Greetings of the Season!

Greetings of the Season! Paper whites blooming on our dining room table, holiday lights magically transform our cactus into a holiday tree. Tis the season for the spirit of Giving, reminding all of us of family and friends, good times, good memories.... Wishing all Peace and Prosperity for the New Year!
~Mindy Prokos, Associate Broker, ABR

Anonymous Quote: Reputation is for Time – Character is for Eternity

Nandina and Pyricantha

Right when you think there is no more fall color and we're headed for winter, the beautiful Nandina and Pyricantha are really showing off their bright orange and red berries. I don't know if the birds eat them or not, but I'm sure it is very tempting for them with all that saturated color. So tempting if fact I think I'll bring some in for my table decoration.
~Jennise Phillips, Associate Broker

Take Time to Relax

I hope everyone is taking some time out of their busy schedules to relax and perhaps read a good book. I spent last Thursday when it snowed doing just that. I took the day off and sat by a cozy fire and read for a couple of hours. It really helped my energy level the next day.
~Lauren Herman, CRS, GRI, e-PRO, Associate Broker

Another Beautiful Scene in Placitas

On Thursday morning, December 3, we Placitans awakened to a beautiful frosting of snow on most of our familiar views – some areas with more than a “frosting”. For those of us who live a little farther west and south off Highway 165, it was just enough snow to make it beautiful, but not dangerous to drive. The mountains were still under a blanket of clouds, and the rabbits and birds were leaving little footprints all around the feeders as I left for work. Then, while admiring the views from here at our beautiful La Puerta building, I spotted this beautiful,, feather-y grass in the back of the building. “She” was still dressed in “her” pretty pinkish hewed frock, and still mostly standing with “her” usual proud posture, but was now also dressed in a soft coat of fresh, white snow. The contrasts were so gorgeous that I could not resist photographing it to share with others. Living in Placitas is truly beautiful for me, and I’m thankful that I can live here!
~Eva Marie Renninger, Transaction Coordinator

Happy Thanksgiving!

La Puerta Real Estate Services would like to wish all of Placitas a Happy Thanksgiving! La Puerta is thankful to have had the opportunity to service those customers who purchased or sold a home through our company or referred a customer to us. Best wishes to you and yours and Happy Thanksgiving!

Moon over Placitas!

In Placitas, we have so few lights that the moon and the stars just sort of jump out and model for those interested in looking – furnishing just one more of the spectacular views of our beautiful, peaceful area. This bright moon is a prime example of that! One just doesn’t see the fabulous night skies from a city; there are just too many lights! Are we Placitans lucky (and spoiled) or what!?

Veteran's Day

Reading the paper this morning I was saddened that another New Mexico soldier had been killed in Iraq, bringing the total from New Mexico to 54. He was a young man, only 25 years old, and his name was Army Spc. Tony Carrasco, Jr. There have been 4180 or is it 4181 now, deaths of US soldiers in Iraq so far. There have been many more soldiers, before this honorable young man, making the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I am very thankful that we live in this free country. I want to always be mindful that so much has been given of my behalf. Every veteran in the United States; Thank You for what you have offered to give and what some ultimately did. I owe you all a debt of gratitude. I'm glad when I walk around my neighborhood and see our flag flying, it causes me to remember.
~Jennise Phillips, Associate Broker

New Mexico Roadrunner

I was sitting on my patio enjoying a glass of ice tea and the spectacular
fall colors when a roadrunner goes racing
across my path. My golden retriever barely
raised an eyelid (some bird dog!) while my little
shih tzu/poodle was chasing the roadrunner at full speed. The roadrunner jumped up on the patio wall and then on to a tree limb. He actually sat on that limb for about 15 minutes allowing me enough time to get my camera and take this picture.
~Rhonda Leonard, Qualifying Broker

Surveying His Kingdom from Atop a Cowboy’s Head

This cute chipmunk (although he may actually be a specific species of ground squirrel that lives here in the Placitas area) is nearly always in and around our feeders. Recently, in this beautiful fall weather that we Placitans are enjoying this week, he picked out his snack, and instead of heading for his stash, he decided to crawl up on one of the bronze statues in our yard, perching on the hat of the cowboy of “The Trailride” bronze. I had to take his picture through the window because he has a tendency to run when I open a door or get too close to the window (thus a reflection on the photo). I believe that he was, literally, surveying what he thinks is his kingdom from a higher vantage point while eating his snack! My Westie, Seamus, and Scottie, McKenzie, not to mention the cottontails, might attempt to dispute Sir Munk’s perspective that our yard is HIS kingdom, but at that particular moment, it truly was his kingdom.
Eva Marie Renninger, Transaction Coordinator

Wild Horses!

What could be better than a crisp Fall morning in Placitas? How about a sighting of the Wild Horses right outside my courtyard walls?! I heard some whinnying and there they were for about an hour, grazing on the green shoots outside our courtyard wall. The colt laid down for a nap under a pinon tree and its mother stood watch without grazing or moving an inch for the entire time while the others grazed nearby. It was really sweet. Usually, on my way to the office, it’s like a treasure hunt as I scan the hills around the road for a glimpse of the horses, and often, they are there, but to be able to climb up to the roof of our studio and just sit and watch them for an entire hour was the best yet. They are looking really healthy and well-fed. It’s been a good year for them and all of us in Placitas with the intermittent rains. Life is Good!

~Sandy Poling, Associate Broker, e-PRO

Snowfall on the Sandias – as Seen From Placitas

On Wednesday, October 27, the first visible-from-Placitas snowfall made its appearance on the Sandias. The beauty of the “frosting” on the tips of the peaks from our angle is an absolutely breathtaking site. On that evening after work, as I looked out my south-facing windows just as the sun was going down, I realized that we were going to have the beautiful pinks and blues in the clouds and on the tops of the mountains, and, once again, I ran for my camera. I was just a few seconds late getting onto the west balcony – but the view was still gorgeous, even if it wasn’t as bright as it had been just a mere few seconds before – those seconds it took for me to get the camera and get up the stairs to the balcony. But even though I was just a little too pokey, I’m reminded again of why I am so thankful that I live in this beautiful area – with so many truly beautiful and awe-inspiring sights to behold!
~Eva Marie Renninger, Transaction Coordinator

I Love the Weather Here

I love the weather here. Recently we were blanketed in snow at lunch time. It was really coming down, the trees were all covered and it was looking like a winter wonderland. I was thinking of what I had on hand to make a hearty warm soup for dinner since I'd be working from home and not going anywhere in the snow. Well by 2:00 the sun was shining brightly and my white landscape quickly disappeared. Oh well, it was a great storm while it lasted, 2 hours. The attached photo is from one of the recent snows and really shows off the watermelon mountain.

~Jennise Phillips, Associate Broker

Chili Harvest

Autumn is the time of the Chile harvest you can smell the delicious aroma of chiles being roasted everywhere. There are red chile ristras hanging in the bright and oh so blue New Mexico sky. Green chili stew is being served in heaping, steaming bowls with the kick and flavor unique only to New Mexico. Red or Green?

~Mindy Prokos, Associate Broker, ABR

The Range, Bernalillo

Fall Harvest in the back of a pickup at The Range. (Pictures, L to Right)

Claudia and Robert Moraga with Dick and Lucy at The Range on a Friday Night.

Lorenzo makes the best and biggest drinks in town at The Range on a Friday night.

John Lewis band at the Range Friday Night.

Sacred Thornapple -- Rock Stacking

The sacred Thornapple is a beautiful, night bloomin flower that Georgia O'Keefe painted as the moon flower. It is very poisonous and very graceful with its large flower measuring 5-7 inches long. The sacred Thornapple blooms from September through October and opens in the evening.

Rock stacking was first introduced to me by a friend of mine in the Jemez Mountains, where his rock stacks are 5 feet tall. I haven't gotten one to get that tall yet, but I just learned I need to use wedges for support. You just start stacking them and move them around until they are secure. Mine have been up since August and will be growing taller soon.

~ Jennise Phillips, Associate Broker

My Feeder!

As fall arrives, the creatures that I feed seem to come around a little more often and are just a little more aggressive towards each other. This chipmunk (at least I think it’s the same one) and the cute little cottontail (at least I think IT’S the same one) come daily to the feeders in our backyard. As I was looking out the window, I ran for my camera, and this is the sequence I caught.

Just a couple more of the wonderful reasons that I love living in Placitas!
~Eva Marie Renninger, Transaction Coordinator

It's Balloon Fiesta!

Don’t Worry…Bee Happy!! It’s Balloon Fiesta!

~Mindy Prokos, ABR, Associate Broker

Life is GOOD!

Today is my husband's birthday. We're enjoying a gorgeous Fall day in Jemez at our cabin on Jemez Creek. We had a wonderful celebratory week-end with two of our daughters, our sons-in-law, and our adorable grandsons, aged 7 months and 10 months. I drove back Saturday and Sunday to hold open houses since this was balloon fiesta kick-off week-end, so I missed some of the fun, but it's alright, and today I have the entire day with my sweetheart of 34 years, and we'll have a delicious birthday dinner at The Range tonight. Life is GOOD!
~Sandy Poling, e-PRO, Associate Broker

TENT ROCKS NATIONAL PARK

A short drive north from Placitas is Tent Rocks National Park – another glorious place to visit here. If you love to hike, you’ll love this area. There are 2 hiking trails – one difficult about 1.9 miles uphill with tight spaces between large rock formations, the other a relatively easy 1.2 miles that loops back to the parking area. We encountered several folks on the trail along the way and many ooh’s and ahh’s were heard during the hike. If you head that way, don’t forget to bring water since there is none available at Tent Rocks. The entrance fee to the park is $5 per car.
~Lynn Koch, CRS, Associate Broker

We awoke one morning to find this incredibly intricate nest made from yucca strands on our back patio. Apparently the nest was blown down by the wind. My husband very carefully nailed it to a post among our Virginia creeper vines. A couple of weeks later we heard this chatter to find the Scott’s Orioles had laid eggs and these are two of the baby birds anxiously waiting for food. We watched these babies grow and slowly begin to spread their wings till they were strong enough to fly away.

~Mindy Prokos, ABR, Associate Broker

Michael Prokos bowl with sunflower

Isn't this a lovely bowl!

~Lucy Noyes, Associate Broker

Cabezon Cows

Growing up in Chicago and being quite the “city girl” before moving to New Mexico in 1997 a scene like this one would have only been seen in a movie! The location is near Cabezon peak, a volcanic plug created millions of years ago. It is about a 40 minute drive from our home in Placitas, shorter than my old trek to my office in downtown Chicago. It is truly one of the many magical places we visit frequently and often comment how New Mexico is like living in a geology exhibit. The cows even agreed to pose for us.
~Mindy Prokos, ABR, Associate Broker

From the kitchen table I am looking out to our little patch of grass (there are some things one just can’t give up!) and our old, tall pine tree which must have been planted the first week the original owners moved in over 45 years ago. Birds galore, and bees, hundreds of them…They have been living in one of our canales for several years and one summer found their way into the unused bedroom. What a surprise that was. Neither my husband nor I have ever been stung, and occasionally I wonder if the hummers ever get a sting, but in reality all species seem to tolerate the other. We keep thinking we will call a beekeeper whose name I have, but the summers go by and it just never happens. Maybe we keep hoping for honey!

My husband just came in, having interrupted the journey of a migrating tarantula, which he will relocate outside the front wall. He is encouraging me to come with him to our vegetable garden to harvest beets, beans, tomatoes, carrots, SQUASH – soon there will be melons of various kinds. Until next time, enjoy the rest of summer and the beginning of fall.

~Marilyn Wilkerson, GRI, Associate Broker

Friends of La Puerta at Placias Library Hoedown

~Photos by Lucy Noyes, Associate Broker

Courtyard at Sunrise

This is my favorite time of year. The garden is full of wonderful goodies to share with neighbors. The air is cooling off making for wonderful walks among the Juniper and Pinon trees. I relish sitting in my front courtyard watching the sun come up over the Village while listening to the multitude of birds greeting the day.
I plant me courtyard to produce waves of color each season, these are all low water use plants that go crazy this time of year when it cools down just a little. The grass is buffalo and gramma which use very little water. The colors are enhanced by the awesome glow of the sunrise. Thank you Mother Nature.

~Gail McGough-Maduena, GRI, Associate Broker

Bouncing Baby Girl!

The Rio Grande Zoo is pleased to announce the arrival of a beautiful baby Asian Elephant weighing in at a mere 318-pounds. The bouncing baby girl arrived on Wednesday morning 9/2/09 and is currently bonding with her mom, Rozie. Rozie was the first elephant born at the Rio Grande Zoo, and this new bouncing baby girl is the second. Rozie has been pregnant since November 2007, and has received excellent care during her 22-month pregnancy. Although Rozie and her baby are behind the scenes, spending some private time bonding, they'll be out and about in the elephant yard soon, so keep an eye on the @cabq Twitter account and the BioPark Facebook page for updates!
Lynn Koch, CRS (as read in CABQ.gov – the City of Albuquerque website).

Picking, squeezing grapes a family project.

Yes, grapes grow in New Mexico, and the end of August is a time of harvest.
In 1884 New Mexico was fifth in the nation in wine production with vineyards up and down the Rio Grande. Orchards and vineyards in Placitas date back over a thousand years and were watered by spring-fed irrigation systems still used today by Anasazi Fields Winery in the Village of Placitas. In the early days wine production in the lowlands was always affected by the constant flooding of the Rio Grande River. Prohibition in 1920 was the coup de grace to wine production for almost 50 years. Today, however, thanks to the work of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which began in the 1920s to reclaim land for agriculture, river flooding has been controlled by1200 miles of ditches and canals, providing irrigation water for farmlands, open space, wildlife, and recreational opportunities. New Mexico is back in wine production with over 20 operating wineries. Labor Day weekend is celebrated in Bernalillo by a huge Wine Festival, attended by most of the wineries with wine for tasting and for sale. There will be music, local foods and art and all our neighbors clinking glasses and having fun.

~Lucy Noyes, CRB, CRS, Associate Broker