David A. Smith

We've been looking for NM land for the past year or so and find this community quite interesting.  That there is an aquifer which makes a well readily obtained is good and one of the biggest issues in today's Southwest.  

One of the issues I have had with other platted areas/communities in NM are Home Owner's Associations (HOA's).  Often these are restrictive and don't allow for the freedom of expression, individual building desires, and community groups.  Does Caballos de las Estrellas have an HOA, and if so, what are the primary guidelines/restrictions?  Are there NM county building codes that are specific as to certain type structures?

Thanks!

Dave

A group of us are looking to establish a commune in southern NM.  Many of your skills/interests/desires fit right in with where we're heading.  Let me know if you're interested in knowing more about our project.

Lif Strand wrote:

K Carpenter wrote:We bought our property out in the sticks for a few reasons.  
...
All of our neighbors stopped by to say hi when they'd catch us outside. We had a mechanical issue and were pulled off the road with our heads under the hood. 6 different people stopped and asked if we were OK or needed help..
Nobody bothers us and they don't expect to have a midday coffee clatch. We all have work to do or want to be left alone! It's grand.

This is very much like where I live and the reason I never want to leave here.  In my case people respect my desire for privacy and don't come visiting without knowing it's OK by me.  Not long after we moved here, my truck broke down on a back road and after an hour some guys stopped to see what help I needed and ended up driving me 17 miles out of their way to drop me off at my door.  They were complete strangers to me at the time.  Nobody thought it was an unusual thing to do.

This lovely community grew organically, though I took it upon myself to start a Facebook group for just the people who live in our area -- basically that's anyone within about a 100 square mile area.  There are 36 people in the group including me.  People share stuff like weather warnings, photos, lost dogs, who wants some zuccini or who'd got eggs for sale, is the phone down for everybody or only a few, anybody willing to come over with a tractor to move some dirt, etc.  

Most of us are senior citizens, but lately some younger people have moved in.  I hope they stay.  

[photo is just because I like sharing my photography]

Heading to NM next week looking for some property for me and some friends.  Am interested in your FB group and any insights you can pass on about NM living.

Dave

Wendy Robers wrote:Hi, David
I like your ideas about including medical support in the intentional community, as well as the value of the contributios the elders can make.

If Covid did anything positive, it was in bringing remote medical care to all of us.  Today, a cell phone can tap in and display your vital signs and heart rhythms and provide them, remotely, to a qualified physician.  This takes some of the burden off of those of us who are "more mature" than we were 10 years ago.

Marth Vince wrote:I am 75 and live on 80 acres in TEXAS.  I plant, garden, harvest and put up. I look after cows, horses, donkeys and dogs and cats. My Da lived to 96 on 40 acres in the mountains of Wales.Don’t expect that all elderly people need caring for. We are far and away happier on our own.

I'm with you, Marth... I'm nearly 75 and am stepping out looking to build a new life.  I and a couple others are looking to develop a commune, of sorts, where we are interdependent, growing our own foodstuffs, tending our flocks and livestock, and doing it on land we have purchased.  The limiting factor in these days, and in days to come, will be the access to water, not so much our abilities at growing our own foods.  

I see many comments here about starting out in their 50's and 60's... the time to start out is now.  I only have tomorrow, as does anyone else.  I plan to build tomorrow for my children's and grandchildren's futures.

Trace Oswald wrote:

David A. Smith wrote:

Ebo David wrote:Was that self pollinating, or did you run the toothbrush across different flowers on different plants?  That is an interesting idea. Also, did you just yous the bristles strait up, or tape a q-tip to the end?  I am actually interested in this.

Tomatoes self pollinate and can do so from the individual flower.  All that's required is to use the toothbrush to vibrate the stem or flower, thus causing the pollen to drop onto the stamen.  Tomato flowers face downward which allows natural events like wind or bees to vibrate them and cause the pollen to drop.  It's actually a quick and easy process of going from one plant to another, just touching individual blooms with the vibrating head of the brush.  No pollen transfer from one blossom to another with the brush is required.

Dave

Would using a fan work as well?  I know I personally would do the toothbrush thing about once before I "forgot" about it and never did it again.

I'd recommend you watch some of the YouTube videos using electric/battery powered toothbrushes.  I know that there are at least two, and probably many more, demonstrating this method.

Dave

Ebo David wrote:Thanks Dave!  I may end up experimenting with this and working with someone to do a video to post to the Master Gardner's lists.  I can see this as being a great way to pollinate tomatoes and other self pollinating plants inside a greenhouse!  This is SO cool ;-)

Try YouTube.com... there are a number of videos there showing how to use an electric toothbrush to stimulate the pollination of tomatoes.  Good luck, and have fun!

Dave

Ebo David wrote:Was that self pollinating, or did you run the toothbrush across different flowers on different plants?  That is an interesting idea. Also, did you just yous the bristles strait up, or tape a q-tip to the end?  I am actually interested in this.

Tomatoes self pollinate and can do so from the individual flower.  All that's required is to use the toothbrush to vibrate the stem or flower, thus causing the pollen to drop onto the stamen.  Tomato flowers face downward which allows natural events like wind or bees to vibrate them and cause the pollen to drop.  It's actually a quick and easy process of going from one plant to another, just touching individual blooms with the vibrating head of the brush.  No pollen transfer from one blossom to another with the brush is required.

Dave

We had an old tobacco greenhouse here in SC a few years back where we raised early tomatoes.  Used an old electric toothbrush to vibrate the flowers to stimulate the pollination.  Worked out really well.  

Love the idea of a "skills" book.  I fear that many of today's generations, while they have the dreams, have not had the opportunities, the "joys" as it were, many of us had growing up in the 50's and 60's.  Our parents grew up during the Great Depression and passed on to us many of the life skills they needed to actually survive.  I've spent countless hours and even more dollars buying Mother Earth, Hobby Farms, etc, magazines looking for those nuggets of gold, and newer ones which encompass today's technologies.  Having something at hand and easily referenced would be fantastic.  So "Hooray!" for the book...

...but, I bristle at having to homestead a small farm and to build, maintain and run it to help fulfill someone else's dream.  I recognize that if we aren't able to keep small farms/communities/communes alive then Big Farm Corp will buy up all these plots and transform them into sterile production entities, eventually destroying small farm and town life, not to even mention the poisoning of Mother Earth with chemicals to "enhance production" and ruining the natural diversity of flora and fauna.  (BTW... I used to live in Flora, but have yet to visit Fauna.)  I have my own dreams and want to build upon them.  All I need is that 40 acres and a mule to get started (okay, I have a tractor and a donkey, so we can forget the mule for now...).  I want to build upon my vision, not someone else's.  Will the book help me find someone else's dream that runs parallel to mine?  Will it show me the pathways to build upon?