Archive for June 1, 2009
What Dreams May Come…
by John Weckerle
…To Sandia Park?
That question was answered recently with the announcement that the 2010 HGTV Dream Home will be built in one of the seven communities included in the 30,000 acre Campbell Ranch master planned community. That’s right; the custom-designed Pueblo-style home – a 3,900 square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath estate with “a home office, gourmet kitchen, home theater, and a guest casita” – will be built right hear in the East West Mountains. The 14th annual HGTV Dream Home, the network’s first in the southwest, will be located in San Pedro Overlook, which, according to the network’s press release, is specifically designed for those who choose to work from home. According to the San Pedro Overlook web site, it is a gated community with three- to six-acre home sites and includes 625 acres of protected nature preserve, spectacular surroundings, and a number of amenities.
As quoted in the press release, HGTV’s Dream Home Planner, Jack Thomasson stated: “It’s a spectacular place and the house we’re building is going to be a responsible example of Southwestern living at its best.” »» What Dreams May Come…
Public Service Announcement – I-40 Westbound Lane Closures
According to the NMDOT, I-40 westbound will be reduced to two lanes from today through 5 a.m. next Monday so that a skid-resistant surface can be applied. The westbound Carnuel exit will be closed when the right lane is being resurfaced, possibly Monday through Wednesday of this week.
Grow Your Own – Boxing Day (Part 1)
by John Weckerle
Editor’s note: Our design is an adaptation of that shown in Mel Bartholemew’s The New Square Foot Gardening. This is an easy-to-read and informative book on raised bed gardening, and we highly recommend it. Our principal adaptation is the height of the box, which is twice that of Mr. Bartholemew’s design. He considers this unnecessary, but given our often dry and windy climate, we like the idea of a slightly greater rooting depth and more soil to retain moisture. This project took far less than an hour to build.
Unlike the British, Canadians, and other Commonwealth countries, we don’t celebrate Boxing Day on or about December 26; here at New Mexico Central headquarters, we celebrate it whenever we build a new box to plant vegetables in. Well, yesterday we celebrated Boxing Day, building our third 4 foot-square by one foot-high bed. Today, we’ll walk you through the process of building the box; in Part 2, we’ll discuss our next experiment in critter strategy. Of course, you can always come up with your own designs to keep the wildlife from sampling your bounty. »» Grow Your Own – Boxing Day (Part 1)