Joice or Bust!!

We anticipate arriving at our final destination of Joice, IA tomorrow afternoon, around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m.  Our wagon will be joined by other wagons and likely some outriders  We feel so fortune to have a wagon train as we pull into town!

I (Joe) grew up in Joice and I'l looking forward to seeing family members and old friends tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone that has supported us along this journey!  We couldn't have made it without all of you.  Your kindness and generosity has made this experience so meaningful and special to us.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Rufus has a sore neck

Last night Rufus seemed to have a sore neck under his collar.  When I checked him his morning and attempted to put on his collar he was even more sore.  He would not be able to wear his collar today and I'm not sure when he will be able to.  Thus began a day of trials.  As of mid-morning today, I wasn't sure if we would be able to continue of journey.  We were staying in one of the most primitive locations we've stayed in yet and had a injured mule.  Things weren't looking good.  We were 6 miles north of Granada with about 70-80 miles to get to our final destination of Joice, IA.

After making several phone calls seeking advice and help we learned that Merrill Bernau of Emmons, MN would be our guardian angel for today.  Merrill is the neighbor and close friend of my relations Marion and Hubert Iverson.  Because Rufus couldn't pull the wagon, we decided it was best to travel to Merrill's home and give them a rest until we decide our next step.  Merrill arrived at our location with a stock trailer for the mules and his friend brought a flatbed trailer for the wagon.  We got loaded up and Merrill drove us to an 80 year old veterinarian in Bryceland, MN.  He took a look at Rufus and advised us not to drive Rufus and to allow him to heal.  Ultimately, Merrill's friend found us a mule that had been on load to an Amish family in southern MN and was available to join our healthy mule Rowdy to finish the trail.  By chance, the new mule's name is also Rowdy!  We plan to get Rowdy (the newest version) tomorrow and have Rowdy and Rowdy practice driving together.  If the mules can work together, we will be headed to Joice on Saturday.  The mule community will be joining us on our final leg.  We'll be accompanied by other wagons and outriders as we arrive in Joice!  We'll be heading down through Scarville, IA to Lake Mills, IA and finally on to Joice.

Earl and I are staying with my relations Marion and Hubert Iverson.  We are warm and safe and so very much appreciate the kindness shown to us today and throughout this trip.

Good Night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

Rolling Mules!

Today we are staying SW of Lake Crystal.  We did between 25 and 30 miles.  With any luck we'll get to Grenada or awfully close tomorrow.

We're at with a family that owns a large farming operations. As we were traveling along today, Tim (our host) came roaring up to us on a 4-wheeler and asked if we would like to stop on his property for the night.  When agreed and when we pulled in it was like a welcome wagon!  There seems to be an informal network that knows we are coming.  We had staff from the Lake Crystal news station interview us.

The weather today was gorgeous.  We had to water the mules a couple of extra time due to the warmer temperatures.  When they start heading into every driveway you pass, you know their getting tired.

The mules LOVE to roll once we stop for the day.  I can hardly get the harnesses to rolls on the ground.

We received several generous donations from people passing by our wagon along the road.  Most people have a personal connection to Hospice.

Good Night from the Trail.

Joe and Earl

We're clean!

Last night we stayed with Tim and Mary Waibel in Cortland, MN.  It was luxurious!  We took showers, the first in a week!  We also got to sleep on beds with sheets.  Wow did it feel great!  We also got a chance to wash our clothes.

The glorious shower.

d

Sleeping in a chicken coop

Hotel Chicken Coop

We’re camped out about 5-10 miles north of New Ulm and will be sleeping in a chicken coop tonight.  The weather was beautiful today.  Dwayne Berghart’s brother –in-law and sister-in-law brought us out to dinner in Fairfax, MN.  In addition to taking us out to dinner, Chuck and Marion Firrle brought us hay and a couple of lead roads, which were needed as a result of Rufus and Rowdy's adventure on Friday night.

Tomorrow we’ll be heading to lake crystal.

The view from the coop

This has been a trip of a lifetime with many spiritual moments along the trail.  Everyday we are stopped by people to make donations.  Our travels seem to have become word of mouth in the communities we travel through.  One woman stopped because she had heard we were near while attending church.

The wagon parked outside the coop

We've met such kind and generous people along our trip.  Today, we were cruising down the road and a woman was driving the opposite direction.  She looked back in her rear view mirror and thought one of our wheels looked loose.  She stopped and shared her concern about the wheel.  Sure enough, she was right.  One of the rear steel rims was coming off the wheel.  We ended up pulling into a farm and the owners greeted us and we explained our situation.  The owner used his equipment to jack up the back of the wagon and in a few minutes the wheel was fixed, just like professionals! They were the friendliest and kind people and they were there just when we needed them.

A quiet day

We laid low all day due to misty cold weather. We were in cold in the camper.  After inquiring with a the family that owns the property we are staying on, we were able to borrow truck and head to a small town near by.  We had a late and leisurely breakfast, eating and getting warmed up.

Later in the day we were invited by a couple of locals to join them at their house for dinner.  We had a good dinner and one of our hosts was a musician.

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

We caught a couple of runaways...

It was an eventful evening tonight.  We found lodging with a family southwest of Hutchinson, MN.  After unharnessing the mules we decided to let them graze.  With halters and lead ropes on them they happily grazed until...they decided to hit the road.  Around 6:30 p.m. Rufus was the first to head out and then Rowdy decided he wasn't going to be left behind.  They went nearly 3 1/2 miles down the road and were finally cornered with help from local Sheriff's department and several neighbors.  When it was all said and done we were home and in our sleeping bags by 10:30 p.m.  We are all safe and sound.

We did travel about 25 miles yesterday.  It was bone chillingly cold during our travels.  We are wishing for warmer temperatures soon.

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

Guests and Deliveries

Libby Benson (Carlson) and son

Before departing for the day, our kind hosts made us a hearty breakfast.  We also spent time this morning greasing the wagon wheels.  This is something we need to do every 100 miles or so.

Josh, Holly, Seth and Alec Carlson

We had lots of company today. My niece Libby Benson (Carlson), along with her kids, met us along the trail.  It was fun to see the kids and they thankfully brought me (Joe) a 24 pack of diet coke.  Our next visitor was John Gilbertson, Jr.  While on a trip to book up feed for his animals, John dropped a couple of sacks off for Rufus and Rowdy.  My nephew Josh Carlson, his wife Holly and their two boys Seth and Alec, stopped by for a visit and some pictures.  They brought a couple of bales of hay for the mules.  Thank you to Libby, John and Josh!  The diet coke for me (Joe) and the feed and hay for Rufus and Rowdy will keep us fueled on the trail.

We ended up with fairly heavy traffic  as we traveled through Litchfield.  At one point we had a train chugging past and lots of cars.  The mules did well.

It was another really cold day and we dressed for it.

Tonight we're staying south of Litchfield with a family that gave us dinner this evening and plan on giving us breakfast tomorrow morning. The lady of the house is a nurse in Buffalo and her husband works for the local Sheriff's department.

We will be near Stewart, Fernandi, and Courtland in the coming days.

We're sleeping in a camper tonight. I hope we can keep warm.

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

Burrr...it was a cold day on the wagon today.  The wind was raw, so we bundled up in our wool and down gear.  It felt like a winter day.  We traveled about 37 miles from Albany, MN to Eden Valley, MN.

Our greatest concern, other than keeping warm, is Rufus' ankle.  He has a sore right rear ankle.  His ankle is tender and he favors it when he trots, but doesn't when he walks.  As a result, we think its best if we take it easy tomorrow.  I've given him some Bute (pain reliever for mules/horses) and we'll see how he is in the morning.  

The mules overlooking the lake our hosts live on.

When we arrived in Eden Valley we stopped at the local grocery and also at a bar looking for a place to stay for tonight.  We ended up with three offers.  Our hosts tonight welcomed us into their heated shop. We even have a bathroom and running water in the shop! Our hosts have three kids and took us out for dinner near their home.


We will be warm and toasty for the night! We are hoping to make it to Lichfield tomorrow.  It's only about 12 miles from here.



Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

A roof over our heads

Last night we spent the night in the Jaycees building in the North City park in Albany, MN.  We were thankful to have a roof over our head.  With no heat we were a little cold, but we make it through the night.

Jaycee Building Albany, MN

We want to send a special thank you to Rudy Loxtercamp and Lorraine for their efforts lining up the ferrier that put on the new shoes.  Your help was very much appreciated.


We're tired and ready for the sleep.

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

Stayed put today and got some new shoes!

We're staying with Mike and Janice again Loxterkamp tonight.  An Amish ferrier put new shoes on Rufus and Rowdy late today.  He was like magic with the mules.  Rufus and Rowdy stood like troopers as they got their new shoes.

Standing water along the roadway near Swanville, MN

The Loxterkamps treated us like royalty today.  They gave us a tour of their turkey buildings.  They are expecting 30,000 turkeys tomorrow.  They raise about a million turkeys a year, along with their family members.  The rest of the day was low key.  We wanted to show our appreciation for their hospitality so we spent some time raking the yard and picking up the road ditch near their house.

We received more donations today.

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

Rufus and Rowdy need new shoes!

Last night we slept in a garage with the door open.  We slept like babies!  Our initial plan was to tent along the trail, but we've been so fortunate to have generous folks open their garages, barns, shops and homes for us.

We traveled along on Hwy 27 this afternoon and ended our day in Swanville, MN. Swanville will be home for this evening.  It was a beautiful day to be out traveling. We got started around 10 a.m. and stopped in the early afternoon to give the mules a bucket of water and a little rest.  The sunshine felt great during the 25 miles we covered!

Tonight we are staying with Janice and Mike Loxterkamp. We'll be sleeping in their garage.  They kindly shared some square bales for the mules.  

With over 100 miles under our belt, the road has steadily worn down Rufus and Rowdy's shoes.  Our task today was to track down a local ferrier to put on new shoes.  After speaking with a couple of ferriers we were able to find one that is available to shoe the mules Monday evening.  Once we finalize the logistics for the shoeing we'll decide if we leaving or staying put for the day tomorrow. It may be a short day if we don't get shoes until later in the day.

It sounds like Mike Hanson and Linnae Ferry are going to join us next week and ride with us for a couple of days. It will be fun to have some company along our travels.

Over the next few days we will be going through Upsala and Albany, MN.  Since we announced our journey we've raised over $4,000 for Hospice and Palliative care!  Thank you to all of our supporters.

We've thoroughly enjoyed our trip so far.  The hardest thing is facing the unknown.  There is anticipation each morning as to what the day will hold. We're in unfamiliar territory now and our maps aren't the best.  Often we pull over and ask about our location.   We've been tremendously fortunate finding places to stay each night that are warm and have a safe place for the mules.

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

A quick message from the ghost writer...

I'm Joe's oldest daughter.  I've been helping my dad document his travels via this blog.  We communicate each night and I write the entry for that day.  I was out of town this weekend, so the post from Friday and Saturday haven't gotten put on the blog.  My dad and Earl are fine and are making good progress on their journey.  I should have them both up by the end of the day.

This blog has gotten tremendous traffic in its short existence.  The most recent days have had over 400 page views!  We have readers from Alaska, Germany and Russia.

I'll get to typing!

Megan

Proud teamsters!

This evening we are spending the night just outside of Browerville.  Chis and Ellen, a very kind Mennonite couple provided us with a garage to sleep in and stalls for the mules.  Old friends Henry and Nellie Wilburt, of Long Prairie, took us out to dinner.  It was great to see them! Nellie made us fresh bread that we'll have for breakfast. I'm sure it will be delicious with a little jam and honey.

Rufu and Rowdy

The mules were tired today and ready to arrive at our destination for the evening.  They've done really well on the trail and handled all the new experiences.  As some of you may know, Rufus and Rowdy and typical mules. As such, we've had some mishaps over the course of their training- a broken tree here and a broken wagon tongue there. After three runaways, I talked to an old timer that worked with mules a lot and he recommended that I add a break to my wagon and a heavy weight to the back of it.  Last summer I built a new wagon with a strong break and a 1000 pound cement block in the back of it.  It worked well for slowing them down during training! Having never trained mules before, I've learned they are very different from horses.  I find they're more unlike horses than like them.  Their very much into self-preservation.  They don't want to do something that doesn't look right.  Rowdy saw an unusual looking sign yesterday and looked and looked.  Also, when we drove into a farm with sheep, Rowdy wasn't so sure about them. Rufus was always concerned about what was behind him.  After figuring that out, I switched his bridal to an open one, rather than the typical bridal with blinders.  Its about the relationship with the mules, even more so than with horses. I've found that if the mules trust you, they'll do things for you.

Needless to say, it was an adventure teaching them to drive, but watching them is last week has been fulfilling...so proud!

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

Saturday - H

We hit the highway!

We left Larry's around 9 a.m. and headed down Hubbard County 26 to the south.  Then we followed Hwy 10, which was our first 4-lane experience.  At one point we had a train chugging along on one side and a semi whizzing past on the other.  The mules were steady.  It was a beautiful day with lessening snow cover and temperatures in the 60s.  It was the first day we didn't feel like we were braving the elements.  With the warm temperature we opened one of the windows on the side of the wagon for a breeze. Off Hwy 10 we went south to 9 and entered Todd county.  We went south for 5 miles or so and then stopped to ask about a place to stay.  Henry Zook was so kind to give us a place to the night.  He is an Amish gentleman that builds furniture.  He, along with his wife and 7 cherub children, shared their dinner with us.  We'll be sleeping in Henry's shop for the night.  The Zook farm is just east of Hewitt, MN.

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

Hay Angels and a A long day..

In the wee hours this morning our hay angels, Steve Anderson and Wendall Knutson, delivered hay for Rowdy and Rufus.  The bales were sitting by the wagon when we woke up this morning.  The hay will keep Rufus and Rowdy moving along the trail! Thanks to Steve and Wendall!

It was a long day today, traveling 30 miles. Dick Showers joined us for a send off breakfast this morning in Nevis.  Close to 10 a.m. we began our travels for the day.  The temperature was a cool, but we were well dressed for it. The snow covers is lessening significantly as we travel south.  We started our journey with a couple of feet on the ground and today there were just patches of snow along the trail.  Once we arrived in Huntersville, Lakeland News interviewed us for nearly an hour. They plan to continue following our travels.

Todd and Kay Sladky found us on the trail!

Along the route we ran across long time friends, Kay and Todd Sladky. They were traveling north to Bemidji from Iowa.  As we were trotting down the road I leaned around the wagon to wave on the car behind us.  Low and behold...I saw a face I recognized and it was Kay Sladky.  After greetings and a round of pictures we were back on our way.

Around 7 pm. tonight we arrived safely in Nimrod, MN.  Rufus and Rowdy held up well during our travels today, but they are tired tonight.

This evening we are bunking at Larry Gilster's home in Nimrod.  Larry is a friend of Dick Shower and we certainly appreciate his hospitality.  Nimrod is a beautiful little town by the Crow Wing River.

By the end of the day tomorrow, we should have 100 miles under our belt!

Tomorrow we are heading down toward Staples.  Long Prairie is about 50 miles away, so we expect to be there on Saturday.

We received several more donations today.  Many of those making donations have had Hospice for a family member and feel so fortunate to have had that service available.  There have been many stories along our journey reaffirming the wonderful care provided by Hospice. Thank you to all that have made donations supporting Hospice.

Nevis or Bust!

Our night in Emmaville went smoothly.  We'd like to thank Emmaville Cafe for our breakfast this morning and the No Tell Motel for donating our night's lodging.  We continue to be amazed at the kindness we've encountered along our journey.  Thank you!

The weather was a little cold but, but not too bad on the trail today.  The mules like to motor and seem to prefer we don't stop until we're done for the day.  So far, lunch has been on the go.  By making good use of the delicious treats we've been receiving along the trails, along with a steady supply of Diet Coke for me (Joe) and some coffee for Earl, we're all set.  

We were warmly welcomed by the school children in Nevis, MN around 2 p.m. this afternoon.  Initially, the mules were a little antsy standing outside the school, but once the kids arrived they stood patiently as the kids petted, talked to them and asked questions.  The kids were very interested in the mules.  We had one special child that seemed to be mesmerized by the them and stayed outside for a longtime petting and talking to Rowdy and Rufus.

Arriving in Nevis.

We’re staying at the Straight Rail Ranch near Nevis, which is owned by an acquaintance of Earl’s.  Earl's friend is allowing us to bunk in the office area of his ranch. We will be toasty warm tonight. Our friend Dick Shower visited us this evening and joined us to for dinner. It was nice to have such good company.

Mules getting settled for the night.

We reconnected with the public television crew of the Common Ground series this afternoon just outside of Nevis. After a short interview, they indicated they plan on returning for a more thorough interview tomorrow.  The Nevis newspaper also took photos and interviewed us.  We sure appreciate all of the press we're getting about our journey and the importance of supporting Hospice and Palliative Care.

We’re getting a shipment of hay from Steve Anderson and Wendall.  We want to keep the mules fueled up.

Tomorrow night we’ll be staying with at a friend of a friend's home in Nimrod.  We think it’ll be about 

a 25 miles ride through Huntersville to Nimrod. 

We received two more donations along the trail today.  People are very generous.  

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

We made it to Emmaville

We traveled a surprising 35 miles today.  Our goal was to travel 20 to 25 miles per day, but the Rufus and Rowdy were ready to pull.  We started our day in Nary, MN and went south on 40. Then we headed across to 71 and headed south.  We had planned to go through the Paul Bunyan Forest road, but heard from several people that it was muddy and might be hard pulling with our heavy wagon.  We modified our route and it turned out great.

We met several people along trail the today.  A jogger conversed with us as we were both moving, at one point during our conversation he started jogging backwards.  He inquired where we are headed.  We let him know we are headed to Joice, IA.  He said he used to live near Forestville, IA.  Other passerbys shared treats for us and for the mules.

Our contact in this area was a long-time nursing friend that agreed to let us camp in her yard, but with our quick-footed mules we arrived at her home by noon.  Wanting to make use of the rest of the day, we decided headed down Hubbard 91 and went into Lake George. We told our story and the local community came to our aid. A little cafe in Lake George gave us lunch and helped arrange our overnight accommodations. They first arranged for us to sleep in the Senior Citizen Center until they realized that a bug bomb had recently been released and wasn't ideal for sleeping.  It was still early in the day so we continued traveling.  Shortly after we left Lake George, we received a call and learned that our new friends in Lake George made arrangements for us to stay at a motel in Emmaville.  The mules have been wanting to trot much of our trip, but were happy to walk along the road for the 16 miles from Lake George to Emmaville.

Tenting tonight would have been a cold one.  There is 2 feet of snow on the ground.  We are very glad to be staying indoors tonight.

We're expecting rain and snow tomorrow. Our pace tomorrow will be a leisure one with our final destination in Nevis, MN.

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl

We're on our way!

Around 9 a.m. we departed from the Homecare and Hospice program in Bemidji, MN with a large group of well wishers.  There were over 100 people that sent us off. Our well wishers sent cookies for us and treats for the horses! It was great to have so much support.

We traveled through Bemidji and went about 17 miles, stopping south of Nary.   Rufus and Rowdy did well on the trail.  They spent the day getting used to their new shoes and the weight of the wagon.  We had company along the trail!  We were joined by the crews from Lakeland news and the Common Ground series.  They would travel ahead and take footage of us driving.  We were also contacted by WCCO about a story once we are closer to the twin cities.  Of course, our Bemidji contingent from the Pioneer was also present.  Monte Draper took lots of photos!  

We ended our travels for today around 3 p.m., spending about 6 hours driving. It was a real good first day. We’re living in the lap of luxury this evening in Kip Reinartz's shop on his property near Nary. We sure appreciate his hospitality! For dinner we enjoyed a meal of meatballs, beans, crackers, coffee, diet coke and cookies.  Its great to have a warm dry place to sleep for the night.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we plan on starting around 9 a.m.  We plan on doing some repacking in the wagon prior to our departure.  

So far, we've raised about $3500 for Hospice and Palliative care.  We are overwhelmed by the generosity of folks supporting our cause.  

Tomorrow we will be in Kabekona and we plan to be in Nevis on Wednesday.  

Good night from the trail.

Joe and Earl.