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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #219
June 18, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

Just got an email from a reader. This person said it had been
too long since I wrote a dog story.

Blame that on the dogs.

Misty, Phoenix, Tipper and Pogo have, alas, been behaving
themselves. Tommy the Cat is just hanging out...doing nothing
particularly newsworthy. I did notice yesterday that Tom has a
little boo boo over his left eye, indicating he must have had
some excitement while we weren't looking. I'll bet his
opponent (whoever or whatever) has a bigger boo boo.

Rocky is the newest addition to our menagerie.

For the past year, Peggy has offered little hints that she
would like to have a parakeet. I don't guess I expressed a
great deal of enthusiasm to the idea so she didn't act on it.

A parakeet? Peggy has about a zillion hummingbirds flying
around here all summer. It takes her a big part of each day
mixing food and filling feeders. While she doesn't name any of
her hummer vagabonds, we recognize many of them by sight.

We have about a dozen feeders at the peek of the season. Peggy
has been doing this feeder thing every summer for about 10
years. It is interesting to see some of the same birds return
year after year and see how they pick out their favorite feeder
like we pick out our favorite coffee shop.

Peggy bought our daughter Amy a parakeet. She didn't ask Amy if
she wanted a parakeet. She just bought her one. See where I'm
going with this?

Let's cut to the chase. Amy is too busy with her job and social
life to take care of a bird. Peggy takes the bird. The bird's
name is Rocky.

It must be fun to be Rocky.

He (I guess he's a he) is a pretty white and blue. He has a
nice cage with lots of toys and bells and mirrors. He's there
next to Peg when she's putting on her makeup in the morning.
They talk to each other a lot. I think Peg does most of the
talking. Peg moves his cage to the covered deck during the day
when it's pretty outdoors which is most of the time this time
of year. 

While Peggy and I are out doing our daily things Rocky verbally
interacts with the hummers and the other wild birds. I've seen
him running back and forth on that perch and whistling like a
referee at a basketball game.

Peggy was giving Rocky a little piece of lettuce every day.
Rocky loves lettuce. Peggy noticed how Rocky likes to rub
against the lettuce leaf to get the water off of it. She
decided to hang a big leaf of lettuce in his cage...soaked down
with water.

Now, Rocky takes a lettuce water bath every day. After his
bath and before he preens and shakes himself back to dry
normal, he looks like a blue and white Brillo Pad.

I think Rocky said his name yesterday.

What do the dogs and the cat think about Rocky?

They're like me. They're coexisting and waiting for the next
critter Peggy brings home.

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 -- SCENIC CANYON RV PARK
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- HISTORICAL NEW MEXICO BOOKS
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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Very warm (by Cloudcroft standards) and very dry this week. The
Rocky Mountain dust is as fine as talcum. It can really cause
problems with allergies and can play havoc with electronic gear.

When driving on unpaved roads near homes this time of year, it
would be neighborly if you drove very slow so as not to kick up
the dust so much.

Highs in the low-80s. Lows in the mid-40s.

Remember, you can get up to the minute current conditions in
Cloudcroft by going to the Cloudcroft.com site, scrolling down
and clicking on the weather info message in the left margin. We
also feature a weather history page located in the same area.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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Stage 2 fire restrictions will go into affect Friday in the
Sacramento Ranger District.

No open fires. Propane fired stoves only. No outdoor smoking.
Smoking only in vehicles or buildings.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- SCENIC CANYON RV PARK
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Scenic Canyon is scenic, secluded, and uncrowded. Large
pull-through spaces with 50 AMP hookups. 33 channels of Cable
TV. Phone and internet connections available. 6.5 miles East of
Cloudcroft off Hwy 82. For information and reservations, call
(877) 687-2306 (toll free) or email bill@cloudcroft-rv.com. For
a map and more information, 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 -- BOOKS ON NEW MEXICO
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A list of titles on New Mexico history.

http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/nmcat.html

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Is there a place in Cloudcroft where we can buy fresh
meats?

A - No fresh meat counters in Cloudcroft. Again, you have to
make the short trip to Alamogordo. Fresh fruits and vegetables
are available at both Cloudcroft grocery stores.
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COMING EVENTS
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June 18, 19, 20 -- Western Roundup. Cloudcroft.

June 19 -- Juneteenth Celebration in the Park. Alamogordo.

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 19, 20 -- Cloudcroft Art Society Art Show. The Lodge.

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

July 7 -- High Noon Book Club. 12pm. In the library. Bring
your lunch and join us in discussing OF MICE AND MEN by John
Steinbeck.

July 10, 11 -- July Jamboree. Cloudcroft.

July 17 -- Mountain Garden Club's 15th Annual Flower Show.
Open to the public. Community Center {corner of Burro and
Swallow Place}. 1-5pm.

July 18 -- Annual meeting of the Sacramento Mountains
Historical Society. 2pm. Commons area of Cloudcroft
Middle School. Historian Leon Metz will be the guest
speaker.

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 4 -- James Canyon Auction & BBQ. Party Barn in
Cloud Country Club (Highway 82 near mile marker 27). Dinner
begins a 5pm, Auction at 7pm, and dance at 9pm.

September 11 -- White Sands Star Party.

September 18, 19 -- White Sands Hot Air Balloon Invitational.
7am both days.

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'm an avid reader of your newsletter, and formerly from
Morton too. I would like to sign up to be an Advocate! I have
attached a picture with my application. I cannot believe
people would actually take advantage of other people,
especially older people! 

Robert

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Dear Newsletter:

Just read today's newsletter and found it very interesting,
although I must disagree with you to a certain degree.

Granted, elderly people are often taken advantage of,
particularly those who are not too well educated or widows
who have never worked outside the home and are unfamiliar
with the evils in this world. 

However, I am in my seventies and find that since old age has
crept up on me I have become ten times more cynical than I
ever was when I was younger. 

In my early years when I was working and raising a family and
being a part time house wife much more got by me because I did
not have the time to complain about a package of meat from the
super market that, when opened turned out to be rancid or an
item that broke after being used a couple of times, etc. I just
threw it away and purchased something to replace it. 

Now, since being retired, I have nothing but time on my hands
and NOTHING gets by me. I even get written bids for having my
lawn mowed and I wouldn't dream of buying a high ticket item
without at least three to five price comparisons. (Among other
things, my money is a lot tighter these days). 

When I return from the super market I check every last item on
the register receipt. If there is a buy one, get one free sale
there had better be a free one on there or it means war. Think
I'll buy a T-Shirt that says "Just because I'm old doesn't mean
I'm not smart. SO DON'T MESS WITH ME!" 

A lot of it is in the way you appear to be. Grifters out there
can smell a meek timid person a mile away and they know they can
take advantage of them. So...all you old folks out there...
develop an attitude. Trust me, it works!
 
Phyllis Kindred
Shreveport, LA

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Dear Newsletter:

As ever a great newsletter and thanks for addressing a growing
problem of senior's trust being abused....you provide such a
worthy public service while being entertaining as well.

May your everyday life be filled with abundant and loving and
prosperous blessings.

Aloha,
Rev. Julia McKenna Johnson
Silver City 

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Dear Newsletter:

It's about time for a critter/varmint/livestock column. What
are the bears and your dogs up to? Have the millers gone away?
Any 'coons, possums, squirrels wreaking depredations on the
surroundings? I'd even settle for a bird or a cat story. Our
deer, though we have many, aren't nearly as interesting as your
bears and dogs.
 
Sandy Woods
Austin

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Dear Newsletter:

I’ve been searching the archives for the readers’ responses
last year on how to deal with our favorite critter, the Miller
Moth. Would you mind re-printing some of their suggestions on
ways to rid ourselves of the pesky little varmints? If you
don’t have space for that could you direct me to the issue
last year where their comments are?
 
Love the newsletter, keep up the good work.
 
In response to this week’s story, I am 6’1 about 250# and
would be more than happy to “stand in” for any of our elders.
 
Thanks,
Kevin Haley
Abilene, TX

http://www.cloudcroft.com/news/news166.htm

http://www.cloudcroft.com/news/news167.htm

http://www.cloudcroft.com/news/news176.htm

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Dear Newsletter:

Just curious why the time stamp at the bottom of the new
weather site is an hour behind and each of the time stamps
on the individual parameters is correct?
 
By the way, the site is fantastic and well worth waiting for.
Paxton

[The Webmaster boo-booed, but fixed it when you pointed it
out -- thanks.]

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Dear Newsletter:

I sincerely enjoy your newsletter. I used the Cloudcroft
Weather report and it worked just as you said it would. 
However, please tell me that the 4 inches of rain in not the
year-to-date rain, but rather, the rain since the weather
data has begun to be accumulated.

Thanks
Walter Thayer

[The year-to-date rain value is correct for that value. We
adjusted it to the best value we had when we started up our
station.]

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