A teamster, a parade and a mule. This weekend mule Polly and I hung out with Ronald Hudson at Farmers Day in Robbins, NC. He and I were in the parade and I made some photos I thought you’d enjoy. They’re loosely in the order they happened.
Hurry up and wait: my dear friend Ronald Hudson. I bought mule Polly from him 15 years ago. This weekend he and I drove her through the Robbins parade.Heading to the start of the Farmer’s Day parade. It’s tradition that horses, mules and wagon lead the parade. Here, the group of riders we followed to get the start of the parade.Heading to the parade: Ronald and his dad built this buck board wagon in the 1960s. It’s called a buck board because it doesn’t have any suspension. It really is like sitting on a bucking board – hence the buck board name. That’s mule Polly pulling it.Rolling along: the wheel of Ronald’s wagon
Ronald’s wagon has wood wheels with steel rims. Most wagons now have rubber tires like on cars. As we rode in his cart to the start of the parade, he said, “I want you to listen to that. That’s a rare sound we’re listening to anymore.” I made a recording for you so you those steel rims turning. Listen closely and you’ll hear Ronald saying, “they don’t know I don’t have brakes.” Just click on the player below to hear those steels rims rolling.
The patriotic chicken and goat lady. They were part of a larger group that inclded… …more fowl.On the parade route. Yes, it was that dark. We only got a little wetThey did not get wetAnd the crowd goes wild! Jill (ripped jeans) has the distinction of being the only person I know that ever rode Polly. She doesn’t take kindly to being ridden but she’s a great wagon mule.Kid rider
One of the best things about being in a parade is you get to watch the crowd as they watch you. The Farmers Day parade made a big loop through Robbins. It started up the main drag then went through a neighborhood, an abandoned industrial district and ended up in another neighborhood.
Friends watchingSoft serve ice cream and funnel cakesLee Barnes selling knivesLee said this knife would be good if I got in to a car crash. He said, “You can cut yourself loose with the blade in the hooked part of the knife then smash the windshield with the knob on the end.” I told him I probably didn’t need that on my wagon. I wonder where that knife is tonight.The backward message on the flag says “The South will rise again”The hands that guide the mule: Ronald’s hands. Those hands have steered wagons and mules an incredible number of miles. I’ve also sat next to those hands for some wagon crashes. A few years ago, Ronald and I had a runaway with mule Polly that broke his wagon in two and she vanished in to the night.You’d grin like that, too, if you were sitting on this Friesan.Cruisin’ the Pottery Highway: the community of Seagrove just up the road from Robbins, is known as the Pottery Capitol of the World.Watching from an old Ford
After running up the main drag, the parade turned off and ran through a neighborhood. Talk about bringing the parade straight to the people.
No Trespassing and Beware of Dog: red-haired girl with signsThe tin roofs of RobbinsGreen roof and orange shirtsWhen a truck is the front porchI asked the girl what the name of her horse was and she said, “It’s name is Unicorn.” Why didn’t I see that…?Horse with a red bowWaitingSmokestack. It’s been cold a long timeThere’s no train comingThe four-up
After the parade, Ronald and I drove Polly around Robbins and caught up with some old friends.
Wayne Hussey: Wayne is, hands-down, the number one big hitch teamster in North Carolina and way beyond. Wayne still plows and cultivates with mules. You can hear and read a beautiful post I did about visiting Wayne’s farm a few years back with Polly right here. It’s called “It’s Not What’s Over the Door“.Wayne and one of his mulesWayne’s four-up hitch of Belgian mules. That’s his wife Janice on the wagon seat. My buddy Ross’ teamBoots and laceRonald’s daughter Sonya hanging with PollyEnd of the dayThe Taco and the Stealth Bomber: my 4-cylinder 2006 Toyota Tacoma pulling our 1992 Brenderup trailer. It was the smallest truck and trailer at Robins but still plenty to haul all I needed. Look closely and you’ll see my two-wheeled cart in the bed. It was also the easiest to park and probably got the best mileage. I slept in the trailer while in Robbins.Until next year
More Stories About Ronald and Wayne
A few years ago, mule Polly and I took off on a mule ramble from Ronald’s house to Wayne’s. The account of that ramble is called “Ronald’s Borrowed Vomit Saddle Bags” and you can read it right here.
My companions for the “Vomit Bag Ramble” as it came to be known. That’s Polly hauling the gear and Buddy carrying the saddle. I borrowed Buddy from Ronald. He’s one of many fine mules he’s loaned me over the years. (Eldorado Outpost, Eldorado, North Carolina)
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Ready for some more mule and wagon adventure? If you haven’t already, stream the Lost Sea Expedition, the 4-part Public Television series about mule Polly and my 14 month voyage across America. You can stream the series right her on Amazon.
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