I was still a little girl when my daddy quit farming and got a job in town. It has been more than fifty years, but I can still remember him plowing with mules. I wish I had a picture of him with working with mules, but I don't. This one that appeared on Facebook last week from an unknown photographer looks a lot like him, although Daddy never used more than two mules.
I remember opening the barnyard gate for Daddy and the team of mules to come in after the work was done. I remember the smell of sweat and dust and exhaustion on them as they waited to be fed. A fine team of mules was something to be treasured then, although some people in the community had already been able to purchase a tractor. Daddy loved his mules, and together, they grew a lot of food.
The calendar pages kept turning and so did our world. Buying and using a tiller is much more efficient and easier than housing and feeding work animals all year. Still, it makes me a little sad that our grandchildren will not have memories like this.
