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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #214
May 14, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

The Cloudcroft.com weather station is on-line.

Go to Cloudcroft.com and click on the "Cloudcroft, NM Weather"
and "CC Weather History" links.

For those of us that have been working on this project, we're
pretty proud of it.

The weather station instruments are located 2 miles from the
village. The exact location is not for publication (in case
someone with a twisted sense of humor wants to place a Bic
lighter under the thermometer). The station measures current
temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity and barometric
pressure. It also provides weather history for the Cloudcroft
area. Like a lot of TV weather people, it also has the audacity
to tell you when it thinks it might rain.

The chances of moisture are based on the changes in local
humidity and barometric pressure; tried and true methods for
predicting the weather. In trial runs, the Cloudcroft Online
weather station has predicted rain once in the past month. It
rained. About 5 minutes of light sprinkles, depending on where
you were.

There will, no doubt, be occasional hiccups with our uplink.
Hopefully they will be few and far between. Henry Ford
didn't design the perfect car from the get go. He didn't reach
perfection until he designed the Edsel. I'll promise you
this: The Cloudcroft.com weather station is here to stay...
providing local residents and people interested world-wide with
current Cloudcroft weather conditions and weather history data.

** The weather station updates its current data every 10 
minutes. If you are online longer than that and you want to 
check the weather, go to the site and click the refresh button
on your tool bar.

** The wind speed spoons and direction vane are located in a
minimally dense grove of trees. We selected a spot typical of
the Cloudcroft area residential landscape. Since the winds tend
to swirl and change direction and speed frequently in the
mountains your wind speed and direction may be a little
different depending on what part of the village area you live
in.

**The software and instrumentation at the heart of this system
are pretty sophisticated (we promised you the best and we're
doing our best to deliver). If you have any questions about how
to use the weather system, email us. If we can't give you an
informed answer to your question...we'll probably find somebody
to blame it on.

-o-

There was a death in our family this week. My old trusty chain
saw died today halfway through a 20-inch tree trunk.

The late Poulan was 6 years old and had provided the
Vanlandingham household with dozens of cords of fuelwood and
hours of warmth in the winter since the day I bought it in
1998.

Peggy was there when it passed away. I changed the plug. I
cleaned the air filter. I pulled on the starter rope until my
arm was numb. Finally Peggy patted be on the shoulder.

"It's gone, Don," she said reverently.

I checked the time of death. 3:30 pm Monday. The sadness of
passing was somewhat negated by the fact that I had cut a lot
of wood that day and it was close to happy hour anyway.

That old chainsaw gave me years of faithful service. I'll
miss it. Next time I'll buy the extended warranty.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL -- HISTORIC CAMP PLANS OPEN HOUSE
3. VILLAGE NEWS --MAY VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING
4. INSIDE THE SHOP -- ASPEN REALTY
5. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO SCENIC ROUTES
6. Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
7. COMING EVENTS
8. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
9. CONTACT INFORMATION
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LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
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Another dry week. Forest fire danger is rated as "High". Last
May at this time it was "Extreme" so that's the good news.

Highs in the upper-60s. Lows in the mid-40s.

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SPECIAL -- HISTORIC CAMP PLANS OPEN HOUSE
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The newly formed Friends of Camp Mary White, a nonprofit group
created to renovate the historic Girl Scout camp near Mayhill,
invites area residents to attend its Grand Revitalization
Kickoff on June 5, from 1pm to 5pm at the camp. The event is
free and offers the rare opportunity to tour the scenic,
76-year-old camp. The facility normally is closed to the public.

Old photos and camp memorabilia will be displayed, and history
presentations offered. Refreshments will be served. Sacramento
Mountain residents are encouraged to attend to learn about
Friends of Camp Mary White's and Girl Scouts-Zia Council's
plans to renovate the camp's 1928 lodge and buildings. The
structures have become worn with time and are in need of repair.

Camp Mary White is the oldest continually operated Girl Scout
camp west of the Mississippi. It was founded by the late Mary
White, who lived at the Muleshoe Ranch near Bear Lake.

"This camp has many known and unknown friends in the mountain
community surrounding Camp Mary White," said Paula Homer,
Friends' president and a former director of the camp. "People
in these mountains have helped us in a variety of ways over
many decades: some have been heroes in saving CMW from recent
fires, others have assisted our girls in emergencies and many
have come to camp to share knowledge and skills. We would like
to reconnect or meet for the first time these special friends
and have them with us as we begin our next era in Camp Mary
White's long legacy. Please, come!"

More information is available at www.cmwfriends.org or by
calling Paula Homer at (940) 565-4654 or Bernadette Self at
(915) 240-1657.
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VILLAGE NEWS -- MAY VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING
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An alliance with Cloudcroft Emergency Medical Services, flowers
for the Checkerspot Butterfly and what to do about an overdue
Ski Cloudcroft payment were addressed by the Cloudcroft Village
Council Tuesday evening.

Robert Booky, Andy Hospodar and Barbara Alvie...representing the
all-volunteer Cloudcroft EMS...told the Council the service was
in dire need of assistance from the Village if it was going to
continue responding to its emergency needs.

After the presentation, Village Council Members voted to pledge
at least 10,000 dollars over the next year for EMS training and
compensation.

A special hearing was held to discuss the change in re-zoning
for land in the Village owned by Erich Wuersching. Weursching
is a Village Council Member and he recused himself from the
board during the hearing and took his place in the seat of the
applicant.

After hearing responses from a published notice of the zoning
change (there was no one present at the meeting against the
change) the board voted in favor of the re-zoning. The property
in question is Sugar Pine RV park and some surrounding lots.
The request was to bring the property under compliance for use
as a recreational vehicle park.

The Village Council decided not to pursue an agreement with The
Center for Towers & Wireless Facilities. The company proposed
writing an ordinance that would protect the Village from the
unwanted construction of cell and other communications towers.

The Council decided if such an ordinance was needed, the
Village legal staff could come up with the proper wording
without paying an outside consultant.

The question of Village owned cell phones and whether or not
they should be vouchered to employees was forwarded to another
meeting pending more research.

The administrator's report included an update on the
renovation of the rest rooms at Zenith Park. The unofficial
target date for completion of the renovation is Memorial Day.

The council also voted to accept most recent changes in New
Mexico State building codes as Village code changes.

The Game and Fish Department is seeking to enter into an
agreement with Cloudcroft to establish a habitat buffer zone
for the Cloudcroft Checkerspot Butterfly in the form of 1,800
new Penstamen flower plants. Penstamens and Checkerspots
evidently coexist nicely and Game and Fish is willing to grant
$10,000 as matching funds in establishing a flower patch in the
Village.

Councilwoman Barbara Springer told the board it would be up to
the Village to plant the flowers, water them when needed and
provide in-kind labor to satisfy Cloudcroft's end of the grant
agreement. After reviewing several sites for the project,
Springer suggested a spot North of Geronimo Street in the
Village. The Council decided to proceed with the project with
a final approval pending the clarification of logistics.

Springer was also on the agenda requesting the Village staff
produce a comprehensive report on water usage by the Village.
The report would include usage trends, water losses, etc. The
Council voted to support her request.

The Village Council met in executive session to discuss the
ongoing problem of non-payment on the agreement between
Cloudcroft and Jeremy Adams, operator of Ski Cloudcroft. A
$10,500 payment to the Village, which owns the ski area, is
more than 30 days overdue.

After executive session, the Council voted to instruct the
Village Attorney to take the necessary action to remove Adams
from The Ski Cloudcroft premises.

Councilman Erich Wuersching recused himself from the vote in
light of the fact that he was involved in a winter snow
recreation business and his participation in the vote could be
construed as a conflict of interest.

The Cloudcroft Village Council meets the second Tuesday of each
month. The public is invited.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- ASPEN REALTY
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The chief goal of Aspen Realty Associates is customer
satisfaction. We believe that our dedicated service will provide
you with the confidence and peace of mind that comes with
knowing you made the right decision in the selection of a
Realtor to represent you. Please call, or stop in and see us
regarding your real estate needs at our convenient location on
Hwy 82 at the Buckhorn Cabins. You can obtain additional
information about Aspen Realty Associates by clicking on the
link to our web site on the Real Estate page of Cloudcroft.com:

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

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO SCENIC ROUTES
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Before you hit the road in the Land of Enchantment...

http://pw2.netcom.com/~wandaron/nmex.html

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Is The Lodge Golf Course a 9-hole or 18-hole course?

A - It's a nine-hole course...one of the oldest in the state
and one of the highest in the country. It probably never will
be expanded to 18 because it is pretty much enclosed by
forestation. Each green has two holes. A front nine and a
back nine hole. The only exception is Number 1/Number 10.
Same tee area but two different greens.

The course is short (three par 3 and one par 5 holes) but is
made challenging by undulating greens.
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COMING EVENTS
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May 29 -- Flea market and garage sale. 9am - 5pm. Cloudcroft
Elementary School parking lot. $15 booth rental. Booth rental
will benefit Cloudcroft Schools. Contact D'dre Brock, 687-3263.

May 29, 30 -- Mayfest. Cloudcroft.

June 2 -- High Noon Book Club. 12pm. In the library. Bring your
lunch and join us in discussing O PIONEERS! by Willa Cather.

June 12 -- Miss New Mexico "Show Me Your Shoe" Parade. Golf
Tournament at the Lodge Golf Course. Proceeds go to the
Scholarship Account for the Miss NM Contestants.

June 18, 19, 20 -- Western Roundup. Cloudcroft.

June 19-20 -- High Rolls Cherry Festival. 9am - 5pm each day.
Food, drink, cherry and cherry products, activities for kids,
arts/crafts vendors. (505) 682-1151

June 25-27 -- Chimney Spring Bluegrass Festival. For more
information call 505-687-3520.

July 10, 11 -- July Jamboree. Cloudcroft.

July 23-25 -- Singing in the Clouds. Gospel singing, solo's,
trio's, quartet's, and a lot of group singing by all.
(325) 691-9123.

September 19 -- Gary Johnson’s Cloudcroft Run. World’s highest
certified 10k run. For more information call 505-687-2133.

October 2, 3 -- Oktoberfest. Cloudcroft.

Cloudcroft Art Society meets the second Thursday of each month,
5:30-7pm, in the Old Red Brick School House.

Cox Canyon Volunteer Fire and Rescue is organizing an
auxiliary unit. If you would like to help support this group
of dedicated men and women, call 682-3084, 682-4664, 682-3719
or 682-3234.

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:

I just wanted to let you know that we are looking forward to
our first visit to New Mexico next week - and to Cloudcroft!

We've appreciated your newsletters as it gave us somewhat of a
glimpse into life there. Thank you for taking the time and
spending the effort to do this!

Best wishes,
Tom Pleatman
Media, PA

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Dear Newsletter:

Well, we finally got a contract on the house in Rockwall, TX.,
and will be bringing another load of stuff up tomorrow (Friday,
May 7th). We will also be up there to hang a solo art show for
Susan at NMSU on Monday. If you would, I would appreciate a
mention of her show in the next newsletter. It will run from
May 10th through May 31st at the Townsend Library. Also, her
website is:

http://home.earthlink.net/~schaeff4845/

We will then come back to Rockwall for our closing (which
should be May 20th or 21st), then we will be on our way to
Cloudcroft for good!

Look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,
Allan Schaeffer

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Dear Newsletter:

Sorry I missed all the hoopla about the toilet seats and such.
I was just too busy packing and loading to notice very much.
You see, the dream of many years for us has now been realized:
We’ve finally moved to Cloudcroft – the sweetheart of my life,
and I.
 
Most boxes now are moved aside and things are taking shape.
The rooms first empty are now filled with our treasured
keepsakes. Most wonderful, of course, is knowing that our
future years Will be enjoyed, surrounded by the beauty that
is here.
 
My love of 30 years and I – we’ve taken residence
Upon this mountain high above the plains of hustling gents.
No more the traffic we endure, no more the stressful pace.
Instead, we’ve chosen slower themes in this peaceful place.
 
Thanks, Don, your weekly newsletter has been informative!
It’s kept us laughing, made us think and given us ideas.
Your readers, of which we are two, are quite the varied lot.
Keep up your renderings on life – they’re good food for
thought. 
 
“GOOD MORNIN’ CLOUDCROFT!” That’s how I greet the day.
“Oh, thank you Lord, for allowing us to live our dreams
this way.” Enough of reveling in this mode – it’s time to
move along, and look for someone else to help so they can
sing the song.
 
JSD
(Formerly of FW-TX, now of CC-NM)

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Dear Newsletter:

Thanks. I just felt that I owed you a thanks for all the
delightful stories and the update on my favorite place in the
world. I have been trying to move there since the 70's and
haven't been able to pull it off yet.

Thank goodness that my family has had a place there since the
50's and I can at least visit.

Once again, thank you.

James Brock, Jr.
Midland, Texas 

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Dear Newsletter:

Would you agree that a hoop snake could be a "roll" model?

Just teasing,
Peter Chase
Alpine, TX

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Dear Newsletter:

Please congratulate Melissa for us too. Maybe that will help
her feel special and that is so important especially for young
people. They don't realize how much they are watched even by
people who they don't know.

Fran and Tom Gregg
San Angelo, Tx.

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Dear Newsletter:

Well, Dr Don, I think that your keen observations and succinct
wisdom in pointing out that there are people like Melissa's
parents, the guy who saved the bull snake, and the Pat Tillmans
of this nation, that people like us will feel a need to rise
to the occasion.

There are many who work hard and make sacrifices daily...little,
big or the ultimate sacrifice, all which make this country
stronger. Each of us contribute in our own way, so if you wonder
if you will rise to the occasion, I think you already have! You
make us laugh, you make us think, you bring out emotions that
make us feel compelled to respond in whatever way we can.

So move over, George Will and Dr Phil, ya got company.

Jim Ground
Mission Viejo, CA
via Carlsbad

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Dear Newsletter:

Regarding your comment about Pat Tillman

While I agree this young man gave up a lot to go to Afghanistan
to fight and we can look at him as a hero, I regret so much is
being said and done about him when so many others are barely
being mentioned.

I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the former Air
Force Base at KI Sawyer, we lost a member of our local military
on Christmas Day along with two other men from up here. The
rest of their outfit just recently returned and tragically
these three families had no one to welcome home.

Wasn't their heroism just as worthy and their loss just as
tragic? Unfortunately because Pat Tillmans had notoriety where
these three didn't he got the publicity even in death! I hope
people remember the many others who have died and those who are
being killed daily with equal honor and respect!

Thank you.
Marilyn Yezak,
Gwinn, MI

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Dear Newsletter:

Your tribute to Pat Tillman and the Pat Tillmans of the world
is very much appreciated by this reader.

There have been two pro football players killed in service of
their country since world war II, Tillman and Bob Kalsu from
the University of Oklahoma and the Buffalo Bills. Bob played
one year of pro ball with the Bills before he was called to
duty during the Viet Nam war. His first year he earned all pro
status and had a bright future ahead of him during which time
he too could have earned a large sum of money.

He, like Tillman, chose to serve his country by enrolling in
Army ROTC while attending OU knowing that he would be called
on to lead troops in the war. Bob was survived by his wife and
infant son who still live in the Oklahoma City area.

I was fortunate to recruit and coach Bob at OU. He was a young
man of high character, outstanding in every way. My life was
enriched by just being associated with him.

The loss of Pat Tillman brought back those memories of this fine
young man who gave his all for this great country forty six
years ago.

The losses of Tillman and Kalsu hits home to most Americans
because of our love of sports in this country. They are my
heroes. But, all those 150,000 plus troops serving in Iraq and
Afghanistan are also my heroes. May God bless them all and may
God continue to bless America!

Leon Cross,
Norman, Oklahoma

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Dear Newsletter:

Our troops are very special in my heart today because of what
they have done. They're over there fighting for our freedom
while we're here in the United States enjoying our freedom.

Thanks for the nice newsletter again.

Shirley Myers

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Dear Newsletter:

One last vote on the toilet seat issue:

I'm female and live alone...the seat stays down. On the other
hand, I am suffering the after effects of a broken back (mother
said I should quit riding motorcycles) and leave the lid up.
Bending over to lift it is often painful.

'Nuff said.

Shirley Alford

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Dear Newsletter:

I just read about the toilet seat issue and thought I would
throw in my two cents worth.

Having been married twenty something years I have found a good
solution to this problem. I simply sit down anytime I go to the
toilet...I know that kinda looks bad from the power struggle
point of view, but I actually got to chew my wife out once
when she had cleaned the toilet earlier and left the lid up
that night....That made it all worth it, I am thinking I may
be the only man on the planet who has chewed on his wife for
leaving the seat up..Just don't mention this to anyone I know,
would you?

M****** C**

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Dear Newsletter:

I have found in three marriages over 36 years, that the
absolute best answer to the toilet seat position is -- for the
man to put the seat down after use as a courtesy to the lady,
and for the lady to return the seat to the upright position
after her use, as a courtesy to the man.

This way both have shown their complete consideration for the
wishes of their mate, and neither has become consumed in the
ill-advised power struggle over such a minute detail in lives
that should be more concerned in hardening the cement of our
relationships than chipping away at it with each needless little
squabble.

And the ultimate wrong that will deal a potential death blow to
the relationship would be for the man to carelessly leave the
seat down when he stands over it. If you love your partner,
cherish every opportunity to show them your love and
appreciation and dedication to making the relationship 
pleasant for both. Try it, it is truly rewarding.

Dr. Bob Williamson,
Gonzales, Texas, and part-time Beaver Street, Cloudcroft

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Dear Newsletter:

If I could just set a theoretical scenario here:
 
You wake up on a cold winter night there in the mountains. You
really have an urge to use the bathroom but for something much
more pressing than a simple over-active bladder if you get my
gist.
 
Rather than take the chance of waking your sleeping wife by
turning on the lights you creep into the bathroom in the dark,
lower your outer garments, and plunk yourself down
unceremoniously straight onto the ice cold hard porcelain rim
of the toilet bowl. You jump back up with frost bite on your
posterior and the first thing that comes to mind is "At last,
I've finally figured out why my wife becomes so upset when I
leave the toilet seat up." 
 
Maybe this has never happened to you but that doesn't mean that
it won't some night and believe me, I doubt there is a married
woman out there to whom it hasn't happened at least once. 
 
Face it guys, from the first days of potty training you are
conditioned to automatically lift up the toilet seat before use
but women just can't seem to grasp the habit of checking to see
if it is down. It's simply not the way we were trained. So come
on, have a heart. If you are trained to automatically put the
seat up, why not train yourselves to automatically put it back
down as well?
 
After all, it's not even close to being as intricate a move as
changing the toilet paper roll. We long ago gave up on any of
you guys ever learning to master that task.
 
Phyllis Kindred
Shreveport, LA
 
PS. Hope you realize this was written with tongue in cheek...
but face it, you're the one who left the subject open for
discussion!

Love your Newsletter and really look forward to it every
Thursday!

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