It’s been a little more than two months since our last visit to the cabin. Life has just remained so busy, leaving me with little white space on my calendar. Lots of international travel, local projects, and more. But, this trip had to happen. No excuses.

Why? Because several months ago Cheryl invited her best and oldest friend to join us at the cabin.

Cheryl and Debbie met in the nursery of Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi and have been friends ever since. Time and distance have done nothing to separate them. They are kindred spirits.

Since inviting Debbie to the cabin, Cheryl has eagerly waited for the day when we would meet Debbie in San Antonio on our way to Big Bend. It did my heart good to see these two friends get together again. Not many people can lay claim to a friendship that started in the nursery and has only grown sweeter through the years.

We have had an enjoyable time with Debbie. Of course, I volunteered to sleep in the guest cabin so that they could talk into the night. They have stayed up hours longer than me and gotten up earlier than me. They have not wasted a minute.

They filled the bird feeders and watering stations around the cabin — twice. They enjoyed sitting around the campfire and scanning the moonless night sky for shooting stars. They cooked for the gathering we host for our neighbors every time we visit the cabin.

They hiked around the property identifying flora and cacti, trimmed Cheryl’s favorite tree, gathered rocks for a stone path to Biscuit’s grave, enjoyed a road trip into Big Bend National Park, and more. It has been fun watching their reunion.

As for me, I punched out several small projects on my list. Whether taking on a big or small project, every step matters when developing an off-grid property.

I finally got around to painting the base of our outdoor fire place. I bought a gallon of black brick and stucco paint. First time I have used this product and I must say that I am impressed. The paint is formulated to fill every little nook and cranny of bricks and blocks. Very satisfied with the results. And, while in a painting mood, I applied a layer of high heat paint on our burn barrel.

The next thing on my list was to finish the flooring in the bathroom of the guest cabin. This was an easy and quick project. I fashioned my own threshold for the transition from the main room to the bathroom. Happy with the results.

I was also happy to finish the soffit work on the guest cabin. I painted the soffit boards before nailing them in place and then finished by running a bead of caulk along the outer edge. A small thing with a big eye-pleasing result. The outside of the guest cabin finally looks finished.

We did not miss the opportunity to watch the eclipse. Debbie’s daughter bought us those little disposable glasses designed for eclipse viewing. So cool to see the ring of fire even though it was only a partial ring here in Big Bend. I did run in to check the numbers on our solar inverter during the eclipse. About the same drop as happens on a cloudy day.

We introduced Debbie to our neighbors at the cookout we host every time we visit the cabin. We are blessed with several good neighbors and always enjoy catching up when we are back at the cabin. On Sunday we worshiped at Terlingua Ranch Community Church where we caught up with several more friends who live here at Terlingua Ranch.

Of course, we had to do the Ross Maxwell Scenic Highway drive to Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend national Park. We could not have asked for better weather and the late afternoon light at the canyon was perfect for taking a few pics.

Back at the property, I installed all of the electrical boxes in the guest cabin. My neighbor Joe will run wire and insulate the ceiling over the coming weeks. That will leave me the task of insulating the walls and then finishing the interior of the cabin.

So, it’s been a great trip. Cheryl and Debbie have had a great time and I have enjoyed watching them have a great time. We hope Debbie will visit again and we look forward to heading back this way after Thanksgiving. Thanks for following our adventure.