Plans, preparations, construction and mistakes involved in building an off-grid home in the Texas desert.
Short dispatches from the road, the desert and everyday life. One experience, place, problem or unexpected discovery at a time.
Longer dispatches where personal experience opens into history, engineering, culture and the larger questions behind it.
Interviews and encounters with builders, craftspeople, local characters and people doing things differently.
Off-grid Build
+3
Aug 7, 2026
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4 min read
Temporary accommodation has a habit of becoming surprisingly permanent.
Jul 24, 2026
3 min read
Buying a truck ought to be straightforward. Decide what you need it to carry, find one capable of carrying it and try not to become emotionally attached to anything with unnecessary chrome.
American Life
Jul 10, 2026
2 min read
July included my first Fourth of July since returning to the United States.
Wildlife
Jun 26, 2026
Austin once tried to get rid of the bats beneath Congress Avenue Bridge. Now people fly in from around the world to watch them leave.
Technology
+4
Jun 12, 2026
Austin offered me the chance to put my life in the hands of a driverless car. I said yes. Autonomously.
