Mule – Page 21 – 3MULES.COM

Neons

By Chris Dawson

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with the Mules. The Mules made me think of a metaphor with livestock (cows) ruminating. The John and I were sitting there ruminating on life. The word “neon” originally was a Greek word that meant something new. Made me think that the Mules see something new every day. Mule influenced me to write this poem this morning. The story of the brightness inside of him, his journey, like Odysseus heading to Ithaca, his stoney hand, and patina with nomad life. I wrote this poem called Neons. I stole a theme from Shakespeare, thus the first stanza. It’s a theme of what time takes away from us.

NEONS

On the thieves of words, I borrow such.

That my neons live like rhapsodies of life.

In mind, though I have never seen Ithaca,
I love it’s great lands of creativity.

Greater than anyone can imagine.

The whole importance of being and
being whole.

I could make do with just with my mind,
my stoney hands, my eyes that carry
memories like a patina toolset.

But, I realize there is something more…
The essence of roaming free, that
moment of ruminating with you.

Thoughts, we can not nay, so steering
willfully, an interchange of mine.

That all things change into something
else, such whole breath and melody, that
hungry time’s idle tide will but have to
take away.

All away, except for the love, may she still
shine bright.

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Simi Valley, California

On Tuesday, January 12, 2016, while walking down the street going through Simi Valley, we encountered a couple of Simi Valley Police officers who stopped to talk to us. We had a friendly conversation. They wanted to know about our journey and we told them and we proceeded on our way through Simi Valley.

As it was getting dark, we found this location to stop to rest for the evening about 50 feet away from the the railroad tracks. I picketed the mules onto a fence.

Around 6:30am this morning I got up, checked the mules, then started fixing my breakfast when Simi Valley Police appeared and informed me that they received a phone call that there were loose horses along the railroad tracks. Of course, they saw that this was not true. The mules were not loose and secured on picket lines. The officers informed me that I was on railroad property and trespassing and I had to leave.

The officer were nice about it and asked when we would be leaving. I told them that I was in the process of leaving as soon as I finished eating my breakfast in about an hour or so. We fully intended to leave and be on our way. They said fine.

As they were leaving, one officer informed us that we could not trespass on railroad property and if we ever returned here again, they would have to arrest me and impound my mules. They said that they were notifying me of that so hopefully that would not happen. I said it wouldn’t.

Before they left, I said that being the case, there is really no place in Simi Valley to stop and rest for the night. Because of that, the next time I come through Simi Valley we’ll have to use public space, county, city, state parks to to exercise our right to stop and rest for the night. They didn’t say anything and that was the end of the conversation.

This is a perfect example of how all space in this country is being taken away. You have to have access to public space to exercise your freedom to move freely in this country. If you don’t have it, you don’t have any freedom. You can’t have one without the other. To walk freely and to move freely in this country when the end of the day comes, one has to be able to stop and rest. And if there is no space for that, you in effect have no freedom at all.

This kind of occurrence is constantly happening to us. Public space must be available to stop and rest for the night. We’re not talking about staying and putting up a tent and staying for long periods of time day in and day out. We’re only talking about a stop for the night, resting, and continuing on our way.

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Chatsworth, California

On January 9 as the mules and myself were walking on Devonshire Street heading west, we stopped to take a break in front of the Chatsworth Fire Station. A gentleman named Bob approached and introduced himself. Bob had seen us the night before and had been looking for us. He told us that he boarded his horse two miles down the road at the Davis Ranch and invited us to refuel and rest there for the night. My feet were bothering me really bad, so we accepted his timely offer.

This area where we stayed was once the home of Roy Rogers, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and other Hollywood stars. The rocky hills in the backdrop were used to film Roy Rogers westerns in the 50’s. Now this ranch is one of the last horse facilities in the area.

The Mules want to thank the Dana for allowing the Mules to spend 3 nights/2 days here at her ranch. Thanks also to Bob for inviting us to stay here.

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Sun Valley, California

Last week as two major storms were about to hit California, Jill and Todd reached out and offered The Mules a place to stay on their property in Sun Valley to wait out the storm. We accepted and want to say thank you to Jill and Todd for the support you gave the Mules. It is very much appreciated. We enjoyed visiting the equestrian friendly town of Sun Valley, which seems similar to equestrian friendly town of Norco, CA.

The Mules with Todd and Jill in Sun Valley, CA.

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Letter from Pasadena Police on the Mules being in the Rose Parade and our response

On New Year’s Day, the Mules were in Pasadena to watch the Rose Parade. At one point, we entered the parade from a side street and walked in front of a float for one block for about 5 minutes or so. As we got to the end of the block, a police officer asked us to leave so we did and went about our way.

Yesterday, January 8, 2016, the Mules received the following e-mail from Pasadena Police Department Sergeant Paul Carpenter:

“Sir, my name is Paul Carpenter. I am Sergeant with the Pasadena Police Department and I work in our Event Planning Section which works to police special events in the city. I understand you inserted yourself and your mules in the Tournament of Roses Parade last week and that was not the first time. The Tournament of Roses carefully selects the participants that they allow in the parade and, as you can imagine, an unauthorized entry is a concern for me, from a security perspective. I am sure that you mean absolutely no harm to the parade or any of the parade goers, however we cannot have your, or any one else, inserting themselves into the parade.

If you have any questions or if you wish to discuss this any further please contact me at the email listed above.

Thank you.
Sgt. Paul Carpenter

The Mules do understand Sergeant Carpenter’s concern of the Mules inserting themselves into the Rose Parade. We respect the necessary job of police agencies. We will not insert ourselves again into the Rose Parade. That being said we feel it necessary to state the reason we did so.

The Megatropolis uses the Rose Parade to put its best side out for all to see and tell us all the great things its done and continues to do. However, there is two sides to every coin. The catastrophic consequences of what it is doing are not being shown.

The Megatropolis uses the parade to hide its tracks, the extreme destructive consequences of its activity on earth. Current examples of this destruction include the methane gas leak going on right now in Porter Ranch, California with 1800 people evacuated from their homes and the poisoned water supply in Flint, Michigan destroying lives of the future generations. Just the tip of the iceberg.

The Mules know they cannot just stand by and watch the destruction of life on earth. We are driven to do something, so we walk peacefully all day every day and carry and spread the message of the energy that surrounds us and envelopes us that the human race must create a new path and adjust its course if we are to live on this earth.

The Mules

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Happy New Year

This is our fourth consecutive year attending the Tournement of Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

If you have taken a photo of us at the Rose Parade, we ask if you would please share and post your photos using hashtag ‪#‎3Mules‬ #3MULES.COM ‪#‎NomadicLife‬, so we can find them on Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, or please post or send your photo to us on 3 MulesFacebook page.

Sharing your photos helps spread our message that this beautiful earth, like no other, can only be protected by the way we live one day at a time. Happy New Year!

Little Girl, Babe, Monk and Lady [Photo Credit: Steve Hadley]

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Whittier, CA

As I was making my oatmeal and the kids were eating their breakfast of alfalfa hay that Sofia brought to us last night, a whole lot of Whittier police showed up. They said that we couldn’t camp here. We said that we were having breakfast and will leave. The officers were all very friendly, asked the usual questions, took pictures and then left. We ate our breakfast, packed up and continued on our way to Pasadena.

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The El Camino Real

We like this photo taken by Tony Chiatello as we were walking on the El Camino Real in Carlsbad, California. Tony’s caption “Not everyday you see 3 mules on El Camino” was not a true statement from the 1600s to late 1800s when the El Camino Real was the route used by Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries traveling from Baja California to San Francisco by foot, horse and mule.

In the 1920s with the invention of the automobile, the El Camino Real slowly became paved over time from San Francisco to the Mexican border.

Thus, this route has historically been used longer by equestrian travelers than by those traveling in manmade machines.

We the Mules exercise use our right to use this ages old public thoroughfare called the El Camino Real.

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David Travelli cycling 30,000 kilometers Alaska to Patagonia

A few days ago, the Mules stopped to talk to this gentleman named Davide Travelli riding his fully loaded touring bicycle south. We asked him the same questions that we receive all the time: “Where are you from?” “Where are you going?” He is from Italy and has embarked on a long journey across the Americas (North, Central and South). On August 13, 2015, he started cycling in Alaska and is following the 30,000-kilometers (19,000-miles) Panamerican Highway to Patagonia in the southern end of South America. The Mules wish Davide the best and plan to follow his journey on his website http://alaska2patagonia.com/

UPDATE MARCH 24, 2018: 954 days later, Davide has now reached Ushuaia, Argentina, in the southern tip of South America. Davide plans to travel through Africa next. The 3 Mules say thank you to Davide Travelli and his magnificent journey showing one and all true human freedom as it can only be practiced on this earth and not on Mars, moon or an astroid. Human freedom exists where human beings belong, the Earth.

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Oceanside, California

This building is a testament to mankind’s ingenuity and cleverness but not a place the Mules would ever want to be. It harbors nothing for us but misery. This building claiming and providing space for those who seek comfort and ease of the man-made world (Megatropolis). The Mules claiming and then using the space for those who seek the beauty and magic of the Natural World.

~The Mules

Babe, Little Girl and Lady in Oceanside, CA.

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