Our three weeks on the border of MX

[flowerseverywhere]

We are RV traveling and just spent three weeks at various places along the US-Mexico border. Currently several hundred miles away in Middle NM. In Big Bend national park we camped
a half mile from the Rio Grande. We stay in state and national parks. Our trip included a ride through the oil fields of the Permian basin.
If you look at a map of these areas there is nothing. Very few small towns, lots of state and federal lands and lots of huge ranches (like 40,000 acre big. Also a huge border patrol presence. They are everywhere around here. And the desert, mountains and totally unpopulated areas stretch on all directions for miles and miles. At big bend alone, state and federal lands on both sides of the border alone account for 3 million acres.
I’ve crossed the border years ago at Nogales AZ and near San Diego and there are some populated and flat areas where a wall might be feasible.
A rancher told us border Patrol Had access to their gates (more then one gap in the chain) and they have access to 25 miles from the border even across private land. Some of the relationship is tenuous, from leaving gates unlocked or driving in the middle of ranchers trying to round up a herd to move , but overall they cooperate with each other.
building a wall here would be close to impossible. Rivers, mountains, and very little access to roads, even dirt ones. No way to get construction equipment and crews there. Instead of hearing people froth at the mouth screaming build that wall, different solutions need to be found.
First, the hundreds of border patrol agents in each sections should be consulted and listened to.
Invreased fines for hiring people who are here without the proper papers
and third our legislators in both houses need to get their act together and modify some of our laws.

One thing you you see when you travel is a tremendous amount of poverty. Many people in this country are working and can not afford health insurance. Homeless vets s well as a huge suicide rate shows how more funds should be devoted too our servicemen and women Why aren’t we taking care of our own first and figuring out what we are going to do with the increasing climate refugees?

[bae]

Great observations!

[Teacher Terry]

Flowers, I have heard before that it’s impossible to build a wall. It’s a sad situation with no easy answer.

[bae]

Flowers, I have heard before that it’s impossible to build a wall. It’s a sad situation with no easy answer.

I used to spend a lot of time on the southern border, it's a terrible idea to try to "build a wall" across a lot of that land.

I think the people chanting "build a wall" need to get out more.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I am not familiar with that part of the US/Mexico border, but I have friends that have worked in Big Bend National Park right on the border and they tell me that the geography there makes a wall nearly impossible to even conceive of. My knowledge of the border is limited to flatter, easier to build a wall areas bordering California and Mexico and Arizona and Mexico. But I've heard this - that part of the border would be nearly impossible to seal off. Rob

[flowerseverywhere]

On the Texas side route 10 almost parallels the border, sometimes far away. I was buying stamps in a post office and a young rancher stopped in to get mail and was talking about the border to the clerk. He was quite worried his ranch would be trapped behind the wall, that he is the third generation owner of. We asked several park rangers and they said they could not make any political statements (unlike Kellyann Conway) but they said they find evidence of people crossing and cooperate with border patrol.
I hope this picture comes out, it shows a good reason why a wall would be close to impossible here. The River is the Rio Grande, the border. Plus bear, 450 bird species, cougars, deer, snakes etc all call this home. Since this huge area has few roads and settlers, it is all native plants so full of food for the wildlife, especially birds and bees.
Personally I think a lot of this crisis was made by Trump stating things like “anyone can walk right in to our country. We have the stupidest laws. People walk right in and we have to release them if they are caught”. If you were desperate what would you do?
9072172E-4805-4C3F-820A-11BCD23DE45F.jpg

[gimmethesimplelife]

On the Texas side route 10 almost parallels the border, sometimes far away. I was buying stamps in a post office and a young rancher stopped in to get mail and was talking about the border to the clerk. He was quite worried his ranch would be trapped behind the wall, that he is the third generation owner of. We asked several park rangers and they said they could not make any political statements (unlike Kellyann Conway) but they said they find evidence of people crossing and cooperate with border patrol.
I hope this picture comes out, it shows a good reason why a wall would be close to impossible here. The River is the Rio Grande, the border. Plus bear, 450 bird species, cougars, deer, snakes etc all call this home. Since this huge area has few roads and settlers, it is all native plants so full of food for the wildlife, especially birds and bees.
Personally I think a lot of this crisis was made by Trump stating things like “anyone can walk right in to our country. We have the stupidest laws. People walk right in and we have to release them if they are caught”. If you were desperate what would you do?
9072172E-4805-4C3F-820A-11BCD23DE45F.jpg

Yep, that's just the kind of landscape that my friends told me it was.....good luck walling THAT off LOL......Rob

[befree]

flowerseverywhere, wasn't the Big Bend magical? It is a landscape and a feel like no place on earth.

[gimmethesimplelife]

flowerseverywhere, wasn't the Big Bend magical? It is a landscape and a feel like no place on earth.

My friends that have worked there have great things to say about it, too......if you like seasonal work and can handle isolation, it's not a bad place to be as it does have a bit of four seasons to offer unlike Phoenix. Rob

[flowerseverywhere]

flowerseverywhere, wasn't the Big Bend magical? It is a landscape and a feel like no place on earth.

A giant biosphere dark sky wonderland. We’ve been spotting birds for almost 40 years, and counted quite a few new species here. The butterflies were everywhere. Even in the mountains and desserts, wildflowers would be peeking out. Roadrunner’s looking for dinner, lizards, deer and rabbits doing their thing in a natural habitat. It was 105 one day and still teeming with life. Many people love the isolation and living with nature. We have had very little internet and phone and have each finished a David McCollough book plus several others, identified stars , plants and birds, and have spoken to numerous interesting people.