Welcome
You have found us out here in the middle, or at least on the edge, of the middle of nowhere.
This web site is our way of sharing our experiences, and maybe even some photos of "Our Little Place Under The Sun".
After years of living in the rat race, we found ourselves at the end or our working careers, mainly due to downsizing, and realized that if we sold our house in the city, and the downsized retirement plans we had finally wound up with, would provide us with enough of a nest egg to move out of the city to a more peaceful existence.
We knew we loved the desert. We had spend most of our vacations roaming around the anasazi trails and other places in the south-west, camping in a tiny pop-up camper on the back of our compact truck, and loved every minute of it.
When we found an opportunity for both of us to escape, and that's exactly what we did! We took the equity on our home in the burbs an used it to purchase a home on a couple of acres of desert land. Our house in the city paid for the place, so although we have a small pension, it's enough for our simple needs. Then we started the next phase of our lives.
Before we moved out here, we didn't ask the snakes, the coyotes, the rabbits, the desert box turtle, the big horn sheep or the occasional larger varmint if we could join them, we just did it. They pretty much leave us alone, and we don't bother them.
Our little home is too far from town for pizza delivery, but close enough for our weekly trip for groceries, a DVD or two, and to see what trinkets we may want to carry home. We can listen to music or make some noise without bothering the neighbors, and we don't have to adjust our tastes in music to the younger generation, who all seem to be deaf noawadays. If we see a dog, or someone in our yard, whom we don't know, we know they must be lost - and we can call the appropriate agency to get them some help.
The place we purchased needed a lot of TLC, when we moved in, but that was fine with us. Over the years, in rentals, and homes we owned, we had usually left them in much better condition than we found them. A little paint, some patching, some time in the gardens and flowerbeds were usally all it took. Usually, it took more time and elbow grease than money to bring make a house a home. So by the time we settled here, we knew pretty much what we were in for and weren't afraid of a little hard work to make this place ours.
Of course desert living, without many of the things that we took for granted in the city, did require a reset in our ways of thinking. There are no city natural gas lines running out our way so our one source of energy is electricity. We soon found out that the power lines took a beating out here in the sun and with the violent winds and storms that occasionally pass. So we have learned to do without electricity for short periods. Some folks may think that this is a terrible way to live, but its has brought us closer to GOD and each other.
When the odd power outage occurs, we have learned to maybe read a book instead of watch TV, or play cribbage by lamp light, and, oh yeah, lay in a few extra blankets and cozy up together when its cold.
Most times when people think about the desert, they picture nothing but sand for as far as you can see. We found, to our delight that as time marches by, there are a wide variety of plants that grow naturally out here. Most of them only grow for a few weeks, and then are replaced by other, more delicate or hardy varieties. In natures scheme of life, the plants have to grow real fast when the conditions are just right, then hurry up and reseed themselves, so that next year, the new generation will be abundant. So instead of looking at one flower all summer, we change a kaliedascope of flowers. We were amazed to find that during our first spring, irises showed up in some old overgrown flower beds, in abundance, in front of the house!
Much to our delight, there's an abundance of birds that are attracted to our little oasis. Some of them are indigenous like the road-runners and a wide variety of finches, doves, and humming birds. But we also get a lot of travelers who stop in at our little inn, on the way north or south as the weather changes.
As for the weather we have seen temperatures from 119 degrees at the peak of summer to 12 degrees in winter. The normal temperature swing in a day as much as 40 or 50 degrees, which is the reason why many plants can not tolerate living here. Many plants can take a wide range of temperature, but not every day. We have a saying out here that's only spoken with half a smile - If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes. It'll change. Too Hot? The wind will kick up and cool you down a bit. Too cold, walk outside and stand under the sun, you'll burn if you're not careful. To dry? No problem here comes a summer gullywasher. Too wet? The sandy soil will soak it up in a minute.
We are spellbound at the vistas that we are blessed with as the seasons and times of day change in the desert. Every time we look around us there is a different nuance in the shades of color or shadows that play over the desert.
When we first moved out here we would talk to folks in town and they would ask us where we are living, When we would tell them, the reply was always - REALLY! There aint nothin out there! It turns out that that's just the way we like it.
Anyway, Stop and visit a spell, relax, have a cup o' joe, and look around. I hope you enjoy our place as much as we do.