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Photo courtesy John Sears
John Sears' rough stubble and weathered face invite comparisons to the pioneers who settled the American west. Perhaps that's intentional, because pioneers and wayward wanderers greatly inspire Sears.
Sears, a.k.a. "Mule," is a roamer of California, on a one man (and three mule) journey to reclaim natural spaces and public byways for those on two feet. Or four hooves.
"The way of life, this nomadic lifestyle, which is hundreds of thousands of years old, we brought it to the megatropolises," Sears says, comparing his journey to a lifelong protest "to San Diego, San Francisco, and LA."
The "we" is he and his three mules. According to Sears, Little Girl, the 26-year-old white mule, has been with him for 23 years; Lady, the 36-year-old brown mule, has been with him for 31 years; and Who-dee-doo, the 11-year-old palomino, has been with him since February.
Together, they meet barriers head on: seemingly impassable freeways, bridges created for cars only, and a constant slipstream of automobiles. Sears has been arrested, fined, and otherwise legally smacked many a time, he says.
Now, he's stuck at the Golden Gate Bridge, which he wants to cross to en route through San Francisco. But, hey, at least he's got his mules for company.
Although his mules are also the problem, according to the Golden Gate Bridge Authority.
