Not sure if you got the news up north, last week an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer (similar to Border Patrol) was shot and killed and another wounded while traveling in Mexico - coming home from a conference in Mexico City to 'home' of Laredo Texas - about 45 miles from here. The law has determined it was the Zeta drug cartel that was responsible for this and this past Thursday Operation Fallen Hero began to roundup those responsible for the death and also to crack down on illegal operations and movement and people. As of this morning over 200 people have been arrested, most in the US. Wow. Yesterday I went up to the local store and noticed many Border Patrol vehicles, police cars and SUVs just patrolling around. A little spooky. No one had their lights on or had anyone pulled over. I learned last night that this is part of the Operation Fallen Hero. Still we don't feel threatened in anyway. We would definitely come back to the Rio Grande Valley for winter reprieve from the snow flakes.
Austin - well, have you ever met someone who you just will never forget? This is Austin. He has hi
s motorhome backed up to us (we are all back in sites) and from being here for six weeks and watching people and happenings - we knew he was the man people went to get things fixed. We have often marveled that when we look out the back windows to his RV, he has a small truck that has so much equipment in it, grinders, saws, tools and toolboxes, compressors, generator, etc. A machine shop on wheels. Let's paint Austin's picture for you......he's about 70 - 74 ish, stooped over, no teeth, always always wheres bib-overalls, long sleeve shirt under it, and always has a baseball cap on and grungy blue tennis shoes. He walks with his toes pointed way out, has the most irritating voice - cackles when he laughs, his hands are bent from arthritis and are filthy dirty, his hair - what you can see of it - is scraggly reddish, he wears huge glasses and is cross-eyed, but he seemed to be a gentleman to whoever came by. We have a recliner in the RV that just didn't recline all the way down. After looking at it Dave decided that if we could just get rid of the stoppers that hold it to a certain point, it would go down and be more comfortable. Dave asked Austin to see if he could look at it. When he knocked on Austin's door, Dave said he smelled the most awful things coming out of the unit - he wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Austin came over about 2 hours later, took one look at the chair and said he'd be back with tools. He knew exactly what needed to be done. And within 1/2 hour - the chair was done. We made small talk with him and learned that 'if it's broken and Austin can't fix it, just throw it away'. He has a fourth grade education, but is so street smart and savy, and does he know his tools and mechanics of things. What did Dave smell when he approached Austin's RV? Austin told him that he saurekraut and weenies for dinner - well no wonder it stunk! Just glad we weren't in that RV later in the night! Our encounter of him just proves that you never ever judge a book by the cover. He stayed with us for about another hour telling us his life's story - and a hard one it's been. And where he lives when he isn't here at the campground (northern Missouri at a friends machine shop where he camps out and helps his friend) and how he loves doing anything mechanical. As a matter of fact he built 3 Z-race stock cars by hand and they were driven by his friends' son and won all the races he entered. He had scrap books he brought and shared. What a character! God Bless Austin and all the people he has helped over the years!
Austin - well, have you ever met someone who you just will never forget? This is Austin. He has hi
s motorhome backed up to us (we are all back in sites) and from being here for six weeks and watching people and happenings - we knew he was the man people went to get things fixed. We have often marveled that when we look out the back windows to his RV, he has a small truck that has so much equipment in it, grinders, saws, tools and toolboxes, compressors, generator, etc. A machine shop on wheels. Let's paint Austin's picture for you......he's about 70 - 74 ish, stooped over, no teeth, always always wheres bib-overalls, long sleeve shirt under it, and always has a baseball cap on and grungy blue tennis shoes. He walks with his toes pointed way out, has the most irritating voice - cackles when he laughs, his hands are bent from arthritis and are filthy dirty, his hair - what you can see of it - is scraggly reddish, he wears huge glasses and is cross-eyed, but he seemed to be a gentleman to whoever came by. We have a recliner in the RV that just didn't recline all the way down. After looking at it Dave decided that if we could just get rid of the stoppers that hold it to a certain point, it would go down and be more comfortable. Dave asked Austin to see if he could look at it. When he knocked on Austin's door, Dave said he smelled the most awful things coming out of the unit - he wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Austin came over about 2 hours later, took one look at the chair and said he'd be back with tools. He knew exactly what needed to be done. And within 1/2 hour - the chair was done. We made small talk with him and learned that 'if it's broken and Austin can't fix it, just throw it away'. He has a fourth grade education, but is so street smart and savy, and does he know his tools and mechanics of things. What did Dave smell when he approached Austin's RV? Austin told him that he saurekraut and weenies for dinner - well no wonder it stunk! Just glad we weren't in that RV later in the night! Our encounter of him just proves that you never ever judge a book by the cover. He stayed with us for about another hour telling us his life's story - and a hard one it's been. And where he lives when he isn't here at the campground (northern Missouri at a friends machine shop where he camps out and helps his friend) and how he loves doing anything mechanical. As a matter of fact he built 3 Z-race stock cars by hand and they were driven by his friends' son and won all the races he entered. He had scrap books he brought and shared. What a character! God Bless Austin and all the people he has helped over the years!
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