Off-Grid Cabin

by

Summer Projects at the Cabin

My summer has been crazy busy — which makes it challenging to find time to travel ten-hours from Katy to our cabin. To make the trip worth it, I have to find no less than a couple of free days to spend there, travel time not included. And in order to get things done I have to be very intentional about taking the supplies I need or coordinating delivery from McCoy’s in Alpine.

So far this summer, we have managed to get quite a few things done. Last month, my friend Paul Kitchen spent a few days with me at the cabin. We worked from first light to last light to complete a number of projects on my list. Paul is a super-handyman and knows how to get things done.

This month, my friend Doyle Lowry traveled to the cabin from Oklahoma to help me check a few more items off my list. Doyle and I have shared lots of adventures together, including backpacking the Lone Star Hiking Trail, completing the Texas Water Safari, and summiting five of the seven named peaks in Texas that are higher than 8,000 feet.


I was happy to have our new water storage tank installed by my friend Mark Chiles. I met Mark years ago at Terlingua Community Church. His ranch is about 20 miles from our place. He is the local rep for Tanks-A-Lot and had the tank we needed. This tank was a gift from Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy on the occasion of my 20th year on staff.


A few hours after Mark installed the tank the monsoon rains came roaring in. What timing! And, with a few more light rains, we now have 400-gallons of water in this 1,200 gallon storage tank. Water catchment and stewardship in the desert is important. Grateful to have this tank which now gives us 3,400 gallons of water storage capacity.


Months ago I built a perimeter wall to create a courtyard in front of our guest cabin. I added a counter area for cooking, installed an outdoor fireplace, and added firewood storage. The next step in the plan was to lay pavers in the courtyard. McCoy’s delivered my order of pavers earlier in the month while I was out of the country.


Doyle and I spent an entire day leveling the ground and then laying the pavers in the courtyard. Working under the shade of the solar panel porch sure helped as the temperature was over 100-degrees. After laying the pavers Doyle swept sand between the joints to lock everything down. Wow! Love the results and can’t wait to get the outdoor table and chairs to the cabin.


The next thing on the list was building a foot-bridge over the swale on our north tract. A couple of years ago, I dug a 300-foot long swale and berm to slow down and retain rainwater on the property. The swale comes alive with native wildflowers in the Spring — a really pretty sight. The new foot-bridge will make it easier to take supplies in our Gorilla cart for some of the permaculture projects we are doing on the north tract.


Doyle helped me complete the final 660-feet of fencing on the north tract. The cedar posts and metal t-posts have been in place for two years. I bought the final two rolls of field fence for this tract at Tractor Supply in Katy. Doyle and I managed to stretch, install, and clip-in both rolls under the searing Big Bend summer skies. Took us two days and gallons of Gatorade but we got it done.


We also installed a gate along the fence on our southwest tract. This gate is across the road from our driveway onto the property where we have our cabins. This will give us easy access to the area where we will add some camping cabanas in the future.


Finally, Big Bend Telephone stopped by to upgrade our off-grid internet service. We have several neighbors who use Starlink but we have been very happy with BBT. Last month a hail storm knocked our dish out of alignment and BBT dispatched a crew to stop by and get us back on line — important because of our security cameras.


Our off-grid retreat is coming along a step at a time. The work is therapeutic for me. After a hard day of work I enjoy sitting by the fire pit to enjoy the cool breezes, the sunset, and then the magnificent star-crowded skies of Big Bend. Hope to get back out West in a few weeks. Grateful for my friend Doyle and his willingness to join me for summer projects at the cabin.

by

Work at the Cabin is Never Done

As I have often said, the work at the cabin is never done. And in this season of my life that is a good thing. The older I get, the more intentional I have to be to stay active. Staying active is essential to, in the words of Toby Keith, not letting the old man in. The old man, it seems, is always knocking at my door.

I made a quick trip to the cabin primarily to have a required service upgrade from Big Bend Telephone. Yes, we do have internet service at our off-grid cabin thanks to the marvels of modern technology. The upgrade however, did not happen. Troubles with a tower diverted technicians to that location and left me having to reschedule the upgrade. No worries. I live with Plan B, C, and D in my back pocket.

I have to make the most of every trip to the cabin, so I was prepared with my list of pending projects. My friend Paul Kitchen accompanied me on this trip. Paul is my missions ministry resident and also teaches a trade program for teens in the town of Brookshire just west of Katy. He is a hard working and talented guy.

Whenever I need to haul a big load of supplies to the cabin, my friend James Meredith always loans me one of his trailers. The week before the trip, Paul and I and our buddy Mike Aronson loaded decking, t-posts, a heavy roll of field fence, and a partial cord of firewood into the trailer. James used his skid steer to top off our load with heavy cedar logs provided by my friend Jeff Smith.


Paul and I met at 6:00 AM on Monday and went to James’ MTNest Farm in Pattison to pick up the trailer. We then headed down the two-lane road toward San Felipe and onto Interstate 10 for the ten-hour drive to the cabin. We stopped at Buc-ee’s in Luling to top off the fuel tank and to make some adjustments to the load for a smoother ride. Buc-ee’s is a must stop on any Texas road trip!


Moments after we arrived at the cabin the monsoon rains greeted us with thunder and lightning and refreshing rain. So, we settled in for a bite to eat and watched the storm. Storms in the desert have a majesty all their own. When you experience a desert storm you can better understand John Denver’s lyric, “You fill up my senses, like a storm in the desert.”


The following morning we off-loaded the heavy cedar logs without the use of a skid steer. I will use these posts when we start building our primitive campsite cabanas on our tracts to the west of the cabin. These sites will help us when we host our annual campouts for boys from fatherless homes and for men recovering from alcohol and drug addictions.


After carefully stacking the heavy cedar logs, Paul and I built a 16-foot long firewood rack in front of the guest cabin courtyard. This rack will hold firewood to stock the camping cabanas once they are completed. Campfires are important because they are a gathering place where folks can have conversations and share stories. That’s why we want to always have a big supply of firewood.


Last month a hail storm did some damage on the property. Two of our security cameras took a direct hit along with the dish that provides our internet. The hail also knocked out a window screen at the guest cabin but fortunately did not break the window. I asked Paul if he could build awnings for the two small windows at the guest cabin to protect them from future hail storms. Using scraps of lumber leftover from previous projects, Paul pulled it off and constructed heavy-duty awnings.


The next project on the list was decking the area in front of my shipping container shop. Paul also took on this project while I caulked and painted the window awnings. Really pleased with the result. This is the area where I set up my sawhorse workbench and enjoy working on projects under the beautiful Big Bend sky. The deck is a huge upgrade.


The final project on this list was to complete a 350-foot long section of fence along one side of our southwest tract. The cedar posts and t-posts have been in place for a few months, just waiting for the fence. Paul and I stretched and installed the fencing and then topped it off with a strand of barbed wire. Only 2,640 more feet to go! Will get it done a bit at a time.


And now, I am back home and need to start packing for my upcoming trip to Türkiye. Don’t yet know when I will make it back to Big Bend but grateful for the time Paul and I spent working on projects at the cabin. This was one more opportunity to keep the old man out!

by

A Chihuahuan Desert New Year

It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Time seems to fly by faster and faster the older I get. I told a friend that at my age I can’t afford to kill time because time is killing me. I have to make the most of every day.

Once again, Cheryl and I celebrated — or rather slept through — the transition to the New Year out at our off-grid cabin. With a waning moon, the stars were definitely big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. And the nights were cold out in the Chihuahuan Desert where the creosote offers little protection from the north winds.

We headed to the cabin after spending a couple of days with my 95 year-old Dad down in South Texas. Still in great health and with a mind as sharp as ever, Dad is my hero and inspiration. He is an eternal optimist and has remained curious about the world — although he is now resigned to exploring new places by way of his favorite travel shows.

We were excited to meet the Perry family, friends from church, staying at our guest cabin. This was their first visit to Big Bend National Park and they had some fun days planned for their girls. We had the opportunity to share a pleasant night around the campfire before they headed back to Katy.

As always, we had a list of projects, a truck full of materials, and only a few days to make a little more progress on our off-grid paradise. So, we wasted no time.


The first thing on my list was to start on the outdoor cooking area under the solar porch at our guest cabin. The plan is to build half walls clad in corrugated tin to serve as a wind block. I built a cooking counter out of recycled lumber and coated it with spare urethane. I will complete the half-walls on our next visit and then lay pavers to cut down on the dust.


I recently created a shadow box to display my Cub Scout knot board. I made this knot display on March 27, 1967 when I was a member of Pack 60 in McAllen. I recently found it in a box of stuff up in the attic and thought it would be a fun addition to the guest cabin.


I also replenished our firewood supply at the cabin. A couple of weeks ago, my friends Mike and Jeff invited me to join them at Jeff’s father-in-law’s ranch in Navasota where a big, old pecan tree had crashed to the ground and was destined for the burn pile. The three of us spent a morning cutting and gathering firewood for the cabin.


Cheryl tried something new on our little Blackstone grill. Since we don’t have an oven at the cabin, she used the grill as a makeshift oven and baked some really delicious cookies — lots and lots of cookies. We were so encouraged by the success of this experiment that Cheryl will try her hand at making pizza on the Blackstone on our next visit. I am absolutely ready for that!


The rest of our time was spent catching up on a lot of general maintenance items. I installed new light fixtures and added shelves to our (former solar equipment) closet in the main cabin. I also serviced our propane heaters, mouse-proofed our outdoor toilet and shower area, and completed a few others miscellaneous things on the list. Always something on the list.


The weather was amazing. Pleasant days, amazing sunsets, really dark and cold nights, and the soothing and therapeutic silence of the desert. This is a gift — a wonderful gift from God. We are excited about the the year ahead and the opportunity to spend many more days in the embrace of the Chihuahuan Desert and vast Big Bend skies.

by

A Floor and More at Dos Arbolitos

Progress continues at Dos Arbolitos, our off-grid property in the Big Bend Valley section of Terlingua Ranch. Because we only make it out to our place a few times a year, we have to make every trip count. I am happy that on our latest visit we were able to complete several projects.

Our primary goal was to install the flooring in the cabin. We opted for vinyl plank flooring because it is durable, flexible, waterproof, and easy to install. I watched a couple of YouTube videos to learn the basics. Unlike laminate flooring, I was able to cut the vinyl planks using a utility knife. This made for a really easy installation.

After laying the floor, I used decorative trim rather than quarter-round to finish the baseboard. I then filled in the nail holes in the trim with wood-filler, ran a bead of caulk around the perimeter, and finished with semi-gloss touch-up paint. Amazing how little details make such a big difference.

Our second project was to add a second 300 gallon IBC tote for additional water storage. Our main 1,125 gallon rain catchment tank was almost full when we arrived. Cheryl and I built a base for the new tote and transferred 300 gallons from the main tank to the tote. Later on I will add overflow pipes running from the main tank to the totes. With our tank, totes, and barrels we now have the capacity to store 1,800 gallons of rain water.

Our next project was to build our composting toilet. We’ve been using a 5-gallon bucket with a camp toilet seat in our outdoor bathroom but wanted something more durable. I took an old ottoman and salvaged the frame and then converted it into a composting toilet complete with a regular toilet seat. Much more comfortable, indeed!

I also built a composting / humanure bin where we dump our composting toilet bucket and any kitchen scraps. For the time being we are adding a layer of peat moss on top of the waste but later will use straw. It will take some time for the waste and scraps to break down but we hope to get some good soil out of this to use around the property.

As we continue to improve our outdoor toilet and shower area, I added a mirror, a toilet paper holder, and a solar powered light. The light is a welcome addition for our evening showers. Later on I hope to add a water storage tank to directly service our outdoor shower.

Finally, we completed the wainscoting in our indoor bathroom area and added a mirror that we picked up on a day trip to Boquillas, Mexico. We also hung the lyrics to the song Dos Arbolitos. Our daughter Gina printed and framed the lyrics for us. We put these frames next to the front door to remind us of how blessed we are to enjoy a great marriage and to have a relaxing place to get away from it all.

Cheryl and I are enjoying the journey as we work on the cabin and the property a little at a time. One thing is certain, no matter how much work there is to do we are loving it. We love the sunrises, the sunsets, and the night skies. And, for whatever reason, meals at the cabin just seems to taste better!

by

Progress at the Cabin

Working on our off-grid cabin in the Big Bend Valley section of Terlingua Ranch has kept me on my toes. Because I decided to do the work myself, I have had to call into play every DIY skill I have developed over the years — and then some. And I have had to make every trip to the cabin count.

Fortunately for me, I have lots of really kind friends who have helped along the way. Without their help I would be woefully behind on the work. There are just too many things that require more than one set of hands. YouTube DIY videos have also been helpful in guiding me through various phases of the work.

We have made lots of progress over the past month. A few weeks ago several of the guys in my Band of Fathers core group set aside a day from our adventuring agenda to help me insulate the ceiling, install the ceiling tin, and finish the trim work on all of the interior windows. Insulating the ceiling has made a huge difference in keeping the cabin cozy, especially on those occasions when the north wind blows all night long.

Adding the baseboard and window trim immediately made the interior look more finished. I especially like the Texas star medallions that we chose for the doors and windows. They add a cool look and made it much easier to install the trim — eliminating the need for 45-degree miter cuts.

Installing the beadboard also changed the look of the interior. We decided to do a beadboard wainscoting measuring three-feet up from the floor — up to the height of the doorknobs. Once we installed the baseboards and beadboard we caulked all of the seams in preparation for paint.

This past week Cheryl and I returned to the cabin to paint all of the trim and the wainscoting. We chose a flat paint for the walls, a semi-gloss for the trim, and a satin finish for the wainscoting. We also added trim where the walls meet the ceiling tin. We painted the trim before installing it and then filled in the nail holes with wood filler before finishing this phase of the work with touch-up paint.

We had just enough time to complete the ceiling in the bathroom. We opted for a shiplap look with long 1 x 4 x 8 lumber. This was very easy to install and to tack in place with my finish nailer. We ripped some lumber on the table saw to add trim to the perimeter of the ceiling. We completed this step with wood filler, caulk, and touch-up paint.

Next steps include painting the doors and adding new LED light fixtures. We have also decided on vinyl laminate flooring for easy maintenance. Hopefully we can finish these steps sometime after the first of the year.

One of the things I noticed was how this interior work has enhanced our view of Nine Point Mesa and Black Hill to the east. Our east-facing windows have become an even more beautiful frame for the magnificent view of these iconic Big Bend landmarks.

We remain excited about every small step that gets us closer to moving furniture to the cabin. We know the day is coming when all of the interior work will be completed and we can turn our attention to some of the outside projects we want to do — including working to restore some native grasses.

This Thanksgiving Cheryl and I are thankful for all of the friends who have helped get us to where we are — from fencing the property to working on the interior of the cabin. We can see the signature of their kindness every time we visit Dos Arbolitos, our little slice of heaven in the Big Bend of Texas.

by

Making Slow Progress at Dos Arbolitos

Someone wisely observed that slow progress is definitely better than no progress. I couldn’t agree more. If there is one lesson that is deeply ingrained in my mind about developing Dos Arbolitos, our off-grid property in Big Bend, it is that we make progress one small step at a time. And because we live so far from our little place, we have to make every step count and not get discouraged when we have to take a step back.

Since spending the last two weeks in August at Dos Arbolitos I have traveled to Uganda, Brazil, and El Salvador. I now carry a small journal with me where I sketch out current and upcoming projects, make supply lists, and jot down all kinds of off-grid stuff I need to research. So, wherever I happen to be, I like to spend a little time at the end of each day writing and reviewing notes in my journal.

This past week I returned to Dos Arbolitos loaded down with supplies. My friend James Meredith has been very kind to let me borrow one of his trailers to haul supplies. With an opening in my schedule, I took advantage of the opportunity to transport bundles of R-19 insulation, ceiling tin, trim for doors and windows, baseboards, cement, gravel, another water tank, and a burn barrel for our super kind and always helpful neighbors Joe and Lisa.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that since having our 1125-gallon catchment tank installed in August, we have captured 800-gallons of water from recent rains. I added the smaller water tank next to our larger container and transferred about 300-gallons from our larger tank. This will ensure that if there are more rains we will be able to capture more water in our main tank until I can plumb in our overflow to the smaller tank.

I also built a raised platform for our 55-gallon rain barrels. These barrels are situated next to our storage container and outdoor toilet and shower area. I had previously added spigots to these barrels to make it easy to fill containers or just have a hand-washing station. I added gravel to help keep the area from getting muddy in case of any spillage. Later I may add a water line and pump from one of the barrels to our shower area.

After completing my water-related projects, I started the process of trimming the interior doors. Using 1 x 4 x 8 primed lumber and Texas star medallions, this process was pretty easy. I like the look of the medallions much better than 45-degree miter cuts. I will trim the windows in the same way for a uniform look. Once this work is complete I will add beadboard wainscoting around the room and do final painting on all the trim, doors, and wainscoting.

The next big thing I need to do is insulate the ceiling and add the ceiling tin. All of the interior walls are insulated and finished. The temperature plunged into the 30’s on two nights making our little cabin an ice box. My little propane heater did little to help because the heat escaped through our un-insulated ceiling. The heater should work fine once the ceiling work is complete.

I also added some temporary steps into our cabin. I will improve these later. Cheryl was very happy about this. As much as we go in and out of the cabin when we visit, having these steps makes it so much easier, especially when moving supplies in and out of the cabin.

And, a final note of good news, Big Bend Telephone was able to squeeze me in to their schedule late Friday and get me hooked up with dish-powered internet and phone service. This means I won’t have to drive to Little Burro Country Store to use their WiFi to check in with home and will have service in case of any emergency.

So, a few more steps in the direction of completing our cabin. Maybe completing is not the right word to use. I have a feeling that we will always have something we will want to add or change or whatever as we use the cabin more and more. And, that’s ok. Dos Arbolitos has turned out to be a blessing in more ways than one. It has become a little haven of rest and refreshment, even in spite of the long days of work. I am happy with the slow progress we are making because it is indeed better than no progress.