So, I’ve been busy the last few months, and I see the site’s content well has run dry without me. What I’ve been busy with is selling a house, buying a house, moving, and etc. We basically just wore out on the Tucson summers – the last five have been abnormally hot and dry. Even for Tucson. Basically, the monsoons were just failing, which means the heat never broke, and just built and built. Much of my (well-established, thank you) landscaping died, and while converting to cactus certainly had its attractions (seriously, it did), our eyes just started to wander.
We’ve gotten to really like the dry, high desert climate, which rules out basically everything east of the Mississippi. We didn’t want anything too cold, either. We looked around northern AZ first, but just didn’t see anything we liked. We wanted at least a few acres, which drastically shortens the list, and we didn’t want to be too far from civilization. Much of what ticked those two boxes was just dead flat scrubland. Pass. Then we started looking in Taos. Saw some nice places, but Taos was just a little too small and touristy and weird. Santa Fe, on the other hand, pretty much hit the sweet spot.
We landed on a place in Lamy, which is about 15 – 20 minutes south of Santa Fe. Ten acres in horse country, on top of a little rise that gives a nice view of the valley below us. That’s it up there, after our first snow. Pueblo style house, because of course. The former owners had not taken good care of it, so it was filthy, had a mouse problem, and a fair amount of deferred maintenance.
The gods smiled on us at this point. Our realtor was about to list our house in Tucson when she brought a couple by, who basically bought it on the spot. Full price. They wanted to close in ten(!) days. And, they were willing to rent it back to us for three months. We took that offer, let me tell you.
We closed on our new house 3 weeks later, at the end of October. I spent the next 6 weeks shuttling between Tucson and Lamy, hauling stuff (movers won’t take booze, guns, or ammo) and getting contractors lined up and supervised. The floors (stone and wood) needed refinishing/sealing, which is very definitely best done while the house is empty. While that was going on (and again, the gods smiled on us and we found good contractors who could do the work on time and for a good price), I discovered the walls were beat up beyond my ability to patch sufficiently well. So, painters. And, we wanted a barn, and a wall around the backyard (cinder block and stucco). Walls around yards are kind of a Southwest thing. So the wall was also being installed, and it needed gates, and we wanted a fenced off inner yard for the mutts. So, metalworker (the gates have Pater Dean’s cattle brand on them; very nice). I lived on an air mattress at the house during this phase. And, oh yeah, some electrical work, which turned into mini splits in the bedrooms. And the roof leaked the first time Mrs. Dean stayed at the house (because of course it did), so stucco work on the parapets around the roof. And there was a lot of crap that had to be hauled to the dump.
Incredibly, everything got done by the time the movers showed up with our furniture in mid-December. Except the barn, which is where Mrs. Dean’s FJ and the gym will live. We’re still waiting for a permit from Santa Fe County for that, after 10 *expletive deleted* weeks. Of course, they needed stuff for the permit THAT THEY ALREADY HAD, but couldn’t be arsed to walk down the hall and get (chain of title, tax certificate, etc.). And then, after they had diddled around for 60 days, they said we had to resubmit the tax certificate (like taxes unpay themselves, or something).
There’s also the complete gut and remodel of the kitchen, probably in April-May. Plus, of course, landscaping, as there is really none left at this point.
There’s a nice little shopping center about 5 – 10 minutes away, with a brewpub, hardware store, grocery store, three decent takeout joints, etc., which is nice. And I gotta say, I like New Mexicans. Very casual, laid back, easy to work with, and with a delightful accent. Santa Fe is of course a hotbed of lefty morons, but I will put my Stoic lessons to work ignoring them.
All told, I’m happy with the move. It really is beautiful here – the light, the crystal clear air, the skies, the views, the whole package. The house is solid and the rest of what we want to do is in motion at this point and will be wrapped up by late spring. As moves, with a side of renovation, go, this one went as well as could be hoped.
There. Content. Happy, Swiss?
EDITORS NOTE: Yes, happy.
Ten acres in horse country, on top of a little rise that gives a nice view of the valley below us. That’s it up there, after our first snow.
That’s a great view. Snow sucks though. But still a great view.
Welcome to NM!
I’ll stop with the emails, just let me know when you’d like to meet for lunch or brews or just get acquainted.
You bought the Hackman place?
It’s a nice view and all. But it doesn’t really compare to the corn field I see when I look out the back window.
A sign of the sweet sweet ethanol subsidies you’re getting?
Easier to hide bodies than an open field?
Someone else.
If you build it, they will come?
If you *erect* it, they will come.
S tier flag right there
What I’ve been busy with is selling a house, buying a house – doing your best for white supremacy I see
the last five have been abnormally hot – GLOBAL WARMING
Santa Fe – still stupid hot
hmmm maybe not that hot I may have misread the climate table
maybe not that hot I may have misread the climate table
Elevation is crucial.
“a delightful accent”
Say what? I am NM born and bred and I ain’t got no accent.
I gotta say, AZ to NM sounds like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
But…hey, you’re happy with the place. And it is beautiful.
I’ve been looking really hard at southern Utah, myself.
Looks lovely, congratulations on the move.
Is there room to build a monocle factory for the orphans to work in? I can’t imagine how long that permit will take.
Orphans don’t need no stinkin’ permits.
Winning friends and influencing people
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday showed off knee pads that he suggested were for leaders “selling out” to the Trump administration.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Newsom said the red knee pads were available to buy via a website he had created.
Negging and insulting people you want money and favors from is a sure fire road to success.
Did he run the design by Harris?
Does he sell gloves to go with the knee-pads so he doesn’t scratch up his hands while he’s being corn-holed by the Administration?
Homophobia is awesome when (D)s do it!
Congrats on the move. Our family did Spring Break vacation weeks twice in New Mexico (Fenn Treasure searches) when all the kids were teens, and they only have good memories of all of it. Lots of time in Santa Fe along the way.
Sounds a lot like moving to Prescott… 15 year ago.
Too many Californians there now (My Mom, My Uncle, and Aunt each moved there from California around then). They forgot to close the gate behind them.
Real estate is becoming unreasonable.
Fortunately, no one wants to live in Iowa, so the cost of living is still quite accessible.
My brother moved to Iowa from California and seems to like it.
An outlier 😉
I Went to school in Prescott in 96/97. It was big and crazy then. I can’t imagine it now.
Homophobia is awesome when (D)s do it!
All I know is we’ll be better off as a nation when we finally kick that narcissistic sociopath Trump out of the White House and replace him with an honest dedicated public servant like Newsom.
The only way the country can heal is the next president checking every box. Which Hispanic, black, trans, … is available? We should probably wait in case the intersectional scoring changes. What is after trans? Pedo?
It’s not irrational to be afraid that Coach Walz is going to rape you on a camping trip.
Congratulations, glad it was worth the time and money to fix the new house, those things can turn into nightmares.
The place looked really cool in the Zillow link you shared last fall.