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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #223
July 16, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

Peggy likes to drive...even when I'm driving.

"Turn here. TURN! You should have turned there. Oh, boy...
we're lost again. You better get out of this lane. It's a
turn lane and you don't want to turn here. I know I said turn,
but that was several turns ago. You need to go straight. I
heard that! Don't use that language with me!"

I know you won't believe this, but I'm a much better driver
when I'm by myself. Peggy doesn't believe it. I think she
thinks if it weren't for her calling out the turns and don't
turns from the shotgun seat there's a good chance I would drive
away and never find my way back.

Driving is one of the last bastions existing in The Battle of
the Sexes.

It goes back to the origination of the word "driver." That
word used to be synonymous with "captain of the ship," but no
longer.

Before Toyotas, there was the wagon pulled by a mule team. No,
horses weren't used that much in frontier days to pull wagons
despite what they profess in old Western movies. That job was
normally relegated to mules and oxen. Slower than horses,
granted, but speed wasn't the point in those days. Mules and
oxen were more physically suited to the job and less likely to
have their own attitude about where to go. The guy (yes, it
was almost always a guy) holding the reigns was called "The
Driver." The person sitting next to the driver on the wagon
seat...the one wearing the sun bonnet, was called "The Wife."

The wife in pioneer days usually didn't have much input in
the driving. There was no need. There were a pair of wagon
ruts that ran between New York and San Francisco. No exits to
miss. No speed limits to exceed. Must have been kinda boring
for her. The trips could last for months. The kids didn't
start asking "Are we there yet?" until Oklahoma.

No one can pin-point exactly when men lost control of the
driving. Even after the invention of the internal combustion
engine it was the man that usually drove. Driving those first
cars wasn't an act of gender control on the part of the men, it
was an act of chivalry. Driving those old machines was hard,
dirty work. They had to be primed and hand cranked and oiled
and often had to be repaired on the side of the road. No self-
respecting man would subject a female to such a dirty and
dangerous business.

I don't know this for a fact, but it was probably a man that
invented the automatic starter. No more cranking. Just the
push of a button and whoop-de-do. Guys could wear street 
clothes while driving instead of that ankle length duster. 
Suddenly driving became fun for him. Then some guy (we haven't
found him yet, but when we do...) said to the lady sitting next
to him in the car, "Hey, honey. Wanna Drive?"

Before the emails start flying, I'm only kidding. Actually,
making vehicles female friendly was a good thing. Now the girls
can drive themselves to the store and take the kids to soccer
practice and enter the Indianapolis 500.

If I come off sounding a little bitter, I guess maybe I am. It
is being demonstrated with increasing regularity that there are
few things that men can do that ladies can't.

Everything except maybe writing one's name in the snow.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL -- UNTITLED
3. VILLAGE NEWS
4. INSIDE THE SHOP -- CABINS AT CLOUDCROFT
5. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- THE PETROGLYPHS
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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A high this reporting period of 82 at noon on Friday (7-9). The
low during the period was 45 at 7am Tuesday (7-13).

0.56 inches of rain in Cloudcroft since last Thursday. Total
rainfall this calendar year -- 10.29 inches.

Up to the minute weather information from Cloudcroft's only
full-time weather station is available 24-7 on the internet at
Cloudcroft.com. Local residents can make the weather page your
default page so you can wake up to current weather every
morning. It's free.
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SPECIAL -- CLOUDCROFT
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Untitled

Each moment I’m increasingly grateful
For the privilege of living each day
Among the grand halls of the evergreen trees
With their branches lifted in praise!
 
At dawn, the sweetness of clear mountain air;
At noon, the wind on the rise;
At sunset, the canvas of splendor and awe –
Bring tears of joy to my eyes!
 
Let bustle and hustle and traffic and more
Keep their distance horizoned below.
Serenity’s crown is secreted here – 
In the heartland of Sacramento.
 
Though some might complain of stimulus lost
‘midst the clouds and the whispering breeze,
I’ll not stir from the gentle repose that I’ve found:
In Cloudcroft, I’ve taken my ease.
 
(aaahhhhhhh……..)
 
JD
CC resident,
Formerly of FWTX
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VILLAGE NEWS
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Another new business in the village. Q-Teez, located next to
The Estate on Little Glorietta. A wide variety of T-shirts and
custom T-shirt design and production.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- CABINS AT CLOUDCROFT
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Enjoy Old Time Mountain Hospitality!

Located in the village two blocks up from Zenith Park in the
cool, tall pines. 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom cabins with kings,
fireplaces, living rooms, full kitchens, microwaves, cable TV,
propane grills, and picnic tables. Sept - May weekday discounts
and year round extended stay discounts. A perfect place for
family and small church/business retreats. Call us at
1-800-248-7967. For more information see the link to our web
site on the Lodging page of Cloudcroft.com:

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

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- THE PETROGLYPHS
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http://www.nps.gov/petr/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - We're considering a visit in August. Do most of the lodges
in Cloudcroft have air conditioning?

A - Since our average temperature in the summer is around the
mid-70s, few vacation accommodations include air conditioning.
It's not really necessary. On our warmest days, a box fan is
enough to stay cool and comfortable. In the evenings...even in
the summer...it will cool down to sweater weather.
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COMING EVENTS
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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.

July 24 -- Cloudcroft Chili Cookoff. At the Ski Cloudcroft
Lodge.  Contact Bud Barrick (505-382-5107) or Cloudcroft Chamber
of Commerce (505-682-2733) for more information.

August 4 -- High Noon Book Club. 12pm. In the library. Bring
your lunch and join us in discussing THE RAZOR'S EDGE by
Somerset Maugham.

August 5-8 -- Gathering Of Circles. www.GatheringOfCircles.com.

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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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoy reading your newsletters very much and would like to
ask of you a favor.

I am now into another book on General William O. Darby, who
organized, trained, and led the US Army Rangers in WW II --
"Darby's Rangers." 

We have found some material [Mrs Darby's scrap book] that place
Darby and his wife in Cloudcroft immediately after their
marriage in 1935 commanding a R&R post. There are also lists
of officers that visited the facility before the war, making
very interesting reading. 

Would you refer me to someone or some agency that may be able
to provide more information of this facility?

Oh, by the way, I see that you go to Lubbock often. I attended
flight school at Reese and had a great time at Texas Tech. I
recall that when I first got there I noticed that there was a
concert at Tech and decided that I would attend. Why I did it
I have no idea; however, I wore a Harris tweed coat, button
down shirt, bow tie, and white bucks to the concert. 

As I was getting out of my car (MG TD), a man walked up to me
and said, "Dude, you ain't from around here are you?" 

I got back in the car and went back to base! [Bought a pair of
Dan Posts and jeans the next day]. 

Emory Dockery,
President, The Darby Foundation

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Dear Newsletter:

Hi there, my husband Don and I just spent a week at the new
property we purchased in CCW RV, and loved it. 

Coming from San Antonio, the cool mornings and mild days were
much welcome. Can't wait for the next trip up this summer. 

Enjoyed the Jamboree and all that went with it.

Kathee Hixon

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Dear Newsletter:

I received the newsletter for over a year and enjoyed each
and every one. I laughed and cried at some stories that
reminded me of my dad or of special people. 

All of a sudden it quit and I would love and enjoy having it
sent again. That was one e-mail I looked forward to and have
missed it tremendously. 

So thanks for all the time and please redo my mail.

Thanks,
Syd Pipkin

[Anytime you are no longer getting the newsletter, visit our
home page and resubscribe. If your newsletter bounces, you are
automatically deleted from our mailing list.]

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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoy your newsletter. 

The dry conditions in Cloudcroft you mentioned, reminded me of
a story I heard long ago. Hypothetically, we'll say a fellow
was traveling through Cloudcroft and asked a local citizen just
how dry in was there. The local citizen answered by asking, 
"Do you recall where it says in the Bible that it rained for
40 days and 40 nights?" 

"Why yes," said the traveler.

"Well," said the citizen, "we only got an inch and a quarter
that time."

Norm Stephens
Cottonwood, CA

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Dear Newsletter:

Well, I understand what you're talking about. Water is hard
to come by. We have the same problem with our water here in
Amarillo. Our lake is almost dry. We hope and pray a lot for
rain here. Heating fuel is very high.

Good to here from you again.

Thank you again,
Shirley Myers

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Dear Newsletter:

Has anyone else been having a problem with the dump? 

It seems that every time I load the car up with my trash and
drive into town, the dump is "closed!" 

Am I the only one this is happening to? Are there set days
that the dump is open?

Thank you,
Robert (Buster) Blount

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Dear Newsletter:

That was so nice of you to run my historical story again in
issue #222. It was good to see Kit Richards work again as well.
However, the post card that also appeared was not sent in by
me. Whoever shared that card with you should get the credit.
 
After being on your mailing list for about four years, I am
still enjoying each Newsletter and I look forward to receiving
it on Thursday. 

Thank you for hanging in there and getting it put together
every week. I marvel at how you are still able to come up with
a fresh topic every time and make it either humorous, sad, or
educational, and always entertaining.
 
Thank you so much!

Helen Sills
Eugene, Oregon

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Dear Newsletter:

Loved your newsletter about your DJ daze! Having spent some 13
years in several radio & TV stations in San Antonio, Tx and
Albuquerque, I can sympathize with and smile at mike fright,
on-air lights, devious station managers, co-workers striving
to break you up when on the air, and mikes you just thought
were turned off! 

My first fauz pas involved poor typing and an announcer who
read my copy cold. This resulted in his velvet voice announcing,
"Get Wild ROT Cream Oil, Charlie!" 

I hastily re-typed this boo-boo. Next time it was again read
cold as written: "Get Wild Root CRAM Oil, Charlie!" 

I did manage to go onto more advanced things...TV commercials
and scripts...and that was in the live camera days! I could
probably come up with a book about all the funny, strange and
wonderful things that happen on live camera! No one ever wanted
to be the "straight man". 

Those 13 years were probably the best years of my life! Well,
at least the funniest! 

Nowadays, I can barely stand to watch TV! 

Thanks for the always enjoyable and sometimes thought-provoking
things you write! 

Barbara Karcher 
Alto, NM 

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Dear Newsletter:

It was Thursday and I was reading the weekly newsletter #222
when I came across a letter from Sherry Thompson located in
Cave Creek, AZ.
 
This is the third person I've seen in the newsletter from my
neck of the woods or the lack of woods. I was beginning to
think my sister, wife and I would be the only Zonies living
in a sea of Texans when we moved there. Don't get me wrong! I
like Texans, my other sister even married one. But everyone
we meet are X Texans, I was beginning to worry about being
aloud into the club so to speak.
 
I was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ and everyone I tell that
to will make the statement, "boy there sure aren't many of
you!" I wonder if that's true of New Mexicans. I don't think
I've met anyone born and raised in New Mexico. We do have a
radio announcer here in the valley from Roswell, but even his
name is Bill AUSTIN.
 
Anyway I'm leaving the sunny desert for Cloudcroft on Friday
evening and should be having coffee on the deck Saturday
morning (07-10-04). So during that first cup, I promise to
give Sherry a passing thought.
 
Well, gotta go! Chuck bugging me again about coming along...
T minus 416 days and counting.
 
Bill White (AKA - Bob) 
Phoenix, AZ

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