[Pancho_Villa]

Repeat of last time. I was up early cause of indegestion and sleeping in my living room chair. Fortunately I had stuck my LC9 in my pants pocket. About 9 am, the outside dogs worke me up with their "unknown strager." bark. Went out front, nobody. Went to the back and 3 men were there in what appared to be camo jackets. They had small packs in their hands and were asking for "help and a ride" in Spanish. I assumed they were not lost hunters, but instead illegals.

After telling them once to leave and that we had nothing for them. They started to slowly advance repeating their requests and the dogs were fussing like hell between me and them. I repeated my command and added that the "Migra" was being called. No effect. So, I pulled the LC9 out of my pocket and put it at my side. Guess they decided they did not want anything afterall and turned towards the brush.

Didn't expect a quick response from the S.O cause of county budget cuts, loss of manpower. Howver, 2 guys in S.O. Vehiles came and 2 in personal vehicles. I know them all. One walked the area with me and they contacted the "Migra" to check the main roads around here. The group was mostl likely part of a "bailout" that was near here on Saturday night. Not unusual, but that was the same night the house down the road burned down suspiously while the owners ere gone. Probably the reason for the quick response.

 

[Jimmmm]

Sorry for your bad experience. It's strange, but carrying in one's own house seems to have become a necessity. Just a reality of life. I'm doing it a lot, myself. I've realized that there may be times that running to get a gun just wouldn't be possible. As with you, small Rugers seem to fit the bill.

Just curious - Would adding a larger dog to your pack be a possibility?

 

[Windy]

Where do you live?

 

[Easy CZ]

It's time for razor wire, spotlights and video cameras. Glad to hear you're OK.

 

[Pancho_Villa]

Sorry for your bad experience. It's strange, but carrying in one's own house seems to have become a necessity. Just a reality of life. I'm doing it a lot, myself. I've realized that there may be times that running to get a gun just wouldn't be possible. As with you, small Rugers seem to fit the bill.

Just curious - Would adding a larger dog to your pack be a possibility?

Doesn't happen often anymore. It use to happen alot more cause the wife's grandparents and even her parents would allow illegals to stop and work for food out here. Cut brush, clear fencelines and such. After the Grand Ps died, Ihad to stop the In laws from doing it. Told them to watch the now popular TV series Border Wars. They did not realize that it is not just illegals looking wfor work that come through here. Many are criminals and gang members. One of the last years episodes featured the "Falfurrias Checkpoint." It is a major stop for drug traffic on one of 2 roads coming from the border whch is 90 miles south. The other road is only 22 miles east of here and another coming from the Laredo area 90 miles from the west. All three bottleneck in these sparsely inhabited areas and there are miles of nothing but large ranches for @ 60 miles from the Valley cities. Been going on for years. Wasn't dangerous in the age of our grandparents and parents. But it is now with all the gangs, criminals, illegal trafficing and drug trafficing.

I worked for 20 years as a juvenile probationofficer in this county. I did not have to handle the illegals unless they committed a crime other than just being illegal. I got those from the "Point." Many times the kids could not be identified cause they had no I.Ds. and spoke little or no English. Sometimes they were U.S. kids form other cities and states caught at the "Point" driving a vehicle loaded with dope for an adult. Many were not even aware there was dope in the vehicle it was searched. Well, most claimed they had no knowledge. It was hard to find anyone to take custody of them either after they were caught. Who wants to claim a kids caught in a car full of dope. Many were from families with criminal records and they sure didn't want to be connected to a car full of dope.

What we get pasing through the small ranches around the town are illegals taht were either let off before reaching the checkpoint 8 miles south of here and then walked their way around. Some are dumped in the more remote areas by vehicle with promises of being picked up by another vehicle, which of course never comes. Some are "bailouts" as you see on the T.V. shows. Police and the "Migra" chase a coyote with illegals in a vehicle and they either crash or just bail out and all run. I was advised by the officers that the guys that were here were probably from an area bailout on Saturday night.

Oh yeah, they are big dogs. Three huge labs. Had 4, but one got sick and died a couple of months ago. Have a pit bull that will tear anyone that comes near here a new azzhole. However, we keep her inside a pool fence. Mostly to avoid any legal problems from any visitors. Got 2 more ankle biters in the house and a Doberman that belongs to the daugther. He spends the winter with us. But he had just left with her Sunday cause spring had sprung, we hope. So we have enough big and little dogs. And have 3 attack cats. "Bandito," "A.K," for Angry Kitty not for Avtomat Kalishnikova, and "O.K." for Orange Kitty. Whatever the dogs kill, they eat the leftovers. Other than the pit bull, the labs are really not aggressive, just defensive. However, they will put up a good fight against the "Tusker" javelinas that wander into the yard with their herd to eat acorns. The dogs have the scars to prove it too. The javelinas are nasty little criiters. and the older male Tuskers get up to @ 40 lbs. And yes, we have a big dog food bill.

 

[Pancho_Villa]

Where do you live?

I live in the brush country, 3 miles outside of the "Armpit of Hell." Known as Falfurrias, Texas. Falfurrias means the land of Heart's Delights" or something to that effect. Someting having to do witht he flowers that gown in the sandy hills left around here when this was part of the sea/ocean. The flowers grow mostly in the sandy areas of some of the ranches around here where there the sand dunes are at. It's some kinda Native American workd and the town was named for the flowers.

Located @ 90 miles from the boorder at the nearest point to the Rig Gande River, which would be the Reynosa, Rio Grande City area. This place use to be famous for the butter produced from Jersey cows' milk for years. You may have senn the butter in you local grocery store. Marked "Falfurrias Butter." The creamery shut it's doors in the 80 after years of production. The butter is still produced, but made somewhere in Wisconsin using the same name and package. A bright yellow and white box with blue letters. Look for it.

 

[Pancho_Villa]

It's time for razor wire, spotlights and video cameras. Glad to hear you're OK.

Well, I have the gogs and they eat alot. I have the spotlights with motion sensors. I can do without the cameras cause it is something else to maintain. And instead of razor wire, we have barbed wire. I know they get tangled in it cause it gets knocked down all around and pieced of clothing gets stuck in it.

 

[canik55carrier]

Pancho, I have been thru your area many times ! Back in the nineties I used to truck to the valley almost every week end! Every time thru there I would either see the border patrol chopper buzzing around over head and agents parking on the road sides and running in to the bush to catch who ever the chopper had spotted. At other times I would see a vehicle cruising slowly watching the bush for someone to pick up !! I thought to my self wow, anyone living in this area would really have to keep an eye out and a gun loaded !!!

 

[Windy]

This amazes me...........

http://www.snopes.com/photos/politics/restarea.asp

 

[FALPhil]

Our immigration and border policies are insane. Absolutely insane.

I would much rather have our military patrolling our borders to stop this invasion than have them propping up social programs in Western Europe. It seems that the US Government is interested in everyone but their own.

 

[Pancho_Villa]

Pancho, I have been thru your area many times ! Back in the nineties I used to truck to the valley almost every week end! Every time thru there I would either see the border patrol chopper buzzing around over head and agents parking on the road sides and running in to the bush to catch who ever the chopper had spotted. At other times I would see a vehicle cruising slowly watching the bush for someone to pick up !! I thought to my self wow, anyone living in this area would really have to keep an eye out and a gun loaded !!!

Yes, ya pretty much know there has been a bailout when the chopper starts flying around. They come around here often. It got quiet when it was really cold. Not as much activity, but it is starting up for the spring.

I'm just kinda out of touch now that I am not working. First lady that worked worked as my secretary was married to one of the senior agents out at the "Point." Always knew what was going on then or when we would be getting "traffic." Had to haul many valley kids and others in my own vehicle cause of a shortage of manpower in the early years a I worked for the County. Lack of local support kinda sucked. Everyting from runawway, trafficers, to murder records. No locked vehicle unless wer were holding them, and tried to avoid that cause we had no local detention. Kinda like fishing. Just catch and release. Then report it to their jurisdiction for prosecution or whatever. At least I hardly ever had to handle the illegal kids. They got deported.

Local County was paying @ a grand for each dead illegal fround in the area. Most die from exposure. An autopsy has to be done and the only facility was a 140 nmile round trip to a coroner. Mostly just to check for foul play. No federal assistance for that. Recently they have found a border county to assist with that, so it is only a one way trip. Last time I checked they were averaging more than 60 bodies per year, JuST IN THIS COUNTY ALONE.

 

[Ajole]

It's a darned shame. That's more people dying per year than died trying to get out of East Germany.

The system sucks, the situation sucks, and none of it is good or right on either side of things.

People dying to try to find a better life? A bureaucratic system on both sides of the border that makes that decision make sense? And this in a country founded and populated by immigrants from the beginning?

Utterly ridiculous.