Tenacious Texas

Driving through Texas is really the only way you can possibly comprehend the sheer size of the Lone star State. After passing through seemingly endless stretches of dry dirt dotted with mesquite trees and BBQ signs we finally made it to Nabuni Acres.

As you bump down the rocky driveway fifty some-odd orchard fruit trees stand on either side. A tour of the homestead included 17 acres of chickens, ducks, sheep, cows, a pig, and horse that pasture and roam around the yard at their leisure along with a small kitchen vegetable garden with the veggies of the season densely sprouted up in rows.

We spent the next few days doing odd chores around the house with our hosts Maury and Melissa. Since it was the weekend, the workload was considerably less and we spent our time watering the plants, chatting with neighbors, and chiseling away at the cellar hole Maury has started under the house.

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During the week Ryan and I installed an irrigation line in the orchard, which was a lot simpler than we expected it to be. Then we took a few days off to work on squaring away our next farms we are to travel to and visited Austin for the day.

Austin certainly proved to be a city worth visiting if you’re in Texas. We spent the day at a beautiful dog park where the dogs swam and tired themselves out before going to eat dinner an authentic tex-mex restaurant, along with some margaritas of course. Then we headed to the infamous Congress Blvd Bridge to see the thousands of bats descend on the river at sunset.

Once we were back to work at Nabuni we worked on stretching and securing a section of fence so the animals could pasture in a new area. One of the days, while moving a stack of pallets Ryan came upon a diamond back so Maury quickly killed it and we got to see how the rattler tasted all fried up for dinner. I must say, eating a snake sounds a lot worse than it actually is and, given the chance, I would probably eat it again. I think I would describe it as a rather bland taste, something like Tilapia, but with a chewy, stringy consistency, similar to string cheese. Not a bad combo. We also made buttermilk chess pie, a Texas original. In the evenings we spent our time relaxing on the porch, drinking beer and shooting various guns (including an AK-47!), after all we are in Texas.

Since Maury is an expert in  many Native American skills, Ryan decided to take advantage of this and learn to make his own bow while we were there. To make a bow, the traditional way, you start with Bodark, a specific type of tree. So Ryan spent 10 minutes here and there throughout the day and then a good amount of time in the evenings using a draw knife to shave away rings on the hunk of wood, year by year getting closer to the desired pith. Once the selected layer was revealed on both sides, he drew out his desired shape and began cutting away. Though the bow looks close to what he wants, it is far from being done…now comes the fine whittling,  shaving or sanding away fine layers to even the whole bow out.

  

Texas really is an unforgiving land, with its biting insects, venomous snakes, scorpions, and dry heat, all of which we experienced. For the experience, we are grateful, but are now positive we do not want to settle in this vast, dusty state.

All in all, we really did not work as much as we would have liked, but what we didn’t learn in practice, our hosts made up for in many conversations where Ryan and I carefully dissected their brains with our constant questions. Our hosts, Melissa and Maury made us feel very welcome and we are grateful to have been able to absorb some of their knowledge on everything from keyhole gardens and lasagna beds, to constructing a water bog filtration system and making home brewed beer. They really proved to be a wealth of information.

Thanks Maury and Melissa for putting up with our seemingly endless questions, may you always continue to be that wealth of knowledge for those around you!

“Live with what you have now
And make the best of what’s to come”

Tonya & Ryan