Yearly Archives: 2019

Two Year Old Potatoes

My fingers sift the fall chill soil and grub out a 2 year old treasure. Forgotten potatoes.

Two seasons ago I planted a row of potatoes in the fringe of orchard that borders the brook that flows through our homestead. The year I planted them I failed to harvest them. The following year – this year – I rode away on mules Brick and Cracker for the summer.

The orchard/potato patch. The potatoes were planted just to left of center… Continue reading

No Gun

Here comes this man with two mules, no gun, a top hat, and a large grin riding down roads with speeding cars and cell phone crazed drivers.” Not my words but rather the words of my wife Julia.

Boot and hats: Cracker, Brick and I heading West through Kentucky earlier this summer (Sue Waddell photo)

I thought you’d enjoy this Sunday post. It’s Julia’s reflection – as a spouse, bywatcher and… Continue reading

Welcome Home

The headlights on my 1992 diesel Dodge burned away the rain drops to reveal the soaking sign. “Welcome Home! Bernie Brick and Cracker”. My journey from North Carolina to Idaho and back with my mules was complete.

November 7, 6:30 pm: the sign I found on my front gate last night. What a welcome sight after driving mules Brick and Cracker five days from Idaho back to North Carolina. My wife Julia made if for me. Lucky, lucky man.
April… Continue reading

No Fuse Blow Day: Day 3

The news today is there is no news. No blown fuses as the 92 Dodge lumbered from Nebraska to Missouri with mules in tow. No meeting Tom Petty (deceased) at the gas station. No bird balls. Nope. Just the rhythmic hum of the old 12 valve Cummins and the “thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk” as the old steel wheels rolled across Nebraska.

Crossing the Missouri River south of Omaha. That’s not a kite in the sky at 2 o’clock. That’s a… Continue reading

The 1992 Dodge Diesel Diaries: Day 2

Fried fuses, carrot nubs and dead dials. Today marks Day 2 of mules Brick and Cracker and my truck journey from from Idaho back to North Carolina.

Old truck salad: fuses and carrots. Instead of eating too much fast food crap on road trips, I munch on carrots as I drive. I toss the tops on the floor next to the blown fuses that are part of every old truck journey. When ever I stop to swap out a newly… Continue reading

Driving Home: End Day 1

Today mules Brick, Cracker and I chug, chugged 500 miles closer to home in our trailer: from Hailey, Idaho to Rawlins, Wyoming. Here are a few photos of the day I thought you might enjoy.

Brick get a little attention for how well she loaded. I, on the other hand, need some attention from a pair of hair clippers…. (Nick Parker photo)
Today’s run: I know, it doesn’t look like much on a map. Still, I did in 10 hours… Continue reading

The Long Journey Home

Howdy Sunday. Today the mules and I start our long journey home. From Hailey, Idaho, where we ended our mule ramble, we head back toward western North Carolina, where we started our journey 7 months ago.

Wheels removed from the trailer after I noticed there was less tread left than I’d hoped.

This time, instead of walking, we’re heading up the road in our beloved 1992 diesel Dodge. We would have left sooner but after checking over the rig (1992… Continue reading

Sought: Ride for 2 Mules from Idaho to North Carolina.

Mules Brick and Cracker and I have ridden from North Carolina to Idaho. Now it’s time to go home. Do you know anybody that could haul 2 mules from Idaho back to North Carolina? Yes, of course I’ll throw in for expenses.

Our final day on the road: Cracker and Brick spent 6 months riding from North Carolina to Idaho. Now it’s time to go home. (Sheila Lieramann photo / Hailey, Idaho)
Where we need to get: Hailey, Idaho to… Continue reading

Hailey, Idaho: Final Destination in the Snow

A mule voyage that spanned 10 states and included floods, ticks, highway melting heat and nose hair freezing cold ended in snow. Mules Brick and Cracker and I have arrived at our final destination outside Hailey, Idaho.

I added some grey to my beard those final miles. That fluffy white stuff is snow.

In to the Final 10 Miles

188 days after setting out from our North Carolina home, the mules and I tackled the final 10 miles to where… Continue reading

Let’s Keep in Touch

It sure has been great having you along for the Mules West ramble.  Though that journey is winding down, it would be great to stay in touch with you. If you’d like to get a heads up from me every now and then, just sign up for my newsletter. 

There’s a better way to communicate than tumbleweeds: a scene from my Lost Sea Expedition series on Amazon Prime (Keyes, OK)

No, I won’t pester you with a bunch of emails.… Continue reading

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