Category Archives: personal opinion

Keep Your Paws Off My Cell Signal

We can see the lights of Mexico across the lake from our Airstream windows – and it’s quite lovely at times. Not so lovely is that their telecom companies can overwhelm our AT&T 4G signal and make communicating a challenge. (To put it in non-barnyard language.)

There’s no decent wifi within 15 miles or so – and we rely on 4g for our iPhones and iPads and do ok, as long as we watch the data usage. I’m writing this on my iPhone with only a couple of bars and “AT&T LTE” showing. However, at any time, since we are about a mile from the border, my signal may go to TELCOM, the powerful Mexican system.

I’ve turned off “roaming” on all our devices to avoid international charges so when this rogue system takes over, my connection just dies.

My iPad is hijacked by a system called MOVISTAR so that’s been useless here at the campground.

Now we have been here before and know the drill but it’s still frustrating. We called the kids yesterday afternoon after driving five miles or so to get a decent signal. (Of course, that’s the distance I have to drive on Vermont to get coverage when our power goes out.) we have learned some tricks to get our electronic fixes. Libraries are great, coffee shops ( if there was one within 50 miles) and many fast food places are wired. I’ve found that some box stores have great wifi.

So, if you see this guy in Walmart or H.E.B. carrying his iPad, glancing at it surreptitiously from time to time, it’s only me using the wifi to download *Sports Illustrated* or *The New Yorker*, or TurboTax updates. As our son Rich quipped, “Download not quite done yet, time to cruise the baby food aisle again.”

I’d better finish this before TELCEL gets greedy. I’m down to one bar.

Collector’s Items

Just before I left the lower Valley, I found this license plate at the [Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park](http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/bentsen-rio-grande-valley). I did not find the owner but thought it was a good birder plate.

The other day, here at [Falcon State Park](http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/falcon), I came across this one while walking the dog. John, the owner, is an old single guy traveling nearly full-time in a 2005 Airstream and a serious birder.

For you non-birders, twitchers are committed bird-watchers who travel long distances to see a new species just to add a species their “lifelist”, “year list” or other lists. (I generally do not include myself in that category but a really rare bird …..)

John is not only a chaser, he’s a collector. I should have figured this from the back of his vehicle which had probably fifty stickers – non political – all birding places and events he’d been to. Then, while visiting with him, I learned of his liking for old postcards, old photos and the like. He invited me into the trailer for a look and it was indescribable: hundreds of cloth patches from everywhere, a stuffed dog, all sorts of, to me, crap. I can see why he travels alone.

John collects old license plates as well and has a 1972 Wyoming plate on the front of his truck. He switches them out periodically since PA, like many states, only requires a rear plate.

To each his own. I think I’ll stick to electronic images of license plates. And continue to avoid flea markets and lawn sales.