Contributing Artist
On the Terlingua Porch, you’ll periodically hear mention of the 6,000 year evolution of the Yucca Man. If you chanced upon the Giant Daggers in bloom this season, then you may have witnessed the resemblance of the towering, gentle yucca to a human being. Driving the Dagger Flats Road in Big Bend Bend National Park, you would have been awed by a friendly battalion of beauty and had a glimpse at the progenitor of the Yucca Man.
During the early 1980’s, as part of the devoted following of the Yucca Church Nation, Benjie Bell along with Charlie Fulcher, were ordained ministers and Benjie designed the Yucca Man t-shirt…a never-to-be-rags, much-coveted item of clothing.
Recently and without much notice, our friend and Terlingua native, Charlie, found himself in Houston facing major surgery and chemo treatments. Whoa! Richard Sharpe came forth and proclaimed Yucca Nation Day April 1st and began the task of gathering photographs of Yucca people from Alaska to North Carolina. Where yuccas were unavailable, pine trees and magnolias stood-in. The culmination of photos were placed in a scrapbook creatively compiled by Carolyn Burr and sent to Charlie to help cheer him and his family during his incarceration.
Here are a few pics from the Terlingua faction gathered in their finest for portraits and general yuccaness.
Martha Stafford assisted Dave Long with his attire (on their anniversary) while George Womack balanced the background.
Bryn Moore sported well wishes with a ‘sombrita de agave.’
Master of Ceremonies, Richard Sharpe,
decreed, “As we all know we are descended from Yuccas. Go to Dagger
Flats and you can see the beginnings of man, an eden if you
will. During the repressive Republican years, celebrating our
Yuccaness was illegal and could buy you a one way ticket to Guantanamo
or worse. Now that [GOP ]power is waning, yuccas are coming forth
and celebrating on our holy day, the first of April. Yuck it up.”
If this doesn’t cheer you up, I don’t know what could.
Folks could pose behind a Catfish Callaway original. Here Cindy "Lemon Bar" Burns sported the coveted shirt.
“The Doctor” kept it simply elegant.
And of course, the music. Ted Arbogast (right) jammed with Crosby Popke at the Terlingua GhostTown horshoe pits.
For the gathering of Yucca Nation, Paul Wiggins prepared to photograph the group portrait.
The first family of Yucca Nation can be viewed at Dagger Flats in Big Bend National Park.
Crystal Allbright chose
Terlingua as her habitat where she works part-time with the creative,
independent staff of Desert Sports. Family, friends and surroundings
encourage her study of the arts – painting, drawing and photography.
The Gazette urges you to visit: www.crystalallbright.com for more of Crystal's stunning photography and other artwork.
