DAY THREE TUESDAY

 

Karen had told me she couldn’t come today because she had to go to Phoenix to see the doctor. Poor Karen. She had a really awful accident a few weeks ago. We had been riding at Granite Mountain, got back to the trailer and Karen fell off her  step stool, landed on her outstretched hand, and broke both the bones in her lower left arm. Her cell phone didn’t have service, so she had to walk up to the road for help. A nice man from Zebrascapes landscaping stopped and called the ambulance. I felt so awful, but glad that I hadn’t caused it. She had to go to Phoenix for her surgery. Nice friends took me home and cared for me, but I was sure worried.

Today when Rose got me out of my stall I was suspicious. I was feeling better; maybe she might want to ride me? Karen had let another person ride me when she broke her arm, and Rose had just gotten back from riding Susie. I didn’t want to do that, so I did the “mule fake.’

As soon as she tied me up, I leaned into the cross tie and buckled my right front leg. It looks funky because I have a knot on that knee, but it really doesn’t hurt. Then I took all the weight off my bad hind leg. Believe me it was a little hard standing up with two legs pretending to hurt.

Rose just laughed. “Oh Lottie,” she said, “I am on to those tricks. Ruth Ann does them all the time. Besides I do not want to ride you. You are a funny girl.” Then I moved over and stood up straight. Well, it was worth a try. Maybe this person does know a little about mules. After all she did write that book about us!  

After my laser and liniment treatment, some fly spray and my fly mask put on, she put me back in my stall, but today was different because she opened my gate and let me out in a larger pen. I walked around it, looking at the scenery. It sure is pretty here. My leg was doing really well. I wondered what mischief I might find for myself just to brighten up my day. After all, I am only thirty, not dead.

Rose was tacking up Ruth Ann to ride. I moseyed over to a small Pinyon pine tree in my enclosure. It was about five feet tall.  Humm, wonder if it would make a good scratcher?  What I did not know is that Rose really loves her Pinyons. She sprays them with something that makes them taste funny and no one wants to eat them. I see that the other mules have really demolished the junipers in that area.

When Rose came out to mount Ruth she saw me and yelled. Well, I totally ignored that. My friends do not yell at me. Maybe she was yelling at someone else. She tied up Ruth and came over and shooed me away from the tree. Dang, I was just getting the hang of this. I had stepped over the tree and was moving back and forth scratching my belly. Rose wasn’t laughing now. I moved away and waited until she got out of the gate and started to get on Ruth, then walked over the tree again. Paradise. It felt sooo good to have a belly scratcher.

This time Rose was rather irate, but nice about it. She put her hand under my muzzle and I let her lead me back into my stall area. Bummer.

Later when she let all the horses out in their large enclosure, she let me out again. I have to admire her willingness to give me a second chance, but really, what was she thinking? I had found a good thing. I walked around some and acted like I didn’t even see the little tree, so she left, but told one of the workers who was helping Bob to call if I did the tree scratch again. Another bummer. I did, he did and Rose did. This time I got put back in my stall. Sigh. It sure was fun while it lasted…

And remember if you want to read a super fun book about living with mules, give Mules, Mules and More Mules, a try!

This is me and Karen when I was much younger

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