We have all read about immigration reform and how badly we need it to happen. Is it time to close our borders to any new citizens? Is that what it means? Is it a time to let more new people in for citizenship? Is that what it means? Is it time to revamp how one applies for citizenship? Is that what it means? Is it an erroneous term and does not mean immigration (seek permanent residence) reform (to amend or a change to improve) at all. And if that is correct, how can we change the immigration system to make it better? Does anyone have any ideas? A whole bunch of us Americans would like to know. So one of you that has the answer, please post a comment and let the rest of us in on it….. I think the way it is now is ok…But what do I know? Enlighten us please. what do you think on it…..Pete Hester

In a remote area of New Mexico a couple of guys were coon hunting. It was in the cold of winter, not fit for man nor beast, and the two had finally decided to give up the hunt in the middle of the night. On the way home, on a lonely, seldom traveled road, the passenger had to relieve himself. The driver, who knew the road well, said no wait, there is a better stopping place just down the road. No, the passenger insisted, you stop now or I’m gonna go right here in your truck. He stopped. While relieving himself, he heard a faint cry for help out in the bar ditch. Thinking he was hearing things he called out to the voice to speak up and louder. Again, there was a weak answer. The two hunters grabbed their lights and found an old man in a very light jacket, huddled against a bush. They got the near frozen man into their truck, between the two of them, turned the heater on high and gave him a shot or two of the coon hunters medicine they had left in the truck. Apparently, the old man had become disoriented when walking from his car earlier in the day and became lost. He told the two hunters that he had just prayed to God, that if He wanted him to live a little longer, He had better send him some help because he was about to freeze. Well, God heard and answered his prayer….Thank goodness the one hunter insisted they stop right away, at the very spot the old man was located.  The old man did not have the strength to get up and flag them down or even to shout very loud…It is amazing that they stopped at the only place they could have heard him call for help…..This is a true story that happened a few years ago and I happen to know both the old farts who were doing the coon hunting…..God will use all of us if we will listen…I always loved to hear these guys tell this story and asked them to write it up so others could read it….They never did so I am telling it……It is a good story I think….Pete Hester   ps   I hope you all think this is a good story and if you do, please tell others about it. God does hear our prayers….Pete

Reference: Geronimo, His Own Story, The Autobiography of a Great Patriot Warrior, Published by Duffield, 1906, reprinted by Meridian, the Penguin Group, 1996……also see, Albuquerque Journal, Sunday, Feb. 2012, Casino Plan Ticket Home for Tribe by Rene Romo,  for further reading…..

Since I started writing a few years ago, one of my favorite subjects has been the Apache Nation of the Southwestern United States and The Buffalo Soldiers who took a big part in fighting them. Victorio, of the Warm Spring Apache(Chi–hen-ne), Cochise of the  Chiricahua (Cho-kon-en), Whoa of the Ned-ni Apache and Mangus Colorado of the Be-don-ko-he (Geronimo’s tribe), for the most part. There are others but for this writing this will cover it. The Apache people lived to roam and gather as they moved, sometimes staying in a place long enough to harvest crops, etc. They roamed Northern Mexico, what is now Arizona and New Mexico, but in those days it was just “Apache Territory”. Territory they were born in, considered their own. Territory that contained gold and silver, timber for building, grass for vast ranches, territory that the white man needed. And more than any other tribe, the Apache nation wanted their land and their freedom. You know the end of the story, from 1886 until 1913 we kept them prisoners of war…in Florida, Alabama and Oklahoma…. A few of them came to live with the Mescalero Apaches but most of them remained in Ft. Sill, Okla until this very day. Some time back they came up with some land down between Deming, NM and Lordsburg, NM, (Akela Flats) land that has not changed very much since they roamed it, and they wanted to build a casino on it. Governor Richardson said no….Now they are working on it again. The Interior Dept and Governor Martinez both have to give  approval for this to happen. We really do not need another casino in New Mexico in my opinion, but it would be travelers on I-10, eastbound and westbound, that would support this venture….Governor Martinez and Dept of Interior, let them come home…Let them bring Geronimo’s bones back to the Apache Territory….Neither one of them, the Ft. Sill Apache or the bones of their loved ones belong in Oklahoma….LET THEM COME HOME…….126 YEARS LATER, PLEASE, LET THEM COME HOME….Pete Hester

I asked Mr. Navarrette (Columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr.) about his own agenda on the illegal immigration issue, since neither the Democrats or Republicans are doing their jobs on this issue. After a couple of e-mail exchanges he said his agenda was CTB or Cut Through the Bullsh–…….So, if that is what our politicians are turning out seems to me that a person like Mr. Navarrette would have a policy to present to both parties and the one who follows it or follows closely to it, then I would back that policy. Nothing he said or has said has any teeth  as to the fix. All he can talk about is how bad we Americans are and our do nothing attitude is the problem. I tried to get him to say “what we should do” and he did not. I am hoping at some point he will come up with a solution. And it ain’t an easy one….I think first thing we should do is to change the guest worker program, first with the ones that are here already to register and stay, and then to those that are trying to get into America today. Our farmers and ranchers and dairymen need them….Today…Americans will not take those jobs. Fix the guest worker program, with the illegals presently in America first, then make it easier for farmers to ask for additional guest workers….Mr. Navarrette, I have tried, offered a suggestion, now its your turn…And a Harvard man like you should be able to cut through the bull and get to the gnats azzzz of this problem with a better plan….Folks don’t listen to me…Maybe they will you, that is if you have some ideas other than bitching about us…..

This morning Sweetie asked me to peel and chop two packages of fresh frozen green chilies. Man, they still smelled like fresh roasted chilies. If you have ever been around a market or store when chilies were roasting, then you know what I am talking about. And that smell spurred some good memories, of plenty of Mexican food restaurants and since we are going to Las Cruces, NM soon, memories of Nellie”s,  a wonderful place of excellent Mexican food. Founded by Nellie and Danny Hernandez in 1962. Danny passed away in 1998, but I understand Nellie is still cooking. Her family helps out up front.  My number three son, who now lives in Madison, WS says it is his very favorite place to eat. He went to school at New Mexico State and visited Nellie’s regularly… And ours, too. If you like Mexican, it will soon be yours too.  And on the way down, we will have to go by Sparky’s Barbecue in Hatch, NM, home of the world famous green chile cheeseburger. Driving down I-25, take the Hatch exit and drive to downtown Hatch. It is worth the stop. (I have never tried the BBQ but I see plenty of folks ordering it…..Now, there are some other places that I cannot pass up, like Lambert’s, Ozark, MO, the home of the tossed roll…Those rolls are fresh out of the oven and the guy throwing them is good. He does not throw curves, only fast balls, er, bread…Kidding aside folks, you will have to wait,  but it is worth it on all the entries….Driving down US 285, between Wichita Falls and Decatur, TX, try Cat Fish O’Harlies just north of Decatur. That’s the best catfish and hush puppies that you gonna find anywhere. Don’t dare pass them up….Going down to Galveston to spend some time on Galveston Island…Nice…And for good eating try Clary’s Seafood. His fried flounder is so wonderful…It ain’t cheap, but it’s worth every penny…It’s has been a few years, but I’m willing to bet it has not changed. Another, on the seawall is Gaido’s Seafood, great food there as well. Folks tell me that is where Mr. Clary got his training. I don’t know that for a fact but that what I heard, it’s good and just a tad behind Clary’s.  You can’t miss on either place….And finally, my home town, Reform, AL, there is Jack’s…The only meal that I have eaten there is breakfast and all the entries have been good. But I really like the bologna biscuit. I grew up on bologna and where else can you find bologna biscuits on the menu? That’s the only place I know off. Driving down highway US 82 between Columbus, MS and Tuscaloosa, AL, lies the little town of Reform..Jack’s is just off the highway. Stop in and try one of the bologna biscuit….. Now, at the bottom of this post there is a shaded area to read more and you can click on that and see a place for comments. That is where you can put in your favorite place to eat or fuss at me for leaving some place out. I hope you will….come on in and let us hear about your favorite place….Pete …UPDATE…..We went Monday to Sparky’s and Tuesday’s to Nellie’s…Both are still great…We had to wait some at both places, but we did’t mind…just makes it taste better when you finally get it.

A newly formed conference is still looking for a name. The present Mountain West Conference and Conference USA are combining. It will cover 5 time zones, stretching from North Carolina to Hawaii, truly a national conference and truly one that deserves the name of United States, from East Carolina heading west and ending up at the University of Hawaii and in-between, East Carolina, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Tulsa, Tulane, University of Texas-El Paso, Rice, Marshall, Southern Mississippi from the C-USA and from the Mountain West, Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming and Hawaii….They are saying the conference could go up to 24 teams. Looks to me like they will have to have regional play to cut down on some of the travel. However, I’ll bet most of them will want to play Hawaii at home pretty regular. The i’s have not yet been dotted and the t’s crossed, but it is a done deal. So they tell us to live with it. What’s a poor old Mountain West lover to do? Hope for the best, my friends, hope for the best……..

Did you know that you can catch and keep an unlimited number of Northern Pike at Eagle Nest Lake? Well, you can…Someone illegally stocked the Northern Pike in the lake and they  now threaten populations of trout and kokanee salmon. You are required to keep any or all Northern Pike you catch there.  The pike feed on rainbow trout fingerlings and kokanee salmon fry, in large quantities says the Game and Fish people. Pike were discovered in Eagle Nest Lake in November, 2010 when a 13 year old angler caught one. Recent surveys found pike range in size from 16 to 30 inches, indicating the fish have reproduced in the lake for at least four years. The pike in not the only invasive, non-native fish in Eagle Nest. In the mid 1990s, some one probably dumped a bucket of bait yellow perch into the lake and the perch population just exploded. Increase bag limits helped reduce the perch population. Moving fish from one lake or stream to another is illegal and can cause millions of dollars of damage to a fishery and years of work to try and remove an unwanted species. ……Eagle Nest Lake is managed as a quality trout and salmon fishery. The Department stocks about 600,000 fingerling rainbow trout and about 200,000 kokanee salmon fry in the lake annually……These dad-barn Pike are eating up all our fish and must go…….What do Pike taste like I wonder, chicken?   www.newmexicowildlife.com   Now those last two sentences are mine, not Game and Fish…..