As the scorching heat of the summer gives way to afternoon rains and cooler temperatures in the low 80s, residents along the Texas, Mexico border begin to prepare for rituals of autumn. Some of the staff of Borderzine for the fall 2014 semester practiced their multimedia skills by capturing signs of the season in our community.
1. Abuela’s Chicken Soup
This is the time of year when stock pots on stoves across the nation simmer with the comforting goodness of chicken soup. Here, reporter Marilyn Aleman presents a typical El Paso version prepared by her mother using big chunks of vegetables and corn still on the cob. The wine for the cook is optional.
2. Pool closing time
Renee Malooly follows a community pool lifeguard as the season winds down.
3. Chile roasting
Fall is the time for canning the late-summer harvest. Along the border it is also the time for roasting and freezing chiles. Most area supermarkets sell batches of Hatch long green chiles they’ll roast for customers in a big rotating screened drum in the parking lot. Some people prefer to roast their own on their patio grill. Damaris Reyes shares a video of the process of roasting and freezing jalapenos at home.
4. Tailgating
If this is Texas, there must be tailgating. Anthony Canales checks in on the fun before the game.
5. Flu shots
Even the best chicken soup and roasted chiles can’t always protect you from the germs of winter. Reporter David Chavez reminds us that fall is the best time to prepare for the worst with a flu shot – before illness starts to spread.
6. Football
We did say this was Texas, right? So no fall roundup would be complete without a nod to the serious football fan. Here Fredesvinda Rojas captures a true fanatic of the game.
7. Fundraising
The fall has traditionally been the big season for fundraising by organizations. It is the last chance to ask for support before donors turn their thoughts and wallets to the holiday season. Listeners of public radio know it as the time when their regularly scheduled programming is replaced with pleas for support. Here’s a look behind the scenes at one public radio station, KTEP-FM, during its fall fund drive.
