It's Day 230....it's also December 22...2019....and we are in Columbus, New Mexico.

It's Day 230....it's also December 22...2019....and we are in Columbus, New Mexico.

If your driving from Bisbee Arizona....crossing over into New Mexico in a small town called Rodeo (rodayo)....a few miles later....just head east on highway 9.....and you'll find Animas.

It was getting late....and it was getting dark. I'd just reached for the phone only to learn that we were , once again, without a cell signal...as I wondered if this would end up being another 1 or 2 day stretch of life without a cell phone....like we had experienced across eastern Oregon....when a wide open spot appeared....coming up to our left.

As we pulled off the hiway, crossed the cattle guard and circled back around facing the highway....the cattle all around us made it obvious that we had pulled into a grazing area......but was it private property? Dougie and I walked back out to the entrance....to make sure we hadn't missed a no trespassing sign and didn't find one. But as we walked back towards Vacilando.....a pair of headlights peaked out from the foothills of a mountain range off in the distance.....as the car rounded the bend and came towards us....I was realizing that perhaps we were indeed....on private property.

I was helping Dougie back into Vacilando when the car pulled up along side us.....A friendly looking fella stepped out....as he walked toward us....he tipped his hat and held his hand out and said....Welcome....to Cienega Ranch. I'm Rory....everything ok here.

A little embarrased.....I explained that we had pulled off the road to let my little buddy stretch his legs a bit while I figured out where we were.....

Before I even said it...Rory offered...."You'll not get much cell service out here....got a phone back up at the ranch house if ya need one.

I thanked him....and offered...we'd be fine....it he didn't mind us catchin a few winks here....be outta your hair in the morning....,

He graciously responded....not a worry....but you all gonna be alright out here.....gonna get cold tonight.

No problem I said....we got plenty of blankets...and heat.

And then.....even more graciously he offered......why don't ya come up to the house in the morning for a cup of coffee...just follow this road up round that bend.....you'll come to a wooded area....take the gate on the left and it'll bring ya right up to the front door.

I accepted....we shook hands again...and Rory was off.....back into those foothills from where he had come.

We awoke at dawn the following morning.....and Rory was right....it was cold....27 degree's in fact....and the chilled air was laden with an early morning mist....but the sun would make short work of the chill....and the mist....as it rose higher in the sky.

I didn't get to have that morning cup of coffee with Rory. We did head up to the house around 8:30...didn't wanna show up too early.....Kellye....equally as friendly as Rory would answer the door quietly asking....how was your night....you all keep warm out there?

Sure did....I responded.......it was great

Thats when Kellye introduced herself and went on to say Rory wasn't feelin all to well this morning...was still in bed actually.

I explained....no worries....really just wanted to thank you one more time for your hospitality last evening.....and please....tell Rory get well soon

Hmmm....such a nice experience here.....on a ranch nestled between the Piloncillo, Animas.... and the Chiricahua Mountains of New Mexico.

I was curious...to more about this place....and a quick search would reveal...that we had actually....just spent the night on a historic New Mexico working ranch... and that history.....dates back to 1879.

The Cienega ranch...was homesteaded, and began operation in 1879 by the Johnson Family. 140 years later....The 33,000 acre ranch continues to operate as a successful cattle ranch.... In the last few decades the focus has shifted to conservation of the land the area has become well known for the stargazing opportunities in the Bortle One Dark Sky area....Bird watching enthusiasts visit the area for the opportunity to view over 130 bird species in their natural habitat. The ranch even offers guest houses for rent on the property as well as Bed and Breakfast facilities. Off road and hiking tours are offered as well.

And while on one of these tours....you'll have the opportunity to experience another pretty interesting piece of American History....the Cienega ranch is the site of an adobe hut....in which Geronimo is said to have spent some of his final days as a free man.

I thought back to yesterday when we pulled off to take photo's of that memorial just outside Apache Arizona.....the spot where Geronimo actually surrendered to US troops....and then just some 30 miles later here we were....randomly parked here.

And Geronimo....isn't only notable historic figure associated with this ranch....Billy the Kid and Cochise were also known to spend time in the area.

Suddenly I wondered how many other places we might have been.....in which we might have had experiences just like this....only didn't know it?

Man....I sure wish I gotten to have that cup of Coffee with Rory......I bet he and Kellye have some awesome stories....another time maybe....and perhaps even a stay in one of those guest houses.....on the Cienega Ranch

The History of the small, unincorporated nearby community of Animas....goes back even further than that of the Cieniga Ranch.....Founded in 1753....well before the birth of America.... by Spanish Settlers....they would call it.... Animas....which means souls...in spanish. The name is often associated with the phrase Animas Perdidas....which translates as Lost Souls....

Theories around why these spanish settlers would refer to the area as Lost Souls......bounce between the Spanish settlers referring to the hardships endured during their explorations of this rugged terrain.....and others believe it to be a reference to the centures old Native American presence in the area.....and their spiritual beliefs.

Unlike much of New Mexico, Animas was not included in the Mexican Cession at the end of the Mexican-American War. Instead, Animas...became part of the United States through the Gadsden Purchase in 1853.

From the Cienega Ranch....we'd drive just 60 miles or so when where we found Columbus. Pulling into this town of just over 1000....we'd have never guessed.....the history this place would have to offer up.....

Our first find....The Poncho Villa State Park. And the RV facilities within it. The perfect spot...I thought....for some rest....walks....maybe grab some groceries in town....and head out......

But as the boys and I slept that night...and woke up the following morning....just three miles from the Mexican Border....I'll tell you....Driving....and walking along this border......that border that I have flown over so many times.......is a much different experience.....on the ground.

On our way in...we'd pull over frequently to observe Border Patrol activity…and actually hoping one would approach us…to date they don’t seem interested in us…I'd love to talk to them.....but they always seem busy.....

I’m fascinated with this place that is in the news so much lately. ....the border.....Most of the time we…or myself at least, know so little about life and the goings-on in what the locals here call “Borderland”. Media....pretty predictable each time we near an election year....wants to tell of all the issues....the bad..... the seedy underbelly of America's border with Mexico.....but we were here.......so I wanted to see for myself.

And after Conversations with an agent at a security checkpoint at the entrance to the Playas Regional Training Facility…a government facility that trains Border Patrol agents ...... as well as other law enforcement in how to deal with the reality of the desert southwest.....and the cultures involved.......and and an extremely gracious host at the Poncho Villa Museum ......I returned to camp that night....I dropped a check in the payment box for two weeks....A nite or two...here...simply wasn't gonna do it.

It's almost embarrassing ....to realize that we had literally....just wandered..... in to an incredible piece of US history…That I knew nothing of.

The Battle of Columbus, which drug drug the US into the Mexican revolution conflict…happened here.

The first ever Army Air Station established in America…happened here.

The first time automotive technology, including the first ever 4 wheel drive vehicles and tanks that were deployed in warfare…happened here.

Standing in front of a grease pit built over a 100 years ago…to service these newly introduced mechanical monsters…I was thinking through, in sheer awe…the logistics and labor that must have gone into it. No diesel trucks with cement mixers and pumps on board rolling in and pouring ready made concrete into forms…what it must have taken in sheer back breaking effort gives me a new found sense of appreciation and curiosity.

Even the RV park we're staying in....was built....on historic grounds once occupied by Camp Furlong…the camp used as the base from which 10,000 troops would trek over 500 hundred miles into Mexico in search of the Mexican Revolutionist after he instigated his attack on America.

In the middle of all these firsts ...America...would begin to rethink...how it engaged in war…

And in the process....even reshaping the actual size and borders... of the American Southwest.

How could I know of none of this? Looking at the area today it feels abandoned, dirty, ugly and old…the sort of place most of us look away from when driving by....or thru.... I was lucky enough to find it. Now I want to understand it…

The Battle of Columbus?

Also referred to, as the Columbus Raid took place in the early morning hours of March 9, 1916. The events leading up to attack on Columbus are complex....taking place in the Middle of the Mexican Revolution....a 10 year period in Mexico's History in which corrupt regimes, and revolutionary's battled for governmental control of the Country.

During the early years of the Mexican Revolution....the US would back a famouse Revolutionary named Poncho Villa. Villa had gained support throughout Mexico .... and at the time....the US viewed him as an ally...in their attempt to overthrow the current....corrupt regime. US money...as well as weaponry would help Poncho Villa a great deal....however....by 1915....the original regime in Mexico....had been over thrown...replaced with another...that was now at war with Poncho Villa and his revolutionaries.

US support at this point would shift from Poncho Villa to the newly seated regime. Shortly after the US withdrew support and officially recognized the New Regime ..... Poncho Villa would suffer a devasting defeat at the hands of the New Mexican Government.....as well as....he believed.....the US....who was now providing logistical support to the New Mexican administration.

Infuriated by what he felt was betrayal by the US Government..... Poncho Villa and his defeated revolutionaries would be relegated to the Northern Mountain Ranges of Mexico.....where he would begin to plan his revenge on the US. His plan, it seems was to Attack the US, within it's own borders...bringing the bloodshed, of the Mexican Revolution to American soil....and provoking a war between the US and Mexico....which in turn...would distract the newly formed Mexican governments. Weakening it.....and allowing him another attempt to take power with his ally's.

It is most widely believed that Columbus was selected...as the site that would be attacked.....largely.....out of desperation. Poncho Villa had assembled what was left of his Revolutionairies.....around 1500 near the US Border....and was desperate for weapons and supplies. It has been rumored that a local gun dealer in Columbus had engaged in providing these supplies to Poncho Via.....and the towns proximity to the border would make it an easy target.

In the days leading up to the attack....Poncho Villa would send scouts into the town for reconnaissance....

The scouts would report back that there were fewer than 50 us soldiers present at the nearby Camp Furlong military encampment....which made the site even more appealing as a target.

But unfortunately for Villa......and most fortunate for the folks in Columbus...his scouts had misinformed him. There were actually over 300 soldiers present at the time....half of which were combat ready.

With this misinformation....Villa would finalize his plan....and on March 9, 1916 He led just under 500 revolutionaries into Columbus intending to kill everyone.....and leave the town burnt to the ground.

No Question....everyone in the town....including the Military personal at camp Furlong were caught off guard....but would react quickly. The settlement awoke to gunfire, and building's being set on fire. Villa's revolutionaries had just begun kicking in doors, robbing , and killing the towns people when troops from camp Furlong arrived...and began engaging the revolutionaries in gun battle. Ironically.....sUS soldiers would later report that the buildings that had been set ablaze would actually help them in their fight.....the illumination of the early morning hours enabled them to distinguish between fleeing civilians......the the attacking revolutionaries.

The 90 minute battle would cost 8 US Soldiers, and 10 American civilians their lives.....while Villa's forces would incur near 70 casualties before sounding the retreat bugle and fleeing the town. A small squadron of US soldiers would engage in pursuit....continuing to fire upon the retreating revolutionaires....ensuring that they would not be back for round two.

And while, for the most part, the raid had been a failure...for Poncho Villa....it did not, however, go unanswered. Americans were horrified....and outraged.....as was President Woodrow Wilson, who would order a punitive expedition into Mexico to capture Villa....An exhaustive search throughout Mexico would end some six months later and Villa would evade capture......and likely his execution in the US.

In 1920...after years of fighting as a revolutionairy....Villa would negotiate an amnesty deal with the Mexican government....and had seemed to settle into a quieter life ...... when in 1923 he was assassinated. The exact reason for....his assassination ..... or who executed it.....is unknown. Theories run ramped from political motivations.....to revenge amongst the many enemies accumulated during his career as a revolutionary.

I was curious as to why the US did not more aggressively pursue him to be held accountable for his actions in Columbus....especially after his amnesty deal with the Mexican Government. ...But this was a tricky time for the US....technically....we had invaded Mexico by sending US troops into a sovereign nation in search of Poncho Villa....without their permission. The newly established Mexican government was still a bit shaky itself.....and while they had not expressly forbidden it.....or demanded US troops leave....pressure was mounting for the US to get out of Mexico.

Not to mention.....in April of 1917....the US would find itself with a much bigger fish to fry.....it was called....WW1.

And don't think there are not plenty of theories out there.....that tell tales of the US military having a hand in the execution of Poncho Villa in 1923. But I didn't go to far down that rabbit hole.....none of these theories are widely accepted....and none ever produced any concrete evidence. The most widely accepted theory in Mexico...is that his political enemies of the time....who he had been at war with for years....simply exacted their revenge.

And it would be that Punitive Expedition into Mexico in search of Poncho Villa....that would lead to all those other "Firsts" that would take place in Columbus....

That first ever Army Air Station established in America…that was here.....that was the First Aero Squadron Airfield is the U.S. military’s oldest aviation unit, and was originally deployed to Columbus to support General John J. Pershing’s punitive expedition into Mexico....in that hunt for Poncho Villa

The first time automotive technology, including the first ever 4 wheel drive vehicles and tanks, to be deployed in warfare…were the ones shipped in from various location in the US....to New Mexico and used by the expedition..... While they were not used in actual combat during the punitive expedition.....those exercises were used as practice....for strategic learning....practice and learning that would serve the US military well during WW1......with some of these very same vehicles.

The Columbus Raid in 1916 would be the first time a foreign military had engaged US troops on American soil since the war of 1812. And while it had been 104 years since Americans had experienced bloodshed on American soil...at the hands of a foreign power....it would not be the last.

It would be just 25 years later when Americans would be dealt the most devistating blow ever delivered in our 140 year old nations history.....by a foreign enemy....when Japan would attack, and kill 2,203 Americans on December 7th, 1941 in Pearl Harbor Hawaii. Another 1,178 Americans would be left wounded.....and that incident would draw the US into the second world war....

It seems that Japan would continue it's attempts at incursion on American soil during WW2......in 1942 A Japanese submarine shelled Ellwood Oil Field near Santa Barbara California....damaging oil field equipment....but thankfully there were no casualties.

Later that same year.....another Japanese submarine would fire on Fort Stevens Oregon....again....thankfully ..... no casualties and even damage to the Fort Itself was minimal.

Then.....I read about the Japanese FU-GO campaign....this was crazy....

Fire Balloons...Between 1944 and 1945, Japan launched thousands of incendiary balloons aimed at starting forest fires in the western United States.

These hydrogen filled balloons were launched from the shores of Japan to carry incendiary devices...and small bombs across the pacific ocean.....using the Jet Stream to reach North America.....with the objective of starting large scale forest fires in the US.

The concept, and strategy being that they could insight panic across the US and increase phsycological impact once Americans realized the Western US was on fire....and the Japanese had caused it.....this would force the realization that Japan could actually reach the US shores, and homeland...with weaponry. It would have also forced the US to divert resources from the war effort to battle the fires.

Nearly 10,000 of these devices would be deployed....and it is estimated that over 300 actually made it to North America.

The US would first learn of the activity when one of the devices was discovered by US Naval Personell floating off shore near San Pedro California. As reports of similar devices began to surface across Canada, the US, and Mexico....Us Military personal were able to examine the devices and piece together the plot.

Sadly....a Tragic event involving one of these Balloons would take place in May of 1945......A group of six were headed into the woods outside Bly Oregon for a church pic nic. The group discovered one of these devices in the woods....but as they approached it the device detonated killing all 6 instantly.....these are the only known fatalities of the Japanese Fu-Go project.

The first step taken by the US was to institute a Media Blackout. All news agencies were asked not to to report on the findings in the name of National Security. It was feared that such news could panic the nation...but more importantly...the Military needed to prevent Japan from learning that any of these devices had surfaced in the area. They feared that if Japan learned of the findings....they would step up their efforts and broaden the campaign....and send tens of thousands more....of these bomb balloons across the pacific.

I guess you could consider the next step taken by the US Military.....to be the actions taken in August of 1945....when the US would drop nuclear bombs on two heavily populated Japanese cities.....resulting in the death of nearly a quarter of a million Japanese citizens.....it would also signal the surrender of Japan....and the end of ww2.

And it wasn't just the Japanese....during WW2....that would attempt to inflict damage on American soil....In June of 1942...German saboteurs landed on Long Island, New York, and in Florida with plans to attack industrial targets. But these guys were quickly discovered, and captured by US Military.

Post WW2......it would seem quiet for some 50 years or more....on US soil anyways......but that would change in 1993 when Al-Qaeda....a terrorist organization based in Sudan.....that fiercely dissagreed with American foreign policy at the time....and in particular...US support of Israel....would drive a van into the parking garage below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. The van contained a 1400 lb bomb....their intent was to bring down both towers....killings thousands of Americans.....sending a strong message to the US Government. When the bomb was detonated.....it did indeed cause a massive crater....and took the lives of 6 Americans. 1000 more would be injured. The attack fell far short of what Al-Queda had intended....

But sadly....and tragically....just 8 years later....They would succeed......when on September 11 of 2001 Al-Qaida would strike again. Hijacking four commercial airliners and crashing 2 of them into the World Trade Center towers in New York. A third would be crashed into the pentagon and the fourth....went down in a field in Pennsylvania...and In total ....nearly 3000 Americans died that day. The total loss of life attributed to the attack...including rescue efforts and the fallout effects on survivors and first responders is not fully understood....but recent estimates have added over 1500 deaths to the list related to the attacks on 9/11.

Wow.....that one more click...always gets me.....and it's always amazing what can be learned in just a few minutes of clicking around the internet....

But back to Columbus.......This New Mexico Village.....population 1200....and just 3 miles away from the Mexican city of Puerto Palomas....

This place that was named after the 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus....yep that one...the one that actually discovered America....

A town that would start in one place.....but then be moved 3 miles up the road to accomodate the railway coming thru.

a town with an incredible...and sometimes tragic past. But it's also a community working hard to move forward. It offers passersby the opportunity to gas up....grab a meal at one of it's two cafe's....each with their purely authentic quisine....and both are awesome....to which I can personally attest.

The town also has it's very own State Park.....and two Museums...both offering up the details on that storied past.

I would learn that the town enjoys a strong...and mutually beneficial relationship with the Puerto Palomas...just three miles away...and in Mexico. Each day....many of the youth in the area cross that Mexican American boarder each day....in search of an education...and exchange of culture....each returning home each afternoon in their respective towns.....to them...that 3 miles bus ride certainly doen't feel like they've left one country....and entered another....they just went to school.

Local businesses in each town work together to promote one another....each....two small towns in the desert southwest. One in America....the other in Mexico.....but working together in many ways....as one community.

Another interesting thing happened....During our time in Columbus.....walks with Dougie each evening were...I dunno....Sensory...maybe? It's hard to find the word.....

it’s odd...yet....being here..... it seemed to push me outside comfort zones. For me it was hard to absorb and understand until I did it…and yet millions live it on a daily basis here in “Borderland”.

It was a chilly 35 degrees out tonight....as Dougie and I took that last walk of the evening.

I find that Dougie leads mostly on these evenings. Something changes when it gets dark. He has no inhibition…it is not odd to him…it’s as if we are on yet another of our after dark treks around our east Tacoma neighborhood…he presses on absorbing the smells of yet another desert…with wonderment and curiosity…chasing the scent…

His wonderment and curiosity ....are very different from mine....

As he tugs on the leash pulling us both into the night.... It occurs to me that facing north I am looking at America…this homeland that wraps us in a blanket…sheltering us from the world…I feel safe…”comfortable”…but then I turn 180 degrees to the south and gaze upon the glimmering lights of Puerto Palomas Mexico and suddenly I feel out of place…not so “comfortable”…as if something is gently tugging at that safety blanket...the United States

Border Patrol sirens in the distance feel so much different than police car sirens in Tacoma…who are they chasing? Why did they need to hit that button…light things up and race into the desert night.... At home in Tacoma it would be close to ignored…just another night in the city…but here the blast that breaks through the silence of the the night could mean so much more…or does it mean nothing more? ....just another siren in the night.

Billie greets us at the door of Vacilando as he would anywhere…ticked off as usual that we went without him…as oblivious as Dougie as to where we are

But I am not…