Cole Altom . Writer . Editor . Canine Enthusiast . The mammal , not the tooth . Wood respecter . Native West Texan . One-time Trinitonian . Current Marathonian . Mostly wrong . Never in doubt . Passably literate . Send pitches to editor @ cenizojournal . com

Billie Farrington Birnie Billie Birnie has been writing most of her life , starting with bad poems about her good teachers in elementary school ( in Balmorhea , Texas ), continuing as editor of her college newspaper ( in Alpine , Texas ) and society editor of the Pecos Enterprise , improving during a long career in education ( in Austin , Texas , and Miami , Florida ), and now free-lancing in retirement ( in Alpine and San Angelo , Texas ). Her published writing ranges from memoir and poetry to articles and books on teaching and learning .

Rod D ’ Amico is a freelance writer and podcast producer living in Shafter who serves on the board for the Friends of the Ruidosa church . Recently , he has contributed to Texas Monthly , the Texas Observer and the Big Bend Sentinel . Email : damicoustin @ gmail . com

Judy Eron splits her time between the ocean in Washington state and the remote mountain desert outside Big Bend National Park in Texas , where she and her partner Charlie enjoy off-the-grid living in a house she helped to build . Summers , Judy is rhythm guitarist and songwriter for country band Double J and the Boys . She is the author of What Goes Up : Surviving the Manic Episode of a Loved One . Email : judyeron @ yahoo . com

Jeremy Gonzalez is a former managing editor and staff reporter for The Fort Stockton Pioneer . He currently works full time for Digital Carpenters , a bitcoin mining facility in Fort Stockton , and dabbles in freelance journalism to scratch his creative itch . Email : tigerwithcoffee @ gmail . com

Will Hawkins is a proud Texan who graduated from Southwest Texas State University and now leads a family-owned oilfield service company . A family trip to Big Bend several years ago fostered a deep appreciation for the rugged beauty of West Texas . Will takes pride in being a dedicated father , self-taught artist and friend to some remarkably funny people .

Shannon King is a native Texan , writer and equestrian who , in 2014 , discovered our beautiful Chihuahuan Desert and knew immediately this is where she was meant to be . She is now proud to call the Big Bend region home . A horse lover , Shannon has slowly built a following by riding and camping the southwest , while telling her stories as a woman traveling alone . Her articles have been published in Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine , Horse Trails of America , Where the Trails Are , and many other online equestrian resources . Read more of Shannon ' s work on Facebook or Instagram under the handle Confessions of a Saddle Tramp , or at www . confessionsofasaddletramp . com .

Mary Beth Schaefer is a technical writer and editor for a health care consulting company . Before that , she was an editor and researcher for the Texas legislature . She lives in Marathon , Texas , with her husband and four dogs , and has been on the Marathon Public Library Board of Directors since spring 2023 .

ON THE COVER : Refresh by Vicki LeBlanc

I ’ m a 5th generation Texan , I have been involved with horses most of my life as an owner , competitor and breeder . In 2009 , I turned my passion of photography into a business where most of my clients were of the equine sort . In the early 80 ’ s I traveled extensively to Europe and Southern Africa . My photography was developing and I was learning to truly see with my eyes . Learning how to capture the beauty , took time . The folks at Nikon have helped me achieve the ability to photograph beautiful moments such as “ Refresh ” as seen on the cover . Photo captured with a Nikon Z9 , lens Nikon 70- 200mm v2 with adapter .

Since 2011 , I travel to Alpine and Fort Davis twice a year for my workshop , Shooting West Texas . I spend a lot of time at the Kokernot o6 Ranch capturing its beauty with the different seasons . I never tire of traveling through this ranch land photographing its different landscapes , wildlife , ranching and the people . I love capturing western heritage to preserve a piece of the Texas history . My home is in Hempstead , Texas but this part of Texas feels like my 2nd home now .

Thank you City of Alpine Photo Contest for showcasing my photographs and many other amazing photographers works . Thank you Cenizo Journal for featuring “ Refresh ” and the dog is a poodle cross which happens to be an amazing cow dog owned by Brent Charlesworth .

My photography artwork prints are available online along with an upcoming Far West Texas Heritage book . www . vickileblanc . com

WINTER EDITION • JANUARY - MARCH 2024

PUBLISHER Riley Stephens publisher @ cenizojournal . com

DESIGN / PRODUCTION Ceci Marquez

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cole Altom editor @ cenizojournal . com

Cenizo Winter 2024

SUBSCRIPTIONS Print subscriptions will be mailed for $ 29 annually .

Subscribe online at CenizoJournal . com or email publisher @ cenizojournal . com or call 432-614-4074 x . 2 .

SUBMISSION

We ’ d like to feature your work in the Cenizo Journal . Contact Cole Altom at editor @ cenizojournal . com for submission information .

Cenizo Journal is published four times per year . © 2024 Cenizo Journal . Copyright of all art and images contained within are retained by the image owner and are used with permission .