Roz Land

This has been a bizarre day for weather---even by Angel Fire standards, apparently.  We woke up to about an inch of snow on the ground, and after a couple of hours it had melted.  Throughout the day it went like this: Snow, Melt, Wind, Sleet, Melt, Snow, Wind, Melt, Snow.... etc.   And now it's just SNOWWWWWWWWW!  We are under a Winter Storm Warning, and may get a couple of FEET (yes, feet not inches) by tomorrow night.   I learned after the January blizzard to keep a good stock of water and groceries up here, so we are good to go in that respect.   So we are all warm and cozy in the motorhome, and actually getting some work done (for The Garland Group).

They actually came and poured concrete in the basement area of the house today---and now have snow blankets up and heaters going in there to keep it warm so it will set up.  Guess these New Mexicans know what they are doing...I hope!  The house is almost totally dried in, so a lot of the work is going on inside. 

Here's a picture of the snow coming down this morning...it's about twice that hard now, if you can imagine!  Wish this old motorhome had a fireplace in it!  A propane burner on the stove just ain't the same!

Check back tomorrow for more SNOW news!

WOW! I guess that's why they call it Elk Run Road -- the past 2 afternoons that we have driven up that road, we have seen a large elk herd grazing just below... they like venturing down from the hills into the valley in the late afternoon, just as the sun starts it's descent.   The herd has about 50 or so elk in it, and they have all lost their "racks" -- is that what you call them?--- so I can't tell male from female.  Henry made an elk noise so they would all look at me, and I used my new Sony A100 DSLR with my 75-300 mm lens (maxed out) to photograph these.  Go to my Flickr site to see all of the photos...here's one just for fun!

The link to my Flickr Acct is:

www.flickr.com/photos/rozgarland

I will be posting more photos to that account as I take them with my:

SONY A100K DSLR camera

Love it!

Roz

Looks like a beautiful day at Lone Star Ranch today!  Sun is out, just a few wispy clouds, but the WIND will cut right through you.  Gusts up to 55 mph, and will remain so for a few more days. One of the carpenters says that this time of year is just like that...that it will blow for about another month.  Wow...that will get old!  If it wasn't windy, it would be T-shirt weather. 

Had a little adventure last night with Henry in the Polaris...we took off to look at the possibility of cutting a less steep road into the existing driveway, and got off on an old logging road where they have been thinning trees for the FIREWISE grant we were able to get.  It was covered with fallen limbs, stumps, deep ruts from the monster machine they use, and patches of snow.  You would THINK that the Polaris could just zoom over all that...well, not quite.  We went into the forest quite a ways until it deadended and we had to back out the way we came in.  Henry thought it was great fun (I think he compared it to bullriding or something) but I got really tired of being slapped in the face by limbs and mud chunks.  And then I remembered that BEARS come out of hibernation about this time of year, and we were WAYYYYY back in the woods!  Anyway, we made it back to the motorhome, of course, and decided to go to town for dinner. 

Angel Fire is DEAD--- the ski season ended 2 weeks ago, and everything is really slow.  Missed getting to go to the grocery store (that's what I do for entertainment out here) by 10 minutes, so we went to Our Place Cafe for dinner and had a buffalo burger.  On the way home we saw about 100 elk that had come down to graze on the new grass coming up in the lower elevations...the most we have seen here EVER.  And no racks on any of them, so I guess they have lost their horns already.  (I wonder if that hurts, or at least gives them an elk headache???)

Trying to work today, but the connection is having issues...so guess I will go throw a stick for Ziggy the dog, and get out in the sun a little.  Going to meet with the glass etching guy later today and then hit the grocery store again.  FUN and EXCITEMENT!!!

Check out my photos on Flickr if you have time... Here's the link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rozgarland/sets/72157600066033650/

Here I am on the mountain, watching it alternately sleet and snow from the gray cloud just barely over our heads.  The wind is blowing hard, so the clouds are zooming past, and every now and then a clear patch lets a burst of sunshine through for a few seconds.

Sounds like we're enjoying being in the woods and watching nature?  Not quite.  A big trencher is roaring outside and digging a deep trench to run electrical lines about 10 feet away from the motorhome.  Hopefully, he will get it done and cover it up TODAY. 

I was hoping for sunshine today so I can go play with my camera...maybe the winds will get rid of the clouds by noon, and things will brighten up a bit.  We walked around inside the house for a bit when we got here last night, and they have put in the fireplace unit (no rock yet) and have readied the inside of basement and garage to pour remaining concrete in there.  Apparently, they took a few days off last week, so I can't tell how much has changed.  The porch railings are mostly up, and the back porch is in place.  Deck flooring is down, too. 

I sat by a really interesting lady on the plane---will write more about her later...

It's that time again....back to the mountain!  I no longer get home and get back into somewhat of a routine, than I am ready to head on back to New Mexico!  I am flying to Albuquerque in the morning, and should be basking in the sunshine up on the mountain by the afternoon.  I say sunshine loosely--- it's been alternating rain and snow the last couple of days.  I watch it on the web cam and try to figure it out...but with a 10 second delay, and blurry images as it goes pelting by, it looks more like someone shooting white silly string everywhere. 

The house is in a critcal stage...it's pretty much dried in now, but there are still lots of decisions and choices to be made...I have been overwhelmed by the myriad of things that need to be picked out, chosen, marked down, or ordered.  But it is starting to come together and that's fun to see.  So in between conferring with the builder and the carpenters, and the electricians and plumbers, we will be working remotely for The Garland Group --- and making sales calls on potential clients in the area.  Ahhh....technology.  Between the satellite for the internet connection, the web cam, laptops, and Dish network...we are set to work and relax with all the modern conveniences. 

I am excited about taking my new Sony DSLR A100 camera out to the mountain and see what kind of "art" I can create.  I bought a 75-300 mm lens specifically to use out there.  And a good flash to take inside shots of the house (where the lighting is presently nonexistant.)  I am throughly impressed by the quality of photos I have taken with it so far.... and this will be a good test of a variety of shots. 

Ok-- gotta go finish gathering a few other things to take.... I will be sending email, but I think I will post from here and just send out links to family and friends.  Keeps it all nice and organized! 

Off to New Mexico!!!