While we had the roof torn up, we replaced an aging, badly placed skylight in the kitchen. It always feels a bit scary to me to cut holes in the roof. The top photo shows the new placement of the skylight from the top side. You can see the patched-in area at the top of the photo. We moved the skylight about 2 feet from the interior wall to the center of the kitchen.

The second photo shows NM blue sky through the hole in the roof. Better to see blue sky than thunderheads until the skylight is in place and the roofing installed!

The final photo shows the kitchen with the completed skylight and the patched ceiling. I'm loving it!

The roof needed some work! We had the old tar and gravel roof scraped off and a new torched down roof installed. You can see the chimney for the bedroom kiva fireplace in the top photo. And, that's my husband playing the role of the shadow!

The second photo shows the new roof and the small second story room. The raised parapet walls between sections of the home were wrapped with the roofing material and all the vent penetrations were properly sealed. The secret to a leak-proof flat roof is sealing the transitions from one material to another and keeping those areas carefully maintained.

We're working this summer on a new project in Placitas! We bought an adobe home built in the 1970s and we're restoring and upgrading it. Once it is fixed up, it will be another of our rental homes. Watch for updates in my blog.

Here is a photo of the bedroom. Classic adobe kiva fireplace, brick floors, viga and plank ceilings and thick adobe mud walls. We just had a new exterior door installed.

The monsoon season of afternoon rains is about to begin in the Placitas/Albuquerque area. Many people who have lived in New Mexico for any length of time joke that the monsoon rains begin on July 4 between the time you’ve eaten your picnic lunch and the time the fireworks start! The afternoon thunderstorms can be intense and dramatic, but generally last less than an hour and cool down the temperatures for a pleasant evening outdoors!

Summer heat. Everyone in New Mexico is talking about our heat wave this week. Afternoon temperatures over 100 degrees. When I go out in the late afternoon or evening, the heat lets me know it is SUMMER. It makes me feel nostalgic. I remember being a kid in Albuquerque in the summer. Lots of extra freedom. No home work, no schedule. Playing outside with friends and neighbors in the heat of the day (finding the shady spots or running through the sprinklers). Hanging out in the long, warm evenings---telling tales, sharing secrets. Sitting in the twilight on the still-sun-warmed sidewalks. Feeling the coolness of the lawn as you walk barefoot from the hot pavement to cool grass. Sticky popsicles that you can't eat quite fast enough to keep them from melting and oozing an orange path from your hand to your elbow.

The memories hit me the second I feel the heat---they rush at me even before I can think the words that describe them.

I don't mind the summer heat.

It's a beautiful day in Placitas, NM! There are 58 homes listed for sale and 183 pieces of vacant land. Call 505-867-8000 and talk with Janice about real estate in Placitas, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo or the greater Albuquerque area! Check out our website www.placitasrealty.com

Purple asters bloom in late summer in New Mexico. They are blooming everywhere now! They start around the same time as roasting green chile and last beyond the State Fair and into the Balloon Fiesta. Autumn is a great time of year in New Mexico. Mild, sunny days and cool crisp nights!