And Then.....tales of great bravery and steadfastness of the Old Gringo

     Not only suffering the other tribulations of the moment, the evening of the day after the Night of the Coralillo, an auto pulled up to our main gate.....at almost precisely mid-night.   Since there had not been any vehicular traffic during the previous 30 hours, the sound of crunching gravel was conspicuous because of its rarity.   A session of listening to ghost stories and tales of flying saucers on overnight radio was just beginning.     Is George Bush secretly running the show in the White House still, and directing the press to project  controversy into the American conciousness so as to divert their attention from the fact that the Rothchilds and Bildenbergers keep moving ahead to gain control of a Planet over which, apparently, they already have total control.

      But none of this radio-addiction would be in the offing.   There was a visitor at the gate.     It turned out to be "La Maestra", a woman  who also built a house a few hundred yards from the Quinta....a much more elaborate house....and who has been a generous friend and associate.    She was the XO for the uncle of our neighbour of the Hacienda de La Vega.   That uncle died about four years ago, and had served for over 20 years in the State's office for wildlife protection and rural development.

       In any regard, this was not a social call.    As I made myself decent enough for presentation, figured out who the visitor was, and fumbled around for the right key and a flashlight, my mind clunked around thinking about why on Earth would any visit be so urgent as to need to take place at this hour.  La Maestra waited at the gate, accompanied by her two employees.   All three seemed agitated.

      "Buenas noches.....or dias, depende el caso" began the Old Gringo....making a feeble bit of a joke about the fact that we were now in the "madrugada" , or the "morning of the next day" phase of the calendar.

       "Hola' don David, disculpe la molestia....." she responds, leaving the conversational door open to a more rapid entry into the real business at hand.

        "En que los puedo servir?",  enquires the Old Gringo, cutting to the chase. (What can I do for you?)

         "You have seen the fire coming towards us?" she answers.    Her staff members nod and seem very impatient to do something....or anything.    These fellows are kind of a combination of two skinny Mutts and Jeffs folded into the scenes of Mayberry RFD, haplessly pleasant.   We are exchanging handshakes at this point.

       I can smell the smokiness, my throat has been paying that price for the past week because of more distant fires in the mountains.    But truly, this is something different.   As my senses adjusted to being outside, it is apparent that there is considerable smoke in the air and the smoke smells hot and fresh.

But, in reality, there is not tell-tale glow, near or far, to indicate immenency of a blaze.   So the question, "Donde esta' el incendio?"

        "It's right there on the other side of the main house of the Hacienda de La Vega!" all three respond.   I do not see it still, as we walk out to the area of the road that leads to both our place and the La Vega.     Knowing that we have to intervene, no matter what the nature of this issue truly is, I began to formulate that plan of attack.

        "Let's go down and tell Ciro.    Do you think he knows?    Have you called him?"     by this time I am walking back to the house to strap on some better shoes and to pick up a walking stick.    The two staff members of La Maestra are carrying long, well-honed machetes.   La Maestra responds that the cell phone signal is not working or Ciro's phone is off or his card ran out.    By this time I am openning up the gate of the Hacienda de La Vega and we are filing through a narrow, thorny uneven fence-crossing, full of all kinds of possibilities, most of them not too good.
        Then the dos of La Vega come.   Huge dogs, loping along, barking and growling.    It dawns on me that one of the characters from Mayberry is new to me.   "Have you been to the Hacienda de La Vega before?" I ask.
           "No",  responds Goober.
           "Get behind me, then!" I order.    He obeys and avoids a close encounter of the first kind with two 100 pound dogs....dogs who trust those whom I trust. Arriving at the Old Manor House of the the La Vega, where Ciro sleeps at night (and at times in the daytime) we begin calling out "Ciro....Ciro!!"   It seems appropriate because that is his name.    The smoke is heavier and finally I can see a bit of a fire line a few hundred yards further on to the west of the  Manor House.    La Maestra was certain that it would be advancing within minutes to the cemetery, her fancy new place, and several other humbler but still significant homes.
            Ciro comes out and we all go through the necessary civilities again, except with two more Mexican Mayberry characters added to the mix.   Ciro opines that the fire is simply the grass furrow that he formed while clearing part of the old orange grove.    He had set it afire at the end of daylight and watched over it until it became clear that it was ready to burn itself out.   This is a line about 300 feet long, 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet high.   Much of the grass and weed material was still a bit greenish, hence the smoke.   He said he would drive over with his helper and check it out, everyone could come.
           So, once Ciro has his necessry paraphanalia and his assistant, they all head off to the fire.    I return to the Quinta, in the dark, with my flashlight because Ciro wanted me to call the owner of the Hacienda de La Vega.    That is something that was quickly reconsidered upon arrival back inside my safe little 'fraidy-hole' because in reality there was nothing, as of yet, to report.    About twenty minutes later, Ciro delivered La Maestra and her staff back to the Quinta and informed me that a couple of the old, dead trunks of some damaged trees actually had ignited from the heat caused by the burning grass, and due to the angle of view from La Maestra's house, it looked as if there was a long line of flames approaching her.    For his part he was going to return with several buckets of water and finish all of the flames.....in short, no problems.
            All of this helped me justify my decision not to call the owner of La Vega. La Maestra's concern had not been misplaced.   The fires have been uncommonly menacing throughout the States of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon as well as Texas this late Spring and now early Summer.     It has been a constant fight, especially in the mountains and in areas where there are huge extensions of sorghum and/or corn plantings.     Lightning, stupidity, broken glass, and any number of other things can start these fires but we have had to play the Devil to control and extinguish each blaze.    Army, American Helicopter crazymen, and squads of tough "civil defense" volunteeers have laboured throughout this dry spell in an honorably and largely successful effort....but the trials of Job continue....lessening though, thankfully.


More Later.   Thanks for learning about my simple form of heroism....known as "getting out of the way and letting the people who do the work take the credit".
El Gringo Viejo
           
       

As promised.....

     During the period just past down at the Quinta, the Old Gringo noticed one morning that the three female cats, Smokey, Cleopaetra, and Calico were all in the kitchen pantry.    They were all arrayed, tail to snout, like spokes of a wagon-wheel, pointing directly under a little wagon that Alvaro uses when he is painting and doing small repairs around the house.

       The cats are all wierd....which is normal for cats....especially spoiled cats, so I was not surprized at first.    But then it was noted that Smokey, the persian-type cat, was flicking her tail vigourously....like before taking down a bird or pouncing on a  mouse.    Her sister turned and looked at me with eyes the size of steak-platters, and her tail was puffed up like Dolly Parton's hair-do.

       So an inspection was made and lo and behold, we had a 2 foot-long coral snake.    It was only the 4th one to be seen on our about the property, and the violation of my own rule about the total securing of the screen doors....shutting them snug to the door molding and hooking them shut....had brought the visitor in upon us.   I noticed that during the morning, earlier, I had left the door only slightly open....less than an inch....after feeding the neighbour's chickens.   It was still open.    Leaving the cats to their work, the Old Gringo went to the guest room to make sure that set of doors was correctly shut.....then called the neighbour's son to go and get Efrain *(Alvaro's brother-in-law) and then proceeded to trap and/or slay the beast.

       By this time, however, it could be noticed that the cats were all at the back door, standing on their hind-legs looking anxiously at something outside.  My attention was directed to where the snake had been but was no longer.    That is an icy-type feeling.    But then it was remembered that a coral snake, although extremely venomous, is also quite a coward.    Given an out, they always flee.

       So, outside went the Old Gringo, carefully searching any reasonable path of retreat for Caroline the Coral Snake.    The cats went in front....(Calico went in front as well, as long as she was behind someone)....and I trained my far-sighted eyes as best they would on the area where the cats were going.    The path they bloodhounded went towards the Rio Corona and  was soon covered by impenetrable bramble.     Returning, Efren was encountered already inside the house.    He listened stone-faced to my explanation of things and then observed that we would have to evacuate the entire pantry and even the kitchen since the Old Gringo had not actually seen the snake leave.   His conclusion was my conclusion, so the next hour was spent in moving things that had not been moved for a while.   We filled several large plastic garbage bags and did quite a bit of "improved placement" of things.....as well as a bit of helpful inventory assessment.

       Of course we did not find the snake....so we threw the cats into the pantry, one at time, because they would immediately know if there were still a snake on the premises.   Each cat made her brief review.....starting with they had encountered the serpent in the first place, and then decided that things were pretty boring again....the way they should be.     Each went to her appropriate "reward station"  where each allowed  me to give her a cat candy-treat at her  exclusive  place.     Before long they had preened up and were fast asleep.

        It should be pointed out here, without any false attempt at humour, that the practice of judging by a cat's reaction whether there are snake problems nearby is very common in the Ejido Francisco I. Madero.     The mother of the two sister cats, for instance, has killed two coral snakes during her time on earth.   These cats are called, appropriately enough, "Coralilleras" (koh rah lee YAIR ahs)....which means something close to "coral snake hunters" or "coral snake killers". 

     Things become even more interesting during the next episode which will be published  sometime early this evening.

        As an aside, We are watching with some interest as a tropical depression tries to form off the coast.....it is moving west....so if things would develop a bit, both South Texas and the area around the Quinta could stand to receive a bit of moisture, finally.

El Gringo Viejo   

Hello Again - Update 1 /22:00 Friday, 3 June 2011, Update 2 /09:00 Saturday, 4 June 2011

The Old Gringo arrived into the Magic Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas early this afternoon.   Long drive....uneventful.   A narrative in this same blogspace will build over the next several hours and days concerning our little adventures and general comings and goings.    Questions and observations are  being received, of course.   So feel free to forward your OROG official communiques.   

More later.....after thoughts are collected and processed.


Update 1
      My son wrote a greeting and an observation of the news that a major break had been made in the cases surrounding the horrible San Fernando, Tamaulipas incidents.    Over the past year and a fraction almost 200 people have been discovered  either buried or strewn in a small area just outside of the town of San Fernando, Tamaulipas.     This is a place about mid-way between McAllen and Ciudad Victoria.    About half of these folks were hapless travellers coming from other places in Mexico and Central America up to the United States.....people who were taken off of public transportation, encountered in small towns and wayside places on their trek to the north, and other chance meetings.   They were offered the chance to carry drugs or participate in violent drive-by type shoot-ups of public buildings and/or un-co-operative police or military....and then shot when giving a refusal to participate.   Some were held alive long enough to be used to extort money from relatives in other parts of Mexico or Central America.
       Since the gangs who pull off these vile shake-downs are made up of members who are frequently either drunk and/or stoned, extremely violent responses can be provoked by refusals of these simple, rustic victims to become involved in the plans of the gangs.    Another half of those who were found dead and/or buried during this lamentable period were mainly casualties of other drug-trafficking gangs and/or casualties of the gang which was holding sway in the area....and who had brought some of their fallen away from encounters elsewhere.   
             In any regard, during the past few weeks military and civilian authority has rounded up 73 individuals.....some of the arrests have been reported here.....remember the picture of the 15 year old girl who was holding the 1,000,000 pesos in cash in her two hands, for instance.   Several ranking people in the gangs .....loosely lumped into the category of ZETAS.....were arrested and then finally some pinnacle players were taken down within the last 72 hours.   Of importance is that the extension of the "cuarentena"....the legal ability to hold somebody for 40 days without charges if said persons are thought to be involved in a crime of violence....took place without delay.   This is an important legal hurdle....and sometimes one which lazy judges (and corrupt judges) frequently have used to allow really bad actors to be released.   These people who have been detained have been moved into the more heavily secured "real prisons" in various places within the Republic.    All are now considered to be "presumed responsible of involvement"  or "guilty".  Some may be being prepared for extradition to the United States for crimes committed in our country...perhaps as many as six or seven.    About an equal number are thought to be American citizens of some type or another.
      The number one leader of this group is now in prison in Vera Cruz state.   He had the appropriate alias of "El Kilo".....We need to await the appearance of his replacement.
Much more later.....things that are a bit more pleasant.


Update 2
     The other small point that we wish to continue to develop is that the notion that firearms of all kinds are pouring over the border into Mexico from the United States is an invention of convenience by the anti-gun forces in the United States.     They claim that the guns used by the drug cartels and organized crime in Mexico are sold to illegal purchasers who then take the firearms into Mexico.    To date about 30,000 firearms of various types have been taken into the possession of police and/or military authority in Mexico that have been traced back to being originally purchased or stolen in the United States.     It is estimated that there may be an equal number of such firearms still in circulation among those involved in "organized delinquency".
       Most military people in Mexico who are willing to speak at all about the matter quickly admit that the automatic weaponry they face on a daily basis from the "organized delinquency" is derived from arms traders in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.     The origination of those arms are from stockpiles once associated with Warsaw Pact countries (Soviet Union - Eastern European Alliance), from Red Chinese semi-official arms sales of stockpiles, and from the Peoples' Republic of Viet Nam who sell war materiel from the captured stocks of the Army of the Republic of South Viet Nam.    Much of the M-16 rifle supply for the cartels originates from this source and is sold through Cuba, for instance.
       It is thought that the "organized delinquency"  loses, destroys by bad maintenance, and has confiscated by the Mexican military  200,000 "assault style weapons" annually.   The "organized delinquency" is notoriously poor in terms of correct operation, cleaning, and maintenance of semi-automatic and automatic weaponry.   Last week a cache of 2,000 rifles was found buried in sands outside of Torreon, Coahuila.....which is okay, I guess, except that the rifles had not been coated and covered.    They were simply interred, completely exposed.


       In any regard....enough of all of this.    There are things to do so the Old Gringo needs to shave and try to put socks on.   More later.    Thanks for your time and attention.

Happy Trails

This is the time when the Old Gringo needs to move on along.   You all will have to do without acerbic commentary for a little while, which will probably be a relief for most.    As soon as the settling in process is completed, perhaps by Friday you all might have a note or two concerning my observations  and thoughts about the Mexico situation and about our little adobe abode....or is that abobe adode....or maybe it should be adobebode.

      We are watching with interest the simultaneous posturing and maneuvering among the various candidates for the office of President of Mexico and the same office for the United States of America.   We shall follow the National Action Party (PAN) a little more closely, because they are philosphical twins of the GOP in the United States and the Conservative in Canada and the Tories in the UK.   It seems like yesterday when Diana and I were up until 5:00 am watching the nearly ballot by ballot count in the contest between the socialist Lopez Obrador and the conservative Calderon Hinojosa.  

          As usual the old governing party the PRI starts off as the favourite, but the poll tracking will certainly change, as it has during recent elections.    There was one point last time when Lopez Obrador led both of the other opposition parties by 30% and the producing classes were girding their loins for the elevation of another leftist demagog to join the pantheon composed of the Castro Brothers, Morales, Chavez, and Ortega, et. al.

           Mexico was a lot easier to predict, in terms of elections, back in the old PRI days....sometimes the winners were announced on the day before the elections.  Oh well, perhaps it is all a conspiracy by the Las Vegas odds-makers to give the people something else to bet on.

              My favourite Drudge story....beating out the IMF socialist elitist slug who beat up the black chambermaid and sexually assaulted her....was the story about the guy who won a 2,000,000 jackpot is some lottery, but was still using his last allotments of food stamps.    Finally, Michelle Obama can be proud of her country for the first time again.

More later....remember the Old Gringo will be out of reach for a bit, but he will be checking in at the earliest moment possible.

El Gringo Viejo

More Questions of Important Inconsequentiality (try that one, O'Reilly)

     Other questions that have come in.    There are answers and/or observations  included. But first.....

      Some nice person has become a "follower" which is something like an assistant OROG.    A follower can, if he or she wishes, log on to our site on a permanent basis.    The "follower" also annotates that he or she is a follower so that  "followers" can tag on to the "follower"  of the first and second part.

    Our latest follower is an individual who is concerned about matters related to immigration rights and border issues.   While we apparently differ on a score of pivotal issues, it may be that the Old Gringo's slightly reasonable stance in terms of treatment of Mexico-based issues has attracted our "follower" and that individual should know that his or her presence here is an honor for the Gringo Viejo.

Does Mexico have such a thing as a voter registration....and a voter's ID?

Yes, Mexico has voter registration:

      It should be pointed out to "followers" and "leaders" alike that Mexico has a far better voter registration card....known as a "credencial federal electoral" .....than what we have in Texas.    It is a nationally issued document, not State by State.   Theirs is on very hard, high quality plastic.   It has a very recent picture of the full-face, taken on the day of registration, and the person must present a "registro civil' record of birth and evidence concerning place of residence so as to assign the correct voting precinct.  Signature and thumbprint appear on the front of the credential as well.    The person returns after the registration when a short time has elapsed and takes possession of the card, after being verified visually and then signing in the same manner as when registering on the first visit.

      Our Texas voter's registration is a piece of flimsy cardboard with a false swearing warning on the back.

       So, when our Democrat friends tell us we are racists....which is every time we breathe....because we want a picture ID for voters.....please advise them that the Mexicans have a picture and vitae proprius data on a much more permanent "platform".   I like their system better....it even weeds out double registrations.   The entry below describes the process and the cards the Old Gringo is familiar with....

[translation]

a) an invisible watermark on the back of the card;

b) two watermarks on the photographic paper, one visible and the other invisible;

c) a hologram of the logo of the Federal Electoral Institute partially covering the lower left part of the photograph;

d) a digital laser-printed photograph of the card bearer's face;

e) ... components that self-destruct if the card is altered in any way;

f) the signature of the card holder;

g) a bar code covered by a black band that appears under infrared light;

h) a series of numbers specific to each card;

i) a digital fingerprint of the index finger of the card holder;

j) under black light, several national shields and the card holder's name appear;

k) under black light, the letters "IFE" appear on the card bearer's photograph;

l) micro-text printing;

m) four numbers on the "section" that correspond to the four first numbers on the back of the card, which, with the nine other numbers, correspond to the OCR [optical character recognition];

n) a card thickness of 0.76 millimeters, which adheres to the international standard (Mexico n.d.b.).

Let me make one thing perfectly clear.

       This site is not one which endorses in any way the concept of "no one is illegal".....or that free movement over the border is a right.   No nation can be identified nor long will it exist if it does not identify its own boundaries, and identify who can cross those boundaries legally.

      As a resident alien in Mexico, I am required to show proof that I can support myself without being employed or doing unauthorized business.  I am given a one year permit which does allow me to buy and sell land, build and own a home,  have an imported auto, and certain other concessions.   The permit costs around 100 dollars and it is paid to a bank which issues a receipt to be delivered to the Secretariat of Government.   My auto permit is paid to the Military Bank, and they issue a similar receipt which I keep along with my other immigration papers.    I am required to promise not to invoke the American military in any land or business dispute with which I might be associated.     I am allowed to join any government or private medical program at my free will, or I can choose to pay as I go....which sounds a bit ominous.

         As a foreigner, I am prohibited from evangelizing or proselyting  for or against any religion or denomination, although attendance of any religious services regardless of denomination is a constitutionally protected right.    No political activity is permitted....voting, marching in parades, writing or declaring political opinion pieces to the media are all prohibited.

      The commission of any serious crime is grounds for immediate escort to the middle of the bridge, only after having paid fines, damages, and time in detention if required.     That is the short form agreement for a Norteamericano to endorse before he is considered a legal resident.   I abide by these rules.

More later.    As always your time and attention are appreciated.
El Gringo Viejo

Another Try...

     The Old Gringo is heading back down to the Quinta Tesoro de la Sierra Madre.   It has become an unpleasant  task at times trying to say something on this screed.   The issues that matter, and the thoughts that I think, cannot be expressed in the round because there is a possibility of offence to someone.   If one cares for liberty and the concept of self-sufficiency, such thoughts cannot be expressed.....because it can somehow be construed as offensive or racist or insensitive.

       If a person is of the Negro race or of one of the many forms of Latin heritage, he loses his genealogical extraction because he is conservative?     The oddity, as I quickly leave the topic, of Harry Reid (d-nevada) a great and famous socialist labour leader can say "I cannot envision how a Hispanic (sic) person could ever vote Republican" is compelling.   He does not see the perfection of his own arrogant form of racism and ethnic bigotry.    He is saying, "All you funny coloured people who are almost as good as real people...like those of us who take care of you.... You must approve of us and the way we provide for you better than you can provide for yourselves.....because you funny looking coloured people really cannot provide for yourselves as well as we can"......Right-side brain thinking at its best.

       How strange that Harry Reid's son loses an election for the governorship of Nevada in 2010 to a Republican conservative who happened to have Mexican and other ancestry.....a candidate who received a huge majority of "Anglo" votes.   The conservatives, as usual, voted for a person on the basis of philosophy and not on the basis of ethnicity.....because Harry Reid's son was one of those milky-pasty white-skinned  people. (too much sun-screen)

       And steadily, the Latino voters are fooling the ethno-fools who assume that they can lead groups of people to the Dung Heaps for Chairman Mao and the Slavery of the Safety Net.

     The War for the Republic is of the  producers  against the consumers.    The War for the Republic of Mexico is between the producers and  builders against the consumers and destroyers.  Such is the case for each of our nations.  Such is the case for all nations.  Comprehensive welfare systems lead to sloth and cultural rot.  Nationally sponsored public assistance  programs are a siren song to lead a nation into slavery.  On our present route, all our grandchildren will be chambermaids and servants tending the tables of the Kennedy's and the Pelosi's grandchildren.    There can be no doubt.  On this route, our fate will be to grovel for crumbs under the tables of the Socialist Elitists.

        There are rumblings of restorative revolt, by people of all types, stripes, colours, and persuasions which might possibly come to effective force in time to save the Republic.  We shall see.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

         It was reasonably brought to my attention that we failed to include various excellent alternatives for people who are deranged enough to think about retiring or semi-retiring in Mexico.     There are many, many more places that have AAA minor league to major league medical facilities within a 3 day drive of your place, and where potable water can be obtained once every month.    All OROGs who are  new can simply scroll down, half-way to Red China to find reference to such alternatives.

       Because these matters are reasonably of concern....the Old Gringo includes herein places that have equivalent or better security situations to equivalent places in the United States or Texas.

         If a person wants or can stand cold, cool, dry, and high (8,800 fasl) he should check out the doll house city of Zacatecas.   Lore, history, stunning architecture....(stunning).....religious museums that are fall-down flabbergasting, and once again good eats and libations. It is the highest  State Capital in Mexico, as well as all of Latin America.    Look it up.

         Another excellent place was called to my attention by my daughter's father-in-law quite recently.    The City of Puebla, State of Puebla is a peculiar place.    It is the site of the battleground of the the Battle of the Fortress of Loreto that was won by an outnumbered and outgunned Mexican Army fighting against a mighty French Army led by Legionnaire Zappers...thought to be the bravest, best trained, and most capable combat engineers in the world at the time (5 May 1862).    The French never really regained their  poise internationale  after that loss, even though they did recover sufficiently to impose Maximiliano von Hapsburg on the "Cactus Throne" as Emperor of Mexico for a few short years. 

       Puebla is the home of Volkswagen of Mexico.   It is a PROFOUNDLY COMELY city.   It is entirely lower-middle class, upper-middle class, and extreme upper class (titled people, not nouveaux riche).    The "despair and abject poverty" level is less than 1%.     It is"almost totally red" with a huge Otomi' Indian group and "almost totally white" with a huge Caucasian group composed of various white tribes, such as Spanish, Italian, German, French, British-Anglo, American-Anglo communities.   It is culturally and politically a conservative bastion.

 Residential and university areas of western Puebla city, looking west
towards Mexico City.   Popocatepetl with its glacial snow cap in the
background.   The snow cap is greater during the summer
because that is the "rainy season".

         It is a place where the people quickly point out that, "we have all the best of Mexico City and none of the bad".    Also, one of their quick advisories to newcomers is "If you want to see Mexico City's famous signature permanently snow-capped mountains Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl, they are best seen from Puebla.".     It lies on the east side of those mountains while Mexico City is on the west side....shrouded in smog.   (It should be pointed out, however, that air quality in Mexico City has improved considerably over that last few years.)    Puebla is separated from the National Capital by those 18.000 fasl mountains and by 140 kilometers of advanced toll roads.    It is also a fairly short run to nice Gulf Coast beaches and Vera Cruz City as well as to Oaxaca, Oaxaca,  both by toll road.

     I hope this opens up more understanding of the peculiar Mexican condition and circumstance.   Also, it should serve to advise all OROGs that the Old Gringo is myopic and forgetful....so each should do his own research over and above what appears on these feeble pages.
El Gringo Viejo