Beaumont, California

On Sunday, April 22, 2018, we left Hemet around 9am walking approximately 17-miles to Beaumont via Highway 79. It was a beautiful day and we were enjoying ourselves. Little Girl and myself were anticipating our journey east.

Midway between Hemet and Beaumont, a CHP officer pulled his cruiser up in front of us blocking our way preventing our forward motion. It would have meant going into traffic coming at us at 65 mph+. He did not turn on his blue and red flashing emergency lights, allowing traffic to pass at 65+ miles per hour, which is putting the Mules plus himself in extreme danger.

The CHP officer said he wanted to talk to us. We took his picture, turned on our voice recorder, and asked him if we could record him. He said yes.

We then asked what it was he wanted. He said he had been getting calls that there was a horse loose on the highway. We said, “Where is the loose horse? We don’t see one.”

He then warned us not to walk in the roadway. “You must stay on the far right-hand side of the road.” We said that’s where we are. The guard rail is preventing us from going any further to the right and the lane of traffic is preventing us from going any further to the left. We were walking on the shoulder we have a constitutional right in this country to use all city, state, county roads.
 
The CHP officer then told the Mules that if he got any more calls about us being in the roadway we would be arrested and Little Girl would be impounded. We have said this before to CHP officers but forgot this time to tell them if he comes back and bothers us again we will arrest him and take him to jail.

We walked about 17 miles from Hemet and arrived in Beaumont late in the afternoon. We found an open field near Walmart with plenty of grass for Little Girl to graze and to rest for the night.

Monday, April 23, 2018 
Upon awakening in the morning, I checked Little Girl, gave her some water, and moved her picket line to where she could graze on some new grass. I then fixed breakfast, packed up Little Girl, and proceeded to Starbucks not more than a quarter of a mile away.

I tied Little Girl to a tree with a short line in the Starbucks parking lot. [Side note: often times, people complain that Little Girl is tied too short and that she should have more room to move around. A short line keeps her out of harms way of vehicles moving through the parking lot.] I entered the store, bought a cup of coffee, sat down, and proceeded to charge my phone.

I was in Starbucks for about an hour when a gentleman inside alerted me to the fact that somebody was leading Little Girl across the parking lot. I gathered my belongings, went out the door and caught up to the young woman who had untied Little Girl to the tree and was leading Little Girl towards a black pick up truck with a man wearing a dark beard sitting inside his truck calmly.

She was not more than 10 feet away from the pick up truck when I snatched the lead rope out of her hand, and told her I would call the police. She said she was the police. The young woman, approximately 20 years of age, has a pierced nose, lips and ears and did not appear to be a police officer. I then led Little Girl back to the tree where I had her tied, cleaned up her droppings, and left the area.

The Mules didn’t have a chance to thank the man in Starbucks who alerted me that Little Girl was being led away. If you read this, thank you, sir.

After we left Starbucks, we proceeded to walk to Beaumont City Hall to deliver the Declaration of Emergency. Outside City Hall, we stopped to gather our thoughts and sent an email to the mayors, city council members and city managers in Beaumont, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Banning, and Indio – places we’ll walk through during the next few days as we head east to Arizona. The email described the importance to develop interstate trails and also nomadic lifestyle that we live with a link to the video showing how the Mules responsibly use public space.

Later on, as we were walking along the railroad tracks headed for Banning, we heard a man’s voice beckoning us to stop. We turned and saw the man, who introduced himself as Jeffrey, walking thru the grass, come over to the fence and ask if he could take our picture. We said sure. He said that he has never seen anything like this before and the sight of us caused him to immediately pull over and want to talk to us. We then had a nice conversation as Jeffrey was curious as to what the Mules were doing and where we were going.

The Mules live and travel on the Public Thoroughfare responsibly and honestly with respect and reverence for all. We exercise our constitutional right to do so. This is resented by some and valued by others.


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The Mules and their first day in Redding

Due to the fact that I had my smartphone stolen the other night while sleeping on the side of Public Thoroughfare 273 a bit south of Clear Creek, the communication between myself and the 3 Mules Facebook administrator was hindered by not having use of my phone. An accounting of yesterday’s occurrences in Redding and WinCo were not completely accurate. We offer a revised accounting of yesterday’s events.

Upon awakening at 5:30am along Public Thoroughfare 273, I discovered that my smartphone had been stolen. I then proceeded to pack up Little Girl and head to Redding City Hall about 7 miles away to deliver the Declaration of Emergency. I grazed Little Girl for about an hour on the clover at City Hall when a Redding police officer approached us, introduced himself and told us he had mules and how much he enjoyed them. We had a nice conversation about that subject on the city hall steps. Afterwards, we proceeded to WinCo.

At approximately 2:30pm, we arrived at WinCo. I tied Little Girl in the shadiest spot I could find in the WinCo parking lot, then entered the store to buy oats, a can of pineapple, black beans, diced tomatoes, a small carton of yogurt, a bagel, and carrots for Little Girl. I paid for the items, placed them in grocery cart and went back to where Little Girl was tied. I then opened up my can of pineapple and yogurt which I bought for lunch.

Shortly thereafter the WinCo security guard approached us and said that he had been watching us and we had been there long enough and had to leave immediately. We said we certainly would be leaving but not immediately.

We had been walking in the heat since 6:30am. It was 110F. Myself and Little Girl walk using our own power. We are not machines. We do not move at the same rapid effortless pace as the automobile and its occupants.

The security guard said he had called animal control and the police and they were on their way. I requested him to get the store manager. He refused. I went into the store sought out the store manager. The manager came out shortly thereafter and informed me we were fine and that there was no problem. I went back to where Little Girl was tied, continued to eat my lunch then packed up the supplies, we then left. We never had any contact with animal control or the Redding Police Department.

The experience the Mules had in Redding at the WinCo grocery store (a good store, great variety, good prices, good food) is in our mind a perfect example of the challenge the Mules face as we live in stark contrast to this age of machines and to the way and pace of living which is being imposed on all of us.

When the WinCo security guard came over to the Mules and said we had been there too long and we would have to leave immediately, he was not being mean, he was simply doing what he was trained to do – keep everything everybody moving at a pace that is set by machines.

The Mules live in respect and reverence for the Natural World and all its inhabitants and in a pace which is in stark contrast to that of the machines. The Mules cannot, will not, ever conform to the will or pace of living which the machines are now demanding. There is an epic struggle in motion between these two now most powerful forces – the Natural World and the Man-made World – as to which will win and dominate the earth.

The Mules have thrown as always throughout history all their chips to the Natural World. The Mules know that the amount of hope and faith freely given to this epic struggle will materialize into the answers needed to win this struggle.

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City of Ripon’s unconstitutional law

Ripon, CA

Upon arriving here last night within the city limits of Ripon, we the Mules were informed by the Ripon City Police that the Ripon City Council had recently passed a no camping law forbidding anybody traveling by foot, bicycle or horseback from stopping anywhere within city limits of Ripon on public space to sleep for the night.

Ripon City Hall

The above being understood, we the Mules have taken it upon ourselves to deliver this day 4/24/2017 Mule Proclamation number 2645-A to the Ripon City Council.

PROCLAMATION #2645-A states:

Anybody traveling by foot, bicycle, horseback, crutches or wheelchair using their own physical resources to do said within the constitutional boundaries of the United States is doing so under the constitutional guarantees to move freely in anyone of all four directions, how you choose, when you choose. Stopping to sleep for the night is a necessary component for our right to move freely. For if the necessary function of sleep is denied, all other human activity and living experience is also being denied. To put it short and sweet without sleep, you die.

The Mules have come to the inevitable conclusion we cannot obey this law for to do so will be our death.

For any municipality and its city officials within the constitutional boundaries of the United States to spring forward and declare this most necessary function to life itself sleeping to be illegal and subject to heavy fines and jail time is a slap in the face in blatant disregard to all those who have given life and limb throughout this country’s history to protect and preserve humanity’s God given right to move freely.

The Mules will not give up this right. We’ve been here for hundreds of thousands of years. We haven’t given it up then nor will we now. The Mules invite the mayors and city council members of the many towns which the Mules will be traveling through to send their explanations and justifications as to why they have passed the no camping law in their town. The Three Mule Nation will be interested to hear the rational for enactment of such laws to be used against people traveling via non-motorized vehicles by foot, bicycle, horse. The Mules will gladly post their response in its entirety on our website 3Mules.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

The Mules

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The Mules and their year-long medical adventure

Last year in February 2016, the Mules left Santa Barbara and went up and over the Los Padres mountain range when our bladder stone made itself known. From that date until now, we haven’t done much traveling due to the discomfort and pain caused by the stone.

Wind Wolves Preserve, Bakersfield, CA

February to April 2016
It took us 12 days to cross the Los Padres Mountains. We made our way over the mountain, dropped into the San Emigdio Canyon and wound up at the Wind Wolves Preserve where we stayed for a number of weeks as we tried to figure out this growing discomfort. We worked on clearing the overgrown trail and making rock cairns on the trail in upper San Emigdio Canyon to mark the way to Pine Mountain Club. [Watch our video that we created of our Trail Work at Wind Wolves Preserve]

May 2016
We were notified that oral arguments for our case, USA vs John Sears was scheduled before the U.S. Ninth District Court of Appeals on May 2, 2016 in Pasadena. So, we packed up and left Wind Wolves and walked 17 days to Pasadena to appear at our oral arguments in person at the U.S. Ninth District Court of Appeals. We lost our appeal but didn’t lose. The Energy acquired from the just effort put forth by 3 Mules and their pro bono lawyer Dan Kapelovitz will serve to the 3 Mule Nation and all who contribute to it in countless ways which cannot be foreseen. After our appeal, we then turned to migrate back north for the summer.

We traveled back over the Old Ridge Road, Lebec, Frazier Park, Pine Mountain Club, down San Emigdio Canyon to Wind Wolves Preserve where we rested a couple weeks to finish making the rock cairns in the upper canyon to mark the trail leading to Pine Mountain Club.

Delivering the DOE to Reedley City Hall

June 2016
Before it heated up too much in the Central Valley, we needed to continue our migratory journey north where temperatures are cooler. We made our way through Bakersfield, stopped a couple of days, then proceeded through Shafter, McFarland, Delano, Porterville, Exeter, Ivanhoe, Dinuba, Reedley, and Sanger, delivering the Declaration of Emergency (DOE) to their city halls.

July 2016
We stayed a couple weeks in Fresno to wait out an extreme heat wave where once again the Mules were guided by the free flowing energy that envelopes the Mules as they practice this ages old nomadic way of life, which to this day has outlasted every Megatropolis/Empire thats ever been going back hundreds of thousands if not millions of years. During our stay in Fresno, the discomfort and pain intensified and we saw a doctor who diagnosed us with an enlarged prostate and prescribed a treatment to help shrink the prostate.

Sam, owner of Sam’s Organic Tomato Farm, with the kids

When the heat wave finally lifted, we packed up our belongings and moved with the energy. We had a goal to find the ranch where Lady was born and where we purchased her over 30 years ago. We walked through Friant and O’Neil and we were magically guided to Sam’s Organic Tomato Farm outside of Coarsegold. We enjoyed the hospitality we found at Sam’s for two months as we were dealing with this constant discomfort which was preventing continuous days of walking. Making the walk to Oakhurst for groceries and back to Coarsegold would deplete our energy for days.

Melinda, Eric, Bonnie and Porvidio

October 2016
In October, we needed to migrate south to warmer temps before cold hit the foothills of the Sierra. We were again brought to pack up our belongings, walked through Friant, Fresno, Selma, Kingsburg, Goshen, Tulare, Pixley, Delano, McFarland, Shafter, and Bakersfield, resting a couple days at Melinda and Eric’s stable, before winding back up at to Wind Wolves Preserve. From there we toyed with the possibility of continuing south to Pasadena to see the Rose Bowl Parade. We decided to give it a try.

Snow in San Emigdio Canyon

December 2016
We went up through San Emigdio Canyon, got on top then went east to Frasier Park where we spent the night on the Public Thoroughfare (along the side of the highway), the right of anybody to do so when using said public thoroughfare to move from one place to the next when they choose how they choose.

Scott, Gretchen and Tom

Upon getting up that morning, I found Lady remaining down. We decided to tap the energy of the nation, the 3 Mule Nation, to materialize into what we needed. That energy brought forth very quickly people willing to give their energy to Lady the Mule, a true icon from the Natural World demonstrating in her most whimsical of ways the extreme value of that world, the Natural World.

Little Girl and Lady in Granite Station, CA

After a short wait, we met Scott from the Granite Station. He offered to let Lady, Little Girl, myself stay at his ranch in Granite Station. So we did for two months and met Scott’s nice neighbors – Mario and his wife, and Bill across the street. The kids had a great time roaming the ranch, while I was trying to find a urologist in Bakersfield who would treat our prostate condition.

One day, the discomfort finally got to the point that we finally decided that we needed to go to Kern Medical Center Emergency Room, where we were treated by physician assistant Monica Sutter, who provided excellent service and listened as we described the discomfort and pain experienced for the past ten months. She referred us to a Kern Medical primary care doctor and a urologist, who we scheduled follow-up appointments.

Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield, CA

February 2017
Since Granite Station was a two day walk from Bakersfield, we had to get closer to town to be closer to our doctor appointments. The distances that we were able to walk had become quite short due to the severe pain. So, Lady, Little Girl and myself headed to Bakersfield. While in Bakersfield, Lady herself was having difficulty related to age and knew it was finally time for Lady to retire; our friend Sharon has provided Lady a wonderful home and care.

Little Girl with Paula and Larry

March 2017
The energy of 3 Mules Nation brought us to Bakersfield Kern County and guided the Mules through and around Kern County Bakersfield until our year long medical adventure was culminated at Kern Medical Center where our urologist Dr. Vihn Trangdiagnosed us as having a bladder stone and created a treatment plan requiring outpatient surgery on March 16 to remove our golf-ball size bladder stone. While we were under anesthesia, he took a look at the prostate to determine if any further treatment was required, in which he determined that it was normal size and no further treatment required. Immediately after the surgery was over and the bladder stone removed, the discomfort and pain experienced for the past year went away.

The Mules would like to thank the doctors, nurses and all the hard-working folks giving their energy to making Kern Medical Center a good place to receive treatment. The Mules also want to once again thank the those who provide the Mules a place to stay as we were trying to resolve our medical issues. And we want to thank the people of the 3 Mule Nation for the kind words and well wishes that we received.

We are back on our feet and making our migratory journey north for the summer.

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Does not matter whether you be Republican, Democrat, socialist, capitalist or a hoo-dee-do, we are all human and we cannot continue our lives without a strong healthy natural world

While the Hillary and Donald circus distraction goes on, the Megatropolis continues to spread the gadgetry and glitz everywhere no matter the consequences. As the Mules walk, their endless journey and show the startling contrast between their way of life (respect and reverence for earth and all life) and the Megatropolis way of life to spread itself relentlessly until there is no life.

The Mules and our Declaration of Emergency was recognized by a stellar organization of Equestrians, The Long Riders’ Guild who wrote:

“While the majority of Americans are familiar with the political aspirations of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it may surprise people to learn that another political campaign has also been launched in the United States and that this movement is about the need to preserve equestrian freedom.
 
John Sears has been traveling with his mules through the western portion of the USA for many years. During his travels Sears has denounced the spread of a threat he defines as Megatropolis, a ‘developing machine that’s only real purpose is to gobble the Earth up until it’s been consumed.’
 
In an interview with California journalist, Rick Paulas, Sears explained how an expanding tube of local city ordinances are being passed in an effort to systematically remove people’s right to sleep outdoors in a public space.
 
‘We have a right to travel in this country freely and to choose how we do it.’ Sears told Paulas. ‘But if you don’t have the right to stop and rest, or the right to go to sleep at night, you can’t exercise that right to travel.’
 
Sears believes that Americans are unaware that their fundamental right to travel freely across the country is being endangered by restrictive local laws. He has written a Declaration of Emergency  wherein he urges his fellow citizens to protect their civil liberties.
 
‘The ordinances go against any real law of common sense. They’re laws against life itself.’ Sears said. ‘It’s illegal. It’s not acceptable. If it’s acceptable, this country better quit celebrating the Fourth of July and stop uttering the word freedom, because there is none.’”


Does not matter whether you be Republican, Democrat, socialist, capitalist or a hoo-dee-do, we are all human and we cannot continue our lives without a strong healthy natural world.

The Mules

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Highway 41 Coarsegold Roadside Memorial

While walking to Oakhurst along Highway 41 to buy groceries, we came upon the latest roadside memorial for a fatality brought about by the High-Speed Motorist (HSM) on one of many highways and roads which are totally unsuitable for the speeds being driven.

The Mules, cyclists and pedestrians have the absolute right to use Highway 41, a public thoroughfare, but are put into a suicidal type circumstance when doing so.

The state of California has built and continues to build and maintain a public thoroughfare that is suicidal for the other venues, equestrians, cyclists, and pedestrians, therefore denying those venues their rightful tax-supported use.

The State of California has trapped itself into a totally illegal condition. It must act immediately to build alternative trails for those other venues for not to do so will open the courthouse doors to a lawsuit in size and scope which will dwarf anything herefore ever seen.

The Mules

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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.

The Mules at Trader Joe’s parking lot

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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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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2015 Year in Review

On January 16, 2016, we received a post on our Facebook page that stated: “Quite fascinating but I’m wondering…all your walking and all your messages… does it really make a difference?”

We replied, “We were told to come to the megatropolis to bring this ages old way of life to its center and keep it here and to do this rather than stand watch and do nothing. To do nothing will be harmful to our movement. Through time and space we have no regrets.”

However, we know that pictures can speak a thousand words so we have compiled these collages to show what one human being with his animal companions have accomplished in 2015.

THE KIDS: In January 2015, we started out with two mules, Lady, 37, who has been with us for 32 years, and Little Girl, 27, who has been with us for 24 years. While traveling through Norco in March, a lady offered us her mule who was blind in one eye. We renamed him Who-Dee-Doo as he came to us out of the Who-Dee-Doo. He was a really friendly, easy going mule and liked people, but he refused to be shoed. In September and October, we stayed at a ranch in the Ventana Wilderness and helped clear miles of overgrown trails. In return, we were gifted nice new custom pack boxes with 3MULE.COM lettering on the side to replace the cracked and worn Ralide West pack boxes that we had used for over 20 years. As we were leaving the ranch, we decided that was best for Who Dee Doo to remain here as it would be a good home for him with other horses to keep him company. Lady, Little Girl and I continued our travels to Wind Wolves Preserve in Bakersfield where 11-year old, gentle and well-trained Babe joined our team and has already seen more different places these past couple months than some people in their lifetime.

MULE TRACKER: The Mules started 2015 by attending the New Year’s Day Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena and made our way down to Carlsbad before heading back north through the Central Valley up as far north as Chico/Mendocino National Forest/Covelo before heading back down south to Imperial Beach and turning around in time to arrive back to Pasadena for the 2016 New Year’s Day Rose Parade.

THE PEOPLE: 2015 was brought about by the accumulating energy of all the people we meet as we walk from place to place, all the people who offer their kind and generous support, all the people who take the trouble to stop and tell us they follow the 3 Mules page, all the people who understand and value this place of one human being walking with his or her animal companions using that basic freedom that we all cherish moving freely as we choose with the free flowing currents of natural energy that flow over and around this beautiful earth, our home.

CITY HALLS: The Mules delivered the Declaration of Emergency to 100 city halls in 25 counties in the state of California in 2015.

RESPONSE FROM OFFICIALS: In 2015, after delivering the DOE, the Mules began receiving more responses from officials for the first time as we never received responses back in 2014. We received a certificate of recognition from the mayor of Norco, as well as response to our DOE from the cities of San Francisco, Corona and the Golden Gate Bridge District, and other towns. We appreciate the acknowledgement received from these towns for our message.

MULES IN THE NEWS: As we walked through California in 2015, we were interviewed by local reporters in various towns and cities. As well, the Mules gained an international following after we were interviewed by Germany’s Deutche Welle WorldLink radio and University of Sydney’s Bull Magazine. In June 2015, the 3 Mules were featured on the cover of the June edition of Mules and More Magazine and have been featured in a recurring monthly column since then. Currently, we have followers in 45 countries around the world.

STUDENTS: In January 2015, the Mules received these treasured drawings from Finn and Pearl as we passed through San Clemente. In March, we spoke to students at Anacapa School, Santa Barbara, and in September to students at Alisal High School, Salinas. We appreciate being able to share our life and the importance of protecting this earth with our future leaders.

POLICE ENCOUNTERS: We are stopped frequently and questioned by law enforcement. Oftentimes, we are woken up in the middle of the night by police. Freedom has been reduced with laws and municipal codes created that prevent freedom of travel by foot on public roads and that disallow sleeping outdoors in public space to rest for the night. We must protect our right to use public space that is shrinking and disappearing rapidly. The public space is our freedom. Public space must be used and enhanced for us not to lose it. We started a blotter in 2015 but have not kept up with the number of times we’ve been questioned and/or awoken in the middle of the night.

COURT CASES: Read more about in the Court Cases section.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES: The Mules appreciate the availability of public libraries with friendly staff. We didn’t get photos of all the libraries. Most libraries are located next to or near the city hall, which makes it a convenient place to stop. Public libraries gives a place to charge our devices, use the computer and internet, research information, and print our documents and letters.

ROADSIDE MEMORIALS These are just a few of the many roadside memorials that we passed during our travels in 2015. The Mules stop and always sadly reflect of the lives unnecessarily lost at the countless roadside memorials we pass as we walk all day, every day. These crosses on the sides of the roads were there before the Mules and will continue to appear until the High Speed Motorist (HSM) is reigned in to obey the law. Getting rid of the Mules will not stop the carnage by the HSM. Carnage will continue. This Roadside Memorial album will be a visual reminder for drivers to obey the law and to pay attention when driving.

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The Mules varied greetings received by city, county and state officials and officers in Ventura County

While our January 13th blog post told about our two separate police encounters in Simi Valley in Ventura County, this blog post will cover the varied greetings that we received from city, county and state employees and officers as we traveled through the Ventura County cities of Camarillo, Ventura and Ojai.

City of Camarillo
On January 21, 2016, we arrived in Camarillo. The City of Camarillo’s city emblem on all the street signs throughout the city and on the sign in front of city hall is of a man on a horse –the city’s namesake, Adolfo Camarillo, on his Camarillo White Horse that his family bred from the 1920s through the 1980s.

We first stopped by the City of Camarillo Library to charge our phone. As we were sitting outside the library, the librarian came out, introduced herself and presented me with this t-shirt and book “Farm City” by Novella Carpenter on inner city farming, which I find very interesting and appreciate the kindness of the librarian to give the Mules these gifts.

From the library, we proceeded to walk to Camarillo City Hall to deliver the Declaration of Emergency during which time we had two police contacts. During the first police contact, two plain clothes officers pulled up in an unmarked car, got out and wanted to know who we were, what we were doing and wanted to see our identification and wanted to know if we were offering services. We said no we don’t offer services nor do we ask for donations. They continued to ask us inquisitive type question. They were pleasant enough and went on their way.

It wasn’t too long afterwards that two police marked cars stopped us and basically wanted to know the same stuff and wanted to see our ID. It was a forced stop. We weren’t breaking any laws but the officer decided that we were illegally passing through the city of Camarillo.

We were not illegally passing through the city of Camarillo. We have the legal right the same as any automobile, the same as any bicyclist, and the same as any pedestrian to walk freely through the city of Camarillo. So, we weren’t breaking any laws but we were treated as we were. We were stopped forcibly by the police officer. He called it in and found out that we had the right and released us. He went his way and we went our way to Camarillo City Hall and were greeted kindly by Camarillo City Hall staff who came out to take pictures with the mules and ask questions to learn more about our ages old nomadic way of life.

After we left city hall, we found a big vacant area on that same road to rest for the night. In the middle of the night Camarillo Police car stopped to look at us but the officer continued driving. We got up in the morning and left the area clean as we always do and did not leave behind anything.

Ventura County Animal Services
While we were passing through Simi Valley and Camarillo, we stopped by Ventura County Animal Services building in both these towns and asked permission to fill our bucket with water for the kids. The nice staff and volunteers at the shelter greeted the mules and let us have some water to drink.

San Buenaventura State Beach

San Buenaventura State Beach, Ventura
On Sunday January 24 in the evening, we arrived in Ventura by San Buenaventura State Park just a little before dark. We had stopped here a couple times in the past to rest, so we decided that we would do so once again. We didn’t go inside the confines of the park. We were outside the fence in a large grassy area between the street and the fence. We stayed here. I picketed the mules out, fixed my dinner and went to sleep.

I got up in the morning and was packing up to leave. A park ranger drove up in his truck and informed me that I was illegally camping in a state park. He said I would have to leave immediately. I said I was in the process of packing up to leave. He said that if I didn’t leave immediately or if I ever showed up again, I would be subject to arrest and the animals would be impounded. I packed up and left.

Ventura River Trail, Ventura, CA

Ventura River Trail, Ventura
From San Buenaventura State park, we followed the Ventura Promenade to the Ventura River Trail going from Ventura to Ojai that parallels the Ojai River.

Where we spent the night

We walked for about 6 miles on the trail and found a good place to graze. It was a brushy vacant area that had no signs forbidding trespassing and had no fences or locked gates. It was a matter of stepping off the trail and walking back into the brush. We decided this place was also a good place to rest for the night.

Upon getting up in the morning the mules were happily grazing. I decided to do some shoeing. By the time I was through putting new horseshoes on the mules, it was around 11 to 11:30am. I took the mules out towards the freeway to let them graze in a grassy area. We were up there for about an hour grazing when we were approached by a gentleman in a white construction hat. He asked if he could take our picture, we said sure and we exchanged a few pleasantries and that was the end of it. The mules continued to graze and we were there for another half hour.

Lady along the Ventura River Trail

I decided to go back to camp and pack up and leave. As I was in the process of rolling up my horseshoe tools and putting them away in the pack boxes, two Ventura county sheriffs showed up with the gentleman in the white construction hat. The officers informed me that I was trespassing and I would have to leave. I was in the process of leaving so that was no problem.

I mentioned the fact that there were no signs or fencing so I could not be trespassing and I could not be arrested for that because there was no notification that I was trespassing. The sheriffs said, “We are giving you notification now and you have to leave.” I said fine. They hung around until I got all packed up. They were there for over an hour. When I finally got packed up and left, they left.

The Mules delivered the Declaration of Emergency to Ojai City Hall.

City of Ojai
We proceeded following the Ojai Valley Trail to Ojai and walked for about 6 miles when we found another good place off the trail to graze. We decided to stopped here for the night so that the kids could continue grazing. The next morning, we packed up and followed the Ojai Valley Trail to Ojai City Hall and delivered the Declaration of Emergency. We have had no police contact in Ojai.

While we were in Ojai, we met Molly who later put up a Facebook posts that nicely describes who we are and what we are trying to accomplish as we walk and live outside all day every day.


Mule has been living outside with his mules for 31 years. Just walking. He’s dedicated to trying to convince people that when we destroy nature, take up all the wilderness space with buildings and concrete and no room to roam freely, we’re destroying ourselves and our true nature. He’s trying to affect a change by encouraging the “People in Charge” to link the outdoor spaces, parklands, etc., so a horse, a mule, a bike, a walker – can pass through continuously without breaking a law. He’s also trying to have those same ones in charge consider making it possible for a traveler like him to spend one night legally in outdoor space.” 

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