Al's Life

Relocated from Newport, Oregon, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2009 ... life goes on ... but different. The previous life of 54 years with Sue was growing, learning together. The new life is still growing (old?) and learning from the grandkids.

Now living in "Eldorado at Santa Fe". (a link to information about Eldorado) This community of 2,500 homes is in southeast Santa Fe County (not in the Santa Fe city limits). I am approximately 25 minutes from the Plaza in the center of Santa Fe. (Santa Fe is at 7,000 ft altitude) My three bedroom, 1,500 sq ft, adobe home is on 1.5 acres near stores, and just right for me.
In the Summer		In the Winter
Coyote strolling through the yard		Waiting for Spring

The Family

Daughter Natalie and husband Phil Baca

Ellie is in her senior year at Baylor University (Waco, TX) and is making applications to graduate school. She wants to do genetic research. Julia and Lila are big into music (Julia on viola, Lila on cello and piano) and both are in the local youth orchestra. They are also big into 4-H activities and have been selling a variety of farm-related craft products of their own design. Their latest work is in making recycled feed bags into large tote bags. The feed bags come in a variety of animal feed designs (horse, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, etc). Their feed-tote bags can be ordered through their own website: www.xoweb.com/eggheads.htm

        

The Doings  - So what do I do now?

         Try to keep up with the grandkids:
                    Attend and photograph their 4-H activities and music (viola/cello) activities
                    Record the music at their concerts (and for other music youth groups)
                    Show them how to win at  card games ("Hearts" is the family tradition card game)
            Computer doodling:
                    Keeping up websites for friends and for non-profit organizations (see www.xoweb.com)
                         Processing the multitude of digital photos I take of everything that moves or doesn't move
                            (7 of the monthly photos in the 2012 Santa Fe County Fair calendar are mine)
                    Playing computer games (so I can remember how to win at "Hearts")
            Digitizing:
                    Digitizing the thousands of family film photos, some dating back to the late 1800's.
          Working on my novel "Doomed to Circle 9"
                    Circle 9 is the last circle in Dante's "Inferno" (Hell) and is reserved for betrayers.
                    The novel has 2 brothers as modern-day vigilantes "eliminating" those who
                            most betray public trust.

Smiling Dante		Where betrayers end up

            Dancing - I'm still square dancing weekly, but gave up Tango (it was fun while it lasted)
                                                (see our square dance club website)

          Lapidary
                    It has taken a while to get my lapidary cutting/grinding/polishing equipment
                    set up, but now I am turning out pieces for friends and visitors.

          Horsing Around
                    Everybody (except me) in the family rides (quarter horses - they have 4)
                    Natalie and Phil have won prizes galore (including two saddles)
                    Grandaughter Ellie is on an equestrian scholarship at Baylor U. (Waco, TX)
                    Julia and Lila  have won multiple riding/show trophies and prizes.

Natalie reining on "Smoker"	Phil winning New Mexico high-point on "Scooter" in 2009	Al just sitting on old "Tac" 2009 (Tac died in 2010)
Julia and her faithful "Truman" winning NM State Fair High Point	Ellie in 2005 World Championships on "Reward"	Lila on her new horse "Popcorn"

        A Little Hiking
                    A group in my Eldorado community hikes every Tuesday morning. The hikes are local day-
                     hikes, 2 to 5 hours, and range from "Easy" to "Very Difficult". If it snows, the hikes are
                     snowshoe-hikes. These pictures are from a 2011 hike to the Cienguilla cliffs to look at
                     petroglyphs.

        Home Exercise
                    My 45-minutes of daily home exercise ... how long will I keep that up!

        Host visitors
                    Santa Fe virtually smells of history - it is a city of adobe homes
                            (some say it looks like it was built by Taco Bell under contract to Walt Disney)
                    Santa Fe is a city of art and artisans
                    Santa Fe dines (I have a list of 60 restaurants from which visitors can choose)
                    Nearby - Los Alamos, Taos, Bandalier National Monument, national forests,
                            native pueblos, Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, Echo Canyon, etc etc etc
                    The October Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque is a special treat

My Plans ?

        Local
                    Summer fiestas, winter concerts, year-round plays, local exploring/hiking/fishing
        Travel
                    Did get in a trip to Hawaii (the big island) in late 2011.                         
                    Would like to do more travel - U.S./Canada/overseas and a cruise or two.
                            (South America, Spain, revisit Switzerland, Alaska)
                    Want to do more Elderhostel (now Road Scholar) programs - have done 13.
            Think young (even though I hit 80 in 2011)

Cute!	Two-fisted!	Watch the back, ol' man!

Some Links

This page last updated February 20, 2012