MEETING DELLA....

This is a photo of Della and Bud back in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

In 2001, the two of them (along with Bud's wife Patricia) set off on a 20 year walk around the world.

Yesterday I posted a shot of Della's old blanket, and now I am ready to tell the story I promised you.  On July 4th, 2003, Gary and I were celebrating (along with hundreds of others) at the Morgan Manning House in Brockport.  Mid afternoon I went back to the farm and he stayed to work the grill...making hots and hamburgers.  He gave me a call and said that there was a mule pulling a wagon that just went by and they were continuing South on Route 19 (which goes by our farm).  Sounded interesting to me!  I waited and waited and they still were not to our place, so I got in the car to see where they were.  A mile away they were looking for a place to make camp for the night.  I stopped to introduce myself and asked if they would like to spend the night with us so Della could have some pasture time.  They accepted.  I made a nice dinner and they contributed some goodies they had purchased at Wegman's.  Can't you just see Della and the wagon in the parking lot with all those cars?

Della and Bud have a great realtionship....she always comes first.

That night we talked for hours and Bud read us some of his poetry.  We really enjoyed their company, and Della caught a nice break.

By mid morning, Bud and Patricia loaded up their gear.  I gave Della the blue saddle pad and a nice big fly sheet for all the nights they would be camping out in bugsville.

They set up a system whereby the turning of the wheel generated electricity, enabling them to use their computer and have lights available when Bud did his poetry readings.  They would walk 8 to 10 miles per day and have gone 20 more than once.  Late afternoon they would find a place to set up camp where Della could eat some grass and rest.

Bud did all the shoeing for Della and she was in very good shape.

It seemed to me that this was a very heavy load, but Della was strong and seemed to be ok with it.

Bud and Patricia always walked with her unless they were going down a steep hill and they had to put the brakes on...then she would get in the wagon.

This is one of Bud's poetry books.

I wrote an article for the paper.  If you click on the photo you can read some of it.

They left this photo with us....they were taking a ferry across the river in Missouri.

Here's one of Bud's poems.

This was a great experience for us.  I just emailed Bud today to find out where they are.  I spoke to them a year and a half ago and they were staying at a farm in Maine where they built Della a new lighter wagon with sleeping quarters.  Needless to say, the three of them have gotten a lot of attention!  They have been on many national tv shows and all the local stations cover them when they are in their towns.  If you google Della, you can read more about her.