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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #177
August 29, 2003
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Dear Subscriber:

It has happened to everyone at least once.

You're at a traffic light and suddenly there is this earthquake
pulling up behind you.

A young person...usually male (sorry about the profiling) has
his 300 watt-per-channel stereo turned all the way up. The
whole intersection is rockin'. Even the traffic light is
swaying back and forth. Everyone within a two-block area is
subjected to the noise ('scuse me, music) until the car moves
through the intersection and out of ear-shot.

I'm a little annoyed at what passes for music nowadays.

To me, "rap" is what you do when you can't sing. Rappers make
a lot of money, though. They drive wondrous cars and live in
big houses and wear weird-but-expensive clothes and kill each
other.

When I was growing up, music was more sophisticated.

Fashion was championed with songs like "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny
Yellow Polka Dot Bikini".

Songs that lifted your spirits, like "Eve of Destruction".

Music with titles that told the whole story, like
"Innagoddadavida."

Songs that promoted the work ethic. For instance "Take This
Job and Shove it".

For True Love songs, you couldn't beat "D-I-V-O-R-C-E".

My favorite song title of all time: "You Ripped My Heart Right
Outa My Chest and You Stomped that Sucker Flat."

I'm not a fuddy duddy. I like some of today's music (as long
as I can play it on my 8-track).

If you want a chuckle, get a load of the squirrelly look on the
Radio Shack guy's face when you ask for a phonograph needle.

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 -- SILVER SPRINGS TROUT POND AND RV
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT --NM ACADAMY OF SCIENCE
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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Fall weather in August? When the clouds block the sun, it's
actually a little chilly. Highs in the low-70s. Lows in the
low-40s. Plums of smoke can be spotted from chimneys here and
there. Showers almost daily. The cooler-than-normal weather
has fooled the Aspens and some are already changing colors.

NOTE: For subscribers out of town, the real-time weather
statements you get for Cloudcroft off the internet are usually
very inaccurate. It is often Alamogordo weather with a
Cloudcroft heading. There is very little similarity between
Cloudcroft and Alamogordo weather conditions. On the average,
it is 20 degrees cooler in Cloudcroft than it is in Alamo in
the summer.

Cloudcroft.com is still working on a local weather station that
will give Cloudcroft.com users real local weather conditions on
demand. It shouldn't take much longer. We're trying to do it
right.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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Cloudcroft students are back to school.

Cloudcroft Little League football is a chance for youngsters to
learn the game, appreciate working as a team and enjoy
competition with other teams. To enroll your little John
Elways, call Andy Hospidar: (505) 682-3084.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- SILVER SPRINGS TROUT POND AND RV
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Bring your RV and spend some time in the enchanting Sacramento
Mountains! Beautiful setting with trout pond below. Family
atmosphere, full hookups, 38 spaces. We offer a club house with
fully equipped kitchen, pot luck each Thursday night and
Christmas-in-July on the third Thursday of July! Open April 1st
through October 30. For reservations and information, email
RVGoFish@aol.com, call (505) 682-1148, or see the link to our
web site on the RV/Camping page of Cloudcroft.com:

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

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
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A good resource for teachers.

http://www.nmas.org/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - We're wanting to buy a cabin in the Cloudcroft area. Any
advice?

A - It is often said I have an over-abundance of advice.

If you're looking at a preexisting cabin in an area outside the
village, the main thing is the water supply.

Most subdivisions outside Cloudcroft have their own water well
and distribution system which is usually managed by a community
association. Some are good. Some are not.

When you've found your dream house, ask the neighbors before
you sign on the dotted line. Is the water supply reliable? Are
their frequent outages? What are the annual water costs?

Forewarned is forearmed.
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COMING EVENTS
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August 30 -- James Canyon Volunteer Fire Department's annual
Auction/Dinner/Dance. Community Barn at Cloud Country Estates.
Dinner served 5-7pm (cost $6). Auction/Raffle/door 7-9pm.
From 9-12 dance and good music.

August 30 -- Alamogordo Amateur Radio Club Hamfest.
Fairgrounds.

August 30, Sept. 1 -- 13th annual Cottonwood Arts and Crafts
Festival. Alameda Park. Alamogordo.

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

September 13 -- Mountain Garden Club Style show.

September 20 -- Lumber Jack Day. Zenith Park, Cloudcroft.

September 19-21 -- Healing Hearts. www.GatheringOfCircles.com

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

October 4, 5 -- Oktoberfest Juried Art Show. Zenith Park.

October 18, 19 -- High Rolls Apple Festival.

November 29th -- Santa Land opens. Cloudcroft.

December 13 -- Pet Parade. Burro Street. Cloudcroft.

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 button.

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

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:

Are there any books out there with pictures of the old bowling
alley in Cloudcroft? Do any of your readers have some they
would share? 

Thank you,
David Fiddler
El Camino Village, CA

[If you have a photo that you want to share with Mr. Fiddler,
contact us.]

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Dear Newsletter:

I have been reading your entertaining newsletter, since I've
been exploring the areas around Ruidoso Downs (on the web),
researching the legacy of my horses' grand sire.

Unfortunately, I haven't found any info on Fols Native, a
spectacular Ruidoso racehorse of the late 1970's.

I have some great stats from the former owners of this black
beauty, but desire more! Does anyone have any info they'd like
to share with me? Anyone in your area follow this horse's
history?

Thank you!
Lin Roberts
Acton, CA

[If you have any information on this horse that you want to 
share with Mr. Roberts, contact us.]

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Dear Newsletter:

Re: The Miller [Moths].

If a person were to pump in "Miller-Moths" to a search engine,
[when things calm down on the "net" due to the viruses] you
would find that they were the adult of a cut worm. 

Along with that, I was watching a program on "Discover", about
bats and found there is a species of bat that goes up to two
miles high, to feed on these very same moths. They are
migraters, and will ride a cold front that high up. It looks
like we are getting a little help in our battles with the
blight of the pesky things.

Just thought someone else might want to know.

Shelby Dugas
Hay Canyon
By way of Carlsbad.

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Dear Newsletter:

I have just loved hearing from the little town of Paradise
(Cloudcroft) every Thursday. Brings me back to my childhood
when I lived in El Paso. Thanks for the great memories and all
of the ones that you also share with us every Thursday. I just
love them.

Just wanted to say congrats to Peg for her inventive use of
Orange Clean. We have loved the product ever since it removed
permanent marker from our butcher block table. Our 2 year old
wanted to color like his big brother and sister... what a mess!

Let me recommend that the soft scrub cleaner is wonderful as
well.

Sincerely,
Michelle Miller,
San Antonio, Texas

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Dear Newsletter:

My wife and I initially subscribed to your newsletter early
last spring when we started looking at second homes in the
Cloudcroft Area.

I found many of your comments, as well as your reader's,
amusing and almost made me feel like I was there, at times.
I found a letter to you a couple of months ago, regarding a
"moth problem", somewhat humorous.

I believe the woman had just returned to Cloudcroft from her
home (in Florida?) to find her home, including piano, filled
with moths.

Meanwhile, my wife and I found a great little place it the
Waterfall Subdivision, purchased it, and made our first trip
a couple of weeks ago.

Guess what, everything (sans piano) was filled with moths! Not
so funny, up close.

In talking with our new neighbors, it's a "grin & bear it" sort
of deal. I seem to recall that you gave the woman from Florida
some advice, but I'm unable to locate that particular copy of
the newsletter.

Regardless, it's a wonderful place and we can't wait for our
next trip.

Thanks,
Bill & Paulette Lowe
Waterfall Subdivision and/or Roanoke, TX.

[Welcome to Moth-ville!

It's really not that bad. They seem to come around in May and
leave when the rainy season gets here. The past two years have
been pretty heavy for moths. 

To refresh your memory, the best defense is to seal off your
house as good as possible (making sure your screens and doors
are secure with no cracks). 

It's a little tougher on the part-timers. Us full-timers can
clean up the little critters every day and stay ahead of them
while part timers have to deal with several days (or weeks) of
moths coming in.

We've been told that a product called "Orange Clean" is good
for killing them. Insecticides don't seem to have a lot of
success.

Welcome to the Cloudcroft area! -- Don]

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Dear Newsletter:

I am on your mailing list for the Cloudcroft newsletter. Most
of the time, I hit the delete button because of lack of time
to read it. I discovered this morning that I am missing some
terrific writing by you and it reminded me that I had thought
the same about some of your previous stories. 

Your story about your sister and the Texas Highway gravel lot
is priceless. That story is worthy of publishing in any venue!
Such talent should be preserved for others to read. I am sorry
my mother, who was a journalist, is still not alive to read it.
She died 5 years ago at age 91. She would have agreed with my
assessment.

Your fears as a little kid of Mitch and the gravel pit rank
right up there with the threat of Life in Prison for the
removal of that little white tag from mattresses and pillow. 

My wife and I are going to be in Ruidoso next week meeting with
some friends. Maybe we will make a side trip over to Cloudcroft.

Thank you again for the great story. My grandparents lived in
West Texas for many, many, years in Loraine and I spent many
memorable summers there after having ridden the steam
locomotive train from New Braunfels. I can still hear the
conductor calling off Coleman, Roscoe, Crossplains, etc. etc.
Those where the days when life seemed to make more sense. No
Al Quaida, Saddam Hussien, nonsensical carnage in Israel, 9-11
etc.

Thank you for "transportation back in time."

Arnold Krause
San Antonio

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Dear Newsletter:

My wife Kathy and I are recent subscribers to your wonderful
newsletter and enjoy your sense of humor, and creative writing
skills.

We've been looking for a cool mountain summer hide-away for
several years now but have been limited by high real estate
prices within a day's drive from Tucson, Arizona (we live in
a small rural town just north of Tucson: Oracle). We stumbled
onto a Cloudcroft website in our search for cooler temperatures
and the simple life.

Last week, on a whim, we took the 6 hour drive from Tucson, and
we're excited to discover the beauty of your mountain community.

With the excellent assistance of Jayleen and Bobby Jones at
Gary Mack Reality, we spent all day Friday looking at cabins/
property in our limited price range, and were thrilled to find
a small secluded cabin that God must have been saving
specifically for us.

It's tucked away in the 'Robinhood' subdivision, just a few
short miles east of the village.

We've taken the plunge, and the mortgage papers are in work.
This will now be a summer get away, and hopefully, a future
retreat for Kathy and I, our family and friends.

Cloudcroft is a jewel in the mountains, an undiscovered piece
of high country paradise. Most of our circle of friends here
in Southern Arizona have never heard of the Sacramento
mountains (they think they're in California), or Lincoln
National Forest (it must be back east). We look forward to
meeting new friends, making weekend trips to improve our rustic
cabin, and to drift off at night listening to the wind in the
pines.

Kevin and Kathy Tharp
Oracle, Arizona

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Dear Newsletter:

As a female, I've found that my trips to Home Depot get more
interesting every time I go there.
 
As some of you know, I just had my old fence replaced. I've
noticed that two out of the three gates have started to sag
and it's getting harder to latch them. I found this out this
week when I went to call in the pup (60 lbs. of shear energy)
at 4:45 pm. Much to my surprise, no pup. Luckily for me, I
found him trying to get in the front door. 
 
WELL! WHO DO I BLAME FOR THIS? The termite inspector was there
that day and I figured HE left the gate open. 
 
NO, he didn't. It was my own son or the fellow who works for
him when they were here Tuesday to mow.

My mother happened to notice the gate swinging when the wind
blew. (Now you have to picture this, my mother with her walker,
out with this bundle of energy, in the back yard while Tyson
did his "thing".) I'm sunk! I want Peter to take this pup back.
I only agreed to pup-sit for a few days while Terra and Pete
went to Ohio to a birthday party for Terra's 100 year old
great grandmother. They have been home since last Monday and
"HE' is still here.
 
To get back to the open gate. I took a trip to Home Depot.
(Wearing my Home Depot outfit, shorts and a smaller than normal
top. That guarantees service.)

I went to customer service (all young people) and asked where
I would find a turnbuckle. WHAT'S THAT? A slightly older female
employee came over and they asked her.

She said, "I've heard of a turncoat, but not a turnbuckle.
"Where's your husband?" she said. I said, "I don't think he can
help, he is in Arlington" (National Cemetery).

I then tried to explain "it's like the wires on a pool
enclosure." Still nothing. So off I go to the hardware section
figuring maybe someone there would know. I saw an older man
(probably in his late 60's) and asked him. He knew exactly what
I was talking about.

Then he asked me, "where is your husband?" WHAT IS THIS
OBSESSION WITH HUSBANDS?
 
As it turns out, Home Depot sells exactly what I needed in a
kit already packaged. It's called an ANTI-SAG GATE KIT. 
 
SO KIDDIES, WHEN YOUR GATE STARTS TO SAG . . . OH WELL, YOU
KNOW WHAT TO DO. (I wonder if it would work for other things,
like skin. Nah, too painful.)
 
Nance
Orlando, FL
 
PS. I love your stories about Lowe's and Home Depot.
Unfortunately, Lowe's is about 6 miles from my home, while
HD is only 2 miles away. I really like Lowe's better, but go
to HD because it's closer.

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