Tag: Los Alamos (Page 12 of 14)

Fun Facts About School Facilities in Los Alamos

August 13, 2021 / Kendra

As the kiddos suit up to return to school, let’s all take a deep breath and cross our fingers that the 2021-2022 school year is a success. It might not look exactly like school years in the past, but this is the new normal and we’re all going to have to come to terms with what that means.

However, whether your kids are Barranca Bobcats, Aspen Tigers, Mountain Lions, Chamisa Cheetahs, Pinon Panthers, Hawks, or fully fledged Hilltoppers, you might find yourself pulling up in front of the following school district facilities and wondering exactly who they’re named for.

Duane W. Smith Auditorium

This public auditorium may, for some of us, still be remembered as Civic Auditorium. Until 1994 that’s what it was called. It is currently the only building in Los Alamos capable of seating more than 900 people. The beautiful new facade was added in 2018 and on May 3 of 2019 a new portrait of Duane W. Smith was unveiled inside the structure. The portrait was painted by celebrated artist Craig Tyler and remembers Smith the way his family likes to think of him in sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat while spending time outdoors.

Duane W. Smith began working for Los Alamos Schools in 1959. He stayed with the school district for twenty years, eventually becoming superintendent of schools. He died at age 48 in 1979. In 1994 the auditorium was named for him as a nod to his tireless work for our district and community interests. The remodeling in 2018 was paid for by county and school district funds. But it’s important to realize that an endowment was created by Smith’s wife, Joan Brown, and his daughter, Kelly Myers, to cover further renovations and updates to this vital community facility so that it can be a self-sustaining part of not only our high school, but of life in Los Alamos.

Griffith Gymnasium

Many of you recently visited Griffith Gym at our high school in order to get your Covid-19 vaccination. Community health fairs, graduation ceremonies, and more Phys Ed classes and high school sports games than we can count have been held inside this structure. It has undergone plenty of renovations and at one time it was rumored that the Hilltopper painted on the wall inside the gym had been modeled after a certain popular English teacher.

According to Craig Martin’s book Los Alamos Place Names, the high school gymnasium was formally dedicated to the memory of Thurston A. “Turk” Griffith on January 15, 1966 just before a basketball game between Los Alamos and St. Pius. Turk Griffith was a 1958 graduate of LAHS. In December 1964 he was reported MIA in Vietnam. His body was found several days later.

Though Turk Griffith was the first person from Los Alamos to die in the Vietnam War, he is better remembered for his love of life. Turk played baseball, ran track, swam, and was captain of the football team. He was in Key Club, was president of Student Council, a National Honor Society Student and was also voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by his classmates. He was a popular and likable student who attended West Point after graduating from LAHS. He received his commission as a lieutenant in 1962. Members of our community, including later Senator Steve Stoddard, pushed to have Topper Gym renamed for Turk. They circulated a petition and gained more than 1100 signatures in favor of this change. In March of 1965 it was officially renamed and now a plaque commemorating Turk Griffith hangs inside to help students today connect with those who came before and lived with distinction.

Sullivan Field

If you’re like many people, you’ve been wondering what amazing athlete with the last name Sullivan commanded the field in such a way that he was honored to have our high school stadium named after him?

Um, Earle D. Sullivan was an important part of sports here in Los Alamos, and he might have been a really great athlete. But that’s not why the former High School Athletic Field was renamed Sullivan Field.

Sullivan was a community relations manager for the Atomic Energy Commission in the late 1940’s. Before that, he’d been a newspaper editor in Foxboro, Massachusetts. He served in various positions during the war, most notably as a regional publicity director for the War Bond Campaigns.

While none of that seems to have anything to do with football, track, or soccer, what Sullivan DID do was advocate strongly for recreational facilities for the youth of Los Alamos. His position as a liaison between the AEC and the youth of our community gave him the opportunity to be a voice for youth sports. And THAT is why his name is on our High School Stadium.

Next time you pull up to the Topper Field House for a game at Sullivan Field or drive up to North Mesa to watch a ball game at “Bun Ryan” Field, remember that our history goes back a long way and includes plenty of influential people who loved this community enough to leave their mark for all of us. And when you’re ready to call Los Alamos home, give me a call! I’d love to talk about Life in Los Alamos with you.

Plumbers, Plutonium, & D-Site

August 3, 2021 / Kendra

There’s been a lot going on down DP Road lately. Not only has the new roundabout construction brought this out of the way area to our attention. But the addition of dozens upon dozens of promising new residential dwellings has also livened up the conversation. Whether you’re a long time resident of Los Alamos or a newcomer, it’s possible the name of that road causes a bit of head scratching. Sometimes, if you’ve always heard something, it becomes the norm and you stop thinking about the strangeness of a name. If you’re new to the area, you might have looked at the road signs, scratched your head, and attributed it to the general oddness that is attached to Los Alamos in general.

When it comes to DP Road, that’s pretty much right on the money. Just for fun, let’s look at some of the possible origins of the letters D-P as researched by Craig Martin for his book, Los Alamos Place Names.

DP Site

It is a fact that in 1945 the production of plutonium took place in the Chemistry building which was referred to as D-Building. At the time it was located near Ashley Pond and pretty much right in the middle of everything else too.

Three things happened fairly close together to spur on a location change. First, the full health concerns in the handling of plutonium began to be recognized. Secondly, the amount of plutonium being handled at D-Building increased rather drastically. Thirdly, there was a fairly large fire in C-Shop not far from D-Building.

In order to prevent a large scale plutonium disaster that would not only be a health and safety hazard, but could also shut down activities at the Technical Area, TA-1, management determined it was time to move operations at D-Building to a new location at D-Site. Somewhere a little more remote and therefore safer.

With the barracks and Technical Areas clumped together, the potential for disaster seemed high.

Damn Plumbers

This particular name suggestion came from the number of contractors working at the site who belonged to the plumbing profession. Realistically however, plumbers certainly didn’t make up the entire workforce at the new site.

Displaced Persons

There’s a good chance that anyone who has been in Los Alamos for a period of time, whether by choice or by necessity, has felt somewhat displaced. Part of this phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that the Secret City on the Hill was always intended to be somewhat remote. Most of the workforce in the early days were brought in from somewhere else. They were displaced. Not only that, but the personnel sent away to the new D-Site from the main Technical Area near Ashley Pond were being displaced quite a large distance from the original D-Building. The new Chemistry building on DP Road was supposed to be far away from everything else. Sure, it was a practical decision, but many of those people certainly felt like “displaced persons”.

D-Plutonium

A good number of the original workforce at the new Chemistry building assumed DP stood for D-Plutonium because of the nature of the work they were doing there and the materials used. Although another construction worker at the time the facility was built thought that P stood for Polonium, which is an element in the uranium-radium series of radioactive decay. How many elements on the periodic table start with P? We will never know which one it was really meant to be!

D-Plant

This likely candidate was suggested because in the original building documents at the time refer to the “Plant” Committee overseeing the building of the “plant”. If you believe this bit of rational history, DP stands for D-Plant where plutonium was manufactured. It’s a rather unromantic origin story, but sometimes those are the most accurate.

D-Prime

This one is probably the most widely accepted meaning behind the DP in DP Road. There is a practicality to this given the scientific jargon and the fact that D-Prime eventually replaced D-Site. There was also another building called P-Prime nearby. Eventually, this was shortened to D-P and then years later the road going down to the facility was referred to as DP Road.

D-Production

Something that isn’t always made clear is that D-Site (on DP Road) was a new Chemistry building to replace D Building (back over by Ashley Pond). However, D-Building was still a thing. Calling D-Site by that name emphasized the relationship between operations at D-Site that used to take place in D-Building. This relationship created some pretty hefty confusion in the mail service here in Los Alamos. A lot of the mail addressed to D-Site would be delivered to D-Building by mistake.

A man named R. H. Dunlap was in head of administrative and personnel issues, which included the mail service. Urban Legend and some historical documents suggest that he solved this confusion of mail delivery by calling the new building DP, short for D-Production. The idea was that all of the production activities formerly taking place at D-Building had been transferred to D-Site and therefore mail pertaining to production needed to be sent to the new facility.

Who Knows?

The truth is that we don’t have any actual written records. There are historical documents and anecdotal information provided by those who were part of the community “back in the day”. But we will really never know. Whether you want to think DP Road is Displaced Persons, D-Prime, or was named for D.P. Macmillan (a LASL scientist at the time), that is YOUR decision to make. In the meantime, DP Road is just one more strand of the charming and unique fabric of Los Alamos History.

If you’re ready to weave yourself into the fabric of our community here in Los Alamos, give me a call. I would love to get to know you and your family and introduce you to life in Los Alamos!

#tbt Ashley Pond

July 29, 2021 / Kendra

Okay, so it isn’t Thursday. I thought it could still be fun to take a look at Ashley Pond back through the years. Especially now that we’re able to get out for our Los Alamos Concert Series, people are really enjoying gathering at Ashley Pond to catch up with family and friends and listen to the music. But then, Ashley Pond has been a gathering place for one population or another since the beginning.

Photo of Los Alamos Municipal Complex circa early 2000’s Photographer and original uploader is/was TedE at en.wikipedia – License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

If you didn’t grow up here in Los Alamos and you’re not necessarily into history, you might not know that Ashley Pond was a person. I don’t mean that the pond was named Ashley because of a guy. I mean his first name was Ashley and his last name was really Pond.

Ashley Pond Jr. – The Person

Photo courtesy of the Los Alamos Historical Archives

Ashley Pond Jr. grew up in Detroit, Michigan. During the Spanish-American War he had issues with Typhoid. As was the usual suggestion of doctors in that era, it was suggested a change of climate might do his health a favor. He was sent to New Mexico to recuperate and grew to love the wildness of the place. He decided this was the perfect environment to grow boys into real men. Men who had skills that would serve them in whatever endeavors arose in their futures. With that in mind, he founded his first Ranch School in Watrous, NM. Unfortunately, it was washed away by flood. He farmed in Roswell next, and then ran a dude ranch in Pajarito Canyon before coming up to the Pajarito Plateau and founding our Ranch School here in Los Alamos. The first students entered in 1918 and within a few years Ashley Pond turned the running of the school over to AJ Connell and went to Europe to serve with the Red Cross in WWI. Eventually he returned to Santa Fe to his family’s home on East Palace Avenue where he would live out the rest of his life.

Ye Old Watering Hole

In the beginning, our Ashley Pond wasn’t really a pond. It was a depression in the ground, a low spot where water gathered in wet weather. And where water gathered on the Pajarito Plateau, people took their stock to drink it. In the 1880’s it was known by the local homesteaders as the “Stock Watering Tank”. Not such an inspiring name, but practical.

With the coming of the ranch school and Ashley Pond Jr, the muddy puddle in the meadow just wasn’t cutting it for the school’s water source. The students built a small dam in Los Alamos Canyon and ran a 6 ft watering pipe to a holding tank near the Big House.

From Watering Hole to Duck Pond

The next pond expansion happened in the way that many of these things do. The Ranch School had a reputation for outdoor pursuits. With a more reliable source of water coming from the dam in Los Alamos Canyon, then director A.J. Connell decided it was time to add canoeing, fishing, and swimming to the activities available for students. There was the added incentive of pond ice skating in the winter as well.

With that in mind, the pond was dredged in order to make it deeper. Using the excess water from the school’s supply pipe, the pond was made deep enough for not only outdoor water sports, but also as an irrigation source for the fields below the pond. In the winter, blocks of ice were cut from the pond and stored in the school’s Ice House not far away to provide ice year round for residents of the Ranch School. The pond expansion is often considered a turning point in the school’s success!

Of course, in the early years of the pond it was common to take a dive off the platform and come up covered in mud and grass. But that’s pond swimming at its finest. Not that the name “Duck Pond” was really very fitting. That issue was remedied soon enough by one of the masters at the school. William Mills is reported to have had a flair for puns. Hence his choice for “Ashley Pond”. Can you imagine if they hadn’t ditched the second Pond? Welcome to Ashley Pond Pond? Seems more than a little redundant doesn’t it?

The War Years

During the years of the Secret City, Ashley Pond was surrounded by buildings. The hope was that the small body of water could act as a firebreak between the goings on in the Technical Areas and the wooden buildings housing the personnel. In the photo from the Los Alamos Historical Archives, Central Avenue is the dirt road on the left. Our Community Center was built where the former Big House used to stand. It’s a bit disconcerting at best to see this photo and compare it to the Ashley Pond we know in the modern era. But oh, how time changes things!

Ashley Pond has gone through many incarnations, expansions, improvements, and uses. If nothing else, perhaps we should just be glad we don’t need to check our iced beverages for possible pond “floaties” these days. Ice comes from the modern freezer, and the pond is for community events, pleasant evening walks, and as a gathering place for family and friends.

When you’re ready to be a part of our community here in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to share my love of Los Alamos, our unique history, and our fast paced residential market with you!

Play Ball in Los Alamos!

July 22, 2021 / Kendra

Los Alamos has always been a hotbed of athletic activity. Check out my previous post on Sawyer’s Hill if you want a peek at the history of winter sports in the “Secret City”. But since we’re right in the middle of summer and sports have finally picked up again after the pandemic shutdown, I thought it might be fun to look at the long (and I do mean LONG) history of Los Alamos’s love affair with baseball & softball. Whether you were part of Lassie League Los Alamos or your rode your bike to your weekly Little League games, you’re part of a long tradition here in Los Alamos!

The Bombers

If you’ve ever spent much time at the ball fields on North Mesa, you’ve probably noticed Bomber Field. What you might not realize is that the field was named not for a modern Little League team, but for the original team from the Hill. The Los Alamos Bombers, sometimes called the Atomic Bombers, were a semi-pro baseball team that played in the Northern Rio Grande league. The team was initially made up of military personnel. Their first practice field was on Canyon Road. Eventually they moved to the new ball fields up at Urban Park in 1947. Eventually, locals started calling the field “Bomber Field”. When the new sports complex was built on North Mesa in 1951, the largest field was dubbed “Bomber Field” and this was where the Bombers played.

Fun Fact – The Atomic Energy Commission felt the team was so good for the recreational value of Los Alamos that they sponsored the team. They paid for field maintenance, uniforms, and even sponsored their travel expenses. More rumor than fact was the possibility that Zia Company was recruiting minor league players to work in Los Alamos just so they could play for the Bombers.

Early on, Lon Alexander – former major league player for the St. Louis Browns – managed the Bombers. Later, they would be managed by Dewey Molleur. Molleur was a longtime resident of Los Alamos, a lifetime lover of baseball, and a 67 year veteran of the Local 412 Plumbers & Pipefitters Union. Just a regular guy who loved the town and the team and became a part of the Bombers’ Legacy. Molleur wasn’t the last regular guy to use baseball put Los Alamos on the map.

Pierotti’s Clowns

If you’ve never stopped to look at this monument, it’s outside the Los Alamos Public Library on Central.

This first ever five man Softball Team is an integral part of the fabric of Los Alamos. Pierotti’s Clowns was established as an amateur fast pitch softball team in 1953 and played until 1977. These guys played a five man squad against other teams of nine. Not only that, but founder Lou Pierotti’s son Mike began playing first base with the team when he was eleven years old.

The team never made a penny off their games. They donated the $0.25-$1.00 ticket sales to charity and earned over $200,000 dollars for organizations like the Los Alamos Kiwanis Club during their 25 year run. The biggest draw for crowds was the fact that the Clowns acted like actual clowns. During games they were known for playing outfield with ash can lids instead of mitts, wearing full face paint and gaudy, colorful uniforms, and also for occasionally throwing a “mushball” pitch, which meant a grapefruit painted to look like a softball went sailing toward the batter.

The team held a staggering 177-23 final record, their wins made possible mostly because of the incredible skill of Bun Ryan. Yes, THAT Bun Ryan. The guy whose name is stamped on the North Mesa baseball field closest to the Stables. Bun Ryan could throw a 100mph fast ball. And he managed to create what his teammates called a Rise Pitch, a pitch that actually struck out a hefty number of players from the Albuquerque Dukes. At that time, the Dukes were a farm team for the LA Dodgers. The game between the Dukes and the Clowns was played using alternating baseball and softball home plate placement depending on which team was at bat. If you want to know more about Pierotti’s Clowns, check out this wonderful spread from Los Alamos History.org.

So, the next time you pick up a ball and a mitt to play ball here in Los Alamos, remember that you’re part of a LONG legacy of baseball and softball in the Secret City! And if you’re ready to become a part of our community, give me a call! I’d love to share my love of Los Alamos with you!

Your Epic Backyard in Los Alamos

July 3, 2021 / Kendra

When we look at our backyard, whether we have a great view or a view of the house next door, we want to feel satisfied. But the truth is, the satisfaction we’re looking for depends a lot on where we are in life. Do we have kiddos chasing the family dog through the yard? Does your idea of the perfect evening involve a glass of wine and the crackle of a fire in the outdoor fireplace? Are you a gardener who loves to tend your plants against a backdrop of clucking chickens?

A natural backdrop of trees and open land is a perk of many properties here in Los Alamos!

Backyard Playgrounds

Kids love swing sets and playhouses. No doubt about it, many parents turn their yard space upside down and inside out trying to make it kid friendly. There are so many options these days for making play spaces in your yard for the kids, that you can run yourself ragged trying to decide how to fit Rocket Park onto your property. But the truth is, you probably need to think really carefully before investing in a lot of expensive equipment and elaborate buildings. Kids grow fast! You need to consider how many children you have, how many you’re expecting, their ages, and their interests before making a decision about backyard play equipment. Otherwise they’re going to outgrow or lose interest in your hard work and you’ll be left with a ghost yard instead of a play yard.

This is a happy medium. Modular jungle gym for the kids, plenty of space left to run and play, and a nice high top table for mom and dad to enjoy on the patio!

Hobby Homesteading

If you’re interested in chickens, plants, and a spot of gardening before you kick back and enjoy your evening, don’t worry. With a bit of ingenuity, you can fit all of those things into one backyard. No problem. If you’re looking for some tips on chicken raising in Los Alamos, check out this post from a few months ago. Or maybe your idea of a perfect backyard is garden space. You might want to look back at this blog if you’re looking to garden here in Los Alamos. Gardens, chickens, maybe a few fruit trees, and you could be looking at a great way to turn your yard into a mini hobby farm in no time!

This particular chicken house was created from a playhouse sadly outgrown by the family’s children.

A beautiful balance between lounging space on the patio and deck, garden boxes, and a chicken house in the background. Every backyard homesteader’s dream come true!

A Relaxing & Epic Space

Whether your style is simple or elaborate, the thing that really matters is to create a space that is both relaxing and uniquely you. Keep in mind if you want to enjoy a fire pit, it needs to be covered in order to prevent sparks from flying out and starting a fire where it wasn’t intended. A fire pit can be a very relaxing way to wind down on nice evenings. The crackle of flames makes a beautiful addition to any starry mountain night.

Not all of us have the opportunity to watch the sunset on a porch like this one in Pajarito Acres.

No matter what you choose to do with your backyard in Los Alamos, I know it will be epic. After all, half the fun of a new space is making it your own! Please feel free to drop me a picture of your very own perfect backyard in Los Alamos. And don’t forget, if you’re ready to buy or sell in Los Alamos, I’m your hometown broker! Give me a call. I’m always ready to talk Real Estate in Los Alamos.

Growing Families Strong in Los Alamos

June 24, 2021 / Kendra

Last week we talked about Los Alamos Family Council and the many services they offer to the community, most of them at low cost or even no cost. This week, I want to dig a little deeper and feature two non-profit organizations that are absolutely dedicated to strengthening families from the ground up.

First Born

As you might expect from the name, First Born is an organization that helps first time parents get a grip on the parenting experience. Kids don’t come with an instruction manual and goodness knows it can be difficult to cope when you were already juggling a life packed with responsibilities and commitments even before you added your bundle of joy!

First Born specializes in home visits beginning during the prenatal time to help moms and dads get ready for the big event. Typically, a home visitor will remain attached to the family for a period of up to three years after birth. Imagine having Google Answers – Baby Edition right there in your living room each week! Talk about an invaluable service! Not only are home visitors available, but First Born provides lactation counselors at no charge for those who have questions or concerns about breastfeeding.

If the organization has the resources, they also work with families who are new (again) to parenting simply because a good chunk of time has passed between their current youngest and their current pregnancy. Or, perhaps one of you has gone through the parenting process before, but one of you hasn’t. Or, maybe you’re trying to breastfeed for the first time and need some extra help.

Pretty much, if your family needs a bit of extra support, First Born will try to lend a helping hand. It’s what they’ve been doing since the organization first kicked off in Silver City, NM in 1997. Since then, they’ve opened offices and offered support in 15 different counties here in New Mexico. The mission of First Born is to encourage relationship building within families through curriculum based early intervention models in an effort to strengthen families and empower parents to raise healthy, happy kids. It’s an awesome organization and if you know anyone who is starting or growing their family, you should absolutely get them connected to our local chapter!

Family Strengths Network

If your kiddos have already made it past toddlerhood and into that rather long stretch of childhood, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Family Strengths Network has you covered. Their mission statement is as follows: “Through our work, Family Strengths Network improves the quality of family life for generations. FSN provides educational and fun activities to all types of families, parents, teens, and children. FSN: Empowering Families, Building Community.”

Empowering Families, Building Community

From Saturday activities for special needs children to teen groups focused on communication skills, Family Strengths Network is all about just that. Strengthening Family. They even have a lending library with hundreds of books about topics near and dear to the parents’ heart. The organization also offers parenting classes and social groups to help moms connect.

If you’re looking for an activity to get your kids active again, check out the FSN website. They’ve got classes for all ages as well as cool activities for the whole family to enjoy. As advocates for early intervention, they have a strong focus on empowering families to understand human growth and development in a way that helps them guide their children through the milestones of life. With access to other local resource networks such as Los Cumbres and even First Born, FSN is committed to putting you and your family on the right track to a healthy, happy, and productive life!

So don’t forget to check out these two great organizations here in Los Alamos! Our community is always growing and always looking for ways to support one another. If you’re ready to be a part of Life in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’m always happy to talk about my hometown!

Meeting Community Needs in Los Alamos

June 18, 2021 / Kendra

There is no doubt that our community on the hill has a lot to offer when it comes to resources. We’ve got miles of trails, beautiful parks, a golf course, horse stables, libraries filled with books and activities, community swimming pools, and even a brand new splash pad for the kiddos! However, what you might not realize is that we also have some seriously amazing local organizations dedicated to improving daily life in Los Alamos on a whole other level.

Los Alamos Family Council

Los Alamos Family was officially opened as a community mental health provider in 1963. They’ve been a non-profit community service organization for nearly sixty years and during that time they’ve seen a lot of changes in both mental health treatment and in the community of Los Alamos. LAFC has been located in the building on the corner of 15th Street and Nectar since 1982. They were one of the first organizations funded by United Way and have always tried to grow and change with the needs of Los Alamos by offering individual and group therapy as well as a variety of other services. Over the years they’ve been instrumental in implementing services such as Adult Day Care, the Senior Center, Meals on Wheels, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board. If you’re not familiar with these programs, you’re probably familiar with one of LAFC’s most popular offerings.

The Activity Center

In the mid 2000’s LAFC partnered with the county to open Youth Activity Centers in both Los Alamos and White Rock. This provides a safe environment for kids grades 3-8 to be supervised while enjoying crafts, games, and other fun things at no cost to their parents. While the White Rock AC isn’t open during the summer, the Los Alamos AC is located at the Community Building by Ashley Pond and is currently open. During the summer, field trips to the YMCA Climbing Wall and Bandelier National Monument are often available. Last week the kids got to visit the brand new Splash Pad at Pinon Park! So if your kiddos are tired of being at home after Covid, check out the Activity Center FB page and get them out and about for some much needed fun!

Community Groups

Although Family Council does sponsor several groups focused on substance abuse/relapse and recovery prevention, there are also groups for people just like you. If you’ve never experienced group therapy, you might be surprised at what you could get out of it. This summer, LAFC is partnering with the YMCA to offer a support group for Moms focused on recognizing and dealing with stress. After a year of being isolated, it’s a fun chance to network with other moms in town and just chat about life. Contact the YMCA at 505-662-3100 for more information or to sign up to be a part of this group.

LAFC Executive Director, Jordan Redmond, hopes that there will be more opportunities for the community to benefit from the group experience. There are plans for everything from groups focused on Boundaries and Emotional Regulation to Art Therapy this summer and fall. And in August, LAFC is excited to begin SMART Recovery meetings. SMART is an international organization dedicated to a science based method of dealing with addiction whether you’ve got a secret handbag fetish, substance issues, or just too many cats!

Individual Mental Health

And as always, Los Alamos Family Council offers individual therapy for all ages. The organization was started with the purpose of community mental health and that is their focus. Better understanding of emotions. Better success in personal relationships. Increased satisfaction with life. Give them a call if you need someone to talk to no matter the reason.

So keep checking back to get the latest info on other organizations dedicated to bettering life here in Los Alamos. And in the meantime, if you’re ready to buy or sell your home here in Los Alamos, call me! I would love to talk about Life in Los Alamos with you!

No-No-Bambi!

May 18, 2021 / Kendra

Gardening in Los Alamos isn’t the easiest of tasks. Our topsoil isn’t terrific. Our growing season is notoriously short. And don’t forget the weather tends to be unpredictable at best. These things never stop me from trying though. I LOVE to garden! I enjoy being outdoors digging in the dirt and begging my little green sprouts to grow. In 2020 our garden managed to produce a massive crop of the strangest looking cucumbers you’ve ever seen! Not only were they more yellow than green, but they tasted awful! However, a friend of mine diced them up and fed them to her chickens. Apparently the chickens LOVED them. Since the taste of the cucumbers didn’t bother the hens or affect the eggs, I call that a win! But one thing we’ve always had pretty good luck with is our jalapenos. Until this year…

Considering the unseasonably cool weather we’ve been having, (can you actually say that when it’s perfectly reasonable to get several inches of snow in May?) I finally got around to planting my garden last week. It felt good to get the plants in. Normally our dogs spend quite a lot of time in the yard, but less than a week after my garden was planted, we spent a day in Albuquerque and left the dogs inside.

Let’s just say Bambi went hog wild while my dogs were helpless to intervene.

This is what was left of my garden…

See the telltale hoof prints? Ugh! Who knew that mule deer would eat jalapeno plants? So, with my recent garden failure in mind, I’ve set out to find more information on how to keep deer out of the garden. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

All Deer Are Not Equal

What I understand from doing a bit of research on the topic is that different deer herds like different plants. This is not limited to breed of deer either, just because we have mule deer in this part of the country and you might have dealt with white tail deer somewhere else, that has nothing to do with successfully keeping them out of your garden.

For example, what the Bayo Canyon deer avoid might be completely different than what works to ward off the deer who live in Urban Park. However, most experts universally agree that if you can populate your garden with fuzzy, spiny, or strong smelling plants, you’ll have a better chance of convincing the four legged snackers to go elsewhere. Deer don’t like leaves that are furry. They also don’t like strong smelling plants. They avoid herbs like sage, thyme, lavender, and even dill. Things that are tough to digest like Elephant Ears are good deer repellants as well.

Even if you don’t want to choose your plants based on what deer dislike, you can sprinkle a few things throughout your garden just to try and get Bambi to browse elsewhere. For example, the next time I plant my jalapenos, I’m going to stick some strong smelling oregano plants right alongside them.

Unfortunately, Bambi Jumps Pretty Well

Fencing for deer can be costly. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re attempting to nudge Bambi to take his case of the munchies elsewhere.

Privacy fence, cinder blocks, and coyote fencing are excellent deer fencing. Deer can jump upwards of 8ft to clear a fence, but they don’t like to jump into an area where they can’t see a landing spot. While it isn’t likely to keep them from hurdling into your yard if they’re fleeing a predator, they aren’t going to come browse your garden if they can’t see what’s on offer.

Double layers of fencing are unattractive. According to some animal researchers, deer have less than perfect depth perception. They don’t like the appearance of layered fencing. So if you have a chain link fence or other see through fence, try fencing individual sections of your garden with some kind of mesh netting on a wood frame. Even the brightly colored orange plastic mesh fence wrapped around some T-posts could do the trick. While not the most attractive way to decorate your yard, it could well save your garden from Bambi and his buddies.

Rock barriers are strikingly effective! Hoofed animals like deer do not like uneven, rocky terrain. If you have a terraced yard or even sections of your yard where you have xeriscaping, you might consider adding some larger porous rocks as a decorative and effective way to suggest to Bambi that he might break his spindly legs if he attempts to eat your plants. The rock barriers have to be a combination of wide and tall in order to truly deter the deer. Think rock walls at Bandelier National Monument. Perhaps not 8ft in height, but at least waist high and too wide for a human to step across without climbing.

Treat Bambi Like a Naughty Kitty!

That’s right! The number one suggested method for convincing deer that your garden is NOT the local farmer’s market is to use a motion sensor sprinkler. Most sources seem to agree that a taller model is better than a shorter one because it doesn’t get triggered by every bit of waving foliage and the spray manages to clear the plants and hit Bambi right in the nose. It is also suggested that the battery operated version is better than the solar option simply because the spray of water is more powerful. Deer aren’t all that easy to scare these days. If you want proof of that you can either check out the deer trotting down Diamond Drive or go take a peek at the Sportsman Club in Rendija Canyon where it isn’t unusual to see the buggers hanging out on the archery field watching rifle and shotgun practice across the dirt road. Their expressions are almost amused instead of afraid. Suburban life has changed them for good. But a nice blast of water is enough to make me want to turn and run. Seems like it should work nicely to tell Bambi NO!

If you’ve got other ways to save your garden from our local deer population, I’d love to hear them! The research I’ve done so far seems to suggest that nothing works forever and sometimes you have to switch it up in order to keep on top of the issue. But that’s part of living in Los Alamos County isn’t it? Wildlife abounds and unfortunately they’re not shy about sharing the amenities! Drop me a line if you’ve got deer repellents to share and don’t forget to give me a call if you’re ready to find your forever home in Los Alamos! I’m your local real estate expert and I love to talk about life in Los Alamos!

A Little Bit Country

May 1, 2021 / Kendra

Los Alamos County is so very unique in the available housing options, but never is this more obvious than when you make a left turn off State Road 4 onto Piedra Loop in the White Rock Subdivision of Pajarito Acres. 3-5 acre lots populate the hilly terrain. Homes come in all shapes and sizes and small barns and enclosures house everything from horses to goats and anything in between. The trailhead of the Red Dot trail sits on the canyon side of the winding black top road. It is as it was meant to be: country living in Los Alamos.

It all began in 1962 when a group of Los Alamos residents began chatting about the possibility of owning larger lots on the Southern side of White Rock. Unfortunately, the Atomic Energy Commission had a contract with building E.I. Noxon that prevented other parties from developing White Rock for a period of three years. This meant that the country loving residents had to wait until that expired in 1963 before petitioning the AEC to release land for a “acreage-type development”.

As with all housing developments in White Rock, there were difficulties in building because of the basalt that lies beneath this entire area of the county. In fact, the original Pajarito Acreage Development Association had a bit of a kerfluffle with the FHA regarding septic tanks. Thanks to the basalt, the FHA refused to insure mortgages on homes in Pajarito Acres. The future residents tightened their belts, accepted the additional cost of $2000 for a sewage system, and built a sewage lagoon not far from where the Red Dot Trailhead currently sits. By March of 1965 there were two families living in the development and by summer there were 18 more. In the beginning, they didn’t even have a water system. It was finished by August of 1965 and residents have never looked back.

The current Pajarito Acres Homeowner’s Association is made up of residents from only Pajarito Acres. La Senda is another development entirely. In fact, it might interest you to know that the land where La Senda sits was once fated to become a an area of dense residential condos and even apartments. The second “acreage type development” hadn’t been selling quite as quickly as Jemez View Development had hoped. Only two five acres lots had been sold and the company applied to the planning and zoning committee to have the valuable tract of land between White Rock and Pajarito Acres rezoned.

In a complete reversal of a more than forty year trend, there wasn’t a dire need for housing in Los Alamos County. The residents pushed back, finally making their opinions into a ruling from the planning and zoning committee and preserving the mixed residential/agricultural use for the remaining 134 acres of La Senda.

These days there is no doubting the wonderful country style living available in Pajarito Acres and La Senda. The Pajarito Riding Club operates a small equestrian facility located at the corner of Piedra Drive and Piedra Loop. The club website is a great resource for trail maps for not only Pajarito Acres and La Senda, but also has links to LANL trail maps that you might find interesting.

Trails in both subdivisions are open to whomever would like to walk, ride, run, or hike them. If you prefer pavement, the streets are wide and smooth blacktop with plenty of hills and curves to make it an enjoyable trek. You can reach Piedra Loop about a quarter of the way around by heading down Sherwood Blvd until it dead ends in Pajarito Acres and don’t forget that you can find the Red Dot Trailhead about halfway around Piedra Loop. The trail offers some really spectacular views of the Rio Grande Valley.

And if you’re interested in taking a look at a home in Pajarito Acres, give me a call! I might just have something you’d like. After all, when it comes to living in Los Alamos County, I’m your local real estate expert!

Manners on the Trail

April 23, 2021 / Kendra

It occurred to me last weekend, as I was nearly run off the trail by a cyclist, that it’s always good to review a few bits and pieces about trail etiquette. Here in Los Alamos we have miles and miles of trails to enjoy. If you’re wondering just how many miles, you can check out this link to the country trail map HERE. Our trails have been around for a long time. Not only that, but they are used by everyone from hikers and cyclists to coyotes and deer. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you walk out your front door and head for your favorite trailhead.

Stay Alert!

I think there are plenty of us who enjoy running, hiking, or biking with music playing in our ears. Nowadays you’re not having to lug around a CD player or a Walkman the size of a cereal box (am I dating myself here?). Earbuds don’t even require wires anymore! But insulating yourself in a musical cocoon while you run through one of our canyons or down the Canyon Rim Trail can have some really serious consequences.

What if you miss the sound of a rattlesnake warning you to get out of his space? Rattlesnake, coyote, bobcat, even bears. We have tons of wildlife here in Los Alamos County and they aren’t necessarily shy about sharing our trails. What if you can’t hear a cyclist or an equestrian coming up behind you? I even recall a memorable incident when I witnessed a cyclist run headlong into a tree in Bayo Canyon and he couldn’t hear me shouting to him to see if he was all right because his music was so loud. He happened to be just fine, but I nearly scared the pants off him trying to find out whether or not he was in need of an ambulance or something. Situational awareness is critical when you’re out on the trail. If someone says “on your left!” you aren’t helping matters by not being able to hear anything but your playlist.

The Rules of Yielding

There are no real ironclad rules to this one. There are certain accepted truths. You should always yield to uphill traffic because it’s more difficult to get moving going uphill. However, if someone is hauling booty down a hill on a mountain bike it might be really difficult to just hit the brakes and pull over. On a flat trail please take the time to specify when you’re passing. A simple “on your left” or “on your right” can be a real help. And generally, you pass on the LEFT on a trail just as you would in a car.

Keep in mind the sort of trail you’re traveling. If you’ve spent much time on Kwage Mesa (out past the horse stables) you might notice that a lot of the trail is like a trench. It isn’t exactly easy to pull off the trail on a bicycle. If you’re running or walking out there, you might take a moment to step out of the way instead of asking a cyclist to lug their bike up out of a ditch.

Historically speaking, anywhere on North Mesa, equestrians have the right of way. But there a good number of equestrians who will, if they are able, happily move their horses off the trail to avoid runners, hikers, and cyclists alike. Not just on North Mesa, but anywhere in the county. At the end of the day, yielding is about COMMUNICATION. Don’t be in a hurry! If you see another trail user, take a moment and be courteous. Generally speaking, it just takes a moment in time to see what the other person is doing, speak up, and then continue on with a smile and a wave.

Equestrians

It can be rather intimidating to come face to nose with an equestrian when you come around a blind corner on a trail. Horses are large and rather unpredictable animals. For the most part, the absolute WORST thing you can do is to hide. Mostly, because you CAN’T hide. Their field of vision is nearly three hundred and sixty degrees and they can smell humans like any other prey animal. If you’re not in sight or you’re a cyclist and you ride up behind them, they can’t process what you are fast enough to do anything but react in a primal flight fashion. Not all of those encounters end badly. Most trail horses are pretty used to everything from cyclists to wildlife. But if an equestrian asks you to please step out from behind a tree, to stand still, or to back off and give them space, it’s probably for a reason. They don’t have a desire to hit the dirt and in some cases they’re trying to suggest you stay out of harm’s way too.

My daughter’s horse was rushed by the middle school girls’ cross country team. The girls were just running. They had absolutely no idea that they were scaring him until I called it out. He was leaping in the air and acting as if he were ready to race them back up the road (which he was). Pay attention to what’s going on around you when you pass an animal. Does the behavior look normal or is it like a rodeo? If you happen to startle a horse and you get a reaction, just stop moving. Continuing on could make the issue worse. The equivalent of running from a bear only backwards where the animal is trying to flee from you! For the most part, equestrians are good trail users in spite of the road apples. After all, horse poop is literally compostable. It disintegrates in our climate in only a day or so as though it was never there.

A Few Words About Dogs

There are few things as cool as traveling the trail with your canine companion. Just keep in mind that while Chapter 6 of the Los Alamos County Code says you can have your dog off leash in designated areas, you MUST keep them in sight and have voice control at all times. And you can only have voice control of two dogs at a time. So if you have more, rotate them and don’t let them travel in an independent pack. Dogs are like kiddos, they love to dare each other to do wild and crazy things!

Keep in mind that it’s easy to think you’ve got control of your favorite canine. But if the trail turns and you happen to meet a horse, are you SURE you can convince Fido not to investigate? The time to test your dog’s obedience is not when he’s faced with a real world situation. Sure. He could scare the horse. But part of that particular fear situation could involve that horse striking at your dog. Nobody wants a situation like that to occur. And what if it wasn’t a horse? What if your dog met up with a pack of coyotes? They’re bold as brass in some of our local canyons and they wouldn’t be afraid of your domestic dog. Even if the coyotes ran away, could you keep your dog from trying to give chase? How about a bobcat? We’ve even had mountain lions in our area in the last few years. So really be sure of your dog before you offer him a chance to stretch his legs outside the dog park. It might be better to keep him on a leash and take a breather while you let him sniff the most amazing tree he’s ever seen.

Smile!

Don’t forget to smile at those you meet! We’re all a part of this wonderful community. Be friendly to those enjoying other activities than yours. Be glad that they are. The more trail users we have, the more resources our county will dedicate to trail maintenance and expansion. And when you’re ready to become a Los Alamos County resident and trail user, give me a call! I’d love to help you find a home here in Los Alamos.

Tag: Los Alamos (Page 12 of 14)

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No-No-Bambi!

A Little Bit Country

Manners on the Trail

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