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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #119
July 19, 2002
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Dear Subscriber:

Many of the restrictions were lifted in the Lincoln National
Forest this past week. The result has been a healthy influx of
visitors.

There has been some much needed rain over the state.

My father-in-law is a learned man. I turn to him for an
intellectual viewpoint on many subjects.

I asked this man of letters if there had been any significant
rainfall in Las Cruces where he lives.

He told me his rain gauge showed three tenths of an inch this
past week, but that may also include, he said, the Miller bug
in the bottom of the gauge.

It has been cuttin' and splittin' week at the Vanlandingham
house. A friend had done some clearing around his new house and
we jumped on the chance for the wood.

I took the chain saw out of its winter hibernation in the
storage shed. I cleaned it and oiled it and whispered a few
sweet words to it, and it started on the second pull. Within
two days I had cut enough logs for the winter.

The splittin' went well. Peg and I have a running argument
about who works hardest during the splittin'. I have to lift
the logs onto the splitter and run them through (the splitter
is a gasoline powered hydraulic). Peg moves the logs from the
pile and into the splittin' area and then takes the finished
firewood to the stack.

What the heck. Argument is good for the soul. I'll say this.
If there's work to be done, I want Peg on my side.

Cuttin' and splittin' is a special time. Sure, we could order
our wood from a contractor, but that would take all the fun out
of it. Peggy said it best this morning as we drank our coffee
and prepared for another day of wood cutting when she said it
smells so good. That piney fragrance reminds you of why you
live here.

While most of America is taking their vacations, we're preparing
for the winter. The wood we cut this week should be dry enough
to burn when the temperatures begin dropping below freezing in
October and November. We have a thermostat controlled furnace
and we use it often, but the wood burning stove is a special
area of our living room. The scene of our dogs cuddling near
the hearth makes my heart go pitty-pat. I love the summers in
the Sacramentos, but there's something extra special about a
crackling fire in the stove and football on the TV in the fall.

Somewhere there's an executive of a huge company that makes
hundreds of thousands a year sitting behind his desk wishing he
was in the mountains cuttin' and splittin'.

Sorry. No trade.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL -- HUNGRY HUMMERS
3. VILLAGE NEWS
4. INSIDE THE SHOP -- SCENIC CANYON RV PARK
5. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- SW NEW MEXICO PARK TOUR
6. Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
7. COMING EVENTS
8. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
9. CONTACT INFORMATION
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LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
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A slow but steady increase in the moisture has prompted the
Forest Service to lift most of the restrictions in the woods.
At this writing, there are still restrictions on campfires
other than those in supervised camping areas.

A particularly heavy rainfall Wednesday when we went to press.

Highs are in the upper-70s. Lows in the lower-50s.
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SPECIAL -- HUNGRY HUMMERS
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The heavy rain today (Wed) made the hummingbirds particularly
voracious.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/hummingbird.htm

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VILLAGE NEWS
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The first 4 miles of NM Highway 130 between Cloudcroft and 
Mayhill has had a speed limit change from 25 mph to 35 mph.

The low speed limit of the past was due to the hazardous turns
and blind corners on the road. Road improvements have prompted
the change, but the road is still considered hazardous.

In the winter it is especially precarious.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- SCENIC CANYON RV PARK
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Scenic, secluded, and uncrowded. Large pull-through spaces with
50 AMP hookups. 33 channels of Cable TV. Phone and internet
connections available. 6.5 miles East of Cloudcroft off Hwy 82.
For information and reservations, call (877) 687-2306 (toll
free) or email bill@cloudcroft-rv.com. For a map and more
information, see the link to their Web Site on the RV/Camping
page of Cloudcroft.com:

http://www.cloudcroft.com/camping.htm

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- SW NEW MEXICO PARK TOUR
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There are some great places to visit in the Southwest part of
The Land of Enchantment...all just a short drive from
Cloudcroft.

http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/NMParks/PAGES/REGIONS/Tour.htm

Click on Southwest in the left margin.
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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Seen Yogi lately?

A - I am amazed at the number of people mesmerized by this
obnoxious bear. He contributes absolutely nothing to the Gross
National Product. He's likely under-educated and over-
influenced by food scraps. He performs no community service.
I've been told he smells bad (although I haven't gotten close
enough to him to verify that). Yet, people stop me on the
street asking me if I've seen Yogi lately...like he's some kind
of friend or family member. There's even an Albuquerque TV
station that wants to do a story on Yogi.

Yogi doesn't come around much any more. It's probably because
the forest is greener and he's able to find a food source in
more natural locations than my chest freezer.

He doesn't call. He doesn't write. He's pretty much a self-
centered and ungrateful bear.
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COMING EVENTS
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July 19-21 -- Blue Grass Festival. Weed, New Mexico.

July 23-24 -- Full Moon Night, White Sands National
Monument, 8:30pm. For more information, call (505) 679-2599.

July 27 -- Train Load of Talent. Covered Pavilion. 7:30pm.
Proceeds benefit the victims of the Rio Penasco Fire.

July 27 -- Chili Cook-off. Ski Cloudcroft.

August 1-4 -- Gathering of Circles. For more information see
www.GatheringOfCircles.com or phone (915) 550-3302.

August 3 -- Otero County Electric Coop annual meeting.
Cloudcroft High School Gym. For more information, call
Eddie Little at (505) 682-2521.

August 10 -- Otero County Fair Parade. Alamogordo. 4pm.

August 14-17 -- Otero County Fair. Otero County Fairgrounds.
For more information, call (505) 437-6120.

August 16, 17, 18 -- Singing in the Clouds. High School.
For more information, call (505) 682-2733.

August 25 -- Music Night, Ice Cream Social, and Silent Auction.
Cloudcroft Methodist Church, 5pm. BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!

August 31-Sept. 2 -- Labor Day Fiesta. Burro Avenue.
Sidewalk sales, street dance, entertainment, games.

August 31 -- Street Dance. Burro Avenue. 7pm.

August 31 -- James Canyon Volunteer Fire Department Labor Day
BBQ, Auction, and Dance. Dinner 5pm. Auction 7pm.
Dance (live band) 9pm. Call (505) 687-3960 for more details.

September 7 -- Methodist Men's Auction, 9am-5pm at the Covered
Pavilion in Zenith Park.

September 15 -- Governor’s 10K Run/Walk. For more info, call
(505) 682-2733.

September 21 -- Lumberjack Days. Chainsaw and ax competitions.
Zenith Park. For more information, call (505) 682-2733.

September 28-29 -- Aspencade tours (fall foliage at its best).
For more information, call (505) 682-2733.

October 5, 6 -- Oktoberfest. Juried art show. Zenith Park

October 5, 6 -- Aspencade tours

October 19, 20 -- High Rolls Apple Festival. High Rolls, NM.
For more information, call (505) 682-1151.

October 26 -- Harvestfest. Pumpkin carving, hay rides.

October 31 -- Trick or Treat. Burro Avenue. 5-7pm.

Cloudcroft Art Society meets the second Sunday of each month,
2-4pm, in the Old Red Brick School House. Call (505) 682-2494
for more information.

Mountain Garden Club meets every third Monday of each month.
Call (505) 682-2910 for more information.

Senior Van from Timberon to Alamogordo leaves the Timberon
Lodge promptly at 8:30am every Tuesday morning.

Free Vitals Clinic. Third Tuesday of each month starting at 6pm
and last Thursday of each month starting at 12pm. James Canyon
Fire Department, 2346 Highway 82.

If you have news of public events in the Cloudcroft area, email
us.

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For an online calendar of area events, click the Events Calendar
link in the left column of our home page:

http://www.cloudcroft.com/index.html

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Dear Newsletter:

As we are all still feeling very vulnerable following the Rio
Penasco Fire, I think it would be appropriate to take the
opportunity to thank our neighbors who work with the James
Canyon Volunteer Fire Department.

Seventeen of our firefighter volunteers worked side-by-side
with the professionals and logged over 620 man hours. Numerous
other volunteers helped with non-firefighting duties of all kinds.

The James Canyon Volunteer Fire Department will be holding its
annual Labor Day Weekend BBQ and auction and dance on Saturday,
August 31, 2002. Dinner starts at 5:00 pm. Auction starts at
7:00 pm. Dance (live band) starts at 9:00 pm. Raffle tickets
will be sold for some very nice prizes too. This is the only
fund-raising activity of the Fire Department each year.

Let's all say thanks by supporting this event.

Call 505-687-3960 for more details.

Preston Brashear

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Dear Newsletter:

I read your letter about Paul and was moved. I too have a
friend who was just diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and given
6 months to a year.

It seems every day that goes by as I get older more and more
of my friends are struck down with this disease. I am praying
for Paul. I am a firm believer in dealing with things head on
and not tip-toeing around like I'm in a minefield. It sounds
like your friend is the same way. 

Do EVERYTHING you can now with all of your friends and family
because you never know. We are all just pilgrims on this road
'till we say fair thee well.

Phil Duncan
The Woodlands, Texas by way of Carlsbad, NM

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Dear Newsletter:

I have never replied before to a newsletter, but this is a
memorial in the best sense of the word! Such a friendship is
truly a treasure to never forget. Thank you for sharing with
the rest of us.

Dorothy Bridges

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Dear Newsletter:

Your newsletters are great reading... a little bit of every
emotion keeps us entertained.

Put the "Paul Lofton" story up there as #1. What a moving
story. We had to wipe a tear or two.

It's hot here in Honey Grove, TX.... wish we were spending the
weekend in Daisy's Cabin.

Ellen and Garfield Watson

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Dear Newsletter:

Good and dependable friends are hard to come by, and even
harder to loose. You've offered a nice eulogy that would
probably make him grimace with humility. You have a lot of
friends out here in cyberland, though only a few of them are
probably as close to you as Paul was, and I know I'm not alone
in offering my condolences to you and Peg and his family. 

Joe Wells

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Dear Newsletter:

We will be in Cloudcroft about the 22nd of July at either
Silver, Saddle, or Apache ready to kick back our heels and
relax some.

We won't be bringing any Blue Bell - but - we will go to the
wonderful ice cream parlor at the Mini Mall on Burro Ave and
enjoy their delicious ice cream in a waffle cone. Everyone
needs to spend some time there and enjoy all those wonderful
people walking the sidewalks.

Bless you all.
Betty & Allen Johannes
Meridian, TX

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Dear Newsletter:

I just finished reading the newsletter (my first after
subscribing) and read the letter from our daughter in Fort
Worth. Enjoyed all the newsletter.

One of my most vivid memories of our Cloudcroft vacations
involved a bear. The cabins where we stayed were on Mountain
Top, and the manager had remarked that a "huge bear tried to
break into the smokehouse and tore the door off last night,"

Awhile before dusk, our 10 yr. old daughter and I went for a
walk in the forest where they played every day. It was early
60's, and many cabins were scattered amongst the trees, but
still there were pretty large stands of forest.

We were following a trail, when I remarked to Judy, "I smell
bear," half jokingly, but true. She looked behind us and
exclaimed in a shaky voice, "Mother, there is a bear following
us!"

When I looked behind us, there was this huge bear, not more
than 20 feet or so away! We took off running, and when we came
out into the clearing where our cabin was, we looked behind us
and, there, standing at the edge of the forest, on the trail we
had been on, stood that huge bear, watching us!

When my husband and I returned to Cloudcroft for our 30th
wedding anniversary, we stayed at the big Cloudcroft Inn on the
mountain top where we used to rent cabins. We decided to walk
down the same trail where our children used to play, in the
forest where we were followed by the bear.

And do you know what? There, among the forest trees, was their
little playhouse (they had proudly showed us so long ago) with
the trees for walls and an old crate for a table and with
make-shift benches and chairs. They had made their playhouse
back in the forest eighteen years previously and now it was
barely visible with all the collected pine needles, debris,
etc., that lay over it all!

Such pleasant memories of our very favorite place to vacation
with a young family!

Sincerely,
Melba Sykes,
Odessa

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