Mark Twain once observed that the secret to making progress is to get started. If there is one thing I have learned about progress since starting our off-grid adventure in Big Bend it is that slow progress is better than no progress. And making any progress means making decisions and then taking a step, no matter how small, to get started.

Taking small steps is definitely paying off for us at our off-grid property. Because we can only visit for short periods every few weeks, we have to make the most of every visit. That means careful planning, making lists and checking them twice, purchasing materials, and then working the plan.

I keep a little black notebook where I draw sketches of upcoming projects, make lists of materials, keep important measurements I need as I dream and plan, and make general notes about this and that. The cool thing is that as I leaf through the pages, I can see a record of all of the progress we have made since 2018.

Cheryl and I spent the past week at the cabin. Our hope for the week was to make a little more progress toward the completion of the guest cabin built by my Band of Fathers group that I meet with every Wednesday.

Project One was to run the electrical wiring and refrigerant lines for the mini-split. That’s where my neighbor Joe Pound comes in. He is an off-grid guru who knows just about everything about off-grid survival. Joe stopped by to do the work on the mini-split while I finished wiring electrical outlets and switches.

With the electrical and refrigerant lines in place, I was able to add the final pieces of insulation and paneling to complete the walls. It was a good feeling to have all of the walls in the main room completed.

Project Number Two was to finish insulating the ceiling and then adding the corrugated tin panels. I know that there are other ceiling options, but we like the rustic look of the corrugated tin. Hanging tin, however, is definitely a two-man job. My neighbor Chris Smith stopped by to help me finish all of the ceiling work. Once again, it was such a good feeling to look up and know that I could now check the ceiling work off of my project list.

Project Number Three was to build the bunk beds. Cheryl and I drove to McCoy’s in Alpine, with black notebook in hand, to purchase the lumber for the bunk bed build. With the lumber secured in the bed of my truck, we stopped by the Dairy Queen next door to McCoy’s for a quick Texas gourmet lunch before heading back to the cabin.

A couple of months ago Cheryl and I took our granddaughters to IKEA. While there Cheryl noticed that their bunk bed mattresses were on sale so we purchased the mattresses right away. One more thing off the list.

The bunk bed build was a fun project. We were able to build both sets of bunks beds. I decided to use black iron pipe and flanges to make the ladder to the top bunks. On our next trip I will install a grab bar and add a safety bar to the top bunks, all using black iron. The final step will be to build an open storage closet between the bunk beds so guests can have a place to stow gear and hang clothes.

As we do on every visit, we invited our neighbors over for a cookout on Saturday evening. This is always a fun time to reconnect with one another and to enjoy conversation around the campfire. Especially enjoyed meeting a new neighbor who is making a go of off-grid living not far from us.

On Sunday we enjoyed worship at Terlingua Ranch Community Church where we have attended since starting our off-grid adventure in 2018. Love this little church in the desert.

Before we headed home on Monday, we sat outside to watch the solar eclipse. Although it did not get completely dark at the cabin, it did feel a little like dusk. This is the second eclipse we have watched from the cabin.

We returned home by way of Uvalde where we spent the night with our nephew Ryan and his sweet family. Highway 90 is a fun alternate route home for us. Even stopped at the world’s smallest Buc-ee’s east of Marathon.

Cheryl and I are happy to have made a little more progress on our guest cabin and, best of all, grateful for the time spent with our friends and neighbors in the Chihuahuan Desert.