Homeowner turns his property into a truly unique landscape

Charlie Neuman

Art work at the home of Chuck and Pilar Bahde of Rancho Santa Fe

Photo by Charlie Neuman

An untitled sculpture (left) pointed across a walkway at the home of Chuck and Pilar Bahde of Rancho Santa Fe. “My sculptures are unusual. Some say I’m a little weird,” said Chuck Bahde (below), strolling past another of his sculptures, this one twisting skyward.

RANCHO SANTA FE — When Chuck Bahde bought the rambling wooden house in Rancho Santa Fe, the 5-acre spread already had plenty of grass and gardens. But that wasn’t to his liking. Besides, it seemed such a waste of water to keep the lawn green. So Bahde set out to create a new landscape, filled with meandering streams, pools and waterfalls — all created with blue and green glass, hand-painted rocks and plastic.

Today dozens of artworks adorn Bahde’s expansive property, in addition to the waterless pools and rivers. Every last piece is made from recycled or found materials. Pebbles, broken bottles, computer chips, seashells, beads, railroad ties, old-fashioned glass doorknobs and even an old, 5-cent parking meter have been turned into artwork in his hands.

A solar panel from a defunct pool-heating system is now the basis for a towering sculpture called “The Wave.” Plastic CDs are put to use as sun-catchers, and warped, time-faded, wooden tennis rackets and a tiny gold trophy add to the décor surrounding the tennis courts. Every rock lining the numerous pathways was found on the property, he said.

Bahde, 84, was an industrial architect by trade and a graduate of the Institute of Design In Chicago . Over the years he enjoyed a wide-ranging career that included everything from designing and building custom homes in the Midwest to practicing public relations in Europe , where he met his wife, Pilar, who is Swiss and Spanish.

“I was more or less a job-jumper, because I was curious,” he said.

Though he started creating art while in school, and design work was often part of his job, Bahde was never a professional artist. “My sculptures are unusual. Some say I’m a little weird,” he said with a laugh.

But few aside from family members and friends have seen his sculptures and unique landscape of art. “I just do things for myself,” he said.

A vacation in San Diego and a subsequent job offer from Convair, where Bahde worked designing airliner interiors, led the couple to settle in San Diego to raise their two children. After many years living in Point Loma and actively participating in the planning group and other community efforts, the Bahdes bought the Rancho Santa Fe property in 1974. He has been remodeling the house, and the yard, ever since.

Bahde’s landscape is ever-changing, as he continues to add to it and create newer pieces. Even more sculptures fill several garages that once housed a car collection; Bahde plans to put them on exhibit at a gallery someday.

But he is most proud of the fact that his intricate and eye-catching landscape takes very little water to maintain, other than what is needed for the macadamia trees, two coral trees and a small rose garden that were already on the property when he bought it.

In fact, the recent rains kept Bahde busy drying out the “pools,” since standing water could loosen the glue holding the mosaic-like surface together.

Bahde credits a school coach, in part, with some of the modesty that has kept him from making his artwork public. “My first football coach told me: ‘As good as you all are, I don’t want to see you bragging. Just show people what you can do.’ ”

Leslie Wolf Branscomb is a freelance writer in San Diego.

Rancho Santa Fe Rotary donation to Kids Korps

Rancho Santa Fe Rotary Club donates $ 2,000 to the Kids Korps “Build a bike” program
Cindy Bloch, Past Regional President and founding memer of Kids Korps, receives a check along with Robin Chappelow the Regional Program Director from President Michael Manhard

While California home prices are still far below the peak levels of 2006, some economists think California is on its way out of the woods. “Now we’re seeing the interior [of the state] has stabilized – because prices have fallen by 50% to 60% already,” says Stuart Gabriel, director of UCLA’s Ziman Center for Real Estate. The combination of cuts in price, reductions in mortgage rates and all sorts of state and federal programs to incentivize buying activity have brought stability. “Prices are increasing only modestly, but for all intents and purposes, they’ve stopped falling,” Gabriel says.

Grant Show and Alphonso Ribiero

On March 14, more than 150 guests attended the Fresh Start Surgical Gifts soiree overlooking Morgan Run Golf Course in Rancho Santa Fe.

“Fresh Start Surgical Gifts provides free, world-class reconstructive surgery and related services to disadvantaged children and young people with physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse or disease,” said Nancy Kelly, development director.

“Children come from across the United States and all over the world to receive the gift of a fresh start.”

Since its inception in 1991, $17 million has helped 4,800 children and young people undergo life-changing surgical transformations.

Celebrity co-hosts and emcees for the evening Alfonso Ribeiro and Grant Show were delighted to be there.

“This is my sixth year hosting this event and I love doing it because it’s all about the kids,” Ribeiro said.

Other celebrities and professional athletes who took part in the fundraiser were Marcus Allen, Hank Bauer, Bucky Brooks, Willie Buchanon, Darren Carrington, Vince Coleman, Danny Farmer, Marshall Faulk, Michael Haynes, Rob Heidger, Seth Joyner, David Justice, Patricia Kara, James Lofton, Ursula Mayes, Craig McEwen, Tina Mickelson, Phil Nevin, Jeffrey Nordling, Leslie O’Neil, Andre Reed, Sam Scarber, Mike Scifres, Junior Seau, Pete Shaw, Lauren Shiohama, and Craig Whelihan.

Guests perused abundant silent auction tables. However, the Morgan Run Club & Resort full membership was the buzz.

Jason Lawhead served as auctioneer.

During the evening, patient Juan Hurtado delivered inspirational words after reconstructive surgeries to his cleft lip and palate. He thanked Fresh Start for making his dreams come true.

Event sponsors included EDCO Waste & Recycling Services, Marcus Allen All Stars Helping Kids, Inc., Davlyn Investments, Dowling & Yahnke, Godes & Preis LLP, The Handlery Hotel & Resort and MLSM.

Members of the 2010 Golf Classic Committee were chair Vanessa Jackson, Brian Ferguson, Jason Finley, Mike Gainey, Jim Godes, Rob Heidger, Mike Kozlowski, Pete Lassalette, Annette Legaspi, Pete Lizarraga, Pete Middleton, Erik Moore, Cindy Reed, and John Rubey.

It is said that Patrick became Ireland’s patron saint by driving the snakes from the Emerald Isle (throwing down the witty challenge, “All snakes wishing to remain in Ireland, raise your right hand”). It’s a great story, but not literally true.

Since the Ice Age, the country most likely had no snakes; however, serpent symbols were prominent in the pagan rituals that dominated Ireland. Over the 3 decades that Patrick spread Christianity throughout the country, those ancient practices were “driven” away.

March 17th is believed to be the day St. Patrick died (in 460 A.D.) and is observed as a religious holiday throughout Ireland. Here in America, we mark it by adopting some of the symbols and practices of the Irish, hoping some of their “luck” will rub off on us.

* Finding a penny and picking it up

* Finding a four-leaf clover

* Sneezing 3 times before breakfast

* Spilling wine while proposing a toast

* Having a ladybug land on you

* Seeing a spider spinning in the morning

* Dropping a glove

* Picking up a pencil in the street

* An itch on the top of your head

Interestingly many people wonder what is the meaning of ‘Erin Go Bragh’. It is mostly translated to mean ‘”Ireland Forever’.

Origin: Speakers of the Irish language assume that the phrase is a corruption of the Irish Éire go Brách or Éireann go Brách. The term brách is equivalent to “eternity” or “end of time”, meaning the phrase may be translated literally as “Ireland until eternity” or “Ireland until the end (of time)”. The form Éireann go Bráth or Éire go Bráth is also used in Irish and means the same thing.

St. Patrick’s Day holds a special place in my heart. My Great Grandmother came to America from Ireland in the early 1900′s. I never did get a chance to meet her as she passed away a year before I was born.
Mary Mc Anteer was her name and she spoke Gaelic. My Grandmother ( Mary’s daughter ) told me great tales of the famine and eating potatoes and onion sandwiches for months when there was nothing else. How her mother and father struggled to make it to America and ended up raising 13 children here. I loved listening to those stories and always wanted more information. I heard she was one tough broad. I guess she had to be.
I vowed that if I ever went to Ellis Island, I would look for her name. When I finally did make it there, I was sadly unsuccessful in finding her paperwork. But, I was able to imagine what it must have been like by looking at all of those other transcripts, photos and items left behind so long ago.
I have often looked at Mary’s old photographs and can see the resemblance in my own Mother, sister and myself. I love that we are truly Irish but that she made the decision to leave that barren land to better her life and ours.
So, tomorrow I will raise a mug of coffee and Irish whiskey and make a toast to her, eat cabbage and corned beef and try to keep the memory alive. Erin Go Bragh!

Rancho Santa Fe lifestyle just got that much sweeter. North County foodies can’t get enough of the new Dolce Pane E Vino wine bar and restaurant, which celebrated a soft opening in RSF’s Del Rayo Center in late 2009, and has since become a neighborhood favorite. Dolce serves handmade small plates of Italian favorites for lunch and dinner, including wood-fired pane rusticos and Panini sandwiches, paired with a tempting wine list designed by Sommelier Michael Melone. Chef Chris O’Donnell is a firm believer in farm-to-table traditions, and makes daily trips to local farms–specifically to the nationally famous Chino’s farm– to ensure the freshest ingredients every day. For those on the go, the attached Dolce Formaggeria wraps up signature small plates and bottles of wine for convenient quick stops.

WASHINGTON (AP) Housing construction posted a better-than-expected increase in January, which pushed activity to the highest level in six months.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that construction of new homes and apartments rose 2.8 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 591,000 units. That was better than the 580,000 annual pace that economists had forecasted.

Applications for building permits, considered a good barometer of future activity, fell 4.9 percent to a rate of 621,000, but that was after two months of large increases.

In another sign of strength, Wednesdays report revised upward data in December to show builders were starting construction at an annual pace of 575,000 units during that month, much stronger than the 557,000 originally reported. Even with the upward revision, activity was down 0.7 percent in December from the month before, a dip that was blamed on severe weather in many parts of the country that depressed construction activity.

Economists are hoping that housing is beginning to recover and a rebound in this area will help support the economy as it struggles to mount a sustained recovery from the deepest recession since the 1930s.

Januarys results were led by a 10 percent jump in activity in the Northeast and an 8.9 percent increase in the West. Construction was up a smaller 1 percent in the South and 3.2 percent in the Midwest.

The strength in January pushed construction activity up by 21.1 percent from the pace in January 2009. Last months building rate the fastest pace since July.

Construction of single-family homes rose 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 484,000 units while construction of multi-family units increased 9.2 percent to an annual rate of 107,000 units.

In other favorable developments, mortgage rates are hovering around 5 percent, pushed down by a Federal Reserve program to buy mortgage-backed securities. And builders say they are also seeing a boost in the demand for homes coming from a government stimulus program. That program provides tax credits of up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers and up to $6,500 for current homeowners who decide to move.

In another economic report, industrial production rose 0.9 percent in January, the seventh consecutive monthly increase as manufacturers help lead the nations recovery.

The Federal Reserve reported Wednesday that Januarys numbers rose in all three major categories: manufacturing, mining and energy utilities. That is the first such show of strength since August 2009.

It says manufacturing rose 1.0 percent, while mining and utilities each gained 0.7 percent.

The results are a more meaningful sign of economic progress than Decembers number, which the Fed revised up to 0.7 percent from the 0.6 percent reported earlier.

That increase was driven by weather-related increases in utility production, while manufacturing posted a 0.1 percent loss.

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