Travel Tips

Monsoon season here in Albuquerque is sooo different than rainy seasons in other parts of the world. Especially with our prolonged drought, the ground just doesn't know what to DO with all that moisture. This particular storm hit hard and fast. Next thing I knew, my yard was flooded! Surprisingly the neighbors weren't flooded ... just me! 10 inches of water at the deepest points surrounded my home, as well as Casa de Papa! Water entered their garage and entered the house .. I had a fast flowing river along one side of the houses with currents so strong it moved bricks and furniture. The water seeped into my neighbors garage too!

Luckily for us, one of our contactors came over that same day after my call to see what I was describing. Turns out that by removing the alley wall, we effectively funneled all the alley water (including parking lot water from the church across the way) onto my property.

sigh

At least we know this now ... and there is hope for fixing this ... but not fun for now :)

Oh! Another plus ... the stucco was put on just a day before ... so between the heat and the rain - it's doing great :)

The framing has begun! Unfortunately, once they began framing they discovered the PLANS were not right! The foundation and the frame plans didn't match - there was a 3 foot difference in one whole zone of the house! So we are stalled at the same place now for about a week ... while the builders work w/ the architect on how to make it right :)

We have been framed, and wired for weeks now .... but are stagnant d/t delayed inspections, gas lines, etc. So the view hasn't changed much from the outside in a while - but the inside is just trucking along! They are waiting for the drywall to arrive now ..... Oooooh! This is so exciting!

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Tomorrow they pour the foundation ..... the radiant heating system is under that grid of wires and layer of insulation. Wow, this is coming along nicely :)

The first cement truck arrived on time .... it's a little cooler than we expected though ..... I hope this dries alright!

The second truck came very late! Here is is, almost sunset and the boys are still working on the cement! Since they had to stay until well after dark to finish their work, I pitched in for pizza tonight.

If I'd only taken a pick of them huddling by the light of their headlights and the work light .... watching the cement dry well after dark. At one point they looked like the 'hear/see/speak no evil' monkies! Dang, I just felt too bad for them to snap a picture right then :)

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Now they began working on the foundation ...... digging trenches, putting in water lines from the street .......... it's looking more REAL! Unfortnately for these guys ... the water main is all the way in the front of MY house. Oh, and I have a long dead metal sprinkler system in the backyard. So lots and lots of trenches being dug around here!

The water lines are in! Now they are working on the foundation frame ... and the radiant floor heating system ..... Turns out my sewer line was in better shape than we thought, so we were able to get the new house plugged into the existing line w/out any problems :)

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Despite the trauma of the precceding day, the tree wasn't ready to let go yet. So the guys started working on the rest of the yard prep ....... they decimated my hedge and began other dirt-work. Between traditional methods, and this little dirt mover, it didn't take long to destroy my weed strewn, overgrown yard :)

Then they were back to the tree ........ though already prepped for removal, it soooooo didn't want to go yet. This dear had been cut up, trenched out, knocked into by an earthmover ... and it still wouldn't let go! After multiple attempts, the boys finally chained the tree to the truck ...... even then it wouldn't topple over! So while pulling on the dear thing, the earth mover worked on the roots .... eventually it gave up. The tree was no more ......

As some of you know, my parents are building a home ..... in my backyard! So this little TL will chronicle the building process over the next few months.

As I woke up this fine morning, I discovered a man in my tree .... my 50 year old tree ....... this man was cutting branches in preparation of removing/killing this lovely overgrown tree. I went out and visited the tree later that day, the sap was leaking from all the cuts - I cried. My tree was suffering, bleeding, dying....

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