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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #224
July 23, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

I've always been a video game junkie...even before there were
video games.

Dad ran a vending machine business in the 50s and 60s. He owned
an assortment of juke boxes, cigarette machines and pinball
machines. He had vending locations in various places all over
Cochran County, Texas. Cochran County was dry as a proverbial
bone in those days and still is. You still can't buy a beer in
that county. Alcohol was not legally available, but Dad had some
of his machines in "clubs" where you had to knock on the door
and you had to know somebody to get in.

Cigarette machines, juke boxes and pinball machines have been
relegated to collectors and museums. You don't see them very
much any more. The new juke boxes play CDs. Very little visual
stimulation. You don't get the cheap thrill of putting in your
quarter, watching the wheel turn and seeing the mechanical arm
pull a record out of the stack and put it on the turntable and
see the tone arm hit the record with pin point accuracy and all
of a sudden there's "I Can't Get No Satisfaction."

Fonzy used to bump the juke just right and get a free play. An
urban legend. Being the son of a juke man, I can tell you
it wasn't possible.

Of those gadgets, it was the pinball machines that held us kids
most mesmerized. The lights and the bells and that silver ball
rolling around and the graphics of scantily clad girls on the
headboard brought out the wow in us.

There were a few occasions in those days when a pinball machine
had to be brought in for repair. When Dad pulled into the
driveway with a crippled pinball machine strapped in the back
of the pickup, my brother and I knew it was show time.

Dad could care less about playing pinball, so when he had the
machine fixed it was up to me and my brother to put it through
its paces. Other kids in Cochran County had Dads that had them
help with the family business by changing irrigation pipe on the
cotton farm and feeding the cattle. Our Dad had us playing
pinball machines. What a childhood.

I thought I was over all that. I dabbled in Space Invaders and
Pac Man after the pinball days, but none of that really grabbed
me.

Then I was messing around on the internet one day when I came
across a game of video pool. I was hooked in three seconds. I
play video pool every day on the internet. Me and about 35
thousand other video pool idiots around the world. We play and
we talk on the comment line and we get to know each other for
the few minutes it takes to play a game. Language is a barrier
sometimes (like when I played the guy from Iraq), but we
overcome it. The main thing is putting the right balls in the
right pocket.

Mommas, tell your babies to stay away from internet video pool.
There's this old jerk from New Mexico out there that's ready to
take you down.

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 -- BROWN'S COZY CABINS
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO TECH
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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Sunny and warm most of the week. Another .12 inches of rain
since Thursday 7-15 bringing the total for the calendar year
to 10.72 inches.

High during the reporting period noon Tuesday (7-20) -- 82
degrees.

Low during the same period 7am Friday (7-16) -- 47 degrees.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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Veterinarian G. L. Wiley was arrested Monday for unlawful
possession of a deer.

According to an Alamogordo Daily News story, a fawn was brought
into Wiley's clinic. The animal was found by a Cloudcroft area
resident. It appeared to be sick. Wiley treated it. The Vet
was arrested by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish officer
Colin Duff for unlawful possession of a deer out of season.
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INSIDE THE SHOP --- BROWN'S COZY CABINS
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Attractive, clean, affordable. One and two bedroom cabins, fully
carpeted, newly decorated, fireplaces, cable TV, VCR, phones,
deck, smoker-cookers, picnic table. Fully equipped kitchens. We
offer discounts. We hope to make your stay in Cloudcroft fun,
relaxing and "worth it". Call (877) 745-3767 (toll free) or
(806) 745-3767, or email us at cozycabins@door.net. See the 
link to our web site on the Cloudcroft.com Lodging page for
more information and rates.

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

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT --- NEW MEXICO TECH
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In Socorro.

http://www.nmt.edu/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Where is the best place to go for bear sightings around
Cloudcroft?

A - There is no single area in the Sacramento Mountains where
you can see bear more than another area. Bear have keen senses
and will normally see you before you see them and they'll move
on.

The mountains around Cloudcroft are not considered a bear
sanctuary. They live here as a part of the general wild life of
the area. There is no particular area they have been relegated
to. It is not a good idea to seek them out or disturb
them in any way (especially if they have cubs).

If you see a bear, it is best that you move in the other
direction. They're not usually aggressive, but sometimes show
little fear of humans. NEVER feed a bear in the wild.

There has been no report of a bear attack on humans around
Cloudcroft in many years. Don't be the first.
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COMING EVENTS
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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.

For an update on Cloudcroft Light Opera Company performances,
go to cloudcrofttheatre.com.

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 am a faithful reader of your newsletter. In the July 9 issue 
(#222), you presented a postcard picture of Cloudcroft. 

I have quit trying to figure out what the object suspended in
the upper right center of the picture could be. Looks like a
light bulb, please shed some light!

Don Lee
Cloudcroft

[Looks like that to us, too. Have no idea why it's there.]

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Dear Newsletter:

Just to inform Bob from Phoenix, Az. (see newsletter #223):

"There ain't any X Texans! Once a Texan - ALWAYS a Texan." 

Actually - we Texans are just re-claiming the part of Texas
that was within its borders in the early 1800's. (Check out
the maps of the time). 

We're glad you like Texans... We like Arizonians too; as well
as New Mexicans and we LOVE Cloudcroft.

Welcome to the "club," so to speak.

Garry & Roberta G.
Lubbock/Cloudcroft 

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Dear Newsletter:

This is in response to Bill White in AZ. 

I, believe it or not, am a born, bred, lived here all my life
New Mexican! I started out in the small town of Grants, and
then the family moved to Albuquerque when I was in grade
school. My husband and I met after high school and moved to
Las Cruces to attend NMSU, and we stayed there for 20 years!
Now we are proud residents of the beautiful Sacramento’s! 
 
So, Bill, at last you can say you have heard of at least one
native New Mexican!
 
Thanks,
D'Niese Mills
May Hill

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Dear Newsletter:

Thank you for the newsletter. My husband and I were stationed
in Alamogordo back in '93, and was transferred in '94. 

We LOVED Cloudcroft. My question is: do they still make those
fantastic donuts in the General Store? We're planning a vacation
in Sept. and that's something we're looking forward to.

Chrystle White
Orlando, Fl

[Oh, yeah!]

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Dear Newsletter:

Hey we had a great time there in the cool mountain air last
week in the cabin we rented. My daughter and her best friend
spent the week at the Art Work Shop put on by Becky Anthony
and had a blast. 

Although both of them have been in art throughout their Jr.
High and High school years with a fantastic teacher in high
school, they both said that during last week that they learned
more in Becky's class that week than they had learned
throughout their time in school. They both look forward in
attending another class with Becky next year and hope that she
is asked to teach again.

The time spent by my wife and I were great also. We looked at
plenty of properties for sale as we plan too by real soon. Did
plenty of shopping around town. We spent most every morning and
lunch at the Western there in town, one of the waitresses there
saying every time we showed up "you're here again", well with
great food and service you can't help but keep coming back. 
Hello Tina, thanks for everything.

I was also able to have my brother up for a few days who lives
in San Diego, Ca. (put there several years ago by the Navy) this
was his first time and like most people fell in love with the
area.

Well guess I had better get to work, got to make some of those
green backs so's I can have me a place up there soon you know.

Again, a big thank you to the Cloudcroft Art Work Shop and for
having Becky Anthony there for my girl's great time, and to all
the people around town in the shops and at the real estate
companies who were so helpful, and to you Don for giving us a
little peace of Cloudcroft to go to every week seeing how some
of us can't be there all the time.

We miss you already and are ready to come back, this Texas
Coastal heat and humidity is a killer.

K. Grable
Brazoria, TX. 

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Dear Newsletter:

Your Peggy sounds a lot like my Jan when it comes to driving
"help". As far as driving being the last bastion of The Battle
of the Sexes, here is a little story about a young boy and a
used Suburban.

Some years ago my wife and I were shopping for a replacement
vehicle for her. We had decided on a Suburban and were
shopping in the used market. 

On one of the trips we made to look at a truck, we encountered
a typical young couple with two young children, one of each.
The young boy was about three or four years of age and was very
interested in helping his Dad sell the truck. The boy was
pointing out all the good point of the used truck and doing
quite a good job (we eventually bought this truck). 

Then it came time for the test drive. The man selling the truck
passed me the keys. Since my wife was going to be the one
driving the truck, I asked if she would like be the driver for
the test drive. Of course her answer was to take the keys and
open the driver's door. 

At this point, with concern in his eyes, the rather excited and
perplexed boy exclaimed loudly to his Father "DAD HE IS LETTING
THE MOMMY DRIVE". The man turned to his son and said "It will
be alright this time son." My wife and I could barley contain
our laughter. We start this Battle of the Sexes thing pretty
young here in Texas.

My wife and I both enjoy the newsletter very much, keep up the
good work! 

We love to get up to our cabin in Cloudcroft when ever we can. 

Bruce Bunch 
Weatherford, TX 

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