Condo Living in North Central Arizona - needs updating

Tuzigoot, Montezuma Well and Montezuma Castle

My wife an I have driven by these three early condo communities for the last 30 years without stopping to investigate. Recently, the National Parks Service offered free entrance to most parks during earth week. This was enough incentive to get us to visit these indian ruin sites in north central Arizona that were once occupied by the Sinagua tribe in 1000 AD.  The Tuzigoot property sat on 42 acres and had around 100 rooms, with river views.

If river views aren't good enough, one could travel 30 miles east to Montezuma Well. The water is at a constant 76 degrees.  Large amounts of carbon dioxide limit water life in the well.  Again the Sinaguan lived here around 1125 AD.

A few miles south is the location I would have selected Montezuma Castle.  This also has a river running through it and offers more of a high rise living option featuring 20 rooms.  It is walking distance to a casino.  Have times changed?

Adjustable Height Desk Update

This is a continuation from part 1 that can be viewed here: Part One Height Adjustable Desk 


The English Elm slab arrived slightly damaged due to its lengthy trip from Massachusetts to Arizona.  The nice folks at Berkshire Products provided a generous credit to compensate for the damage.  Now the planned 5 foot desk has become a desk of 4 1/2 feet.  

I spent two days peeling off the live edge and sanding both sides using 60, 120 and 230 sandpaper. Then, I mixed the 1/3 Linseed Oil, Naptha, Polyurethane formula provided by the thewoodwhisperer.com - make-your-own-oil-varnish-blend.

Over the next 4 days I applied one coat to each side and wiped off the excess and let it dry overnight. On coats 2-4, I used 400 grit wet sandpaper during the application on the top of the desk to maximize a smooth finish. Here is the top after the first application:

I let the piece dry for another 3 days before mounting it on the adjustable base. Here is a photo at desk height:

Here the desktop is elevated to standing height:

I am pleased with the end result.  The top is smooth and I enjoy being able to stand and sit. Not a tremendous amount of workspace but it blends into the available space well and meets my needs.  The iMac is a 27' version that takes up quite a bit of real estate.