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Visiting El Frijolillo

My grandfather was a storyteller. From as early as I can remember, he shared wonderful stories with me—stories that made my imagination sit up and pay attention. I loved listening as he told Aesop’s fables, the story of Androcles and the Lion, and other fascinating tales. This was during an age when television was still in its infancy and storytelling remained a treasured form of entertainment.

But the stories I loved most were those he told about his childhood growing up on a ranch in Duval County. To this day, Duval County remains rugged scrub country, populated by mesquite, cactus, and other stubborn vegetation seemingly determined to stick, cut, and wound the unsuspecting traveler.

As a boy, I was captivated by his stories of riding horseback across the ranch. During his teenage years, he worked as a cowhand on the George West Ranch, located not far from his family’s ranch. His stories made me want to be a cowboy, just as he had been before leaving ranch life behind to attend business college in San Antonio.

One day, he told me about being thrown from his horse at a place he called El Frijolillo (pronounced free-ho-lee-oh). He described it as a thick, tangled cowlick of mountain laurel and chaparral at one end of a pasture. The fall was apparently memorable enough to remain vivid in his mind decades later. As a boy, I often dreamed about that mysterious place called El Frijolillo.


When I was barely a teenager, my grandfather arranged for me to visit my country cousins at the ranch. He bought me a bus ticket from Mission to San Diego and sent me off on a great adventure—all by myself, with only a small suitcase in hand.

The only thing I remember about the bus ride was sitting next to an older woman who had doused herself in an overpowering amount of perfume. I could hardly breathe and pressed my face against the window, hoping for even the slightest whiff of fresh air. Toxic fumes aside, I made it to my destination, where my Uncle Florentino, my grandfather’s half-brother, was waiting to pick me up.

Florentino was a towering man. When I stepped off the bus, there he stood—wearing khaki pants, a long-sleeved shirt, black boots, and a straw cowboy hat. He looked down at me with welcoming eyes, shook my hand, took my bag, and led me to his pickup truck for the nearly twenty-mile drive to the ranch. That day marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Florentino.

I told Florentino that while I was at the ranch, I wanted to see El Frijolillo. He laughed and remarked that this was the very place where a horse had violently bucked my grandfather to the ground. Then he assured me that I would indeed get to see El Frijolillo—on horseback. I grinned from ear to ear and could hardly wait.

My cousins made sure that I experienced plenty of great adventures. They took me rabbit hunting, led me on hikes through the brush, climbed with me into deer blinds to survey the land, and introduced me to horseback riding. I killed my first rabbit, and my aunt cooked it for supper that very evening. Unbelievable! This adventure was already more than I had expected.


But the greatest adventure of all was riding a pony out to El Frijolillo, the place that had etched itself into my grandfather’s memory decades earlier. For whatever reason, he never forgot that fall—perhaps because being thrown from a horse was a rare occurrence, or because the impact had bruised itself so deeply into his memory.

I was there. Finally. As I surveyed the place, I could hear my grandfather’s story echoing in my mind. Standing on that very ground made me feel even more connected to him and to the ranch land that had nurtured him. This was part of my history—and now I had become part of the story of El Frijolillo.

Decades have passed since my great adventure on the ranch. When my grandfather told me stories about life on the ranch, he unwittingly gave me a wonderful gift. He gave me a connection to the land and to my family. Best of all, he gave me a connection to the boy he once was. Now, whenever I think about El Frijolillo, I can hear my grandfather’s voice and feel inspired to keep the storytelling tradition he shared with me alive.

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My Buffalo Patrol Flag

There is no denying that I am absolutely captivated by the beauty of the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. It is rugged country. Iconic cowboy country. Breathtaking country. It is not for everybody—and that is okay.

There is a saying out here in the wide part of the Lone Star State, where the sprawling Chihuahuan Desert paints the landscape as far as the eye can see:

From the outside looking in, you don’t understand it. From the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.

As hard as I try to put into words what I feel when I am under the Big Bend sky, I can never quite explain it.

My love for this part of Texas began when I was a member of Boy Scout Troop 68 in McAllen. Our troop was very active, and I enjoyed every hike, campout, and opportunity to learn some new kind of bushcraft.


In 1972, our troop leader, Mr. Connor, told us that we would be attending Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch in the Davis Mountains. As a South Texas boy, I had never seen mountains. The thought of traveling to a place called the Davis Mountains was beyond exciting.

We made the long trek from McAllen to Buffalo Trails in a yellow bus without air conditioning—in the middle of July. It was incredibly hot. But most of us lived in homes without central air conditioning or, at best, with a window unit, so the heat was tolerable. We were too excited about the adventure ahead to complain.


I was the patrol leader of the Buffalo Patrol. Before our trip, I asked my mom if she could help me design a flag for our patrol.

She did much more than help.

She surprised me with what I—and everyone else in Troop 68—thought was the coolest patrol flag ever.

The buffalo-looking hide and horns, the hand-lettered design, and the Camporee award ribbons made our flag one of a kind. We displayed it proudly at Buffalo Trails and later carried it to every campout and jamboree.


That long journey from South Texas to the Davis Mountains was one of the greatest adventures of my boyhood. The opportunity to see and camp in the mountains stirred every adventure molecule in me.


We crossed the Pecos River on the coolest bridge I had ever seen. We stopped in Langtry to visit Judge Roy Bean’s famous “Law West of the Pecos.”

And then we arrived at Buffalo Trails.

Wow!

I was in Boy Scout heaven.


The entire adventure—from McAllen to the Davis Mountains—was a dream come true. It was my first exposure to the vast and beautiful country beyond the Pecos. Years would pass before I returned, but when I finally did, the landscape stirred dormant memories and brought them vividly back to life.


I could never have imagined in July 1972 that I would one day own a small piece of acreage in the magnificent Big Bend region. It is a place where Cheryl and I now find rest—and where we have the privilege of giving other boys opportunities to enjoy their own Big Bend adventures.


Today, at seventy years of age, I still have my Buffalo Patrol flag. It hangs above the door of our guest cabin. Every time I see it, I smile.

I think of my beautiful late mother and the care she put into designing and stitching it together. The ribbons have faded with the passing years, but the memories they hold remain vivid.

I am grateful to have this treasured reminder of my childhood still. It reminds me that boys need adventure—and that adventures can help mold boys into men of courage, character, and conviction.

Thanks, Mom, for my flag.

It will always remind me of you—and of the adventures you and Dad encouraged me to have.

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Boys Need Adventure

One of the highlights of the year for me is hosting an outdoor adventure retreat for boys from the Brookshire community. For the past several years, Cheryl and I have hosted this Spring Break retreat at our off-grid property outside of Big Bend National Park. Watching the boys enjoy and learn from these adventures is one of the best things ever.

A few months ago, my nephew Ryan Rogers and I were talking about how God has used the Big Bend retreat to allow boys and their mentors to build deeper bonds. In our conversation, we talked about giving the boys a new opportunity to spend time with their mentors in the great outdoors.

Encouraged by what he heard, Ryan offered to host a shooting retreat at Flat Creek Ranch in Dimmit County. The sprawling 2,100+ acre ranch offers amazing opportunities for boys to experience the great outdoors in one of the most rugged settings in the Lone Star State.


My friend Dennis Turnipseed, the executive director of Eyes On Me, a ministry that works in some of the toughest communities in the greater Houston area, and I met to plan the retreat. Dennis invited a select group of older boys from the Brookshire community who have previously participated in the Big Bend retreat and other adventures in Colorado.


Our plan for this retreat is to provide the boys with their first opportunity to learn about hunting in Texas. That all begins with gun safety. Dennis and my old friend James Meredith led the gun safety orientation session for the boys. We spent a lot of time teaching about the fundamentals of firearm safety before taking the boys to the shooting range on the ranch.


This retreat, however, is about much more than firearms and marksmanship. It is part of a larger effort to shape the character of boys through outdoor adventure.


Boys need adventure. They need opportunities to step away from screens, enter unfamiliar environments, attempt difficult things, and discover what they are capable of doing. They need challenges that require them to listen carefully, act responsibly, manage their emotions, and persevere when success does not come easily.

The outdoors is one of the best classrooms for teaching these lessons. This is adventure with a purpose.


At the shooting range, the boys learned that every detail matters. They must listen to instructions, remain aware of those around them, and understand that their decisions have consequences. We repeatedly emphasized that handling a firearm requires maturity and self-control.


The boys learned that before they ever place their finger on the trigger, they must know where the muzzle is pointed and be certain of their target and what lies beyond it because a bullet can travel a long way. And they learned that they must obey the instructions of the mentor responsible for the gun range.


The lessons they are learning here extend far beyond the shooting range. Life also requires us to pay attention, exercise restraint, and consider how our choices will affect others. A young man who learns to act responsibly in the outdoors is developing skills that can help him become a responsible man.


Outdoor adventures are important because our culture is making life too easy for boys. Many boys spend too much time in carefully controlled environments where comfort is maximized, and they can avoid failure. But boys do not grow stronger by avoiding difficult things. They do, in fact, need opportunities to experience frustration and learn how to work through it.

That is why the shooting range is a good place for boys. They need to miss the target, adjust their aim, control their breathing, and try again. They need to discover that improvement requires patience, practice, and perseverance.


A key part of this retreat is the time boys get to spend with good men. They need men who will teach them how to handle responsibility and deal with setbacks. The outdoors creates natural opportunities for men and boys to have good conversations about these things.

At the end of this retreat, I hope that the boys will remember the men who stood beside them and took the time to help them succeed and to take another step toward manhood. Over the past couple of days, we have taught boys how to handle a firearm and safely hit a target responsibly. Ultimately, we are helping them aim their lives toward something greater. And that is a key reason why boys need adventure.

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The Horse Crippler Cactus

The Big Bend region of Texas is home to more than 60 species of cacti, giving Big Bend National Park the distinction of having more kinds of cacti than any other U.S. national park. Among them all, none has a more intimidating name than the Horse Crippler.


One look at this small but formidable succulent—with its broad, flattened shape and fierce spines—and it’s easy to understand how it earned its name. Hidden low against the desert floor, it was notorious for injuring the hooves of horses that accidentally stepped on it.

I have found several Horse Cripplers on our off-grid property just outside Big Bend National Park. They are surprisingly easy to miss because they hug the desert floor, blending almost perfectly into the sandy landscape. But the fact that this remarkable succulent thrives in the Chihuahuan Desert tells you everything you need to know—it is built for survival.


Unlike many other cacti, the Horse Crippler stays low to the ground. This helps protect it from the harsh desert sun and drying winds. When drought lasts a long time, it saves water by shrinking and sinking deeper into the soil. After a good rain, it fills up with water and rises a few inches, showing off its crown of spines again.

Like many of the cacti of the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, the Horse Crippler produces beautiful blossoms － in particular pink to lavender blossoms with striking reddish centers. These showy flowers appear in the spring and attract a variety of native pollinators. I have not yet been fortunate enough to find one in bloom, but I hope to one day.

Even more remarkable than its beautiful blossoms, the Horse Crippler produces scarlet-red fruit. After the flowers fade, these fruits develop and often remain on the cactus for weeks. The fruit provides an important food source for birds and small mammals who help disperse the cactus’s seeds across the desert.


The Horse Crippler shows that even in the tough conditions of the Chihuahuan Desert, survival goes to those built to last, no matter their size. Its resilience is a sign of the wisdom of its Creator.

For those fortunate enough to see a Horse Crippler in bloom, it offers another lesson: remarkable beauty can emerge from a life built to withstand difficult environments. Perhaps that is true of people as well.

In the meantime, I’ll continue watching where I step while keeping an eye out for this remarkable little cactus. One day, I hope to find one wearing its crown of pink and lavender blossoms.

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Good Food at Texas Tradition

Hungry for a good bacon cheeseburger, Cheryl and I decided to visit Texas Tradition in Old Katy. I had eaten there soon after moving to Katy but, for whatever reason, had not been back in years—probably because it is outside my usual traffic universe.

When Cheryl and I started looking for a new place to eat, I remembered Texas Tradition. Cheryl had never been there, so we decided to give it a try. Texas Tradition is a small, family-owned and operated restaurant that takes great pride in serving a menu packed with comfort food.


Although it is not far from our home, it is not on any of our daily commutes. When we arrived, we pulled into a packed parking lot—always a good sign.

The moment we walked through the door, we were warmly greeted and escorted to a table. The dining room was full of people enjoying good food in a country-Texas setting, complete with metal wainscoting. The place had the warm, welcoming feel of a small-town café.


Of course, we knew exactly what we wanted without even looking at the menu: bacon cheeseburgers, with the bacon leaning toward the crispy side of the scale, two Coke Zeros with plenty of ice, and onion rings instead of fries.

The service was fast. Our burgers and onion rings arrived in paper-lined plastic baskets with no room to spare. The burgers were generously sized, and the onion rings were thick, crispy, and chunky. Everything looked and smelled completely appetizing.


The first bite generally tells the story, and this one did not disappoint. The burger was absolutely delicious. I am not a foodie who can dissect every ingredient in a dish. I am simply a guy who enjoys a good burger and knows one when he bites into it. This was unmistakably an amazingly delicious burger.

And the onion rings were a step beyond. These were not skinny little rings but thick, beefy, almost life-preserver-sized portions. They were so good. I may try the French fries on another visit, but Cheryl and I were glad we chose the onion rings.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere at Texas Tradition. The staff was friendly, attentive, and responsive to our every need. We have now bookmarked Texas Tradition as a place we will visit again.


The menu offers plenty more to explore, including several delicious and surprisingly affordable daily specials listed on the back page. We will definitely be back.

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Chasing Clouds in Big Bend

It is rare for me to head to our cabin in Big Bend without a list of projects to tackle. In fact, one of the things I enjoy most about spending time there is planning and completing projects that make our off-grid cabin and property a little more comfortable and enjoyable.

The physical work is always a welcome change of pace. For me, there is something deeply satisfying about working with my hands, seeing progress at the end of the day, and investing in a place that has become a refuge for rest, reflection, and adventure.

However, on our recent trip to Big Bend, my project list was unusually short. Nothing major on my list, just a few projects that could be finished in a matter of hours. It felt a bit strange to arrive with so little to do, but I took it as an opportunity to find new ways to relax and enjoy the beauty of this vast and rugged region of Texas.

Instead of focusing on what needed to be built or repaired, I gave myself permission to slow down. I spent some quality time working on some devotional lessons. Cheryl and I also drove into Study Butte to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Of course, we always enjoy sitting around the fire pit to wait for the golden hour, when the waning sunlight turns magical, and the stars start to fill the vast desert skies.


What I enjoyed most, however, was climbing on my electric mini-bike and chasing clouds. For whatever reason, the clouds captured my attention. They looked so dramatic and beautiful against the deep blue sky as they drifted above the mesas and bluffs. I spent hours riding up and down the dirt roads, chasing them across the horizon and stopping to photograph their ever-changing shapes and shadows.


As the day wore on, the clouds eventually joined together to become a storm, complete with thunder and lightning. Cheryl and I loved sitting on the porch of our cabin and watching the desert storm roll across the landscape. In a place where rain is rare and precious, a storm is better than television. As the winds arrived carrying that distinctive fragrance of approaching rain, we found ourselves thinking of John Denver’s words: “You fill up my senses, like a storm in the desert.”


There are few experiences that compare to that moment. The sky darkens, the temperature drops, the wind begins to stir, and the fragrance of rain fills the air. It is one of those gifts that is difficult to describe. You do not simply see the storm—you feel it, smell it, and breathe it in. For a few moments, the desert comes alive in a way that engages all your senses.


As night fell across the desert, the distant lightning became even more dramatic. Flash after flash illuminated the horizon. Every flash revealed the outlines of mesas, bluffs, and clouds that had disappeared into the darkness. The light show was mesmerizing—nature’s own display unfolding in silence except for the occasional rumble of thunder rolling across the desert.


It was a wonderful way to end the day and to spend our final night at the cabin. Sitting on the porch, watching the storm move across the distant landscape, we were reminded once again why we love this place so much. The rain brought refreshment to the thirsty desert, and in its own way, it refreshed us as well.


Sometimes the best moments in Big Bend are not found in accomplishing a project or checking something off a list. Sometimes they are found in slowing down, chasing clouds, and watching a desert storm roll across the horizon.

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The Adventure Classroom

This past week, Cheryl and I hosted our fifth annual Big Bend Adventure for boys from the Brookshire community and their mentors. Brookshire, located west of Houston, has the highest percentage of fatherless homes in the greater Houston area.

We host these campouts in partnership with The Hangar, a ministry of Eyes On Me, a Christian nonprofit dedicated to mentoring, discipling, and serving at-risk youth and their families.

Eyes On Me is very intentional about investing in the lives of boys in the communities they serve throughout the greater Houston area. They understand that boys are often wired with tremendous energy, curiosity, and a natural instinct toward exploration and risk.


The outdoor adventures they organize for these boys in locations around Texas and Colorado provide a healthy outlet for that energy. Getting boys into environments where they can hike, climb, swim, and explore allows them to stretch themselves in positive ways and push their limits safely.

These experiences give boys an opportunity to channel their energy into purposeful action while learning resilience, courage, and responsibility—qualities that will serve them well as they grow into manhood.


The boys enjoyed two days of adventure in Big Bend National Park, where they hiked, climbed, and scrambled across boulders. This year we added a couple of new experiences. We took the boys to Red Bluff, a beautiful place near our cabin, to hunt for arrowheads. Then we visited a spring-fed swimming hole along Terlingua Creek, where the boys enjoyed a cold swim in the desert.


We also planned a day of work around the property. The projects we assign require the boys to work cooperatively to complete a task. This year they pounded in more than 80 t-posts along a fence line. It was hard work that required taking measurements, learning the difference between level and plumb, clearing brush, and driving posts into the earth.


These adventures do more than create memories. They help shape young men.

Throughout Scripture, God often formed His people in wilderness places. Moses spent years in the desert before leading Israel. David learned courage in the hills while tending sheep. Elijah encountered the voice of God in a cave. Even Jesus began His ministry after forty days in the wilderness.


The wilderness has always been a classroom where character is formed.

When boys step away from screens and other distractions and enter the wide spaces of God’s creation, something important begins to happen. They discover that they can endure discomfort, overcome challenges, and accomplish things they once thought were impossible.


Many of these boys come from homes without a father present. Experiences like this allow them to spend meaningful time with mentors who model courage, responsibility, and faith. Around a campfire, on a trail, or sitting beneath a sky full of stars, conversations happen that simply do not happen anywhere else.

We are grateful for ministries like Eyes On Me that are investing in the next generation of young men. And we are grateful for the mentors who give their time, energy, and hearts to walk alongside these boys.

Sometimes the most important work in shaping a young man happens in the adventure classroom — on a trail, around a campfire, and under a canopy of stars.

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Back in the Desert

After celebrating Christmas with family, Cheryl and I packed up the Tundra and headed to our cabin in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert. Over the course of a year, we never spend as much time at the cabin as we would like. But that is what makes the time we do get to spend there all the more special.

For the first time in years, I had a very short list of projects. That was okay, because I wanted some quiet space in which to do some reading and writing before leaving the country again in a few days. There is no better place than the desert for me to de-stress and refresh my always-in-motion soul.


One small project on my list was extending the pavers in our outdoor kitchen and picnic area all the way to the west side of the cabin. A big part of the reason for this was to cut down on dust—although dust is always part of life in the desert. It is ever-present and respects no barriers. It always finds its way in and defiantly settles on every surface.


I brought pavers from home but knew I would need more to finish the project. So after off-loading what we brought with us, we made a trip to McCoy’s in Alpine to purchase the rest. While there, we decided to stop for lunch at Magoo’s Place, known for its home-style cooking.

In all the years we have traveled through Alpine on our way to the cabin, we had never stopped to eat there. However, Rita, my new assistant, highly recommended it. Her husband’s family has deep roots in Alpine and Big Bend and knows all the good places to eat.


After leaving McCoy’s, we drove the short distance to Magoo’s Place only to find it packed for lunch. We stopped anyway and scored the last available table. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, and Cheryl ordered a BLT—both with hand-cut fries and tea. We were not disappointed. Every bite was delicious. We agreed we would not miss future opportunities to eat at Magoo’s.


As we usually do when we visit the cabin, we scheduled fellowship time with our neighbors. We always enjoy hosting cookouts with s’mores around the campfire. It’s always good to reconnect with our friends in the desert and get caught up on the latest happenings under the Big Bend skies.


I also had time to take a long ride on my mini-bike, exploring the roads around the cabin. There are 1,100 miles of roads on Terlingua Ranch, so there is no shortage of places to explore. But my electric mini-bike keeps me closer to the cabin, where I can make it back before draining the batteries. I had a great time riding in the cool air with views of the surrounding mountains and mesas.


I added another piece of décor to the cabin as well. While visiting Dad, I came across one of my grandfather’s old cigar boxes. This one is different from the others he gave me to store small childhood treasures. It is wooden with a hinged top and a small latch. The name of the distributor in Mission, Texas, is etched on the side. I placed it next to an old photo of my grandfather on his ranch in Duval County.

Adding nostalgic touches to the cabin makes it an even more special place to visit. We want Dos Arbolitos—our place in the desert—to always be a sanctuary, a place of rest and refreshment. We know we are stewards of this place only for a season, and that one day someone else will own it.


We pray that whoever owns our small slice of geography in the Chihuahuan Desert long after we are gone will enjoy it as much as we do. We continue to work hard to make it an inviting retreat. We have made many improvements over the years, but the most important thing is not what we have done in the desert—it is what God has done to refresh us in the desert. That is why we are always happy to make the long drive back to our little slice of heaven in the desert.

Happy New Year from Dos Arbolitos deep in the heart of Texas.

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Manna in the Chihuahuan Desert

Last November, Cheryl and I hosted the first retreat at our cabin for the men from the Manna House. This Christ-centered residential recovery ministry for men addicted to alcohol and drugs is located in the small town of Brookshire. The year long program is designed to lead men to be set free, set apart and set on fire.


The Manna House guys arrived early Thursday afternoon. I rode my electric mini-bike to Little Burro Country Store at the intersection of Highway 118 and Legions Road to meet and escort them the final three miles to the cabin. I have sure enjoyed riding my mini-bike along the dirt roads around the cabin. So much fun!


The guys wasted no time in setting up their tents and getting situated. In the meantime, James and his sous-chefs, Doug and Chris, started meal prep. Prior to their arrival, my friend Kyle and I built a special table for Dutch oven cooking. James is a master of Dutch oven meals so I wanted to improve our outdoor cooking area for him to work his culinary magic.


As in the previous year, we gave each of the men a hydration backpack along with all sorts of miscellaneous gear for day-hikes: first aid kit, emergency whistle, space blanket, caribeners, flashlight and headlamp, compass, paracord bracelet, and more. We sat around the campfire that first evening talking about hiking and preparation for wilderness survival.


The guys enjoyed several hikes on the two days they visited Big Bend National Park. Each night we sat around the campfire for a debrief on the day. So much fun to hear about how much they enjoyed the park. And, of course, the guys lingered around the campfire until the stars and the Milky Way filled the night sky.


The best part of our time out west was the day Raul and Timothy were baptized in the Rio Grande River. Having a relationship with Jesus is essential to their recovery and to taking that first step to be set free, set apart, and set on fire. Having all of the guys witness their baptism made it all the more special.


I am grateful for the Manna House and their commitment to help men in recovery. Over the past twenty years I have met so many men at the Manna House whose lives were changed for the better, who arrived in a state of despair and desperation and left with a new hope and a new future.


Cheryl and I consider it a blessing to host these men at Dos Arbolitos, our little slice of heaven in the Chihuahuan Desert. Our prayer is that God would bless us with many more years of good health to continuing hosting outdoor adventures for boys and for men and helping them to connect with the One who created the beauty of Big Bend.

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Summer Projects at the Cabin

My summer has been crazy busy — which makes it challenging to find time to travel ten-hours from Katy to our cabin. To make the trip worth it, I have to find no less than a couple of free days to spend there, travel time not included. And in order to get things done I have to be very intentional about taking the supplies I need or coordinating delivery from McCoy’s in Alpine.

So far this summer, we have managed to get quite a few things done. Last month, my friend Paul Kitchen spent a few days with me at the cabin. We worked from first light to last light to complete a number of projects on my list. Paul is a super-handyman and knows how to get things done.

This month, my friend Doyle Lowry traveled to the cabin from Oklahoma to help me check a few more items off my list. Doyle and I have shared lots of adventures together, including backpacking the Lone Star Hiking Trail, completing the Texas Water Safari, and summiting five of the seven named peaks in Texas that are higher than 8,000 feet.


I was happy to have our new water storage tank installed by my friend Mark Chiles. I met Mark years ago at Terlingua Community Church. His ranch is about 20 miles from our place. He is the local rep for Tanks-A-Lot and had the tank we needed. This tank was a gift from Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy on the occasion of my 20th year on staff.


A few hours after Mark installed the tank the monsoon rains came roaring in. What timing! And, with a few more light rains, we now have 400-gallons of water in this 1,200 gallon storage tank. Water catchment and stewardship in the desert is important. Grateful to have this tank which now gives us 3,400 gallons of water storage capacity.


Months ago I built a perimeter wall to create a courtyard in front of our guest cabin. I added a counter area for cooking, installed an outdoor fireplace, and added firewood storage. The next step in the plan was to lay pavers in the courtyard. McCoy’s delivered my order of pavers earlier in the month while I was out of the country.


Doyle and I spent an entire day leveling the ground and then laying the pavers in the courtyard. Working under the shade of the solar panel porch sure helped as the temperature was over 100-degrees. After laying the pavers Doyle swept sand between the joints to lock everything down. Wow! Love the results and can’t wait to get the outdoor table and chairs to the cabin.


The next thing on the list was building a foot-bridge over the swale on our north tract. A couple of years ago, I dug a 300-foot long swale and berm to slow down and retain rainwater on the property. The swale comes alive with native wildflowers in the Spring — a really pretty sight. The new foot-bridge will make it easier to take supplies in our Gorilla cart for some of the permaculture projects we are doing on the north tract.


Doyle helped me complete the final 660-feet of fencing on the north tract. The cedar posts and metal t-posts have been in place for two years. I bought the final two rolls of field fence for this tract at Tractor Supply in Katy. Doyle and I managed to stretch, install, and clip-in both rolls under the searing Big Bend summer skies. Took us two days and gallons of Gatorade but we got it done.


We also installed a gate along the fence on our southwest tract. This gate is across the road from our driveway onto the property where we have our cabins. This will give us easy access to the area where we will add some camping cabanas in the future.


Finally, Big Bend Telephone stopped by to upgrade our off-grid internet service. We have several neighbors who use Starlink but we have been very happy with BBT. Last month a hail storm knocked our dish out of alignment and BBT dispatched a crew to stop by and get us back on line — important because of our security cameras.


Our off-grid retreat is coming along a step at a time. The work is therapeutic for me. After a hard day of work I enjoy sitting by the fire pit to enjoy the cool breezes, the sunset, and then the magnificent star-crowded skies of Big Bend. Hope to get back out West in a few weeks. Grateful for my friend Doyle and his willingness to join me for summer projects at the cabin.