This Old House

June 2003 was a busy month. I had the house stucco'd and the trim painted, using the southwestern colors that blend so well in the beautiful Mojave Desert. My home is full of Native American art and I even found a few beautiful pieces to adorn the front porch. A Circle of Life welcomes visitors, along with a small cascading fountain and of course, the Kokopelli dancers to the right side of the sliding door. The man who originally built the place in the 1960's lovingly gathered the natural stones from the property and built the walls and planters leading up to the house which sits above the property right up against the butte behind the house.

The story that was told to Paul when he bought the property from the heirs was that the original owner/builder was given a year to live. He was told he needed to go to the ocean. I have no idea what his health issues were but I surmise it was a problem with his lungs, but that's just a guess. He didn't like the ocean so he moved up to the Mojave Desert and bought a large piece of land and set out to live out his final days.

He built a cinder block building and lived in it, and then continued to build what is now the downstairs of our home. The downstairs consisted of a cinder block room with a bathroom off the back, actually built into the side of the hill on the back side. The bathroom had a large closet, again underground. His health improved enough that he started building an upstairs. Soon he had a small living room and kitchen and bathroom upstairs and he finished the living room and two of the kitchen walls in a beautiful solid pine wood. In the kitchen, he built pine cabinets and a china cabinet with glass doors and drawers built in under the cabinet. He installed a wood burning stove in the living room to heat the upstairs and built a carport off the side of the downstairs room. He lived for this house.

It might not be a McMansion, but I can still feel the love he put into this house and when people ask why my bedroom is downstairs and my living room is upstairs, I tell them the story of the man who was given a year to live but instead came to the desert and lived many, many years giving his heart to this land and this home. I have sworn to him that I will take care of it as long as I live here and am able.

I know he would love the 2 ponds I have added and the decks and even the colors I have chosen that enhance his hard work. RIP old man.