Living off the Grid-Emily & Randall

Here is my first attempt at composing a slideshow of photos, so be patient with me.

Tuesday, Mar 31, we drove to Magdalena, west of Soccorro, to visit our friends, Emily and Randall. I worked with Emily at the public library in Alamosa.Randall was a professor at Adams State College. Emily and Randall bought property in Magdalena and have spent the last two years completing their home.

This first shot is of their water pump house where we parked our rig as there is electricity here. Their home is 1/2 mile downhill from here so they have a gravity fed water supply.

Click on the button on the lower left corner to start the slideshow.


Their home is a straw bale structure that was only four walls and a roof with a dirt floor when they bought it. Emily and Randall did all the work by themselves with a hand from Randall's son from time to time.

They live completely off the grid as they have 12 x 40 watt solar panels that supply all their electrical needs in the house, which Randall completely wired; propane refrigerator and water heater; Earth stove for heat; and a wonderful wood burning stove to cook and bake;

Emily plastered all the walls by dipping her hands in the plaster and smearing it on the walls in circular motions. Randall put built dividing walls with adobe bricks left inside the house when they bought it. He also put in a beautiful hickory hard wood floor....so warm. He also dug the septic tank and leech field. I admire these two people so much for building their home all by themselves.

We had such a wonderful time together. Emily was the one who taught me how to knit and we spent all of Wednesday looking through each other's knitting magazines and knitting together. She was knitting socks (my fav project) and I was finishing up a denim color jacket. Randall made a savory Salmon Bisque for dinner Tuesday and Emily made a wonderful round loaf of artisian bread. It was a meal fit for royalty!!! Absolutely heavenly. Wednesday I made scones for breakfast with Seafood Chowder for dinner using Gulf shrimp, Mobile Bay scallops and good, ole canned clams with lots of heavy cream and whole milk. Not very healthy maybe, but oh, my, so devilishly delicious. I made a mini apple pie for dessert.

Thursday morning we went over for coffee and were welcomed by Emily and Randall playing music and singing blue grass songs. What an absolute treat. It was wonderful to sit on stools by the wood burning stove, drinking coffee and listening to melodic strains to bid us farewell. Thank you Emily and Randall for sharing your home with Jim and I. Magdalena will definitely be on our list of annual places to visit from now on.

Remember, you are loved.