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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #225
July 30, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

People have different attitudes with regard to their pets.

At our house, taking on a pet is like a marriage. We never make
the decision of adoption lightly. Some people consider the
relationship between a pet and a person as one of ownership.
Some will take in a little puppy because it's cute or it's the
kid's birthday or it's the designer dog of the year (I feel
sorry for all the Dalmatians that were taken in during the
Dalmatian craze...many of whom are now relegated to the back
yard with a dog house and a bowl of food and water and the
people in the house can't remember his name. That's the ideal
fate of an ignored pet. There are many much worse scenarios).

In our house, the dogs have arguments. They track in mud.
Misty is a licker. A noisy licker. She often licks her paws
at night when we're trying to sleep. It's like a kid with a
thumb sucking habit. I'll reach over to her on her pallet next
to my side of the bed and tap her on the head and say "quit
licking" and she will...usually.

They interrupt my train of thought when I'm trying to write an
article with a bump of my hand to say "pet me" (as Tipper is
doing now). They do a lot of negative things, but Peggy and I
feel it's all a part of the relationship.

A relationship that lasts until death do us part.

Pogo just came in the office and barked. It's 4 pm. We've
trained the dogs to share from the same big bowl and Pogo is
the self-appointed food monitor. I am the dog-appointed food
provider. I don't know if Pog has learned to read the clock on
the wall, but he's always on time. Donald Trump would be proud
of him.

I am obliged to leave the keyboard and, under Pogo's watchful
eye, fill the food bowl and place it in the entry and freshen
the water. Only then can I get back to business. I act put out
when I'm forced to interrupt my office time for "the feeding,"
but truthfully, I would miss the routine if it didn't happen.
Just don't tell Pogo I said so.

Peggy has even acquired this sort of growl that she uses when
she is unhappy with one of the dogs. Since the four dogs don't
know which dog she's growling at, they all take cover when they
hear that sound. While we don't hit our dogs (although the
idea has crossed my mind on several occasions) that growl seems
to have the affect of describing who in this house is the boss.

I don't think everyone should have a pet. Some people or
families just don't have the mind-set. Those that do...those
that feel a close bond with their animals...are blessed.

They're also cursed.

Four legged friends (unless your talking about turtles or
alligators) don't live as long as their human buddies. People
who love their pets often have to go through the trauma of
losing them.

I have a hard time with that.

When acquainting myself with a friend's dog, I often ask "How
old is he (she)?" I guess I do that because somewhere inside
I'm always hearing the clock tick. In our neighborhood we've
lost four dogs in the past 4 years. All of them were a close
member of their families. All of them my friends as well.
They all lived long doggie lives, but it was hard for us to say
good-bye. There was Delta and Littlebit and Zeus and Ginger. I
remember each of them and their individual personalities along
with my and Peggy's family of pets over the years that provided
us with joy and made us laugh...and cry.

At night, when I've finished the sports page and the comics and
there's nothing worth watching on TV, I'll turn off the light
and there in the darkness before I doze off I see their faces.

I don't know where they went, but some day that's where I want
to go.

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 -- ALTA VISTA MOTEL
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- WHITE SANDS MUSEUM
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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A rainy week and unseasonably cool.

This Newsletter had an early production date of Monday the 26th.

To that time, the high was on Thursday the 22nd at 2pm (67
degrees). The low was 47 degrees at 6am Monday the 26th.

The heaviest rain was Saturday. 0.85 inches, bringing the
calendar year total to 12.24 inches.

For a complete and up to the minute review of Cloudcroft
weather, go to Cloudcroft.com and click on the 24-hour weather 
link in the left margin. It is updated every 10 minutes and it 
is free.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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The Forest Service has lifted all restrictions TFN.

Fireworks are never allowed in the Lincoln National Forest.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- ALTA VISTA MOTEL
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The Alta Vista Motel is the first motel you see as you're
entering Cloudcroft from Artesia on Hwy 82. We are the only blue
motel with a red roof in town. We offer accommodations that
sleep from 1 to 8. Queens, some with fireplaces, phones, cable.
Very clean. Pets allowed. For rates and availability, call 
(505) 682-2221, email us at altavistamotel@zianet.com, or 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 -- WHITE SANDS MUSEUM
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About an hour from Cloudcroft.

http://www.wsmr-history.org/index.htm

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Are there edible mushrooms growing in Cloudcroft?

A - There are lots of mushrooms growing in the mountains. I've
been told it's hard to determine which ones are edible and the
ones that are toxic.

Don't eat them unless you are a mushroom expert or you bought
them at the store.
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COMING EVENTS
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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.

August 12 -- Cloudcroft Art Society. 5:30pm. Old Red School
House.

August 13 -- Cloudcroft Methodist Preschool registration. 
9am -12pm. Cloudcroft Methodist Church.

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.

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 really enjoyed your story about the pinball machines and
internet video pool. I feel a bit envious about the pinball.
As a kid, that would have been heaven. OK, it would be fun now,
too. I'm not good enough to try and beat you at internet video
pool, though, but I wish you all the luck.

I also wanted to say that I have a map of the Treaty of
Velasco, 1836, framed and hanging on my wall. That was a
short-lived treaty, but what a glorious moment. Texas owned a
wide area of land north from El Paso, including Albuquerque,
Taos, Santa Fe, and far up into Colorado and the Platte River
valley. Cloudcroft wasn't born as yet, but the land it rests
on was a part of the treaty.

I would also like to mention that our son, Randy, is in Iraq.
He has been under attack these last two weeks. His camp was
burned down and brave soldiers have been lost. He is near
Fallujah now. I don't know where, exactly. Please remember our
forces and pray for them.

I dream of visiting Cloudcroft again. It has been two years
since I've walked the boardwalk, or gotten a delicious
sandwich at the Olive Branch, or talked to the friendly people
in the Village. Cloudcroft is my home town of the heart.

Best regards,
Sharon Cox
Magnolia, Texas

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Dear Newsletter:

Regarding the Vet news item in your last newsletter, surely
this was a joke? If not, then what a complete lack of common
sense on the part of the New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish!
Shame on you guys!

Regards,
Jon Glenn
Corinth, Texas

[Following enormous public outcry, the authorities decided they
had made a mistake and to apologize. The officer who arrested
the vet is to receive additional "training in dealing with the
public."]

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Dear Newsletter:

You forgot to put the "PUNCH LINE" with the joke about the vet
being arrested. Is this ridiculous or what?

Jim Swetnam
Imperial, Texas

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Dear Newsletter:

There are circumstances when a law is to be broken and certainly
in case of the vet trying to assist a sick fawn is one.

What is this game warden trying to do, make his daily arrest
quota? 

Tom Allen
Hanover, Mass

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Dear Newsletter:

Regarding the article on the veterinarian arrested by the Game
and Fish officer, I had a similar episode with that officer
last year.

A local resident filed a complaint with Game and Fish over the
issue of cleaning old barn swallow nests from the decorative
bridge at Cloud Country.

Officer Duff appeared at my door and threatened me with arrest
if I didn't desist. When I pointed out that Game and Fish
directives allow both exclusionary and direct controls until
such time as nesting begins or when eggs or young are in the
nest, he backed down claiming ignorance of the directive.

He returned a week later and told me that nesting had begun and
I would be arrested if the nests were disturbed. When I said
that no actions had been taken over the period since he last
spoke with me, he didn't appear to understand what was being
said.

His attitude was very confrontational. This officer needs to be
trained in basic interpersonal communications, in my opinion.
He seems to be a potentially dangerous bureaucrat, i.e., young,
uninformed, and carrying a gun.

Joe Boyle
Mayhill, NM.

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Dear Newsletter:

What is the THW Index on the new current weather site?
 
Thanks, 
Bill Paxton
Fort Worth/Cloudcroft

[Temperature/Humidity/Wind index -- it calculates a temp value
that is adjusted for the cooling effects of wind.]

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Dear Newsletter:

We enjoy reading your newsletter each week but would rather be
at our cabin instead. We wish we could be there on a regular
basis.

We have a question about bees on our hummingbird feeder. How
do we keep them off?

Randy
Lubbock

PS: I like old pinball machines, too.

[Any ideas?]

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Dear Newsletter:

I need to change my address, after the 5th of August, I am
retiring, and moving back to Oklahoma City.

Of course this is the important part of my life, the Wife. We
stayed at the "The Lodge at Cloudcroft" several years back, it
is just beautiful there, you all live in an exceptional part
of the world.

Your newsletter has been uplifting for me here in Boston. About
5 years ago, they made me a deal, I couldn't refuse, but it's
a done deal now, and OKC, here I come. When we come back to
Cloudcroft, we will come and visit, and thanks for your hard
work.

Jim Keels

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Dear Newsletter:

We live in the village and had a definite bear sighting
Saturday evening when a small black bear chased by two dogs
dashed across our front yard within feet of where we were
sitting. 

The bear turned south, running up the street, with the dogs'
owner close behind. It looked like the bear was outrunning all
the others.
 
Mek

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Dear Newsletter:

Thought you might be interested in the attachment.
Jim Estes

Lubbock & Cloudcroft

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

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Dear Newsletter:

Read your article about the bears. Thought you might enjoy
seeing these photos. This one is making the rounds in the
Twin Forks area almost daily. He may be cute but he can make
an awful mess.

You are right. Never feed them, they do grow up.

Dave Arnold
Forest View 

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/bear7.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/photos/bear8.jpg

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Dear Newsletter:

We are Dallas residents who had the privilege of staying a few
days first part of July in wonderful CC, and we brought our
little 3 year old grandson. 

We stayed about 7 miles out of town and were totally thrilled
for 3 days in a row to see 3 different bear near our house.

My husband and I have been going to the mountains for 30 years
and have never seen one, so it was a special experience for our
family. 

We enjoyed all the friendly people in the shops and everywhere
we went. We pick Cloudcroft over Ruidoso any day of the week!
Just wish we lived closer! 

Collins Family

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Dear Newsletter:

Still love the newsletter, and read it first on Thursday. 

I have both a bear story and a car story. First the Bear, since
it happened in Dark Canyon. 

I was at home there, alone, and decided to take advantage of it
for a nice long walk. I walked up into the forest, just enjoying
the sound of the breeze in the pine trees and the spring
flowers. The kids had all seen bears in the area I realized I
was in. 

I stopped and looked around, noticing a downed tree, and thought
that would be a good place for a bear to look for grubs. Since
I didn't see anything, I started to walk just about the time a
medium sized bear came around the brush. 

I stopped. He stopped. After a few minutes, I took a few steps
angled down the hill, toward my house about half mile or so
away. He took a few steps angled down the hill toward me. I
checked my pocket for Nitro. I'm safe, it's there. We stare at
each other. I took a step. He took a step. We stare. I can't
outrun him. There is no place to hide. 

I finally say to him "one of us has to turn around, and I live
this a way." He looks at me for what seems like 5 minutes, then
slowly turns around and ambles up the hill where he came from. 
When he is out of sight, I move faster than I ever have, and
that was my last long walk alone. Also the last time I saw a
bear there.

In 1955, our old Hudson gave up the ghost, at least it did
every few days, with something called a vapor lock. We shopped
long and carefully for a new car, finally deciding on a baby
blue pontiac.

We left the girls with a sitter and went to pick up the new
car. When we got home, I was so excited, I told them to come
and see our new car. My 4 year old took one look and started
to cry. I couldn't imagine what was wrong. Finally she stopped
long enough to say "I wanted a quadillac." I finally convinced
her that a Pontiac was like an Indian Cadillac!

Wish we had some of your cool. Our 90 plus days would be okay
except for the 100% humidity.

Ilda 

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Dear Newsletter:

I am a born and bred New Mexican who, in contrast to Dorothy
Gale, is stuck in Kansas and wants to go home to the Land of
Enchantment.

In response to the comment by Garry & Roberta G. of Lubbock/
Cloudcroft that Texans are "just re-claiming the part of Texas
that was within its borders in the early 1800's" I would like
to point out that the part of Texas in question was bought
and paid for by President Millard Fillmore.

He made it part of the Territory of New Mexico (which included
Arizona, Bill). On August 6, 1850, he sent a message to Congress
recommending that Texas be paid to abandon its claims on New
Mexico.

I don't think Mr. Fillmore had any particular love of New Mexico
per se, he was just seeking compromise on the slavery issue. 
Mr. Fillmore was noted as a moderate Whig who postponed the
Civil War by a dozen years. 

Congress passed and Fillmore signed legislation drafted by
Senator Stephen A. Douglas that did the following:

* Admit California as a free state.

* Settle the Texas boundary and compensate her.

* Grant territorial status to New Mexico.

* Place Federal officers at the disposal of slaveholders seeking
fugitives.

* Abolish the slave trade in the District of Columbia.

Even when the Texas boundary was settled, the surveyors messed
up so that New Mexico lost a one mile strip from Oklahoma to
the south. 

Ever notice the tiny panhandle in NE NM? So you see, that is
why New Mexico celebrates Millard Fillmore day. Even though
Texas may think EVERYTHING east of the Rio Grande is hers, Mr. 
Fillmore saved NM from a fate worse than death - being part of
Texas.

I don't blame Texans a bit for moving from Texas to the
Sacramentos. It shows how much wiser these New Texicans are
than the rest. My family made the same wise decision to leave
Texas and move to the Sacramentos, except they did it four
generations ago about 1887.

Wish I was your neighbor now.

Ed Buckner
Lenexa Geeitsflat, Kansas

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