As the Mules follow Bearsun on his social media pages as he walks from Los Angeles to New York City, we the Mules find it to be quite interesting. His encounters with law enforcement seem to be rather frequent. They surely know who he is. A bear using the public thoroughfare the way it has always been used and the way it must be used. A public pathway where people move freely between cities and towns, slowing down, stopping, advising each other on various topics, helping each other, and enjoying the company and diversity of their fellow users of this public pathway. The life blood of a free country. The only and best way to protect it is to get out there and bring the energy of fellowship, goodwill and peace right to its very surface.
So the Mules commend Bearsun and all others whose journeys the Mules have followed, such as Davide Travelli and Chen Guan Ming, who willingly and freely go out and use their energy to make a unique contribution to build an open and free Public Thoroughfare.
The Mule Advisory Board created by the 3 Mules to advise the Governor’s office, the State Legislature, and Caltrans on how to make California roads and highways safe and accessible to all legal users, which include equestrians, cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.
The Mules have issued Advisory Board Directive 69-AB50 which instructs the Governor’s office to immediately place the state tax windfall of $262.6 billion into the 3 Mule Advisory Board account, which 3 Mules will manage and administer for the purpose of building an extensive trail/path system which will link together all California cities and towns like the world has never seen. It will bring people from all lover the nation and world wanting the experience of traveling on it.
The Mules have been in California traveling, walking, and using the county, city, and state public thoroughfares for almost nine years living with respect and reverence for the Earth that supports us. Through this experience, we have come to the obvious observation that the California public thoroughfares, especially the rural thoroughfares, are dangerous and unsafe. To deal with this condition, the Mules have created the Mule Advisory Board to advise the California Governor, State Legislatures, Caltrans and CHP.
The rural county and state roads have been constructed to be very smooth allowing the modern automobile to travel them at extremely high and dangerous speeds. These roads are also very narrow allowing little or no room for automobiles and the other legal users such as equestrians, cyclists, and pedestrians to safely pass each other. Cyclists, pedestrians, and equestrians are being illegally removed from these public thoroughfares simply because there is no room by which to use them alongside motorists.
For over eight years, the Mules have passed a huge amount of roadside memorials representing the many people who have needlessly lost their lives to the unsafe conditions of California’s public roads. The Mules are holding the State of California and Caltrans responsible for the deadly and dangerous road conditions which have been responsible for the bloody carnage which has been allowed to go on far too long.
The Mule Advisory Board has issued the following directives to be implemented immediately:
1) Mandatory speed limit reduction from 55 miles per hour (mph) to 30 mph on all county and state roads where a designated condition of extremely dangerous road has been established. The designated condition of an extremely dangerous road would be any section of a road that has blind curves and a narrow passage with little or no shoulder for all the legal users to pass each other safely. The 30 mph speed limit will be in effect until an alternate pathway for the other legal users (pedestrians, equestrians, and cyclists) is constructed not further than one mile from the line of travel from the road in question.
2) Rest Stops. On any newly constructed alternative pathways for non-motorized travelers, places to stop and rest for not less or more than a 24-hour period must be provided along the route every ten miles.
3) Signage – signs must be posted every four miles on both sides of the road, stamping down and stamping into the public mind that sharing the road is the law. And for the well-being and safety of all legal users this law must be practiced and obeyed.
4) Enforce CA Vehicle Code 21759: The driver of any vehicle that approaches a horse drawn vehicle, any ridden animal, or livestock must exercise proper control of his vehicle and shall reduce speed or stop as may appear necessary to avoid frightening the animal and to insure safety of the person in charge of the animal.
CA Vehicle Code 21759
The above directives are to be implemented immediately, for the purpose of bringing a state of the art public thoroughfare and trail system to the people of California.
The Mules will be delivering a copy of the Mules Advisory Board’s directives (shown below) one step at a time, all day every day, to the California Governor and State Legislatures, all CalTrans District Offices, and every CHP District Headquarters. As well, the Mules will be delivering and spreading throughout the State the ever mounting level of energy emanating from our lawsuit, Mules vs. State of California. The energy emanating from this lawsuit will show itself to have no bounds. It will blanket the State and relentlessly work to bring a state of the art public thoroughfare and trail system to the people of California.
The Mules view this case as a gift. As we gaze into the mist, we see a brown table resting upon it a foot square one-inch thick type folder emitting glowing brown shining light, gIving off a clear message mixed with glowing light. Contribute your unique spiritual energy in ways only you can and have that energy returned in ways your imagination can never foresee.
The Energy of this case continues to grow. The Mules will be leaving Tehachapi where we’ve been resting for over a month on Lori’s property. Exactly why I can’t say but Chuck and Lori have been extremely welcoming and after coming up from Imperial Beach, the southernmost point of our migratory journey, the extended stay has been appreciated.
The Mules will carry this one foot square one-inch thick brown folder emitting its powerful spiritual light with us to the Templeton CHP office where the 3 Mules vs. State of California lawsuit was spiritually activated. This case is a spiritual gift to the Mules and all those who live and practice the art of peacefully pursuing freedom on this earth. It will express the energy it gathers and harbors in ways as yet to be understood.
As the Mules move one step at a time towards Templeton, CA, the lawsuit of 3 Mules vs. California will pull huge amounts of negative energy, harbored within the walls of the Megatropolis, and from those walls into the 3 Mules journey, where the ages old knowledge of this nomadic way of life which the Mules live in service to, will be converted to positive spiritual energy that will then serve the 3 Mules journey in many ways. The 3 Mules vs CA court case will certainly be drawing from that source of energy.
After the Mules deposit the spiritual energy of our lawsuit 3 Mules vs State of CA at the door of CHP Templeton office, we will once again be using G-14 (the road the Mules were arrested on) as we make our way to Sacramento. This road, like most county, state roads, are extremely dangerous due in large part to the total negligence of the state allowing a speed limit that far exceeds the capacity of these roads to provide enough room for all legal users to safely use them. Also the state has totally failed to sign these roads to inform the motorist that sharing the road with all who legally use them IS THE LAW.
Spiritual Energy is the only true wealth. The paper money the Megatropolis doles out to its citizens is no wealth at all. The Mules know this so we speak of this.
The Mules’ wealth is the spiritual energy we create around us by the way we live. The nomadic way we live is the connection to the spiritual realm that provides the energy that makes life worth living for us the Mules.
The Mules traveled from the south to rendezvous with Lady in Auburn where she is now living and being very well cared for by Jane.
We slept under three apple trees in which Little Girl and Little Ethel enjoyed the fallen fruit each day. The fresh winter squash from Jane’s garden was also delicious.
While we were here, Little Ethel and Little Girl got a new pair of shoes. Thank you Candice, a long time supporter of the 3 Mules journey and her farrier Greg White for shoeing the kids.
Like the geese, the Mules now turn to the south and head for San Diego. And while Lady no longer travels with the Mules physically, she will be with us spiritually as we continue our journey south.
The Mules
Lady, Monk & Jane
Delicious winter squash
Sleeping under the apple trees.
Farrier Greg White and Candice
The Mules continue their journey south
Geese
Lady watching us leave as we continue our endless journey south.
UPDATE 9/19/2020: In 2015 the Mules were traveling through Ventana Wilderness in Monterey County where we had the pleasure of staying at Rancho Salsipuedes owned by Timothy Bottoms. We enjoyed our stay at the Rancho and learning of its unique history, which is documented in our original blog post below.
Rancho Salsipuedes is a rare place. About 12 miles inland in Big Sur, it is one of the LAST standing California Homesteads that is not owned by the government or by a corporation. It has been in the hands of The Bottoms family since 1975. It has been untouched by overdevelopment, remaining in all of its glory. It has been looked after with true, pure, authentic love for the natural world.
Dolan Fire Perimeter, Monterey County, September 2020
We have come to find out about the Dolan wildfire that started August 18, 2020 and one month later continues to burn with only 46% perimeter containment. This wildfire ravaged thru and over the Rancho Salsipuedes, which we are very sorry to hear about.
In 2015, We left our palomino mule, Who Dee Doo, at Rancho Salsipuedes and glad to see in the photo below that he made it through the fire okay.
The Bottom’s family friend, Caitlin Ackerman, has organized a GoFundMe fundraiser to help the remaining horses and rebuild Rancho Salsipuedes. Please click on this linkto read more about this special place and donate if you can. Warning, there are graphic images of the animals domestic and wildlife that didn’t survive.
Here is our original blog post that we wrote October 20, 2015:
October 20, 2015 – Rancho Salsipuedes:
Three Mules and one monk were walking south through Fort Hunter Liggett on a road bordering the Los Padres National Forest when a gentleman by the name of Timothy Bottoms stopped his Jeep, got out, introduced himself and asked if the kids needed water or hay for he had brought some. The monk responded, “No. We are okay. Thank you.”
He then invited us to his ranch to take a break. We said yes that would be nice. So we walked to his ranch, which is surrounded by the Ventana Wilderness, and took a break.
Tim asked if we needed anything in the way of supplies, gear, etc. The monk responded with a yes. Our pack boxes were over 25 years old and worn to the bone. Tim said he would be glad to help so he did by supplying us with four new pack boxes.
Who Dee Do
Who Dee Do, our third mule will be staying at Tim’s ranch. He never became easy for me to shoe. He had to be sedated and that was not a practical scheme for us walking through the Megatropolis.
Who Dee Do will be living with Tim’s horses and mules, a great place for Who Dee Do to live.
The Mules say thank you to Timothy Bottoms for his kindness and support he has shown the mules, the identifiers of this ages old nomadic way of life living with respect and reverence for this beautiful place called Earth, the home of human beings. ~The Mules
About Rancho Salsipuedes: “Nestled in the verdant, peaceful valley, stands the thick adobe walls of the Mission San Antonio de Padua’s Portreros Mulos built by the caretaker friar and several neophytes…it established ranch support for the mission mules.
After secularization in 1834, the property came under the private ownership of Vicente Avile, who purchased the drought stricken Rancho for the stately sum of $13, all he had in his pocket. The Rancho remained in the family estate for over one hundred years.
The Avila Ranch, a 160-acre homestead, became known as Salsipuedes (“get out if you can”), which was later sold to Timothy Bottoms in 1975 as a family refuge.”
On the ranch is an old stone cabin and oven built sometime in late 1800s/early 1900s.
The trails surrounding the property are very difficult to travel and impassable with overgrown brush and fallen trees. During the time we were waiting for our pack boxes to arrive, we spent our time clearing these trails.
As more places are coming out of lockdown, we expect to see more high speed automobiles with individual drivers on the public thoroughfare as more people may avoid taking public transportation or carpooling.
Reminder that it is the law to share the road with other public thoroughfare users (pedestrians, equestrians, cyclists). Slow down, yield, or stop to safely pass. Also, do not text and drive.
Taking a few seconds to slow down to safely pass will not ruin your day, but getting in a wreck will.
A comment was made on our last post: “So you want strangers to keep up your lifestyle…that’s what we call bums.”
The Mules and this ages old nomadic lifestyle which our ancestors have practiced for thousands of years is still being practiced today by us the Mules. We get up in the morning off the ground, take a look at our animal companions, bid them a good morning, fix some breakfast, usually oatmeal or rice and vegetables or maybe some ground nuts, very simple and basic, nothing fancy. Then the monk packs up the Mules and we are on our way in any one of four directions, spending the day walking in the light with love, respect and reverence for this Earth and the web of life one step at a time.
When sun begins to set, we look for a place to stop for the night on the public thoroughfare. Often times, somebody will offer the Mules their property to stay for the night. Often times, the Mules gratefully accept. We then fix a simple meal, make the Mules comfortable for the night, then go to sleep knowing full well when we awake in the morning, we will be more to once again practice this unchoreographed dance across the face of the earth in harmony and balance with the energy that surrounds us, guides us, and protects us. This energy of which we speak shows itself through the many kind and generous people the Mules meet everyday as they walk this timeless endless journey of respect and reverence for the Natural World. All of our material needs it will simply materialize into what is needed.
So this is the way it is for the Mules. It does not matter what we are called as we walk along the public thoroughfare for we know who we are and where we are from. We are the body of our ancestors and we come from the harbored energy of their sacred way of life.
Our ancestors have walked under around and through every Megatropolis/ Empire that has ever been and witnessed their ultimate collapse. The Mules as we walk around under and through this Empire are also witnessing its collapse.
As the Megatropolis continues its inevitable collapse and initiates a totalitarian nightmare to contain and control all human energy within it s purview, the Mules will continue this endless journey of our ancestors forever moving into the light of this place in which we reside alone but never alone, a place for everybody and anybody moving, walking in harmony and balance with the energy that created Earth and all its inhabitants.
The Mules as well as others who follow the Mules have been receiving periodic emails for the past several years from John McDonald, a filmmaker requesting donations for his documentary film about the 3 Mules. We allowed him to start filming us back in 2013, but ended our association in 2014.
The Mules went to the 3MulesMovie website “Support” page, which states the following:
Join the team that helps complete the documentary with your tax-deductible donation through the film’s fiscal sponsor, the International Documentary Association (IDA).* Donations are accepted through PayPal, by check or by credit card. All donations go directly towards completing the film.
Further down the page, it states:
* Read the IDA’s LETTER OF SUPPORT. The IDA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that oversees financial contributions to independent documentary films. The IDA requires annual reports of all income and expenses connected with the project and will make these reports available upon request. Contact Amy Halpin, Fiscal Sponsorship Program Coordinator with the IDA, to receive a financial report on the current financial status of the project. amy@documentary.org and/or subscribe to our newsletter to see a copy of the latest financial report.
On February 15, 2020, the Mules sent an e-mail to the IDA Fiscal Sponsorship program requesting to see the financial report of all income and expenses connected with this project. We also sent an email directly to Amy Halpin on February 18, 2020. We didn’t receive a response and sent another follow-up email on February 25.
On February 26, Amy Halpin responded:
Much of the information you have requested is confidential and I am unable to release it without John McDonald’s written permission. But I’d be happy to reach out to him and get his permission to share this specific financial information with you. I believe he’s been very transparent with these requests in the past. I can share that he is current on all reporting due to us for the project.I’ll be back in touch as soon as I’ve had a chance to chat with him, hopefully, tomorrow.
The Mules responded back to Amy that it his website that directs people to contact her for the copy of the financial report.
It is now April 11 and the Mules still have not received any further communication from Amy Halpin or the IDA.
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Update: The Mules finally received a financial report from the IDA on 4/14/20. Because the fundraising effort by John McDonald has been going on for so long 7 years, the Mules find it necessary to inform those who might donate that the Mules are not in anyway participating in the fundraising for the documentary Call Me Mule or are we supporting his scheme of sending out e-mails asking for donations. ~The Mules
On Sunday, March 8, 2020, 40-year-old Lady moved from her retirement home in the Central Valley to her new home in northern California. The Mules thank Sharon for taking such good care of Lady for the past 3 years.
As these photos show, Lady could never have had a better caring friend.
Thank you, Sharon. Jane, another member of the 3 Mules Nation, came to pick up Lady and bring Lady to her new home. We know that Jane will give Lady another great home.
Thank you Candice for once again giving your energy of service to the 3 Mules Nation by finding Lady a new home with Jane. Other animals live on the ranch to keep Lady company.
