redmess

i'm starting all over goddamnit.
all these miles i've covered and i still don't know shit from shinola.

and as a dear friend and retired state trooper told me this morning,
"feeling lost? the hiker's first rule of thumb is to immediately stop in the nearest place of comfort,unload the gear,sit down,gather yourself for as long as it takes,don't make hasty decisions and decide whether to attempt to find the trail or backtrack home and find the trail at a later time"
sound advice, gary.

i went to west texas recently.


after not living in texas for two years, i re-connected with what i love and loathe about being from here.

the ubiquitous gun culture in combination with christian holiday sentiment. christ's sake...


thorny bramble, barbed wire, and rusted pick up trucks:


the resourceful rasquache sensibilities of salvage, utilize, scavenge:


the haunting and harsh beauty of the landscape:




the decay, dilapidation, and ultimate abandonment of rural, cowboy heritage:






but how in Terlingua, this way of living thrives:


the banks of the rio grande. the absurdity of borders.

"what happens when you seperate the people from the rivers? bureaucracy!"
-kerouac

resiliency and adaptation:






invention for the sake of wonder:





cause in the end we're all gonna die and you better make sure you had a good time this go-around:





so i'll be here with the hillbillies, rednecks, seekers, and freaks in central texas for the next few months. collecting the shredded scraps of myself and making some money for the next adventure.

yeah, valentines are lame but i was compelled to make one anyway. i mailed it to someone who is WAY too far away from me right now.

"blue is all i've been without you, baby"




carry on, lovers.
xoxo