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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER # 155
March 28, 2003
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Dear Subscriber:

I'm using the "hunt and peck" method in typing this newsletter.

I usually type pretty good (about 60 words per minute with about
50 mistakes), but one of my fingers has become incapacitated.

Here's why.

I'm a tree lover. That's one of the reasons we moved to
Cloudcroft...all these trees. The aroma they expel in the
spring. The songs they sing in the breeze. Their beautiful snow
coats in the winter.

Yet, there was one old monster pine standing next to our house
that had turned scraggly and diseased. It was starving out the
younger trees around it. It seemed to be sagging a bit with an
eye toward my roof. It had to go.

I pulled the chain saw from its winter hibernation and went to
work.

The trunk of the old tree was about 30 inches in circumference
and my chain saw blade is only 22 inches, so I had to use a sort
of shaving process in cutting it down (much like shaving off
pieces from a big cake of cheddar cheese).

I chipped and shaved and shaved and chipped. As I cut deeper, I
got a little nervous. I began to notice how much bigger this
old tree was than I. One errant chip or shave and it could land
in my lap. I backed off and reconnoitered. I began to notice
the sheer majesty of this old bundle of bark.

I told myself, "this ain't like mowing the lawn."

The wedge I had cut was more than three quarters of the way
through the trunk. What was holding this old lady up? I
noticed about 30 feet up that her old branches had actually
curled around the branches of a younger tree next to her. I
noticed the smaller tree was beginning to bow a little as it
struggled to hold up its older and much bigger neighbor.

There is allegiance among trees.

Expert lumberjacks know how to solve such problems, but I'm no
expert. My knowledge of tree harvesting is much less than my
tenacity. I had a decision to make. The smaller support tree
had to be taken also.

Half-way through the smaller tree I began to hear creaks and
groans. I was standing on a 30 degree grade with not much room
to get out of the way. Again, I lost my nerve. I dispatched
back up the steep hill about 10 feet and took a deep breath.

This old tree was showing me how it got so old. Its ability
to survive was being tested by this flatlander from Texas and
it was going to fight to the bitter end.

I thought I could just stand there and watch it fall under its
own ponderous weight. It creaked and groaned some more, but it
stayed stubbornly upright.

A stiff breeze would finish it off, but it was as still as
death that afternoon. I finally decided to get back down there
with it and make a back-cut.

One pull and the chain saw whined to life. At full throttle I
tickled the back side of the main cut.

Crack! A foot from my face the old monster began falling. I
jumped backward out of the way and stumbled. The chain saw went
flying. My ring finger on my left hand was smashed between the
body of the chain saw and a rock.

That old tree lies prostrate outside my window now while her
younger tree neighbors are discovering their first taste of
unencumbered sunlight. My heavily bandaged and throbbing finger
is evidence that even an old tree doesn't always come down
without a fight.

That tree was here long before I was. Conservationists would
say I had no right to cut it down. Fact is, in the next 10
years, this tree would be dead and spreading bugs to other
younger trees nearby.

Next week I'll trim off the branches and split it into firewood.

It will supply a goodly amount of heat in my fireplace next
winter. The old lady's struggle against age and disease and man
is over. The little trees where she once stood will grow
stronger and healthier.

Sorry, Old Tree. You put up a heckuva fight. I have a busted
finger to prove it.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL -- SEASONSCAPE, PHOTO 8
3. SPECIAL 2 -- WINTER AND SPRING - MORE PHOTOS
4. VILLAGE NEWS
5. INSIDE THE SHOP -- ANTIQUE MERCANTILE
6. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SP0TLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO FACTS
7. Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
8. COMING EVENTS
9. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
10. CONTACT INFORMATION
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LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
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Another schizophrenic weather week. Spring-like days mixed with
occasional winter conditions, sometimes on the same day.

Highs as high as 60. Lows dipping into the teens on the coldest
nights.
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SPECIAL -- SEASONSCAPE, PHOTO 8
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The SeasonScape photo experiment by Kit Richards continues:

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

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SPECIAL 2 -- WINTER AND SPRING - MORE PHOTOS
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Here are two additional photos taken this week by Kit Richards.
The first is a beautiful example of a tree's "snow coat." The
second shows just how long icicles can grow in the mountains.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/winter1.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/winter2.jpg

Here's a real contrast. California Poppies are madly blooming
in the desert areas around the White Sands Missile Range.
Conditions have to be just right to get this kind of bloom from
these desert plants. Some people say they have not seen such a
bloom in 20 years.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/flowers/flowers1.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/flowers/flowers2.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/flowers/flowers3.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/flowers/flowers4.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/flowers/flowers5.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/flowers/flowers6.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/flowers/flowers7.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/flowers/flowers8.jpg

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VILLAGE NEWS
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Spring break this week at Cloudcroft Public Schools.

Two areas are open to fuelwood cutting in the Sacramento Forest
District. This year, permits are 20 dollars minimum (good for
2 cords).

Contact the Sacramento office of the National Weather Service
for permits and maps to the cutting areas.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- ANTIQUE MERCANTILE
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In scenic Cloudcroft, walk to the end of Burro Street and you
will find the Antique Mercantile. Enter and discover a cozy and
warm ambiance in this store filled with an eclectic mix of
treasures of years gone bye. We have antiques and collectibles,
including linens, furniture, costume jewelry, glass, porcelain,
baseball cards and comic books. Looking for something special?
Our friendly staff will be happy to help you. Call us at
1-505-682-2583 or email us at ssaiers@pvtnetworks.net. For more
information, see the link to our Web Site on the Shopping page
of Cloudcroft.com:

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

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO FACTS
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Want to know more about The Land of Enchantment? Try this site.

http://www.state.nm.us/category/aboutnm/fastfacts.html

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Not many activities scheduled in Cloudcroft in April. Why
is that?

A - April is typically pretty quiet around this village. It is
in between spring break and summer vacation time. Demographers
tell us it is because most potential visitors are staying close
to home in preparation for graduations and summer plans.

Tourism and travel are slowest across the country in April. The
on-going conflict in Iraq and higher gas prices are also
affecting travel to some extent.

On the upside, it's a great time to visit places like Cloudcroft
if you want to avoid the crowds and if you want a better choice
of accommodations and lower rates in many cases.
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COMING EVENTS
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April 6 -- John Mershon Day. In honor of a long-time state
legislator.

April 18-19 -- Easter Weekend celebration. Check with the
Chamber of Commerce for events and times. 1 (505) 682-2733.

May 3 -- Smokey's Revenge mountain bike race.

May 10 -- Old Timer's Reunion (682-2932)

May 17, 18 -- Cloudcroft Art Society Mother's Day Show and Sale.
Red Brick School House. 682-3004.

May 17, 18 -- High Altitude Classic bike race (682-1229).

May 24, 25 -- Annual Art Society Miniature Art Show and Sale.
Red Brick School House.

May 23-24 -- Mayfair.

May 26, 27 -- Annual Art Society Miniature Art Show and Sale.
Red Brick School House.

June 7 -- National Trails Day

June 20, 21 -- Western Roundup

Cloudcroft Art Society meets the second Sunday of each month,
2-4pm, in the Old Red Brick School House. Call (505) 682-3004
for more information and details on the Cloudcroft Summer Art
Workshops.

Would you like to help deliver meals to the homebound around
Cloudcroft? Monday through Friday deliveries. Call the
Cloudcroft Senior Center at (505)-682-3022.

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 8:30 every Tuesday morning.

Free Vitals Clinic. Cloudcroft Senior Citizens Center, every
Wednesday. High Rolls Senior Citizens Center, first Thursday
of each month.

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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:

Once again, thanks for a great newsletter. Like so many others,
I look forward to the weekly reminder of New Mexico in general
and Cloudcroft in particular. 

In response to your 17 March question, "Saddam Hussein said it
was too bad, but we brought it upon ourselves. Have you
forgotten?" 

For the record, mark my family and me in the column that says,
"No, we have not forgotten what this man and others like him
have done to bring great harm to tens of thousands of innocent
people and spread hate and contempt for Americans and other
people who value freedoms he works so hard to take away."

Tom Owen

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Dear Newsletter:

I just wanted to say this week's newsletter was very
appropriate considering what is going on as I write this note 
to you and no, I have not forgotten and never will. 

Semper Fi,
Dave Colbert
Lynchburg, VA 

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Dear Newsletter:

The announcer should have said that 25,000 people were in that
building, the miracle is out of the 52,000 usually in the two
buildings, only 2,500 were taken.

Rev DCS
Huntsville, TX

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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoy all of your newsletters and feel like I belong to the
Cloudcroft community. I have been visiting that area since I
was a child. 

Thank you for a great description of 9-11. We too, shared the
experience and it was one we won't forget. I am including a
letter that I received from a friend who has a son in the Navy
and is in the Middle East at this moment. I hope you find the
letter pertinent and one that speaks for many of us. God bless
you always.

Adios...
Richard Armendáriz

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Dear Newsletter:

I don't think anyone has forgotten September 11, 2001. That's
not the issue. The issue is whether a connection has been
proven between the terrorists behind 911 and Saddam Hussein.
Because if that is why we are at war with Iraq (and your
article implies it is) it needs to substantiated. I don't take
our administration's word for it. Many informed sources,
including the CIA, have disputed such charges.

This is not to say there may not be other good reasons for
attacking Iraq, e.g., Saddam has weapons of mass destruction,
although as of this date (March 22) none have been found;
Saddam is an evil dictator (I don't dispute this).

But appealing to our emotions and fear by bringing up 911 when
Saddam was not involved in that atrocity is manipulative and
only serves to cloud the search for truth.

Sylvia Rognstad,
Boulder, Colorado

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Dear Newsletter:

Wonder how many remember Neville Chamberlin and the Frenchman
that went to see Hitler for peace. He returned and said "We
have peace in our time."

...Words to that effect, then Hitler's armies conquered Europe;
that was around 64 years ago. It is no wonder that all the
peaceniks don't remember, because they were not around. Hate
to think of how our country would be like if we had not won WW2.

Enjoy your newsletter. Thanks

Al Bazar
Belleview, Fla.

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Dear Newsletter:

Hello...I always enjoy the news from CC and am anxious to get
back there in late April for the 6-7 months that I live there.

The inquiry about an R&R facility caught my eye since I have a
cabin in the Mountain Top area of the village. This is a group
of cabins that were once an Army summer camp for families from
Ft. Bliss and other bases.

I believe Pat Rand could give some information about the area,
and probably other folks there as well. Perhaps Mr. Darby can
be put in touch with them.

Martha Wilcox 

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Dear Newsletter:

I think you're the greatest. Why don't you get started on
writing a book? There are lots and lots of people would like
that. Keep up the good work and ignore the negative words some
people send you. We like you just as you are.

Betty A. Hill

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