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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #241
November 19, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

Winter came to Cloudcroft this week. It didn't just arrive, it
attacked.

Snow everywhere. I shoveled it off my porch and it was back
the next morning. Snow on my satellite dish. Snow inches deep
on my windshield. When I climbed the ladder and cleared it off
my satellite dish there was even snow in my ears.

I drove to the village in four wheel drive and coffeed with some
friends at Allsup's this morning. They're excited. The Bears
are playing for state and, for the first time in a few years,
Cloudcroft may actually live up to its billing as a winter
playland.

I said "Yeah, guys, but it's November. We're gonna have some
warm days ahead. We need a sustained period of cold
temperatures to keep the snow on the ground. I love this
weather but we really need some strong snowfall in mid December
and later for this to really happen for us."

They all stared at me. Mr. know-it-all had done it again. I
think they think I carry a pin around in my pocket to burst
people's bubbles. I had to pay for my own coffee.

Meanwhile, I'm loving it. With the attachment of a snow plow,
my six wheel ATV has been transformed from a summer excursion
machine into a bad momma winter snowdrift killer.

The regular morning preparations for the day's activities have
also metamorphosed. The short sleeves have been put away. Now
it's long underwear, long sleeve tee shirt, flannel over-shirt,
two pair of socks, tennis shoes that will go into ski-boots...
I'm already tired and I haven't even gotten out of the house
yet.

Preparation is the key. Before I can mount my bad momma
snowdrift killer I have to be sure all logistics have been
addressed.

"Peg, where's the walkie talkies?"

"Why? Where ya goin?"

"I'm gonna go plow the snow off the driveway at Dusty's."

"You need the walkie talkie for that?"

"Peg, you have to be prepared. What would happen if my
machine quit running? There I would be. No way to get home.
What if a blizzard came up? That walkie talkie could be my
connection to the outside world. That little electronic device
could be the instrument of my survival."

"Don, Dusty's is 50 yards from our house."

Women. They don't understand.

-o-

I have never lived in a town where the local high school
football team was state champions. After this week, that will
all change. We'll see how good dem Wolverines are at playing
football at 9000 feet.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. THIS WEEK'S PICTURE -- AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
3. VILLAGE NEWS
4. INSIDE THE SHOP -- SUMMIT INN
5. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS U.
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 very wet snowfall during the reporting period. About 10
inches (5.5 inches of actual precipitation). More snow expected
this weekend.

High during the reporting period was 48.3 on November 12 at
10:58 am. Low was 20.5 on November 12 at 3:40 am.

Total precipitation this year, 22.59 inches.

Advisory: The Cloudcroft.com weather station measures snowfall
as real precipitation. During the measuring cycle, the snow is
melted in the collection chamber and passed through the
precipitation sensors. The actual precipitation measurement
should be quite accurate at the station location, but because
the entire amount of precipitation for that time period will be
measured all at one time, the "rain rate" measurement will be
skewed during the winter months.

To get up-to-the-minute Cloudcroft weather readings go to
Cloudcroft.com. The information is free.
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THIS WEEK'S PICTURE --- AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
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Picture taken November 16, 2004 near Cloudcroft.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/cloudcroft5.jpg

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VILLAGE NEWS
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For the first time in eleven years, the Cloudcroft Bears
football team will play in the Class A State Championship. The
game will be against defending state champions Texico and will
be played at 1pm this Saturday at the new Cloudcroft football
field on Lost Lodge Road. Gates open at 12 noon.

A pep-parade will be held at 2pm Friday on Burro, followed by
a community pep rally at the Co-op warehouse building (the usual
street dance location).
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- SUMMIT INN
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Conveniently located just one block off Hwy 82, the Summit Inn
is one of Cloudcroft´s finest lodging establishments. All rooms
feature wall-to-wall carpet, phones, color cable TV,
kitchenettes complete with dishes and utensils, and all linens.
Daily maid service is provided. The Summit Inn has several
cottages which are ideal for those who desire a little more
space and privacy. Weekly rates are available for both rooms and
cottages. 

For more information, call (505) 682-2814, (877) 682-2814 (toll
free), email summitinn@hotmail.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 -- NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY
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In Las Vegas, New Mexico.

http://www.nmhu.edu/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q -- Cloudcroft is one of the highest towns in the state. When
driving to Cloudcroft from the north, are you driving "up" to
Cloudcroft (from a lower elevation to a higher one) or are you
driving "down" to Cloudcroft (from the north to the south)?

John Edmonds

A -- I will yield to the readers on this one. The rest of the
world is awaiting your answers.
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COMING EVENTS
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November 19 -- Community parade and pep rally for the state
championship game-bound Cloudcroft Bears football team. 2pm.
Downtown Cloudcroft.

November 20 -- Cloudcroft vs. Texico. State Championship Class
A football. Cloudcroft. 1pm.

November 20 -- Polish Philharmonic Resovia. Spencer Theater.
Alto.

November 20 -- Poetry Open Mic. The Open Book Bookstore.
Alamogordo.

November 20 -- Mickey's Christmas (a film). Flickenger Center.
Alamogordo.

November 26 -- Diamonds for Christmas. Spencer Theater. Alto.

November 27 -- Beginning of Christmas in Cloudcroft and Santa
Land.

November 29 -- 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. USA Ballet.
Flickenger Center. Alamogordo.

December 1 -- Flu Shot Clinics, sponsored by Otero County
Public Health and Sacramento Mountains Senior Services. Two
locations:
 
High Rolls Senior Center
11:30am - 12:30pm
56 Cottage Row (Lion's Hut)
 
Cloudcroft Senior Center
1:30pm - 3:30pm
212 Glorieta Ave.
 
First come first serve. Must be 65 or over or have chronic
illness. Children with chronic conditions must have doctor's
note to receive the vaccine. All seniors are welcome to join
us for lunch that day but reservations are required.

December 2 -- Art reception for Boys and Girls Club. Flickenger
Center. Alamogordo.

December 4 -- Skywatch program. Museum of Space History.
Alamogordo.

December 4 -- Christmas Parade. Alamogordo. Arrival of Santa
Clause.

December 4 -- ULLR-fest.

December 11 -- Pet Parade on Burro Street. Cloudcroft.

February 4, 5, 6, 7 -- Mardi Gras celebration. Cloudcroft
Cloudcroft Art Society meets the first Sunday of each month,
2:30pm, in the Old Red Brick School House. Visitors are always
welcome. Refreshments usually served.

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 Wednesday 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'm not trying to sell any other places to eat Thanksgiving
dinner short, but one of the happiest Thanksgivings my family
had was at The Lodge. 

We were staying in 16 Springs Canyon, so it took about 30 to
45 minutes to get into town. Snow started at the house before
we left and, being flatlanders, we were a bit nervous driving
the mountain roads with a possible snow accumulation. Anyhow,
we got the The Lodge safely. 

The food and atmosphere was wonderful. It snowed as we ate our
Thanksgiving dinner, and my daughters thought it was the
greatest thing ever. So did I! The snow let up until we got
back home but then started coming down fairly heavily, so we
played outside for quite a while.

The memories of that Thanksgiving will stay with me forever;
I can't wait until I get to do it again! Cloudcroft is always
wonderful to visit but that Thanksgiving was magical.

Lee Phillips

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Dear Newsletter:

I am sorry, on this day, that the newsletter do not make
comment as to Veteran's Day. Our military men and women
deserve this. As a veteran, I put out my flag on this day. As
a former resident of Iron Gate (just 10 miles out of
Cloudcroft), I do support our troops (past, present and
future) as they go in harm's way.
 
Thank you for allowing me to comment, as this is the American
way.
 
Regards,
Bob Holmes
Delaware, Ohio 

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Dear Newsletter:

Thanks for re-enlisting me. I had sent an e-mail with our new
address but you probably receive so much c**p that it went
overlooked. We changed to Grande Com in Midland and are excited
because I no longer have to conk out the phone in order to be
on the computer and everything loads almost instantaneously.
My juvenile probation director, who grew up in Dexter and is
quite the computerist, says that now if I'd just update my
computer to one made in the 21st century, things would be
even better! Sarcastic so-and-so.
 
The computer does what I need and a lot more than I understand
even if it is a '95 updated by my smart son-in-law to Windows
98.
 
It used to be that I'd sit and wait for your pictures to
laboriously unload and now, poof!, they're there! It's great.
 
Once we were re-enrolled, I started back through the issues to
see the finish of the photos of the same scene at the change
of leaf times. Thanks for that feature. The snow pictures were
an unexpected feature. Many thanks for them.
 
We'd love to be up there but I'm a judge and am only licensed
in Texas and don't know what I'd do to make a living in
Cloudcroft. Besides, from what I've seen of the local politics
in the Mountain Monthly, I'd probably make half the town mad at
me within a couple of weeks after moving up there full-time!
 
Thanks for investing the time to do the column, it's fun to
have a link with the area, even if you do have strange ideas
as so capably expressed in your ramblings.

Have a great winter.

Al Walvoord

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