I can see it now – settling down on the front patio wrapped in a cotton blanket with a cup of hot chocolate (extra whipped cream, please) looking out to the apple orchard where elk, deer and one sweet, white horse named Mandy freely roam the grounds.
If I shut my eyes for just a moment, I almost feel like I am there. Then my cell phone rings, and I’ve come out of my trance, but I haven’t forgotten the beauty of their home.
Frank, an orthopedic surgeon in Alamogordo, takes great pride in growing alfalfa on their Tularosa farm and providing natural Angus beef to the area. Ronna, a master of many trades, including helping at their Tularosa farm and running the High Rolls farm they live on, shows longhorn steers. Together, they bought the 17 acres of land they currently call home in 1997 for their horses. The couple and their 21-year-old daughter Katelin, who currently attends NMSU, love to ride, and Frank is an avid foxhunter in his spare time.
They knew the land would be perfect to meet their needs, but because it was overgrown with weeds, trees and years of neglect, Frank and Ronna had to first clear out nature’s clutter, and what they unveiled became a home for their home. A year after they purchased the land, they designed their dream house and went to Bar M Construction in Alamogordo to build it.
“Look at this,” Ronna says as we stand on her patio, looking out onto the land before us. Past the orchards, the national forest begins, a fortunate addition to the location. “Our backyard goes on and on. We are very lucky to live right where we are.”
The outside of the home fits well in the countryside; a southwestern-style adobe exterior is welcoming, along with the friendly Golden Retriever Riley, that greets any incoming visitor. The inside is comfortable and elaborate in a sophisticated manner, thanks in part to Nancy Charles-Byres of Charles, Inc. Design Studio and Gallery who started as the interior designer for the Bryants six years ago. She has since become a friend.
“This is a fabulous home to decorate,” Nancy says. “I’m comfortable when I am here because it feels so peaceful. Sometimes I don’t want to leave.”
From the punched copper along the kitchen ceiling to the antique spurs resting on the coffee table in the living room to the Native American pottery lining the shelves, the house is full of character and comfort. The bold colors on the inside match the natural colors of the outside – greens and reds in the summer, oranges, browns and burgundy in the fall.
When not looking at all the collectibles in the house, it is easy for eyes to wander out the large picture windows to see apple, maple and pine trees. To step outside is even better. Leaves rustle in the breeze, water from a running creek flows into a pond and hummingbirds whistle by in their search for one of the many blooms around.
“This place is wonderful,” Ronna says of her home. “It’s a good place to be. It’s a good place to kick your boots off, walk into and relax.”
Not many people would argue. Frank and Ronna have surely found peace and contentment in a little bit of countryside heaven they call home.
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