Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Waves Of Steel

Our latest delivery was for the Border Patrol in Nogales, AZ.  Nothing special, just two huge communication tower poles.  We took I-19 until we couldn't go any further, then met up with our escort, who took us across the ranch property of a local resident - where goats, chickens and horses roamed freely - to the location where we were to unload.

These guys sprinted in front of the truck and then walked along next to us.  I cut up an apple and three each horse a half.  I was happy when I saw their heads dip to pick it up. 
As we approached the unload location, the serpentine border fence became visible in the distance, following the topography of the landscape.  The ride in was a bit brutal.  Very bumpy, very dusty, very barren, very hot.  We climbed at a rate that made us naturally fall back into our seats.  It felt as if we were going straight up. 

Before we took the truck out here, the escort drove Ed up to the location in his pick-up.  There was one hairy turn that was extremely tight, but since Ed had already done a little re-con on the road he had to take, he knew he'd be able to make it.
I initially thought the structure on the other side of the fence was a house, but as we got closer, it seemed to be a Border Patrol outpost.
Finally the escort stopped, got out and showed us where he wanted to wait, and then disappeared.  We sat there until the forklift guys came to unload us.  For once, it wasn't a long wait.
Here's a close-up shot of the fence.  The configuration looks different than the pieces we delivered last time to the border.  Those were solid plates of steel, unlike these which are slatted.
 
 Once we unloaded, Ed spun the truck around to head back.  From this angle, the fence seemed to go on forever, undulating into the distance.

It's always weird for me to see another country just feet away.  I felt that way when we rode bikes along the Canadian border.  To the right was the United States, to the left Canada.  The road we were on separated us from an entire nation full of people.

The only difference with Canada, is that up there they didn't have a giant, imposing, metal fence manned by guards in towers.

That's what makes this a lugubrious landscape.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2012: Forever In Bloom
2011: Ed Visits His First Warehouse Store
2010: HBD 143
2009: Eddie Hauls Laundry The White Trash Way Friday
2008: Sun Setting Over Lake Pontchartrain
2007: Sanchez. Pedro Sanchez.
2006: Remembering Those In Heaven
2005: The Line Of Gold Thread

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That looks really weird. Its almost like, that bush in in the USA, and the bush next to it is in Mexico. I've never seen a border close up like that, although when I was a kid we went through the Berlin wall on our way to my dads family in Poland. Great photos.

Mick

Gil said...

I was thinking it wandered like the Great Wall of China and/or the Berlin Wall like Mick. Sure is some real barren territory!!!