Until we widened the driveway, the only way to bring in the Airstream was to build a makeshift ramp out of materials we found around the property. Not a reasonable solution, although it would have made stealing the trailer practically impossible.

The concrete crew did most of the demolition completely by hand. We were impressed.

Here, they're getting ready to tear out the curb on the right side of the apron.

Note the widened driveway approach, and the reprofiled wall to the right of the apron. Originally, those walls were used to control irrigation. You opened the gate off the supply ditch and flooded your whole yard up to the depth of your wall. We just wanted both sides to match.

I'll be working for ages trying to get the hedges to look straight. Apparently, this type of hedge likes to fight with you. We decided not to do major re-landscaping until we'd been here long enough to understad the growing environment.

Here, you can see the final painted colors. We're still waiting for the installers to replace the old siding shingles with new cedar ones. Also, note how we really cut the vegetation away from the house; it had caused enormous wall and trim damage.

Here are the new colors. Note the new swallow-proof light fixture. This shot does not depict the colors very well because of the light available the day of the shot. I'll get a better one when the new front door is finished.

See the pile of cedar shingles? Once we get our household goods delivered, we can put some furniture out on the porch and relax for a change.

Still waiting for the shingles to be installed here too (you can see them stacked on the rear deck). The new overhang brackets are visible, as are the leaves being shed by the obnoxious billabong eucalyptus tree to the right..

Back to the guest house. The painters sprayed a textured surface on top of the beadboard, beneath the topcoat of elastomeric paint. We put a better light up, but still have to do something about the tangle of phone and cable tv wires.

The west wall of the guest house, again, waiting for new siding shingles. The Arts & Crafts light fixture under the porch is new. The original door on the guest house was the inspiration for the custom door we had made for the main house (see below).

This is a 'Chrysler Imperial' hybrid tea rose. Supposedly, they're pretty susceptible to fungus damage, but I doubt that's a problem in New Mexico. More importantly, they have a very sweet, powerful scent, which we value highly. I find it almost plumeria-like.

Not sure what variety these guys are, although they're clearly a hybrid. Very little scent, but plenty of blossoms.

We have oodles of this variety of Iris. Our neighbor has many varieties, so we may investigate some additions to our collection.

This is the house across the alley from our guest house. Pat Garrett, the Sheriff that tracked down Billy The Kid, once lived there. The current owners had to move to the district that ellected them to office, so nobody is tending these roses. There are at least five varieties. I sense a liberation mission in my future.

This is the new, solid mahogany front door to match the front door on the guest house, which we believe to be original. The new door has been stained and given one coat of satin polyurethane. Should be complete within a week.