Alabama Mules Remind us of the Past and Future

Do you Know Where Mules Come From?

mules2_200A mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse. They cannot reproduce.

The reason they were valued so highly as work animals was because they were much stronger and more manageable than either a donkey or a horse alone.

To learn more about mules, checkout the mule page at Rural Heritage.

I once said to a friend of mine, “Do you ever wish they made a solar powered tractor?” He replied, “They do! It’s called a mule.”

As we enter the crossing point for “peak oil” and prepare for life in a post-petroleum world, I have more than once wondered whether we wouldn’t be wise to try to recapture some of the previous farming technologies that worked quite well for us. Imagine my surprise when one morning a “mule train” walked right past the farm.

They live in Scottsboro

I believe he said his name was Hugh Belamy, (my apology if that’s wrong. I hate my senior mind moments.)

They were traveling the 30 miles from TN to Scottsboro. The mules were quite capable of climbing the mountains and handling the loads. One just needs to know how to water, feed and rest them.

mules3_600

They came back again and brought their friends.

mule_train1 mule_train2 mule_train3_eddie mule_train3_hames mule_train4  mule_train5 mule_train6  mule_train7 mule_train9 mule_train10 mule_train11       Who brought a lot more friends.

Moving On

We haven’t had a line that long here since the time I put too many peppers in the chile

John Langlois

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