Terlingua, Texas Backroads. The Big Bend of Texas. Chihuahuan Desert.
Standing tall in defiance through shades of red and black, rocks surround. Watching my every move. Silhouettes of Ocotillo stretch across the sky, thorns hidden in their softness. Riding Terlingua backroads, a yucca stands sentinel along the way. Wind dips down from the mesa and I tip my hat to save it.
As birds surf above, a fly buzzes in my ear. The sounds of my horse relax me. The steady clip clop of his feet, the saddle creaking. Shifting clouds bring a reprieve from the heat.
These roads are traveled but unknown. I am reminded how much there is still to learn, even as of yesterday.
Ambitious and complex, this desert does not mold itself to fit in. Sometimes dry and brittle, sometimes full and lush. Sensitive, yet hardened. A mismatch of misfits, one shape colliding into the next. Yet undeniably attractive.
Full of resilience and persistence, the plants, animals, and people here survive. The desert breeds appreciation coupled with authenticity.
I am beautiful here.
We are beautiful here.
Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition 