Mission...where the buffalos roam!

This happened August 23, 2010...


Not many of us expect a full grown Buffalo to wander into their yards but that's exactly what happened to my sister-in-law on this year's first day of school.

Esther O. Corpus, is my sister-in-law.  She's married to my only brother, Arnaldo.  She is an awesome, talented person.  I should know...it was her expertise that gave me my kitchen.  (She also took the pictures of the buffalo.)

She did an awesome job!!!

Now to my story...

 Esther took, Kevin, 12, and Ray, 16, to school, came home and decided to catch a few more winks before she embarked on the rest of the day.

An hour and a half later she walked outside to enjoy her morning on the patio.  While outside she went to the  outside bathroom and upon her return, this was standing in the driveway.

Monster and Sobe being the loyal dogs that they are, immediately went into protection mode, and barking ensued.  Esther quickly rushed the dogs inside the house and called out to her house guests who were fast asleep.

Caesar Gonzalez and his son, Alexandro, were visiting from California jumped out of bed and ran outside.    By that time our buffalo had somehow managed to get inside the swimming pool area.  Alexandro now thinks buffalo roam in Mission and this was a typical day in Texas.

Inside the swimming pool area.

 They closed the swimming pool area gate to keep him in and the poor baby kept trying to find his way out.

 After a quick photo opt, police were called.

As it turned out they had been chasing him since 2:00 a.m.  Our buffalo belonged to Dr. Melendez, who happens to live on Bryan and 2-mile line across the street from the William Jennings Bryant historical landmark  (It's also Krysti Buckley Davis' home.)  He had walked down Bryan Road, turned right on 3-mile line and turned into the lane where my brother and sister-in-law live.

Our buffalo, unable to find his way out, jumped the fence and continued to the south side of the yard.  (That fence is a little over 4 feet and he jumped it easily...)

Now comes the sad part of my story.  I want to say that he was captured, returned to his home and everyone was happy but that's not what happened.  Unfortunately, the peace officers over tranquilized him and he died....and sadly, he was sent to the taxidermist.  At this writing I don't know whether only the head will be mounted or the whole body will be stuffed.

Dr. Melendez is not the only person who has buffalo.  There's another family that have about three buffalo roaming their land on Conway near the 2-mile line...so seeing buffalo in Mission is not that unusual.

Well folks...this is my story and I'm sticking to it....only in Mission!!!