Blog Archives
a degree of concentration
Every time I go to Alpine I make a stop at the Big Bend Saddlery. I like looking at the stuff, most of which I can’t identify, but that I nevertheless like to see. I’d guess I generally stay about a half an hour.
This time, with my friends in tow, we made a stop…and stayed two hours. The staff were friendly and accommodating about letting us go back into the workroom, where we visited with saddle-makers and leather-toolers and tried to juggle staying out of their way as they worked while still getting photos.
We didn’t just take photos, though: we all left with purchases, too. And those leather gloves I got sure are warm…
Alpine, Texas
photographed 2.20.2025
song circle
My friends and I have a tradition (because we’ve done it twice, so it’s a legit tradition) where we take ourselves and our cameras on road trips to see what we can find. For the most part, we travel without an agenda but with strong curiosities.
In February we headed out to Far West Texas for a few days. One day we ended up in Terlingua Ghost Town, where to our very great delight there was a song circle set up in a parking lot. The musicians agreed to our request to photograph them, so you can guess what we did.
(To be fair, they probably thought we were asking to take a handful of photos, not about a million. But still.)
Terlingua Ghost Town, Texas
photographed 2.19.2025
chuckwagon breakfast
The very best part of our time at the cowboy poetry gathering was actually in the hours before the performances began, at the chuckwagon breakfasts.
First of all, they were held in the part of the park known as Poet’s Grove. Second of all, those cowboys cooked up some damn good biscuits.
But what made it the best part of the trip was the chance to hang out with cowboys and cooks and poets and local residents and kids and grownups. It was cold (17 degrees one morning, which was why the cream for coffee froze in its tin pitcher). But it was also warm, in the sense of friendship and common respect of the cowboy traditions. And it sure was rich in photographic opportunities.
Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Alpine, Texas
photographed 2.22.2025
cowboy/coffee
Alpine, Texas
photographed 2.22.2025
campfire biscuits
Cowboy poetry was the stated reason for the trip. And it was definitely worth it.
But, truly, the best part of the whole deal was the morning chuckwagon breakfasts. Everyone was friendly and easy to talk to, there were lots of things and people to photograph, and dammit, those were some good biscuits.
Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Alpine, Texas
photographed 2.22.2025
One Day | One Image 