Paul: 1987? - July 30, 2007

This is Paul's Editor.

I am sorry to write and say that Paul had a bad episode of colic Sunday afternoon. The vet came out and gave him some banamine and tubed him. Paul still had not passed any manure by the next morning and went down again. A second examination by the vet showed what we couldn't see the evening before, that the blockage/kink was in Paul's small intestine.

We discussed all options with the vet. His opinion was that it was unlikely that the blockage would resolve itself. In a younger horse, chances might have been as high as 20%, but for a 20-year old mule, the chances were nearly zero. The odds of recovery through surgery were only slightly better, assuming he made it through the surgery at all. At this point, Paul was fairly comfortable due to a second large syringe of banamine, but his breathing was labored. He was becoming dehydrated. His gums were pale pale pink.

Right before noon, we decided to let Paul go before he began to feel any pain. Based on the cold hard facts, it was a simple decision to make, but one of the hardest things to actually do. I led him into the round pen and we all said our goodbyes. The vet and I were quiet together, standing hidden on Paul's near side. The vet put the needle in and Paul went down slowly and peacefully, just like he did everything else in his life.

We buried Paul over by the ring, next to the new barn, in a patch of lush green grass. Johnny dug a deep deep grave and laid Paul in gently with his feet tucked up underneath him.

For a mule who went unappreciated for 19 years of his life, his last one couldn't have been any happier. Every one who met him, loved him. I couldn't bring him up from the pasture without people, adults and kids both, stopping to tell him hello and give him a scratch or a hug. You always hear about how stubborn a mule is and how hard they are to work with, but I don't believe that's true. Every minute I spent with him gave me happiness. He had a great memory and as soon as he figured out the logical reason behind my crazy requests, he was happy to comply. He did everything I ever asked him to do and I tried to do the same for him. He was a good friend to me. He carried me wherever I asked him to go. He toted my son around and never took a wrong step. My husband is frightened of horses, so a giant mule should have scared him to death, but he loved Paul and was proud of him, too.

I am so glad that Paige and Johnny took a chance on Paul and brought him home from the auction that day. I am grateful to them for letting me lease him and spend so much time with him.

When the day comes that I see Paul again, I will tell him one more time how proud I am of him. But I don't believe he will have forgotten. After all, mules remember everything.

One Last Thing to Say

I hav had a rough couple of days. On Sunday afternoon, I started to colick. Mah Editor was there rubbing mah head. The veterinarian cam right out to see me and gave me a big shot of bananamine. He felt all around me inside and out and put som mineral oil down into mah stomach. I felt som what better, though a little woozy, when he left.

It rained all night that night, I heard it from inside, where I was waiting in a stall to start to feel better. Mah Editor cam out early the next morning. I was sleeping into the stall with my feets tucked up beside me. We go out and she brushes the shavings out of mah hair and wipes off mah face with a cool cloth. I am still not hungry or thirsty. I am not interested of the water or fresh hay. Mah belleh still hurt. I has not yet pooed.

The vet coms out again. Mah Editor drove fast from work to be there and coms over to rub mah head again. I feel so bad. I get more bananamine. There is a discussion, but I don’t care to listen in. I can not concentrate. What ever it is, it is important, for every one is gathered around. In a minute, Mah Editor leads me into the round pen.

I remember it now. Every body coms up to hug onto me. I get so many kisses. Every body tells me what a good boy I am. It is like every other day, except this time every body is crying. Then every body leaves except the veterinarian and Mah Editor. She says to me, “Thank you, Paul” and som other mushy private things. Now they are quiet with each other and close their eyes for just a minute. There is not one single sound any where. The veterinarian gives me one needle, then another, then another one. I am sleepy now and close my eyes, too.

I want all of you to know that I am on this other side now. There is so much to do, I has not been all around the place yet. When you walk in, all you can see is big grass and rolling hills. Look up and you see mountains in the distance, when I get time I am going to walk over to them. Did you know that every single animal I has ever known is here? Mah own mother is here, I have not seen her in so long. There are so many horses and mules, I did not think I ever met so many, but I did. Dogs, cats, all kinds of animals, som of whom belong to som of you. They are waiting for you. If you are an animal and you go to the other side before the people who love you, this is the place where you wait for them. When your human person gets here, then you go over to them and pick right up where you left off when you were onto the earth, except this time neither one of you has an ache or pain, or has trouble communicating, or runs short on time because you has to go to work and pay the bills.

So I will wait for you here, right where the grass is high and the clover is mixed into it, close to the shade trees. When I see you coming across that field, I will be right over to meet you at the gate, just like always.

I bleev I will see you all again. In the mean time, I remain,

Your Friend,
Paul

Bizzy!

I guess you might hav been saying to your self, "Where has Paul been?" "Wut has he been doing?"

I have not been any where. I hav been right here, waiting for Mah Editor to stop working so much. She works into a lah firm, a place where you go to if you need som one to help you transact official business, or if you get into fight with som one and need to hire som one to help you argue, or you steal som one's belonging or stab them with a nife and are going to jail. Or if you just want to get a house, Mah Editor will help you do all the paper work to get your self a house. At the end of the month is when every body wants to sell their house and buy a new one.

All week long she has been hearing, "I HAS A QUESTION ABOUT MAH HUD!" "IS MAH SURVEY BACK YET, MAH BUYERS WANT TO LOOK AT IT!" "HOW MUCH MONEYS DOES I HAVE TO BRING TO CLOSING??!?" "IS IT FUNDED YET? WHEN CAN I GIT MAH KEYS?"

There has barely been enough time for her to come out and groom me and feed me an apple at the end of every day. We are going on a trail ride on Sunday. May be she will take som photographs.

The Power of the Internut

You are not going to bleeve this either, but som body in Australia has written to me in an e-mail. (I am so glad I checked mah e-mail. Usually there is not much in it except for ads to embiggen various parts of my self.)

Yes, it's true. If you don't bleeve me, you can go visit his web page: http://www.bazzyboy.net. I has also linked to it over there at the top.
He has a web site of his own, much snazzier than mine, his Editor is brilliant. His name is Bazz and like my self, he enjoys to eat things. His family is more famous and has run into the races and had statues made of them selves. But since he lives in Australia where every thing is the opposite, he has decided to make a career of going slow and was thus retired from the track. I say, more power to him. There is no point in being into a hurry. What ever it is, it can wait.

Go look at his page. It is nice.

New Friend

Remember how I told you I had som thing exciting to say? Well, you are not going to bleeve this but I hav got a friend, one who is a lot like me. Her name is Anna and she is a Belgian just like my beloved mom and who may in fact hav A TINY MULE GROWING INSIDE HER RIGHT THIS MINUTE! We don't know know yet, it is too early to tell. She came from the auction and right now has got a cut onto her beautiful leg which looks a lot like mah own handsome leg, so she is staying inside for the time being.

Mah Editor has instructions to share mah apples with her. She is a little thin. A halter has also rubbed the hair off her beautiful muzzle but that will be all right. She just got here last night and has already had a bath and is settled into a cozy stall.

I can not wait until she can com outside to see me.

Hyphen-Roe

Today I get a visit from Tonia and Barry Hyphen-Roe. It turns out that they like carrots too and do not travel without them. They bring a bag full out to my place.

Pleased to meet you, Hyphen-Roe.

Grooms me. Yeah, just like that.

Come on, quit looking back. Never look back.

Good job, Hyphen-Roe!

Mohawk

I hav crazy hair.


Look, see?


I don't do any thing special to it.


It just naturally is that way.