Shalom. My name is Anibal Canales. You're welcome to call me "Andy" if you like. You're also welcome to call me "Bigfoot", everyone else does. And I am a resident of Texas death row. I have been here 21 years which you can add to the amount of time I have spent in prison as a whole. Simply, I have spent my entire adult life locked up in TDCJ. I arrived in prison in 1983 and yes, I caught my capital murder case IN PRISON. One of the few good things of this was when I was transferred to Polunsky, I had already been to Admin. Seg many times so I knew what to expect. My first long stint in Seg. was 7 years, then convinced someone to let me out. So, when I talk about this place, know this, I KNOW what I'm talking about, believe that.

I am 57 years old this December (the first). No kids, never married and very little family. My closest friends are my family. I'm truly blessed to have such good people in my life. Smile. I am originally from Chicago. I was born and raised thru out that area. Came to Texas in 1978 to live with my Pop (RIP old man). I have all my family that lives along the border of Texas and Mexico,  so I have been coming to Texas all my life. I love it! I love this state. I love the people, the skies, the air. One day I'll be happy to explain that. Ha! Since I have arrived in Texas, I have been a resident of its institutions: juvenile centers, jails, prisons and a lot of halfway houses and foster homes. I have been a ward of the state almost my whole life. Again, I say this, when I talk about this place and places like it, I know what I'm talking about, just sayin'. I do have family. I love them but they are not always in contact. They are by all accounts good people who live their own lives. Who can blame them? 

My hobbies? Well, I love to climb mountains, jump out of planes, water ski. I also love art and like to stare at sculptures, paintings and any work that is creative, artistic. I do a little of this and that, but nothing as good as some on the row, mainly because I get bored with it. But I'm sure you could find some of my crap floating around some places. Ha! I do all the things that you can do in this house, except with one difference that I think separates me from those that share a cell like mine. This cell doesn't keep me within its walls! I can close my eyes and go anywhere, any place in the world. I have climbed those mountains, I have dived deep in the oceans, I have skied the waters of resort towns across the world. I have stood on the great wall of China. I have laid on the floor on the Basilica in Rome. I have stood transfixed at the works of art in galleries around the world. I have walked thru the trails between cherry blossoms in Japan. THIS CELL does not hold me. The fact that I have actually not done any of these things means nothing. They can lock me up physically but they can't lock me away SPIRITUALLY! These walls don't hold me or my mind. I wish that I had a long list of super cool things that I have done in my life. But truth is, I have not lived long in the world. And when I did, I did some cool stuff but nothing that compares to others. 

Thank you for your time and it's always a pleasure to meet interesting people.

I wish you peace and health...

Later!