Mellower Marfa

One early Sunday in October, I made the final day of Chinati Weekend, the annual event many people return to from around the world, and of course, the four cities of the Texas Triangle.

That was looking east towards the sunrise, somewhere around Lobo or Valentine. Below is looking west.

Upon arrival and after a breakfast taco or three at Stripes, I zipped over to the late Robert Irwin’s work at Chinati: untitled (dawn to dusk).

We’ll peek inside before it’s closed for the day.

The play of light through the windows and onto the scrim, with so few others including docents around – and nobody in sight – begged me to take those clandestine interior photos. Begged.

Agave salmiana / Green Maguey is one of the more common agaves in Marfa, being bold right in front, as I drove off to the next stop.

There was a screening of the Irwin film, “A Desert of Pure Feeling“, at the Crowley Theater. Front rows usually have many open seats, which got me into enjoyable conversation with a couple of women friends visiting from Dallas, sitting behind me and higher up. Both were friendly, but the wittiest of them (Ann?), peered over my shoulder, remarking about my Irwin photos taken inside!

Soon the crowds filtered away, the locals came out, and I got to take in all the peace that’s always in the background, while working on some writing or working on my business.

Then I wrote, explored, ate, and drank well, ….

Clerestory windows and Dasylirion wheeleri in rhythm, but a across town (not many blocks) is a patio restaurant with better landscape design and plantings than many where I live, closed and for sale. Their usual Chilopsis linearis with Muhlenbergia lindheimeri and some Muhlenbergia emersleyi closer to the building.

Returning to my home for a couple nights, then walking by to grab breakfast…..

The same home’s front garden by Jim Martinez. I took too many photos there! So, expect more on another post explaining the Bouteloua gracilis with conifers up-front. Or something else.

Arriving in Marfa at the end of the weekend nowadays is ideal.

It used to not be ideal, under a decade ago, but today many food and drink options are available from Sunday through Wednesday.

Before lunch or a Chinati visit, the mid town park called, to get more photos of the tile bench and plantings.

Two Nolina species stood their ground here, and were enjoying life. The smaller one is Nolina lindheimeri, and the larger, trunked one is Nolina nelsonii.

Visitors from the larger cities to the east are long gone or leaving, and few remain. I see some of what they see at the close of weekend events. Sometimes, I even overhear what they and the person across the table from them are discussing (hello, Barbara Hill!), which is perfect…for putting on my iPods to hear music!

I’ll post some more on this trip, since I spent more time with my camera than I did writing. Writing was a big reason I visited.

Words of wisdom

Next time.