LOW OVER HEAD!!!

Recently on a visit to my studio, my friend Art Wilbur commented on my new entrance way into my studio (photo on right). Mainly commenting on how low the roof is and that he darn near took his head and cowboy hat off. At which I suggested he should have been wearing his green beret. Anyway he thought that I should have a sign to let people know of the risk awaiting their head.

Being the thoughtful person that I am, I took him up on his advise. So that is exactly what I did, carved a warning sign. I just completed the new warning sign. Now there shouldn't be any problem with anyone clonking their head.





I didn't want the sign to be too traditional other then in its design so I added a little hummer to it. I hope you read it and do as it says when you come to visit!

The reason I built this new enclosure earlier this Winter is because my studio was starting to look like a mini warehouse and I was beginning to run out of room to work. On the right side of the photo to the above right there is an enclosed area. As this entrance is on the north side of the building (which is about 16 feet tall) once it snows, it is there for the entire winter. That is another reason why I built this roofed enclosure. Now I have room to store all my bags of cement, my shipping materials, and whatever else that does not need to be in my studio. Giving me more workable room.

The sign in the background needs to be refinished, and that is one of my studio next projects. Here on the Solar Ranch there seems to be a never ending list of "Things To Do". If not for the studio, there is the house, the gardens, chickens, and the bees just to name a few.

On the positive sign my doctor tells me that I am in great shape and to expect to live for a very long time. What this boils down to is that the house may very well get completely finished during my life time. Well, I certainly hope so. I made a inclusive to do list and it appears that almost every room is within 5 to 10% of completion. This includes the remaining pieces of furniture that has to be also made.

Well, I guess I am about done rambling for now.

Terry R. Wolff
on the web at TerryWolff.com

Ramblings from the Desert

THE WORLD ENDS TOMORROW!!!

Well at the very least, today is the very last day of the Mayan Calender. With that said, there is a lot of speculation as to what that means. What we do know for sure, is that tomorrow there will be a number of star alignments in our galaxy. I have heard that this alignment with the galaxy's central star (a black hole) may have also happened some 26,000,000 years ago.

I don't know what that really means but as we know, that these sort of things generate magnetic and gravitational pulls which do effect our planet just as the phases of the moon effects our tides. So to think that either tomorrow or in the weeks to come, that there will be no changes is highly unlikely. What will these changes be I am not really sure of but I do know, that I for one am not going to fear the unknown. In fact this may turn out to be a very exciting time.

After all, we know that the shift in pressure on our planet does occur during the full moon and during major storm fronts. We also know that on these occasions our behavior and our moods are effected more so in some then others. So now we are about to experience something that no modern human has ever experienced, how cool is that.

Of course, like fire crackers, it could just be a dud or the the head Mayan calendar carver had a heart attack just before he could get to his second calendar and therefore, left the human race in a quandary.At the very least, at least the Mayan's were thoughtful enough to have left us with something to think about.

So, on that note I am off to do something constructive with the last 12 hours left before the Mayan Calendar ends. May your God, gods or, goddess's be with you and I'll see you on the other side.

Terry R. Wolff
on the web at TerryWolff.com

Ramblings from the Desert

POLITICALLY INCORRECT

Wow!!! it sure has been quite awhile since I sat down and did any rambling!!! Just over a year to be exact. Usually I just ramble on about life out here in the desert. Like this morning relocating a rattle snake from my front gate to several miles up the state road to someone else s neighborhood. Actually out in the national forest where he can't mistakenly bite one of my pets. I mean I would keep these buggers if it wasn't for the damage they can do to body and purse. I have been told, that to get saved from one of their bites can cost in the range of $25,000 and somewhat less for a pet. 

Okay with that up-date out of the way, I have decided to delve into politics. First of all Carson has made yet another leap into mainstream America.  And that being that we now have a fire department and shortly we will have a small fire house. First a post office, then a general store and now a fire department... I better plan on running for Major.

Actually I want to talk about national politics and their declining sense of honesty, truth, and integrity. Yes I am talking about the declining direction the Republicans are taking this country. Basically, down the crapper and as a former Republican, I don't like it. In fact, I don't like the fact that we only have two political parties to choose from. I mean, how democratic is that?

The GOP had their national convention this past week. In realty this is great news for the our nations children because according the GOP leadership that facts are in material when it comes to the bigger picture. And it seems the bigger picture is saying whatever one wants regardless of its truth, thank you Paul Ryan. Just shows, that you can tell a bunch of crap and the manikins of you party will agree with you.

What has this country come to. A country taken over by greedy corporations and dishonest politicians that care more about getting their palms greased then they do for the American People which they are suppose to be representing. The GOP has turned its back on the American Women, the middle class, or anyone who makes under $200,000.

Thanks to the Supreme Court, the American People have lost their voice to the wealthy corporations. The Citizens United Decision, giving corporations the ability to pour unlimited amounts of money into Super Packs has crippled the American People from knowing the facts. Yes, my fellow Americans we have been dooped by the partisan Supreme Court. Here is my advise, if you really care about the welfare of what happens to you and your family, you had better start taking some time doing research and learning the facts so you can make your vote count. Make your vote count on facts and not on emotions. As far as the Supreme Court Justices are concerned, all those who voted for Citizens United should be dragged out of the courthouse, tared and feathers, and put on public display in stocks at the Lincoln Memorial.

As I see it, Barack Obama has done a great deal of good for this country and its people, in spit of opposition by the Tea Party, Republicans, and the Blue Dog Democrats. Check the facts and I think you may agree with me. Despite his short comings and White America's fear and mistrust of people of color, Mr. Obama is on the side of this nations working class, small businesses, and the disenfranchised, period.

On the other hand Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and the Republican Party appear to care less about these issues and more about taking us back to the dark ages or the 1950's at the very least. They claim to want smaller government but in reality that is not going to happen. They want to deregulate Big Business and the Banking Industry claiming that we would be better off if these "two pillars of society" were to have free reign and self police themselves. Well we have seen how they have treated the earth with disrespect, pouring toxic waste into our streams and water supplies. Imagine what they will do with out government watchdogs? The financial mess we are in now is due to poor government oversight to the Banking moguls. If you think you have problems now just wait until they have no one to hold them accountable. If you are a woman, gay, or lesbian, black, poor, disenfranchised, or any other minority what do you thing McRMONEY and Paul Ryan will do for you? If your answer is nothing but make your lives miserable. I think you hit the nail on the head! Cause the way I see it, we will get Jack Squat.

Ask yourself, which candidate will do the right thing for you personally, the Democrats or the Republicans or a third party candidate? Then vote based on facts and not fear or party lines or any other bull crap, please vote responsibly,!!!

In closing I just want to say that according to the GOP being incorrect with your facts, an out right liar, and deceiver of facts is the new POLITICALLY CORRECT.  But I say we need to make them accountable because they are POLITICALLY INCORRECT!!!

Terry R. Wolff
Ramblings from the desert

ONE RENAGADE BEE

Be no woodcarving anytime soon!!!

Since  my venture into bee keeping this year, I have experienced just how powerful those little girls can sting. The above photo is of my puffy hand, the latest of the nine stings these little gals have awarded me with. Of these stings only five of them actually swelled up and itched like this one. This was a lot puffier yesterday when it happened.

They sting to protect their home. I have to open their hives to check up on them and make sure all is going well and to feed them. Feeding is something that is done only when the bees do not have enough resources to draw upon. This is one of those years here in the desert. First of all, these bees started with practically an empty hive which meant they had to do a lot of foraging to provide food, building materials, pollen, and water. All of which there has been very little of out here. Bees will travel over seven miles in any direction from their hive to find nectar and pollen and these girls have been all over the place according to my neighbors.

Since we have two ponds, water hasn't been an issue. But there has been little in food, even though we have some really nice gardens, as this has been the driest year I have experienced in my 20 years in New Mexico. Anyway this means that I have been providing them with what I call Cane Nectar which is one part water to one part sugar. Which they have been going through at about twelve cups a day between the two hives. About two weeks ago when I started weening them off the Cane Nectar, they in turn took over my three hummingbird feeders and held my birds at bay.

Happy Bees, but unhappy Hummingbirds!!

To make peace with my hummingbirds, I resumed the feeding. So far the birds and the bees now seem to have an arrangement. However, the bees didn't fully give up on the hummingbird feeders. they kind of view it as another source of nectar. For the most part they each have their own time of the day when they use the feeders. The bees seem to favor the one feeder that have these fake yellow flowers around the feeding hole and pretty much leave the other two feeders alone.


Besides being attacked a few times, I have learned that these little creatures are quite interesting to watch and now I guess I will have the time to do that as I can't close my fat hand around any of my carving tools.

From now on I may be suiting up when I visit the hive. Although I have to admit, two of these stings and one of them being the very baddest have been received when I was fully suited. I will only admit that those two bits were below the belt and that I was wearing green scrubs. Since then I have switched to tan canvas work pants for more protection in some very sensitive areas.

So there you have it, my story about the Birds And The Bees!!!

Terry R. Wolff

HAPPY NEW YEARS, EVERYONE!!!

Well here we are entering 2011 and I have a feeling that this will be a good year in spite of all the dooms day predictions I heard on the radio stations yesterday morning. I believe that life is always good when you can wake up and find yourself breathing! What becomes of that day is up to you.

Speaking of determining what the day is going to be like, I woke up this morning all ready to go skiing!!! I checked the temperature and saw that it was 17 below zero so I decided I had better get the fire going in my studio since I was in Taos yesterday. I fear that with this being the third day of being below zero that my paints may suffer and I have way too much paint to let freeze. Besides I do have some carvings that I need to get done, plus there are those new solar panels that need to be wired to the system in the solar room. Yes, it is a good day to be in the studio. Now with that said, my four wheel drive vehicle is in Taos and I would like to go to Ojo Calente sometime today. So if any of you northern New Mexicans happen to be heading that way today and going past Carson, I could use a ride (my number is 571-0620).


Okay moving on. Earlier this morning after exercising I was meditating on this past year. As I was, I could not help seeing the faces of friends I lost during the last 12 months. Friends that some of you know, not to mention there may be others who were close to some of you who may have passed on also. I would like each of us to take sometime today to reflect and remember those who are now longer with us, as well as those who passed on in prior years. For me it was Robert Anderson (Artist, Friend, NJ), Dwain Freeman (Sculptor, Friend, Taos), Charlie Gafford (Patron of the arts, Friend, Santa Fe), Alfred Hobbs (Veteran of WW2 & Korea, Beloved Hippie, Acquaintance, Taos), and Dennis Hopper (Actor, Acquaintance, Taos). For you it may have been some these and perhaps others. I wish each of them a safe and happy hereafter. I know that they are all missed by the loved ones and friends that they left behind.

Well I am off to my studio so each of you have a great day and a great, great New Years!!!

Terry R. Wolff

ME AND MY SPOON

I guess at some point, every woodcarver has go and carve a wooden spoon. So I thought I would give it a shot!!! I figured start big and work my way down.

Actually this is my latest commission and it is almost done. I have somemore sanding to do and several more coats of paint and than I can send it off to my client.

It is being carved for a restaurant in Las Vega, Nevada. The name of the restaurant is the Wicket Spoon. This spoon measures just over 7 feet and will be part of the entrance way into the Wicket Spoon.

With the way the economy has been, it is nice to still be getting commissions. My next project is a small sculpture of cut out letters reading "NEW YORK". A couple more Tiki Plaques and I have to finish making some knives this coming week. So I will be working in the shop most of the week.

Terry R. Wolff

ELECTION DAY

On Election Day after voting Linda and I took our dog Lady for a walk at Ojo Calente. Here is a shot of the two of us.  It was suppose to be a picture of Linda and I but Lady wasn't up for taking the shot, she had other things on her mind.

It's too bad that I have to always keep her on a lead as she is a runner and always wants to play "catch me if you can" whenever she gets the chance. At 13 you would have thought that she would be past that stage. 

Terry R. Wolff

DOORS, NINE DOWN ONE TO GO!!!

Yes, I am getting really close now. This door is the most elaborate of the series. It is the door that separates the living room from the mechanical room, leaving only one more door left to carve. What does this mean? It means that now I will have to hang them. But more importantly, it means that the house is getting closer to completion and that I will be starting on a new main entrance door to replace the existing one.

The reason that this door is quite different from the rest, is because I chose to have it compliment the entertainment trastero (a common Spanish hutch found here in northern New Mexico) which is located near to this door. Well lets face it, at about 1,600 square feet, everything is close to everything. Anyway the Indian blanket has been replaced by this door and has become our cats new bed to fight over.

The first of the interior doors that I completed for the Solar Ranch was about two years ago and was made from Ponderous Pine whereas these eight doors that I am now working on are made of Sugar Pine and vary slightly from the original door.

The second interior door was originally an exterior door when the mechanical room and laundry room were one in the same. However about three years ago I decided to add solar water heating and need somewhere to put the 240 gallons of heated water. So in order to accomplish this I added a separate laundry room off the mechanical room which gave me another interior door. This door was never carved! So guess what I will be doing with this door sometime in the near future?

Terry R. Wolff

THE SPICE RACK DOOR

Back in October of 2000 I started building our house out in Carson on the west side of the Rio Grande. An area known as part of the West Rim. This was exactly one year after I started my woodcarving studio which I finished that June. We moved into the house in February of 2002 with the exterior completely done and mush of the interior completed as well.

I worked on the house around carving commissions, carvings I did for a few years for Taos Fall Arts and doing installs for Gary over at Taos Mountain Electronics. In 2003 to make my life just a wee bit more interesting or maybe complicated I added a solar business to the mix (thus the name of our property, Solar Ranch). What was I thinking. Perhaps that I could do it all!!! Well, here it is 2010 and I am finally realizing that I don't seem to have enough energy as I did when I was in my 20's or for that matter in my 50's.

This past month or so just trying to up grade the solar site and bookkeeping programs are tiring me out. But after working on the Turner carving project with Peter Templeton I had decided that this is also the year to finish my inside doors. I did do a door for the bathroom a few years back. And I do have almost all the cabinets and furniture made and carved. I just have these last eight doors to do.

The spice door is my fav. It combines the door to the pantry with a built in spice rack which can be accessed from either side. As with most of my projects, they always seem to involve carving. All eight of these doors are carved on at least one side with a theme I created for the house. You can see it here on this door. This theme is carried throughout the Solar Ranch, on all the doors, gates, and furniture.

Here are some additional photo details of this door.


Well that is all I have for now.

Terry R. Wolff

THE INTERNET HAS BEEN TAKING UP ALL MY TIME

FOR THE PAST MONTH I have been working on my Solar-Catalog.com website. But a few days ago I have decided to head into Taos and hang out at Caffee Tazza and catch up on my correspondences and one of these is to touch base with you the followers or readers of this blog.

On the site, I have given it a fresh new look. I changed the format of the page style, added several new products and lowered prices where I could.

Now for some Solar Trivia, at least as it has been handed down to me...

Remember Trace, they were those folks up there in Washington state that several years ago started buying up some of their competitors and expanding their inverter product line. Then about a year later along came Xantrex, a Canadian company who swept down and gobbled up Trace. This caused some of Traces engineering department to jump ship, thus forming a successful company just in Traces back yard. That company is OutBack. This lead to other off shoots such as MidNite Solar and Magnum. Well just a few years later and Xantrex as well as Square-D have been acquired by Schneider, a French company who has now thrown their hat into the growing solar industry. There you have it, today's solar trivia.

Here in Carson as in Taos we have been waiting with bated breath for the rains to come but unfortunately they have just been teasing us. Yes we woke up this morning with our soil being slightly damp but that is not enough to help our plants out. I know that my friends and family up in the northwest would love to ship some of their rain down our way but....

I can't remember if I mentioned that last week-end Lady and I caught a bull frog down at the Rio Grande which I introduced to one of our ponds. Which pond really doesn't seem to matter as they they hop back and forth between ponds during the evenings. Also caught a toad the other night. Took it inside so it could meet Linda and than returned to where I found it.

Lets see, what else is new and exciting? ......nothing I guess. Lets see, I am still working on my inside doors and completed the headboard for our bed and today I remudded the bedroom window sill where Pogo damaged it from pouncing out of the overhead storage area.

Lastly, this isn't exciting but fellow carver and sculptor

Well, I have got to leave now so I can address my woodcarving readers.

So until next time, may the Sun light you way, both day and night.

Terry R. Wolff

SNAKE AGAIN!!!

Well it has been a year now since that rattle snake showed up at the Solar Ranch. No he's not back but another one showed up, a younger one, not quite as long.

There I was painting the outline on some letters in the carving studio, minding my own business as it were when the phone rang so I headed to the office to answer it. As I did, this little rattle snake was making his way out of the office. My first thought is that this sneaking little guy was messing with my computer. He must have thought I was upset too, so he turned around and started to slither away. That is when I grab his tail and caught him.

Together the two of us went over to the paint department so I could finish cleaning my French Master paint brush. got to set your priorities. I think he was getting kind of bored and that was about the time when Linda came over to get me for breakfast. The little bugger snaked his way up and tried to bite me. Good thing I was paying attention. That is when Linda decided that I needed to get him to some new location out of the studio before she'd have to drive me to the hospital and explain that what a jerk I was for saving my paint brush over myself.

Anyway, the little rattler is somewhere in the area and every time I go in my office, I wonder what mat be waiting for me.

Terry R. Wolff

PS There are no image this time because Linda didn't feel like getting the camera and she wouldn't hold the snake so I could get it. I Just delivered the refurbished sign to the Pilar Yacht Club. Rico and I just got done hanging it and I will post an image of it on my woodcarving blog.

Brought Lady down here with me and stopped at the river before we got here so she could take a swim. While there, we came upon a bull frog in the rushes. Using my same lightning fast snake catching technique I scooped him up before he knew I was there. I will be introducing him to my other Rio Grande Bull Frogs in one of my ponds. This will be the first one to arrive as an adult frog, as all the others arrived a polliwogs.

JUST GOT A NEW CAMERA CASE

As you may remember, earlier this year I upgraded my digital point and shoot camera to a through the lens Nikon. After months of feeling insecure about traveling in my rag top Jeep Wrangler, I decided to tighten up on the security and make my camera feel safe.

My first thought was to bolt a steel box in the back of the Jeep. The first problem was that it would be in the way of the back seat if I should ever put that back in. The second problem was that it would in-tale a bit of physical labor and such.

With that to consider, I came up with what I think is a much more secure plan.

So, I came up with a better plan, I simply replaced the Jeep with a Toyota Rav4. And that seems to have solved the problem perfectly. In fact even my dog seems to like is new arrangement better as well. Now she has the entire back portion of the vehicle all to herself. She also likes some of the new benefits, such as it being a hell of a lot quieter and smoother ride, has a better sound system as well. Well, actually a sound system that works!

So my friends as you can see, for every problem there is a solution!!! Now that that problem has been solved, I now have to solve the problem of paying for it. So if you are in the need of any solar products or need a custom woodcarving, please give me a shout.


Terry R. Wolff

SPRING 2010 HAS ARRIVED AT THE SOLAR RANCH

A portion of a carving I did for the Vermijo Park Ranch project

April 17th was my birthday and along with it came this years first humming bird so I set up one of our feeders. And today, Sunday, the first frog of the season appeared at one of our two ponds. The plants are getting green and starting to bud and some are even flowering and it is warm enough to ware shorts and a tee shirt.

The birds are selecting which bird houses they want to raise their new families in. This year the bluebirds are in fierce competition with the sparrows who have decided that our bluebird houses are just what they need for themselves. So I suppose that sometime today I will need to start on some additional bluebird houses. Like 11 isn't quite going to be enough this year.

The renegade raven is back already this year! Last year he discovered that he could get lunch in the form of our goldfish from our ponds. I caught him circling the ponds already this morning and sent him on his way. I am sure that he will return on another day. The interesting thing is that on some days we are within a flight pattern which sees hundreds of ravens commuting back and forth from the evening nesting to the south to their day job to the north and back again at the end of the day, yet this one raven has not shared his find with any of his buddies. On two separate occasions which I observed last year, he fended off an osprey that seemed interested in the ponds as well. Yes, life here in the desert can be interesting.

I know that I have been pretty busy this winter with the solar business, skiing and carving so I failed to post the news about our new arrival. A couple of months back I took Lady Wolf, the dog that adopted our house, to the vet to get her required by law shots. While there this skinny, half shaved black cat comes over and sits on my lap just as if he knew me and that this was something he always did. So before I leave while paying the bill I asked what's the story with the cat. So I'm told that back in November one of their clients brings this almost dead road kill in and plops down a hundred bucks to have his face reconstructed. Ted, our vet than adds an additional thousand plus bucks of his time to reconstruct the critter's broken leg and hip and decided that he would make a good mascot, wrong. As we found out that Lucky (our name for him) was much too hyper for that job. Just not quite mellow enough. Anyway, the net day on my way back from skiing I picked him up and took him home. Now we have Dieblo (their name) living at the ranch with us. Now that he has been with us for awhile it is uncanny just how much he acts like Critter my New York black cat.

I just got back from feeding the pond goldfish and again chasing away Mr. Raven. Now there are two frogs in the front pond.

The Petaca a waterway that runs near our Solar Ranch has been flowing for the past few days. Normally the Pataca is a dry waterway, having water sometimes after a heavy rain storm. Now it is flowing like a small river. This only happens when there is a good winter runoff from the snows. Since living here, this is only the second time that it has run for more than a day. They tell me that on a good winter of snow, it runs from Wolf Creek Ski Resort all the way to the Rio Grande and can run for a week or so.

Well that is enough for now, it is about lunch time and then it is off to start some new birdhouses and this year I am going to finish all my inside doors. I worked out a deal with Peter Templeton and his skilled team is going to do the assembly of each of these nine doors which will free me up to do the carving on them. That will be nine steps closer to finishing the house. After that I will attack the stone work, leaving only a few minor items. I may even make a new main entrance door while I'm at it.

Spring sure is a time of renewal and like the plants, we humans are also renewed with new energy. So get out there and enjoy this beautiful season.

Terry R. Wolff

PS I am doing this Blog on my laptop and do not have any images of Lucky in it so I will post his mug on here in the future.

BIG PHOTOGRAPHY DECISION

Well, I did it!!! I decided to get back into photography. That does not mean I am giving up woodcarving or my solar business, it just means that I want to start taking more than point and shoot photos.

Yesterday I pulled out my old Nikon film cameras and sorted through all my lenses and stuff. I remembered how much I had enjoyed using them and decided that it would be fun to start shooting again. Besides it seemed like a waste to have so much good equipment and not use it. Well, I don't know if I will use any of those camera bodies but I will be using the lenses on my new Nikon D90.

Yes I bit the bullet and went for it. So sometime within the next few weeks I will be experimenting with my new digital single reflex camera. How fun. In the meantime, I am going to have to work my butt off to pay for it.

SO DOES ANYBODY NEED a custom woodcarving, carved sign or some solar equipment???

Terry R. Wolff

PS I would like to thank Ken Rockwell for use of the image. Ken has a lot of good information on his website about Canon and Nikon digital cameras, so if you are interested in digital cameras or product reviews there you have it.

THOUGHTS ON A GREAT AND PEACEFUL YEAR

Well I came home from skiing a bit ago and was looking over at the fireplace and saw this woodcarving "The Angel of Hearts" what I carved for my wife Linda back in 1998 and thought I would use it in this post since I was thinking that it is about time that as a race of people, that we should start looking at what is going on in this world and wonder if we are any more civilized than we were back in the time of the meandering Barbarians or the days of the Roman Empire. Oh in the terms of culture yes but what about when it comes to respect of human life on the world scale?

As Americans, we seem to have had the fortune of not having a war fought on our soil since the Civil War and of course that is a good thing. Well good if we as a nation were not involved in any wars since the Civil War. But as we all know, that is not true and perhaps since than there have been at least two times the our involvement actually did make a difference to world harmony and these wars were called World Wars. But what about all the others? As I write this, we are presently engaged in two wars in the mid-east thanks to our former commander in chief / Mr. Mission Accomplished. Yea right, so why are we still there?

For what purpose are we sacrificing our young men and women? If the news outlets were actually doing their job (now there's a concept) and reporting on just how crappy wars actually are. How mentally screwed up our solders are when they come back to the states. How about showing us what our VA hospitals are having to deal with. I think, that if the American people really saw what sort of damage war does not only to our troops but also the poor people that are forced to live in our war zones.

I know some people think that this is all part of Gods plan for whatever reason and therefore whatever we do to "OTHERS" is perfectly justifiable. You know, that Foxx mentality!

Lets go back in history and look at Viet Nam and those unfortunate people who lived in Laos and Cambodia. What I am getting at is that we, America can and should make a difference. How a country that claims to be great ever stop other atrocities which are also presently going on if we don't step up to the plate and start paving the way. Somebody has to do it and I sure as hell wish that it were us.

If you ask me, mankind is really making a mess of this planet and if you look at the writings of all those that all our modern day religions are based on, they all seem to have one lost message, LOVE. So with almost every human being on this planet professing to belong to one of these modern day religion, why are there so many wars in the name of some religion or other?

Well, with that said, I am done rambling!!!

I am going to continue thinking about a better world, and that is what I will be thinking every time I look up at this woodcarving. I hope feel the same. So have a good year.

Terry R. Wolff

HAD MY EYES CHECKED AND MORE

This is a shot of my house and I am refurbishing the exterior wood working. As you can see by the light color of the wood on the very right (to the right of our 16' Indian ladder) that the wood I worked on has a much richer color. This is the project that I started this past weekend. As I have to do a solar project tomorrow in Dixon, my time to get this project done is passing. Also, I have to pick up another gallon of this stuff before I can do any more.

Alright, so yesterday I went to the VA hospital in Albuquerque to have my eyes checked so I can get a new pair of glasses. Well actually Linda and I went. Now a number of you are thinking why in the world would I go to the VA with all the bad publicity they got back when that ass from Texas was pretending to be president. Well lets face it, Walter Reed was really in bad shape and Bush really didn't give a shit about our troops. But the fact is, that in the years I have been involved with the VA I have gotten good care and the staff at the local Embudo Clinic, Espanola Clinic and at the VA hospital have been great and helpful. As many of you know, I am more into wholistic healing so when I say that I have gotten really good service from the VA you know it has to be good to get my okay.

Anyway back to the eye exam. I got in only about ten minutes after my assigned 11am appointment which isn't all that bad. As for the exam, all I can say is that it was the most comprehensive exam that I have ever had and I have been wearing glasses for as long as I can remember. They had my eye so dilated that I had to wear two pairs of sun glasses on the way home. I was in the chair for over two hours and came out with a new pair of glasses and a clean bill of eye health. Although the rest of my day was shot and I am greatful for Linda driving, I left there totally amazed at the great exam I had. So if you know of a vet that is not taking advantage of what the government has available, please talk to them about getting signed up.

The only bummer about going to a VA hospital is seeing the men and women, both young and old that are skeletons of the people that they could have been had they not gone to some government contrived war. I personally believe that America has not had a legitimate reason to send its young people in harms way, since World War II. I don't mean everytime we had a mission because yes there were some legitimate incidents along the way. Korea and Viet Nam were the first is a long series of asinine wars. And look at what is going on as I write this, we still have troops in two countries that are sucking the lives out of your brave young soldiers.

These were Bush's wars and I think we should send him over there to straighten it all out. I mean after all he is the one who walked around playing fly boy in that uniform claiming to be "Comamnder in Chief", so lets see just how damn brave he really is.

Anyway, enough rambling from the desert. Hope you all had a good Halloween.

Terry R. Wolff

SNOWS COME EARLY TO THE DESERT

Today and yesterday were beautiful Indian Summer Days. With that said, it is the three days prior that were cold and damp. Yes we got snow and gray Seattle skys and the weather was the pits. I say this not because we got snow but because it was damp, miserable and so out of place. But all is forgiven and we are back to our beautiful southwest weather.

The Friday before last when I was in town picking up supplies for a sign I am working on, I also picked up a penetrating product to use on our Vigas (these are 8 inch in diameter log beams that are traditionally used throughout the southwest since the time of the early Anasazi cultures) and other outside exposed wood. So today I was finally able to start applying it. I got one that has some pigment in it which added some color to the faded wood. I also applied it to Lintels over the doors and windows and it sure made a difference. To keep the wood on our house and gates from looking too new, I had let them weather for about two years before I applied and sort of finish. Anyway, I am hoping that the weather holds up for a few days so I can get this project done. Tomorrow will be out as I have to head down to Albuquerque for an eye appointment I have at the VA hospital. Yeap, I guess I am a socialist just like all our Congressmen and Senators. Hey, I served and I will take what the government is offering me.

Those strawberries that I was keeping an eye on out in the patch got hammered by those three damp days of frigid temperatures. I mean they got down into the teens over night and never went above freezing which meant that we did not do too well with solar gain for both our heat and our electric. Fortunately we had enough wind to keep our two wind turbines producing.

I'm just taking a break from working outside and will be heading over to the wood shop to do some work on a series of knives I am in the process of making. Yeah, woodcarvings, carved signs, knives, solar, and the Solar Ranch to take care of, I am wondering how I find time to sleep, let alone work on my blogs and keep in touch with my friends and family. Damn, how did life get so complicated. Back in the early 90's I packed up the bus, trailer, and pick-up truck and headed west to Taos and the simpler life, so what the heck happened? Ah, maybe I do suffer from an adult version of ADD. Seems when I was a bit younger I could do this juggling act and enjoyed it as well but now it is starting to wear on me like a heavy, soggy old coat on a wet day.

So out to the studio I shall go and put another coat of varnish on the Twirl sign and set up my knife grinder so I can start the next step in getting those guys done. If you are interested in following my knife making adventure head over to my carving blog at carvinginfo.blogspot.com

Catch you next time with another Rambling from the Desert.

Terry R. Wolff

STILL HARVESTING

It's hard to believe but here we are in late October and I still have strawberries blooming and ripening. It is funny to see all the leaves turning autumn colors and yet still producing delicous fruit at the same time. It is getting harder to friend the berries because of all the red leaves and just the mere fact that there is less and less fruit to be found.

We had our first snow of the season at lower levels yesterday (7,200 feet). The ski valley has seen some snow for awhile now. The image to the right was taken about a week ago from the Solar-Ranch.com. There is more snow up there now and I am looking for another good season of skiing. In fact, I broke out the Rollerblade's this past Sunday (first time back on them in over a decade) and put over two hours of exercise in. Although I did kiss the ground eight times, I was actually pleased with how well I did. During this pre-ski workout I consumed close to two quarts of water and still felt dehydrated. At any rate I feel in good shape as I have been doing my morning Tia Chi Breathing Exercises in the morning and using the rebounder during the afternoon. Soon I will be ready for the winter snows and the skiing which that brings with it.

I am sitting over at the Wired Cafe because I had to come into town to pick up some paints for a carving project I am working on. I really like this cafe for its coffee and because it is like an office away from home. I am sad to say however, that their beautiful Peacocks were attack by some dogs and they are no longer with us.

It seems that the only way I can work on my blogs is to get away from the Solar Ranch and into Taos. Seems that when I am back at the homestead that there is always something pressing such as finishing details at the home, the yard, in the shop or at the office. At my age most people are starting to think how they are going to be spending their retirement but I on the other hand see that word and something unable to obtain. So I keep juggling all the chores life has laid out for me. Sometimes it is fun and sometimes not so much. But most of us who have chosen to live in beautiful northern New Mexico learned early on that living here comes with a price. I accepted that long ago and really enjoy being here at this remote outpost of mainstream Americana.

In closing I have posted two images of the logo and the carved sign it is on and it is this carving for the reason I am in Taos at this very moment. It will be completed in a natural spar varnish finish with the letters being painted. I am sure I will be posting the finish work sometime in the future.

Well I am off to get my paints and head back out to the desert. So I will leave this rambling with a picture I took earlier this year at the Ghost Ranch. Until the next time may you all enjoy yourselves as well as my ramblings.
Terry R. Wolff

Desert Harvest

With the night time temperatures dropping to near freezing it is time to salvage what we can from our garden and small orchard.
Yes, as the days get shorter and the nights get colder we have to harvest what we can before the crops freeze on the vine as it were. This has been a very good growing year in our inner compound here in the desert. We have about 7 quarts of strawberries in the freezer not to mention all those ones we ate during the summer (actually picked our last pint this past Wednesday), as well as pesto, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and an assortment of other garden vegis and some raspberries. Linda canned numerous other items as well, including dill pickles and sweet pickles, apple and plum (plums I gathered in the Tazza parking lot) butter, and apple sauce.

In the hoop house (an inexpensive way to make a greenhouse) we were able to grow eggplant, cantaloupe, bell peppers, cucumbers and a variety of other of other edible delights.

In spite of the scorching hot days, sand storms, drying winds, and no August monsoons we did alright. Gardening here in the desert is even harder then gardening in the open areas of Taos. We have a lot of obstacles to over come. Thankfully that we only had one hale storm this year and that came just over a week ago. It caused some damage but it was minimal. I think that the lily pads took the hardest blow. They look like Al Capone's gang shot their leaves with tommy guns.

Today Linda and I picked all the apples off one tree, collected the remaining grapes (leaving some for our little feathered friends), and gathered up all the green tomatoes. The rest of the items in the garden including the unripe apples on another tree will have to weather it out through the next few freezing nights. Once they have passed it should warm up for a while and hopefully if the squash and pepper survives, will have a chance to ripen without too much damage. I've got my fingers crossed .

Other than the two apple trees, our orchard didn't really produce any fruit again this year (Oh that is not entirely true, one of our plum trees did give us four token plums). Maybe next year it will do better. Does anyone from the Taos area know of anyone who has too much fruit and would like to share? We have given away some tomatoes and cucumbers at the Carson Post Office. It is our local place to share our local harvest with the community. It is a custom that has been going on long before we moved here. Some of our neighbors sell there crops at Poco Loco but we just share them with whoever wants them.

The above picture of Critter (The Black Cat) eyeballing the tomatoe harvest is an image from the past. Critter loved eating fresh vegetables right out of the garden or cooked. When I moved to Taos from New York State, Critter enjoyed his morning breakfasts of eggs, fried potatoes with fresh canned New Mexico chilies that I had sent to me in New York. I had spent the better part of a day roasting and processing them for the trip west. Critter spent 15 wonderful years with me until he had a run in with a Brown Recluse. A run in that he was unable to survive. I will talk more about Critter at another one of my ramblings.

This may very well be our last rose of the season. There are still a number of buds still on the bush but who knows what the frost will do to them. But like all our other flowers, this rose bush really produced this year. At the end of the season we are going to move part of it to the other end of the portal and move the Clematis over near our new porch where they will be more protected from our Spring Winds.

Well that will about do it for now, and as summer winds down and the nights start getting very cold, it is time to start looking at the Taos Mountain for signs of snow. Snow is now what is starting to occupy my thought, snow and skiing. I got my season pass already mounted on my ski jacket and my skis are on the bench ready for a fresh waxing and sharpening. So my friends as much as I may regret the passing of summer, life in the desert still goes on.

Terry R. Wolff

P.S. As a note of interest, Taos and Carson both sit approximately 7,000 feet above sea level. For those of you who are familiar with Mount Rainier, Mount Baker or any of those other majestic peaks of the Pacific Northwest know how outstanding they are as they loom out of the clouds. Here we live about half way up the mountain so when we look out at our mountain, it doesn't seem to have that same breath taking domination (that is if you happen to be lucky enough to be there on one of those seldom sunny Washington or Oregon days to see them). However, "Its almost Always Sunny it Taos" and our mountain is magical in many other ways. Just ask anyone from the Taos Pueblo about their mountain.
And if you are planning on moving to Taos, the best advise I can give you is don't be in a rush to unpack your suit case because as they say, Taos Mountain may or may not want accept you.