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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER # 156
April 4, 2003
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Dear Subscriber:

Peg and I had the chance to see another example of American
military technology last week.

We were invited to witness a test of a rocket system at White
Sands Missile Range.

About 400 of us crowded onto observation bleachers to view the
shoot. The shoot was impressive, but there was something else
that happened during that event that was even more impressive
to me.

Among us were several dozen high school young men and women
attached to military training programs in Las Cruces and El
Paso.

Dressed in their pressed uniforms, they got off their busses,
fell into formation and marched into the observation area.

No, their march wasn't as precise and snappy as that of their
older brothers and sisters in the regular armed services. Some
turned left when they should have turned right. Some couldn't
resist the temptation to scratch their noses. I was proud to be
in their presence just the same.

Our country's future rests with our young people and, frankly,
I've been a little worried about that bunch.

It seems there has developed an attitude among some of our
youngsters that society owes them something. Instant
gratification seems to be the order of the day. Yet my head was
turned by these 15- and 16-year-olds at White Sands.

They weren't just on a school field trip. They had committed to
an ideal and this was their opportunity to learn more about
that ideal. Admittedly, some were more dedicated than others. I
saw one kid bop another kid's beret off his head.

C'mon. They may be young dedicated Americans, but they're also
kids.

As the speeches went on and the countdown to the shoot
continued, I was distracted by these youngsters. In a matter of
3 or 4 years, if they followed their aspirations, they would be
in our country's uniform and could be in harm's way.

I felt inadequate and a little ashamed of myself for summarily
lumping our young people into an uncaring and selfish group.

I promised myself I wouldn't do that again.

Bless you guys...and please, no more bopping.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

Here are some photos of the rocket system test. In the third
photo, you can see a rocket just entering the photo on the
left. In the fourth photo, you can see the streak that this
rocket made as it reached its apogee.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/wsmr/mtest1.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/wsmr/mtest2.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/wsmr/mtest3.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/wsmr/mtest4.jpg

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL -- SNOW WHEELS
3. SPECIAL 2 -- MORE FLOWERS
4. VILLAGE NEWS
5. INSIDE THE SHOP -- CLOUDCROFT HOTEL AND GIFT SHOP
6. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- MAP OF AREA CAMPGROUNDS
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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Spring-like for most of the week. Highs flirting with the 70s
and lows in the mid-30s. Occasional windy and chilly
conditions. No precip.
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SPECIAL -- SNOW WHEELS
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Dear Newsletter:

I occasionally see what I call "snow wheels" on the steep banks
of the Sunspot highway. I finally stopped Sunday to take a 
picture and thought you might be interested.

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

I did a search on the net and found some references to "snow
rollers" on flat ground.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx/events/roller.htm 

I suspect that here they get started from a stone coming loose
and gathering snow as it rolls down the hill. The large one in
this picture is about 12" wide and 24" in diameter. It
apparently was formed before a strong wind blew snow into its
track. It was probably less than a week old.

Kit Richards

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SPECIAL -- MORE FLOWERS
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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoyed the Poppy pictures that was in your March 28 issue.
Looking at them, back by that wonderful sky, reminds me of just
how blue the New Mexico sky is.

I just walked outside my building and took these so you could
share our Texas Blue Bonnets.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/blue1.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/blue2.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/blue3.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/blue4.jpg

I always enjoy reading my newsletter. Thank you for always being
there to brighten our weeks.

Patricia Baxter
Austin, TX 

[If you missed our photos of the California Poppies, here
they are again.]

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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John Mershon, an elder statesman, former state representative
and Cloudcroft area businessman, will be honored Sunday at 2pm
at the Cloudcroft Middle School Gym. The public is invited.

Mershon was instrumental in organizing the Otero County Electric
Cooperative and is a charter board member of the First National
Bank of Alamogordo.

Sunday has been declared John Mershon Day in Cloudcroft in an
official proclamation by the Village Council.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- CLOUDCROFT HOTEL AND GIFT SHOP
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Cloudcroft Hotel & Gift Shop--Historic hotel in downtown
Cloudcroft. Newly remodeled, 9 rooms with kitchenettes and
balconies overlooking Burro Avenue available. Sits above the
Cloudcroft Mall with gift shops, candy shop, restaurant and
coffee house. For more information please call (505) 682-3414
or email us at cloudcrofthotel@zianet.com.
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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- MAP OF AREA CAMPGROUNDS
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The Cloudcroft area campgrounds will open around the middle of
May.

http://www.nps.gov/whsa/areacamp.htm

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Don, you may get tired of hearing this but when are you
going to write a book?

A - I'm writing one. Started it last week. I'm still working
on the introduction. At this rate it should be done in 8 or 9
years.

Seriously, the book is in the formative stages. I don't want
to just regurgitate old articles, while much of that material
will be included.

Thanks for asking.
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COMING EVENTS
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April 6 -- John Mershon Day. In honor of a long-time state
legislator and local business man.

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

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

May 10 -- Old Timer's Reunion (505) 682-2932

May 11 -- Cloudcroft Art Society Mother's Day Show and Sale.
Red Brick School House, 11am - 4pm. (505) 682-3004.

May 17, 18 -- High Altitude Classic bike race (505) 682-1229.

May 17-18 -- Annual Art Society Miniature Art Show and Sale.
Red Brick School House, 11am - 4pm. (505) 682-3004.

May 23-24 -- Mayfair.

May 24-25 -- Annual Art Society Miniature Art Show and Sale.
Red Brick School House, 11am - 4pm. (505) 682-3004.

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:

You have an incredible gift of writing. I wish I had your
talent. Keep up the great, interesting work, and take care of
that finger!

Karen Jenkins
San Antonio, TX

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Dear Newsletter:

Someday I would like to live where there are real trees. Around
here the biggest thing to trees are the weeds in my backyard.
My wife keeps bugging me to mow them, but then there won't be
anything green around here.

Keep up the good work.

Ray Fourzan,
El Paso

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Dear Newsletter:

I really enjoyed the SeasonScape photos you were posting, and I
hope you will be running them again soon. For us West Texans,
it sure is nice to see the mountain landscape with the snow and
the changing of the seasons colors that will be happening soon.
All we seem to get here is a bunch of blowing dirt. 

Please continue to pray for all our men and women in the
military as they serve their country, so that we may all have
a better and safer world.

Tammy Hatley
Acuff, Texas

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Dear Newsletter:

On our spring break we spent a few days in Cloudcroft (Mar. 16
- 20) and as always had a wonderful time. We were not expecting
as much snow as the Cloudcroft area got, but it was beautiful.

The best part of our trip was we bought a cabin in your neck of
the woods (Silver Cloud), and we can not wait until this summer
when we can spend weeks at a time away from the Texas heat. We
are so excited we know the next two months are going to crawl
by.

We love reading the newsletter and look forward to Thursdays for
the next edition. We are also looking forward to being
"neighbors".

David and Sandy Hanebutt
Stephenville, Tx

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Dear Newsletter:

Don, first let me tell you how much I enjoy the newsletter.

We live in Alamogordo and make numerous trips up the hill,
mostly in the summer. We take the motorhome up to Upper Karr
Canyon campground to feed the hummingbirds and enjoy the
wildlife.

My granddaughter (6) thinks it's so neat that she can hold her
finger out and a hummer will land on it while feeding at the
feeder.

I also would like to compliment you on the photos posted of the
California Poppies at St. Augustine Pass. Do you have any
objection if I post them on the Desert USA website if I give
credit to whomever is responsible for taking the pictures?
Please let me know.

Thanks!
Dale & Susan Burge
Alamogordo, NM

[Just give credit to Cloudcroft.com.]

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Dear Newsletter:

I've thought a lot about this war and the protests I've seen on
TV. And I've come to the conclusion that I really couldn't
debate the rights and wrongs of this war. You see, I'm not
privy to all the information regarding our involvement, and I
believe that you aren't either, unless you happen to be on the
President's Advisory Board.

But, I believe in our Commander and Chief. There are been a few
Presidents that I probably wouldn't have agreed with. But, I DO
BELIEVE in our troops. As an American, I respect your rights to
believe differently and even to be against our politicians, but
to be against our troops and not give them your 100% support
rubs hard at my soul.

If you can't support our troops, then I prefer you find another
country to live in, you're not good enough to be called an
American! I offer my prayers, my money, and even my life to our
troops. I'm sure many of them would rather be home, playing with
their children, holding their spouses, watching “Must See TV”.

But they aren't, they're far away from home, doing the job
presented to them by our Commander and Chief. Some will be
injured, some will die, but they ALL took the oath to honor and
defend their country.

What have you done today to honor your country? Have you written
to any of our troops, sent a care package to someone you don't
even know? Have you said a prayer that our troops come home
safely? If you wish to protest, do so, but be willing to foot
the bill for the extra police protection and any damages.

Don't take away from our troops and don't take away from our
great country. God Bless America & You!

Sandy Pierson
Corpus Christi, TX

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