Longtime neighbor keeps Hague Road entrance blooming for decades

For more than four decades, one neighbor has been quietly making sure the Hague Road entrance to Eagle Nest looks inviting.

“It started back in ’79, when we moved here,” Janet Long (right) said.
“The entrance was a mess. Nobody was taking care of it. At a board meeting, an older lady stood up — she was very adamant that the entrance should be inviting and well taken care of. I told her afterward, ‘If you get anywhere with this, I’ll help you.’ We ended up getting the sign rebuilt, and she and I looked after it together until she passed away.”

Since then, Janet has carried on almost single-handedly. “I didn’t want it to go back to being a mess, so I just kept it up. I asked the Board if that was OK, and they said, ‘Do whatever you want.’ So I did, for all these years.”

Struggles with repairs, upkeep

The work hasn’t always been easy. The latest damage to the sign from a car wreck last year wasn’t the first time that’s happened.

“It’s been hit three times,” Janet said. The monument sign has since been replaced, but due to a series of scheduling and communication errors between the power company and the lighting contractor, the entrance sign sat dark for nearly a year. Good news is, lighting has been restored, which means beautification efforts can resume.

But Janet has been limited in what she can do. “I go down there often, but I can’t move those big rocks protecting the corner. … There are things I just can’t do anymore.”

The workload

When everything is in good shape, Janet spends several hours every couple of weeks tending the entrance. “I usually put in about three hours over two weeks. I love it,” she said.

The watering alone used to be a challenge. “There’s no water source down there. I hauled jugs for years. Eventually I found hardy plants that don’t need much water and keep blooming.”

She dreams of planting more perennials: “It would be wonderful if we could afford perennials that add color but don’t need to be replaced every spring. You see these medians around the city that look great year after year — we could do that here.”

Passing the torch

Janet admits the time has come for new hands. “I’m 82, almost 83. If younger people are interested, this is the right time to hand things over. I’d gladly help get it started, share the history, and guide the first few months.”

She believes the work has real meaning. “The entrances are the front doors to the subdivision. If money is spent anywhere, that should be one of the top priorities. It’s the face we show to the world.”

Story by Eagle Nest resident and Board member John Strauss. Send your neighborhood story ideas to John at johncstrauss@gmail.com.