In the past two years of walking and hand delivering the Declaration of Emergency (DOE) to over 120 city halls throughout the state of California, including Governor Jerry Brown’s Office in the State Capitol and the Golden Gate ridge Administrative office, this is the first time that the Mules have experienced a reception such as we received by the City of Stanton.
On Sunday, November 22, 2015, the Mules delivered the DOE and MCL to Westminster and Stanton city halls. Stanton City Hall was closed with not a soul in sight. Oftentimes when we arrive at a city hall after business hours, we simply drop off our documents at the front door either by inserting in mail slot, slipping under, leaving by, or taping to the door, and continue on our way.
Upon arriving at Stanton City Hall, we were met by a Stanton code enforcement officer asking why we were there. We said we came to deliver the DOE and MCL. He said, “Let me see them.” Then, he started to assert that the mules could not be here in front of city hall. Then a City of Stanton park ranger showed up (man in blue shirt in this photo) and called the Orange County Sheriff.
Four Orange County Sheriff showed up in force and asked us the same repetitive questions previously asked by the city code enforcement officer and park ranger. Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing here? What is this document? When are you leaving Stanton? Where are you staying? Where are you going? Why do you have these animals? and so on and so on…I presented my identification, the DOE and MCL, as well as my card that displays the 3 Mules website and Facebook address that they could look us up.
After a long period of time being grilled by the county sheriffs, Orange County animal control was called. Upon arriving, the animal control officer got out of her truck with ropes in hand, ready for an impoundment action. She then went back to her truck looking for a violation that would justify impoundment. Nothing found, the Supervisor was summoned. After another long period of time, the supervisor showed up asking us the same repetitive questions.
After that, they all left and the Mules left as peacefully and quietly as they came, walking with free flowing energy that flows through us, around us, over and under us all day every day, one step at a time.
The Mules will continue delivering the DOE and bringing its intensifying energy and magic to all places of consequence. Stamping in and stamping down the absolute necessity for a multi-use trail system in this state and country where we can practice, cultivate and use our human connection to the Natural World.
Paramount, CA – November 17, 2015 Pictured is where we stopped yesterday afternoon at 4:30pm in the City of Paramount. After securing the kids to some trees and removing their packs, we prepared dinner. Upon completing our meal, it became dark so we put the kids on picket lines and stayed the night. Getting up in the morning, we fixed breakfast, ate, packed up the kids who were ready and rested for a new day to spread the seeds of magic and mystery that the Mules carry.
The Mules say thank you to the city of Paramount for the kindness and support they showed the Mules for allowing us to stop and rest for the night. The Mules also want to thank the City of Paramount for being a stellar example of how anybody traveling in transit going from one place to the next whether by horse, bicycle, on foot, etc., must be treated.
This independent self reliant means of moving yourself (how you choose, when you choose, where you choose) is the backbone to freedom in this country. A cherished freedom that many have given life and limb to preserve. Thank you to the people of the City of Paramount.
City of Lakewood’s City Hall staff presented with the Declaration of Emergency
Lakewood, CA – November 18, 2015 This afternoon, the Mules stopped by the City of Lakewood City Hall to deliver the Declaration of Emergency (DOE). When we arrived, the city hall staff came out to greet us and were very welcoming to the Mules. They kindly posed for a group photo. The gentleman holding the DOE said that he would hand deliver our important document, which declares the need for an interstate trail system, to the Mayor of Lakewood. Thank you to the people in the City of Lakewood for your kind heartedness.
San Clemente, CA – January 22, 2015 In contrast, early in January 2015, the Mules were traveling on the ages old trail now called the El Camino Real going through the City of San Clemente and were not treated with the same kindness and respect that we received from the people of Paramount last night and the city of Lakewood today.
On January 22, 2015 at 4am, the Mules were woken up by San Clemente police officer who told us that we could not sleeping in this vacant lot in which he found us. The City of San Clemente has strict no camping ordinances. He asked us when we would be leaving. We said we would leave when it was light and he said okay and left. About 8:30am, we continued our journey south on the El Camino Real when Little Girl started to show a light lameness in her front foot. As we continued, her limp became pronounced. To prevent further injury, we stopped at another vacant lot to inspect her foot, which was quite sensitive. We knew that we needed to seek help with someone with a horse trailer to bring her to an equine vet to get checked. Took the pack off the mules and started making phone calls, leaving messages to people I knew to seek help. None of our contacts were able to arrive that day (January 22) with a trailer.
About 9pm, San Clemente police officer arrived. We explained our circumstances as to why we were there and could not physically move due to Little Girl’s injury. The officer called animal control and we waited for quite a while before animal control showed up. Animal control officer took a very quick look at a distance, had Little Girl walk a few steps on soft dirt, and made a comment that Little Girl did not look lame to her, and then left. At that point the police officer decided to issue the citation based on her opinion.
The next day, friends arrived with a trailer to pick us up to bring us to San Juan Capistrano. We could not meet the vet immediately and rested Little Girl while we waited for our appointment on January 26. On January 26, San Juan Capistrano equine veterinarian Dr. Mark Secor gave Little Girl an exam, including x-rays. Dr. Secor wrote in his examination report: “Exam: mild LF lameness noted at walk, certain steps – tight circle to left more exaggerated, mild high lateral hoof well, mild ups DP’s, les palpates WNL. Moderate sensitivity to hoof testers… Suspect cause of lameness – resolving abscess.
Vet diagnosis for Little Girl
The Monk followed the instructions on the citation, submitted a check by the payment deadline and requested to contest citation via mail (submitting our letter and vet expert diagnosis with payment) instead of having an Administrative Hearing in person which would require mules to walk back to San Clemente. The Mules made several phone calls to request in regards to an appeal while we were nearby and was told that they were backlogged in processing citations. On March 2, we received a certified letter that stated “THIS IS THE SECOND HEARING DATE – IT CANNOT BE RESCHEDULED”. The Mules never received a letter informing us about a date for a first hearing. Also, we sent Dr. Secor’s exam as evidence that Little Girl was lame.
The Mules found it unreasonable for San Clemente to cite us and retain our $100 citation fee as we had a valid reason for why we could not PHYSICALLY leave town by walking due to Little Girl’s lameness in her foot. We were waiting for friends to come with a horse trailer to pick us up, which wasn’t available to arrive until the next day. We submitted written letter of appeal with veterinarian diagnosis confirming Little Girl’s lameness due to abscess in hoof. San Clemente rejected our written request for appeal and required us to appear in person back in San Clemente even though we had indicated that we would not be able to walk back in time due to our distance. As well, after explaining how we live a nomadic life in our initial letter to San Clemente, it is unreasonable for the city to wait more than two months for an administrative hearing date when we called to inquire multiple times while we were within walking distance to appeal.
Mule’s letter sent to City of San Clemente
The Mules are returning to San Clemente, CA In a few days, the Mules will be once again traveling this ages old trail now called the El Camino Real. Through the City of San Clemente once again we will be stopping there to rest for the night.
The Mules will be sending San Clemente Mayor Chris Hamm and San Clemente City Council members a letter informing them of our return to the City of San Clemente and we hope the treatment we received earlier this year will not be repeated. For the Mules to be treated in the public nuisance type categories as drunkards, drug abusers, leaving large amounts of trash behind, engaging in irresponsible type living with no regard or respect for anyone or anything is a complete turnaround from the truth.
We have a Facebook page and our 3Mules.com website where the way we live is well documented. For anybody traveling in this country by horse, by foot or by bicycle going from one place to the next in transit exercising that most cherished right of personal freedom to be treated as we were in the City of San Clemente shows a blatant disregard for those who choose another means of transportation other than the dangerous and destructive automobile.
The Mules are often woken up in the middle of the night by police and questioned. As we were on the side in the middle of nowhere, we were woken up and questioned. Click here to listen to audio recording of our conversation.
Pictured are the gates to a public open space we passed by yesterday. The sign says closed at dusk – you better not be caught inside. Anybody in transit traveling in this country by wheelchair, crutches, backpacking, bicycle or walking, riding with their animal companions must have the use of public space to stop and rest for the night. To deny them this space is to take away the right to move freely in this country. A right that so many in this country have given life and limb to protect and preserve.
Watch the Mules. We use and exercise this right all day every day. We have to. Without it, our ages old nomadic way will cease. The Mules consider it to be an honor to be in service to this most cherished right. We honor those who have given life and limb for it by the way we live. THANK YOU.
Watch the Mules and the Megatropolis in this ages old struggle going on between them. The Mules have walked over, around, under and through every Megatropolis (empire) that has ever been. To the interested and observant eye, this ages old struggle will provide many answers to many questions. It will show new pathways that heretofore have never been seen or imagined. Create a vision in your mind in the depth of your soul a strong healthy Natural World consequently a strong healthy, happy human race. Live that vision, give your energy to that vision and experience the magic of stuff happening.
Little Girl, Lady and Babe walking on Old Ridge Route Road
Pictures we took while walking the Old Ridge Route Road between Gorman and Castaic. It was the main road out of Los Angeles into the Central Valley.
Its construction was accomplished with the help of hundreds of our longtime friends and partners in life, the Mule.
As the mule demonstrated its extreme worth in the days of yesteryear, they have now mysteriously created a new role for themselves as the carriers of a message to necessitate and spread the absolute need for balance between the Natural World and the man made world.
The Mules have been setting posts of energy as they travel through the state. We’ve set a post at the Golden Gate Bridge, a post in Mendocino County, a post in Imperial Beach, the southern most destination of our migratory journey, and a post in Griffith Park where the mountain lion presides. As these posts continue to be set, the energy created by hope, faith and energy freely given will flow to these between and around them. That energy will beam out and permeate every square inch of this state.
It is all about energy – your energy. Learning that then accumulating and acquiring it by giving your hope and faith that energy will materialize into what you need. As the message the Mules carry continues to intensify with an understanding that a strong, healthy Natural World is essential to the wellbeing and happiness of the human race. People will give their personal energy for that end. Change will come – real change. Out of that energy will come the answers of how to. It’s all about energy materializing into what we need.
NOMADISM. This ages old way of life revered and valued throughout the ages (human beings wandering this place we call earth, reveling in the mystery and magic created from doing so. The Mules enveloped in that energy and exuding that energy one step at a time all day every day. The energy of this place will never relent and shall never wain – weaving and moving through every tree, blade of grass and all life on earth – forever here. ~The Mules
After delivering the DOE to Watsonville City Hall and spending a couple hours at the public library to charge our electronics, we left downtown Watsonville around 4:30 pm yesterday. We got to Highway G12 going south towards Salinas grazing along the road when Lucy and Santiago stopped and asked us, “Where are you going?”
We responded, “Everywhere.”
“But where?”
“San Diego.”
They wanted to know where we were going to spend the night. We didn’t know. Lucy said that we could stay at their ranch in Las Lomas, and we accepted their invitation.
Thank you Lucy and Santiago for your kindness and support that you’ve shown this place of one human being walking/riding with his or her animal companions through the endless magic and mystery of time and space.
Thanks for everyone using the #3Mules or @3Mules hashtag on your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts so that The Mules can be aware of the photos taken of us. The other day, we noticed that the Twitter posts of City of San Mateo and Foster City Police used the hashtag #NomadicLife with our photos. We thought that hashtag was cool too, as it shows that the the cities of San Mateo and Foster City understand what The Mules are about. So thanks and continue using #3Mules and #NomadicLife or @3Mules so we can find and share your photos.
As part of a glimpse into our nomadic life…
As previously stated in other posts, I lived my early childhood years in Marin. My later childhood years were spent living in the Palo Alto area when it was still mainly undeveloped, open space or orchards. Thus, I am really familiar with this area along the El Camino Real, but sometimes it is hard to recognize this place now with all the new buildings.
While in San Mateo, the Mules met this gentleman also named John, and we started talking. As the conversation further progressed, we discovered that we both attended the same middle school and high school in Palo Alto in the 1960’s. We had the same teachers but were a couple years apart in class. We both have younger sisters the same age. John phoned his sister and asked if she recognized my sister’s name. Immediately she responded that they were in the same class in junior high and high school. This encounter is something we would describe as coming out of the who-dee-doo. Surreal. This is the first time that I ever met a stranger on the road that went to the same middle and high school as I did.
Yesterday, we accidentally left our backpack at the Belmont City Hall entrance while delivering the Declaration of Emergency (DOE). Upon discovering this after we were about 2 miles away, we called the Belmont Police Department to let them know, and they kindly retrieved it for us. Thank you Belmont Police Department.
Belmont City Hall
San Carlos City Hall
We then continued south on El Camino Real and delivered the DOE to San Carlos City Hall.
Grazing in the Megatropolis
The kids were getting hungry, so we took a side street and explored the range. We found this place knocked on the door and asked if we could graze. The gentleman said yes. We said thank you. We were there about two hours. The kids had a nice dinner.
Where we stopped to rest for the night
We then got back on El Camino Real and looked for a place to rest for the night. We came upon Sequoia High School. The gate was open and we squeezed through and went to sleep. Thank you Sequoia High.
We are on our way to Redwood City and the surrounding towns before heading to Woodside and on our way to Santa Cruz.
Little Girl, Lady and Who Dee Doo at the Golden Gate Bridge
Late morning on Tuesday, August 25, the Mules began the walk from the hills above Sausalito where we have been staying for the past week to the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point on north end.
I tied the mules up to the chain linked fence at Vista Point in a place out of the way from people and traffic. I informed Golden Gate Bridge police officers that I was going to walk across the bridge to deliver my letters to the Administrative Office and then come back to pick up the mules.
For those reading this who have never visited the Golden Gate Bridge, here is a photo that I took of the Golden Gate Bridge’s 10-foot wide sidewalk with railings on both sides. I walked on the bridge sidewalk from Sausalito north end to San Francisco south end of the bridge.
While it is crowded with pedestrians and cyclists during daylight hours, the Mules still feel that our request was not unreasonable to the Bridge Manager for permission for the Mules to walk across this sidewalk at 2AM when the sidewalk has no pedestrians, little cyclists and least automobile traffic on the road.
I dropped off the letters to the assistant clerk of the Bridge Board to deliver to the Bridge Manager and the Bridge Board of Directors.
As I left the Administrative offices and started my walk back to Marin, Bridge Authority approached me and informed me that they had contacted the Marin Humane Society to bring a trailer to Vista Point North Side to help the Mules cross the bridge. When I arrived at the north end, an animal control officer was waiting for me and I helped load Lady, Little Girl and Who-dee-doo into the trailer, where we were dropped off at Crissy Field in San Francisco. The Marin Humane Society officer gave me her phone number and said that if any officers in San Francisco gave us trouble to have them call her.
Thank you to all those who showed support in our stance by sharing our posts and sending your emails. Bridge Authority finally took responsibility to provide an alternative solution in lieu of the mules walking on the sidewalk by contacting the Marin County Animal Services in which they have a contract to handle any situations concerning animals. This was a different answer than what we were provided two weeks ago when we first contacted the Bridge District about crossing the bridge.
The Mules still stand on what we wrote in the letter and urge the Bridge Board of Directors to revisit the policy on animals. We feel that this is a positive step and the initial blueprint has been drafted. Final blueprint will be when mules can finally walk across the bridge.
—————————– On a sidenote, the Mules would like to thank Rob from Sausalito who invited us to stay on his property in the hills of Sausalito for the past week. This gave the Mules time to rest, contemplate and write our follow-up letter to the Bridge Manager and Bridge Board of Directors. The Mules would also like to thank the Marin City Public Library for having computers and printers for public use so that we could print the documents. Here is a photo of Rob. We hiked from his property along the ridge to an overlook with spectacular San Francisco Bay views.
Rob with the Who Dee Doo, Lady and Little Girl. San Francisco Bay and Angel Island in background.
