The Kiva Condo – 2011 – 2014
Recently, with the virus hanging around, I’ve had some time to reflect on personal periods of our past history, and thought I would share them with friends and readers of this blog.
We opened a country inn and restaurant in 1994 on 225 acres in the rural country side of northern New Mexico, only 38 miles northwest of Santa Fe. While living on the property, we moved five times in 20 years, but I will start with our last residence at The Rancho de San Juan.
In 2011 we moved into the Kiva. This was one of the free standing rooms we had built and used for inn guests and it was located in “The Casitas” area on the property, just a short walk or drive to the main inn. After completing a remodel the structure, adding a full bedroom, small kitchen, and extended bath, we were able to customize it to our personal needs.
The Kive is a large circular building used ffor tribal ceremonies and on the pueblos it is entered through an opening on the top. Our Kiva had a skylight in the center of the main room.
Upon entering there was a surved banco seating to the left, with a 5 x 5 Tony Abyeta mixed media painting of two Navajo Yeas (or guradian spirits) – he used sand from the property mixed into the oil the paint.
Hanging from filiment in the spotlight so it can rotate freely is a carved Thunderbird mask from the northwest coast on Vancouver Island. The long hair is made of cedar bark. The bronze raven sitting on the black Chinese table is by the well known sculptor, Star Liana York.
The dining room table and chandelier were off center from the skylight.
A small bar and stereo center were graced with a painting called “Moon Bones” by native American artist Doug Coffin.
Following aroud the room was additional seating and openings into the bedroom separated by wooden panels from an antique Chinese screen. On the wall is another carved cedar mask from the northwest coast. It’s by Greg Colfax and the title is “Bukwus” (the spirit of a drowned whaler. On the old screw rack table from a lumber company sits “Watch Bear”, another bronze by Star York.
Above the kiva fireplace is a Huichol Indian beaded cow skull from Mexico. On the granit hearth is a fire screen used on set in The Lonesome Dove movie.
The chairs we didn’t bring with us, but wish we had. The table and the lamp are here in Merida.
The Bath
The Bedroom
Northwest coast “Crooked Beak” mask with copper and abalone eyes
My at home office with kitchen in the background.
The walk-in closet (me one side/John the other). Two Obi hangings 1940’s & 1960’s – Sunface Mask (NWC)
The Kiva Patio Portal & Views
Patio dining area
Cocktail time at the Kiva
The View – on a clear day, which we had a lot of, you could see mountains forty miles away and contrails from hundreds of jets crisscrossing the azure blue sky. The rugged land is pocked with juniper trees, piñon pine, and different types of flowering cacti.
We had already lived in four other location on the property. First – the Main Inn, until needing the space to enlarge our restaurant and bar. Then – the Valdito casita.
Here we had an open space arrangement with the living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom all on two levels, with a large bathroom down a short hallway.
From there we moved to the Villa Serinadad casita
The villa was another of the free-standing casitas with high ceilings and a large kiva fireplace with a compact kitchen, circular living room/dining room combination, seperate office and large bedroom/bath with whirlpool tub and walk-in shower (all done in Mexican travertine) complete with a walled garden and two terraces.
Raven Rock became our main residence for several years from 2005 to 2011. This 3600 sq. ft. house on 10 + acres was located in the 100 acres adjoining the inn, where we developed a subdivision with seven lots, and built our own home in 2004.
It was essentially a one bedroom home with a separate one bedroom apartment attached for John’s mother. The front door of her private apartment opened into our spacious entry hall. The living room was 32 ft. long by 18 ft. wide. The entry hall extended into the atrium dining room, where John grew palms, orchids and other plants with a grand view of the mesa to the east. A powder room was in the hallway connecting the kitchen to the dining room. The living room ceilings were 16 ft. high.
The large bedroom was separated from the black granite bathroom by twin walk-in closets. We purchased an antique Chinese cabinet to house the double basins, towels and other bath necessities. There was a urinal and a toilet, plus a double size Jacuzzi tub with a full window wall right to the edge and a 6×6 open granite shower without any doors. The granite sparkled with flex of mica in it, like a thousand twinkling stars.
The main entry was a 65 ft. x 12 ft. portal. The name Raven Rock came from the outcropping of rocks at the end of the portal when ravens would gather for squawking conversations and to consume their road-kill and trash collected tidbits, before retiring to their nest high in the rocky sandstone cliffs behind the house.
This house was perfect for parties and large group gatherings and the sunsets in the distant western skies were always a mesmerizing canvas for the inspired artist.
Taken from our portal at Raven Rock
We created a fountain with an artificial stream in front of the house which became a haven for birds and animals in search of water. Ravens, would wash their road-kill before taking it to the rocks to eat, coyotes and bob cats would find it particularly inviting during cocktail time and late in the evening. Birds used the fountain pool to bathe in and splash the water everywhere.
Now and then a raccoon would find his way up the hill from the Ojo Caliente River across the highway. However, their chance of making it across the country highway with all the semi-trucks that traveled that road from Colorado were slim to none.
I apologize for not having more photos of Raven Rock. I only have a vidio of our house warming party with 100 people, which I can’t seem to find. Oh well, that’s life…
Be sure to watch for my novel Hampton Park to be released before December this year.
Hampton Park
2015
As Hampton Park returns to its former glory, romance blossoms anew in this saga of loves lost and loves found.
With Daniel Rothman’s surprise inheritance of a country estate near Winchester, England, the journey begins. Millionaire businesswoman Sandra Hartford agrees to partner with the new Earl in restoring the century’s old manor that belonged to his ancestors while architect and preservationist Terrance Heath has designs on more than just the estate.
Neighboring manor Lord, historian, and National Trust member Sir Timothy Langdon, renews his long, hidden, interest in Daniel’s mother, Rose Rothman, as they unravel the mysterious death of her father, while Timothy’s niece, Sabrina, a talented young woman in the luxury hotel business, sets her sights and desires beyond Daniel’s properties.
But as work begins on the mansion, a tale of finance, romance, greed, death, deceit, robbery, murder, and the world of spirits weaves its way through the corridors of time. Join the journey touring the magnificent estates, engaging in the delightful dining and conversations while old loves are restored and new loves bloom. Get ready Netflix
Stories from Merida 
Aaah, such wonderful memories.
We’re fine and in the last days of an excellent summer music season. We hope to do some traveling soon but who knows? Our big new is that we will get a second great grandson in February!
Cheers,
Don
LikeLike
Lovely memories…lovely casitas…lovely furnishings…lovely sunsets. Thanks for sharing, David.
Ed
On Tue, Aug 17, 2021 at 5:38 PM Stories from Merida wrote:
> D.G. Heath posted: ” The Kiva Condo – 2011 – 2014 Recently, with the virus > hanging around, I’ve had some time to reflect on personal periods of our > past history, and thought I would share them with friends and readers of > this blog. We opened a country inn and resta” >
LikeLike