It took us over a month, but we finally finished laying out the gravel in the very front.  We moved a total of eight tons of gravel.  Whew, that sounds overwhelming!  BUt we did it, little by little.

Here again, are the before pics:

And during the process:
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And, the finished project!!  The small trees you see are dwarf alberta spruces.  It feels so good to finish this project!

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world as we know it.  Self-Isolation has become the new norm as well as the new catch phrase.  Being cooped up at home for our safety as well as those of others have brought out the handyman/gardener in many of us.

We've been slowly making changes in the front yard with still quite a way to go.  It didn't take us long to figure out that Chacho has a hard time walking amongst all the rocks, so we cleared out a little space in the front and laid sod.  It's just two little sections - 4ft x 10ft, but it should be enough to make him happy.

I've spent some time making a little cactus garden out front as well and that will continue into next year as I expand it.  We're also laying gravel outside out front wall to replace the dirt and weeds.  We've gotten a little less than half of it done and plan on finishing it this month.  I just finished pruning the roses and Dave has been doing maintenance on the pillars out front.  A few more large projects this Spring and we'll be ready to enjoy our summer.

​Of course, Bella, Luna and Chacho have been right in the middle of things.

Before and After of outside our wall.

I'll continue posting after pictures as we complete more.

Next up will be interior shots.  We love our house and have enjoyed making it ours!

It's been a busy winter, with a couple of trips to TN for family stuff.  Now that Spring is almost here, we're having a great time with some road trips before I head back to TN later this month.

We decided to head for the Sandia Mountains today in Albuquerque, deciding to drive up to Sandia Crest.  We knew we'd encounter snow, but the amount still up there was surprising.

After a visit to the Crest, we took the scenic route home through Madrid and Santa Fe.  Madrid is a small town that I visited in 2006, when Wild Hogs was being filmed there, starring John Travolta, Tim Allen, William H Macy.

​Enjoy!

Yes, it's been a while since we posted anything.  We've spent a lot of time at home, so this trip was a lot of fun.  I went with friends Lydia and Gerda to Albuquerque's Old Town Stroll and Christmas Tree Lighting.  

It was truly beautiful, with thousands of people lining the Old Town Square.

I found out that the Christmas Tree was actually made up of 156 Douglas Firs and it takes them two days to trim and fit all the trees together.

Dinner at Church St Cafe was wonderful as was the Bailey's Irish Coffee.  A great way to stay warm!

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking tham!

We were fortunate enough to be invited to Monika and Reuben's Oktoberfest bash.  What a great time we had!  The food was fantastic and the company was even better!  It was great to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones.

Looking forward to next year!

Last week, I made a whirlwind trip back to Tennessee to pick up my car and other things we'd stored.  Lydia flew with me to help me drive back home.

It was Lydia's first time in East Tennessee and I enjoyed showing off my favorite things about our old home.  Mom and I took her to Foothills Parkway to see the completed Missing Link - a section of Foothills Parkway that was finally finished this year after decades of waiting.  While the leaves were just barely turning to their fall colors, it was still a beautiful drive.

I love showing off our beautiful Smoky Mountains.  They never fail to take my breath away.  Next up was my sanctuary and my favorite place in Tennessee - Cades Cove.  We didn't see any bears, but the morning was misty enough to look like a fairytale.

In addition to Cades Cove, we managed to fit in a trip to Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome, which is on the TN/NC state line.  It was fascinating to find out that when we were at Newfound Gap, one of the gateways to the Appalachian Trail, we were at the same altitude that we are here at home in NM.

The stand out amongst Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome are the views of the mountains.  The haze makes them look so ethereal and fairy tale-like.

We also took a girls' trip to Asheville so that Lydia could see her daughter and family.  While she was enjoying her family time, my mom, sister and I went to the Asheville Arboretum.  It was a true jewel.  My favorite parts had to be the Bonsai garden and the little model train railroad.

The best part of our trip?  Seeing family.  It was great to spend time with all of them.  Kate and I spent one afternoon at the park while she showed off her swinging and sliding prowess.  She's getting too big for her Grammy's liking.  But what a smart, beautiful, talented and funny granddaughter we have.  She's the light if our eyes.

They finished dinner, now time for play, says Bella.

Some pictures require no explanations.  This set is one of them, evidenced by Luna's look in the last picture.  Yep, she's met her match.

I post enough sunset pictures to bore anyone, but the sunrise this morning was spectacular.  It wasn't about bright colors.  It was more subtle - a unique cloud that I've never seen, peeking out over the Manzanos.  A serene way to start the morning.

  Last Thursday, I was fortunate enough to head for Sandia Peak, on the Tramway, with Lydia, Monika and Gerda.  The Sandia Peak Tramway is an aerial tramway located adjacent to Albuquerque. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains and has the world's third longest single span. It is the longest aerial tram in the United States.  It took about fifteen minutes to get to the top, which is over 10,000 feet.  There are two trams and they balance each other, so one is always on top while the other is at the bottom and they meet in the middle.

The ride up and down were absolutely beautiful.  We even saw a few pieces of wreckage from the TWA flight that crashed into the canyon decades ago.

The new Restaurant 10-3, was wonderful.  I enjoyed the best cuban sandwich ever and the general consensus was that the food was outstanding.

It was another day of learning more about this enchanted land we've joined.  Unfortunately, the pictures don't do it justice.  My camera battery was dead and I took these with my phone.