Anselmo Early Morning Start

Mornings, I try to be on the road with the mules by dawn. If I’m traveling a quiet highway, I’m often in the saddle half an hour before dawn.

This can be relaxing. Riding through the still night air, often the only thing that interrupts the clip clop of mule hooves on highway is the sound of a mosquito. Or a distant train. The rest of Nebraska is still at home.

Or these starts under the cover of darkness can scare hell out of you. Like when Cracker bolts on to the highway when he hears rustling in the bushes. Rustling that, when I point my headlamp at the source, often reveals a sleepy squirrel or a drowsy cow.

Still, the early morning starts are worth it. They get us out on the road before the day gets too hot. When it takes 10 to 12 hours to travel 25 miles, you have to squeeze every cool minute out of August.