3Mules.com – Page 12

Road 415, Coarsegold, California

This morning as we were walking along Road 415 going to Coarsegold, a highway patrol officer stopped and told us he was responding to calls that we were walking on the roadway.

We said, “Yes, at times, we do walk on the roadway because there is no place else to walk. All city, county, state roads are public thoroughfares. They are open to all comers – person on crutches, driving a wheelchair, pedestrian, bicycle, equestrian and extra terrestrial (ET) on a vacation. These thoroughfares are not for the exclusive use of the High Speed Motorist (HSM) and its most favored and valued friend the Automobile. When the HSM sees a pedestrian, equestrian bicycle or an ET moving on the roadway exercising their absolute legal right to be doing so, the HSM must reduce its speed or stop if necessary so all involved can pass safely. There is nothing in the law stating the HSM has a legal right to be going at the speed limit regardless of the circumstance.”

The officer responded, “Be careful.” He went on his way and we continued our way.

“Run for the bushes, jump in a ditch, you all be damned. I slow up for nothing or nobody.” This is the pervasive attitude held by many HSM.

This HSM attitude is the main cause of death on the public thoroughfare in this country. The public thoroughfare is a place where people meet, trade goods and knowledge, experiences and generally enjoy moving freely from one place to the next. It was never intended to become a High Speed Dragstrip for machines running everybody else into the ditches in fear of becoming a bloody mess.

The Public Thoroughfare is the tenuous tread by which The Mules exercise their right to move freely in one of all four directions when they choose and how they choose. We will never give up our legal and mystical use of it. Nor should anybody else.

The Mules

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Below is National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Press Release from July 1, 2016.

“Every American should be able to drive, ride or walk to their destination safely, every time.” – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx

“94% of crashes can be tied back to human choice or error.” – NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind

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The Mules reach around the world

As of July 2, 2016, 3 Mules Facebook page has 37,315 likes from 45 countries around the world. From which country or state are you following the Mules? ‪#‎3Mules‬ ‪#‎NomadicLife‬

Find the 3 Mules on:

3mules.com
Facebook: facebook.com/3Mules
Instagram: instagram.com/3mules
Twitter: twitter.com/3MulesDotCom
YouTube: https://goo.gl/r7I3X8

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The Mules vs. City Council of Clovis

On Friday, June 24, 2016, the Mules arrived in Clovis, CA. We got onto a nice multi-use trail in the afternoon and were heading north. Upon walking for awhile, we met a TV news crew from KMPH and they asked if they could ask questions and take film for their FOX26 KMPH 10:00 news broadcast. We said sure.

We went to Trader Joe’s to buy some cranberry juice, then went back to the trail.

It was getting late so we decided to stop off to the side of the trail and rest for the night. A lady named Janeen brought the Mules some hay when we were at Trader Joe’s so they (the kids) were set. [Thank you Janeen for unexpectedly appearing out of nowhere and bringing the kids hay and carrots for their dinner.]

After fixing and eating my dinner, I was sitting on the water bucket on the Fresno-Clovis Trail, relaxing and enjoying being off my feet. At about 9:30pm, two officers with flashlights from the Clovis Police Department came upon us wanting to know what we were doing. We said that we have stopped here to rest for the night. The officer said the city council of Clovis says no camping in the city limits of Clovis. We said we were not camping, we have stopped here on this public right of way to rest for the night.

The officer said they were responding to calls from citizens about us being here. We said we were exercising our legal right to use a public thoroughfare and any attempt by the use of codes, regulations or laws to deny us that right shall be considered blatantly illegal.

The officer returned to his cruiser, came back in a reasonable amount of time, used discretion, in regards to the no camping law and said we could stay for the night if we would agree to leave in the morning. We said yes we would, which was stated intention.

So the kids and myself slept peacefully through the night, arose in the morning, ate breakfast, packed up and were on our way for another day living in balance with the Natural World all day, every day

Note: The Public thoroughfare in a free country must be open to all comers. The Mules are one of those comers. Our use of this thoroughfare is not the same as those who live, eat, play, and sleep inside houses then come out of those houses for some fresh air and exercise.

The Mules wander freely throughout the day then stop and use the public space to rest for the night. Any law that prevents the Mules from resting and sleeping, a most necessary function to sustain life, must be considered by any common sense mind, to be illegal.

With the above being said and understood, the Mules will not and cannot obey these no camping laws. For to do so will be the end of us. This place of any one human being wandering with his or her animal companions, has access to many dimensions. This dimension on this earth is the one we love the most. The Mules will not be removed from it. Long live human beings and their connection to Earth. There is no future without it.

The Mules

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Tent City Canvas House custom-made tarp for 3 Mules

Back on June 6th, we posted the following question: “Can anybody out there make us a green-colored, 1000 denier nylon tarp measuring 75″ X 105″ (8’9″ X 6’3″) with 1/4-inch grommets on all four corners and on the middle of each side? Color preference is green, tan, brown or grey, not black as that would absorb and retain too much heat. This is not a tarp that we can simply purchase at a hardware store. If so, please message us with total cost (material, labor and shipping to California), time to deliver, and contact info.”

Thank you to those who took time to research and send us information on places that we could contact. We followed up on each lead sent to us. Most places quoted 4-6 week time frame to make or could only make the tarp in black color, which we did not want.

On Tuesday, June 21, Raj Sharma, owner and president of Tent City Canvas House in Fresno, contacted us that he read our story, looked at the 3 Mules website, understood our request and specific need, and wanted to make and donate the tarp as described for the Mules. We said thank you and accepted his kind offer.

We were 25-miles away in Reedley. Mr. Sharma said that this is Tent City’s busy season as they make tents all over the country and around the globe since 1958, but he would make it a priority to get this done for us to pickup on Friday morning, our estimated our arrival to Fresno.

On Friday morning, the Mules arrived at Tent City. Everyone was very nice. The tarp was made exactly to our specifications. The Mules are very appreciative to Mr. Sharma and his staff at Tent City for their effort and support as this tarp is a necessary item in our day-to-day nomadic way of life.

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Sanger, California

Yesterday late afternoon, we arrived in Sanger, California and stopped to rest between two buildings. Earlier in the morning while we were in Reedley, Linda posted that she could bring hay if we needed it. When we found our spot to rest for the night, we wrote Linda back asking if her offer to bring hay to us was still available. She said yes. So the kids had nice hay for dinner and breakfast thanks to Linda, Matthew and Jacob.

As we were packing up to leave in the morning, Javier and Efrain from Apache Smog and Tire in the building next to us, came over and asked what we were doing and what we were all about. We talked a bit and they looked up our website. Javier said that Academy Feed Store is 3-miles down the road and asked if we needed anything. We said that we needed two horseshoe files. He said to go to the feed store, and if the store had what we needed, tell the store to give him a call and he would pay for it. We walked to the feed store, which had what we needed and they called Javier. Thank you Javier for your kind support toward the mules.

While securing the kids in a shopping center parking lot so that we could go buy bread, an animal control officer told us that we were not allowed to be walking through the City of Sanger. We said that we had the right to walk in any public thoroughfare in this country. I went in the store to buy a loaf of bread and when I came out the animal control officer was still there. The officer said he had looked at our website. We talked briefly and went our separate ways.

We went to deliver the Declaration of Emergency (DOE) to Sanger City Hall, then continued our way towards Fresno.

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Babe (2004-2016)

“When we think of those companions who traveled by our side down life’s road, let us not say with sadness that they left us behind, but rather say with gentle gratitude that they once were with us.” ~Author Unknown

This past Sunday while crossing a bridge, Babe stepped into a gap in the planks and broke her leg.

Babe was not with us long, but the energy that was Babe will be forever harbored in this place of one human being walking with his or her animal companions. That energy will re-materialize in the most magical of ways and be seen and experienced again and again.

Babe was a shining example of how the Mules live. The Mules live for the magic and beauty of the Natural World until they die from accident, natural causes or stealth. Babe was diagnosed and humanely euthanized by a veterinarian. Another service picked up her body.

The Mules

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SEEKING: 1000 Denier Nylon Tarp 75″ x 105″

Everything the Mules and Monk carry in our nomadic, minimalistic lifestyle that we’ve been living for over thirty years has specific purposes and must meet specific criteria that must withstand the test of time and the harsh elements we face living outside all day every day. Harsh elements include weather resistance to hot/cold temperatures and rain, abrasion and tear resistance from tree branches, brush and jagged rocks when the Mules walk against them, dust resistance for our electronics, and break and leak resistance for our canisters that hold our liquids (water, cooking oil, gas).

About seven years ago, I had this 1000 denier nylon tarp custom-made in Arizona with specific dimensions measuring 75-inches by 105-inches. I don’t remember where I ordered the nylon or who custom sewed to these dimensions, else I would be returning to them. Our current tarp is worn out and needs to be replaced.

We use this tarp for many applications. The main application is to cover our top load while traveling against the scraping of brush and trees and to protect our gear by holding it together in place and protecting it from the elements when we travel. It is also used as a ground cloth when we sleep with or without a tent.

Can anybody out there make us a green-colored, 1000 denier nylon tarp measuring 75″ X 105″ (8’9″ X 6’3″) with 1/4-inch grommets on all four corners and on the middle of each side? Color preference is green, tan, brown or grey, not black as that would absorb and retain too much heat. This is not a size that we can simply purchase at a hardware store. If so, please message us with total cost (material, labor and shipping to California), time to deliver, and contact info. Thank you. ~The Mules

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Lake Shasta

What happened last weekend in Lake Shasta (link to Los Angeles Times article) is when people are disconnected from nature and live separated from the Natural World.

Living our ages old, nomadic way of life for over three decades, we the Mules hold Mother Earth with very high value and respect. We leave no trace wherever we stop for the night.

The article states that “Rangers don’t want to ban the students because their visits stimulate the local economy.”

In May 2014, the Mules were sleeping at night and woken up by federal rangers. Monk was arrested and the mules were impounded because we refused to leave in the dark for our safety. The Rangers refused to let us wait until sunrise.

Even though one 68-year old monk and his three animal companions have high respect for Mother Earth all our lives and never have and will never do something as atrocious as these hundreds of adults at Lake Shasta, our ages old, nomadic way of life is not acceptable in the suburban model, so we are jailed, penalized and convicted for our way of life of living outside all day every day.

However, large groups of college students (who are also all adults and not kids) that descend to Lake Shasta each May is acceptable, because they fit the suburban model by stimulating the economy even though they have no respect for the Natural World and Mother Earth. Their penalty for their behavior is suspension from participating in university’s social activities.

The Mules are still waiting to hear from the 9th Circuit United States Court of Appeals in our appeal to clear our conviction.

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Farrier Angel

Yesterday after leaving the Old Ridge Route Road, we were going along the highway and Dawn appeared (materialized) out of the mist. She stopped her car and said she was a farrier, asked if we needed anything. We said yes we did. She said, “What?” We said nails, rasp, horse shoes. She said you got it. We said thank you.

Dawn appearing as she did is a perfect example of how the Mules and the energy that is created by the way we live materializes into what we need as we go along one step at a time all day every day.

So the Mules say thank you Dawn for your kindness and support and may the energy of the Mules travel with you.

~The Mules

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Thank you Brian for riding 12-miles with us from Griffith Park to U.S. Court of Appeals in Pasadena

Saturday, April 30, 2016, we left Griffith Park where we stayed for the night. While grazing the kids, we met Brian. He rode 12-miles with us on his really big horse to the United States Court of Appeals Ninth District courthouse in Pasadena.

Thank you Brian and friend for giving your hope faith energy to this most important case of one human being (all of us) traveling with his or her animal companions across this country and the absolute right to stop and rest (sleep for the night) on public space.

~The Mules

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