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Boquillas Christmas 2016 – Santa Needs Your Help!

HELP SANTA BRING CHRISTMAS TO BOQUILLAS’ CHILDREN – 2016

THANK YOU!  Your donations of over $1,500 are going to make for a very merry Christmas for the children of Boquillas.

You can still donate to “Terlingua Cares,” the local non-profit, by clicking the donate button.


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Santa rowing to Boquillas.

For the last 13 years, long-time Terlingua resident Marcos Paredes has taken food and presents to the children of Boquillas on Christmas Day. Marcos and some of his friends and neighbors have bought presents for the children plus turkeys and hams for their families, and delivered them personally.

This is a wonderful tradition. For it to continue, we need to pitch in.

x3Although there is now a legal border crossing into Boquillas, tourism is way down from where it used to be and without our efforts these children will not have much of a Christmas.

This year, Santa needs some help again. He needs your help so that our less fortunate neighbors to the South can celebrate Christmas.

x6You can help by donating using the button below. Your money will go to Terlingua Cares, which is associated with the Big Bend Citizen’s Alliance (a 501.c.3 non-profit organization based in Terlingua, Texas), and all funds raised will go to pay for gifts and food for the children of Boquillas.

If you’d like written confirmation of your donation for tax purposes, contact me (Pat O’Bryan) at koanwrangler (at) gmail (dot) com.

 




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Music Festival! Terlingua Ranch – Labor Day Weekend!

First Rattle out the Cage banner

Terlingua Music Festival Alert- Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 3 & 4, 2016.

George Goss and Friends, The Purple Bee Crew, and a bunch of local musicians are putting on a music festival Labor Day Weekend. You should attend.

It’s going to be two days of fun, music, and festivities- and a  great opportunity to support a new music venue here in the Big Bend.

Originally, the South County Music Corral was Suzee’s Snack Shack. It’s located a short distance down the main Ranch Road at Terlingua Ranch.

Now, it’s a funky, rustic concert venue. George Goss and his ragged band of volunteers have built a stage, installed a bar, and decorated the Music Corral. Inside, it looks Continue reading “Music Festival! Terlingua Ranch – Labor Day Weekend!”

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Casa la Gloria in Manuel Benavides, Mexico (San Carlos, Mexico)

In Manuel Benavides, Mexico (San Carlos, Mexico) there is an oasis less than an hour’s drive from Presidio, Tx. called Casa la Gloria. I recommend it. Highly.

Reservations are required. Contact Gloria Page: 432-294-4137 (US cell phone) or book through Far Flung Adventures: 800-839-7238. Tell them “Pat sent you.” Maybe she’ll throw a free stay my way. I just got home and I’m ready to go back!

To get there, stay on “Main Street” (avenue Libre Commercia) in Ojinaga- that’s Hwy 67, the highway to Camargo.

About 20 miles outside OJ, take a left on Hwy 200 – it’s clearly marked.  You just have to remember that San Carlos’ “real” name is Manuel Benavides. Thirty miles later, you’re in San Carlos.  Go over the bridge, take a right just past the first liquor store, go up the dirt road, look for the sign.

If you’re curious about Ojinaga, safety in Mexico, etc., you might want to read my previous blog post HERE.

a real working aquaduct flows through Gloria's property.
a real working aquaduct flows through Gloria’s property.
Casa la Gloria
Casa la Gloria

Bed and Breakfast in San Carlos (Manuel Benavides)

Above is the “big house.”  It’s huge, with three bedrooms, two large bathrooms including one that has a tub big enough for two large adults to soak in, great kitchen, a porch that could seat 50 people easily… and rents for just Continue reading “Casa la Gloria in Manuel Benavides, Mexico (San Carlos, Mexico)”

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Exploring Ojinaga

From Terlingua to Ojinaga is a 62 mile drive across some of the most beautiful scenery in Texas.

Hwy 170 - River Road - between Terlingua and Presidio
Hwy 170 – River Road – between Terlingua and Presidio

Ojinaga sits just across the Rio Grande from Presidio, Texas. The drive itself is a destination – people come from all over the world to drive River Road. At the end of the drive is an adventure and really good food.

Entering Mexico
Entering Mexico

This was my 4th trip to OJ and my 2nd solo trip. When I ask locals what there is to do in OJ, the answer is always Continue reading “Exploring Ojinaga”

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The Porch After Voices From Both Sides 2016

Voices From Both Sides 2016 – Fiesta Protesta

I decided to sit this one out.

I think this was the 4th year that Terlingua has celebrated ” Voices From Both Sides.” For the last two years I arrived early, helped set up the sound system, and, with Trevor Hickle, sat behind the sound board in the sun.

The first year it was mostly a local event. This year national and International TV and news outlets attended and people flocked from all over. For pictures of this year’s celebration slip over to Google or Facebook and do a search- there were lots of great photographers in attendance.

I sat on the porch talking with some other locals and waited patiently. Sure enough, as the sun started to set the party moved to the porch. Guitars, dobros, mandolins, fiddles, a viola (not a fiddle!) and voices melded into a magical impromptu performance. Continue reading “The Porch After Voices From Both Sides 2016”

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Terlingua Porch in the Summer

Summer in Terlingua.

Sometimes May can be the hottest month of the year. Not this year. Right now, it’s 69F at noon and tonight will fall to the 50’s.

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In the summer, the crowds thin out. Some river guides move to places that are “in season” in the summer. Some locals migrate to their summer homes in Colorado, New Mexico – anywhere that’s cooler than here.

The music continues. The Boathouse is still down for the count, but the Starlight Theatre and La Kiva have picked up the slack.

And then there’s the porch. Between the Starlight Theatre and the Terlingua Trading Post there is a covered cowboy porch, with benches against the wall.

This is where Terlingua watches the sun go down in the East. Continue reading “Terlingua Porch in the Summer”

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Changes at the Boathouse

It’s 2016. The history of the building we know as the Boathouse in Terlingua starts in 1981,  There have been a lot of changes there during its 35 year life.

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Since I’m a relative newcomer to the area- I bought my property 10 years ago and have lived here full-time for just 3 years – I asked Mike Davidson, who’s owned that property since the early 80’s, to write a “history of the Boathouse” for us- it’s included at the end of this blog post. Continue reading “Changes at the Boathouse”