Work began within days of the closing in January, and by April, a great deal had been accomplished:
The windows are not the ones I specified, but they work, and the French door was a real treat after all the angst from the contractor and his subs. It wasn't easy to put in. Not only did they have to dismantle part of the adobe wall, they had to take out some of the granite foundation stones. Which are now steps to the back yard. Recycle, reuse! We discovered the foundation is unmortared stone with a skin of concrete. Interesting. Yikes! Surprising how well it has held up.
The third picture is of the bedroom that was in the worst shape when we bought the house. There was no woodwork, the plaster was falling off the adobe, there were holes and big cracks in the walls and ceiling, the floor was ruinous, windows were broken. It appeared that a renovation had been started but abandoned. Or maybe not. Maybe it was just crumbling from all the neglect.
What the contractors were able to do really surprised me. There was no sign at all of the prior destruction, and the pine floor refinished beautifully. The kitchen was turned into a really nice space, though the sink was not installed properly, and the smaller bedrooms on the west side of the house have become a very cozy workroom (with a somewhat elaborate shrine built in to the adobe) and an equally cozy library.
(One thing you will notice in New Mexico is that a lot of people have Books. And they read them!)
The interior renovation was essentially complete by October. That's the month I drove a truck full of furnishings out there from California. It was not quite a move in, but started the process. A process that's nearly complete, certainly more than adequate for occasional rest and relaxation stays.
There's a sense of real accomplishment -- and gratitude -- to have a place like this for just that reason.
Lovely! Congratulations.
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