Friends of Soledad Canyon,
I am glad I don’t count on my writing for a living! It’s been awhile since I have been inspired to write our Newsletter! I wonder why.
The end of autumn brings the beginning of Ramming Walls on our Berrenda Ranch project. We are at the end of week two. The weather has been very good for such activities!
Our owners paid a visit to the site this week just in time to see the actual walls being constructed. 
After 29 years of watching rammed earth walls go up I take it for grant it. It reminds me how special and permanent these walls are. In their raw state they evoke images of Stonehenge! We are building a home that will stand the test of time…..way beyond our time. It is sustainable, it is providing jobs, it’s providing a home, and it is more than just work. It is building relationships, being creative, and working through challenges. Everyone in our company, Soledad Canyon Earth Builders, is very grateful to be able to build this home.What a thrill to experience their dream home becoming a reality. Watching them seeing the ramming for the first time is very heartwarming
We are also beginning a new set of plans for our clients who left Las Cruces some 15 years ago saying they would be back. And sure enough they are here to begin their life in a newly created rammed earth home. The process of designing a home to meet the needs and dreams on our clients is fun and intriguing. Reading the subtle hints, the mentions, the twinkle in the eye, the excitement of envisioning sitting out on the porch watching the mountain sunset, etc. We again, look forward to the process as unique as the home that is built.
Las Cruces is a great place to live. I realize, through the eyes of those clients, who are rediscovering Las Cruces after 15 years. They are pointing out all the great changes. We only hope that the growth of Las Cruces continues in a way that businesses prosper, thus allowing families to prosper.
As we settle in to the end of 2012 we look back at what the year has brought us, we look forward to what we can make of 2013. I leave you with this thought…….
Do we need more, or do we need to offer something to someone who just needs some.
Thanks to everyone who has entered our lives this year, and those who continue to be in our lives as we continue to build homes.
My best to you and your family,
Pat Bellestri-Martinez