19 Million Mule Steps
19 Million Mule Steps
103 pages
A while back, I rode my mules Brick and Cracker 2,300 miles from North Carolina to Idaho. I photographed and interviewed all kinds of folks, from the Chicken Slat Man and the Girl in the Green Dress to Libby Loos, who taught me how to walk a pig. Then there were the mule adventures, like when Brick refused to cross an expansion joint on a bridge. When I got home, I hunkered down and started writing “Two Mules Two Triumph,” the memoir of my journey.
The trouble was, I was smitten with so many of the photos and characters I met on my journey that I put them all into the first draft of my book. The first draft contained 326,000 words, so I did a ruthless edit and trimmed it to a manageable 95,000 words. Ouch.
The thing is, I loved all the photos and stories I cut. It hurt to think that the photos of the Girl in the Green Dress, the Chicken Slat Man and the story of Brick’s Great Bridge Standoff would never be enjoyed by others, so I put them into this photo book, 19 Million Mule Steps. Here are a few photos from the book (click on the photos below to enlarge.)
You’re going to love 19 Million Mule Steps, just like these other readers.
- He articulates in such a way that you feel like you are there with him especially with the photographs. Such a brave journey and inspiring to see that even today, there are still many kind people across America. Well done and enjoyed the read. Rob K
- While I would never have the gumption to set out on such an expedition myself, I sure am happy to be able to follow Bernie, Cracker, and Brick on there’s ….. to “live” vicariously with them as they do actually live the adventure. Well written and presented. Left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to get a copy of his new book. Al P
Now let’s saddle up and hit the trail!
