Veteran's Day Parade- November 7

This morning we returned to the town of San Elizario for their Veteran's Day Parade. El Paso also had a parade in its downtown but we opted for local color in a small town parade on the El Camino Real(this oldest and longest road in North America linked the missions and agricultural communities to distant trade routes,it stretches from Mexico City to Santa Fe). Leading the parade were ladies and gentlemen dressed in period costume of the 19th century-they posed for a picture after the parade. The town has five veterans,of whom they are very proud. There were ceremonies and speeches honoring them after the parade. A lot of patriotism was voiced today in this little town,by old and young! After a lunch of hot dogs and soda-given free to everyone thanks to the donation of the El Paso County Commissioner of the third precinct,John and I headed to Rio Bosque Wetland's Park. That place was a bee hive of activity-from the littlest dragonflies and butterflies to the many Harris's Hawks flying overhead! As we walked along the noise of our footsteps flushed out numerous coveys of mourning doves and Gambel's Quail. In the wetlands we saw many species of ducks,as well as herons and egrets. The trail we took came close to the fence on the American side of the border. Beyond the fence flows the Rio Grande River,the middle of which is the border between Mexico and the United States. The river use to flow through the wetlands,now Texas has filled those same river channels with treated waste water from El Paso,to restore this natural habitat.