Briefly visited neighbor at Sombrillo this morning. She looked good. They are giving her physical therapy. She's hoping to come home soon. Need to water her Mexican Feather Grass this evening. Down to 3 waterings a week. I keep hoping it will rain this evening so I don't need to water at all. I'll give it until she's home and then hope that her hubby will take over.
I didn't go to bed until around 12:30 am last night and woke at 8:45 am. I'm still tired and hope to get to bed earlier tonight.
This afternoon, I walked the Rogue Trail to the library again. Don't really know if it's true that a mad scientist built it. Maybe that's a rumor started by Open Space Czar. Whoever built it, I'm glad for it! On the way home, I stopped at Smith's and bought good food, including bing cherries for $1.99 a pound!!
Spouse is eating dinner with son-in-law's family. Daughter made chicken enchiladas and Boston cream pie. Spouse bought wine over. I was invited but felt too tired to go. I stayed home and had corn on the cob, salad, kidney beans with salsa, steelhead trout (pan sauteed in bottled spaghetti sauce - a delicious way to cook fish!) and grapes with a piece of dark chocolate for dessert.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Santa Barbara River in the Pecos
The WRSC took a long drive (very scenic - Paul even took the High Road back through Pensaco, Las Trampas and Truchas!) for a short hike - 3.62 miles - along the Santa Barbara River. We turned around at the first bridge because a thunderstorm was threatening. There was light rain on the walk back and during lunch. As we finished our lunch, some people asked if we were staying overnight. They were happy to find out that they could claim that primo camping spot near the river! New Mexico has some really beautiful country to explore.
The house painter was gone when I got back around 3:30 pm (first drove by some White Rock houses for sale) but, boy, he accomplished a lot! I don't even recognize the house now - so good to be rid of that dark brown trim. He'll come back next week and finish up. That kid is priceless!!
The house painter was gone when I got back around 3:30 pm (first drove by some White Rock houses for sale) but, boy, he accomplished a lot! I don't even recognize the house now - so good to be rid of that dark brown trim. He'll come back next week and finish up. That kid is priceless!!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Getting Weary of the Paint Biz
Progress is being made on the painting but, even though it's ungrateful of me, I'm getting tired of the whole thing. I'm not mad at him and have no complaints - he's doing a very good job and this will be the best paint job this old house (going on 52 years old) has ever gotten. It's just that I'm wanting it to be done. I didn't realize it would spill over into next week when my sister is visiting. Oh, well...
He powerwashed the eaves today. A little water came in at the bottom of the sliding glass door and this time some came in on the sill of yet another one of the cheap, double pane windows that the former owner installed. All of this was minor and easily cleaned up but because of the powerwashing, it's all too evident how filthy the screens and windows are. I'll be forced to clean them one day!!
For some reason, the circuit breaker that powers the TV tripped. That's odd because the powerwasher smelled like it runs on gasoline. To reset the circuit, I had to cut open the masking on the electrical circuit box. All the bedroom windows are masked (I told him that was all right for tonight but not for this weekend) so I can't open them tonight. Fortunately it isn't too, too hot.
There was a little rain earlier today and the roof didn't leak. My neighbor said it only rained a few minutes but it rained much longer than that and really hard at the library.
For my 4 miles, I first walked to the airport and back. Then I continued on the Mesa Trail to behind East Park and Aspen Ridge where I went down to Graduation Canyon. I took the Rogue Trail (below Rim Road) over to behind the Walkup Center. I hung out at the library and then walked the streets back after the rain stopped.
The Rogue Trail is reputed to have been built by a mad nuclear scientist who goes over to CERN in Switzerland when he's not building awesome trails that hang on cliffs above Pueblo Canyon. Rogue Trail is my name for it. The first part of it is very narrow - a singletrack hanging on cliffs and could also be called the S__t Your Pants Trail (SYP). I much prefer the part with a tread that's three times as wide as the SYP!!
I enjoyed watching a large bird wheeling around high above Pueblo Canyon but I was even higher and could look down on it - it was a vulture maybe. It showed some interest in me!!
Thor was rumbling overhead as I walked but oddly enough even though it rained like crazy and there was even some light hail, thunder and lightning was absent from the storm event this afternoon. Hopefully it doused the South Fork fire!!
When the house is painted, it will be worth it!!!!
He powerwashed the eaves today. A little water came in at the bottom of the sliding glass door and this time some came in on the sill of yet another one of the cheap, double pane windows that the former owner installed. All of this was minor and easily cleaned up but because of the powerwashing, it's all too evident how filthy the screens and windows are. I'll be forced to clean them one day!!
For some reason, the circuit breaker that powers the TV tripped. That's odd because the powerwasher smelled like it runs on gasoline. To reset the circuit, I had to cut open the masking on the electrical circuit box. All the bedroom windows are masked (I told him that was all right for tonight but not for this weekend) so I can't open them tonight. Fortunately it isn't too, too hot.
There was a little rain earlier today and the roof didn't leak. My neighbor said it only rained a few minutes but it rained much longer than that and really hard at the library.
For my 4 miles, I first walked to the airport and back. Then I continued on the Mesa Trail to behind East Park and Aspen Ridge where I went down to Graduation Canyon. I took the Rogue Trail (below Rim Road) over to behind the Walkup Center. I hung out at the library and then walked the streets back after the rain stopped.
The Rogue Trail is reputed to have been built by a mad nuclear scientist who goes over to CERN in Switzerland when he's not building awesome trails that hang on cliffs above Pueblo Canyon. Rogue Trail is my name for it. The first part of it is very narrow - a singletrack hanging on cliffs and could also be called the S__t Your Pants Trail (SYP). I much prefer the part with a tread that's three times as wide as the SYP!!
I enjoyed watching a large bird wheeling around high above Pueblo Canyon but I was even higher and could look down on it - it was a vulture maybe. It showed some interest in me!!
Thor was rumbling overhead as I walked but oddly enough even though it rained like crazy and there was even some light hail, thunder and lightning was absent from the storm event this afternoon. Hopefully it doused the South Fork fire!!
When the house is painted, it will be worth it!!!!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Cemetery-Rendija Canyon-Bayo Canyon
I parked at the Bayo Canyon Trailhead and walked through the pedestrian tunnel under San Ildefonso Road to start walking on the Dot Grant Trail toward Guaje Pines Cemetery. Dick had marked the route with red, plastic flagging at crucial points so hikers could find their way back up to his house on Chamisa Street, Barranca Mesa.
The Dot Grant Trail turned into the Upper Rendija Trail and soon I saw the red flagging on the side trail that led up to Dick and Judy's home. There are beautiful views toward Pajarito Mountain on this shelf below Barranca Mesa.
I waited a little bit for the group but no one showed up so I wondered if I had missed them somehow. Everyone else started from Dick and Judy's home but I wanted to skip the aprés hike birthday party. (It turned out that they had started late while waiting for Barbara to arrive.)
I decided to continue on the Upper Rendija Trail, descend into Rendija Canyon and wait for the group as they emerged from the Rendija Narrows. I saw Dick first and he jokingly said there were 50 hikers behind him. I never really counted but 50 was too high by about 30.
I showed the sink-hole, the one that Tom had shown the LL group, to the hikers who hadn't ran ahead. Judy says it's a well, possibly from the homestead era. Tom had said it just showed up once after a rain. Who knows! I took off a few of the logs that cover the deep hole so people could look in. Someone asked how deep it was and I guess-timated 12'. (Grandson almost fell in a few weeks back. Maybe he wanted to empirically test the depth!)
We continued down canyon and then climbed out of Rendija Canyon on the Pajarito Trail as gunshots from the shooting range seranaded us. We crossed Rendija Canyon Road (FR 57) and then went up to Barranca Mesa on the homestead era Romero Road, also called Barranca Crossing. We crossed Barranca Road and continued on the Barranca Crossing Trail down to the North Bayo Bench Trail.
On the way down, Marge pointed out a house that has a toy train in the backyard. She called it the U.F. and I.W. - Under Foot and In the Way. She told us that name came from when the people originally kept it indoors. It was loved by their two boys. Marge, a music teacher, once used it to effectively teach special ed kids some railroad songs. They weren't much motivated to learn until after they had a lemonade party at U.F. and I.W. and got to ride the train - it's that big!
The group ambled over to the North Bayo Bench Overlook for lunch but found it too sunny. They split up into two groups, each eating at a separate, shady spot. Kathy walked behind the group the entire hike and ate her lunch by herself under a tree. It's nothing personal - sometimes she feels like company and sometimes she doesn't.
Me, I continued down into Bayo Canyon, as per the original plan set forth for the Friskies, and walked up the other side on the Bayo Canyon Trail.
On the way back, I saw some odd splotches of blood in the dirt that still had a reddish tinge.
My GPS says I walked 7 miles. It was hot on the way back - still no rain.
It's funny how sometimes I can feel lonelier after one of these group hikes than hiking by myself. Part is my own fault because if I have a choice, I'll walk briskly even if I would enjoy hanging behind to talk with a slower hiker; although, I did talk with Marge who's slower than me and I enjoyed talking with her. The group is so large, though, that it's impossible to connect with everyone even if I wanted to!! (I wish I hadn't drawn a blank on Paul's name or at least that I kept my mouth shut about it!)
House painter did a lot of caulking today. I'll go around to look at it when the sun goes down. It's the time of day when the afternoon sun pours light and heat into the west side of the house. It's now 88 degrees and I have a large box fan blowing on me as I sit here typing.
The Dot Grant Trail turned into the Upper Rendija Trail and soon I saw the red flagging on the side trail that led up to Dick and Judy's home. There are beautiful views toward Pajarito Mountain on this shelf below Barranca Mesa.
I waited a little bit for the group but no one showed up so I wondered if I had missed them somehow. Everyone else started from Dick and Judy's home but I wanted to skip the aprés hike birthday party. (It turned out that they had started late while waiting for Barbara to arrive.)
I decided to continue on the Upper Rendija Trail, descend into Rendija Canyon and wait for the group as they emerged from the Rendija Narrows. I saw Dick first and he jokingly said there were 50 hikers behind him. I never really counted but 50 was too high by about 30.
I showed the sink-hole, the one that Tom had shown the LL group, to the hikers who hadn't ran ahead. Judy says it's a well, possibly from the homestead era. Tom had said it just showed up once after a rain. Who knows! I took off a few of the logs that cover the deep hole so people could look in. Someone asked how deep it was and I guess-timated 12'. (Grandson almost fell in a few weeks back. Maybe he wanted to empirically test the depth!)
We continued down canyon and then climbed out of Rendija Canyon on the Pajarito Trail as gunshots from the shooting range seranaded us. We crossed Rendija Canyon Road (FR 57) and then went up to Barranca Mesa on the homestead era Romero Road, also called Barranca Crossing. We crossed Barranca Road and continued on the Barranca Crossing Trail down to the North Bayo Bench Trail.
On the way down, Marge pointed out a house that has a toy train in the backyard. She called it the U.F. and I.W. - Under Foot and In the Way. She told us that name came from when the people originally kept it indoors. It was loved by their two boys. Marge, a music teacher, once used it to effectively teach special ed kids some railroad songs. They weren't much motivated to learn until after they had a lemonade party at U.F. and I.W. and got to ride the train - it's that big!
The group ambled over to the North Bayo Bench Overlook for lunch but found it too sunny. They split up into two groups, each eating at a separate, shady spot. Kathy walked behind the group the entire hike and ate her lunch by herself under a tree. It's nothing personal - sometimes she feels like company and sometimes she doesn't.
Me, I continued down into Bayo Canyon, as per the original plan set forth for the Friskies, and walked up the other side on the Bayo Canyon Trail.
On the way back, I saw some odd splotches of blood in the dirt that still had a reddish tinge.
My GPS says I walked 7 miles. It was hot on the way back - still no rain.
It's funny how sometimes I can feel lonelier after one of these group hikes than hiking by myself. Part is my own fault because if I have a choice, I'll walk briskly even if I would enjoy hanging behind to talk with a slower hiker; although, I did talk with Marge who's slower than me and I enjoyed talking with her. The group is so large, though, that it's impossible to connect with everyone even if I wanted to!! (I wish I hadn't drawn a blank on Paul's name or at least that I kept my mouth shut about it!)
House painter did a lot of caulking today. I'll go around to look at it when the sun goes down. It's the time of day when the afternoon sun pours light and heat into the west side of the house. It's now 88 degrees and I have a large box fan blowing on me as I sit here typing.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Where Else But in Los Alamos
This afternoon, I decided to hike trails near where I live rather than driving anywhere. I crossed the Main Hill Road near the airport to pickup the Canyon Rim Trail, the section east of the fire station and above DP Canyon. I hadn't walked very far on the graveled path when along comes a county vehicle and the passenger is calling my name, long, drawn out and raised up at the end like when you've caught a child doing something naughty. It was none other than our local Open Space Czar! He advised me that they were still checking out the Canyon Rim pedestrian bridge for safety. Whatever gave him the idea that I would have snuck on the bridge before its official July opening?? ; D Anyway, I cheered "Yay!!" for what he'd accomplished in getting that bridge put in!! It was expensive and the County Councilors weren't thrilled about it but Los Alamos is a community of hikers and there was a lot of public support for it.
I walked as far as the new pedestrian bridge and observed that workers were truly checking it out. I walked back on a dirt road nearer the Main Hill Road, my shoes raising clouds of talcum powder dust, looking for a break in the barbed wire fence to get across to the airport but had no luck. I had this wild idea that I could walk over to where they are building the Los Alamos Food Co-op to check out the area east of the airport runway, including the Pajarito Cliffs-Entrada Road section. Instead, I went back on the official, graveled Canyon Rim Trail (it will be asphalted to make the surface ADA compliant) until I finally found a piece of barbed wire broken down enough to step over. (Even then, it almost snagged my clothing!!)
I continued over to the Mesa Trail, at the western edge of the airport, but instead of going west toward Aspen Ridge Assisted Living Facility, I went east. The Youth Conservation Corps has extended much further to the east the Pueblo Canyon South Rim Trail that they started last year.
The trail tread is much improved from last year. The trail workers took out a lot of tripping hazards like roots and rocks. The eventual plan is to connect this with the Tent Rocks Trail, far below in Pueblo Canyon. Right now, it stops below what looks like a concrete dam (some kind of water runoff retention structure) near the end of the airport runway.
I am so pleased to have this trail to enjoy with it's beautiful views north to the cliffs of North Mesa, west to the Jemez Mountains and east to the Sangre de Cristos - my sacred world! I could see to the northwest that smoke from the South Fork fire was roiling up in the afternoon winds. I sat for a peaceful while on a rock above awesome cliffs enjoying the views and then headed back home.
I walked as far as the new pedestrian bridge and observed that workers were truly checking it out. I walked back on a dirt road nearer the Main Hill Road, my shoes raising clouds of talcum powder dust, looking for a break in the barbed wire fence to get across to the airport but had no luck. I had this wild idea that I could walk over to where they are building the Los Alamos Food Co-op to check out the area east of the airport runway, including the Pajarito Cliffs-Entrada Road section. Instead, I went back on the official, graveled Canyon Rim Trail (it will be asphalted to make the surface ADA compliant) until I finally found a piece of barbed wire broken down enough to step over. (Even then, it almost snagged my clothing!!)
I continued over to the Mesa Trail, at the western edge of the airport, but instead of going west toward Aspen Ridge Assisted Living Facility, I went east. The Youth Conservation Corps has extended much further to the east the Pueblo Canyon South Rim Trail that they started last year.
The trail tread is much improved from last year. The trail workers took out a lot of tripping hazards like roots and rocks. The eventual plan is to connect this with the Tent Rocks Trail, far below in Pueblo Canyon. Right now, it stops below what looks like a concrete dam (some kind of water runoff retention structure) near the end of the airport runway.
I am so pleased to have this trail to enjoy with it's beautiful views north to the cliffs of North Mesa, west to the Jemez Mountains and east to the Sangre de Cristos - my sacred world! I could see to the northwest that smoke from the South Fork fire was roiling up in the afternoon winds. I sat for a peaceful while on a rock above awesome cliffs enjoying the views and then headed back home.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Rancho Viejo and Oshara Village
Yesterday we met a realtor in Santa Fe to look at a condo-townhome in Rancho Viejo. It was really nice and we could definitely see ourselves living there. There is a lonely German Shepherd next door that the owners leave outside. He tends to bark at people and moan. Not sure how well that would work out.
The problem is that we're not truly ready to move from Los Alamos. We like living in the mountains, away from a big city. To us, Santa Fe is the big city!
We also looked at a model home at Oshara Village, just down Richards from Rancho Viejo. They are green built and the model has zero energy use. Its solar panels generate enough electricity to take care of all the house's needs and have some left over! All this is at a cost and the cost would exceed our budget but it's nice to know there is green building in Santa Fe. Truthfully, we don't want to go to the bother of having a home built for us as we'd prefer just to find one we like and move in.
Our house painter has begun priming!!
The problem is that we're not truly ready to move from Los Alamos. We like living in the mountains, away from a big city. To us, Santa Fe is the big city!
We also looked at a model home at Oshara Village, just down Richards from Rancho Viejo. They are green built and the model has zero energy use. Its solar panels generate enough electricity to take care of all the house's needs and have some left over! All this is at a cost and the cost would exceed our budget but it's nice to know there is green building in Santa Fe. Truthfully, we don't want to go to the bother of having a home built for us as we'd prefer just to find one we like and move in.
Our house painter has begun priming!!
Conclusion of Roofer Saga (Until First Big Rain!)
What to my wondering eyes did appear this morning but two white pickups, hauling the roofer and his crew. He was out of town all last week but promptly showed up today to extend the VentSure material out to where the eave overhangs start.
I asked him not to put any tar layer on the woodstove chimney base for now. He assures me that the silicone caulk is very good and especially made for roofing application - it's even used to seal openings in metal roofs. He did have his workers add some more silicone caulk around the hot water heater vent.
He really was only going to put the tar on to please us and in his professional opinion, it wasn't necessary. I'd rather trust his professional opinion and not worry about it myself. If there would be a leak, I'm sure it would only be a small seep not a flood and we'd have him come out at that time to address it. Case closed!!
He apologized for his behavior of a week ago. I'd recommend him now.
I asked him not to put any tar layer on the woodstove chimney base for now. He assures me that the silicone caulk is very good and especially made for roofing application - it's even used to seal openings in metal roofs. He did have his workers add some more silicone caulk around the hot water heater vent.
He really was only going to put the tar on to please us and in his professional opinion, it wasn't necessary. I'd rather trust his professional opinion and not worry about it myself. If there would be a leak, I'm sure it would only be a small seep not a flood and we'd have him come out at that time to address it. Case closed!!
He apologized for his behavior of a week ago. I'd recommend him now.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Looked at Three Houses Today
Looked at 3 houses today with realtor we had met this spring during an open house on Barranca Mesa. He's young - born in 1976 - has a two year old and another child on the way. He seems nice and we both think we could work with him. Afterwards, he was taking his family into the Jemez Mountains for a cookout.
We first looked at a 5 year old duplex in Piñon Trails Crossing - only 1,165 sq. ft. and not air conditioned. Not having air conditioning (or even ducts in which to install it) seems a liability because White Rock gets really hot!
There are nice views of the Sangres from the kitchen window. The house is vacant, in very nice, move-in condition and has a single car garage which is where it attaches to the dwelling next door. The house and yard seem cramped to us and too close to the neighbors.
There are some yappy dogs next door. The yard is xeriscaped and includes a small section of artificial turf - yuck! Even though I once wanted to landscape our yard with rocks, this yard looks ugly. Immediately behind the back yard is a large vacant lot and it's unclear if it belongs to the two churches back there or if it's privately owned.
Then we looked at a townhome on Cheryl Avenue in White Rock. It's 31+ years old and 1,934 sq. ft. We really liked the extra space and the fact that it's air conditioned. It backs onto the Cañada del Buey hiking trail and has a pretty backyard that's just the right size as well as 2 small courtyards. The price is right but I really don't want a house that old.
I won't enumerate the various issues that would drive me nuts unless I addressed them but here's one example: The hot water heater is in the garage and instead of it sitting on either the garage's concrete floor or on a structurally sound, actual raised floor, it's placed on what I can only describe as a "table" made of heavy timber, just to hold the hot water heater. I can see that the plywood on the "table" top has already delaminated from a past leak. I don't think the "table" is structurally anchored in any way to the building. That makes me nervous. I love the location, the space and air-conditioning but don't want to take on repairing and maintaining an older house as a retirement project.
The third house, a condo in Los Alamos on Short Drive in the Las Ventanas development, was built in 2000. The realtor says that there is a high ratio of tenants to owners in this development and that similar units have sold for lower prices.
The real problem is that the condo is a narrow, 4 story building with small rooms on each floor. It needs a fire escape!! From the topmost floor, the ground below looked so distant - rappelling off buildings in an emergency is not my strong point. It's bizarre and not for us! What we liked, though, was the downtown Los Alamos location, the air-conditioning, how new it was (and in good condition) and that the condo fee is only $150 a month and covers the exterior building maintenance and the roof.
Hot here today. The South Fork fire was really blowing up this afternoon.
We first looked at a 5 year old duplex in Piñon Trails Crossing - only 1,165 sq. ft. and not air conditioned. Not having air conditioning (or even ducts in which to install it) seems a liability because White Rock gets really hot!
There are nice views of the Sangres from the kitchen window. The house is vacant, in very nice, move-in condition and has a single car garage which is where it attaches to the dwelling next door. The house and yard seem cramped to us and too close to the neighbors.
There are some yappy dogs next door. The yard is xeriscaped and includes a small section of artificial turf - yuck! Even though I once wanted to landscape our yard with rocks, this yard looks ugly. Immediately behind the back yard is a large vacant lot and it's unclear if it belongs to the two churches back there or if it's privately owned.
Then we looked at a townhome on Cheryl Avenue in White Rock. It's 31+ years old and 1,934 sq. ft. We really liked the extra space and the fact that it's air conditioned. It backs onto the Cañada del Buey hiking trail and has a pretty backyard that's just the right size as well as 2 small courtyards. The price is right but I really don't want a house that old.
I won't enumerate the various issues that would drive me nuts unless I addressed them but here's one example: The hot water heater is in the garage and instead of it sitting on either the garage's concrete floor or on a structurally sound, actual raised floor, it's placed on what I can only describe as a "table" made of heavy timber, just to hold the hot water heater. I can see that the plywood on the "table" top has already delaminated from a past leak. I don't think the "table" is structurally anchored in any way to the building. That makes me nervous. I love the location, the space and air-conditioning but don't want to take on repairing and maintaining an older house as a retirement project.
The third house, a condo in Los Alamos on Short Drive in the Las Ventanas development, was built in 2000. The realtor says that there is a high ratio of tenants to owners in this development and that similar units have sold for lower prices.
The real problem is that the condo is a narrow, 4 story building with small rooms on each floor. It needs a fire escape!! From the topmost floor, the ground below looked so distant - rappelling off buildings in an emergency is not my strong point. It's bizarre and not for us! What we liked, though, was the downtown Los Alamos location, the air-conditioning, how new it was (and in good condition) and that the condo fee is only $150 a month and covers the exterior building maintenance and the roof.
Hot here today. The South Fork fire was really blowing up this afternoon.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Deadheaded Neighbor's Decorative Grass Tonight
I don't know if "deadheaded" is the right term but I gently removed as much of the dead grass that I could to open it up to light and air.
Our 84 year old neighbor who had back surgery is still in the hospital and we've been watering her beloved decorative grass (have no idea of its actual name!) that she planted in the narrow strip between our two driveways.
She had pointed out to me a few weeks back that she'd have to buy some more plants because they weren't looking as good as when she first planted them. I gently suggested that perhaps it was all the dead matter that was blocking off the new growth. She really didn't have a chance to do anything because she went in the hospital last week with terrible back pain and had to have surgery to try to alleviate a pinched nerve.
I discovered that the grass stalks are really sharp! When I first tried pulling some of the dead stuff this morning, I jammed a small piece into my thumb and had to dig it out with a sterilized needle. I wore gloves this evening. I couldn't pull out every single dead stalk or I'd end up pulling out the live stuff too.
I haven't counted how many of the plants there are altogether but 4 look dead and I left those alone so she can see that they died on their own with no assistance from the plant equivalent of Dr. Kevorkian. Some of the plants are looking very good and she'll be quite pleased that they are "bushing out" now.
I watered the plants a second time this evening to help settle any live roots that I may have disturbed in removing the dead stuff. Taking care of plants is not my forté. I'm just doing it to help them out.
Her husband is very busy every day driving down to visit her at the hospital in Santa Fe. He himself is on oxygen. It's touching to see how he's taking such good care of her. He's arranged for a hospital bed, a walker and a sitter for her until she can get around again on her own. She was such an active woman. I hope her recovery goes smoothly and she can be active again.
The house painter picked up the paint today. He may start priming on Monday. I have some appointments next week. I'll need to be here the day he paints the doors so they can be open.
Grandson was very good on the hike. He even carried his own backpack and water! I'm so pleased that he is such an amazing hiker! He's off to Florida and Disney World this Saturday!
Tomorrow I sleep in until 8 am and we don't have to move the cars for the painter in the morning - yay!!
Our 84 year old neighbor who had back surgery is still in the hospital and we've been watering her beloved decorative grass (have no idea of its actual name!) that she planted in the narrow strip between our two driveways.
She had pointed out to me a few weeks back that she'd have to buy some more plants because they weren't looking as good as when she first planted them. I gently suggested that perhaps it was all the dead matter that was blocking off the new growth. She really didn't have a chance to do anything because she went in the hospital last week with terrible back pain and had to have surgery to try to alleviate a pinched nerve.
I discovered that the grass stalks are really sharp! When I first tried pulling some of the dead stuff this morning, I jammed a small piece into my thumb and had to dig it out with a sterilized needle. I wore gloves this evening. I couldn't pull out every single dead stalk or I'd end up pulling out the live stuff too.
I haven't counted how many of the plants there are altogether but 4 look dead and I left those alone so she can see that they died on their own with no assistance from the plant equivalent of Dr. Kevorkian. Some of the plants are looking very good and she'll be quite pleased that they are "bushing out" now.
I watered the plants a second time this evening to help settle any live roots that I may have disturbed in removing the dead stuff. Taking care of plants is not my forté. I'm just doing it to help them out.
Her husband is very busy every day driving down to visit her at the hospital in Santa Fe. He himself is on oxygen. It's touching to see how he's taking such good care of her. He's arranged for a hospital bed, a walker and a sitter for her until she can get around again on her own. She was such an active woman. I hope her recovery goes smoothly and she can be active again.
The house painter picked up the paint today. He may start priming on Monday. I have some appointments next week. I'll need to be here the day he paints the doors so they can be open.
Grandson was very good on the hike. He even carried his own backpack and water! I'm so pleased that he is such an amazing hiker! He's off to Florida and Disney World this Saturday!
Tomorrow I sleep in until 8 am and we don't have to move the cars for the painter in the morning - yay!!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Potrillo Canyon On a Hot, Sunny Afternoon
Today I drove to White Rock to drop of some items at the thrift shop and library. Afterwards, I drove to the Potrillo Canyon trailhead. It was a sunny, hot afternoon. Breezes were making the South Fork fire to the northwest of Los Alamos puff white smoke but at least it was not dark smoke as in a blow-up.
Seedheads of squirrel-tail grass were wafting along the trail like groups of diminutive hikers out enjoying a stroll. Magenta blooms of desert four o'clock were tightly closed against the mid-afternoon sunshine.
When I got to the overlook above the Rio Grande, I sat on a rock and contemplated where the Rio first broke through to continue it's southern path aeons ago when a volcanic eruption backed up the Rio, forming Culebra Lake. I studied various possibilities from my high perch but wasn't 100% convinced of any.
I enjoyed listening to the sound of wind as it rustled the nearby cholla and junipers. I could clearly hear and see the rapids below me. The thought crossed my mind that no matter how important my problems are to me, to the river, they are trivial, trifling and transient.
On the way back, I noted the amazing profusion of yellow prickly pear flowers. I stopped to admire a barrel cactus's flower - narrow, purple-pink, petals with a bright yellow center and a cool background of green and of white sepals.
Seedheads of squirrel-tail grass were wafting along the trail like groups of diminutive hikers out enjoying a stroll. Magenta blooms of desert four o'clock were tightly closed against the mid-afternoon sunshine.
When I got to the overlook above the Rio Grande, I sat on a rock and contemplated where the Rio first broke through to continue it's southern path aeons ago when a volcanic eruption backed up the Rio, forming Culebra Lake. I studied various possibilities from my high perch but wasn't 100% convinced of any.
I enjoyed listening to the sound of wind as it rustled the nearby cholla and junipers. I could clearly hear and see the rapids below me. The thought crossed my mind that no matter how important my problems are to me, to the river, they are trivial, trifling and transient.
On the way back, I noted the amazing profusion of yellow prickly pear flowers. I stopped to admire a barrel cactus's flower - narrow, purple-pink, petals with a bright yellow center and a cool background of green and of white sepals.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Roofer Regurgitation
OK - this represents more cleaning out of my notebook. I'll simply transcribe some notes I made about the reroof:
I went into excruciating detail about the reroof to get it out of my system. (Still isn't because there is no final resolution yet on the ridge vent and roof penetrations. I'll post that when it happens.)
I only showed the roofer the photos of the short, uncovered section of the ridge vent (well, it's covered with shingles but the VentSure is missing) to justify extending the VentSure to the north edge of the roof. He had offered to do that any way but until I saw the uncovered section, I didn't think it justified the extra work and time on his part.
When he came out last Friday, he offered to test the roof penetrations for water-tightness by running a hose on the roof. I declined. Wind driven rain or snow and drenching, long rains give a truer real world test.
I now have a new chore - check for roof leaks after each precipitation event.
Here's some thoughts on what I'll tell people who ask me about the new roof:
I wouldn't use the roofer again or recommend him to anyone. While it was not a complete horror story, there were some issues of concern that we raised with him after paying him off completely and he showed lack of respect toward us. I would say he doesn't have good customer relation skills.
I went into excruciating detail about the reroof to get it out of my system. (Still isn't because there is no final resolution yet on the ridge vent and roof penetrations. I'll post that when it happens.)
I only showed the roofer the photos of the short, uncovered section of the ridge vent (well, it's covered with shingles but the VentSure is missing) to justify extending the VentSure to the north edge of the roof. He had offered to do that any way but until I saw the uncovered section, I didn't think it justified the extra work and time on his part.
When he came out last Friday, he offered to test the roof penetrations for water-tightness by running a hose on the roof. I declined. Wind driven rain or snow and drenching, long rains give a truer real world test.
I now have a new chore - check for roof leaks after each precipitation event.
Here's some thoughts on what I'll tell people who ask me about the new roof:
I wouldn't use the roofer again or recommend him to anyone. While it was not a complete horror story, there were some issues of concern that we raised with him after paying him off completely and he showed lack of respect toward us. I would say he doesn't have good customer relation skills.
LIfe's Repetitious and Then You Die!
I'm going through my steno pad in which I have jotted down random thought kernels. I may never expand upon these or mention them again but here goes:
Did any of ask to be born? None of us are here in this life because we had a choice. A man and a woman (or maybe a test tube) got together and 9 months later, there we were.
That sort of fits in with another thought that recurs:
Do you ever simply get sick of all the daily repetition involved in just keeping body and soul (and family) together? Flossing, eating (eliminating what we ate!), exercising, taking care of a house, shopping, laundry, blah, blah, blah...obviously a very incomplete list.
Yet, if we were to actually die but then somehow miraculously be brought back to life, each moment, no matter how repetitious, would be precious - at least for a little while.
I guess the quest is to minimize the stuff we don't really want or need to do and make the rest as enjoyable as possible because once we're no longer amongst animate beings, moldering repose will be our only option and that doesn't sound like a lot of fun!
Did any of ask to be born? None of us are here in this life because we had a choice. A man and a woman (or maybe a test tube) got together and 9 months later, there we were.
That sort of fits in with another thought that recurs:
Do you ever simply get sick of all the daily repetition involved in just keeping body and soul (and family) together? Flossing, eating (eliminating what we ate!), exercising, taking care of a house, shopping, laundry, blah, blah, blah...obviously a very incomplete list.
Yet, if we were to actually die but then somehow miraculously be brought back to life, each moment, no matter how repetitious, would be precious - at least for a little while.
I guess the quest is to minimize the stuff we don't really want or need to do and make the rest as enjoyable as possible because once we're no longer amongst animate beings, moldering repose will be our only option and that doesn't sound like a lot of fun!
Great Book: Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille
Our daughter purchased a used book for me recently on a trip to southern NM. It's called Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille. I am savoring it.
This post isn't a book review but the synopsis is that she and her husband divorce and she buys 12 acres in the Adirondacks of upstate New York and builds a log cabin to live in.
In the midst of several weeks of big-time house maintenance (reroof last week and repaint this week) I just wanted to comment that even living in a log cabin with no indoor plumbing presents maintenance challenges.
She had to seal off the outside so mice and bats can't get in. This after a bat swoops across her face while she's lying in her sleeping loft late one night and mice leave droppings in her sugar bowl.
Also, the worry of fire weighs heavy on her mind in the winter. She's so isolated that she would have to fight any fire that started. A constant chore is cutting down cords and cords of wood so she can keep warm in the winter. I wonder if Thoreau touched on any of this in Walden Pond?
This book tells me that living off the grid in a log cabin in the woods would only multiply more chores of home ownership! Yet and still, I dream of a life more carefree of taking care of a house. What's the answer?
This post isn't a book review but the synopsis is that she and her husband divorce and she buys 12 acres in the Adirondacks of upstate New York and builds a log cabin to live in.
In the midst of several weeks of big-time house maintenance (reroof last week and repaint this week) I just wanted to comment that even living in a log cabin with no indoor plumbing presents maintenance challenges.
She had to seal off the outside so mice and bats can't get in. This after a bat swoops across her face while she's lying in her sleeping loft late one night and mice leave droppings in her sugar bowl.
Also, the worry of fire weighs heavy on her mind in the winter. She's so isolated that she would have to fight any fire that started. A constant chore is cutting down cords and cords of wood so she can keep warm in the winter. I wonder if Thoreau touched on any of this in Walden Pond?
This book tells me that living off the grid in a log cabin in the woods would only multiply more chores of home ownership! Yet and still, I dream of a life more carefree of taking care of a house. What's the answer?
Intriguing, Wild, Night Hiker
On Monday night, just as I got near the Christian Church parking lot, I saw a man holding a flashlight come striding across the lot. I waved hello and he immediately started asking me trail directions.
I thought maybe he was asking where the Mesa Trail is so I pointed out the way there but it turned out that he was asking about the south rim trail above Pueblo Canyon that starts from the Walkup Center and goes to behind Aspen Ridge assisted living.
He had a slight accent and may have been wearing a headlamp as well as carrying a flashlight. He had been walking along that rim trail at night, vertigo inducing even in the daylight, and then, not seeing where it came up, had bushwhacked his way up behind Sombrillo nursing home.
He looked young and I'm guessing he's a summer student working at the lab. I walked with him ever so briefly as he was going to give up the trail hike and walk back on the sidewalks in the same direction I was going.
I told him the trail he was on is very steep and it's best not to walk it at night and besides which, that's when animals come out to feed. I did admit to him, though, that in 25 years, I've only seen one mountain lion.
I would have liked to have gotten more details about his explores but it was late at night and I was alone so I said goodbye and crossed the street to continue my tame night walk. I did admire his being out there exploring late at night!
I thought maybe he was asking where the Mesa Trail is so I pointed out the way there but it turned out that he was asking about the south rim trail above Pueblo Canyon that starts from the Walkup Center and goes to behind Aspen Ridge assisted living.
He had a slight accent and may have been wearing a headlamp as well as carrying a flashlight. He had been walking along that rim trail at night, vertigo inducing even in the daylight, and then, not seeing where it came up, had bushwhacked his way up behind Sombrillo nursing home.
He looked young and I'm guessing he's a summer student working at the lab. I walked with him ever so briefly as he was going to give up the trail hike and walk back on the sidewalks in the same direction I was going.
I told him the trail he was on is very steep and it's best not to walk it at night and besides which, that's when animals come out to feed. I did admit to him, though, that in 25 years, I've only seen one mountain lion.
I would have liked to have gotten more details about his explores but it was late at night and I was alone so I said goodbye and crossed the street to continue my tame night walk. I did admire his being out there exploring late at night!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
House Painter Here This Week
The house painter started yesterday morning. So far, he's been prepping the board and batten siding. It's taking a while since we so neglected the paint. He says the prep of the lap siding will be easier. He seems to do a thorough job preparing which will ensure a good paint finish.
When he first came yesterday, even though he had told me he would sand, caulk and paint the area that our insurance company says is snow-damaged, he expressed the opinion, with spouse concurring, that it should really be replaced.
I panicked and called the handyman - the only contractor, of many that came out, who expressed any interest in the job - and left a message asking if he could come out this week to replace the damaged portion after all. Fortunately, the handyman was so busy yesterday that he couldn't call back.
Today the painter sanded away the loose parts of the delaminated, snow-damaged board and batten siding and has caulked the area to make it even. It's a small damaged area and I think the repair he did looks really good. I really think the idea of sanding, caulking, and painting to protect it from the weather will work out just fine and satisfy our homeowner's insurance. Yay on that one! I called the handyman this morning to say we're still going with Plan A first.
The sander that the painter uses is really loud. I hope no neighbors complain. He started a little before 8 am this morning. It will be good when the unavoidably noisy portion of the repaint is over with!
I have to laugh at the idea of sheltering in place if a disaster happens at the DP site clean-up! There's no way I can make this place air tight. Even with the doors closed, some dust from the sanding seeps in. Let's hope the boys don't stir up any buried plutonium waste during the DP site clean-up or I's toast! ; D
I don't need to go over to take care of daughter's kitty and garden today because they get back this evening. Their garden is sprouting nicely. Kitty is so sweet and cute but, man, for a tiny thing that seems to eat nothing, she's very prolific in the litter box department! Her food must have plenty of fiber!
Roofers never came out last Friday. I wonder - should we just wait until THEY contact us next week (he's out of town this week) or call Monday to check on the status of things? I hope they will promptly take care of the items they said they would and not punish me by making me stay home multiple days to wait for them to come out. Believe me, I want to be out of their hair just as much as they want me to be! ; D
When he first came yesterday, even though he had told me he would sand, caulk and paint the area that our insurance company says is snow-damaged, he expressed the opinion, with spouse concurring, that it should really be replaced.
I panicked and called the handyman - the only contractor, of many that came out, who expressed any interest in the job - and left a message asking if he could come out this week to replace the damaged portion after all. Fortunately, the handyman was so busy yesterday that he couldn't call back.
Today the painter sanded away the loose parts of the delaminated, snow-damaged board and batten siding and has caulked the area to make it even. It's a small damaged area and I think the repair he did looks really good. I really think the idea of sanding, caulking, and painting to protect it from the weather will work out just fine and satisfy our homeowner's insurance. Yay on that one! I called the handyman this morning to say we're still going with Plan A first.
The sander that the painter uses is really loud. I hope no neighbors complain. He started a little before 8 am this morning. It will be good when the unavoidably noisy portion of the repaint is over with!
I have to laugh at the idea of sheltering in place if a disaster happens at the DP site clean-up! There's no way I can make this place air tight. Even with the doors closed, some dust from the sanding seeps in. Let's hope the boys don't stir up any buried plutonium waste during the DP site clean-up or I's toast! ; D
I don't need to go over to take care of daughter's kitty and garden today because they get back this evening. Their garden is sprouting nicely. Kitty is so sweet and cute but, man, for a tiny thing that seems to eat nothing, she's very prolific in the litter box department! Her food must have plenty of fiber!
Roofers never came out last Friday. I wonder - should we just wait until THEY contact us next week (he's out of town this week) or call Monday to check on the status of things? I hope they will promptly take care of the items they said they would and not punish me by making me stay home multiple days to wait for them to come out. Believe me, I want to be out of their hair just as much as they want me to be! ; D
Friday, June 11, 2010
If I Ruled My World
If I were allowed to live as I wish, I'd (not in any particular order
and certainly not a complete list):
and certainly not a complete list):
turn off lights in rooms I'm not using
cancel the cable,
force myself to use a computer just once a week to save untold hours
of my life,
read more,
listen to less news,
sleep more,
sort through all my possessions to get rid of clutter,
buy a futon to use instead of a bed,
live as simply and bare bones as I could except for anything to do
with maintaining my health,
live in a quiet condominium with all outside maintenance taken care of,
buy the longest lasting, greenest (in regards to energy use) personal
possessions, car and home appliances that I can find,
visit the national parks a lot,
do my best to stay away from contractors or, baring that, find ones
who aren't intimidated by my "thoroughness"
Waiting for Roofing Crew
Let's face it - they're not going to come out on a Friday afternoon
when they have stayed all week in an apartment in Los Alamos and are
eager to end the work week and get back to their lives. But, the
roofing company owner told me they would call if they're coming out
this afternoon and left no option open that they would call to tell
me they won't be here.
when they have stayed all week in an apartment in Los Alamos and are
eager to end the work week and get back to their lives. But, the
roofing company owner told me they would call if they're coming out
this afternoon and left no option open that they would call to tell
me they won't be here.
It's so hot in the house - 84 degrees. I'm doubly hot because I've
worn my long pants and long-sleeved shirt inside all day rather than
changing into shorts and a T shirt. The roofer said the ridge vent
would make the house cooler but I know better because I actually went
into the attic (he didn't never bothered) and saw only a few soffit
vents with light coming through - the rest are blocked by insulation
batts.
The former owners of this house had also blocked off two of the
furnace's return air vents as well as covered over the crawl space
vents. We reversed all that but would need to call out an insulation
contractor to remedy the soffit vent blockage. I sometimes wonder
what the former owners were thinking in blocking off ventilation.
After repainting the house, I doubt I'll ever want to do another
thing to it unless we have some plumbing issue. I wish we could move
into the senior condos at Oppenheimer Place. Maybe they wouldn't be
perfect and there would be other issues but at least I'd have the
satisfaction of saying adios to this house. Ungrateful as it sounds
when there are people in the world who would be so happy to have even
an old house like this, I'm done with it and want to move on! I
don't want to spend my senior years taking care of a failing body, a
decrepit old house and a gopher-hole-riddled, weed strewn backyard! I
feel trapped, not in control of my life, and I want to get out of
here!!!!
Roofer Says I'm Thorough
Note on subject line: When he said I was thorough, I don't think that it was a compliment! More driveling details below:
The roofer came out today. I first showed him the photos where an 8" section of the ridge vent cut is covered only by shingles. He wasn't impressed and asked in a sullen way why that bothers us. He says it won't leak (even though there's an 8" long hole on each side of the ridge that's only covered by the ridge shingles). Not happy with his attitude, I asked him if he considered that good roof workmanship and he never really answered but instead impatiently told us he had a meeting at noon and didn't have much time. This when his "late morning" turned into nearly noon by the time he arrived! Even so, he did deign to go up on the roof (swinging the ladder perilously close to my parked car!)
After his inspection, he agreed to have his crew come out to extend the VentSure on top of the 8 inches (but not extend the ridge cut) and over to the the last 6" of the roof. This will also serve the purpose of making the ridge line look uniform from north to south. As it is now, the last yard or so of the ridge steps down a few inches because the VentSure material ends. I was fine with the unevenness until I went into the attic and made my discoveries.
I also showed him the photos of the woodstove chimney taken from inside the attic which show gaps letting daylight through that are sealed only with clear caulk. He in a smart-alecky tone asked if I wanted them to use dark caulk!
The woodstove chimney flange is so dented and battered that it doesn't fit tightly now. Filling the gaps with caulking is really only a short-term solution, especially in the sunshine we get in NM. He said his crew will put three courses of tar and granules to seal off the woodstove chimney.
He said his crew will call if they're coming out this afternoon which means I get to wait all afternoon for them. If they don't come out today, they may not be here for another week because he's going out of town next week.
The ABC Seamless Gutters estimator was out today and he wondered why the vents and chimneys weren't replaced with the reroof. I mentioned this to the roofer at one point in response to something sullen he said and he asked pointedly if the ABC guy was a roofer. He could have simply given me some good reasons why it didn't need to be replaced.
Even when I asked if he thought that we as homeowner's would be wise to replace them, I didn't really get an answer. He was generally giving us answers that weren't really answers and seemed defensive. I was honestly wondering if they needed replacing and not challenging him in any way but he was on the defensive.
I don't have a lot of confidence in the water-tightness of the woodstove chimney now. It has never leaked before. I hope smoke doesn't pour out of it when we fire up the woodstove this winter. The roofing crew was really rough on the furnace and woodstove chimneys and the hot water heater vent. One time on Tuesday when I looked at the roof, the furnace vent was cockeyed although it looks straight now.
It's funny how his attitude has changed now that we have paid him off in full. Before it was that he's "loving my questions". Now it's that we have taken up so much of his time in comparison to other customers - (a paraphrase but that's the gist of what he told us). Later I told him that there was another way we weren't like the rest of his customers - we paid him right away! His wife had told us they've had trouble collecting from some customers.
When I told him, getting peeved at his sullenness and defensiveness, that I was surprised that he didn't come at the end of the day Tuesday to inspect the roof, he told me he was up on our roof 3 times during the job. I thanked him for that and told him I hadn't known. He says he can tell a lot from the street. I told him, though, that it gave me confidence to have him go up on the roof today and inspect it.
He said he has done 100 roofs with his present crew. But, in my mind, he's the final arbiter and the one who ultimately will pay any water damage claims in the next 7 years.
Although he did mellow somewhat at the end, his attitude toward us today makes me wonder how it will be if we need him for warranty service in the next 7 years. After that, I'd hire someone else. If any one asks me to recommend him, I'll tell them all the good (considerable) but be honest about the other issues including what he did to address them.
Do I really need a house? Maybe I could live in my car and then I'd only have to deal with the service department at auto dealerships! Hmmm...that's scary too!! Maybe I could live in a box - boxes don't need much maintenance - just find a new one when they break...
The roofer came out today. I first showed him the photos where an 8" section of the ridge vent cut is covered only by shingles. He wasn't impressed and asked in a sullen way why that bothers us. He says it won't leak (even though there's an 8" long hole on each side of the ridge that's only covered by the ridge shingles). Not happy with his attitude, I asked him if he considered that good roof workmanship and he never really answered but instead impatiently told us he had a meeting at noon and didn't have much time. This when his "late morning" turned into nearly noon by the time he arrived! Even so, he did deign to go up on the roof (swinging the ladder perilously close to my parked car!)
After his inspection, he agreed to have his crew come out to extend the VentSure on top of the 8 inches (but not extend the ridge cut) and over to the the last 6" of the roof. This will also serve the purpose of making the ridge line look uniform from north to south. As it is now, the last yard or so of the ridge steps down a few inches because the VentSure material ends. I was fine with the unevenness until I went into the attic and made my discoveries.
I also showed him the photos of the woodstove chimney taken from inside the attic which show gaps letting daylight through that are sealed only with clear caulk. He in a smart-alecky tone asked if I wanted them to use dark caulk!
The woodstove chimney flange is so dented and battered that it doesn't fit tightly now. Filling the gaps with caulking is really only a short-term solution, especially in the sunshine we get in NM. He said his crew will put three courses of tar and granules to seal off the woodstove chimney.
He said his crew will call if they're coming out this afternoon which means I get to wait all afternoon for them. If they don't come out today, they may not be here for another week because he's going out of town next week.
The ABC Seamless Gutters estimator was out today and he wondered why the vents and chimneys weren't replaced with the reroof. I mentioned this to the roofer at one point in response to something sullen he said and he asked pointedly if the ABC guy was a roofer. He could have simply given me some good reasons why it didn't need to be replaced.
Even when I asked if he thought that we as homeowner's would be wise to replace them, I didn't really get an answer. He was generally giving us answers that weren't really answers and seemed defensive. I was honestly wondering if they needed replacing and not challenging him in any way but he was on the defensive.
I don't have a lot of confidence in the water-tightness of the woodstove chimney now. It has never leaked before. I hope smoke doesn't pour out of it when we fire up the woodstove this winter. The roofing crew was really rough on the furnace and woodstove chimneys and the hot water heater vent. One time on Tuesday when I looked at the roof, the furnace vent was cockeyed although it looks straight now.
It's funny how his attitude has changed now that we have paid him off in full. Before it was that he's "loving my questions". Now it's that we have taken up so much of his time in comparison to other customers - (a paraphrase but that's the gist of what he told us). Later I told him that there was another way we weren't like the rest of his customers - we paid him right away! His wife had told us they've had trouble collecting from some customers.
When I told him, getting peeved at his sullenness and defensiveness, that I was surprised that he didn't come at the end of the day Tuesday to inspect the roof, he told me he was up on our roof 3 times during the job. I thanked him for that and told him I hadn't known. He says he can tell a lot from the street. I told him, though, that it gave me confidence to have him go up on the roof today and inspect it.
He said he has done 100 roofs with his present crew. But, in my mind, he's the final arbiter and the one who ultimately will pay any water damage claims in the next 7 years.
Although he did mellow somewhat at the end, his attitude toward us today makes me wonder how it will be if we need him for warranty service in the next 7 years. After that, I'd hire someone else. If any one asks me to recommend him, I'll tell them all the good (considerable) but be honest about the other issues including what he did to address them.
Do I really need a house? Maybe I could live in my car and then I'd only have to deal with the service department at auto dealerships! Hmmm...that's scary too!! Maybe I could live in a box - boxes don't need much maintenance - just find a new one when they break...
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Roof Detox
After I went to daughter's house to take care of kitty cat and garden while she's out of town, I drove over to the Mitchell Trailhead and walked south on the Perimeter Trail. I started at 3:50 pm and it was hot! Think sauna, think hemorrhagic heat stroke, think hot buttered brains! Needless to say, the trail wasn't crowded! ; D
Lots of pretty buckthorn bushes in bloom. At least I think they were buckthorn. Really, I can see a plant or flower more fully if I don't worry about the name. Going uphill out of the north fork of Pueblo Canyon, I enjoyed the spicy smell of pink NM locust flowers. Such a pretty flower - such lethal thorns!
On the way back to my car, I could see smoke to the north of Guaje Ridge. Probably it was from the South Fork fire near Polvadera Peak that broke out this afternoon. Spouse says he heard on KOB TV channel 4 that there is a fire in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. I was trying to verify that on the station's website when - whoosh - the world went black and we had an hour long power outage.
Fortunately, when the power went out, I was typing this in Blogger which constantly saves so I didn't lose what I'd already written.
Tomorrow is such a joy - in the morning, ABC Seamless Gutters, Comcast and the roofer are all coming out.
Spouse's injured left ribs are feeling better.
Lots of pretty buckthorn bushes in bloom. At least I think they were buckthorn. Really, I can see a plant or flower more fully if I don't worry about the name. Going uphill out of the north fork of Pueblo Canyon, I enjoyed the spicy smell of pink NM locust flowers. Such a pretty flower - such lethal thorns!
On the way back to my car, I could see smoke to the north of Guaje Ridge. Probably it was from the South Fork fire near Polvadera Peak that broke out this afternoon. Spouse says he heard on KOB TV channel 4 that there is a fire in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. I was trying to verify that on the station's website when - whoosh - the world went black and we had an hour long power outage.
Fortunately, when the power went out, I was typing this in Blogger which constantly saves so I didn't lose what I'd already written.
Tomorrow is such a joy - in the morning, ABC Seamless Gutters, Comcast and the roofer are all coming out.
Spouse's injured left ribs are feeling better.
Will Talk With Roofer Tomorrow
Here's some more things that I figured out today about the new roof:
I verified that the VentSure ridge vent cover stops 8" short of the actual end of the slot cut in the roof's ridge. That 8" is only protected with ridge shingles. Spouse held the ladder while I went into the attic.
It appears that a lot of the soffit vents in the attic are mostly blocked by the rock wool insulation batts that are pushed up against the vents.
From inside the attic, I saw that the flashing on the woodstove chimney is so battered and bent that I can see daylight between the flashing and the chimney. They have filled the gaps with clear caulk - a short-sighted solution sure to let rain run down the chimney onto the ceiling when the caulk fails.
The roofer said they would replace the small flashings that needed it. The replaced all the small flashings but they didn't replace the small flashing on the vent stack for the gas range. Seems dumb to replace all but one.
The other large flashings for the gas furnace chimney and the hot water heater vent also look battered. The roof is only as good as the flashings. I'm amazed that they'd leave the large flashings in the condition that they are in and not advise us to replace them or offer to repair them. I don't think they were that damaged before. Replacing the large flashings was not part of the original roofing job which seems imprudent and short-sighted. I thought a new roof would give me less worries about leaks but instead, it has added worries!
I'm sure that eventually, all will get taken care of but it's aggravating that it wasn't done right the first time!
I verified that the VentSure ridge vent cover stops 8" short of the actual end of the slot cut in the roof's ridge. That 8" is only protected with ridge shingles. Spouse held the ladder while I went into the attic.
It appears that a lot of the soffit vents in the attic are mostly blocked by the rock wool insulation batts that are pushed up against the vents.
From inside the attic, I saw that the flashing on the woodstove chimney is so battered and bent that I can see daylight between the flashing and the chimney. They have filled the gaps with clear caulk - a short-sighted solution sure to let rain run down the chimney onto the ceiling when the caulk fails.
The roofer said they would replace the small flashings that needed it. The replaced all the small flashings but they didn't replace the small flashing on the vent stack for the gas range. Seems dumb to replace all but one.
The other large flashings for the gas furnace chimney and the hot water heater vent also look battered. The roof is only as good as the flashings. I'm amazed that they'd leave the large flashings in the condition that they are in and not advise us to replace them or offer to repair them. I don't think they were that damaged before. Replacing the large flashings was not part of the original roofing job which seems imprudent and short-sighted. I thought a new roof would give me less worries about leaks but instead, it has added worries!
I'm sure that eventually, all will get taken care of but it's aggravating that it wasn't done right the first time!
I Am Not My Roof
More droning on about the new roof:
I got the ladder out early this morning - around 7:30 am. The alarm was set for 9 am since I didn't go to sleep until 1 am last night but the heat woke me up early. I looked at the two ends of the ridge vent from the edge of the roof and took more photos.
Up close, from the roof edge, I can almost believe that the end of the ridge vent on the north side coincides with the end of the ridge vent cut or it's within a few inches not a foot like I said yesterday.
On the south side, though, after reading more about how important it is to caulk the end cap of the ridge vent, I'm worried. There is no transitioning ridge shingles to cover the end cap of the ridge vent - it just abruptly ends and steps down to the last shingle above the eave overhang. I'd feel better it I knew it was very well caulked (caulking DOES need renewing from time to time) AND covered by a transitioning ridge shingle.
I get the feeling I was an idiot to let them cut the ridge vent because it has the potential to create moisture problems, which is what I was hoping to avoid, when there were none before in the attic.
I also read that the VentSure type vent is a cheap, fast solution because it can be nailed. It can also clog. I don't really know if we have soffit vents the whole length of the house, front and back. I know for sure the remodeled carport addition has them. The soffit vents and ridge vent work together - the intake air comes in through the soffits and takes heat and moisture out through the ridge vent. They need to be balanced in order to work together with an equal amount of vent space for both. I get the feeling that the ridge vent was haphazardly cut with no computation of how long or wide it needed to be in relation to the vent space of the soffits.
I really wonder when one day we try to sell this house if a building inspector won't flag the ridge vent as not in code and not even effective? I've given up, though, on the idea of calling out the county building inspector. The roofer said the estimate included a building permit but what if he didn't get one and what if the county inspector flags the ridge vent as not being in code? Forget about it!!
I feel like a hypocrite for telling the roofer that I thought they were wonderful and then grousing about things in this blog. Some aspects were wonderful - I liked interacting with both him and his wife and the crew was nice but I do see deficiencies in his operation. I mentioned yesterday that he didn't seem to come around much while they were putting on the roof and he didn't come to look at the final job at the end of the day. Yesterday, he declined to even go up on the roof to inspect it.
Other deficiencies that I see:
When I asked him the width of the VentSure ridge vent used (in our area, there are two available widths - 11 1/4" and 7"), he didn't know the answer.
To make the roof penetrations look like they did before with their bases coated with roofing tar and granules would have cost extra. Spray painting the bases was a cheap, fast solution.
He only replaced the small flashings and re-used the flashings on the wood stove chimney and furnace vent stack. I foresee that if the roof develops leaks around those particular flashings, he'll say that we'll have to pay to get the leaks repaired and the warranty won't cover that.
On a minor note, he didn't leave any leftover shingles for future repairs. Shingle colors change over time. He said he would bring some by - we'll see!
Anyway, I'm going to email that I'd like the south end of the ridge vent checked and ask if they could nail a ridge shingle over the end of the VentSure end cap.
I got the ladder out early this morning - around 7:30 am. The alarm was set for 9 am since I didn't go to sleep until 1 am last night but the heat woke me up early. I looked at the two ends of the ridge vent from the edge of the roof and took more photos.
Up close, from the roof edge, I can almost believe that the end of the ridge vent on the north side coincides with the end of the ridge vent cut or it's within a few inches not a foot like I said yesterday.
On the south side, though, after reading more about how important it is to caulk the end cap of the ridge vent, I'm worried. There is no transitioning ridge shingles to cover the end cap of the ridge vent - it just abruptly ends and steps down to the last shingle above the eave overhang. I'd feel better it I knew it was very well caulked (caulking DOES need renewing from time to time) AND covered by a transitioning ridge shingle.
I get the feeling I was an idiot to let them cut the ridge vent because it has the potential to create moisture problems, which is what I was hoping to avoid, when there were none before in the attic.
I also read that the VentSure type vent is a cheap, fast solution because it can be nailed. It can also clog. I don't really know if we have soffit vents the whole length of the house, front and back. I know for sure the remodeled carport addition has them. The soffit vents and ridge vent work together - the intake air comes in through the soffits and takes heat and moisture out through the ridge vent. They need to be balanced in order to work together with an equal amount of vent space for both. I get the feeling that the ridge vent was haphazardly cut with no computation of how long or wide it needed to be in relation to the vent space of the soffits.
I really wonder when one day we try to sell this house if a building inspector won't flag the ridge vent as not in code and not even effective? I've given up, though, on the idea of calling out the county building inspector. The roofer said the estimate included a building permit but what if he didn't get one and what if the county inspector flags the ridge vent as not being in code? Forget about it!!
I feel like a hypocrite for telling the roofer that I thought they were wonderful and then grousing about things in this blog. Some aspects were wonderful - I liked interacting with both him and his wife and the crew was nice but I do see deficiencies in his operation. I mentioned yesterday that he didn't seem to come around much while they were putting on the roof and he didn't come to look at the final job at the end of the day. Yesterday, he declined to even go up on the roof to inspect it.
Other deficiencies that I see:
When I asked him the width of the VentSure ridge vent used (in our area, there are two available widths - 11 1/4" and 7"), he didn't know the answer.
To make the roof penetrations look like they did before with their bases coated with roofing tar and granules would have cost extra. Spray painting the bases was a cheap, fast solution.
He only replaced the small flashings and re-used the flashings on the wood stove chimney and furnace vent stack. I foresee that if the roof develops leaks around those particular flashings, he'll say that we'll have to pay to get the leaks repaired and the warranty won't cover that.
On a minor note, he didn't leave any leftover shingles for future repairs. Shingle colors change over time. He said he would bring some by - we'll see!
Anyway, I'm going to email that I'd like the south end of the ridge vent checked and ask if they could nail a ridge shingle over the end of the VentSure end cap.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
New Roof: The Good, the Bad, the Quibbling
The good was in yesterday's post. The roofers were nice people to
work with and seem to have done a good job, finishing in one day.
(Sort of makes me nervous, though, that I was originally told they'd
take 2 1/2 days!) At one point, I saw 6 people on the roof. The
weather held and the roof is all done before the house is repainted
next week but I still have some reservations.
work with and seem to have done a good job, finishing in one day.
(Sort of makes me nervous, though, that I was originally told they'd
take 2 1/2 days!) At one point, I saw 6 people on the roof. The
weather held and the roof is all done before the house is repainted
next week but I still have some reservations.
One issue is solved at least:
I was really bummed yesterday to see the beautiful new roof with
ugly, dented, tar-smeared stacks poking up out of it. I DON'T think
the stacks were dented before but who knows. On the old roof, the
bases of the vents were covered with roofing tar and roofing granules.
Today spouse woke me up at 7:30 am to tell me the roofers were here -
again! When I staggered outside, they asked if I wanted the bases of
the roof vents painted white or silver to hide the sticky tar and
dents. I chose silver and they returned shortly and spray painted
the bottom of the vents and wood stove chimney. Now instead of
standing out like sore thumbs, the vents blend in nicely. You can
only see the dents with binoculars.
I'm still not completely happy about the ridge vent:
The impetus for the ventilation came entirely from me. A week or so
ago when I read that the Dupont roof liner is a vapor barrier and the
attic space underneath would need ventilating to prevent moisture
problems, I put in a question to the roofer about that but heard
nothing back. The morning of the reroof, I asked again and now he's
agreeing to the need for more ventilation on our over 50 year old,
government built home to protect the warranty on the roofing
materials. He suggests gable vents but I tell him how difficult it
is to get contractors out in Los Alamos and then he suggests a ridge
vent.
Naturally, the idea of cutting a slot on each side of the roof ridge
made me want to throw up then and there. Roofs aren't supposed to
have holes in them and we knew beans about the technology behind the
ridge vent he was proposing. Late last night, the roofer's wife sent
us a link to the product used - Owens Corning VentSure Rigid Roll
Ridge Vents with Moisture Protector Barrier. This helped a lot in
our understanding because spouse really wanted to know how the ridge
vent would keep out driving rain and snow.
There are some minor issues with the installation of the ridge vent
that I'm trying to understand, though:
On the north side of the house, the ridge vent appears to stop
(viewed from the ground) about a foot short of the wood stove chimney
(chimney is NOT on the ridge). In addition, the end of the ridge
vent looks to be more than a yard back from the eave overhang. When
I look in the attic space, though, it looks like the actual slot was
cut up to only 4 or so inches from the chimney but since the ridge
vent stops a foot or so behind the chimney, that means a foot or less
section of the ridge vent slot-cut is only protected by the roofing
liner and ridge shingles, sans the VentSure Ridge Vent.
Then, the other odd thing is that on the south side, the ridge vent
abruptly stops about 4-6" from the edge of the eave overhang. There
is no room for transition of the ridge shingles to blend it in so it
looks like there is a missing shingle. This doesn't seem important
since the "missing shingle" is on top of the eave overhang.
Lastly, it irks me that the roofing owner did not check in on the
crew more often yesterday and didn't even stop by at the end of the
day to take a final look at the roof. Today he came out and I paid
him big bucks for the final payment but he only inspected the roof
from the ground. He seems loath to walk on it. Maybe it's because
he is a big man and in the warm afternoon with heating of the
shingles, he's afraid he would damage it. It seems to me that if you
are a roofer, you should be willing and able to go up on the roof!
He offered to fix the ridge vent on the north end but I need to
research it more and get back to him. I don't want the cut extended
any further but extending the VentSure ridge vent to the end of the
cut seems prudent. He'll be out of town next week. The labor
warranty on the roof is 7 years. I guess I can put a pan in the
attic underneath the unprotected ridge vent slot and check it after a
big rain! I need to have someone unbiased look in the attic to tell
me if I need to have him extend the ridge vent cover - maybe the
county building inspector? Maybe I can ask him to send his crew out
again and he could come too to take a look? But not tomorrow - I
want to sleep until 8 am!
To put things in perspective - our 84 year old next door neighbor was
helicopter-ed to St. Vincent's today. Her spinal osteoporosis is
pinching a nerve. She's in terrible pain and may need surgery. Her
husband is very worried.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
New Roof
Yesterday, while I was in Santa Fe for my car's first oil change (got
almost 7,700 miles before the maintenance minder got down to 20% oil
life and I could have waited as low as 15%) and shopping afterwards,
the roofer called to say they would be out today to put our new roof
on. They came this morning about 8 am and are just finishing up
now. Totally amazing! I've been here the whole day. As they tossed
the shingle packets on the roof, it was jarringly loud but getting a
new roof is necessarily a noisy process.
almost 7,700 miles before the maintenance minder got down to 20% oil
life and I could have waited as low as 15%) and shopping afterwards,
the roofer called to say they would be out today to put our new roof
on. They came this morning about 8 am and are just finishing up
now. Totally amazing! I've been here the whole day. As they tossed
the shingle packets on the roof, it was jarringly loud but getting a
new roof is necessarily a noisy process.
Yesterday, when we advised our next door neighbors that the roofers
would be here today to do a total tear-off of our old roof, the
neighbors on one side said we would get rained on. That's because it
looked for all the world yesterday like the New Mexico monsoonal
pattern was starting and we actually did get some rain yesterday.
I'm glad that our neighbor was wrong and that it's been sunny and dry
all day. Probably too sunny for the hard-working roofers. I gave
them some watermelon slices earlier (not enough) and I've put a
cooler out this afternoon with orange juice, watermelon slices and
trail mix. They are so busy finishing up that I'm not sure they'll
get to enjoy it.
I managed to get two loads of laundry down, choke down some food
(major house maintenance is a major appetite depressant!), make lots
of Monday morning phone calls (delayed from yesterday) and do a
little on the computer.
The new shingles are dimensional rather than plain flat shingles.
This will take some getting used to as it looks too fancy for our
humble abode. It's a pitched roof but the shingles stagger in such a
way as to create a dimensional appearance rather than all laying
uniformly flat.
Instead of using roofing felt, they used a Dupont roofliner which
acts as a vapor barrier. This morning, the roofer advised that we
cut a ridge vent in our roof to ventilate the space beneath the
roof. That and the addition of an ice guard is an upgrade to the roof.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Walked Route
Need to bring lopper and cut down NM locust growing in various places on Route. Obviously pulling it out by the roots last year didn't discourage it at all.
When I was walking on the section that's right below Camp May Road, a gray station wagon stopped and the teenaged passenger in back asked me what I was doing. I said I was walking. Then he asked about my attire and I told him it was for sun protection. My interrogator then wished me a good day and gave me the peace sign as the car drove off. Odd but neat!
Pink wild roses are appearing. DON'T want to cut those down. When I saw some in bloom, cascading down a hillside, I crooned to them about how pretty they were!
Almost back to my car, I saw a scraggly coyote but even odder, it was briskly walking away from a cow elk following close behind. The coyote disappeared and the elk crossed the Bypass Route into the woods, right across the street from the Camp May Road intersection.
As I got back to my car, I saw the elk cross back to where she had come when she was going after the coyote. I watched for a while but then lost her when she went into the drainage. As I drove away, I saw a unidentifiable, bloody piece of flesh in the middle of the road. The radio was playing a song about needing to get back home which was what I was needing to do but I wish I had stopped to investigate. Maybe the roadkill, coyote and cow elk were all connected.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
What a Happening Today on Pajarito Mountain!
Today was Summerfest on Pajarito Mountain - microbrewery beer, a
band, the Aspen lift running and the Pajarito Mountain Café open.
Tons of people were up there enjoying the day and the townsite seemed
downright dead and boring when we drove back home. The ski hill was
the place to be today!
band, the Aspen lift running and the Pajarito Mountain Café open.
Tons of people were up there enjoying the day and the townsite seemed
downright dead and boring when we drove back home. The ski hill was
the place to be today!
Our daughter gave me a real treat! My daughter had asked me what I
wanted for my birthday and I told her "Hike with me!" I already got
to enjoy doing that on a special trail with her and her son
recently. Today I got the rest of my gift - she walked up Pajarito
Mountain with me instead of taking the lift! Spouse has sore ribs
from falling on a hike yesterday so he waited for us down below along
with son-in-law who didn't care to hike up the mountain.
Daughter is a very good, strong hiker. Instead of going down the
same way we went up, I took her down the Rim Run - very steep but
with fabulous views into the Valles Caldera National Preserve. She
has already posted the photo on Facebook that I took of her with the
Valles in the background! After Rim Run, we took a combination of
ski runs and bike trails to get down to the road back to the ski
lodge. She was very happy to finally get a burger and beer for
lunch! We stayed a while longer and I was the designated driver to
take everyone back home.
The Ryan McGarvey band that played was really good. I thought to
myself as we approached the Lodge that it sounded like we were at
Woodstock!
Obviously, Mamas Don't Let Their Sons Grow Up to Be Handymen!
Yesterday, under duress (namely that I need to get it done before the
house painter repaints on June 14) I repaired the damaged concrete
finish below the laundry room door.
house painter repaints on June 14) I repaired the damaged concrete
finish below the laundry room door.
I don't know how it got damaged but I have my suspicions that it
happened this winter when the washing machine drain flooded due to a
clog. When we swept the water out the back door, there was a crack
in the threshold and it must have let water get into the coating on
the cement block foundation. The coating then bulged out and was
loose. (I'm using concrete and cement interchangeably here which
shows I probably don't know the difference.)
Anyway, I bought a tube of concrete crack and sealant material at
Lowe's and smeared it in the crack and on the holes and also used it
to glue several pieces of cracked slip coat back on. I can see that
I really wasn't able to completely fill in the deepest defects so I
might top it off with more later. It doesn't look perfect and I
certainly didn't try to duplicate the finish but it's at least sealed
shut now.
Funny thing is that Dad's should really be teaching their girls
handyman skills because often boys are completely clueless. Spouse's
contribution was to nearly step on the newly repaired and still
sticky threshold (and me!) when he stepped on to the back porch to
admire my handy work!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Saved Yard Work for Another Day
Had hoped today to transplant some irises, rake some leaves, cut the
TV antenna wire and seal the hole in the siding and repair the
damaged cement on the foundation but will have to save that for
another day. Maybe I can get it done on Friday afternoon.
Roofer says that will probably reroof the week after the painter
comes. I'll have to hope that they don't damage new paint finish when
they throw down old roofing. Painter will later have to come back to
repaint area of fascia exposed by narrower drip edge. I so much
wanted to get it done before the painter - frustrating!!
Found out that PDR does more mitigation than restoration - mitigation
being drying out water damage as soon as possible after it happens
which prevents the need for restoration. One day when we move out of
this house, we'll have the closet repaired but it's dry now and that
can wait.
Turns out that spouse called about the 938 square feet senior condo
that's available but he says it's too small. I told him that I'd
take the large master suite with bathroom, we'd share the kitchen and
he could have the rest of the house. He's not buying that but at
least he called.
TV antenna wire and seal the hole in the siding and repair the
damaged cement on the foundation but will have to save that for
another day. Maybe I can get it done on Friday afternoon.
Roofer says that will probably reroof the week after the painter
comes. I'll have to hope that they don't damage new paint finish when
they throw down old roofing. Painter will later have to come back to
repaint area of fascia exposed by narrower drip edge. I so much
wanted to get it done before the painter - frustrating!!
Found out that PDR does more mitigation than restoration - mitigation
being drying out water damage as soon as possible after it happens
which prevents the need for restoration. One day when we move out of
this house, we'll have the closet repaired but it's dry now and that
can wait.
Turns out that spouse called about the 938 square feet senior condo
that's available but he says it's too small. I told him that I'd
take the large master suite with bathroom, we'd share the kitchen and
he could have the rest of the house. He's not buying that but at
least he called.
More Details on Cabra Loop-Beanfield Mesa Hike
TS led us on an awesome hike just like the old days before we all
became old farts. We took off from the Rendija Canyon Trail up a
small side canyon on a rough, uphill trail that led up the old
homestead road that DH once took me down and which I've never been
able to find since. Some of the group was very slow so grandson and I
went up the old road and waited for the group.
When some of them got up but more were still coming, grandson and I
took off to find the raptor trap. It turns out that the raptor trap
on Beanfield Mesa is very close to the top of that old road. He was
in disbelief that eagles could be caught that way. After a brief
look we circled around the area to try to find a skull but no luck.
We came back to the trap when the hikers got there.
After they all looked and took their photos, we walked back on
Beanfield Mesa to the site of the homestead cabin that was toasted in
the Cerro Grande fire in 2000. Then we headed to lunch with a view.
I tried to keep grandson's lunch box from him so he wouldn't eat
snacks first but his lunch included a Reese's peanut butter cup. He
ate that to keep it from melting but didn't finish his chicken and
cheese. Regardless, he seemed fueled enough because the hike was
long and after lunch, we still had to walk quite a distance back to
the cars on the eastern branch of the Cabra Loop Trail. Grandson
scored a Barq's Root Beer at the aprés hike refreshments but saved it
to take home.
An aside: the English fellow sat on a cactus and had to privately
bare his bum to his wife so she could pull the cactus spines out.
JS, back from the Ukraine, told JB to go home and put Elmer's Glue on
the wound site, let it dry and then pull the dried glue off and the
small cacti spines would come out too. Cool tip!! Guess he'll give
his wife quite a show while he's drying the glue on his rear end!!
became old farts. We took off from the Rendija Canyon Trail up a
small side canyon on a rough, uphill trail that led up the old
homestead road that DH once took me down and which I've never been
able to find since. Some of the group was very slow so grandson and I
went up the old road and waited for the group.
When some of them got up but more were still coming, grandson and I
took off to find the raptor trap. It turns out that the raptor trap
on Beanfield Mesa is very close to the top of that old road. He was
in disbelief that eagles could be caught that way. After a brief
look we circled around the area to try to find a skull but no luck.
We came back to the trap when the hikers got there.
After they all looked and took their photos, we walked back on
Beanfield Mesa to the site of the homestead cabin that was toasted in
the Cerro Grande fire in 2000. Then we headed to lunch with a view.
I tried to keep grandson's lunch box from him so he wouldn't eat
snacks first but his lunch included a Reese's peanut butter cup. He
ate that to keep it from melting but didn't finish his chicken and
cheese. Regardless, he seemed fueled enough because the hike was
long and after lunch, we still had to walk quite a distance back to
the cars on the eastern branch of the Cabra Loop Trail. Grandson
scored a Barq's Root Beer at the aprés hike refreshments but saved it
to take home.
An aside: the English fellow sat on a cactus and had to privately
bare his bum to his wife so she could pull the cactus spines out.
JS, back from the Ukraine, told JB to go home and put Elmer's Glue on
the wound site, let it dry and then pull the dried glue off and the
small cacti spines would come out too. Cool tip!! Guess he'll give
his wife quite a show while he's drying the glue on his rear end!!
Six Point Elk Shed Along Cabra Loop Trail
On Wednesday's LL hike, grandson was looking for bones - especially skulls. At one point, coming back on the Cabra Loop Trail, I spotted something even better than a skull - a recently shed, mint condition, 6 point elk antler but only one side. Grandson would like to sell it to get the money but we don't know any buyers.
His Dad thought I meant a storage shed when I said we found a shed on the hike! I had to carry it a little less than a mile back to the trailhead - heavy! All the other hikers had passed it by when I spotted it laying just off the trail.
I told grandson that this was a spectacular find! Eventually, if he hikes with me this summer, he'll also find his skull! We found some leg bones, part of a spine and part of either a pelvis or skull.
There were nearly 20 people, the weather was coolish except for one shadeless uphill section, the smoke from the Rio Fire was non-existent and we did 5 miles. Grandson is a very good hiker!
His Dad thought I meant a storage shed when I said we found a shed on the hike! I had to carry it a little less than a mile back to the trailhead - heavy! All the other hikers had passed it by when I spotted it laying just off the trail.
I told grandson that this was a spectacular find! Eventually, if he hikes with me this summer, he'll also find his skull! We found some leg bones, part of a spine and part of either a pelvis or skull.
There were nearly 20 people, the weather was coolish except for one shadeless uphill section, the smoke from the Rio Fire was non-existent and we did 5 miles. Grandson is a very good hiker!
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