journey to the cement bridge 2011 edition, or how the border patrol almost ruined my morning

Kali

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Sun Aug-07-11 12:21 AM
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journey to the cement bridge 2011 edition, or how the border patrol almost ruined my morning

2010 version: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=9488672

Some of you might remember my idyllic walk last summer.

We have been battling big and small pump problems for more than two weeks and in the interim it rained. Also I haven't ridden my new old horse in at least that long. So Thursday I resolved to get on again and ride up the canyon to look at running water for a change. Of course the horses didn't come in until last night and I have become much too old and lazy to go find them on foot. If they don't want to be fed, I can use the money elsewhere!

So this morning I hopped out of bed (yeah who believes that?) and went down to saddle up. I was leading Joe to the old water trough I use for a mounting block (hey it is just better for both of us that way) and I hear a motorcycle or atv or something coming up from the brush pasture. WTF? I can see his headlight and guess that it is some bozo out tooling around who got lost and too close to the house. Figured he would turn back and hope he wasn't seen so I led Joe out onto the road where I could make my presence known. He drove on up and as he got closer I could see he was border patrol. I tried to restrain my contempt and irritation for the inevitable "Good morning, Ma'am!" cheerful-assume-you-actually-like-these-clowns-around greeting. Then I asked if they had somebody in sight or were they just screwing around. "Oh we've been tracking a group from the south" "Well the dogs didn't bark and my sons left here at 4:30 so I doubt if they came through, probably made it to the highway. I really don't like you guys coming through the private property and I sure don't like those things tearing up the countryside - I can't tell if it you guys, just some other assholes recreating or people stealing cattle."

He was fairly apologetic, turned around and left. So on with my ride - I got on and made a couple turns in the corral before heading out the gate. Here comes two more of them. I rode into the road to block them and asked what? don't you guys communicate with each other? Guy looked sort of confused and said their radios didn't work too well out here. (insert eye rolling smiley)

We proceeded to talk past each other and argue about whether a group of 10 could have walked past the house this morning. I got a little insulting with them - they wouldn't know a track if it bit them on the ass. Meanwhile 2 or 3 more of them rode up. You can see if you know any of my past posts on this that I was getting pretty angry. 5 or 6 guys out tooling around on toys on Saturday morning playing a game of chase with some group of people who have risked so much to better their lives. And you know there was at least three or four more vehicles doing back-up on the interstate and maybe a helicopter out flying around. The fucking money and resources that represents in order to apprehend some fruit pickers or hotel maids...OK breathe, it is time to go for my relaxing ride.

I turned to leave, saying I had more important things to do, please leave if you aren't actually in pursuit of somebody. Rode up the driveway to let the husband know since he won't ever answer his damn phone (AHEM, M!)

Off we went. I could hear them back behind me but didn't look back to see what they were doing - you know they weren't getting off their toys to actually walk up the hill towards the highway or anything that might actually involve effort. It took me all the way to the dam before I calmed down and stopped running all the "should have said" stuff through my brain and start paying attention to the water and the green and the bird sounds and the dogs running around and the rhythm of Joe's walk.

Then of course as we got to the open stretch before the cement bridge I could hear one coming up the road. Finally had the presence of mind to get the camera out, I missed the chance of getting them in a herd formation back at the house.

First shot through the trees.

Then he waves to me from the bridge. (you can imagine my gesture back)

That's Dumbass up there looking back to see what he should do next.

Here is a funny shot of Dumbass's tracks. Freda/Tinky the OMG-cute-little-Chihuahua-that-belongs-to-my-son doesn't even leave a track, Dumbass's are almost as big as a cow's.

He went on, and I rode over to the other side of the road. I decided to go over the top of a hill that is between the road and the next part of the canyon. Believe it or not I have driven or been past or gone up the canyon itself more times than I can count but have never actually physically been up on the ridge (mostly because it is a one way trip - I knew from trying to go the other way you couldn't ride a horse all the way to the next bridge where the road and wash intersect again. Anyway the view was nice. Things are greening up and looking so much more alive than a couple weeks ago, This really is our "spring."

Lupe and Freda checking out the overlook.

Most all of the Oaks were as leafless as the ocotillos a few weeks ago, The ocotillos put their leaves out after the first rain, the oaks waited for a little more water, but most of them seem to be ok. I'm sure we lost some, but they are resilient.

closer look at that old pipe

found another one a little ways away (that oak didn't make it)

Unfortunately I cut the left side of this shot off, because it might have given you a clue as to what these were used for. This pipe still had a piece of wood sticking out that must have had an insulator on it at one time. My Great-Grandfather put in the first telephone line in the area back in the teens, I guess. I remember Grampa telling about stringing wire all over the county as a kid. He said they often just hung it in the trees if they were handy. I know where there are a couple other short pieces stuck right into the rocks up the road but I never realized the line had gone over this way on this hill. It makes sense because of where I know there was another homestead (near that cement bridge).

So that was my big discovery in a place I sometimes think I know so well. Two old rusty lengths of pipe. LOL

Thanks for reading and sorry for my rant at the beginning.

:hi: