About That Rio Grande River (February 26 - March 3)

Dear Family and Friends,

On Sunday afternoon, Roger and I took a pontoon ride on the Rio Grande River. With a guide from the resort area and six other passengers, we spent 2 1/2 hours on the river learning about the difficulty of securing this part of Texas. We learned that the majority of crossers are from places other than Mexico. The major methods of discovering illegals ( and they are only illegal when they set foot on US soil) are: sensors, patrols, helicopter and boat. Below are the pictures captured on the tour:

We leave the inlet next to our resort.

The Rio Grande River with Mexico on the right and the US on the left.

Border patrol boat ( your tax dollars at work)

A Mexican Park

Arabian horse ranch on the Mexico side.

Osprey

Sugar cane boarder parts of the river.

Border Patrol helicopter patrolling the river.

After saying goodbye to friends at a margarita party on Wednesday night, we left the valley early Thursday morning. We drove along US Highway 83, skirting the border of Mexico, until we arrived in Laredo and drove part of the way on I 35. I only mention this because Laredo is a huge crossing for truckers coming and going into the United States. Roads and bridges that have been built in the area to accommodate this traffic are numerous. After gassing up, we turned off onto 83 again and headed to Del Rio, Texas.


We are staying at Laughlin Air Force Base until Saturday. Laughlin was our first assignment when Roger and I married in 1971. The base sits on the border, across from Ciudad Acuna, where we had so much fun over forty years ago. Additionally Roger and I spent a lot of time on Lake Amistad, which is a lake owned by both the US and Mexico. We owned a Venture Catamaran at the time and loved sailing it on that lake.


Laughlin AFB is an air training base. Student pilots learn to fly the T-6 and then advance to the  T-38 or the T-1A, depending on which planes they will be flying in the Air Force (fighters or multi- engines). Years ago, students learned to fly in the T37 and then the T38. Hard to believe the latter has been used for training for over 50 years.  We arrived on a training afternoon and it was fun to see the planes in the air.

It was also here in Del Rio, that I began my teaching career working for the San Felipe/Del Rio Consolidated School System. Roger and I toured the area on Friday morning and got some shots of the base.

 

Entrance to Laughlin Air Force Base

47th Flying Wing Headquarters ( my pic does not do this building justice)

 

Our home on Frazier Place (a duplex). Those trees have really grown.

A T6 in the foreground with a T38 (look closely) in the background.

 A T6 with pilots having way too much fun!

T6 on the way to fly.

 Another T6 going though preparations with the crew chief (kneeling).

We head to Alpine, Texas on Saturday morning, where we will spend several nights. We intend to visit Big Bend National Park and Ft. Davis, during the coming week. Then it is off to Las Cruces, New Mexico to see friends from Air Force days.


Thank you for checking in with us and our adventures in the Tour. We appreciate your interest and your comments.