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.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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!
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