BEFORE and AFTER – Den Remodel – This Old Dean House

It could have just been some drywall patching and a little paint. It wasn’t. Foundation damage, ceiling damage, and a whole-house plumbing repipe turned what should have been an easy room into a darn big project. I think we moved in and out of the Den four different times over many months as we lived …

“Emergency” Mulching – This Old Dean House

This was the most challenging house project we’ve undertaken so far. But I liked it the most. The area near the street is still a mess, but it is much better than it was. I put this emergency to bed with my trusty shovel and some back-breaking work. Whoever put gravel in this area is …

Big Bend Ranch State Park & Fort Davis National Historic Site

Drive Day! Might as well take one of the prettiest drives in Texas. Then we might as well sprinkle in a couple of neat hikes (Closed Canyon Trail and Hoodoos & Balanced Rock Trail @ Big Bend Ranch State Park) and maybe a visit to Fort Davis National Historic Site. Busy travel day to drop …

This Old Dean House – Outdoor Renovation List

We’ve been doing inside renovations for several months, but when the weather warmed up, I got to thinking about all the outside projects/renovations. I’d rather be outside than inside almost always. I go from 1) there isn’t that much to do to 2) I’m so overwhelmed I’m crippled really quickly. LOL Emily and I don’t …

Big Bend National Park – Rio Grande Village, Boquillas Canyon & Hot Springs

On our final day in Big Bend National Park, we headed over to the eastern side of the park. We stopped at the park’s visitor center (movie) and hiked on Dugout Well Trail before heading over to Rio Grande Village. Once there, we headed to Boquillas Canyon. I wanted to ride a canoe and donkey …

Big Bend National Park – Chisos Basin and Lost Mine Trail

It was hike day in Big Bend National Park for us. For various reasons, we didn’t do the South Rim Trail (sad face emoji) as I planned. We wound up doing the Lost Mine Trail. It could not have been too much worse. It was the perfect hike. It also saved us about 10 miles …

Big Bend National Park – Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive & Santa Elena Canyon

This was one of my favorite days at Big Bend National Park. The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive was beautiful. It had lots of stops for exploring/hiking. I was so busy taking in the sights that I even did a full face plant on one hike. Emmaline and Emily throughly enjoyed that! We ended the day …

Getting To Big Bend NP – Terlingua, TX

We were heading down to Big Bend National Park, and it was a haul! I’d never been to West Texas. There is A LOT of open space…OPEN…A LOT. Emmaline was going on the trip with us, and I’d tried every way possible to talk her out of coming. I was worried about the “remoteness” not …