Standing behind the counter of the Little Burro Country Store located a few miles north of Terlingua, Betty greeted me with a friendly Texas howdy as I walked in. This little supply depot is where we turn east off of Highway 118 to get to Dos Arbolitos, our little place in the Big Bend Valley section of Terlingua Ranch.

I asked Betty if she had Texas roots. She did not. Curious, I asked how she ended up in one of the most remote parts of the Lone Star State if not the world. Without missing a beat she replied rather matter-of-factly, “My husband and I tossed a coin!” That was not what I expected to hear.

I wanted to know more. Betty explained the she and her husband were looking for a change and considered moving to either Alaska or the Big Bend of Texas. The rest is history. Big Bend won the coin toss and they have been here ever since — with no regrets.

There is a lot that is hard to put into words about this wide part of Texas. And while the folks who call the Chihuahuan Desert home all have a story about how they ended up here, they all share one thing in common — a hard to explain love for wide open spaces, vast skies, and views that just make your heart feel good.
The views, among other things, are what led Cheryl and me to look in this direction for a little plot of desert on which to build an off-grid get-away. And while our place is not at all big by Big Bend standards, it does give us access to million dollar vistas.
This past week, a few friends and I made the long trek from Katy to Dos Arbolitos to start the first phase of our fencing project. The fence is not designed to keep anything in but rather to keep curious and possibly pesky critters on the other side. And the fence will be low-profile so as to not obstruct any views.



This whole fencing thing is new to me which is what really got me excited. I loved learning to do something I have never done before. And that is exactly what happened. My friends Selim, Mike, Phillip and I worked under the guidance of our friend James － who actually knows what he is doing when it comes to building fences. We worked some really long hours to get the job done and together we accomplished what we set out to do.


The best part of this adventure was sharing the experience with friends. We camped on location, set up a bathroom and shower tent, cooked under a canopy, worked hard all day, and enjoyed some of the most spectacular sunsets any of us have ever seen. And the night skies — beyond beautiful!

After a couple of days of clearing brush, digging post holes, tensioning corners, driving t-posts, hanging a gate, and stretching welded wire, we completed phase one of our fencing project. I estimate it will take about three to five more trips to finish the work. But, no matter. Cheryl and I are absolutely enjoying the journey as our dream of a little getaway slowly blossoms into reality — one step and a few dollars at a time.
We understand that the Chihuahuan Desert is not for everybody, but it is a special place for us and made even more so because of the kindness of friends. I will continue to chronicle our progress at Dos Arbolitos. Thanks for following our adventure.