The Ranchito in summer 2007. We built the house for $65,000 U.S. over nine months in 2002-2003. A team of three craftsmen and a helper worked five ten-hour days and a half day on Saturday. Except for one day using a cement mixer, they did the job with no power tools of any type, mixing cement directly on the ground. Later, an old man named Don Manuel painted the house, inside and out, alone, using no rollers nor masking tape anywhere. He also stained the wooden ceiling beams.

We employed neither architect nor general contractor. It´s our own design.

A carpenter did all the wood things, and he did use power tools. Two local teachers who "moonlight" as electricians and plumbers did all the plumbing and electrical installations for $3,000 total.

The double lot set us back about $24,000. The house, the property, plus odds and ends totalled about $100,000.

Ranchito exterior in 2005. Compare with photo just above, two rainy seasons later.

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church. I keep it staying at Home. -- Emily Dickinson.

Downstairs terraza. We have seasonal bats living in the roof tile in one corner. And sometimes in hats hanging on the wall. They announce their presence by dropping guano here and there. It´s easy to sweep up in the morning, nice and dry like little mouse turds.

The rockers are superb places to have hot cafecitos in the morning as the sun rises. Or in the evening as the sun sets behind us. We face the sunrise.

The downstairs terraza at nightfall.

"It is one of life's bitterest truths that bedtime so often arrives just when things are really getting interesting." -- Lemony Snicket

Front door, which was designed by Michael. The door was hand-carved and painted by a local artisan. The design was inspired by a tangerine dream Michael had in 1997.

View from living room through archway into the dining room/kitchen area.

The dining room and kitchen are one large space. This is the kitchen side, with tile. The dining room is behind the photographer. We had ordered yellow tile, but they mistakenly delivered this, which is called mustard. We decided to just use it. Michael would have preferred the yellow. Marta loves this mustard.

Where are the weenies?

Dining room. It´s the other end of the room you see just above.

View from the dining room out into the living room. It´s a step down.