I have been in a hurry for as long as I can remember — at least in regard to the adult years of my life. I have lived my life in fast forward for so long that I am actually a bit fearful of slowing down. Don’t ask me why because I can’t explain it. On the bright side, however, I am convicted by the thought that God did not design us to live life dazed and out of breath because of incessant hustling.

That said, I do try to intentionally build periods of adventure into my schedule. Opting outside has proven to be very good medicine for me. There is something unmistakably therapeutic about the outdoors. Fresh air, beautiful vistas, and even muscles aching from strenuous activity somehow trigger my internal reset button. Perhaps that is why I can’t seem to get enough of the outdoors.

This past week, my wife Cheryl and I have been hard at work outdoors. Earlier this year we purchased a few acres of land in one of our favorite places in Texas — Big Bend. For the first time since signing on the dotted line, Cheryl had the opportunity to return with me to Dos Arbolitos, our little slice of heaven on earth. With our property officially surveyed, we couldn’t wait to start piddling around on our place — or at least piddling with a purpose.
We drove across the state with a list of things we wanted to accomplish. Until we decide on what kind of tiny house we will build we have plenty of other things that need attention. Our first order of business was to identify all of the trees on the property that have the potential to accentuate our place with their own natural beauty. We marked more than forty trees we would like to nurture.
We started with the mesquite trees located on or near our turnaround. When it comes to mesquites, folks either love them or hate them. As for me, I love mesquites. The mesquite is the tree of my youth. They are rugged, defiant, grow in whatever way suits them, and are hard to kill. Every mesquite is unique because of the way it grows in response to the challenges of its environment. I love that about mesquites.
Because the annual rainfall in the Chihuahuan Desert is only a few inches per year, we wanted to give our trees a little advantage. So, we pruned all of the sucker branches and scooped out the ground around the perimeter drip line of each tree. This way, when it does rain, each tree will have its respective water catchment basin. This should give these trees a little growth advantage in their tough desert home.
Cheryl and I worked from early morning to sunset. We set up our canopy, camp chairs, and ice chest packed with electrolyte drinks and food and then worked like Trojans. The absolutely best part of the day was watching the sun go down and then waiting for the first stars to grace the expansive night sky. The colors at sunset in the desert are beyond amazing. There is no way to describe the magnificent colors painted on the canvas above layers of rugged mountains in the distance. Each sunset in the Big Bend is indeed a masterpiece.
Sunset at Dos Arbolitos was everything we imagined it would be and more. Getting to watch a magnificent thunderstorm move across the Big Bend Valley one afternoon was an added bonus.  We can’t wait to come back later this year to continue our labor of love and to just slow down and unwind in what is truly the great outdoors — the Big Bend of Texas. We are beyond refreshed, unquestionably blessed, and excited to watch our Dos Arbolitos adventure continue to unfold.

Beauty is indeed in the eyes of the beholder. And when it comes to Texas, I especially love the beauty of the Trans-Pecos — where the sprawling Chihuahuan Desert paints the landscape with brushstrokes hundreds of miles long. This wide part of the Lone Star State is not every Texans cup of tea. But for me, there is a beauty here that is hard to explain.
A few months ago, my wife and I purchased a few acres of land in the Big Bend Valley section of Terlingua Ranch. Our little slice of Texas is located between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, two of the most beautiful places on the planet. We have named our place Dos Arbolitos, the subject of an earlier blog.
Our intent is not to retire at Dos Arbolitos but rather to have a place where we can occasionally get away from it all — a place so quiet we should be able to hear the sun coming up in the morning and so dark we should be able to see the Milky Way bisecting the night sky. We are beyond thrilled to have visual access to some of the most amazing views of the Big Bend from Dos Arbolitos.

This past week we were able to check off two more important items on our checklist as we take baby steps to develop our property. The first of these was to get our property surveyed in order to identify our corners. My friend Gil Harris accompanied me to Dos Arbolitos to meet the surveyor.
We agreed to meet the surveyor at the Little Burro Country Store at the corner of Highway 118 and American Legion Road, the dirt road that leads back to Dos Arbolitos. While we waited we enjoyed some great conversation on the front porch of the store with the Deputy and some of the locals. One things for sure, folks in the area are pretty friendly.

Relaxing and chatting on the porch at Little Burro got me to thinking about the absence of front porches on homes today. I think that we lost something special when we abandoned our front porches and opted to do all of life inside of our comfortable homes. The conversation and interaction of years gone by has been replaced by so many high-tech distractions inside our homes.

A porch is definitely on our to-do list for whatever tiny home structure we build at Dos Arbolitos. Since our place is so remote, we will depend on solar power (available in abundance) and rain catchment. So, no distractions — just plenty of opportunities to sit on the porch and feel the warm desert breeze.
But, back to our survey. Our surveyor set up his very cool equipment which connects with satellites and marked our corners to within an inch. He drove his markers into the ground and Gil and I added T-posts to more easily see the corners from anywhere on the property. As soon as I get our Metes and Bounds document I will file those papers at the Brewster County Courthouse in Alpine.
The second key thing I was able to check off our list was getting our turnaround cut into the property. This will give us easy access from the dirt road that runs north and south on the west side of our property. Dennis, who operated the heavy equipment, helped me identify the best location for the turnaround as well as a potential site for future building.
Something transformative happened when Dennis drove his big rig onto the property and began to clear land. Seeing the creosote bushes scraped away and the mesquite trees exposed made it much easier to visualize the potential of our little place. I can’t wait to go back to trim trees and arrange for phase one of the project which will be a permanent shade awning that will become an outdoor cooking and seating area.
So, the adventure continues. Cheryl and I know that it will take time for all of the pieces to come together and are committed to inching along at a pay-as-we-go pace. We don’t want to incur any debt in the process. So, if that means doing things a bit slower, that’s ok. We will enjoy the journey.
I will continue to post updates on the development of Dos Arbolitos. Hopefully my posts will be helpful to others who are considering owning their own little slice of heaven in Texas and developing it on a budget.

• Special thanks to my friend Matt Probsfelt for taking the photo of the sunrise over Nine Point Mesa to the east of our property and the drone photo of Dos Arbolitos.