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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER # 179
September 12, 2003
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Dear Subscriber:

It has been two years. Tired of war yet?

Most of us are. Nobody likes war. Nobody likes a root-canal
either, but sometimes they're necessary.

Two years ago we all had our fists in the air, vowing to the
world that our loss of 9-11-01 would be avenged no matter how
long it took. Our resolve was clear and cohesive. Our
intentions unmistakable. A sleeping giant had been awakened.

Nowadays, it seems, some of those clinched fists have lost
their grip. Sure, we'll avenge those attacks and see to it it
doesn't happen again...if it doesn't cost too much or take too
long.

One wonders if we're fighting a global war against terrorism or
waiting in line for a cappuccino.

After two years, what's changed? Are those New York buildings
any less destroyed? Is the Pentagon any less scarred and
bloody? Are those over three thousand lives any less lost?

I worry that the sleeping giant may be dozing off again. I
worry that a lack of resolve in this country is exactly what
the terrorists were hoping for. Are they right when they depend
upon the assumption that Americans are fat and lazy and can't
stay concentrated on anything for very long?

It took over 5 years to prove to the world we wouldn't allow
someone to back-shoot us and get away with it after Japan
attacked Pearl Harbor. Americans did without gas, nylons,
tires, cheese,sugar, meat, husbands and a myriad of other
things during that period. Men and women put their lives aside
and went to work for the war effort until the job was done. 
Thousands of them never came home. There wasn't a whole lot of
whining.

We're not doing without much now, but still there's a bunch of
whining. It makes me feel more than a little ashamed.

How long will this fight go on? I don't know. The US still has
a strong force in Europe as a result of World War II. They've
been there over 60 years. We still have forces staring down the
barrels of North Korean guns along the DMZ in that area of the
world. That's been going on for over 50 years.

I suspect the defense of this country will go on long after most
of us are memories. We have been fighting for our way of life
since we adopted our way of life over 225 years ago.

There are many among us that are failing that history lesson.

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 -- CLOUDCROFT GALLERY AND GIFTS
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO STATE FAIR
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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Lots of rain this week. Cooler temperatures. Highs in the low
70s. It got down to 35 one early morning.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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There is a new president of the Otero County Electric Coop
board.

T. L. Watts lost his seat on the board to Charles Mulcock, a
former board member. Watts had been on the Coop board for 21
years and had served as its president for the past 16 years.

Preston Stone was selected as the new board president.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- CLOUDCROFT GALLERY AND GIFTS
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Cloudcroft Gallery and Gifts features art with a Southern New
Mexico theme. Our displayed works include oils, pastels,
watercolor, acrylics, graphite, charcoal, sculpture, pottery,
Raku, photography, jewelry, stained glass, and rustic furniture.

Please feel free to drop in and browse. We are located in the
Burro Street Exchange on Burro Street in the heart of Old Town
Cloudcroft. We are on the West side of the building, facing the
Post Office. For more information call (505) 682-2630, email
Kay@Cloudcroft-Gallery.com, or 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 STATE FAIR
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Going on now in Albuquerque.

http://www.nmstatefair.com/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - When is the peak fall foliage season in Cloudcroft?

A - It varies from year to year depending on the amount of
moisture and the temperature trends.

There is some evidence of color change now which indicates the
peak colorama will likely be around the first to the middle part
of October.

If you can't be here for it we'll post some pictures.
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COMING EVENTS
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September 13 -- Mountain Garden Club Style show.

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

September 20 -- "Run to the Aspens" car show. Motorcycles to
vintage. No charge for entry. No admission charge. Buckhorn
parking lot in Cloudcroft. Call Rusty (1-505-682-5032) for more
info.

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:

Really enjoyed your newsletter this week, too.

May I say to the Davis family, who said "Hello" to their
wonderful and brave son, and then before they could get in a
good visit, they had to say "Goodbye" again. Our prayers are
with you and your son.

If not for our young people who are doing their best to save
this wonderful, insane world of ours, we would be in the same
shape that so many foreign countries are in. Thank God for
our young men and women.

The next time you visit with him, give him our thanks and
gratitude. We love them.

M. Goodin
Hereford, Texas

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Dear Newsletter:

I was touched by Valrie Davis's letter about the effects of the
war on her son. It was very well written.

Charles Taylor
Wichita Falls, TX

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Dear Newsletter:

I look forward to Thursday!

The parents of the Marine who was at home and had to return to
duty brought tears: both of sorrow and of pride.
 
How nice to know you raised a responsible and loyal child. They
must be so proud. We are.

Ilda Reid Calvert
Jerusalem, Arkansas
(formerly of Dark Canyon)

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Dear Newsletter:

Enjoy the letter very much. 
 
Just wanted to share with you the way to tell if fall is here:
The car tags turn from white to gold!
 
Thanks,
Forrest Lain
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Dear Newsletter:

Since I live in Florida and I am getting much older and there
is very little chance that I will ever have the opportunity to
visit Cloudcroft again, would you please remove my name from
your email mailing list?

I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 days in Cloudcroft in August. My
grandson married a beautiful young girl and one day next May
they will graduate from Texas Tech and begin the journey of
building a home and making a career.

You gave them a wonderful start. Friends from all over came for
the outside ceremony at Cloudcroft Inn, and everyone had a
great time! As the grandmother of the groom, I was pleased to
see friends of the groom, Sean Holliday, who began their
friendship in grammar school and still continue it today.

Both families had taken the young ones to Cloudcroft to camp
and to ski. Now they are all grown up. We are so blessed.

Thank you so very much, Cloudcroft, for your contribution to
their growing up years. Take care of yourselves.

Dorris Holliday Livingstone

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Dear Newsletter:

Hey Don, as always I enjoy the letter.

Can you help me out? I went to Western New Mexico University
in Silver City...otherwise known as the Harvard of the Gila. I
went there from 1979-1983 and went to school with a man named
Choppo Balderama from Cloudcroft.

Anyone know who or where he is now? Thanks for your help.

Thanks,
Dean

[If anyone knows Mr. Balderama, contact us and we'll pass it on
to Dean.]

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Dear Newsletter:

Well once again I find myself stimulated to reflect on your
thoughts about life, I always find it a joy to read your
letter. Real life heroes are the ones that spend time fixing
water heaters, building the anything but square additions
on to homes that are filled with warmth and memories of love,
care, frustration, occasional anger and lots of grace.
 
I bet Mel Gibson may even fix the occasional problem in his
own house...or at least he strikes me that as a person he would
love to do that. Who knows, he may look at your life, Don, and
say "if only I could have what he has"
 
Take care and God bless you.

Ed Sinke

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Dear Newsletter:

I've been subscribing for several months...have done so since
I made my hotel reservations at the Lodge, and that was
probably last Feb.

Now I'm here at The Lodge, in your very town, and I have moths
in my room, so it all makes sense.

I love it here...should I tell others or keep it quiet?

Shopping, hiking, eating, sleeping, doing some golf for the
first time in my life...the drive from Albuquerque was an
amazing trip in and of itself!

Just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying your town.

Ellen Joseph
Minneapolis, MN

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Dear Newsletter:

I really enjoy your newsletter. I was glad to find that the
Washington Post has weather news for Cloudcroft. I'm always
wondering what the weather is up there as I am boiling hot in
Lake Jackson, Texas---HOT & HUMID.

My husband and I have had a cabin in Mayhill for nearly 30
years. We just love it up there and plan to spend much more
time there when I retire in 2 or 3 years.

We've added on and remodeled several times in those years. This
summer we decided to put a green metal roof on and to turn 2
large bedrooms into 3 private bedrooms with closets (closets
were very scarce in the old cabin).

We came up there the end of May for 8 days, the end of June--
beginning of July for 10 days, my husband and 2 sons came up
for 2 weeks in early August and he and I came up for 5 or 6
days the end of August and beginning of September.

Our 2 young grandsons ages 3 and 6 came with us---within an
hour they had ran off up the hill--we were panicked! Of course
when we found them, the older one said they ran off because
the 3 year old wanted to go on an adventure. They love the
woods and think Lincoln National Park is Jurasak park. I don't
know how to spell that but they are into Dinos---can't spell
that either.

The bedrooms remodeling and redecorating is complete with all
new furniture, new carpet and many wall decorations. Now, we
just have the kitchen to tare out & replace, new den carpet,
bead board ceiling with beams and new den carpet to go. The
kitchen will be redone in February or March. This summer will
be the den's turn. We will start on the outside siding in 2005--
unless we get impatient. Nothing will get done during dove and
dear seasons!

We need to buy a new dryer for the cabin---we always just used
the old fashion clothes line, but I am tired of that. It doesn't
work very well when you have thick towels, lots of overnight
company and you get the much needed rain. We need it especially
since we plan to spend a great deal more time up there. I think
a gas dryer works better anywhere, especially in the high
altitude. My husband wants an electric dryer. I wonder what the
people in the mountains think is best. Could I get some feedback
on that? We have to cook 3 times as long on our microwave up
there then we do in the flat land in Texas. Could it be that we
will have to dry the clothes 2 or 3 times longer? I went to
Highrolls to wash and dry last week and I had to dry three loads
of clothes 3 times to get them dry.

Keep sending your newsletter. I really enjoy it. In Texas, we
say that Cloudcroft is Texas' secret retreat. However, we've met
people from California, Arkansas etc. while we were up there.

Marjorie & Leon Sebesta
Lake Jackson, Texas 

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