Why the Raven Calls the Canyon

Off the Grid in Big Bend Country

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, Photography, Pictorials, Nature & Wildlife, Travel, United States, South
Cover of the book Why the Raven Calls the Canyon by E. Dan Klepper, Texas A&M University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: E. Dan Klepper ISBN: 9781623494940
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press Publication: March 7, 2017
Imprint: Texas A&M University Press Language: English
Author: E. Dan Klepper
ISBN: 9781623494940
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Publication: March 7, 2017
Imprint: Texas A&M University Press
Language: English

Fresno Ranch, an abandoned horse and mule operation located in a remote stretch of the Rio Grande River bordering Mexico, gives evidence of a human presence spanning centuries. The ranch saw a period of entrepreneurial mule breeding and ranching, and ownership by Texas artist and publishing heiress Jeanne Norsworthy, who built an off-the-grid, hand-constructed adobe studio on the premises.

Photographer and freelance writer E. Dan Klepper spent seven years, off and on, living and working at Fresno Ranch. By 2008, when the 7,000-acre property was acquired by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to become part of Big Bend Ranch State Park, the adobe studio dwelling and its associated structures had been sitting vacant for almost ten years—many rugged miles from the nearest electrical power line or municipal water system.

Between 2006 and 2013, Klepper assisted his friend Rodrigo Trevizo, park ranger and caretaker for the property, with the various chores required to keep the ranch in operating condition. The two excavated and repaired the primary water network, cared for the livestock, cleared brush, and maintained a small, solar-powered electrical system. Days of 110-degree heat, boiling water for washing and cooking, and keeping a wary eye out for rattlesnakes alternated with evenings spent in the flicker of kerosene lanterns, listening to the rasping of the ravens as they scoured the canyon in the gathering dark.

In vivid images and well-considered prose, Klepper reflects on his experiences at Fresno Ranch, “witnessing the unfolding of a natural world unfettered by the overpowering human footprint that has dominated so many of our remaining wild places.” For aficionados of fine art photography, cultural and natural history enthusiasts, and fans of the Big Bend region and its austere beauty, Why the Raven Calls the Canyon offers a provocative visual journal of off-the-grid living that celebrates the unique landscape of the Big Bend.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Fresno Ranch, an abandoned horse and mule operation located in a remote stretch of the Rio Grande River bordering Mexico, gives evidence of a human presence spanning centuries. The ranch saw a period of entrepreneurial mule breeding and ranching, and ownership by Texas artist and publishing heiress Jeanne Norsworthy, who built an off-the-grid, hand-constructed adobe studio on the premises.

Photographer and freelance writer E. Dan Klepper spent seven years, off and on, living and working at Fresno Ranch. By 2008, when the 7,000-acre property was acquired by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to become part of Big Bend Ranch State Park, the adobe studio dwelling and its associated structures had been sitting vacant for almost ten years—many rugged miles from the nearest electrical power line or municipal water system.

Between 2006 and 2013, Klepper assisted his friend Rodrigo Trevizo, park ranger and caretaker for the property, with the various chores required to keep the ranch in operating condition. The two excavated and repaired the primary water network, cared for the livestock, cleared brush, and maintained a small, solar-powered electrical system. Days of 110-degree heat, boiling water for washing and cooking, and keeping a wary eye out for rattlesnakes alternated with evenings spent in the flicker of kerosene lanterns, listening to the rasping of the ravens as they scoured the canyon in the gathering dark.

In vivid images and well-considered prose, Klepper reflects on his experiences at Fresno Ranch, “witnessing the unfolding of a natural world unfettered by the overpowering human footprint that has dominated so many of our remaining wild places.” For aficionados of fine art photography, cultural and natural history enthusiasts, and fans of the Big Bend region and its austere beauty, Why the Raven Calls the Canyon offers a provocative visual journal of off-the-grid living that celebrates the unique landscape of the Big Bend.

More books from Texas A&M University Press

Cover of the book Texas Seashells by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Running the River by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Geoarchaeology and Radiocarbon Chronology of Stone Age Northeast Asia by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book War by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Lone Star Steeples by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Wildlife Watching in America's National Parks by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Woman President by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Oilfield Revolutionary by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Field Guide to Common Texas Grasses by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Birds in Trouble by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Edith's War by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book The Grand Duke from Boys Ranch by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Delbert McClinton by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book The Untold Story of the Lower Colorado River Authority by E. Dan Klepper
Cover of the book Clovis by E. Dan Klepper
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy