Last Mule in the Holler

Although my connection with mules is a distant one, I’m barely one generation removed from hard-laboring farm stock. My Daddy and his siblings, my granddaddy, and his granddaddy, and his grandaddy, used mules to farm their land in Panola County Mississippi.

One of the earliest stories I heard about my Daddy was about a time when his father told him to go to the barn, tack up the mule, and get it ready for the day’s work. The mule was much taller than the tow-headed six-year-old and without much effort, could lift his head out of reach and avoid putting the bit in his mouth.

We gravitate toward people who share similar connections. Me and my friends, The Local Honeys, have been on a lot of adventures together. We have shared the stage, roamed the backroads and long highways, explored the deep woods of Kentucky, spilled our guts, and laughed until our sides hurt.

Collaboration proves to us that the giving of ourselves—in our most vulnerable state, the creative process—is one of the most precious offerings we can give to another living soul.

Creating art with your friends is a special gift.

In doing so, we find true meaning and purpose in relationship with another in the here and now—an ever-present reminder that we are not actually alone on this journey. That connection is why we write, why we seek to ask questions of life, why we seek other like-minded people who share that desire and curiosity—and, why we play music together.

I have the honor of saying that I penned a few lines of this beautiful song, Last Mule in the Holler, that my friend, Montana Hobbs, wrote about her family’s mule, Red Rooster. Montana used to show gaited mules when she was growing up and by all accounts (her Daddy, Monte, told me) she was a showy, skilled rider in the ring and, well, we already know she is a badass with a banjo in her hands.

Montana’s way with words and her insight into life is one of the many reasons why I adore her heart.

The Honeys’ recent self-titled album is a gem among gems. I hope you listen to it and carry it with you on your travels down the road or simply through life.

You’ll find friends there within the beautiful arrangements and poetic lines of verse they’ve written and sung.

Enjoy—

x Anna