Tempers Still Flaring at the Reeves County Detention Center...

The Pecos Enterprise shot this picture showing flames and smoke coming from the prison. Special thanks to the Pecos Enterprise.
Travis and Tony are still working out at the prison. I have not talked with them since the call on Monday and have been diligently feeding the horses and dogs until I hurt by back Wednesday morning getting ready for work. Our wonderful friends have come to my rescue on feeding the horses, so that I can use all my energy taking care of Katy, Rusty, Jessie & Cody.

I have proof that these dogs are intuitive and know when something is ailing you! They knew that my back was killing me and therefore did not jump up to say "Hi!" Not one of them jumped on me. Rusty kept rubbing up against my legs as if to say "Where are our masters?" I made sure they had plenty of water and food and untangled Rusty's chain. We have to keep him chained up so that he doesn't take the kids out for a stroll in the neighborhood.

Katy has been a little protective of the food lately, so I lovingly stroked her head while I gave a handful to Rusty and Jessie who were hovering near the food bowl, letting them eat out of my hand as I slowing moved it so that they were eating out of the bowl along with Miss Kate. Cody had retreated under the house, probably waiting for his mom to finish so I took a couple of handfuls over to him.

I can tell that they are missing Travis and Tony about as much as I am...


MnC's Disclaimer: At no time is excessive force, cruelty or brutality used when training the horses pictured in this blog. Reinforcing pats and firm gentleness, along with calmness from the trainers, encourage the horses to do as they are asked.

The Riot Is Over...

UPDATE 8:45 PM Reeves Co. Detention Riot Over 2/2/09

Travis called at 9:33pm to let me know that everyone is okay and to see how the horses and dogs were doing! They are working on getting the prisoners settled. He and Tony were able to go home early this morning long enough to take showers and get back to the prison. Travis also said that the CERT team wants to get together outside the prison. I asked him was it because everyone had done their duty, and he replied "Oh, yeah!" At this point, all the questions that I had just rolled away when I heard his voice. Just knowing that they were okay was enough for this mom's heart. Now I can sleep...



MnC's Disclaimer: At no time is excessive force, cruelty or brutality used when training the horses pictured in this blog. Reinforcing pats and firm gentleness, along with calmness from the trainers, encourage the horses to do as they are asked.

Another Prison Riot...

UPDATE: (10:27PM)- Reeves Co. Detention Riot Continues 2/1/09

Yesterday afternoon Travis and Tony were working cattle up north when they received the call that the CERT Team had been activated. It took them a couple of hours to get back to Pecos, drop Coal and Oakley off at the corrals, grab their CERT gear & boots and head to the prison pulling the horse trailer.

I threw hay right before they pulled into town so they would not have to worry about feeding. As the night wore on, it became apparent that something was going on. TnT didn't call to tell me that they were safe at home. So I went online to see if there was any coverage of the riot. Sure enough, it was a repeat of the riot in December, except it involved R1 & R2, (Were the guys work) instead of R3. The prisoners have burned the commissary, booking, and the infirmary. Also, there is damage to the kitchen and some of the housing units.

Last night Tony called at 9:47pm to ask me to take care of the dogs and horses until I heard from them again. All that he told me was that the CERT Team activation was not a drill and that this time was worse than the December riot. I don't expect to hear from them until they are on their way home, so in the meantime I will pray, haunt the online newscasts, and try to go about my normal routine while my sons are in harm's way.

• UPDATE: (10:45 PM)- Prison Riot At Reeves County Detention Center 1/31/09
• LATEST: Riot in Progress at Reeves County Detention Center
• Riot continues at West Texas prison

On a brighter note: The horses are doing great! As the guys left the corrals in a hurry last night, Cahlibur jumped, kicked and trotted all over his pen. If I didn't know that he has ringbone and has been lame, I would not have been able to tell it! I didn't write to let you know that Belle hurt herself somehow on Christmas Eve. It was after dark when the guys pulled in to feed. Tony noticed that Belle was acting different and when he pulled the truck around to shine the lights on her, all he saw was blood from above her right front knee to the ground. Further inspection showed that she had somehow cut herself pretty deep. Tony left several messages with the local vet, called me and loaded her up in the trailer for the short drive to the clinic.

We were waiting for the vet when a rancher pulled in with a cow that had a prolapsed uterus. They had been able to get a hold of Doctor Box and he would be there any minute. (They were the reason we got nothing but answering machine!) Doctor Box pulled in looked at Tony holding Belle's leg and said "I didn't know about this one!" as he pulled around to work with the cow first.

By the time I got back with Triple Hamburgers, fries & Dr. Pepper's from Dairy Queen for the guys, Doctor Box had Belle stitched up and was wrapping her leg. She was so drugged that Tony rode in the horse trailer with her back to the corrals. We can only guess that she was kicked by one of the other horses (Cahlibur or Clancey), because there are no sharp areas within their corrals. There were no signs that she received this wound on the pipe fencing either.

I will share pictures of the horses in the next post...and pictures of Kate 'n' Rusty's grandpups!!!


MnC's Disclaimer: At no time is excessive force, cruelty or brutality used when training the horses pictured in this blog. Reinforcing pats and firm gentleness, along with calmness from the trainers, encourage the horses to do as they are asked.

Update on Riot and Hostage situation at R3...

Well, the riot was over at 2am, Saturday morning! However, since the guys were on the cert team and all the inmates had to be pat searched, they didn't get home until 10:30 am to complete a 29 hour shift. I received a call that they would have to stop by the hospital and then they would stop by the Feed Store?!!?!!?

As it turned out, after the inmates burned down the "rec" center, they found a way to break off up to soccer-sized concrete blocks from the handball court wall to throw at the cert team and one connected with Travis' hand. Negative on the broken hand! One cert member was spun around with a block to the shoulder and another member was yanked back into the building as inmates tried to pull him into the yard...

When the riot broke out, Tony was guarding a crane that was working in the yard, so he was left standing in the yard, (chomping at the bit!) until he was relieved to get his gear and join the rest of the cert team and his brother. He said that what he saw looked like something from a medieval movie. The inmates had found a way (possibly with coats turned into sling-shots) to catapult hundreds of concrete rocks with uncanny accuracy at the cert team that was working on clearing all the inmates out of their cells into the yard.

Travis was escorting an inmate to the shoe (solitary confinement) and was one of the first to respond to
r3. He said that as they worked on clearing the inmates out of their cells, each unit got harder to sweep. At one point there was at least 800 inmates trying to keep the unit door open and by shear team work they got the door shut and locked! When all was said and done, Travis sustained several bruises and his helmet sustained many blows to the left side.

From the guys descriptions of their gear I visualize beefed up versions of the Federation Troops in Star Wars! Except all black!! I will leave the who, what, where, when and why details to the authorities and just thank God that the hostages, the cert team and the rest of the prison staff are safe and sound and that the S.W.A.T. team and other law enforcement entities were not needed to gain back control of RCDC3!!!

p.s. I DID feed the horses and dogs! I need to get updated pictures of everyone posted...who knows what the future will bring!!

CBS 7 - Your Eye on West Texas

CBS 7 - Your Eye on West Texas

UPDATE @ 7:49pm ~ Tony called long enough to make sure that I fed the horses and to say that Travis was among the first officers to respond and that he got over there a little later than his brother did. Also one of the hostages is free!

My boss called with the link to CBS7.