The El Rito Adobe

On April twelfth I began one leg of my  journey from Mississippi. I was headed to a friend's house in El Rito, New Mexico to stay so that I could begin a hunt to find housing. I want and need to live in the West again. More importantly in the Land of Enchantment. The drive took twenty hours over two days. It was exhausting but excitement made the miles very easy to cover. 

I've been scouring the papers and online sites from two weeks without much luck. Sadly in my price range most homes are very run down. It gets worse when like I do you want to live outside the city. Building design even the most basic is a home grown thing. Over the years these very old houses become a run down jumble of rooms. 

Up until today I was becoming pretty concerned I'd find anything. I forgot that when I moved back to GA it took three months to find the gem house I wanted. And then I got a text from my host and friend. There is a house right down the street that has been on and off the rental market. He had just talked to the owner and said I could walk down to take a look at it. I'd driven past the outside many times. The exterior is just a tease for the amazing interior. I was in awe. Since most of you readers of my blog are family I want to share these pictures with you all. Obviously the place is still being lived in and outdoor construction is going on. And my pictures aren't very thought out. I was just taking measurements and photos as quick as I could. I will start at the front of the house. As you can see the house is right up on the road. That's not uncommon in old New Mexican villages. The house sits on a very tiny rectangle of land. The lot ends at the telephone pole to the left or north. I'm facing East at this point. Under the small sloped roof  you take a couple steps down to the front door.   

Another shot without the truck. The gate on the back wall goes to a neighboring property. It's solely for ornament. The gray wall will soon match the house. The owner has added all kinds adornment like little gem stones. The big windows are in the long entry.. This is the North side of the house. 

The steps leading to the front door. 

In this next photo below you see the West side of the house. The wall with white trellis is the wall of what I'd be using as a living room. The house does not have a bedroom. The living room is used  as a bedroom as well. To the right of the highest roof  is the one where the bathroom and laundry sit. The smallest roof is a new addition that was suppose to house a propane tank. That didn't work out setting there. But the space can be a nice sized garden shed now.  

This is the beautiful double paneled doors to the back court yard. The property doesn't have a hard to speak of. And in the bottom right of the photo in the thicket of trees is a creek that runs all year long and supplies the village with it's irrigation water. The view of the creek from the courtyard is blocked by a coyote fence. But you can hear the water splashing from the deck quite well. It makes it a very relaxing place to sit. The long upright juniper poles wired together are called coyote fencing. It's used all over New Mexico for both function and decoration.      

  This next photo I took inside the front entry. The front door is immediately behind me. The pink to the left of the photo is a cool Kiva fireplace! This room only measures 12' x 6' so it's function is limited. But I am pretty sure I can do something with it. Along the left wall are the big windows you saw in the photo of the parking area. I think a big collection of cactus would be great on the two feet deep adobe walls in the house make for wonderful deep sills to set plants and decorative things. The room is so tight I think maybe a reading chair and small side table could go there. To the right at closest end of the sofa is am archway and step that takes you down into the kitchen. 

The rest of the photos I've take are me coming into the house through the back courtyard...  

These are the steps just finished and awaiting paint. Through the gate is the main road that runs through the village. The steps will be painted the same color as the adobe gateway.  

This is the view from the the top of the steps looking down into the courtyard. The owner just built the deck. Sometime down the road he plans to cover and screen it. To the right where he's working is a raised planting bed held by by an adobe wall that's approximately thirty feet long. To the left is the back door and the room that can be used for storing garden equipment. Behind the owner you can see a blue tarp against the fence. It's behind that fence the creek runs. The sound from the splashing water is really relaxing.      

Back door from the steps

And the garden shed. Fancy!

From here I'll go through the back door into a 15' x 5' hallway. Just to the right is a built in desk and cabinets above. Just past that is a door out onto another patio area. Just to the left there is the door to the bathroom that you can't see. Next to that door is a closet. The bi-fold doors are made of cedar frames and red willow branch inserts. The are beautiful when cleaned up. At the end of the hall you take a step down into the kitchen.  

The desk area.

The bathroom comes with a new washer and drier, radiant heated floors, and the shower has a steam system! 

Into the kitchen! I'm not fond of cooking but this kitchen is Sa-WEET! Sorry for the clutter. Try to see through it. The woman is a professional seamstress. At the far end of the room is the front entry hall. You can just make out a bit of the fireplace. 

And antique propane stove to heat the kitchen. So cool!!!

The window looks out onto the small brick patio. The counters are concrete and stained and polished to a beautiful leather brown. The kitchen is 13' x 15' and comes fully equipped with a big microwave, stove, fridge, and dishwasher.    

A pantry. Again with red willow twig doors. Most of the knobs, door hinges and other hardware is hand wrought iron from a blacksmith that lives just a few houses away.  

From just to the right of the antique heating stove is the arched door into what is called the living room / bed room. It measures 10' x 15'

The walls in this room are covered in burlap sealed to the wall. It really adds warmth to this room. The stained glass window is the one you see on the front of the house. 

At the far end is a walk-in closet that measures 4' x 10'. Narrow but very usable to store things. The window at the back looks into the bathroom.   

After seeing the whole place I was exploding with excitement. But there was one big problem. I need a bedroom! So I told the owner it was just about everything I could ever wish for and more. (No yard and no place for chickens) But I needed that bedroom. Without missing a beat the man flat out told me that he's been planning the bedroom addition for years and just didn't have the incentive. If I wanted the place I'd get my bedroom!

The bedroom will be added where a current paved patio is right now. To access it you will go through the side door in the back hall right next to the desk. 

This is the patio that will be the new bedroom. The wall of rock and stucco will be exposed in the bedroom as it is in other areas of the house. (more gem stones)  Just to the left of the window is the door into the back hall next to the desk and right across the hall from the bathroom. The bedroom will measure 9' x 13'. At this south end of the room will be a large window with a bench 3' deep that looks out into the courtyard. Under it will be drawers. On both sides will be closets. Where you see the old fence now that wall will have two long windows head high that will allow for the morning sun to shine in.   

The house had always rented very easily without a bedroom. But if I want the place the bedroom would be added! I was stunned! But rent would have to be raised $50.00 a month. That's only $50. more than I paid in Helen! The current lease holder is leaving June 1st, 2016. The bedroom will take one month to build. The house would be move in ready July 1st, 2016.     

So here's the scoop. I emailed many of you just a couple days ago about my healthcare concerns here in New Mexico. I told the owner that I still plan to go see Phoenix next week to check it out. He'd heard good things about me from Mark. The minute I meant him he said he was very happy to see me and was really hoping I'd like the place and take it. Once I return from my scouting trip to Phoenix I will let him know my decision. To be very honest about it in my mind it's already my place and it's already decorated with my pots, rugs, art, and collectibles. I know someone who has offered me a buffalo hide rug. Consider it mine! LOL!

I will let you all know as soon as I return to El Rito about my decision.

So that's the news for now! 

Miss you all a lot!

~Bear 

The Kiss of the Sun

El Beso del Sol

January 5, 2016

As a human I believe we all crave and strive for beauty within and in our surroundings. I believe beauty is somewhat of a Divine right if you look at it simply as my feeble mind tends to. But simple doesn't count in this story and there are many deep meanings to the word. But yet it's also a constant gift we all (even the most simple of person) desire to have and to be. For me I strive and fail too often to be a beautiful man and person in countless other ways. Others hope that mere physical attributes are given by their God and it elevates them. So many think that beauty a deep dark tan is key to looking healthy and sexy. But I fear it does nothing but add to a false and shallow level.

I have just realized that I live for beauty and happiness. The beauty is beauty of mind, soul, body, and being. The Sun (del Sol) is my strength and source. When I have Sun I can almost be assured that happiness is going to rise and follow me. In my worst struggles with depression the Sun feeds me like a deep forest fire and helps me fight this chronic struggle. Maybe that is one of the best reasons I crave to return to the sun baked Land of Enchantment. Out there throughout my day I can succumb and may cave to it's intensity and often stumble into the shade with my body screaming for water and coolness. My sweat turns from a consistency of heavy water into nothing more than a dense  salt deposit on any cloth touching my skin. The white markings are proof of this physical reaction. 

I've come realize there are many days in New Mexico that the sun so strong and hot that it consumes my thoughts and many times my body like a raging fire. From a couple accounts there is at least 283 days of sun in the Southwest High Desert. This heat can sometimes pull the last bit of oxygen from the lungs and burns deep like a melting fire poker. When you walk outside or step from the shade it seems for a split second you go into a panic for a breath. Yet I crave this. I'm not the beach bum type and the sun, sand and water aren't a craving. To me the sun baking a beach is different. So I guess I'm the desert dwelling type. It's like an addict stealing away with a last drop of morphine. To me this is all so intoxicating and consuming. So intense. Those who live in the high desert with me like the horned lizards, lined lizards, rattlers, gopher snakes all find the highest and hottest rocks to expose themselves at some point on a good day to this life giving and yet deadliest of forces. The desert and river valley creatures, like the hawks, hummingbirds, water fowl, cliff swallows, butterflies, and bees spend their day struggling to carry water on their wet drenched bodies back to their sanctuaries to help quench the thirst of the next generation. All of the creatures of this place, one of the hottest on earth, course with red blood cells keeping them in existence. But water is the key element in fighting the sun's grip. I'm not convinced that many humans think about the fact that we we live because of this cycle of glorious life. It's taken for granted far too much. The elements in this hostile and amazing setting are in a perfect match, that being sun, hydrogen and oxygen. We've taken all creatures and elements for granted. It is the wonder of the Divine that we exist at all. And so in full circle this Divine and all It has created is why we can find and see beauty in the oceans, forests, deserts, mountains, and all the creatures of our lands. Sun and water, what a simple combination of beauty. I've come to realize no matter how hard each day is to get through or how rough I feel it seems now I am in an eternal romance with the sun of Southwest. With that sun comes my happiness. And happiness  feeds those multiple levels of inner beauty and peace I try so hard to keep alive in me.   

One of my deepest fears is that in my relocating it will pull me away from those I love and those that love me. I often yearned and talked about wanting to be back out West with many of you. There was even a dark funky time when I slammed the door on any hope of ever living out there again. But within a couple months hope was somehow renewed. Shortly after that renewal my mom came for a visit to my sweet little house in the Georgia mountains. That first night I broke the news I was making a plan to go back. As much as she worried I think she also knew I needed to be back there. I wanted to be sure she wasn't going to be hurt and I wanted her totally on board for this next journey. Happiness has been kind of rare and fleeting during my life in Georgia. But I think my mom and my  friends in Georgia know I wasn't very happy and that I was homesick for the Southwest. 

So in closing I hope that you visit me often if you'd like. I want to share the great Southwest in person. Not just through photos of the region I love and embrace. For ages there's been the Grand Tour of Europe for the Aristocrats of Europe. I don't know anyone living like the old upper classes. So for all my friends there is something new to do. Slather yourselves in sun screen and grab a hat! Because now there's Wandering Bear's "El Grande" Tour of the Desert Southwest! 

The kiss of the sun awaits you.   

~Barry, Wandering Bear