state that
chaparral
both cures and causes cancer and cures
and causes liver problems. This means
that you should only use chaparral
externally (on your skin) even though
people have used chaparral internally
for thousands of years. These
FDA/Health Canada tests are con-
ducted with one singular constituent of the plant tested at doses higher than a
human would ever consume. The tests
are on lab rats. They also reviewed 18
cases of problems reported from the
internal use of chaparral. We should lis-
ten to them. So there won’t be the usual
“how to make food with chaparral”
recipes in my column this time. When
people take chaparral internally it is in
a tincture (medicinal herbs extracted into alcohol) or a glycerin (medicinal
herbs extracted into glycerin) or as a
honey or molasses infusion or a tea. It is
taken for liver detox, internal parasites,
lung conditions, colds, coughing and
bronchitis. Chaparral is very bitter. I
bet you can imagine how chaparral will
taste when you crush the leaves
between your fingers and smell it. That
bitterness is telling you not to consume chaparral. When it is used internally it
should be for not more then two weeks
and one must listen to their body while
taking it. Locally-produced creosote
salves are available for sale in several
stores and shops throughout Big Bend.
Your skin will love you for the protec-
tion it gives.
also retir-
ing. As
the cooks task between the fryers, the
hot line, and the ovens it gets so hot
thermometers melt in the summer.
(Yes, I’ve tested this.) Alas, there is a
price for the murky cool when working
in the belly of the beast, and it’s the
evaporative cooler that lays about on
the roof above the kitchen, aka Swamp
Thing. Communication with co-work-
ers is next to impossible when the
machine is running, and the cool air
resists flowing fully out to the dining
room. Muggy in the summer, drafty in
the winter, the addition of central heat
and air will evolve the restaurant to a
comfort level that people expect.
Tourists and locals alike travel to
the Black Bear again and again; espe-
cially on Sundays and holidays for the
famous buffets. To enhance the dining
experience and provide more efficien-
cy, there will be a new built-in buffet.
It will be powered by an induction
heating system much like a cruise liner,
albeit in the desert. The dining room
furnishings will be updated to include
booths as well as tables and chairs,
resulting in a more contemporary feel
suited to the personality of the Black
Bear. (Not to worry, though, the heavy
wood dinettes are reproductions and
will be repurposed in Balmorhea and
Colorado City.) Final decisions on
décor will be done closer to the time of
reopening. The fate of the mural on
the west wall of the restaurant waffled
back and forth for months: should it
stay or should it go? In the end, restau-
rant patrons unknowingly resolved the
question. Tourists photographing the
mural on a regular basis acted as a
silent vote, so its life was spared and it
will live on as the future common wall
between the dining room and the
kitchen. The new Black Bear will highlight
the million dollar view of the Keesey
Canyon by building an outdoor dining
deck on the south and east sides.
Together with the increased seating
inside, it will provide twice the capaci-
ty. This is great for holidays and busy
seasons but still presents a problem.
The Black Bear is like many restau-
rants in the area, continually under-
staffed. For the past year or so, the
restaurant has closed two days a week
to accommodate these challenges, but
if anyone’s looking for work out west,
the Black Bear usually has the “now
hiring” sign up.
During the remodel the staff will
choose temporary jobs within the
parks system to earn their salary. Some
will stay in Fort Davis and work at the
lodge. Many things in the hotel have
been updated over the past couple of
years including new beds and linens,
TVs, and in-room coffee makers, but
there’s still plenty on the “honey-do”
list. Employees electing to stay in Fort
Davis will work on the remodeling of
the courtyard as well as the constant
cleanup required to make the lodge a
hospitable place during the construc-
tion year.
Adventurous, unattached employ-
ees will go to sister parks like
Balmorhea State Park, Monahans
State Park, Lake Colorado City (did
you know there’s a state park in
Colorado City?), Big Bend Ranch
State Park and San Angelo State Park.
They will trail build, make and refresh
campsites, and do general mainte-
nance like painting, cleaning, and light
cabin repairs. If there is housing avail-
able at the state park, employees may
choose to live there.
With the work on the restaurant,
hotel, and sister parks gaining able-
bodied workers for the ensuing year, the renovation of the Black Bear will
be felt throughout West Texas. Over
95 percent of land in Texas is private-
ly owned, making the parks and the
use of public land an important part of
the state’s infrastructure. It is vital to
the mental, physical, and spiritual
health of people as well as plants and
wildlife. As the population surges and
land is sucked up into the spread of
progress, managing and conserving
natural areas and providing outdoor
recreation opportunities will become
increasingly important for future gen-
erations. The money spent on updat-
ing the parks is, in this writer’s opinion,
one of the better uses of tax dollars, fos-
tering future good stewardship of the
land and creating a love of nature in
future generations.
People visiting Indian Lodge during
the year of construction are asked to be
patient. The hotel will remain open,
and continental breakfast and coffee
will be available for guests in the morn-
ings. The Black Bear is working with
some of the local restaurants in town
on a plan for order and/or delivery
services, or perhaps to provide meals
available for purchase to keep cus-
tomers comfortable. Perhaps some
other options will be forthcoming. The
addition of central heat and air, easier
accessibility, and the accompaniment
of outdoor dining, will result in a more
comfortable and appetizing restaurant.
With the latest menu changes resulting
in good ratings for the restaurant,
there may be some additions and slight
changes to the carte du jour upon
reopening, but the renovation won’t
hit the consumer’s wallet.
The Black Bear will have one last
meal before it goes into hibernation.
State regulations prevent donation of
food that is purchased with taxpayer’s
money, so any food remaining on Labor Day weekend needs to be eaten
or thrown out. In order to prevent the
latter, the restaurant will have a Last
Supper. Open to the public, the buffet
will include old favorites as well as
showcase the creative ingenuity of the
cooks in their use of remaining food
supplies. Priced around $5.00, the Last
Supper will be kind of like a box of
chocolates – you never know what
you’re gonna get. We look forward to
the progress and construction saga
over the next year and anticipate the
Black Bear’s awakening.
Note: The contractor was not final-
ized at the time of this writing, but the
decision is planned for June. Those
interested in making a bid on the proj-
ect visited the Black Bear in March of
this year for a mandatory site visit, and
after the informational meeting and a
tour of the restaurant, five submitted
bids. The information contact for the
renovation is park superintendent
Karen Sulewski; the construction man-
ager is JD Lammons. More informa-
tion about the winning contractor and
the ongoing progress of the renovation
can be found on the Indian Lodge
State Park and the Black Bear
Restaurant at Indian Lodge Facebook
pages. You can follow the progress
there.
continued from page 11
continued from page 13
Cenizo
Disclosure: Rani Birchfield
worked at the Black Bear, and while it
wasn’t her final career choice, Rani
still believes in the value of the parks,
regarding them as one of the best ideas
of America. Rani and her daughter
road-tripped to many parks in the
lower 48, rain and shine, which influ-
enced her daughter to achieve a
Master’s Degree in International
Sustainable Tourism. We do not inherit
the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from
our children. ~ Native American
Third Quarter 2015
27