Mules anyone?

Who is the mule man of America? Mystery of nomad with three pack animals in tow who has wandered across the country for THIRTY years protesting urbanisation
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Mule-ology

"First things first: A mule is not a donkey.

"A donkey is a member of the equine family burdened by low self-esteem: a small, modest, long-eared creature from which mules are bred when mated with a horse. In other words, a donkey is the crude base metal from which a superior alloy—the mule—is forged. To call a mule a donkey, then, is at best a beginner’s mistake that will earn the squinting contempt of veteran muleskinners. At worst, they are fighting words".

"There are jack mules (male) and jenny or molly mules (female). There are blue mules, cotton mules, sugar mules, and mining mules. There is a mammoth mule that weighs a thousand pounds. George Washington was a mule breeder. But all mules are immune to politics. There is no idealistic mule".

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A mountain mule’s first bath in the Euphrates River, with guide Mustafa Filiz. Near Siverek, Turkey.
 
I think mules are cool. My son has a friend that owns a small family farm, but since his kids are now grown, he has started to downsize with the animals. He still has his two mules, two pygmy goats, a pot belly pig that gets to stay indoors, two dogs and one cat. The one goat insists on bucking me, but I don't know why. The guy that owns the goats said that I am the only person he bucks. The pig, squeals as soon as I try to pet him. However, if I offer him food (carrots), then he is OK with me rubbing his head. Oh, he also has a really nice horse that he rescued from someone that was going to have her put down because her racing days were over. The outdoor animals are kept in a heated barn. The barn stays at about 60° and the stalls are kept very clean. I will have to get some pictures the next time that I go to his place.
 
Mule Train was a huge hit by Frankie Laine, Vaughn Monroe, Bing Crosby and Tennessee Ernie in 1949. However, the original recording was by Buz Butler. It was issued on Decca 49194 in 1949.

 
My dad told me back when I was a kid that he tried riding a mule bareback when he was a kid. He said that he thought the mules backbone would saw him in two. He never tried that again.
 


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