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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #184
October 17, 2003
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Dear Subscriber:

Another mega nice day today in Cloudcroft, New Mexico.
"Sunshine with a breeze." Sounds like a sissy drink.

I don't mean to rub it in with you out-of-towners. My job is
to paint an accurate picture of what goes on around here.

As I have said before, I have no contract with the Cloudcroft
Chamber of Commerce or anyone else to write glittery stuff about
the area. I just observe and write. I even get emails from
people that say I shouldn't be so glittery. People may decide
to move to Cloudcroft and ruin the small village ambiance.

Kinda puts me between a rock and a hard place.

In the interest of balance...here are some bad things about
Cloudcroft.

ROCKS. Rocks everywhere. They don't call it The Rockies for
nothing. It is likely the sprained ankle capital of the
Western world. If you intend to venture off the beaten path,
wear some high-topped hiking boots. None of those cheesy
sandals. My admonition to every visitor who cares to listen
is watch your feet. One false step and it's Ace Bandage time
and the scenery for the rest of your trip may be a fireplace
and a TV.

BEES. The bees around here are docile. They do not attack
people like some of their mean cousins, but if you back one
into a corner, a bee will be a bee and he'll come out fighting.

Case in point...Peggy was minding her own business this past
week when she picked up what she thought was a dead bee behind
a chair (how it got behind the chair is still under
investigation). The "dead" bee stung her. Peggy has an allergy
to bee venom. Her hand swelled up like a catcher's mitt.

After some medication and some ice packs, she's doing much
better now.

Don't pick up bees here. Don't pick up bees anywhere. Even if
their eyes are closed and their tongues are hanging out and
their feet are sticking straight up in the air...don't pick them
up...especially if you might have an allergy. This time of the
year they may look dormant (dead). Don't let them fool you.

At the risk of sounding like a Greenie, bees are good. They
make honey and help flowers bloom and stuff. Leave 'em alone if
you can.

If you feel compelled to punch a bee's ticket, do it with a fly
swatter. Hand to hand combat is not recommended.

TRAFFIC. I'm getting real testy about the driving I have
observed around Cloudcroft.

In every part of the US, double yellow lines on the road means
"do not pass". It DOESN'T mean "drive on this line".

The roads around Cloudcroft are winding. The visibility is
limited by hillsides and trees.

I've lived here long enough to know to drive as close to the
outside of the lane as possible to allow for the center-huggers.

I understand how it happens. Normally conscientious drivers
from the flatlands are driving in the mountains listening to
their passengers say "look at that" or "look over there".

If you're the driver, don't look. Watch the road. Stop and then
look.

Those little white crosses you see on the side of the road every
once in a while are there for a reason. I hate to see new ones.
Drivers that inadvertently cross the center line contribute to
a large percentage of this area's fatal accidents.

Sadly, I have observed locals that are center-huggers. A shame
be upon your person.

It was a perfect day in Cloudcroft today. Jim and I and about
a half dozen bees fixed a water line.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL -- SEASONSCAPE, PHOTO 15
3. VILLAGE NEWS
4. SPECIAL PICTORAL -- FALL FOLIAGE
5. INSIDE THE SHOP -- OLD ENGLISH TEA ROOM
6. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO CYBER-TOUR
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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A week of sunshine in the Cloudcroft area adding to the fall
colors. Cooling off.

Highs in the low-60s. Lows in the mid-30s. Breezy.
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SPECIAL -- SEASONSCAPE, PHOTO 14
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This issues marks the end of the SeasonScape photo experiment
by Kit Richards. The first photo was taken Oct 6, 2002. The
last one was taken Oct 5, 2003. What striking changes these
photos show! How appropriate that the sequence begins and ends
with fall colors!

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

Wild turkeys anyone? This photo was taken by Kit Richards on
the Sunspot highway about 7:30am October 12th.

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

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VILLAGE NEWS
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Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce board election ballots are to be
mailed out in the next few days.

Board election results will be announced at the end of November.
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SPECIAL PICTORAL -- FALL FOLIAGE
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There is a little guesswork involved when selecting the optimum
time for the fall color changes in the mountains. At just about
the time the leaves have turned their deepest hues, a wind comes
along and the party's over.

These pictures were taken October 14...all of them along the
Sunspot Highway.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/foliage1.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/foliage2.jpg

Here are some fall colors taken by Kit Richards on October 12.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/fall4.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/fall5.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/fall6.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/fall7.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/fall8.jpg

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INSIDE THE SHOP -- OLD ENGLISH TEA ROOM
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Experience Olive Branch Coffee (on The Boardwalk).

Taste our Mocha Blast or Atomic Coffee Cooler. Try our hearty
sandwiches made with Boars Head Meats or huge delicious
breakfast burritos. For more information, email
contact@olivebranchcoffee.com.
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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO CYBER-TOUR
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http://www.newmexico.org/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Are there places we can go to cut a load of firewood?

A - Because of the recent cooperative effort between the Forest
Service and private land owners to thin private lands, there is
a larger than usual supply of firewood available in the
Cloudcroft area...much of it free for those willing to log it
themselves.

Check with the Forest Service for information. 1-505-682-2551.
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COMING EVENTS
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October 17 -- Cloudcroft at Capitan. (7:30) Varsity
football.

October 18, 19 -- High Rolls Apple Festival. As always, parking
and admission are free, and the sponsoring High Rolls/Mountain
Park Lions recently expanded available parking. The Festival
runs from 9am to 5pm daily, and is at the High Rolls Lions'
Hut/Community Center.

October 20 -- Mountain Garden Club meeting.

October 24 -- Cloudcroft at Mescalero (7:30). Varsity
football.

October 24 -- Cummins Industrial Tool Show and Sale. Chimney
Spring, 2679 Highway 82, Mayhill 11am-7pm.

October 25 -- Harvestfest

October 26 -- Return to Mountain Standard Time (back one hour).

October 31 -- Trick or Treat Costume Contest. Call The Chamber
for details.

October 31 -- Blackwood Legacy Quartet Gospel Music. Chimney
Spring, 2679 Highway 82, Mayhill 7:30pm. $10 per person.

November 1 -- Cloudcroft at home against Hagerman. (2pm)
Varsity football.

November 22 -- Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce banquet.

November 29th -- Santa Land opens. Cloudcroft.

December 6th -- ULLR Fest.

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

December 20 -- Christmas in Cloudcroft. Zenith Park.

December 24 - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, 7pm.
Cloudcroft United Methodist Church

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:

The fall day that you and Peggy experienced is what I call a
"life moment." I have experienced many such moments over the
years in Cloudcroft. Whether it was lying back on my snowmobile,
watching a herd of elk winding through the snow covered trees,
watching sunset after perfect sunset in front of the Lodge or
just standing in the middle of a blazing grove of aspens on a
fall day.

Yes Don, I agree with you, Cloudcroft is one of the prettiest
places on earth.

Sandra Naylor
Tucson, Az.

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Dear Newsletter:

"Another winter hint...bring in all your adhesives (pipe
glue, wood glue, etc)."

Don't forget those unused cans of paint! Freezing does nothing
good for the water based types. As an artist, I have to make
sure the area I use as a studio does not get below freezing.

My group of hiking buddies and I had a nice meal the other day
at the Aspen Motel restaurant in Cloudcroft. Mine tasted even
better after I learned the others were paying for me, as a way
of thanking me for having been the driver.

One sour note. It was a note the Forest Service had tacked to
the sign at one of the trail heads for the Rim Trail. It said
there would be MOTORCYCLES on that trail on the coming weekend.

The sign was undated and appeared old and faded, but tire tracks
on the trail told me the trail is now being used regularly by
motorized vehicles, and that is a darned shame!

Cheers,
Jack in Ruidoso

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Dear Newsletter:

Have you ever considered flannel lined jeans. We go to New York
every Christmas and that is all my husband wears. They are warm
and really keep the cold wind out. You can order them from
catalogues like LL Bean and Lands End. Try some.
 
Pam Brown
Lubbock, Texas

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Dear Newsletter:

Everyone is in agreement, Cloudcroft and the surrounding area
is beautiful. None of us want it to change, but up until the
time I purchased my property, I was one of the outsiders, just
like most everyone else in the area. I would never argue with
someone wanting to sell their property or with anyone wanting
to buy and build in the area. The only argument against it is
based on selfishness, I mean after all it was okay when it was
"us" buying from a seller.

I know that down deep we all understand the want and even the
need to come to the mountains. We all understand that some
people buy and own land for investment and the only way to reap
the rewards from your investment is to sell.

I submit to all the mountain property owners, that we do our
very best to welcome outsiders that are lucky enough to find
and purchase property of their very own. That we maintain close
ties with those who own property as investment, after all,
they're only trying to make a living. That, finally, we as a
whole do all that we can to buy up the investment property from
those investors before outsiders can get a change....

Bill White,
Phoenix AZ

PS. Just kidding/690 days

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Dear Newsletter:

We are somewhat new readers of your Newsletter and sure do
enjoy it.

We guess that you have probably heard that once or twice before.

We recently moved from Florida to Las Cruces (the Florida
humidity forced the move). As it does get pretty hot in Las
Cruces in the summer, we are thinking about a mountain cabin
for that time of the year and Cloudcroft sure seems like the
proper location per the comments from most of your letter
writers.

One topic seems to be lacking in all of the letters that we've
read and that is the affect the 9,000 foot altitude has on the
average person. Maybe some of your readers can contribute some
information on this subject. Keep up the excellent Newsletter.

Ray & Donna McCormick
Las Cruces, NM

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Dear Newsletter:

Just wanted to let you know that The Front Porch Grill used to
be Bear In The Woods, not Two Bears. I read your newsletter
every week and really enjoy it. Keeps me up to date with what
I have sadly had to leave behind.

Thank you,
R. G.

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Dear Newsletter:

What an awesome little town you have to be proud of year round.

I love being in touch with Cloudcroft through the newsletter.
At the end of each school day (after teaching rowdy 3rd & 4th
graders all day long), I search my email looking for my
newsletter to sit down, relax and dream of just being there.

My husband introduced me to Cloudcroft back in 1985 on our
honeymoon. I can to this day still hear the pine trees as the
wind blows, and smell the rain showers daily as they come and
go so quickly.

The temperature this year got up in the eighties while we were
there, but not for long. Yes, I am a Texan and proud of it, but
you know how to treat people right when it comes to temperature.

July temperature here in the heart of Texas was between 110 and
115 degrees. We never have to worry about the cold or snow. If
we get an inch of snow we all go crazy. I mean even to the point
of staying home from school, because (ha ha) the roads are
hazardous.

Hope to see you again this summer. Stay well, and bless the
beautiful country that God gave us to live in.

Kathy Brockman 

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Dear Newsletter:

My wife and I visited Cloudcroft in May 2003. We really enjoyed
your Mountain Town and visiting our with our daughter Esther
Fyock, our Son-In-Law Joel Fyock, our Grandson Wyatt Fyock,
and Grandaughter Lydia Fyock. You have a beautiful place to
live. We loved it. My daughter loves it there also. 
 
I grew up on the north side of Pine Mountain in Southeastern
Kentucky. I return to my old home place about once a year to 
visit my relatives. I would prefer to live in the mountains,
but find it hard to pull uproots and move in my senior years,
but I think that my heart will always be on the mountain top.
 
I found your web site while doing a city search on the web. I
enjoyed it so much that I gave you my daughters e-mail address
too so she could enjoy it.
The pictures were great. Your photographer did an excellent job.
I want to thank you for sharing your newsletter with us.
 
Dan Hendrickson
Indianapolis, Indiana

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