Fried Asparagus Tacos

December has been a very busy month for gigs in the area. The weekly shows this month up in the Chisos mountains have gone very well and have also been well attended by international and domestic travelers. It also means that I was able to save some money this month, which I'll need since January is going to be real slow. One can learn from the vegetation out here how to be resourceful. In times when there are showers, we must open out pockets. And in droughts, we must hunker down and ration what we've caught.

Nuclear Catchment

solar reflection and digestion

Yesterday, I tagged along with my friends to a neighbor who is selling solar panels. Good quality solar panels, not the junky (though usable)  Harbor Freight panels that I currently have two sets of. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase a high quality panel at almost wholesale prices. And when I installed it today, I almost doubled my energy. I can now harvest 170 watts of solar power every hour, enough to run multiple computers, lights, radio, power tools, and even a refrigerator. 

Moving Poo and Surprise Visitors

Mark and Shannon

I was ready this morning for friends Mark and Shannon to come by to gather goat manure from Don's Domeland for the Community garden in Terlingua. What I wasn't expecting was an early arrival and surprise visit from...

The Peaks of Being a Musician

One of my favorite songwriters, Johann Wagner (Austin, TX), joined me for a couple of shows in the Big Bend area. We were slightly rusty as a duo, since it had been about a year since we toured together, but it didn't take long to find our stride.

Insulated

My little shed is more like a little cabin now that it is fully insulated, thanks to my friend and local musician/carpenter for hire, Jim Keaveny. Thanks also to a full house at the Starlight Theater on Monday night and a generous audience which helped me to afford this last installment of the winterization process. 

Touring locally in December

Some gig opportunities have finally panned out around my region and just in the nick of time, financially speaking that is.  While music venues in large cities or saturated music scenes book many months in advance, out here it is the opposite. The venues, (restaurants, hotels, bars) book their music only when they know for certain that they will have high occupancy, and it is not uncommon to be booked for a gig the day of the show. It's like being on call and re-applying for my job every day.

The logistics behind each gig is a full time job if I count the promotional aspect of it (designing and printing flyers), and being my own roadie, sound guy, and merch person. I also have to write and practice the songs when there is time left over. I'm not complaining. I'm just letting you know why I'm not finished with my building yet. And if I wasn't doing all of the work to sustain my own creative endeavors, I'd be putting in all that work into someone else's.

Terlingua House Concert with Jack Wilson

Jack Wilson

There have been many conversations recently about setting up a house concert in Terlingua, and we finally did. Thanks to the Hunnicut family (Greg and Stephanie) for hosting us in a fantastic desert setting. I would say that the first house concert was a success.