First Day of Pre-School

Due to my dad's broken leg, we will not be attending the Iowa State show this weekend. The crew does plan to go down to the Chuckwagon Races next week, though. I'm not making this trip, either. Somebody has to stay home and do chores (and work)!
We have gotten a lot of calls about missing magazines this month. If you haven't received yours yet, please call or email the office and we will replace it for you.
Camri's first day of pre-school was yesterday. She said she had fun and thought her new classmates were nice. They do a star-behavior chart in class: if you get a star for the day, you were good; if you get a number, you were bad. Cam had a star, so I guess she was well-behaved. She mainly wanted to talk about how everyone thought her outfit was "so pretty," so I guess she had a good time!
Deadline will be here soon (Sept. 10), so if you want a special ad in the magazine, the sooner you get it in the more time we have to work on it. Same goes for articles.
--Cori

Broken Legs and Busy Plans

We sent the September issue to the printers today, which means tomorrow, we start working on the October edition. I am certainly not ready to think about October yet. October means colder weather and shorter days, and I am not ready to give up summer yet.
I updated the classifieds and calender of events today on the website, and added (for the first time) picture page ads. We also still have books and videos available for purchase on our site, too.
I guess I have a little addition to add to the Susan Dudasik's article from the August issue, "Feeding Hay Can Be a Dangerous Prospect." Yesterday, a round bale fell on my dad and he broke his leg. It actually hit him in the head first, so I think we are all very lucky that the injuries were not more severe. He gets his cast on Thursday and plans to be riding on Friday...I guess we will see how well that goes.
The September issue is full of Shelbyville coverage. My favorite part this month is the front cover story, about one of the gaited exhibitors that cleaned house with his two-year-old mule at the show.
The Mules and More staff will be very busy in the next few weeks. We are attending the Iowa Donkey and Mule Society State Show in Bloomsfield, Iowa. The next weekend is the Clinton, Ark., Chuckwagon Races. Then up next, there are the Ozark Mountain Mule Days in Springfield, Mo. The next weekend is the Boone County Mule Sale in Columbia, Mo. Following that, it's the All-Star Mule and Donkey Show in Humansville, Mo. Then there is a tiny break, and off to Pea Ridge, Ark., for the Pea Ridge Mule Jump.
I am not going to all of these places, but my grandmother will be making every single one! She will be very busy these next few weeks.
The October issue will feature the National Chuckwagon Races in Clinton, Ark. So for those of you attending, feel free to send in any photos or stories.
We are also always looking for articles and features. I think that writing these types of stories is a great way to get free advertising. For example, if you a trainer and write an article, you are going to get your name, number, and e-mail published for free. Plus, it looks good on your part because you are willing to share your talents, which is definitely a good thing in most people's eyes.
Photos are always good, too. Everybody likes to see their mule's picture in print!
If you are interested in writing an article, feel free to send any questions you might have concerning the topic to mules@socket.net.
--Cori

August issue on the way...

By now, the August issue of Mules and More should be headed out. We got it in the office on Weds., and I am pretty happy with.
I definitely learned something putting this one together...to not give myself to many cover options! I had narrowed down the cover to two different photos, both with the forest background, and I seriously stared at the Mac screen for an hour attempting to make a decision. Finally, grandmother walked over to me and said, "Just use the snigging one!" I had gotten stuck in a rut and could not get out of it, so thank goodness for opinionated grandmothers/bosses.
Jim Porter, of Onyx, Calif., is on the cover. Anna Arnold (Granny's Adventures) did an interesting article on a show they all attended, which is where the photo was taken by Dale Allen.
Maggie and I have moved on to groundwork. I thought ponying was hard, but it's nothing compared to this. I still am amazed that my dad and brother do this stuff all day long.
My Grandma Sue is currently on an adventure...a 500-mile-long garage sale...
Right now, Mules and More has 65 fans on Facebook! That is really exciting! And they are not all my family, either! :)
--Cori