A week or so ago I was going to visit a friend out by the lake and I saw a rattle snake crossing the highway. I stopped and watched it trying to get a picture of it but I couldn’t do it.
It took me back to the middle seventies when one day I came home for lunch. My wife Barbara told me we have a two-day gig or dance what ever you want to call it.
She said it was the following Friday and Saturday in Sweetwater Texas for the annual rattlesnake round up. They will furnish lodging and food for the two-day event.
We left Del Rio Friday morning and when we arrived, we went to the civic center where it was being held.
They showed me a room off to the main floor and said here are some cots and the restroom is through that blue door.
We spent the rest of the day setting up the instruments and checking everything. The first night we were to play from nine to one.
At six pm they served the food, there was beans, potatoes, fruit salad, jalapeno peppers bread, ice tea and the meat was yes you guessed it rattle snake. I had never tasted rattle snake but to tell you the truth it tasted like chicken; I must admit it was very good. That Friday night we played until 1 a.m. and the crowd did not want to go home but someone there told them they had to follow the law.
Now what I didn’t say was when they told us where we would be sleeping my wife decided she would stay home.
We went to bed around 3 a.m. I woke up around 5 thirty and saw that my drummer Scott was not there. I got up and started looking for him
and found him sitting on the curb outside the civic center smoking a joint. Now I would not allow drugs on the bus but he said he had it in his pocket. I must admit it really upset me but the worst was yet to come. I asked if he had anymore and he said one more joint. Is there
any on the bus? No he replied, I went back inside and 10 minutes later a policeman was hollering at me to come outside.
They had my drummer handcuffed and told me he was under arrest for smoking marijuana. It seems when he opened the door at the civic
center to go outside it set off an alarm, they responded and found my drummer. They ask permission to search the bus and we had to go in front of a J.P. and pay a fine. The judge allowed us to stay and play on
Saturday night as long as we did not leave or go outside after a certain hour. The fine was five hundred dollars.
By noon a place had been blocked of and it was full of rattlesnakes. At around 3 p.m. they blocked off another area next to the snakes and laid a pillow on the floor. Out walked a guy with t-shirt blue jeans and no shoes on and he laid down on the floor and put the pillow under his head. Then they raised the barrier and turned all of the snakes loose into the area where the gentleman was on the floor. Now I am afraid of snakes and sharks but when I saw all of those snakes crawling towards him it was hard for me to watch. Within minutes those snakes were all over him around him on him and I just stood there and watched. He had a cloth over his face. It lasted about forty-five minutes but it seemed like hours to me.
It was an experience to remember. Years later we played another rattlesnake round up in Brackettville. I do not like to talk about snakes but when I saw the snake on the highway, I thought I would share.
In closing let me say enjoy DEL RIO it is a beautiful city and remember the words of my friend TOM KEEP THE FAITH. PRAY TO THE LORD TO
SAVE AMERICA GOD BLESS AND THANK YOU. Thanks to Victor Cirilo and the Val Verde County Library.

No podemos ignorar que la sociedad actual pasa por serios problemas en cuanto que nos hemos dejado convencer que, al hijo, al alumno y a la otra persona no se le puede llamar la atención porque se frustra. Nos hemos dejado llevar más por Freud, por las corrientes que buscan el facilismo y por todos los que no creen en el esfuerzo, las renuncias, el sacrificio para llegar a formar una personalidad recia, estable y firme que nos lleve al éxito. No olvidemos:
“Educad al niño y no será necesario castigar al hombre” (Pitágoras).
“Árbol que crece torcido, no se endereza jamás (Adagio popular).
“El que no hoye consejo, no llega a viejo”.   (Adagio popular).
“El hombre es el arquitecto de su propio destino” (Albert Einstein).
“Hoy pongo al cielo y a la tierra por testigos contra ti, de que te he dado a elegir entre la vida y la muerte, entre la bendición y la maldición. Elige, pues, la vida, para que vivan tú y tus descendientes. Ama al Señor tu Dios, obedécelo y sé fiel a él, porque de él depende tu vida, y por él vivirás mucho tiempo en el territorio que juró dar a tus antepasados Abraham, Isaac y Jacob». (Dt 30, 19-20).
“Hijo, si te decides a servir al Señor, prepara tu alma para la prueba. Endereza tu corazón y mantente firme, en tiempo de infortunio no te inquietes. Únete al Señor y no te separes, para que al final de tus días seas enaltecido. Acepta de buen grado todo lo que te suceda, y sé paciente en las vicisitudes de tu humillación. Porque el oro se purifica en el fuego, y los que agradan a Dios, en el crisol de la humillación.” (Eclesiástico 2, 1-5).
“Por lo tanto, no te molestes en corregir a los necios; solo ganarás su odio. En cambio, corrige a los sabios y te amarán. (Proverbios 9,8).
No tengamos miedo corregir, con amor, pero sin vacilación, porque el que ama desea el bien para los demás y se empeña en guiar por el camino correcto, en cuanto que tiene bien claro que el amor cristiano lleva a vivir en la verdad y a aconsejar el bien.
La permisividad y la falta de autoridad nos han traído grandes conflictos: la perdida de la auténtica escala de valores; hemos caído en el relativismo; hemos perdido la dirección del mundo en que vivimos; hemos perdido los roles y las funciones; no tenemos en cuenta que, al lado de cada derecho, tenemos un deber; el irrespeto a la autoridad y el menosprecio por la disciplina.   
Según Sebastián Torres, “El origen de la autoridad es la necesidad de los grupos humanos de contar con órdenes superiores que regulen, administren y resuelvan los problemas entre los individuos. toda sociedad debe estar liderada por una autoridad”.
El barco que no tiene capitán, seguramente se hunde.  El cuerpo que tiene más de una cabeza, es un monstruo.  Necesitamos recuperar la autoridad, el liderazgo, el querer volver a tomar el timón.  No podemos estar acéfalos, ni a la deriva o como espectadores mudos. Que no sean para nosotros las palabras del profeta Isaías: “¡Esos cuidadores están todos ciegos, no saben nada! Son todos como perros mudos, incapaces de ladrar. Tendidos en sus lechos, no hacen más que dormir y soñar.”  Dejemos el miedo, el conformismo y con humildad y caridad, pero con decisión y precisión asumamos las responsabilidades, tomemos la dirección.
La figura paterna es muy importante y fundamental en el hogar. Se necesitan papás que dirijan, amen y pongan la disciplina en el hogar.  El maestro que forma integralmente es esencial en la sociedad.  Forme, eduque, oriente, guie querido maestro, no se deje intimidar.
Creámosle más a Cristo y a los grandes de la historia que han pensado en una sociedad madura y productiva que a los demagogos e irresponsables que quieren ganar adeptos para favorecer sus intereses personales.  Dolámonos del mundo en que vivimos y advirtamos que “No hay un amor más grande que el dar la vida por los amigos”. La vida la vamos dando en el día a día, cuando afrontamos por amor las dificultades por mostrar el buen camino, por hablar la verdad, por vivir la caridad y aconsejar el bien. Dios los bendiga, Sady Pbro.

So it won’t be long before you may be walking out of any store to people having a knock down, drag out in the parking lot.
All of the sudden one man knocks another to the ground and the man on the ground reaches in his waistband and starts to pull out a gun.
If that were to happen today, the only choice you may have is to duck and take cover so when the bullets fly, at least you will be safe.
That may all change soon enough as Texas Governor Gregg Abbott has recently said that he would sign legislation allowing Texans to carry handguns in public without a license.
In a recent radio interview Abbott said “I support it, and I believe it should reach my desk, and we should have ‘constitutional carry’ in Texas”. Just prior to that Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said the Senate did not have the votes for the legislation then, but he was trying to find a way to move it through the process.
It may seem scary to many of us that everyone would be running around with a gun strapped to their hip BUT when you truly give it some thought, it would be much better than a bad guy pulling one out on you and or your loved ones without you knowing they had it.
So once again you’re faced with a “Damned if you do or Damned if you Don’t” scenario.
Stop and think, either they ban guns on private citizen all together or if you feel secure enough, you get to carry one yourself for your own personal protection.
It’s certainly something that everyone should be talking about today before we go back to the days of the Wild Wild West when we’re all carrying guns on our hips and may the fastest man win. A day that we’ll all be waiting for the GUNSMOKE to clear to find out whowill be left standing to fight another day.
Just another Point of View.

​It’s very creamy, deliciously flavorful and satisfying plus it makes an ideal vegan appetizer too.

And we’re off; Add the olive oil to a pot with the onion and garlic, dried oregano and basil and sauté briefly. Then add the sliced mushrooms and the soy sauce, and cover the pot. Cook on medium high, covered, for around 10 minutes.
The mushrooms to release their water. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, and cook for 10 minutes more while uncovered to allow some of the water to cook off.
Next, add the coconut milk and cook for a final 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to blend properly.
Now, Add sea salt and black pepper to taste, garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Go ahead and enjoy some Happy, Healthy Eating.

To say Del Rio Rams head football coach Rod Taylor is excited about the upcoming season might be an understatement.
Entering his third season as the head coach, Taylor knows that he and his team have a lot to live up to in the 2021 season. The Rams are coming off a season in which they remained in the hunt for a district championship until the final week of the season. And while they got knocked out of the playoffs in the first round, just making it back to the postseason was an accomplishment that Taylor and his coaches feel they can build off of going forward.
In April the team began its spring football practices. This time is more crucial this year than in years past due to the majority of sub-varsity players not having taken a meaningful snap since the fall of 2019 after COVID wiped out their season in 2020.
Taylor is looking to build a new foundation for his team, but that means getting the players to become a family not just on the field, but off it as well.
After one recent practice, Taylor was walking off the field at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium when he saw his son, Zachary, speaking to another player. Taylor asked his son how his arm was feeling, and after learning it was fine he turned his attention to the other young man, a recent arrival to the football program.
The young man was soft-spoken but friendly. In short order, other members of the team began speaking to him and asking for his contact information to ensure he was kept in the loop in regards to activities going on after school. Taylor said seeing that was what he meant by “building a family.”
“That builds unity. They want to include him and make him feel like he belongs here and that’s what we want,” Taylor said.
Taylor won’t be empty-handed as he builds his new team. All-district linemen Joey Huizar and Diego Garcia anchor the offensive line and all-district honorable mentions Jovahn West, Abel Ortiz and Arnulfo Ramirez should help shore up the offense and special teams. Add to that group 2020 contributors like running back Luis Pablo Galaviz and Zachary Taylor, who took some snaps in the playoffs.
On defense, Jesus De Luna leads the unit. He’s the sole first team all-district returner for the defensive side of the ball, but he will be joined by second teamer Diego Piña and experienced returners Nathan Mayes, Fabian Venegas and Lonnie Green.
For now the team is working towards this year’s Spring Game, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, May 28, at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium.

“Seguimos en espera de recibir más ayuda por parte del Gobierno Federal con más oficiales para blindar la frontera debido a que los cruces de familias migrantes sigue en aumento cada semana en este sector En dónde se han Atrapado grupos desde 20 hasta 70 personas” dijo el sheriff del Condado de Val Verde Joe Frank Martínez
Asimismo se dio a conocer que los oficiales de la oficina del sheriff están realizando hasta 200 aprehensiones de familias migrantes cada semana mientras que la patrulla fronteriza ha llegado a reportar hasta 600 arrestos en siete días en sólo esta frontera.
El área que están utilizando las familias migrantes para ingresar a este país de manera ilegal es en Vega verde debido a que el nivel del agua es bajo por lo que familias aprovechan para cruzar llevar con ellos a sus hijos menores de edad e inmediatamente entregarse a las autoridades ya que buscan Refugio o asilo político.
El sheriff Joe Frank Martínez digo que todos los migrantes que son detenidos los entregan a la Border Patrol para que sean procesados según sus normas, esto depende en la nacionalidad de los migrantes.
La mayoría de los migrantes que son detenidos cruzando el Río Bravo o que se entregan a las autoridades al Ingresar a este país de manera ilegal son originarios de Venezuela Haití África Cuba ya que su proceso es diferente y después de ser fichados son liberados por el Gobierno Federal y podrán continuar su viaje al interior del país donde podrán reunirse con sus familiares que ya se encuentran establecidos en este país.
Asimismo se informó que los aspirantes a indocumentados de nacionalidad salvadoreña hondureños guatemaltecos y mexicanos intentan evadir el arresto a toda Costa esto porque su proceso es diferente al ser detenido tendrían que purgar una condena en prisión y después son deportados a su país de origen.
Es por ello que estos aspirantes a indocumentados han ocasionado persecuciones a alta velocidad poniendo en riesgo no sólo su vida pero el del resto de la comunidad.
Actualmente los oficiales de la oficina del sheriff están trabajando de cerca con la patrulla fronteriza y también con patrulleros del departamento de seguridad pública de Texas que fueron desplegados en esta área para ayudar en la vigilancia de la frontera debido al aumento de cruces a este país de familias migrantes.
Este es una problemática que se estado viendo desde hace años pero ahora el índice de arrestos ha incrementado de manera considerable debido a que sólo en este año fiscal que inició en octubre del 2020 se han reportado cerca de 97 mil aprehensiones de  aspirantes a indocumentados por parte de la patrulla fronteriza.
Te está esperando la llegada de 500 patrulleros del departamento de seguridad pública de Texas qué ayudará en la vigilancia de la frontera y para realizar arrestos de las familias migrantes estos oficiales son desplegados desde los límites del Condado de Val Verde hasta Laredo Texas Qué es el área en donde se ha tenido un incremento en aprehensiones de aspirantes a indocumentados.

There are so many interesting stories that never get told about musical groups and it’s silly that in this time and age we have to depend on a machine to tell us things that might not be correct at all. In this case the band The “Hollies”, it is them and the Rolling Stones which are one of the few bands that have never disbanded and continue to record and perform.
The Hollies in1961 were known as the Four Tones, then the Deltas and finally the Hollies. On April 16-23 of 1965 they made their first visit to America and by September 18 they began their first U.S. tour in Chicago along side the Yardbirds. On September 17,1965 the song “Bus Stop” is the groups U.S. break through song and hits #5.
Almost 2 years in the writing and finished during rehearsals at a TV studio the song is finally finished, “Carrie Anne” hits #3 in the U.K. Buy June the 25th 1969the group records “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother” with Elton John on piano, by 1970 that song hits U.S. # 7 and sells a million copies.
On September of 1972 their  album “Distant Light” makes U.S. #21 and the song “Long cool woman in a black dress”, a Creedence Clearwater Revival-styled is released as a single and hits #2 and earns the Hollies another gold disc for over a million copies sold.
By August of 1974 “The air that i breath” hits U.S. # 6 and becomes another million seller, collecting yet another gold disc. But then just like a lot of musical groups, the Hollies also suffered their part downfall as they were ripped off by their manager Michael Cohen and the Hollies were nearly bankrupt. Although there is very little scandal in the Hollies biography and people would think that there is nothing worth while talking about, Alllan Clarke really had a very serious drinking problem and went into rehab in 1979.
We’ll find out how a 19 year old Jewish kid who had written already 3 songs for the Yardbirds, came up with a hit song for the Hollies.
Find out more on the “Hollies” as we feature them as Artist of the Month on KWMC 1490 AM ‘Classic Hits Station” and the Little Red Rooster Show. And of course all information and known and unknown facts about the artist of the month are by Wendy Johnson and all shows are entirely produced and managed by Javier Martinez Sr.

Movie times are looking so much better and it looks like it’s about time to start heading back and enjoying everything there is to enjoy At The Movies.
First, YES, There are quite a bit of New Movies being released these days and it would seen there are a good number of New Movies coming in the near future too.
From our friends at Twisted Pictures, SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW.
“A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in this and terrifying chapter from the book of Saw.
Working in the shadow of his father, an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past.
Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.”
This Film is RATED: R and RUNS: 1Hr 33 mins
NEXT: Angelina Jolie is back in a New Action Mystery, Thriller.
THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD from Bron Studios in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance and Film Rites.
“ A smoke jumper (Jolie) and a traumatized boy fight for their lives as two relentless assassins pursue them through a raging fire in the Montana wilderness.”
This Film is RATED: R and RUNS: 1 Hr :40mins
AND: Let’s not forget, ARMY OF THE DEAD. From The Stone Quarry.
“From filmmaker Zack Snyder (300, Zack Snyder’s Justice League), ARMY OF THE DEAD takes place following a zombie outbreak that has left Las Vegas in ruins and walled off from the rest of the world. When Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), a displaced Vegas local, former zombie war hero who’s now flipping burgers on the outskirts of the town he now calls home, is approached by casino boss Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada), with the ultimate proposition: Break into the zombie-infested quarantine zone to retrieve $200 million sitting in a vault beneath the strip before the city is nuked by the government in 32 hours.” Not to worry, there’s a lot more twists to the story as well.
This Film is RATED: R and RUNS: 2 Hours and :28 mins
Time to duck into your nearest theather and into a New Adventure AT THE MOVIES.

The criminal justice system is perceived as a punitive dead end that offers little hope to the person arrested or criminally charged. Even when the offense is a misdemeanor or, in particular, a DWI.
But that narrative has changed in Val Verde County.
The Val Verde County DWI Specialty Court helps those who find themselves in a DWI situation. The specialty court is a state-funded program — through a grant from the governor’s office — that provides services to Val Verde County residents who could be or who are, in the criminal justice system due to a DWI.
“The difficulty is you’re dealing with individuals that have issues — not all of them — with alcohol and, or, drugs,” said Val Verde County Court at Law Judge Sergio Gonzalez. “Everything we do, it’s a team approach. “Everything we do is evidenced based…means that it’s worked before and it’s all data-driven…the percentages and the figures that have come out of this data is reflective that it’s an approach that works.”
The DWI specialty court team includes Gonzalez, a defense attorney, a prosecutor, an assigned probation officer, a licensed professional counselor, a coordinator and a case manager.
DWI offenders can enter the specialty court program as participants after an arrest and prior to charges being filed, (pre-adjudicative) or after charges, have been filed (post-adjudicative). They’re referred to the DWI court by a magistrate or justice of the peace. Gonzalez said the specialty court runs parallel to the criminal case where it monitors the person, performs risk assessments via urine analysis or swabs to detect specific levels of alcohol or drugs, and furnishes counseling. The court meets every two weeks and is well-equipped with updated information relevant to program participants.
“It’s worked out pretty good and provided a lot of services that typically you would never have for individuals that were in the criminal justice system for DWI,” he said.
The Val Verde County Specialty Court began in 2015 and is funded annually by the grant. Initially, 10-20 participants were in the court program, and now there are 47 with the total amount capped at 50 by the state. The court requires yearly authorization from the commissioners court to apply for the grant.
People who don’t reside in Val Verde County or have been arrested for drug-related or violent crimes are not eligible for the specialty court program. Also, potential participants are denied entry into the program if the team decides not to accept them after carefully evaluating two initial assessments that they’re required to undergo.
Another aspect of DWI circumstances is the suspension of a driver’s license. Anyone in Texas arrested for DWI will have their driver’s license suspended, Gonzalez said. The court encourages participants to get their license back as soon as possible. And it can help a participant recover normal license status.
“If we accept them into this program, we can write a letter to the justice of the peace and say, ‘Hey, this is what the program consists of, this is what we do. In lieu of this person successfully being a part of this program, are you willing to assist them? Either reducing their obligations to you, doing away with it altogether, as long as they successfully complete the program.’ And in some cases, they do,” he said.
Ultimately, the specialty court’s mission is to enhance public safety and reduce recidivism by offering to assist county residents who are program participants a chance to change their lives.
“We try and get their trust to let them know, ‘Hey, we’re here for you. We’re able to help you. Let us help you,’” Gonzalez said.

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Wednesday, May 5 in 2021, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

Cinco de Mayo History
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, a popular misconception. Instead, it commemorates a single battle. In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member of the indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. At the time, the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.
In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces.
France, however, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large force of troops and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.

The Battle of Puebla
Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla.
The vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez gathered his army—supported by heavy artillery—before the city of Puebla and led an assault.

How Long Did the Battle of Puebla Last?
The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash.
Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at the Battle of Puebla on May 5 represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement. In 1867—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the Civil War—France finally withdrew.
The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico in 1864 by Napoleon, was captured and executed by Juárez’s forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph there.