A good day in the Quarter!

All the carriage companies were out in force yesterday. My last ride of the day was a Cajun family from Lafayette. This young gentleman was thrilled to ride shotgun with me:

It was like last Saturday. Perfect weather. When I pulled back into the stand, folks jumped into the carriage as the previous patrons were paying for their ride.

Hard to tell who was happier, the passengers, or the drivers...

Unforseen difficulties are keeping me off the street for a few days. I should return for the weekend.

Last Sunday, I got one of the better artists in the Quarter to take my picture with Bonnie. I'm snuggling up to her and stroking her velvety nose. She doesn't mind snuggling up. It's very reassuring to have such a large creature be so docile.

I did a little more study on the Web. Donkeys and horses were domesticated about 6,000 years ago. Mules appeared whenever jacks were kept around mares. Their keepers found features that made them superior to either parent for some uses, and bred them to do the heavy work of transporting stuff. The donkeys are believed to be from Egypt, and today's mules can take the heat, which makes them good for New Orleans summers.

Mules are sure-footed! They are used for a hair-raising trip down into and back up the Grand Canyon. There's a great painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps on a big white horse... actually, he rode a mule.

A good busy day! All I had to do was smile, no sales talks needed. I have a collection of tales from five years of walking tours, classes, and hours of Wikepedia. My clients leave happy: tips are good. Today I cleared about $180, and tomorrow (Sunday) could be a good day too.

In between tours I coax the animal lovers over to my mule for pictures and to stroke the velvety nose... like this cute little lady is doing:

My mule's name is Bonnie. She is 20 years old, has been on the street for 16 years. She listens well. She is very fit: she can trot for a mile without getting winded.

She isn’t perfect... she does not like puddles, manhole covers, gratings, or even black asphalt patches. I must be alert to keep the carriage out of trouble when she shies away from stuff.

But she is also fastidious. She only makes waste in the privacy of her stall, not on the street. Her diaper is empty at the end of the day, so I don't have to wash it out.

The other evening, she snuck into her stall when my back was turned and I found her rolling around in the sawdust to scratch her back. Today, I gave her a good brushing and she didn't have to roll around in the sawdust... I'm learning. The morning and evening grooming sessions are clearly building a bond.

A mule seems to mostly take after the mare, but then you notice the Jack coming through: a big head, long ears, pulling power, and agile legs with hooves that can kill a man or a mountain lion in a jiffy. come from the Jack father. At feeding times, some voice their impatience. They go "whinny whinny whinny-HE HAW" ... it may be a way of complaining to long missing jack and mare that made her, that the food comes way too slow here.

Slow day.

Two charters, I made $45. Other guides say it will get better soon. I practiced my banjo uke and chatted other drivers and tourists.

I got my own mule today. I'm not sure of her name yet. She is a great worker: gentle, spry, responsive, stoic and dignified. She is a joy to drive... but like all mules, tends to get spooked a bit by anything in the road... like puddles of water, or manhole covers. This gets challenging for the driver, who must restrain the mule from getting us into harms way.

Work has been very light, but intensely satisfying.

Saturday and Sunday were busy busy.

I was ‘on the street’ 1 hour (2 tours) Friday, 4 hours Saturday (making about $200 with the tips) and 2 hours Sunday. I worked from 8 to 5 all three days.

I'm taking off today. Will work straight through to Sunday, if I can, so as not to miss a fine lunch at Sister Dottie's convent, and be fresh for Daigrepont's fais-do-do at Tips.

Buggy drivers can be any age, race, gender, educational background, or appearance. Most have been doing it for years. One company has a raft of student nurses working weekends. The drivers are helpful and kind to this new old rookie. During lulls, the artists who string up their works along the fence at the hack stand are usually talented and entertaining.

The tourists can be instructive too. Bosco and I were visited by a ‘mule whisperer’ who gave me all sorts of clues about making life better for the mule and the driver...

Imagine, I haven't held down a job for 14 years! In this weather, working outdoors every day is delightful.

No telling when I will post again. You can stimulate something by adding comments below, or emailing with edits, questions, suggestions, or well wishes.

Reggie
Rookie hack driver

This mule spent some minutes behind me on Decatur Street at Jackson Square. The bridle and the rest of the tack are as elegant as the animal.

Most of the big stables have at least one white mule. They of course must be worked routinely to be ready for special duty, like weddings. 70 years ago, I can remember seeing big grand white mule teams pulling garbage wagons... to stay in shape for their big yearly gigs, serving the floats of the kings of Mardi Gras.

The banana trees in the background tell us that the last hurricane (Gustav?) shredded the leaves and they are quickly being replaced with tall new growth just weeks after that storm.

The artwork on the fence is startling. It is growing on me. I may ask the artist to do a kind of caricature for me.