New Home Owner and Border Watcher

During a short stay in Sun City West visiting my Mom, I purchased a small home in Sun City. While waiting for escrow to close I headed to Robles Junction, not far from Tucson, AZ and not far from the U.S./Mexico border to volunteer my time. So far I've gone out on three 4-midnight observation operations assisting the U.S. Border Patrol with the apprehension of illegal aliens invading our country. I myself haven't spotted any, but others on the line have. When we spot invaders we radio the information to our communication center volunteer, who phones the Border Patrol office, who hopefully dispatches agents to the location to apprehend the invaders. Sometimes it all works out well, sometimes it doesn't. But I, and all the other volunteers, feel like we are doing something to help our country.
Sitting out in the desert, in the pitch black of the night, can be a bit daunting. One night I heard some critter snorting not far from me. I could't see anything, but I heard the snort, then soft clomping. I guess it could have been a deer or possibly a Javelina. I wish I had lit it up with my spot light so I would know for sure, but I didn't, so I just go on wondering. Packs of coyotes serenade us throughout the night, and the incredible display of stars continue to facinate me.
Staying awake after the sun goes down is getting a little easier each night, but it does get cold and a bit boring. I find myself hoping for some sort of excitment, either at my spot, or another one down the line, just for some sort of diversion from just sitting, listening, and trying to "see" in the dark. We are suppplied with radios, large spot lights, and some are lucky enough to be issued night vision glasses and infrared scopes that illuminate anything giving off heat. One night my partner and I watched a cottontail enjoy his late night snack of some sort of vegetation. Even the trees give off heat.
I will try to continue volunteering my time here at the border until the end of the month. Then I will return to Sun City to close escrow on my new little home and start the updating projects I have planned. I'll continue to do a bit of traveling off and on this winter with the WIN RV club until Feb. then spend 3 months finishing up my house.