a few songs. For some reason I was very hoarse and was having trouble singing. Likely from sitting for quite a while in the campfire smoke. It was quite late when we headed for bed.
Sheron Holis
Rhonda and Larry Mills
Kathy Lawless and Cindy Price
Anthony McAllister
The McAllister's camp at High Knob Campground
Rhonda Mill's mule Elsie Ann
Amy with Elsie Ann
Cindy Price's mule Speck
Anthony's mule Diablo having a good roll
Pete Kriger, Sheron Hollis (back left)
Amy with Doc's mule Biscuit (that was purchased by Charles)
Shawnee Vicky
Thursday, October 21st 2010
We were up about 7:00 am. Kurt Price got the tire off my trailer. We were told there was a tire shop just a few miles down the road and Kurt told us how to get there. Bonnie and I headed out, got about 6 miles down the road and I realized I did not have my purse. Bonnie did not have her purse either. We turned around and went back to camp, I got my purse and we headed out again. We found the tire store we were given directions to. But, it has been closed for years. DANG! Harbison's gas station was right there so I pulled in and filled up. Bonnie bought us coffee and a breakfast sandwich for herself. The clerk at the store told us we'd have to go into Harrisburg to find a tire store. This was the town we'd been through the previous day. We had no choice so off we went. Bonnie put our coffee's into the cup holders in my truck. When she took her coffee out of the holder to drink it, something was stuck to the bottom of the cup. She pulled it off and it was a hatpin. So, now she had a hole in the bottom of the cup and coffee was leaking out. She at first tried to stick the pin back in but with no success. Well, sticking the pin is was easy enough but it did not slow the leak. She held the cup over her breakfast sandwich and package to contain the leak and not get coffee on my seat. I couldn't pull over right away but did as soon as I could. Bonnie saved what coffee she could by pouring it into a water bottle. In the process she dropped her breakfast sandwich on the ground. By now she was very disgusted and flung the sandwich and hatpin out into the woods followed by a few f-bombs. At this point, good friend that I am, I was laughing so hard I though Bonnie would punch me in the head and fling me out into the woods too. We found the tire store in Harrisburg with no trouble. They looked at the tire and said it was not repairable as there was a hole in the sidewall. They said it looked like it might have been caused by a thorn leaving me to wonder just what kind of monster thorn bushes grow around here!
We got back to camp just in time to join the ride going to Jackson Falls. Anthony loaded 8 mules into his trailer including my Louie. Cindy Price hauled 3 mules in her trailer and Deb Schlabach hauled all our tack in her truck. When we got to the parking area, Anthony realized we were short one mule. He'd forgotten to load a mule for Larry Mills. Anthony felt so bad. He shouldn't have though, he has gone above and beyond all week helping everyone out. We all tacked up our mules and headed out just after noon time. Amy was riding Rhonda's mule Elsie Ann. We weren't on the trail long when we got lost. Then found our way, then got lost again. We stopped for a rest break on top of the train tunnel which is such a neat place. We did make it to Jackson Falls and had lunch there. When we got back on the trail after lunch we got really lost. we went through a tunnel that went under the train tracks. Anthony tried to lead the way on Bucking Betty. There was a deep water hole in front of the tunnel entrance and Betty was having nothing to do with it. Cindy Price on her mule Spec saved the day by leading us through. Louie was not too thrilled with the whole tunnel thing but didn't do anything foolish. I did dismount once in the tunnel just to be on the safe side. Going through the tunnel was both scary and fun. We were still totally lost and by now it was getting late. For a while we thought we were going to be spending the night in the woods. Earlier in the day we had passed some rock climbers. One of the climbers we had passed came up behind us on the trail asking for help. His girlfriend had fallen and injured her ankle and could not hike out. Anthony and Amy went to help her. Amy put her on Elsie Ann and led her out to a parking area that was not too far away at Jackson Falls. Seems we'd been kind of riding in a circle. Eventually Anthony did find the correct trail and we got back to the trailers just before dark. It was late by the time we got back to camp. Kurt put the new tire on my trailer. Tonight supper was a Mexican potluck at the community building. It was too late for us to make anything but we were told there was plenty of food for everyone and to just come down to eat which we happily did. We visited with everyone for a while after eating then I headed for a shower. Before going back to our camp, I squared up with JoJo for our extra night. Before bed Bonnie and I packed up as much as we could and I spent some time on my computer going over the best route home and writing it down as I had no printer available. I had also gone over the route home with Kathy Lawless earlier that day as she had some good suggestions that I was going to take. I sent a text message to Judy in PA to let her know we'd be a day later than planned heading home and that we would likely arrive quite late at her place.
Cindy on Louie, last days ride to Jackson Falls
Deb Schlabach and Terri Miller putting a bridle on Pepper Ann
Me on Louie and Pete Kriger on Moonshine
Anthony McAllister on Bucking Betty
Bonnie Hinz on Dolly
Amy Beem on Elsie Ann and Anthony McAllister on Bucking Betty
Amy Beem on Elsie Ann
Anthony McAllister on Bucking Betty and Bonnie Hinz on Dolly
Amy Beem on Elsie Ann, me on Louie, Pete Kriger on Moonshine, Rhonda Mills on July and Julie Merrill on JJ
Me on Louie, Bonnie Hinz on Dolly and Amy Beem on Elsie Ann
Anthony McAllister on Bucking Betty
Me and Rhonda Mills
The Three Amigos!
Louie wondering if Cindy Price has something good
Louie at rest stop on top of train tunnel
Louie at lunch stop at Jackson Falls
Me and Deb Schlabach at Jackson Falls
Amy Beem eating lunch at Jackson Falls
Kurt Price on Baby at Jackson Falls
Cindy and Kurt Price with Speck
Dolly
Louie and Kurt behind at lunch stop at Jackson Falls
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Friday October 22nd 2010
We were up by 7:00 am. We didn't really have any breakfast. We packed up camp as quickly as we could knowing we had a long drive ahead of us. The packing went well considering what a mess it looked like we had. We got the mules loaded up then drove through camp to say goodbye to Anthony. Then we drove around to Pam and Charles' campsite to say goodbye to them. We had a great time riding with them. We were on our way home sometime around 9:00 am. We stopped at the first MacDonald's we came to for a quick breakfast. We were pleased to see that Dolly was traveling well and seemed relaxed. I received a text message from Judy in PA saying whatever time we arrived was fine. Matilda (the GPS) and my MapQuest directions seemed to be agreeing with each other which is always comforting. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel for supper. It was quite late and dark by the time we got to mid-state PA. While on the PA turnpike, we missed a direction I had written down. But, we were still following Matilda's directions so decided to just go with that despite some misgiving I felt about it. Matilda took us off the turnpike onto some secondary roads and through a lot of small towns. Then around midnight, we started up a hill that just got steeper and steeper and steeper..... and soon we were driving on switchbacks. We started to get nervous and knew this was NOT a road we wanted to be on hauling a trailer. But, there was nothing I could do as there was no place to turn around with a drop off on one side of us and a cliff wall on the other. And it's probably just as well it was dark and could not see much because what little we could see was scaring us. As we approached each switchback, Amy was clinging to the door handle with one hand with her other hand was over her mouth and she kept anxiously telling me to, "make the turn, make the turn!" I stuck right to the middle of the road and it just kept climbing for miles. Finally, we reached the top. But you know the saying, what goes up, must come down. And I was terrified of what the down side of the road was going to be like. Then we see a sign that says, "warning, 11.5% grade down for next 3.5 miles" ACK!!!! I just put the truck right down in it's lowest gear and crawled down that mountain. We made it down safely but when we got to the bottom, Matilda announced we had arrived at our destination. Matilda was wrong. There was nothing there and we did not know where we were. As much as we hated calling Judy so late at night, or rather early in the morning, we didn't know what else to do. Thankfully she and her husband had gone to an Eagles concert that night and were on their way home so we did not wake them. The cell service wasn't very good and we weren't able to talk long enough to tell her where we were, as if we knew anyway. We programmed the town of Huntingdon into Matilda and just went into town. By then we had managed to get a good call through to Judy and she told us to just stay there in town and she'd come get us. It was only 20 minutes or so before Judy and her husband arrived. It turned out we were only a few miles from her farm. We sure were happy when we pulled into her driveway.
We quickly unloaded the mules and turned them out in the paddock. They were even happier than we were to have arrived. Louie remembered his previous visit so knew right where the water and hay were. We grabbed only what was essential from the trailer and quickly settled into the apartment to get what sleep we could. That night I was awoken by Amy thrashing me with her hair! She said something about a house fly in it. When Amy got settled back down, she and I suddenly burst into hysterical laughter and we had quite the laughing fit until we were crying and our sides hurt. Bonnie thought we were both nuts. We did finally all get to sleep.
Saturday October 23rd. 2010
We got up around 7:30 am. We packed up and decided to go to breakfast before loading up the mules. There was no sense making them stand on the trailer any longer than necessary and it was not far to the restaurant. We had a nice breakfast and were soon back and had the mules loaded. We thought we might have trouble catching them in such a big turnout but we didn't and they both loaded quite well. We had an uneventful drive home. We stopped at a service area on the MA pike for supper and arrived at my house right around 10:00 pm. It was a wonderful trip, with even more wonderful friends. And we were blessed with absolutely fabulous weather the whole trip. I can't wait until the next mule gathering!
I will end by saying that I took Louie to Shawnee with full intentions of selling him. This trip made me realize just what a good mule he is and how much I really like him. So, I brought Louie home.
Louie exceeded my expectation of him every day on this trip. He spent 5 days on my trailer, four of those days being between 11 and 13 hrs. He was good on the trailer. He ate well and even drank when offered water. I rode him 1 day in Kentucky and six days in the Shawnee National Forest. And I did the long day rides with him there. Each day he was eager to go and handled all that he was asked to do with ease. This was Louie's first camp out and he did fabulous. Did not fuss in his pen even when his pasture mate River left to be with his new owners. There were quite a few times when Louie and I got out in the lead of a group and though he certainly would then look for all the mule eating monsters hiding behind the many rocks, he did what I requested of him with no fuss and never refused anything I asked of him.
The Riders and Mules of the 2010 Shawnee Mule Gathering!
From Illinois:Anthony McAllister ...... Diablo
Bucking Betty
JJ (sold to Pete Kriger)
Festus (sold to JoJo)
Big Rosie
Little Rosie
Pepper Ann
Cathy McAllister...........Elwood
Kate McAllister ............Moonshine
Doc Leuking..................Tex
Biscuit (sold to Charles McMichael)
Jacquie Leuking............Ginger
Rod Wenger...................Dolly (sold to Bonnie Hinz)
Karen Wenger
Jesse Wenger .................Marley
Addie Wenger
Jim France......................Gus
Steve Lewlis.................Sis (horse)
Connie Kuhlig..............Camel (horse)
Shawnee Vicky..............?
Tony Lusch...................Alvin
Jean Lusch....................?
From Michigan:
Kathy Lawless................Jackie-O-Asses
July (sold to Rhonda Mills)
From Maine:
Cindy Ross....................Louie
Amy Beem
Bonnie Hinz...................River (sold to Rod Wenger)
From California:
Pete Kriger.....................(bought JJ)
Julie Merrill
From Iowa:
Theresa Swift..................Waylon
Miss Ruth
Sadie
From New Jersey (and Ohio)
Ival McDermott
From Tennessee:
Ruth Reynolds.................Billy Ray
Lisa Conger......................Taco
Tyler Conger
Travis Conger
Jonica Lasiter...................Sweetie (horse)
From Florida (and Tennessee)
Jackie Kirkland ...............Arthur (horse)
From Missouri:
Cindy Price....................Spec
Kurt Price.......................Baby
Janelle Stephanic...........Topper
From Pennsylvania:
Cindy King..................Dickins
Marshall
Bill Dillon....................Ruby
Gail Dillon
From Ohio:
Deb Schlabach..............Issac
Terrie Miller
Becky Emeriche
From North Carolina (and Ohio)
Rhonda Mills ...............Elsie Ann
Larry Mills
The TEXAS OUTLAWS!!
Donna Bryant .................Jab
Jackie Bryant..................Bobbie
John Caroll.....................Burbon
Lois Carroll...................Barney
Dottie Jordan.................Amy
Sheron Hollis.................Judy
Robert Hollis..................Inca
Dottie
Charles McMichael.......Chester (horse)
Pam McMichael............Dixie (horse)
Deb Doktor
Belle Doktor
