Terlingua’s Faces, Tx.

Monday, January 5th, 2009

reflection a

Terlingua seemingly has taken on a different “air” this year. Is it my perception? Is it because it was “New Year’s Day”? The Holidays? Might have something to do with it but it is not all… Being about 25 miles away from it we pass through it often but not spend as much time in the town as last year. Maybe some new smiling faces conductive to our hobby called “chatting”? A pass time as some go to the movies, some go shopping… we can go chatting. Even the Study Butte store, one of the main stages… has this year filled its coolers and shelves with interesting ingredients truly avoiding a round trip to Alpine as much as I thought we would take. For such a small store they have it all, and as they say, if they don’t have it you don’t need it! It was “Black Eye Pea” Cookoff on the first, they say it is good luck to have some that day, I did, I am now assured that the rest of this year will flow smoothly on calm waters.

buffet a

NYear's day d  

Terlingua’s crowd is colorful, individualistic, freedom of expression bursts from their presence, and if anyone is into “people watching”, it is the place to be. Even better they are happy to talk to you. The smiles were worn that day complementing the great weather we had, it was what I call a perfect day all around. The dogs were out in full force, the locals such as “brown dog”… “white dog”… “black dog”… off leash on their way always to events as if they had received a personal invitation. If there would have been another event on the other side of town, a few miles away, somehow they would also have been there. I was told that they make the daily rounds of the few restaurants in town, they are the silent majority as I always think, they rule… we don’t, they are the smart ones. We sure could not live in Terlingua and eat for free all our lives and be scratched between the ears daily.

dancing a  
lady d man a

Spirit does great within open spaces, not so well within crowds. Not so well as he is then on a leash and no fault of his, as being filled with such a playful personality he just pulls right and left thinking everyone is just like him, wanting to clown around and getting to know each other. Sniff… sniff… you know! So it is half and half. He will stay in the car a bit and then we walk around a bit, slowly he is getting use to it, getting use to the fact that not every cousin of his is 4 years old with the same energy that he has.

lady a lady b

little dog a

It was a good time, good Music, good feels for me to sit back a bit and let it all happen as sometimes myself not being too comfortable within a crowd lately. It has been interesting being here at “The Oasis”. Interesting in the fact that Life has started to take a few new facets, none ever boring as much as I have a strange wish at times telling myself  “please, let me have just one boring day”. It never happens. I think if I remember well, the first days were “ecstatic”. The following ones, or weeks, were “panic”! The fear of fear… of being too stable, too attached as if a chain with a lock and no keys would never let us go again. Land! And slowly, very slowly I understood that it does not have to be that way. The realization was forged when camping these past few days at the State Park, yes, we can leave… and we can come back! The mind!

dogs a NYear's day c
elza  

For months I have been enduring hearing “how cute…”, “look at that good looking guy…”, “isn’t he adorable?”… yes, always turning around but to no avail… Spirit always being the recipient. Well, “that smile” was for me!!! My good Friend Elza, so nice to have finally met her. I will circle that day into the calendar, might be years for it to happen again…

pinchos gringos

cinta NYear's day a

Every evening here the decision is made for the next day. Every morning that decision is broken and changed. That is just the way it is. Life is slow here. I have stopped planning more than one errand per day. Getting a bottle of propane filled which we carry in the nose of the sidecar is an all day affair. It is amazing how one can sink in into the day without realizing suddenly sunset is right around the corner. There is then riding for the day, picking sometimes a destination and sometimes not. There is staying here and starting a fire without leaving these grounds all day. More and more I am cooking on wood. I found a crate I had and the next step will probably be a Dutch oven. Some day a smoker for some real Texas BBQ.

fire ring b

fire ring a eggs

I received an e mail a couple days ago from some Friends which I have not met yet. They were asking about land around here as they are tired of the winter month up north. They live in an RV situation and so sure I said, there is plenty of land here as I keep thinking everyone would like to live like we do. I had totally forgotten that some might want real power, a well, a structure with a roof, all the “nice” things I also had at my disposition some time ago. It was not a shock, it was not hard to understand, but it made me realize how much in such a short time we took in this way of Life, which is the same as before, only with a better shelter for the cold season. I enjoy it… I like making Spirit run in the morning while I pick up the kindling for the day. I like lighting the fire and keeping an eye on it hourly or so for warmth and cooking. When the water tank is almost empty I enjoy filling it with a 3G jug which right now is the most I can lift. It takes for ever!… I like starting my little generator to roast my green coffee beans or fill the little compressor for some air in the tires. Everything takes for ever and also makes me appreciate the “everythings” I use, makes me feel part of the motion of Life in a harder way then just turning on a faucet or a switch. It has also kept me in better shape than before.

round home a

round home b  

Everyone lives differently, wants to live differently and can… and must as it is the reason about being here. I stopped at a Friend’s house the other day as I had heard about this round structure she is building. 40 feet in diameter, one home made stone at the time! Makes sense… The brick is made and dropped, will dry by the time the circle is done. Next layer will come up and finally the roof will go on. An interesting concept also strong for the winds that will come up here in April I believe. This will be her parents house and then eventually hers as one is already up.

round home c 

round home d round home e

There must be hundreds of different ideas around this region when it comes to structures and Lifestyle. That is what makes it all so interesting. Come and visit!

Two years of Photography is finally in order on SmugMug… In “Your Favorites”, in “States”, some labeled “first year” and second year”, now also “Texas the third year”. Feel free to browse, you can even use the slide show mode and have fun.

Merchandise is also available through SmugMug. If you like to order a print all sizes are available as I store the originals myself considering the huge bandwidth needed to upload on the Gallery.

 Help us keep the site alive. Please contribute… The logistics of it have become costly. It is an open book, its pages for the taking with always the hope that you will support their presence.

Be well…

Ara & Spirit

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