“Finding beauty in a broken world is creating beauty in the world we find.”
Terry Tempest Williams
On Halloween, Alan and I celebrated 3 years here at 4 Fords. We didn’t do anything special, other than it being Halloween, but it gave me pause to reflect on how far we’ve come, and how much further we hope to go. We had planned on a 3-year renovation, so, have we met that goal?
Not quite, although in some ways we’ve come much further than we expected. (And spent a lot of time playing!) Most of the big projects are finished, with the house painting completed. The major thing still hanging out there is the darn drain line and gray water pit (“dry well”, to some) which has not yet been resolved, still backs up, and will have to be completely replaced next spring. I hope to host some WorldPackers to help us build more fences, as cows continue to overgraze the big meadow, the one that has 3 ponds, and we need to be able to better control the access next year in order to begin regenerating that 6 acre section. They will still be able to come in when the grass is thick, but not when it is dry. Finally, I hope to build more one-rock dams. The dozen or so we have are doing a great job, and we need more.
The kitchen remodel is still to be built, too, and although I don’t consider that a major project, it will tear up the kitchen for a bit. If lucky, that will get done by the end of the year. We’re also starting to look at finishing the sunroom, with a separate laundry area and mud room, and maybe a grow space for seedlings. (By the way, The frost free-spigot is installed to the washer, thanks to Alan, and what a difference it has made. Doing laundry is pretty much a normal operation now, no more hoses.)
All of the winter prep chores are completed: the chimney cleaned, firewood stacked, garden put to bed, cisterns fixed so the pipes don’t freeze, and hoses and water catchment tanks emptied. I cleaned up the greenhouse and rearranged the cat’s living quarters in there, so she is a very happy kitty. An insulated cathouse, 2 separate “day beds” for her to enjoy, protected access in and out, 2 water tanks, and a “water wall”. In the coldest weather, 15 below, the greenhouse might freeze slightly overnight , but will get up to 60 degrees during the day. Cat-Too is very cozy. (This cat, you might remember, came with the house, along with her brother, who died that next spring.) She is somewhere around 16 years old: still healthy and busy hunting every night. She and Zane have a love/hate relationship and say a careful hello every morning.
We had our first skiff of snow the other day: 4″ that melted in minutes and are getting more as I write. Once the snow sticks and freezes, our road actually is at its best, smooth and solid. Rio Arriba County keeps it well plowed, in spite of not doing much else for maintenance.
In three years, I feel we have gotten to know this canyon very well, every cliff, arroyo, the wildlife, the birds, and the water. There is deep history here, old mines, a railroad bed, and abandoned cabins high on the mountainside. I can find old signs of sheep-herding, cattle drives, and huge elk herds passing through in the past. The tribal land above us, rarely visited, has an old roadbed and even older cabin ruins, and the creek still runs year-round up there. Right now, it is hunting season, and we see more trucks cruising up and down than we see through the entire rest of the year; but that’s maybe a total of 1 vehicle a day. A neighbor has put his place up for sale this week, and that has brought in a few folks, too.
All-in-all, three years have flown by, faster than I can believe. I am still in love with this place, this canyon, the house, and New Mexico. I’ve even grown fond of the road, and have learned to live within its limitations. It forces me to slow down, which can only be good. I don’t have to rush to town just because I need something. The mail can sit at the P.O. for a few more days. I can take the dogs swimming instead. (The swimming hole is still very full, both little waterfalls running, but getting cold, so the pups only last 10 minutes before running back to the truck to warm up.) Or, we can take a walk up the road, or stay home and read a book. What’s the rush?
Finally, I’m not afraid to say that we are not happy with the election results, but also not surprised. Here at 4Fords Alan and I will simply keep on keeping on, trying to live our values to the best of our ability, in hopes that we can leave a tiny positive change in our world.
And, for a flashback to younger days…..
4Fords Journal 