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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #161
May 9, 2003
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Dear Subscriber:

David (our webmaster) coordinates the "Letters" section of this
newsletter.

It seems each week the letters are so uplifting and flowery,
I've questioned David on a couple of occasions if he's not
trash-canning the negative letters just to keep me from getting
my feelings hurt. He says no.

In that case, thank you. If you're having half as much fun
reading this stuff as I am writing it, you're having a lot of
fun.

-o-

The Sun Bunnies are back.

There are a few of them that live in our neighborhood. They
leave us in the fall at the sign of the first snowflake and
come back after the thaw.

I engage them in frequent discussions about the advantages of
being a "year-rounder." Granted, the summer months are a great
time in The Sacramentos, too, but the winter adds spice to the
mountain living experience.

I had a philosophy professor at Texas Tech University that
explained it best.

"Let's say you owned a pleasure machine," he lectured. "You
could hook yourself up to it and it would give you total
pleasure. While attached to the machine, everything would smell
great, taste great, sound great, look great and feel great."

"(It might even make this course bearable)," I thought.

"Did you say something, Mr. Vanlandingham?"

"No, Sir. Sorry. Please continue."

"But..." the Prof said, marking something in his notebook while
looking at me out of the corner of his eye, "...you could only
stay attached to the pleasure machine for a finite period of
time before the pleasure would become old hat. You would have
nothing to compare the pleasure to. So, every so often you
would have to detach from the pleasure machine and hook yourself
up to a misery machine."

I could think of a wisecrack associated with misery and it's
relativity to sitting through this lecture, but I was careful
to keep it to myself.

"Then, after a period of time on the misery machine, you could
return to the pleasure machine for optimum results."

There was a pause in the lecture hall. Then I said, "cool" and
the professor looked at me.

"The most intelligent contribution you've made to this class
all semester, Mr. Vanlandingham."

The class laughed. I guess I should have been insulted and
probably would have been except I was a Mass Communications
major.

Back to my point about the Sun Bunnies. I'm sure they love
their five or six months in the mountains every year, but I
think they would love the summer even more if they stayed here
all winter, too.

Don't get me wrong. Winter in Cloudcroft is far from misery,
but it's a different existence altogether. The frozen tennis
balls tend to break the strings in your racquet and it's hard
to find your tee shot in the snowdrift.

It's a little like trying to convince a Liberal to be a
Conservative or visa versa. It's probably best to leave the
argument to rest and just enjoy the difference.

I saw my friend Lewis for the first time Sunday since he and
his wife Lisa abandoned the mountains for warmer digs in El
Paso last fall.

"How was the winter?" he smiled.

"Cold," I snapped back.

I was glad to see him, though. It's a little like the swallows
returning to Capistrano.

The sighting of the first Sun Bunnies means a few months of
sunshine and some of Lisa's great margaritas.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. VILLAGE NEWS
3. INSIDE THE SHOP -- FIRST NATIONAL BANK
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- SANDIA PEAK TRAM
5. Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
6. COMING EVENTS
7. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8. CONTACT INFORMATION
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LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
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Another windy and dry week. Highs in the upper-60s. Lows
around 40. Fire danger is posted as "high." No forest
restrictions.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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The recycling center at the Cloudcroft refuse disposal site has
been discontinued. The maintenance of the site was costing
more than the savings realized by recycling the materials.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- FIRST NATIONAL BANK
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If your account is big or small, you're special with us! A
full-service community bank. We serve families and businesses
throughout Otero County, New Mexico, Holloman Air Force Base,
and beyond.

Six locations to serve you--10th Street, 1st Street, 9th Street,
and White Sands Mall in Alamogordo, 300 Central Street in
Tularosa, and Burro Street in Cloudcroft.

COMMERCIAL LOANS, MORTGAGE LOANS AND INSTALLMENT LOANS.
Local approval for all loans!

FAST CASH VISA DEBIT CARD - NO FEE - withdraw from checking.
PC BANKING: Secure and convenient! DIRECT INFORMATION ANYTIME
LINE: (505) 437-3425 (437-DIAL). CHECKING ACCOUNT OPTIONS TO
FIT YOUR NEEDS. Make us your home town bank! For more
information see the link to our web site on the Finance page
of Cloudcroft.com.

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

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- SANDIA PEAK TRAM
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Open during the summer.

http://www.sandiapeak.com/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - How old is the village of Cloudcroft?

A - The village celebrated its 100th year in 1999. It was
established by the owners of the railroad that ran through the
newly established community of Alamogordo as a vacation
getaway. The railroad ended excursion and logging train
service to Cloudcroft in 1947.
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COMING EVENTS
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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 23 through the 25th -- Melodrama. Open Air Pavilion.

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 7 -- Miss New Mexico Day Parade.

June 13, 14 -- Melodrama. Open Air Pavilion

June 20, 21 -- Western Roundup

June 21, 22 -- High Rolls Cherry Festival.

June 27-29 -- Blue Grass Festival. Camp Chimney Spring.
(505) 687-3520.

July 4 -- Burro Avenue celebration.

July 4-6 -- Melodrama. Open Air Pavilion

July 5 -- Street Dance. Burro Street.

July 11, 12 -- Melodrama. Open Air Pavilion.

July 12, 13 -- July Jamboree.

July 12 -- Street Dance. Burro Street.

July 18, 19 -- Melodrama. Open Air Pavilion.

August 7-10 -- Gathering of Circles.

August 30, 31, Sept. 1 -- Labor Day Fiesta.

September 1 -- Lumber Jack Day.

September 19-21 -- Healing Hearts.

September 21 -- Governor Johnson's Run/Walk.

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. For information on
other Senior Center services, see their web site, listed on the
Cloudcroft.com Links page.

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:

My wife and I have done the Las Vegas bit, and found it to be
much as you described. It was interesting to watch other people
feed their, mostly hard to come by, money to the higher
percentage winners than they are.

On the elevator and the drunk spilling his drink on your 
sneakers. It could have been worse, it could have been 
"filtered". Glad you enjoyed for the most part.

Shelby and Phyllis Dugas

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Dear Newsletter:

Sounds like you guys really had a great time in Las Vegas last
week. I bet that was a long drive. I bet you guys are glad to
be back home again. Fun to go, but good to be back home and
sleep in your own bed. I bet Las Vegas is wild compared to
living in Cloudcroft. You have a great weekend.

Thanks for the Newsletter!

Shirley Myers,

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Dear Newsletter:

We just got back from Mickey Mouse Land in Orlando, so I know
how you feel about your your vacation in Vegas. We need another
week to recover also.

Jimmy McDowell

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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoyed the article on glaciation.

Shelley Powers
El Paso, Tx

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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoy reading your commentaries and short stories. I hope
what you do so well you will continue.

Bill Volkov

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Dear Newsletter:

What is the story on it? We moved to Sunspot in October and
just recently discovered the recycling center behind town.
Since we moved here because of the state's beauty, I want to
contribute as little as possible to landfills. However, the
first two times we went there the bins were overflowing. The
third trip it was locked up, and a couple of weeks ago the
gates on the road were locked.

I'm dumping cans, cardboard, and plastic into the trash now.
What's up?

Dave Dooling

[As noted above, the recycling center has been closed.]

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Dear Newsletter:

I was so excited when I learned that Cloudcroft had a new
radio station.

Then I found out they are in Ruidosa. Now I can not get them.

What happened? Like everyone else in the state of NM, they
failed to give any news at all about CC. Like all other
stations, no weather news at all about CC.

One day in the late winter I listened to everything on all
stations hoping to hear how the weather and roads were before
I drove up from Chaves county. Nothing said so I left early in
the am. The closer I got to CC, the deeper the snow, and I
found out there was 6 inches on the ground. We don't need that
station anyway.

Jean Wiggins

[Federal Communications Commission regulations have been
changed. Stations licensed to a certain community do not have
to serve that community with local news, public service, or
local school news or sports. They do not have to locate their
offices or studios in the town it is licensed to. Such stations
typically serve larger communities near the town to which it
is licensed.]

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Dear Newsletter:

We just got back from spending a wonderful seven days in
Cloudcroft.

We used to live at the Missile Range and spent many a weekend
camping, prowling Burro Street or laying back at The Lodge. I
golfed at The Lodge for the first time and was completely in
awe. Even here in North Carolina, where golf courses are
abundant, you'll never see a course anywhere close to that.

Also, golfed down at Holloman AFB. Now that was something.
Nothing like getting ready to tee off and the roar of a
Tornado, F-4 or T-38 sends re-verbs down your spine. That was
probably the best game I've ever played. Probably because jet
noise gets me really fired up.

Of course, I cried as we headed east back home.

Speaking of home. Cloudcroft is where we'd like to call home
in a year when my husband retires from the military. We had a
blast on our visit, seeing old friends and hitting old stomping
grounds.

But one thing really got our goat. Land prices have gone through
the roof! We simply couldn't understand how the sellers (mostly
from out of state) could ask such outrageous prices. With the
drought, there just isn't any water, unless you drill halfway
to China. What's happening up there? It seems a lot of outsiders
are gobbling up the land, re-selling most at super-inflated
prices and planting their "summer home" on a portion. Somebody's
getting awfully rich and I don't think it's the locals.

I'd hate to see Cloudcroft taken over by likes of those who
turned Santa Fe and Taos into Meccas for the rich. Cloudcroft
has such character. Please don't change!

(By the way.....my watch is still set on mountain time.)

Sharon Masters
Hope Mills, North Carolina

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Dear Newsletter:

Food for thought...

...or more to the point - juice for thought.

I had not noticed it before this morning, but as I was opening
a can of frozen apple juice from Walmart - their brand - I read
these words stamped on the end cap:

"Product of China and Germany"

Now the fact that my apple juice is coming all the way from
either place gives me pause. But with the SARS epidemic
currently running rampant in China, I did more than pause! I
wondered how safe it might be?

This is something that has been going through my mind ever since
I saw the first news reports about SARS and the fact that it
originated in China - or somewhere in that part of the world.
Knowing that there are those in this world who would think
nothing of breeding or genetically altering viruses and bacteria
for the purpose of conducting germ warfare, I have to wonder!

And I have to wonder, specifically, about the potential for
spreading deadly microbes by contaminating ordinary consumer
products - like my apple juice!

Jack Schuller
Ruidoso

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Dear Newsletter:

Please re-send letter #160 to me. I inadvertently deleted it
as I was cleaning out my files.

I copy and give your newsletters to some friends who are
building a house in your beautiful town. And I really enjoy
the newsletter.

Thank you,
Marian Goodin 

[If you ever want a copy of a back issue, just go to our Past
Issues archive and view that issue. There is a link at the
bottom of every back issue in the archive that will let you
email yourself a copy of that issue. See the Past Issues
section below for the link to the back issues archive.]

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