Back Again! With a little ranting this time.

So where I left off was in Del Rio. We are now 350 miles west of that and have crossed a lot more ground than the miles show.

The state of Texas is just amazingly diverse and we have really only deviated a slight bit from a straight line starting in Beaumont to here in Alpine. We have spent the last week in the Chihuahuan (like the small yappy dog) Desert and on the border of Mexico along the Rio Grande where "The Fence" is being built to keep the Mexicans out of the US. Or is it us out of Mexico or just to try to scare us regardless of the reason

I know this is a touchy subject and probably more complicated than I could understand but I must tell you that standing on the US side of the very small and shallow, not so, Rio Grande River and talking to the Mexican people on the other side and knowing that if I go over the middle of the river and cross back that I am subject to a huge fine and/or imprisonment as are they, just doesn't feel right. I felt sorry, strange, trapped in my own country with a sense of not wanting any borders anywhere. I was told that if I offered them even water if I saw them crossing the desert that I would be fine, jailed and prosecuted. It made me feel sick that I could not aid another human being without risking my own freedom in the process. This country has fallen way away from the "great melting pot" mentality that I grew up being taught. Seems like we are supposed to be afraid of something all of the time. Like we are at risk of being invaded by poor people and the truth seems to be that we are risking becoming poor as a result of our own fear. Trivia question.. who was that guy who said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." (or was it the only thing we have to fear is the BUSH administration)

Our country was built on and draws people here only because and when we project the great possibility of being an American citizen. Not when we play hard to get and make our own citizens go thru military check points on every road that leads from another border. We went thru one yesterday that was 150 miles from the border. Surely this was for us and not to try and stop a desperate Mexican that could have gone anywhere in any direction by the time he got that far inland. This whole check point and pointless questions only bolster the internal fear of the political machine. If you could see the land that they or anyone would have to cross on foot to get to either side of the border you would certainly ask yourself who would go through the trouble. It is very rough country anywhere from Del Rio to Presidio and I don't think that I could make it more than a day or two at the max. Perhaps my drive instinct is not strong enough.

The Mexicans are still swimming across the border every morning and placing the trinkets that they make and sell on the US side of the river for us to buy if we dare. We did buy one, and risk the bullshit fine and imprisonment if for no other reason than to teach Jasper a piece of our personal human philosophy. That we believe that if we can help others survive regardless of imaginary borders in the middle of rivers and signs to scare people into not helping when possible or befriending another human whatever the color of their skin or their country of origin, we will and think that this is what we would hope for in return. Who knows, the way we are going we will all be in need of assistance from other people in other countries for our subsistence soon. Where would we all be if that's was the way it was when our great grand parents came from foreign lands to the US, the land of possibility, many years ago. I am not afraid of sharing the abundance of our country with people who work way harder for their bread than most of us. I made the acquaintance of Victor from Boquillas, MEX. A small suffering village in northern Mexico 160 miles from the next Mexican town via a dirt road. Victor used to be the ferry man who brought people across the river to his village from Big Bend National Park to buy trinkets and tacos. The entire economy of that village was based on tourism. About two years ago that crossing became illegal and as it was instituted a few unlucky Americans, I was told by the park people, were fined $10,000 dollars and sent to jail as examples of what can happen if you break the rules.

Victor now swims over in the early morning, places a cut open 2 liter bottle jug and a sign that reads "Victor the Signing Mexican." He sits on the other shore all day, in the desert and sings all day long for any tourist who walks way down into the Boquillias Canyon to see the rocks and river in this dry, arid and really hot desert climate, so that hopefully people will put money in the jug and he will be able to continue to support his family. This is not sad, we all have to do what we do to get along in the world but the possibilities seem limited from where I stood on my side of the river and I wished that we could go over to his side without the constructed fear of whatever it is we are supposed to be afraid of.

Back to Del Rio for a bit and then over to the desert. On the first night there I got an opportunity to sit in with a pick up band at the saloon on the property. While Jazz could not come in the bar he was able to sit on the back porch with Megan and watch through open double doors as I as playing and singing with the band. It has been quite a while since I have played with a full band and I must admit it was a blast. I am not sure though who enjoyed it more. Me on stage or Megan and Jasper watching me on stage. I guess as long as we all did it works out fine and I didn't have to stay till closing and help pack up the gear. First time I ever really felt like a rock star in my life. If you look closely you can see me in the right hand side of the picture and you will also see Jazz outside playing air keyboard on the veranda.

The following day we headed over to Amistad International Reservoir. The big time, elite group of professional fisher guys and perhaps gals (although I did not see any) were in town for the practice week before the $100,000 tournament. We saw a guy named John Crews and I went up and asked him to take a picture with Jasper. He was a real nice man from Virginia who travels around the country, with ESPN hot on his tail, fishing for prize money. We took the picture and wished him well and walked away amazed again at what is possible in this country. "Somebody has to do it", was the old saying he used as I walked away in disbelief that you can fish for your whole life as a career in the US and have sponsors give you new boats and cars and pay for your travel as you go around and fish. What a country we have here.

The life in Del Rio centers around the reservoir and US people going into Mexico for pharmaceuticals. So we chose to center around the reservoir and although we wanted to go in and see the Mexican iCiudad of Acuna (and see if I could get some drugs there) if never came to be. With Jazz's 10 birthday, buying him a new bike, swimming in the water, giving time to Jazz to connect with other kids at the water, saving a little boys life from drowning, talking to local fisherman, going to the movies, roping cattle (Jasper finally got to ride in Texas as a result of the kindness and connections of the RV Park owner Ratana), coaching and site seeing with the same owner of the same RV park, taking pictures of vegatation and animals we have never seen, walking across the Amistad damn to take a picture and crossing into Mexico breifly, we just didn't have the time or the real desire to go there. I think we saturated ourselves or poor towns back in January in the Dominican.

All that under our belts we headed west over the Pecos and on towards the BIG BEND.