The Original Ranch, Lakewood, NM

Friday, June 29, 2012

Happy Birthday to our daughter Cindy.

The Original Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 73 degrees (for a short time) and partly sunny to 104 degrees and sunny. Buster had twenty three drops of rain fall on him this morning about six-thirty, sitting at the computer I started hearing this tapping sound and was looking up trying to figure what was causing the tapping sound, Rain. One cloud over Buster. Again latter in the morning working on the ramp eleven drops of rain fell in the work area.

Ramp Construction

Neil, Richard and I set the blocks for the ramp digging out to have the ramp come down to grade level. Then tapering the joists for the slope. Cut some decking boards for the ramp and trimmed the first and last boards. The lower was cut with a taper to start onto the ramp and the top board was tapered to set next to the joist. We worked to the late hour of twelve and almost one hundred degrees. We are in the shade until almost eleven and wanted to complete the setting of the joists before stopping for the day. We also put down the thresh hold boards in front of the door, to allow wheeled laundry baskets and wheel chairs easy entry into the building.

Bonnie and Betty went to the Living Desert in Carlsbad to an arts showing and at four o’clock Bonnie and I went to happy hour.

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The Original Ranch, Lakewood, NM

Thursday, June 28, 2012
The Original Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 67 degrees (for a short time) and partly sunny to 104 degrees and sunny.

Greg, Richard and Mac worked on the decking today while Wally worked in the water treatment building. Mac had to leave early and Richard went with Mike for pressure checking our water piping looking for water leaks Greg and I finished the decking today in the sun at one o’clock. The sun was brutal and we should have stopped working.

We will start a ramp for the normal entry.

Bonnie, Betty and Grace went to Roswell and shopped for a while and had lunch there.

Bonnie and I went to happy hour at four o'clock.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 68 degrees (for a short time) and sunny to 105 degrees and sunny.

Greg, Richard, Mac and Neil came to the work party building the deck. We installed the thirteen floor joists before losing the morning shade was gone and we stopped work because of sun. This after lunch bonnie and I went to Lowes to purchase more supplies for the laundry project.

Bonnie and I went to happy hour at four o’clock and Mexican Train after dinner with Don and Doris.

The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 68 degrees (for a short time) and partly sunny to 104 degrees and sunny.

Greg, Richard, Mac and Neil came to the work party building the deck. We installed deck boards sixteen footers. Greg went with mike to work in the well house after a while are expansion tank leaked across th bladder and Pecos Pumps was bringing a warrantee replacement tank to install also a check valve has failed and was replaced while the park water was shutdown.

Gray Water Tanks

The grey water collection tanks have arrived today, used To catch the washing machine waist water for distribution on the ground. One tank will receive all the water from the washing machines and any excess will go into the regular drain. A timer will pump the water from tank to the second tank for distribution to the ground. There will be a portable container to carry the water to other parts of The Ranch. We are allowed by the state to put up to two hundred fifty gallons per day on the ground.

Bonnie and I went to happy hour at four o'clock. Rootbeer Floats today.

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Sunday, June 24, 2012 The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 66 degrees and partly sunny to 97 degrees and sunny.

NASCAR Sunday road racing at Sears Point, CA, one of two races that is in PDT and is later than our time MDT.

Monday, June 25, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 64 degrees (for a short time) and partly sunny to 105 degrees and sunny.

Greg, Wally Mac and Neil came to the work party building the deck. We placed and leveled blocks assembled the frame and attached the handrail posts, then the area was sun so we stopped and took the rest of the day off.

Monday's deck work

Bonnie and I went to Carlsbad for lunch and did some grocery shopping. At four o'clock we went to happy hour as we do every day. Doris is back for a few days as she was recovering from a knee operation in Artesia. Tonight Doris Don Bonnie and George played Mexican Train it has been a while.

Road Runner Raceway

Saturday, June 23, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 66 degrees and partly sunny to 95 degrees and sunny.

We are doing some work outside while the temperature and sun is acceptable early in the morning. Today as in the past few days Richard is raking the parking lot where the electric trench was dug, and is looking pretty good now. These buildings that are built on skids need something around the edge of the building to prevent snakes and rabbits from going under so we are using a hardware cloth. It is ½ by ½ inch squares twelve inches by twenty five feet stapled to the lower edge of the building and buried into the ground we stapled, today in the area of the front deck today. Then we moved inside continuing the paneling installation. In this area behind where the washing machines are going the paneling will be cutoffs and cutouts pieced together.

Richard

Tonight I went with Greg and Wally to the Carlsbad Road Runner Raceway for a night of short track racing. Two nights this week I was out past my bedtime, WoW, but we had fun going to the races.

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM

Friday, June 22, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 70 degrees and partly sunny to 97 degrees and sunny.

Richard, Wally and I finished installing the wall panel on the south wall and started the east wall. I also went to Carlsbad Lowes with Mike to exchange the interior door that was hinged on the wrong side and purchase some more supplies. Monday we will work the morning outside building with four to six of us.

East and south walls

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - Bats

Thursday, June 21, 2012 The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 68 degrees and partly sunny to 98 degrees and partly sunny. Pillow type clouds in our sky today.
        
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Looking east

Richard, Wally and I finished installing ceiling panels today in the laundry shed, and the electrician arrived and installed the light fixtures and did some other work.

Tag-a-long to see the bats leave the Carlsbad Caverns at dusk. A group of us car pooled to the caverns arriving just about seven o’clock for the ranger program prior to the bats leaving the cave thru the natural opening. Then everyone remained quiet while the bats actually left the cave.

NPS Photo by Nick Hristov.

 Each evening in summer, Brazilian (aka Mexican) free-tail bats exit Carlsbad Cavern in search of a smorgasbord of insects .Prior to the evening bat flight, a program is given at the cavern entrance by a park ranger. The starting time of the talk varies with sunset-it is best to check at the visitor center for the exact time. Bat flight programs are scheduled from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October. In late October or early November, the bats migrate to Mexico for the winter; they return in April or May.

The Ranch group
(just three rows up)

Cave opening

Ranger

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - Dinner

Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 68 degrees and partly sunny to 99 degrees and sunny. We had some rough winds last night gusts suddenly came up trying to rock Buster.

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Looking east

Richard Wally and I installed ceiling panels today, ladders and working overhead again.

Looking west

After happy hour a celebration was held with smoked brisket, potato salad, beans and cake Charlotte and Dennis put it on as a thank you to other Ranch Hands. And a big thank you to Charlotte and Dennis for the wonderful meal. Don and Doris are celebrating sixty three years of marriage.

Doris and Don

Thursday evening a group of us are planning to leave The Ranch at 5:00 PM to drive to Carlsbad Caverns to see the bats leave the caverns at dusk. We plan to stop at Subway in Carlsbad to have dinner on the way. We plan to be at The Caverns parking lot at 7:00 PM. The Ranger program won't start until after 7:30 but we want to be able to sit together so will be there early.

Dinner being setup

Cake

Ranch hands waiting to eat

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM -

Monday, June 18, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 64 degrees and partly sunny to 105 degrees and sunny.

Richard helped me install two more bundles of insulation today that is enough for us in this heat 104 degrees. Yes the building is air conditioned, but we were working overhead today.

Insulation complete west end

Tuesday, June 19, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 64 degrees and partly sunny to 102 degrees and sunny. with the insulation I can notice the air conditioner operation change from trying to keep the room temperature and the room temperature increasing during the day to the cycling of the compressor in the air conditioner.

Insulation complete east end

Richard and I installed the remaining insulation and one wall panel. There were four rigs came in today two visitors and two leaseholders. Wally came back early as they had tire problems with their travel rig. He proberly will help us when his setup is complete.


First wall panel

Saturday, June 16, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 68 degrees and partly sunny to 95 degrees and sunny. Thunder heavy clouds were rolling across the sky last evening and during the night Buster had light rain drops falling on him.

South and west wall

I installed two bundles of insulation today in the walls. only five more bundles to install.

Rain off in the distance

Sunset at The Ranch

Sunday, June 17, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 64 degrees and partly sunny to 95 degrees and partly sunny. I rise this morning with a nice sun burning thru the tree east of Buster and point zero two inches of rain on the ground. Thunder heads rolling across the sky late this afternoon, I did not hear any rain on Buster last night.

Doing some chores around Buster today, light work and NASCAR race day. Well that was a long day with a two hour rain delay before the start of the race. Rest day for our laundry construction.

Ranch, Lakewood, NM - Wood

Friday, June 15, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 68 degrees and partly sunny to 105 degrees and sunny.

Gas line trench

Digging, never had this many digging projects this close together, water stand pipes, for the new laundry water, propane gas and electric to the building. In the near future there will be waist water line to dig and install. Just need to complete the water in trench for now. Electric is done and back fill is in work.

Electric wire trench

Part of our Wednesday order arrived, wood for the outside deck, paneling for the inside walls and insulation. Installation of the insulation can start now. Electric power is on in the building with the air conditioner operating. And another circuit is powered to operate tools. Wednesday the electrician will be back to connect more circuits and lights.

Here is the wood for a deck

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - EZ

Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 67 degrees and partly cloudy to 105 degrees and sunny. It was a burner today.

Jerry started digging a sixty foot trench for water to be plumbed into the laundry shed. We had to wet the ground the night before and allow the water to soak for the shovel to get into the ground.

This after noon Greg and I went into Carlsbad and purchased more supplies at Loweslenght of wood and volume if the insulation would be better suite truck delivery besides we got a deal on the price of the delivery truck. Then we drove to the EZ Rental for a trencher. We are digging a trench for electric one hundred and six feet for electric. Now there is a difference that there is not any expectation of any other wires running under the area. Where the water supply is to be plumbed there is possibility of telephone and electric wire buried in the path of the water.

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - Lowes

Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 68 degrees and partly cloudy to 90 degrees and partly cloudy and over cast. Great day to work out side only the humidity was higher and the sweat was on.

Those four holes with new stand pipes are filled now this morning with Rudy’s help. The work was done early expecting the sun to come out but it never came.

At ten o’clock this morning it was town hall meeting, well that was only a half hour as there was not much to be said. There was not many there to even speak.

Greg and I went into Carlsbad and ordered insulation and wood from Lowes Home building center to be delivered on Friday.

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - Sunset

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 71 degrees and partly sunny to 101 degrees and sunny. Forecast for today is thunderstorms, these are needed northwest of us for the Ruidoso forest fire. We were in Carlsbad last night thunder and 117 rain drops as we drove home from Walmart, wind and dirt in the air before any rain drops fell.

Our water stand pipes that we replaced are water tight no leaks and will be filling in those holes. Only thirteen more to replace.

Mens coffee and water committee meeting this morning creating a big shopping list for Lowes home improvement store in Carlsbad, NM. Greg and I went to Lowes this afternoon and ordered a delivery of wood, insulation and supplies to start the finishing and build out of the laundry shed.

Sunset on SKP Road

After happy hour Bonnie and I went to the Elks Lodge for dinner and shopping at Walmart afterward. On the drive into the Ranch we got these pictures of a nice sunset.

Sunset inthe storage lot

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM

Monday, June 11, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 71 degrees and partly sunny to 95 degrees and sunny. There were a couple of rouge winds this morning we will see what the day brings. Not bad wind wise after ten this morning. Had the awning on a longer leash today.

The electric is roughed in all but one box is terminated, GFI

Greg and I plumbed in three new water stand pipes today leak check last night was tight good job. Only thirteen more to go. We are purposly moving the stand pipe over for future connection options. We also leave a stub pipe after the stand pipe for future consideration of another connection.

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - electric

Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 61 degrees and partly sunny to 105 degrees and sunny. Wind again today.

The electrical contractor arrived today and the first thing accomplished after the preliminaries was to run a temporary electric line to the building for air conditioner operation inside the building. Most of the inside circuits were roughed out today. Boxes installed and wire installed and wire run from circuit breaker box to the lights switches and receptacle boxes.

NASCAR race day,

Circuit Breaker Box

Switch box, outside light and duplex receptacle box

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - Digging

Friday, June 8, 2012 The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 66 degrees and mostly sunny to 97 degrees and sunny. Wind gusts today keeping the awning short today. I guess you could say Ranch Hands dig New Mexico.

Today we start a hole for electric starting at the shop building where power to the building comes in. Uncovering the electric wire so the trencher can work trenching to the new building. This area was hard digging dry and stones were put down for the parking lot, using the pick to get the hole going was hard work today. Two of us worked an hour and quit as the sun was now burning in on us so we will dig early another day.

Saturday, June 9, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 61 degrees and partly sunny to 105 degrees and sunny. The wind is up again today and tomorrow so I will keep Busters main awning on a shot leash still trying for maximum shade.

　
Well three of us finished digging now knowing where the feed electric line is coming from. The trencher will do the hundred and six foot run to the laundry shed.

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - Water leak

Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 63 degrees and partly cloudy to 99 degrees and sunny.



From left the leaking slip fitting

 
Had to re-dig a hole today for a water leak, one of the sites across from Buster developed a water leak. Not a gushing leak only soaking the ground in the local area.

We cleaned up the cuttings from yesterdays tree trimming. Our outside work slows down about eleven thirty with the sun burning down on us.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 61 degrees and partly sunny to 99 degrees and sunny. The wind came up after I had fallen asleep and woke me up snapping the awning I got up and rolled it in. Of course the wind layed down after that just a few gusts to snap and pop the awning.

Box moved to a temporary location

MEWS - (Men Eating Without Supervision) two of us car-pooled to The Paddock restaurant about five miles east of Artesia, NM. The population here at The Ranch is very low right now, this might be the last week for a while. Brain (a visitor) is leaving Saturday.

It appears the leak stopped, but we did nothing other then remove the dirt. There was a leak there along time ago and a repair slip fitting was installed. We are giving it some time and then replace the fitting anyway because this is the second time a leak developed on this site.

Square Concrete Slab

After our breakfast trip we got to work removing the freeze protection box from the water standpipe then a concrete slab was removed with the bucket on the tractor. Now we get to dug a hole on a nother site. We now can install four new water stand pipes on four different lots.

The Ranch, Lakewood, NM - Heaters

Monday, June 4, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 59 degrees and partly cloudy to 101 degrees and mostly sunny. The wind gusts came up again this afternoon and I rolled in the big awning after the sun went over Buster.

One of the tank-less hot water heaters

We received the two tank-less water heaters today and will install them on Tuesday. I started to work on another water stand pipe but there was a wood box and a slab of concrete in the way and too much sun, another day.

Bonnie went to Artesia most of the day to sit with Doris G as her husband went to Albuquerque, NM to the VA hospital (out patient).

Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 63 degrees and mostly cloudy to 95 degrees and mostly sunny. 

Pile of cuttings

Mens coffee and water committee meeting this morning. The mulberry tree at the south end of The Ranch House one branch weakened and was resting on the roof. Five of us men trimmed it back this morning. We will have a larger trimming party in the fall.

One air conditioner and two hot water heaters

Three of us installed the tank-less hot water heaters outside the laundry. Plumbing to follow soon.

This afternoon Phil S took me to Lowes in Carlsbad and we made some purchases for the laundry, wood plumbing parts and propane gas parts.

The Ranch - Lakewood, NM

Sunday June 3, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 66 degrees and partly cloudy to 99 degrees and mostly sunny.

Did some small projects before the temperature shot thru the roof, clean up laundry, gravel on our lot and getting ready for another water stand pipe dig.

NASCAR race day for the afternoon in Buster away from the sun.

This evening I got these pictures of our neighbors walking around their place.

Saturday, June 3, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 68 degrees and partly cloudy to 100 degrees and partly cloudy.

Three of us studded out the bathroom this morning in the laundry shed. Now we are waiting for the electrician for the final cost estimate to wire the circuits for the new laundry building.

Thursday, May 31, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 62 degrees and mostly sunny to 88 degrees and sunny.

Wind is up this morning 17 mph with gusts up to 25 and the wind will keep the temperature down today, it is a tradeoff, wind or heat. If the wind gusts get too much I have to roll the big awning up and the table slide (left) or the noise of the awnings trying to roll up by themselfs overcomes us. I also do not like the constant flexing.

MEWS - (Men Eating Without Supervision) five of us car-pooled to The Paddock restaurant about five miles east of Artesia, NM. Always a good breakfast with good mens conversation.

June 1, 2012
The Ranch, Lakewood, New Mexico 66 degrees and partly cloudy to 93 degrees and sunny.
I have three holes open now to replace water stand pipes and need one more to state replacing the four as we have to shutdown the water main.

Cowboy S and Mae M

The air conditioner is installed in the wall of the new laundry shed. For one thing with the windows open it is fairly cool. We now can control the millers and flies with the doors closed and the screened windows open.

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I got a picture of one of the older members of The Ranch Cowboy (Al 92) and his new girl Mae at happy hour today.