On the way in to Alpine it appeared that the wild fire had been completely extinguished, but then the wind got up yesterday afternoon and the trip back south told a different story. About every where we looked hot spots had fired back up or were heavily smoldering.
On the way to Alpine
The wind got up last night and howled all night and is still howling now. Grrr Frann was supposed to pick me back up this morning and we were going to go to Julianne's to help her cover her dome with a huge tarp (I think made to cover the dome on an observatory), but with the wind being so high that has been canceled now. I can imagine finding the three of us somewhere in southern Mexico hanging on to that tarp because of the high wind.
Coming Soon to a Border Patrol Check point near you.
Well maybe not near you, but near us. On the trip to Alpine besides the burned areas it was noticed that new equipment that had not been at the check point before is now there. The lane for vehicles to pass through had already been changed for some reason and its now obvious why. The Backscatter Xray system is now there and if not already functioning now it soon will be. (See Frann's Plan for more info)
Always hectic to see the land burnt like that, but then along comes new growth, and the whole process becomes clear.
ReplyDeleteWe have wind like that here too! Last year when RMan and I were carrying our new matress into the farm house, the wind was howling and took the matress - I went flying LOL!
Dani, not doubt when we start getting rain the burned area will support new growth a lot better than the unburned areas. Should be really beautiful in that area later in the year. Perhaps I'll have the chance to take more pictures of that area then?
ReplyDeleteThe wind hasn't let up a bit here so far so doing anything constructive outside is pretty well out. Bad part is I have plenty of stuff I need to be doing out there. :(
Thanks for continuing to blog.
ReplyDeleteYou are the only person I've found speaking about the Highway Patrol and the Border fools.
We have land down there by you, but have held off moving out there pending the Presidential change and realignment of energy towards that border fence and ideally putting Border Patrol down at the border. Really makes no sense have checkpoint 50 miles north of the border. I don't get interrogated up here when going to town to shop, so see no reason to do it down there or anywhere else in the USA.
Those Backscatter Xray machines are insane and terrible for human health. Unacceptable.
Where do I find Frann's Plan to read/see more about the scanners?
Youngstown, you can find a link to Frann's Plan to the right under the links to blogs I follow. There are a lot of us (If not all of us) down here that don't like the way the BP is being handled. It isn't likely that that will change any time soon. I also think the BP check points should be on the border also instead of 50 miles away. That is what is insane! Unfortunately after 9/11 people within 50 miles of the border have lost all rights as US citizens. They can search without a warrant and do about anything they like with no consequences.
ReplyDeleteYo TFFNGUY, Nice Pics! I hope u didnt feel too uncomfortable being all by yourself with two ladies.;)
ReplyDeleteNick, some times CRS has its good points. I've already forgotten about all of the stuff they put me through. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for replying TTFNGUY, quick even, not on Terlingua time :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear folks down there share my sentiments about where the attention should be - at the border. Lots of wide open space for illegal invaders to stroll around and never end up on the highway.
Going to check out all the blogs on your list. Excellent help for keeping informed.
*Still* wanting to come home. So much for Obama putting some sanity into border affairs.
Y'all want this by your part of the Rio Grande?
ReplyDeleteReally?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014392649_texasfence04.html
TFFNGUY
ReplyDeleteI have some really important info on the backscatter xray machine. The machine is used to scan cars and trucks with no humans in the vehicles. I have a friend who is a truck driver and he got his truck "scanned" in South Texas. He was told to get out of the truck and they scanned it and of course found nothing. I agree that the FEDS are violating fourth amendment rights. We need to vote baract out in 2012. (I read what you posted on the field lab blog.) "baract" that cracked me up.
Having an opinion and posting it on a blog is a two edged sword. We are free to speak our mind, but remember, Agent Provocateur is out and about hoping to be able to provoke people into saying something they wouldnt say unless provoked. When they do, they use it as evidence and justification to be able to walk all over your rights. Even possibly removing you from a border sensitive area? Its very simple, don't vote for those who want to justify taking away your freedom for a measure of security.
ReplyDeletePRES. MÉDICI NOTÍCIAS, this is an American Blog and we type the Queen's English here. I see nothing that I can read on your blog having to do with what this blog is about so I consider your constant pushing of that blog as SPAM. With that said cease and desist! or maybe that should be "Orden de desistimiento y cesamiento"
ReplyDeletefallerya, with one Texas county pulling their law enforcement officers back 50 miles from the border and leaving that area to the BP only no telling what will happen. Maybe eventually the fence will be located 50 miles from the border like the BP check points and the rest of us down south will become Texicans once more?
cc, I doubt seriously that the BP is worried about our health or anything else. If we go through that gizmo every time we go to Alpine and aren't told to get out of the vehicle first then I'd say that will prove my point. Anyone want to help me build another Alamo down here?
Nick, you have a point there.
Glad you had a nice girl's day out :)
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the wind and the fires though.
Regarding the 50 miles Border Patrol check points that has been in place since I was a kid (don't want to date myself now) but WAY BEFORE 9/11. The same holds true for the mexican side of the border. It is this way to give both american and mexican citizens the ability to shop and visit relatives without the need for a visa within this radius.
In the old days they used to issue a border crossing card to mexican nationals that demonstrated they lived along the border and held jobs in Mexico but wanted to cross to the US for shopping ect. Around 1999 or 2000 they did away with that card (which had no expiration date) and made everyone get visas valid for 10 years.
Well, is the Border Patrol being friendly and getting to recognize the locals or is everyone being stopped and audited on every go through? Are they only stopping north bound traffic like the last time I was down there several years ago?
ReplyDeleteIs anyone aware of another area along the border region (even if not in Planet Texas) where the BP is loafing 50 miles away from the physical border? Just seems like odd place to be from my lay-folk mind. Not being critical, just can't see the border from the checkpoint except by satellite or airplane monitoring.
I am not for the border wall, especially in the Big Bend area. There is a pretty good natural boundary with massive mountains and high temperatures and no coverage and no city to blend in on this side. El Paso, well, sure, they need like 20 walls.
I don't think the stand back orders are Terlingua specific (i.e. 50 miles back), but I haven't encountered much other than on I-10 towards El Paso. Any care to say if this situation in our little wonderland is typical or something else?
MsB, that may be what the BP check points were for originally, but its gone way past that now and with the # of BP people down here now its also gone way past the ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteYoungstown, I haven't had a bad experience going through the BP check point yet, but have had a couple of instances down here so far that I'd consider harassment. Actually three if you consider the BP, AND park Rangers backing up the sheriff's department on busts not related to drugs or national security.
As far as I'm concerned its all getting out of hand!
Youngstown the 50 miles is standard at least in Texas. I am from Del Rio and if I go to Terlingua I am stopped on Hwy 90W before Comstock. If I go to San Antonio there is one on HWY 90E before Uvalde. If I went to the Valley (which I have not done so in years) and came back to Del Rio there were two I had to go through one I think in Rio Grande City (or close to it) and another one in Laredo.
ReplyDeleteTffn I would agree with you with the number of BP agents in the Alpine/Big Bend Area being a bit too many.
ReplyDeleteThis is my own personal opinion but I think in your area they are focusing more on stopping drugs and gun runners than in illegal aliens.
Well as for the drugs and guns, all I can say is the government hates competition.
ReplyDeleteDamn shame what folks in that vast border area are having to deal with more and more.
I wonder if businesses are seeing a decrease in tourism as folks hear about violence in Mexico along with visiting and being subjected to searches and inquisitions?
violence in the big bend? where? Tourism for the big bend should only increase because of the decrease in the other states and other border areas.
ReplyDeleteI was pulled over by border patrol in presidio because my blackedout rangerover with outta state plates was really dirty and I was hanging around Redford that day. I guess my car looked like a smugglers car. It took the young new border patrol agent a little while to check out my info before he let me go , but he still hid behind my rear passenger door while he talked to me. It must be scary for those guys on the border. That could be a cause for over reaction.
I know of a guy in redford who hangs his green card around his neck very visible for the Bp to see. I wonder if they will start issueing locals stickers for their cars to make the Bp more comfortable.
Stickers would be a good thing, Nick, but that wouldn't alleviate the harassment on our local roads. Tffn has posted about his experiences at his own place that are disturbing.
ReplyDeleteI remember staying in the dungeon at Tuffnguys house once when the border patrol stopped on the hwy across from it and parked for a while. I wondered why they did that. I imagine that maybe they use the flur Camera at night to spy on people and see what kind of heat signature is coming from their bldgs.
ReplyDeleteBtw , the flur camera can only be legally pointed at anything if first there is probable cause and a judge signs off on it first.
There is a guy who used to be a state cop, who now busts cops on his website for breaking the law.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Fu4YVH8nA