Birds, Butterflies, and Beautiful Weather

Coming back from San Antonio, I noticed a billboard at the Laredo City Limits. Normally it would say: "Laredo--Home of the Championship Bucks", or advertise some local hotel. Going by at the legal speed of 70 mph, I saw, instead, an invitation to see birds! Not only that, but there are specific dates to do this. So, for those of you not planning to drive into Laredo on IH35 any time soon, let me advise you that you are invited to look at Laredo birds during the first two week of February.

Laredo is geographically neither part of the Rio Grande Valley, nor West Texas. It's not too hilly, but definitely not flat as is, say Mc Allen. Left to nature, birds would be few and far between, except flying over to get somewhere else. However with a large man-made lake (Lake Casa Blanca), and tons of trees planted by the residents over many years, we actually have gracious plenty of birds. Two years ago, some folks with a lot of time on their hands, went out to Lake Casa Blanca and counted over 350 species! That's right, all those different birds right here in Laredo.

So while the Rio Grande Valley has hosted "bird watchers" for years, we are open for the business in February. On a recent visit to the Texas A&M International University's campus, I can attest to the presence there of cardinals, some beautiful yellow breasted and headed species, and some escaped parrots.

If you need more information, I am sure there is more information on the City's or Chamber of Commerce Web Sites. To facilitate your watching, and soon the migrating butterfies from Mexico will be here also, the weather is perfectly mild and sunny--what-a-town.

The Streets of Laredo--Traditional Song

As I walked out on the streets of Laredo.
As I walked out on Laredo one day,
I spied a poor cowboy wrapped in white linen,
Wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay.

"I can see by your outfit that you are a cowboy."
These words he did say as I boldly walked by.
" Come an' sit down beside me an' hear my sad story.
" I'm shot in the breast an' I know I must die."

"It was once in the saddle, I used to go dashing.
" Once in the saddle, I used to go gay.
" First to the card-house and then down to Rose's.
" But I'm shot in the breast and I'm dying today."

"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin.
" Six dance-hall maidens to bear up my pall.
" Throw bunches of roses all over my coffin.
" Roses to deaden the clods as they fall."

"Then beat the drum slowly, play the Fife lowly.
" Play the dead march as you carry me along.
" Take me to the green valley, lay the sod o'er me,
" I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong."

"Then go write a letter to my grey-haired mother,
" An' tell her the cowboy that she loved has gone.
" But please not one word of the man who had killed me.
" Don't mention his name and his name will pass on."

When thus he had spoken, the hot sun was setting.
The streets of Laredo grew cold as the clay.
We took the young cowboy down to the green valley,
And there stands his marker, we made, to this day.

We beat the drum slowly and played the Fife lowly,
Played the dead march as we carried him along.
Down in the green valley, laid the sod o'er him.
He was a young cowboy and he said he'd done wrong.


A sad song from the old west in Laredo, Texas.

Comanche Moon

This past week featured at least two nights of "Comanche Moon". These evenings are almost bright enough to convince you there are some invisible floodlights in the hazy night sky, creating an eerie, yet well lighted landscape. These nights are legendary in novels by the famous Texas writer, Larry Mc Murtry. In his "Lonesome Dove" series of novels, he explains that these noctural events were perfect raiding opportunities for the Comanche war parties that crossed the Rio Grande at Laredo. Ranchers, especially, needed to keep careful watch on Comanche Moon nights, and often they or their cattle might still not survive until dawn. The nature trail at the LCC Environmental Center leads down to the river at one of the most used historic crossing sites.

Today, we can just enjoy these special evenings, especially in the cool, but not cold, Laredo evenings.

Historic Preservation on the Border

There are "Laredo" versions of Jeeps, "Laredo" branded tires, and "The Streets of Laredo" funeral dirge. The town was born in 1755, about the same time as George Washington was running his Virginia Plantation, Mount Vernon, and buying up wilderness land across the West Virginia mountains. George was a shrewd buyer, as well as becoming our first President, and the indispensible Founder of the United States. It is fitting, perhaps, that Laredo holds an almost continuous party from January through February--in honor of our First President. It's the "Washington's Birthday Celebration Association's bash.

One of the earliest WBCA events is the "Jamboozie", coming up on the night of January 26, 2008. This particular party is a Madi Gras, fun-and-festive attire splash of bands and food in the historic center of Laredo. The
buildings of the downtown area range from modest Spanish Colonial homes, to up-scale Victorian Houses, with some nice squares here and there. A bit further to the west of center city, is Fort Mc Intosh, now housing a campus of Laredo Community College. The Fort contains many original Army Post Buildings, as well as a unique Environmental Center--first established as an Israeli "drip irrigation" project in the 1980's. Fort Mc Intosh is also know for having Robert E. Lee and JEB Stuart pass through it's walls, as well as one of the first U.S. combat airplanes to land on it's grounds. Unfortunately, the plane crashed after leaving Laredo.

But back to happier thoughts, the Jamboozie draws folks into the historic parts of Laredo to enjoy music from Mexican to Jazzz, and celebrate George's birthday at the same time.

Menudo, Music, and the Pols

It's 10 days to the first big event of the new year in Laredo--The 13th Annual Menudo Bowl on Jan. 19! Menudo, a soup dish found in both Ecuador and Mexico, is a special dish for many on the weekends(it is also rumored to be an almost cure for the occasional handover). The culinary basis for the dish is tripe--you don't need to know what that is if you don't already know. The Menudo Bowl is a fund raiser for the Laredo Crime Stoppers and features, not only great menudo "cookoffs", but music and politicians massing about the grounds.



Ten years ago, on a bright but chilly day, the Menudo Bowl featured a then unknow country group--Lonestar." If you had been there, you could have stood on the fairgrounds listening to this group play what later became a #1 hit on the Country Charts--"You Walked In". At the time, however, there were only about 30 in the cold audience. Another musical connection is the famous "Menudo" Boy Band from Puerto Rico, who's most favorite former member, Ricky Martin, finally performed in Laredo in 2007.



The musical performance by Ricky Martin had been promised to Laredoans by our then Mayor, Betty Flores, in 2000, to help convince voters to build a new entertainment complex. Even if Ricky had never come, the Laredo Entertainment Center brought us our championship hockey team--the Laredo Bucks!



So get on a plane, train, or bus and get to Laredo for the Menudo Bowl; see you there.

Weather and Distance

In Laredo you never cease to talk about the weather. It is the 5th of January and we are already getting ready for at least spring, if not summer! During the Christmas holidays we actually experenced temperatures below 32* F, at least for two hours; tomorrow it's back to the 80's. I know folks in alot of places talk constantly about the weather, but in Laredo, we talk alot about weather that hardly ever changes. We do have 4 seasons, but summer usually accounts for most of the year. However, we either never have enough rain, or too much--usually 4 or more inches at a time. The great news is that we have sunshine for at least 300 days a year, and that makes for a great climate.



Before Texas became like so much of the rest of the country, I was told travel distance (via motor vehicles) was measured by how many "Lone Stars" you had to put in your travel cooler. Governor Ann Richards, bless her heart, ended that in the early 90's. Still distance in Texas is a much different frame of mind than back east. One hundred and fifty miles to San Antonio for lunch and back, the same to Corpus Christi for a dip in the Gulf of Mexico, or the same to Monterrey to be in the mountains is not though a long trek. For easterners, going an hour and half from New York City to Philadelphia is considered cause for checking tires, battery, and anti-freeze before attempting the trip. By the way, that makes Laredo close to everything.