Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Medford woman sentenced to federal prison for robbing bank for drug money Work to close traffic lane, alley downtown this week 'Little Dog's past and present come into focus Air stagnation advisory in effect through late Tuesday morning AFN manager asks for privacy in business dealings Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Medford woman sentenced to federal prison for robbing bank for drug money Emergency Services Man saves elderly woman from fire at Phoenix apartment Emergency services Emergency services Politics and Elections Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Education State boosts class time expectation A wealth of experience Ballroom dance class is a hit with North Medford students Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Local elementary and middle school students qualify for state chess championships Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Public sounds off on gas pipeline Mt. Ashland ski area announces layoffs Bear cub headed to rehabbers in Idaho Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California State News Oregon focus of effort to expand background checks for guns TripCheck adding more weather stations, cameras Oregon prisoner linked to 1976 killings Superbug blamed for hospital deaths UO seeks return of released documents Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Darrel D. Spores Margarete Hennebeck Cecil Hudson Bishop Richard Ray Guile Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Watt, Graham highlight memorable Pro Bowl Haas pulls away to win Humana Challenge Brown wins first U.S. title, holding off Rippon Arizona tops Oregon in OT OSU on top Varsity 541 College Sports Arizona tops Oregon in OT OSU on top Coach K collects 1,000th victory Beavers will rely on newcomers Raider men shut down Eastern Oregon Pro Sports Watt, Graham highlight memorable Pro Bowl Haas pulls away to win Humana Challenge Sherman doubts any punishment ahead for Pats Sharapova into quarterfinals Aldridge returns, Blazers top Wizards Community Sports Local Events Business Latest Stories Blog: Mobile ordering may become norm at Starbucks Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi Q5 Silvio Calabi: Chrysler 200S — hey, who is that? Wine industry pays off for Oregon The heart of Brammo will remain Real Estate News New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar Jackson County real estate market headed back to normal Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers People In Business People in Business Transportation The heart of Brammo will remain Want to be an investor? Four companies will be pitching their plan to you Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Jan. 26 Our View: Asphalt saga nears end of the road George Will: Vermont's Sanders has mountains to climb Letters to the Editor, Jan. 25 Dana Milbank: Get used to Obama's swagger Editorials Our View: Asphalt saga nears end of the road Other Views: Governor should not forget rural Oregon Our View: Edible marijuana risks demand strict rules Our View: Public salaries move only upward Our View: Restrictions on civil forfeitures are reasonable Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 26 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 25 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 22 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 21 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Market forces work against LNG project's success Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline A fair shot for all: addressing our low-wage crisis Guest Opinion: SOU biomass burner would be big mistake Guest Opinion: Reforms needed to build upon John Day’s success Lifestyle Latest stories Blog: HAIKU MONDAY: On Pasty Legs and The Flying Tax Deduction Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi Q5 It Is What It Is: Better late than never, as far as I’m concerned Community blog: For light, lacy tempura, minimize mixing batter Silvio Calabi: Chrysler 200S — hey, who is that? Food Community blog: For light, lacy tempura, minimize mixing batter Community blog: Trends aside, butternut squash a seasonal darling Gail Ciampa: Creative ways to explore the oft-maligned cauliflower Best of the Brews Try these shock-free-diet options Home and Garden Home Help: 5 ways to revamp your outdoor living space this year Paint a room or two in a weekend Dear Monty: Sell home now? Or wait until summer? Home Help: How to keep your house pest-free this winter Dear Monty: Consider mediation in real estate disputes Health Community blog: Breathe Away Anxiety Health Watch: Why you should consider the Mediterranean diet Community blog: Best Cities for Aging? - Not Medford Healthy Aging: Whether supper or dinner, it's best eaten together Practicing for the real thing Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Jan. 23 Religion briefs Old stained-glass windows face threats Churches start new year with messages of hope Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Bill Frisell turns tunes into art forms Ballyhoo! plays the Brickroom Review: Randall Theatre's 'Irma Vep' is low brow, high laughs Live Music in Local Clubs Songs of the '60s highlight 'Those Were the Days' Theater Randall Theatre presents playwright Charles Ludlam's comedy "The Mystery of Irma Vep" Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Rent' Tangled up in Dylan Music Bill Frisell turns tunes into art forms Ballyhoo! plays the Brickroom Live Music in Local Clubs Songs of the '60s highlight 'Those Were the Days' Ethan Tucker Band at the Brickroom Community Events Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Len Dickson's 'Fall Harvest' to grace Belle Fiore wine label A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. Ty Barnett and Ian Harris are 'Divided' Elaine Witteveen's new exhibit 'Wings' opens at the Rogue Gallery Dining The Vine offers a taste of Italy Cheeseburgers on the cheap Valley View — It's all in the family Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight Entertaining with a gift of treasure Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Medford woman sentenced to federal prison for robbing bank for drug money ... 'Little Dog's past and present come into focus ... Air stagnation advisory in effect through late Tuesday morning ... Medford woman sentenced to federal prison for robbing bank for drug money ... 'Little Dog's past and present come into focus ... Air stagnation advisory in effect through late Tuesday morning ... SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL Southern Oregon Journal: 'Just me, five mules, Jesus and two dogs' Comment By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 25, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 25, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News The colorful rigs had beckoned to me countless times when they sat far afield off the country road I traveled regularly, yet I hadn’t mustered the nerve to impose my curiosity on the owner. Anyone living in a sheepherder’s wagon with five mules and a large sign proclaiming, “Jesus Saves” on the side of the wagon likely expects to garner some attention. When they relocated to a spot within spitting distance of the road, the temptation was too much. Always up for an adventure, Lynn was game to come along, and I suggested she wear muck boots for this one. We pulled up to the layout, dodging potholes like landmines, and left my trusty Civic, Fiona, sitting this side of a duck pond-sized mud hole. I yelled to the man outside the wagon, asking whether I could talk with him. I’d left my notebook in the car, not wanting to appear pushy, introduced Lynn and myself, and told him who I was. He asked where my notebook and pen were. I got them. We entered the mule enclosure picking our way through mud and droppings, eager for a story. The man was Randy Boehmer. As he gave me the whys and wherefores of his travels, I scribbled notes and took in the setting, wondering what it would be like to live his way — on the road, in a wagon pulled by mules, surrounded by the 21st century. I listened, fascinated, but as he spoke, I watched the five beautiful Belgian mules lift the last fragments of hay from the ground with their delicate lips. Their names were Frank and Jesse, Dick and Jack, and Butch, each with distinct individuality. Guarding the smaller provisional wagon were two friendly dogs named Shep and Proverb. He shared how his wife, Lois, had passed on and left him thinking about all that “Jesus stuff” she believed in. He missed her. He reasoned if there was such a place as Heaven, she was there, and he wanted to be with her. “I repented of my sins and gave my life to Jesus on March 3, 1999.” When his dad passed, his sister told him to haul off what he wanted from the pile in the garage. The rest was headed for the dump. “That was pretty sad,” Boehmer said. “But, in the end, there’s more to life than all this stuff.” A few years later, he met Lee Young in Indiana, who bought him lunch and told him how he traveled in a covered wagon. Lee told him that his biggest worry in life was getting to water every day. “That was the life for me." Boehmer knew. "God put it on my heart to travel in a covered wagon.” He learned how to shoe mules to prepare for his cross-country roundup. It took him six months to fashion the two sheepherder-style wagons from old farm wagons, the larger flanked with tack and tools for the journey. So far, they’d moseyed through 26 states over seven years’ time — three miles to a bale of hay. Randy said it’s only fun if you spell the word fun  W-O-R-K. But he loves the rambling life and has no plans to do anything else. When I asked whether anyone ever traveled with him, he replied, “No. Just me, five mules, Jesus and two dogs.” Soon he’ll move on to undiscovered pastures, staying north in summer and south in winter, though he said our winters were nothing compared with North Dakota. He handed me a busted horseshoe for a souvenir before I left and offered to clean Lynn’s old, formerly white tennies, but she wasn’t worried about it. We parted smiling, glad we’d taken the time and navigated the terrain to hear and ponder Randy Boehmer’s story. Peggy Dover is a freelance writer who works from a 1900 farmhouse in Eagle Point. Reach her at [email protected].   By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 25, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501