I feel as though I have lost a great friend. I never met him, but I attended about three of his crusades, but his preaching was just so personal. From the first time I heard him to the last time, I was always touched and moved by his sermons. I watched many of his crusades on television, never growing tired of his message. America’s pastor is the name some have given him and I certainly would agree with that. But I think he also had a very world wide appeal and acceptance as a man of God. The  article I read this morning said that he preached to about 215 million people in 185 countries. That is amazing. I am glad we got to enjoy him for so many years. Truly a man blessed by God.

I don’t know….Is a wall the answer? Seems like something needs to be done. Maybe just declare an open border and let h’r rip……130 million people heading north…Or what about this? I’m not all that good at math, but if we took 25 billion dollars, the amount to build the wall, and divided it equally amongst 130 million people, wouldn’t that add up to almost 2 million dollars to each resident of Mexico….and would they be willing to stay home then….well, no, cause every business in America would be wanting them to come up and spend some of that money….Mexican could come up here and have some “servants” and spend some quality time at spas and rental properties all over the states….Well, this is my attempt at humor, but, 25 billion dollars?….could we not invest in Mexico some way, get them to building roads and bridges and putting their own people to work? At good wages?….. Come on Congressmen…..Come on Senate….Come on Mr. President……Is a wall  really the answer?

A graceful gazelle becomes a pest

The exotic oryx is wearing out its welcome in the Chihuahuan Desert

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – They are majestic animals, weighing 400 to 500 pounds, their straight black horns 30 to 40 inches long. Their faces are adorned with distinctive black-and-white masks, and they stare at you as if deciding whether to run.

They are oryx gazelles, from the Kalahari region of Africa. But this is the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico, where the animals have been multiplying since 1969, when the New Mexico Game and Fish Department released oryx as part of its exotic animal introduction program on the White Sands Missile Range.

The idea to provide exotic big-game hunting opportunities for local hunters originated just after World War II with Frank C. Hibben, today professor emeritus of archaeology at the University of New Mexico, but then chairman of the New Mexico Game Commission. Mustered out of the Navy in the Mediterranean, Hibben had hunted oryx in the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa, an area that resembled his adopted state of New Mexico. Hibben believed there was a “niche” in the Chihuahuan Desert that would support a large ungulate. Years later, he paid for and helped to trap 18 oryx which, after quarantine, were shipped from Africa to New Jersey and then on to the Albuquerque Zoo.

Under federal law, the original animals had to spend the rest of their lives confined at the zoo, but their offspring were released onto White Sands Missile Range, a 2.2 million-acre parcel of property. Studies conducted in the 1960s by wildlife-management scientists at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces suggested that the oryx would be successful, but nobody knew just how far they would spread – or how many problems they would cause.

“The oryx thought this was home sweet home,” says Hibben, “and they took to New Mexico like ducks to water.”

Major headaches

Between 1969 and 1973, 93 oryx were released onto the missile range – and quickly began to reproduce. Researchers believed that the population would never grow beyond 500 to 600 and would remain within the Tularosa Basin. However, the animals proved to be extremely opportunistic, and quickly spread into the San Andres Mountains. Some observers estimate the current oryx population at 5,000 or more, and animals have been spotted from 60 miles south of Albuquerque all the way down to West Texas.

“Oryx do not go through a rut,” says Patrick Morrow, a wildlife biologist at White Sands Missile Range. “Even in the Kalahari, they have the ability to mate and breed year round. But conditions are much harsher there, and African lions prey on them. Here, their only predator is man.”

Since 1974, hunters have killed approximately 5,000 oryx, says Morrow. The first year, the missile range and New Mexico Game and Fish issued only four hunting permits for oryx. This year, the agencies will issue 895 once-in-a-lifetime permits, and Game and Fish will issue 500 year-round permits for hunts off-range.

“Eventually, we’d like to see no oryx outside missile range boundaries,” says Patrick Mathis, area game manager at the New Mexico Game and Fish Department. “We want to decrease the herd on the range to 1,000 animals –

According to me, I think the Democrats attending the State of the Union address the other night gets an A Plus on doing what I am pretty sure they set out to do. You may not have noticed all the scowls, frowns, grimaces, and sulks and the many other signs of extreme displeasure displayed by the, er,  pillars of our government. Even when I just knew that the President made some points that should have perked the ears of these people, ie, spending trillions of dollars on our infrastructure…nothing…..spending and no emotion from our elite? Amazing. I fully expected them to jump to their feet at such an announcement. But, then maybe I’m just being too harsh, too judgmental, and just overreacting…..Did you notice the camera made sure you saw all those reactions, or non-reactions….Probably fake news….

January, 2018 has been a little slow for the web site. It is probably because the web manager, er, uh, me, “ain’t doing no writing” to speak of. But you know, folks, since last January when I lost my youngest daughter, seems like the words are a little harder to come by, the thoughts are all, well, not dark, but certainly not as happy and light as they used to be. As a fiction writer I felt like I could always cook up some kind of nonsense to write about or a short story to tell….and it just is not happening nowadays. I’m going to keep trying of course and I hope you guys will keep coming back. Who knows, I might hit a home run sometimes this year by writing something worth reading….Reckon?… I will. I know I will.  I believe in myself and understand it just takes time. Thanks for visiting our web site….

All around my street in west Albuquerque there are streets that have 35 miles per hour speed limit. A few area’s are 30…There are a some folks who read and obey the 35….The others cannot read those numbers, or they  have a big, heavy foot, or they don’t care, or they are in a hurry and will obey the speed limit tomorrow,  or something else. And….if you do drive the speed limit you piss everyone off who happens to be behind you…Some will go around you by driving in the turn lane provided for left hand turns. I ask you, what’s up with that? Seldom do you see police pulling people over for exceeding the speed limit and also, “what’s up with that?”. I can understand why they don’t worry about breaking the law as it is seldom enforced. So why not go ahead and raise the limit to 45 or even to 50 as most of them are driving at 50 or faster, if the old retired folks will get out of the their way…..  These retirees are like me and  hate to break the law……Also, maybe the newer cars just can’t go that slow….Maybe I need to trade my old jalopy….Reckon?….. Oh yeah, and the 60 mph speed limit on Paso Del Norte is a joke. I drove a few miles per hour over the speed limit on it today and every one was passing me.  I passed two cars….They were broke down……It will be ok I guess, it was  a Monday.

Are they the ones that wave the Mexican flag on American holidays? Are they the ones that protest anything that is of a conservative point of view or at least, different from theirs? Are they part of the group of Mexicans that choose flight instead of fight to get equality in Mexico and come to America to enjoy what the Americans have already fought for? Is that part of the same group of people? Are they the one gathered on the streets for every liberal function and liberal political event in America? Are they the ones that can be so active and fierce on almost any activity in America and cannot face even one political activity in Mexico. Are they the ones we refer to as dreamers.? If so, they need to go back and straighten out Mexico…. Now, if they are red blooded believers in the American way of life, fly the American flag, support our form of government and truly believe that, “I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.,” then they should be able to stay. So, dreamers, which one are you?…… “Should you go or should you stay?”

Fear the Lord, Thy God

Posted by Pete | Posted in News | Posted on 18-05-2009

The cyclone that I mentioned in reference to my Claunch visit was a very strange phenomenon. My host had some trash that needed burning, in a safe area, cleared of any  grass and brush, with several 55 gallon barrels for burning, with a large screen to cover them. He asked me to just sit in the pickup until he did the deed and then we would check some other things around the ranch. He was just behind my line of vision. The day was clear, no wind to speak of and very still. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang, then a 55 gallon barrel goes sailing though the air (we checked later and determined it was thrown 45 feet.) I only saw the barrel after the bang go sailing though the air. My host said, it was picked  up, slammed back down into the ground, then tossed through the air. The brush around us gave no indication of wind and the dust did not kick up. I stuck my head out of the window and called, “what the hell did you do” thinking that maybe a propane torch or something exploded. It was a very narrow strip of wind apparently that did this. Had that barrel hit either of us with the force that it had, could have inflicted serious injury…….. All this made me wonder why that happened, it was just so strange. Anyway, I read this morning in the Good Book, in Psalm 34:11, COME, MY CHILDREN, LISTEN TO ME; I WILL TEACH YOU THE FEAR OF THE LORD. Sometimes we forget the power of God and the control he has over the wind and all of natures forces. ……Well, He certainly got my attention again…….

Luke 2: 5 – 14 (New International Version)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel  of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Amen…