Considering moving to Santa Fe: Advice? (Albuquerque, Los Alamos: homes, buying, movies)

[Lovehound]

The chicken idea was just a curious question. I'd probably never do it, but who knows? I'm retiring in a few years and I anticipate my retirement as just doing lots of new things that I've never done before. I'll try some new hobbies, probably do some gardening, try hydroponics again (which was fun), who knows maybe try raising chickens either for meat or eggs or both. I'm curious if range chickens are that much better. It wouldn't be worth the hassle if not. Probably same with eggs unless chickens are less hassle than I think.

I'm going to try some artisan stuff too. A friend is making and selling soap and I'm almost ready to try that right now. I'd like to return to stained glass making. I'll do all this stuff because it's fun and I might even make some modest money to help offset my expected minimal income (Social Security).

It's not fun getting old, and we don't live forever, but I expect without the hassle of working 40 hours a week I can use my time to at least make these years more enjoyable than my working life. I'm pretty sure S.F. would be a good place to do it.

[ziaAirmac]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

...Probably same with eggs unless chickens are less hassle than I think.

Of course it's subjective, but after the initial setup it really becomes a few minutes in the a.m. and few minutes in the p.m. kind of thing. I found the eggs more flavorful, but not so much that I'd never touch store bought again, and the meat was nothing spectacular (I butchered extra roosters). The real benefit to me was:

a: It was relaxing for me to watch them do their chicken thing.

b: It was relaxing to have a simple regular outside chore to kind of wind up and down the day.

c: I liked knowing the the better part of the food chain of at least a couple of the things I was ingesting.

... it's fun and I might even make some modest money to help offset my expected minimal income (Social Security).

Get competent and comfortable with a medium, skip the big 'juried' shows and look for the many mini shows that this area puts on. A few of my students just doubled their 'fixed' income this month at an art fair put on at a local rock shop. Seriously. Albuquerque actually has a store near old town that buys from seniors in the senior arts program and sells to help fund the program further.

Originally Posted by Lovehound

... I expect without the hassle of working 40 hours a week I can use my time to at least make these years more enjoyable than my working life. I'm pretty sure S.F. would be a good place to do it.

The debate can rage on about housing prices, population and the like, but the truth is, it's a great place to retire. None of the major catastrophes to worry about, ie:

hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, mudslides, earthquakes, avalanches, tsunamis, volcanoes... well, you get the point.

A relatively mild climate.

An interesting and diverse culture, including people, food, art and entertainment.

A nice place to be a tourist in your own state (you're central to some wonderful parks and destinations all over the state.).

[Lovehound]

Thanks for the reply Airmac and you make good points!

I might try raising chickens just to do something new. If I like it I can keep doing it, and if not I can kill the little beggars and eat 'em! I'm not sure how easy it is to get the feathers off, but I've got plenty of recipes for skinless chickens, and I'm heartless enough to be able to kill 'em and eat 'em if I want.

I'm not concerned about selling my art although who knows? I'll be wanting to get competent just because it's fun. If I like it, good. If other people like it, even better, but if not it won't bother me as long as I like my stuff. I've got good talent and I'm interested, but I'm a novice with no track record, a rank beginner. I've always found art easy and it's for me to see if I can make something worthwhile, and to have fun doing it.

I agree with all the stuff you said, none of that bad stuff (no earthquakes!), plenty of good stuff, diverse culture, interesting people, good food, more art than most towns, particularly more art than most towns that size, and surprising (to me) even entertainment. I recall eating dinner downtown last visit, and walked around for a while and passed a few places with live bands and some good music. I even stood around outside at some of the places and listened to a few songs.

Plus I know SF has plenty of museums, and I haven't mentioned before but I'm TOTALLY FASCINATED by Native American culture! That's what drew me to the 4 corners states, and I've been back countless times and visited many of the cultural sites (including Mesa Verde) which is of course in Colorado but only barely over the NM border. And if I move to NM I'll volunteer to see if we can have Mesa Verde relocated to within NM.

And there's wonderful and interesting places to visit and see all over the state, and within short driving distance outside the state. Dammit, I want to move today!

[ziaAirmac]

Lovehound, I'll make tee-shirts for the Mesa Verde annexation plan

If you liked Mesa Verde, you must see Chaco Canyon when you're out. It's a bit of a drive, with a good portion over dirt roads that can wash out, but my wife and I love that because it keeps the land-yacht, Honda generator crowd at bay. The Park staff out there actually stays out weeks at a time on shifts, and they often fill the evenings with outdoor slide shows and stargazing with nice set up telescopes and one dedicated telescope in a dedicated observatory.

Some pics:

[Towanda]

OH MY GOSH. Those pictures are just AWESOME!!!!

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by ziaAirmac

Lovehound, I'll make tee-shirts for the Mesa Verde annexation plan

If you liked Mesa Verde, you must see Chaco Canyon when you're out. It's a bit of a drive, with a good portion over dirt roads that can wash out, but my wife and I love that because it keeps the land-yacht, Honda generator crowd at bay. The Park staff out there actually stays out weeks at a time on shifts, and they often fill the evenings with outdoor slide shows and stargazing with nice set up telescopes and one dedicated telescope in a dedicated observatory.

Hey Airmac, I'm far ahead of you!!! I've been to Chaco Canyon at least three times! I'd post my own pictures but don't want to take the thread too far off topic.

What really blows my mind about Chaco Canyon is that the Anasazi Indians actually had multi-story apartment buildings built out of stone! One of them was large enough to house about 650 people in one single building! Yet there are few buildings and a very large valley, so they didn't need to build up to manage population density. They occupied the area from perhaps 850 AD and then mysteriously disappeared around 1250-1300, and nobody knows why! I like camping there too, and it's amazingly quiet at night, almost feels like you're the only human on the planet.

I've been to quite a few of the ancient Indian sites in the 4 corners states, maybe even most of them, or at least most of the significant ones. I've become totally addicted to this stuff!

[Dancingearth]

Love love those pictures ziaAirmac. I've been carrying a lizard picture to the studio until I find the right pot for him or hand build one. The bush with the orange rocks and yellow is fabulous--wonderful colors and composition.

Chaco Canyon is a very special place--I was fortunate to have been there before they closed up the big kiva and some of the other buildlings. The pictures make me want to go again - I like to go in October but the last time it started snowing and I thought I better get out before the roads turned to clay--will have to mark my calendar to go in late September. I've never been to Mesa Verde but have gone to Canyon de Chelly in AZ. At one time there was a single's club in Eldorado and one of the guys was writing a book on unknown places to visit in NM. He offered to take a group to one of the southern most sites of Bandelier and only I showed up so I got a personal tour of a place out in the middle of the desert--up on a mesa with a kiva--I wish I knew where it was so I could go back--very isolated. Seems like we went towards Tent Rocks and then northwest. Does anyone know where that might be?

Today I feel like New Mexico just wrapped its arms around me and said "welcome home." I spent the day volunteering as a weaver at El Rancho de las Golondrinas--women willing to share their life stories and skills--lots of laughing and a slow pace--nice change from my hectic stressful job. It is also the anniversary of when I met a dear friend at Golondrinas 12 years ago and became involved in fur trade reenactments with my son. I made a picnic for him and his partner. We had a good time walking around in costume (getting our pictures taken) and watching the civil war guys before having a picnic under a tree. And to top it all off, I met a woman who my friends know who has a rental house in Santa Fe and her tenants are leaving and she's been dreading the process of renting it out again. Sounds exactly what I've been looking for at a price I can afford.--even has a kiva fireplace and I could walk to work. Wow - maybe I will find a way to retire here. Now if only I could convince my boss to let me work four days a week so I could spent more time at Golondrinas...or hiking...or road trips. Who invented this working thing--there are too many things to do here to work so much.

Lovehound--it sounds like Santa Fe is a good place for you with your interests. Need more convincing? (evil laugh why wait three years?

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by Dancingearth

Lovehound--it sounds like Santa Fe is a good place for you with your interests. Need more convincing? (evil laugh why wait three years?

You're a very wicked teaser. Three years because my career, electronic engineering, is in L.A., and it appears I may be a bit financially short to be able to retire at present.

I've been to Bandelier National Monument if that's what you mean. It's no secret where it's located, and yes it's an interesting site, although the dwellings are not as spectacular as Mesa Verde in my opinion. However, no need to choose, you can visit both!

[Dancingearth]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

You're a very wicked teaser. Three years because my career, electronic engineering, is in L.A., and it appears I may be a bit financially short to be able to retire at present.

I've been to Bandelier National Monument if that's what you mean. It's no secret where it's located, and yes it's an interesting site, although the dwellings are not as spectacular as Mesa Verde in my opinion. However, no need to choose, you can visit both!

Hey, I learned from an expert - I had an older brother and I hang out with mountainmen. No it's not Bandelier--I like Bandelier too but this site was further south. It is the same time period as the buildings there--just a small village up on a mesa. We went on all these dirt roads, down arroyos, around mesas. I'll have to get a National Park map out and see if it is on there. It seems I've looked and never could find it again.

Well, you know how time flies after you hit 50, three years will pass quickly.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by Dancingearth

Well, you know how time flies after you hit 50, three years will pass quickly.

Don't remember that I remember that far back.

I just cut 'n pasted Bandelier from your post. Looks like the same area.I can't focus on this. Didn't we say the same thing? Do you not have any respect for almost-senior citizens? I go take a nappy now.

Any Santa Fe soapers out there? I'm about to try making my own soap...