Our New Mexico Home
We moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the fall of 2005. Many have asked why Las Cruces? The main
reason was the desire for a more sunny climate and clearer weather for George's astronomy interest. The
southwest seemed like a logical location. Most areas in Arizona were too hot and/or populated. Nevada
and California had little of interest, so we investigated New Mexico and found that Las Cruces offered much
of what we wanted... a large enough town to provide most of the services and shopping that we wanted; a
college town (NMSU); high enough elevation to cool off at night; interesting scenery with the nearby Organ
Mountains; close to a major airport (El Paso); relatively inexpensive housing; and dark skies for George's
astronomy.
reason was the desire for a more sunny climate and clearer weather for George's astronomy interest. The
southwest seemed like a logical location. Most areas in Arizona were too hot and/or populated. Nevada
and California had little of interest, so we investigated New Mexico and found that Las Cruces offered much
of what we wanted... a large enough town to provide most of the services and shopping that we wanted; a
college town (NMSU); high enough elevation to cool off at night; interesting scenery with the nearby Organ
Mountains; close to a major airport (El Paso); relatively inexpensive housing; and dark skies for George's
astronomy.
| Front of the house looking north; driveway in foreground |
| West side of the house with Organ Mountains in the distance |
| Cactus garden in back; looking south |
| Flower garden in back; looking southwest |
Our home is located on 2.4 acres about five miles from Las Cruces. There are hundreds of homes in this
area, but it still retains a rural atmosphere. We purchased a home that was built in 2004 by a retired
engineer and his wife. We haven't done much in the way of improvements other than enhancing the
landscaping and of course, building an observatory.
