I photographed this picturesque Arizona sunset during our summer 2008 vacation near Chinle, AZ, in the heart of Navajo country. Chinle is the gateway to Canyon De Chelly National Park. Click on the image to enlarge.
Arizona
Casandro Wash Dam
Image: (top) west side of the dam and basin (seen from US 60) – (bottom) east side showing spillway and lower wash. Click on the image to enlarge.
One of the things you have to consider when buying property is the potential for damage from fire and flooding. I was very interested in the proximity of the Casandro Wash Dam and how the floodplain might affect our property.
The diagram at the right shows an aerial view of the dam and spillway, the lower wash (yellow line) and the location of the new house (red circle). Click the thumbnail to enlarge.
According to the Flood Control District of Maricopa county:
Casandro Wash Dam was constructed to collect and store water from the Casandro Wash, removing a significant number of residential structures from the 100-year floodplain in a three-square-mile area east of the structure. The dam is 350 feet in length and the emergency spillway is an 80-foot-wide concrete weir through the embankment near the center of the dam. Casandro Wash Dam was constructed by the District which is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of the structure excluding the outfall system, which is maintained by the Town of Wickenburg.
From all the information we have gathered and the details in the escrow papers, we, and the other property owners near Casandro Wash are in pretty good shape when it comes to flood potential thanks to the dam and spillway.
Exterior Decor Thoughts
We have been talking about landscaping our new property and wanted some ideas so we took a drive around town yesterday looking at what people with Santa Fe style homes have. I sure liked this wall and gate we saw at a home not too far from ours. Click on the image to enlarge.
Just a Few More Weeks
We dropped the dogs off at the groomer for baths and a trim for bear. We attended the gun show in town and then went out to the new house to bask in the afterglow of a very satisfying week. The kitchen and bathrooms cabinets are all installed and they look great! Interior paint looks complete and we have seen and approved the exterior paint color.
We spent a bit of time wandering around the lot, looking at the layout and discussed where we wanted to put rock gardens, foliage, walls and dog run. It was a lot of fun to anticipate how we will be personalizing the new place.
In the photo above, we’re standing on the front porch with the great room window behind us and our master bedroom to the left of the front door. Click on the image to enlarge.
New House Exterior Paint
We went out to the property today to view the paint samples they applied to the exterior. There were two samples; one on the shady side of the house and one on the sunny side. Here is a composite photo that Bob made of both, shade and sunny side, respectively.
When Kevin, our contractor asked us what color to use, I gave him a small vial of red dirt I collected from a roadside not too far from Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. “Match this,” I said. I think he did a pretty good job!
View from the Hill
I walked up the hill behind our new house this morning on a cloudy Wickenburg day and snapped this two-image composite of it as seen from my elevated vantage point. Click on the image to enlarge.
