Big Beam

Here is the first of the big beams. It is full of cement and should be unveiled later this morning. If I understand all this correctly, there will be a beam from each column to the roof line. Bill and Umberto will use this same form to pour beams on the inside walls as well, to support the new roof. We will get the new inside roof before we get the portal roof done. So in the next post I should be able to show you at least one finished concrete beam.BUT, what I really want to show you are two more pendants and then, I'll try not to put anymore on the blog. You can either see them on the etsy site or the glasspondstudio website or come on down to Alamos, where you can see them at the Terracotta Tienda. Small ones are $25 and large ones are $35. $5 shipping...........just in case you are curious.

I have turned 12 tiles into pendants, so now, I need to replace those with 12 new tiles for the bathroom. You can see right through Calle Durango, above and it looks the feathers of a peacock. Below, is Calle Rosales.

So, enough of that.......

The temperature here is very, very high. Yesterday reached 100. I imagine today will be the same. BUT, there is a wonderful breeze and no humidity. I know it is hot, but I was surprised to discover it is that hot.

Old colonial casas in Alamos, that are built around courtyards may not get many breezes, but their old adobe walls keep them nice and cool. The streets may be hot and dusty, but the houses stay cool and unaware of the heat outside. Sometimes, when I walk by an old casa with an open front door, I can just smell the coolness and if I touch the wall, it even feels cool.

Our little casa is at the top of a hill. We get wonderful breezes from both the east and the west. The streetside adobe wall does not deter the breeze at all. The wind still makes it into the two livable indoor rooms. If you recall any of the earlier photos, those rooms have very nice, long windows in them.

In the photo below, you can see the room that is behind the garden room. It is the room with the falling down roof, the one that small aircraft like to buzz over 2 or 3 times for some reason. Maybe they think it is Hurricane damage.

I often keep the door open because there is a window in there that lets in a terrific breeze. Not so good when the rains start, because it pours buckets in there which then flood the garden room.

When we planned our move here, there were so many things I said I would be able to do without. I gave up my food processor, my blender, our tv, I could go on and on and on, but won't.

However, one thing I have never liked and could easily do without, is air-conditioning. I was raised in the south and my mother always had on the air-conditioning and I always had my window open and she was constantly bugging me about that.....linda, is your window open........close it right now...........linda, i am talking to you........close that window...NOW!

In the Northwest, we had air conditioning for rare occassions, and Bill would sometimes come home and say.....i turned on the a/c before I went to work, what happened......i would say.........i don't know, maybe one of the kids opened a window somewhere................i loved to blame that sort of thing on our kids.

When we go to the states on our next trip, we will not be buying a food processor, we will not be buying a tv, but we will be buying an air-conditioner.

I see these beautiful, windy, hot February days, without humidity, but I know what is right around the corner, lurking, waiting to soak us and take our breath away. That thing that will let us work until about 11 am and then cause us to retreat to cooler grounds.

I plan to be nice and comfortable in at least one air conditioned room, window closed.