Looking back...

So let's start from the beginning. 

The beginning of what you might ask?
                   The beginning of our house.

It started back in the 70's with a group of hippies who wanted a mountain hippie compound.
This man:

 is Richard Young.  Also known as "Fedora" in the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  He is the character who gives Indy his fedora in the movie.  He's been in many other things since then and is a fairly successful actor and director.  He is also the son of Robert Young who played Marcus Welby, MD...

But, I digress.

He was also the mastermind behind finding a remote location in the Sacramento Mountains just outside of Ruidoso, NM.  He and several other friends had a few buildings/homes scattered on their 17 acres.  The goal, we believe, was to be off the grid away from society.  Well. Life happened and not everyone's visions had the same plan or timeline so after building on his home for 20 years or so it was virtually abandoned.  

That's where we come in.

We bought it a couple years ago, as is.

The property had been shown many times before with the idea that you were buying the land and what ever buildings were left would have to be leveled.

In everyone's eyes except ours.

So here's an across the canyon view of the original home

 see... we're sort of on the side of a mountain....

 

Ok, I know you're thinking - level that house? It doesn't look that bad.  

Well let's remember it's been sitting around 20 years...in the southwest sun, through mountain monsoon seasons, wind...oh the wind!  

And critters.  Lots and lots of forest critters.

yuk.

I am sure you are wondering what the inside looked like...   Here's some early shots:

 

 

 So that was the inside.    Yes it was filled with his things he'd left here 20-ish years ago.

But that sunset right there?  That's what did it for us!  That and in the middle of that sunset is Sierra Blanca peak.

Over the next few posts I'll take you through the changes that have occured over the last couple years as well as a look back at the interesting things we've found during our deconstruction and reconstruction.

Most of these changes were done by just Dave and myself with help on occasion from some friends and of course a power tool or two, 

or ten.

More to come....