San Mateo Police Encounter

On October 6, 2021, the Mules were trailered across the Golden Gate Bridge and dropped off at Ocean Beach. We spent the remainder of the day walking through San Francisco, then into South San Francisco with no police contact.

Little Girl and Little Ethel in South San Francisco with the Cow Palace behind us.

We spent two nights in South San Francisco where we had stopped many times before, got up in the morning, and started walking through Brisbane, San Bruno, then into San Mateo. The Mules’ goal was to stop in San Mateo for the night at a place we had previously stayed many times before, but when getting there found it to be under construction, so we continued on where we found another place to stop for the night.

Where we spent the night on October 8, 2021 and where the San Mateo Police woke us up at 11pm.

The monk put the mules on picket lines, fixed something to eat, then put his sleeping bag to the ground and went to sleep here in San Mateo.

At approximately 11:00 p.m. we were awoken by two police officers shining flashlights in our faces. They wanted to know what we were doing here. We asked them what were they doing here. They informed me they got a call of large animals in this area. They wanted to know who I was, where I was going, where I was coming from, what I was doing, so forth and so on.

I gave them my name, told them I was migrating South, and handed one of the officers my card.

They continued to ask me unnecessary and redundant questions at which time I stated I wasn’t going to answer any more questions. They then told me that I couldn’t be here because there were city codes against large animals in the city.

I told them we have been walking all day long and it was necessary to stop for the night. We could not walk in the dark as it would not be safe for we had no headlight or reflectors for that purpose.

The officer stated he had no previous experience with anybody walking through the city with a horse so he would call his supervisor and get her advice. So we waited for the supervisor to arrive on the scene and sort the whole thing out. She did and decided we could stay for the night. A total of six police vehicles showed up.

In regards to the officers claiming they did not know who we were I find that extremely hard to believe. We had been walking on the El Camino all day long with surveillance cameras on most intersections. At 4:20pm, one officer stopped, got out of his car, approached us, and started asking the usual question. We were certainly being surveilled and recorded. We stick out like a sore thumb needless to say with two mules.

October 8, 2021 4:20pm – officer who stopped, got out of his car, approached the Mules, and started asking the usual questions.

The mules have passed through San Mateo walking down the El Camino many times in previous years. We have our website name in large white block letters 3MULES.COM on the side of both of our pack boxes to be easily seen by any officer observing us walking down the El Camino.

Furthermore, on August 8, 2015, San Mateo Police Department posted on their social media page welcoming the Mules where we spent the night within city limits near where we stayed the other night. For them to say they didn’t know who we were was ridiculous. [Read our 2015 post about this here.]

San Mateo Police post welcoming the mules in 2015
San Mateo Police Department social media post welcoming the Mules to San Mateo in August 2015.

Anyway all the above being said, the Mules packed up in the morning and proceeded to walk through Belmont, San Carlos, in and thru Redwood City, Atherton, Menlo Park, then into Palo Alto, where we spent the night at the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto on Middlefield Road. Having no police contact and a quiet peaceful night, we then proceeded in the morning through Mountain View and into Sunnyvale where we are now as a guest of another supportive member of the Three Mules Nation.

The Mules resting at Cubberley Community Center, Palo Alto, CA on October 9, 2021
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Amarillo, Texas

5/7/2019 – DAY 1 AMARILLO, TX. The Mules can’t get over how clean the streets are in Texas. No trash laying around anywhere, unlike California where you’re always walking through trash and litter. It was so unexpected to see. It truly is different in that respect.

White mule

In the morning, we met the gentleman who is bringing us to see a couple 16 hand mules that we traveled here to see. We first saw this nice 7-year old strong mule, but it is white and we don’t want that color as it makes the mules too easy to spot at night for thieves and others with less than a legitimate intentions.

Hopefully the two mules that well see today will be what we want so we can walk back to California. The tornado that was forecasted didn’t materialize.

5/8/2019 – Day 2 AMARILLO, TX. Made contact with the person who had the two mules for sale that was suppose to be 10 years old. This one photo was well over 20 years old with no front teeth and the other one had a bad front foot. So we continue our search.

Trying to find a bicycle so I can put my necessities on it and travel around rather than riding the bus, which will still leave you a long way from looking at a mule.

Also photos where me and the pink bag spent the night. It rained cats and dogs nonstop hard and steady all night.

I am still searching to purchase two 15.3 – 16 hand stout draft mules, 3 to 15 years of age. Must be easy to shoe, healthy and located within the United States. Do not want white. If there are any in the Amarillo Texas area that I am currently located, let me know. If you have mules for sale that fits this description, please private message photos, location, price and your contact information.

Thank you to those who have sent us leads, which we have been following up if it fits our criteria.

5/9/19 – DAY 3 AMARILLO, TX. Spent the day making phone calls and following up on leads provided to us by the Nation, the Three Mules Nation, since the mules we saw yesterday didn’t fit our criteria.

Map of United States

5/10/19 DAY 4 CANYON, TX: After walking 15 miles south from Amarillo to Canyon carrying all this stuff, I decided that I must get a bicycle. Taking a bus is way too expensive and still won’t get one close to areas with mules that one wants to look at. Bought this 18-speed bike at Walmart for $78, an unbelievable price because back in the 70s, I paid $100 for a ten speed. Managed to get my stuff tied on and will go from one place to the next looking for a mule. It didn’t take me long to realize that I’d rather be walking with a mule than riding a bicycle. All the more reason to find a mule as soon as possible.

18 speed bicycle

5/11/19 Day 5 AMARILLO, TX: Where we slept last night in Amarillo.

The Mules are still searching to purchase two 15.3 – 16 hand stout draft mules, 3 to 15 years of age. Must be easy to shoe and healthy. We don’t want white as it makes the mules too easy to spot at night for thieves and others with less than a legitimate intentions.

If you have mules for sale that fits this description, please private message photos, location, price and your contact information. Would like to see photos of teeth and video of back feet being picked up.

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Makeshift Shelter

A makeshift shelter put together from what we found that was laying around. The nomadic life style live as close to and with the natural world as you can in anyone moment of time and reap the rewards of those moments of time. This plastic swimming pool shield us from the freezing cold temps as don’t have sleeping bag or tent with me.

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First night away from Little Girl

Slept here last night without the company of Little Girl. Little Girl is keeping company with the guy pictured, while the Monk is out alone looking for a mule like the guy pictured.

The Mules are still searching to purchase two 15.3 – 16 hand stout draft mules, 3 to 15 years of age. Must be easy to shoe and healthy. We don’t want white as it makes the mules too easy to spot at night for thieves and others with less than a legitimate intentions.

If you have mules for sale that fits this description, please private message photos, location, price and your contact information. Would like to see photos of teeth and video of back feet being picked up.

Where we slept last night in Palmdale

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