Sunset Over the Rio Grande Valley

About twenty minutes before sunset. Because of the clouds I had hoped for more spectacular color in the western sky, but it didn't quite happen.

Notice the tethered blimp hovering between the two prominent palm trees at the left. It's "Big Brother's" eye in the sky. It keeps watch over the Valley from Mission, TX to Sullivan City.

A ground crew maintains the blimp and keeps an eye on the monitors 24 hours a day, every day. This part of the Texas border is a high traffic area for illegal immigrants.

Buildings on the Square in Historic Roma, TX

On the left is the John Vale/Noah Cox house, early merchants in Texas. In the center is Rosita's Cantina with the Guerra market and residence on the right.

Roma was a major trade center on the Rio Grande River in the mid to late 1800s. Before dams were built to control flooding, flat bottom boats wheeled upriver as far as Roma.

Richard King of "King Ranch" notoriety made his first fortune as a river boat captain on the Rio Grande and was a frequent visitor in Roma.

Los Ebanos Ferry

Even though south Texas has seen an unusual amount of rain in the past couple months, water levels on the Rio Grande River seem to be very low. Note the steep descent of the pickup truck as it approaches the ferry.
Passengers climbing the slope have just disembarked and are trudging toward the U.S. Customs and Immigration building at the top of the hill.

The ferry can carry up to three vehicles – cars, pickup trucks or SUVs – and as many passengers as will fit. Normally, the foot traffic consists of U.S. and Canadian citizens who have made purchases (liquor, beer or cigarettes) at the duty free store and are required to cross the border with their goods and then return to the U.S. where they pay appropriate taxes and duty.

The ferry operates most days from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. unless the water level is too high to permit safe crossing. With a full load, it takes about 20 minutes to make a round trip including embarking and disembarking passengers and vehicles.

The ferry is billed as the last "hand-operated" ferry in the United States.