Scenes from Lost Valley

[Hartinez]

So this last year my wife and I purchased 3 acres in the mountains east of Albuquerque. The views and landscape are amazing and chock full of amazing trees. After hiking around again today I’ve decided I’m going to start sharing some images of trees on my property and around it that are clearly old as hell and character-filled. The loop we bought on site in what is called Lost Valley and it feels like a world it’s own. Hope you enjoy some. Here are just a few to start.

 

[Hartinez]

 

[Ruddigger]

What a privilege, to be able to own property like that. Very cool.

 

[Hartinez]

What a privilege, to be able to own property like that. Very cool.

Truly. Too say we’ve worked our asses off for this though would be an understatement. We are hoping to start building our house by April of next year. Which will be a doozy of a task itself!

 

[Hartinez]

 

[Hartinez]

 

[Esolin]

That's a nice piece of land with amazing trees! You're braver than I getting that close to one of the 'locals'. I hear tarantulas can jump. HIGH.

 

[Jiminsauga]

Look, I'm not saying you should start a business where you charge an arm and a leg for the "opportunity" for folks to hike out with you to dig their own old as heck yamadori, but you should...

Let it help pay for the new house.

But most importantly, don't forgot to give a deep discount to the guy who gave you the idea in ten years time.

 

[Hartinez]

That's a nice piece of land with amazing trees! You're braver than I getting that close to one of the 'locals'. I hear tarantulas can jump. HIGH.

Haha. They are so harmless!! Especially now as they are in search of a mate.

Tarantula Migration

The Desert Tarantula, also called the Desert Blonde Tarantula, is common in New Mexico. These arachnids usually keep to themselves, spending most of their lives in burrows. However, in the fall, you can spot them almost everywhere, in particular, on the desert highways and roads. These large spiders

rove.me

 

[Hartinez]

Look, I'm not saying you should start a business where you charge an arm and a leg for the "opportunity" for folks to hike out with you to dig their own old as heck yamadori, but you should...

Let it help pay for the new house.

But most importantly, don't forgot to give a discount to the guy who gave you the idea in ten years time.

Haha. 3 acres is big but not that big. I have begun to prep and trim back some trees that I will collect in several years time, but much of what you’ll see is not technically my property, but open space around my property. There is quite a bit that will technically be mine but if and/or when I collect, I will either keep and style for myself or sell the collected tree itself after proper care.

 

[Ruddigger]

At the hotel in Arizona where I spend my layovers, there is a tarantula that knows how to trigger the automatic lobby door. He comes inside and hangs out at night.

 

[Hartinez]

At the hotel in Arizona where I spend my layovers, there is a tarantula that knows how to trigger the automatic lobby door. He comes inside and hangs out at night.

lol! they can be an intimidating site at first but are such gentle giants.

 

[Japonicus]

Congratulations on the hard effort paying off.
Amazing to be the proud owner, again, congratulations
Is there a fire line cut around the home site?

 

[Esolin]

Haha. They are so harmless!! Especially now as they are in search of a mate.

Tarantula Migration

The Desert Tarantula, also called the Desert Blonde Tarantula, is common in New Mexico. These arachnids usually keep to themselves, spending most of their lives in burrows. However, in the fall, you can spot them almost everywhere, in particular, on the desert highways and roads. These large spiders

rove.me

lol, harmless yes, but I'd probably still crap my pants if I bent over one to have a closer look and it jumped 2 feet straight up in the air to give me a kiss. Apparently one almost did that to my dad once.

At the hotel in Arizona where I spend my layovers, there is a tarantula that knows how to trigger the automatic lobby door. He comes inside and hangs out at night.

Now that is hilarious! I bet it likes hunting roaches....

 

[Hartinez]

Congratulations on the hard effort paying off.
Amazing to be the proud owner, again, congratulations
Is there a fire line cut around the home site?

Thanks Japonicus.
Sort of. But something I am very cognizant of. I bought myself a chain saw last year and have already begun thinnning out dead piñon and juniper trees that will be right up to the the house. And of course the short fat trunk understory juniper and piñon have to go. Because you know, those are just fuel for potential fires. And I may have a use for them myself…

 

[Japonicus]

And I may have a use for them myself…

Wuhl yeh

Pic 2 and 3 would take so much lime sulphur I would have to just make a sitting area around it
and a monument of sorts like in the John Denver sanctuary.

 

[coh]

Beautiful area...could do without the tarantulas regardless of what you say about them! Got any other fun critters like scorpions and rattlesnakes?

 

[Hartinez]

Beautiful area...could do without the tarantulas regardless of what you say about them! Got any other fun critters like scorpions and rattlesnakes?

Rattlesnakes for sure. Bull snakes, bobcats, mountain lions, deer, birds of prey galore, all manner of rodents, skunks, raccoons, porcupine. A bit of a cornucopia for sure. Should be interesting to see how I manage it all and what is an issue with my trees.

 

[TinyArt]

building our house

...just imagining the details you'll put into that personal project...

 

[Michael P]

Wonderful! I could almost smell the conifers.