ron45

When my outback gave up the ghost I wound up with my first Jeep. I drove a Land Rover for 25 years or so. Had some really fine adventures in it.

This one, an 87 had 72k miles all put there by the original owner. It wasn't his primary vehicle and was well taken care of for the most part. Because of where we live I need 4WD to be able to get in and out of our secret hideaway reliably. When we left Malibu we wanted seclusion or it's illusion.

Found it in spades on top of a mesa in Central N.M. Steep rocky switchbacks for a mile and a guarter or so then it's medows and trees. [Juniper, Pinon, some gamble oak and Aligator Juniper.

At 7K feet we can get snow in any month. Sometimes as much as 2' so the jeep will have plenty to do.

At 72 I'm not much in to seeing what it can do. I just need to get in an out relyably. I haven come up with his name yet but there's plenty of time for that. There is plenty I don't kno about our new ally but I'll try to keep the questions short .

I look forward to meeting some of you. Almost forgot, here's where we wound up.

I took this from my mountain bike trail I borrowed from the mule deer. There is one like this to the left and another to the right of this one to convey my delight at finding this place with no sign of humanity. They are not much more than a mile away. Hence the illusion comment. The house is just about centered in this shot. While still living in Henley's Fast Lane, A touring rock band based in Malibu Colony, I saw this coffee table book called Mud, Space and Spirit. By about the third page or so my life had changed.

By `69 many of my peers were heading for the boonies to build their own version of paradise in Arizona Utah or New Mexico. I knew that was what I wanted to do when it was time to split. My wife and I built it ourselves over a period of about 10 years. `Paid as we went, no `by your leave' from anyone, out of ponderosa vigas [from a USFS thinning programme] mud bricks and rocks and lots of sweat. We had only a footing plan to go by but I wanted a south facing arc, much like a piece of pie with a bite out of the point. We've been living off grid here since 83. There is a town of 25 or so a litle over a mile away. I can see the pictures I attached so I can't comment on what you may or may not be seeing.

Ron

'00 XJ

Nice place, Ron. You made that dream. Glad to see it.

ron45

Thanks OO XJ, I see you may have me out `cooled' in the great location area. The Four Corners area is pure majic where, appealing [ to me ] scenery is concerned.

My wife and I spent several weeks grocking a lot of that area. Most great places often tend to get a little better the farther north you go.

Ron

'00 XJ

Thanks, Ron. But sincerely, you basically homesteaded that spot so respect to you.

ron45

Well I think of this place in those terms sometimes. We don't raise our own food or any sort of critters. But we make our own power and have a well. Our very efficient composting toilet turns solid waste into good fertilizer..... So, in a sense we do raise critters. They are just very small. Then there is our two cats. They run around the house and growl if they hear a vehicle approaching and scare of fearsome invaders of their domain. Mostly they think of us as staff.

One of my things to do projects is to find an instrument cluster for Mr. White. `Finally a name came floating up out of the bottom of the pond.

It came by way of a movie we have where all the bad guy's names were Mister Blue or Black, the scene was stolen my Mr.Pink. But you can't name a Jeep Mr. Pink. Steve Buscemi didn't like it either.

How did you wind up in Four Corners?

Ron

'00 XJ

Cool. Longtime wanderer. Not so much chasing myself out, but always wondering what's over that next horizon.

ron45

Well there's enough on this continent to keep you moving for years. I always enjoyed travel too but once we got this place going I've hardly been out camping anywhere. Here, it feels just like camping did but a lot more comfortable. I don't have the kind of income to support my wander lust and I've always been a bit of a gear ****. Been a musician most of my life but never got a formal education in music. By the time jazz started sounding good to me I was already here for 20 years and too old to trapse of to a 4 year music program. The last five years or so have been discovering I have something like ADD, but two neurologists and a psycologist say I don't. All they have to do is follow me around for a few hours and they'd change their tune. I can't stay inside the music.... I'll be playing a tune I know and doing fine then the next page is blank. The page is a just metaphore, I can read music some but it's a far cry from sight reading. So since my hands and other joints are trying to get me to stop sitting for more that 30 minutes and they wish I'd stop playing chords and bumping them into everything, I'm leaving the guitars in their cases for a while. It's not like there is nothing else to do around here, it's a full time job that I enjoy. We got a compact tractor in a land deal and I'm loving learning about it's capabilities. I'm getting a red neck sitting on that thing. What a useful toy to have. 4WD w/a two speed axel w/ a three cylinder diesel engine. It's very easy on fuel so I can keep our road halfway passable. I leave the first two switch backs pretty rough, keeps down the casual traffic and drive bye cigarette tossers.

Sorry that's probably more than you needed to know. Gotta back off on the espresso!

Ron

cliffy

, Don't be these guys, haha. From the right coast, welcome to the forum there is a ton of info and great people willing to help. Pic is upside down sorry.

ron45

Hey Cliffy, thank you. You know, that shot of Mr. B would probably be his best shot at a leading man role. I went to high school in Baltimore county, the middle river area, there was a Glen L Martin site near there. Possibly it's biggest claim to fame if you don't count Edgar Allen Poe. I have pretty much the same specs line up as you but mine's an 87. Got it from the original owner w/72 k miles on it. I'm very new to the Jeep world, what does 231 TC refer to? There's a lot to learn and this seems like the right place to do it.

Ron