Interesting Guy

Reading Ed's blog I read about another blogger (amazing huh?) named Fred Reed.  He is a writer who lives in Mexico and is putting his ideas about life into his blog.  I've dipped into his stuff here and there and find him quite interesting.  Not to say that I agree with his every word but he's got some interesting takes on life.  I just read one that kind of spoke to me.  It's about illegals coming into this country from Central America or Mexico and how difficult the journey can be for an uncomfortable existence in this country.  It spoke to me because my father-in-law's father was such a person.

I don't know much of his story but I know a little.  This guy came over the border in the 1920's or even a little earlier.  He figured that the best way to not get sent back was to be as far from the border as he could.  Personally I think he kind of overdid it; he went to South Dakota!  Somewhere he met an Irish immigrant woman and they married and had the kid that grew up to be my father-in-law.  They were dirt-poor farmers; working for maybe a share of the crop.  Even when he was a small child my father-in-law was working with his parents or doing something to provide for the family.  Farming, hunting, trapping, gathering berries or weeds or whatever, the young man did not have an easy life.  Most of the time they had a house but there were times when they lived in a dis-used railroad car.  If you don't know South Dakota; it can be 95F (35C) in the summer and -20F (-29C) in the winter.  That's a hell of poor excuse for a home.  Eventually the FIL joined the Navy and made his way in the world.  I'm not even sure when his parents passed away but Fred's words reminded me vividly of his story.

We are having a short spell of almost ideal weather.  It's in the mid 60's (18C) at night; almost 90F (32C) in the late afternoon.  We open the windows at night then close up about 09:00.  The house remains comfortable without any air conditioning.  We have eaten out on the porch the last two nights; last night we brought out some of the newly painted boards for our new seating area and enjoyed the sunset in comfort.  It's been a long time getting put together (and isn't quite done yet) but that seating area is going to be great.  The porch deflects a lot of heat from the southern aspect of the house but it does hold the heat for quite a while in the evening.  Being out away from the house is much more comfortable.

I'll close with a photo of a magnet we have on the car.  It's one of the Libertarian ideas we agree with.  The United States needs to get over this idea that we are the policemen of the world.  Have a good one.