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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #244
December 10, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

Tipper had a plaque problem. Tipper is our Border Collie.

My first dog was named Boots. I think I was about 8 when Mom
brought that little puppy home. At that time I wasn't versed in
the care of pets. Mom took care of Boots...fed her and made
sure she had a warm place to sleep. I just played with her.

I remember the night Boots died. Mom cried. I was 14 and didn't
realize Boots wouldn't live forever. I guess I grew up a little
that night.

That's been almost fifty years ago. In the past 5 decades there
have been short periods of time when I didn't have a dog. I
recall those as relatively empty times. With the good comes the
bad. I have managed to outlive most of my four legged friends.
Watching a pet move from vitality to old age is as heart rending
as seeing a human friend or relative grow older.

I was in bed last night thinking those nocturnal thoughts people
think right before they go to sleep. I was thinking about my
dogs.

Starting with Boots in the late 50s, I felt an overwhelming
guilt because with each dog I could remember I thought about
how I could have made their life better. The times I left them
in the back yard when I was too busy with my life to be friends
with them. I've always been a dog person, but some of my dogs
over the years might disagree.

We took Tipper to the vet last month because she seemed to have
a pinched nerve or something. She's about 8 years old (we don't
know for sure because she's an animal shelter refugee). Old
enough in doggie years to start having old dog problems.

We got her some medicine, but while the vet was checking her out
he said "Tipper has a plaque problem". He showed us the nasty
build-up on her teeth. She obviously had not been brushing
regularly.

Again, guilt swarmed over me.

I've always known dogs needed love and exercise and good food,
but it didn't occur to me they needed dental care.

I took Tip in this morning for her first ever dental visit. She
jumped into the pickup thinking she was going on some kind of
adventure. I'd been to the dentist a few times. I can't
remember ever having fun at the dentist. I didn't have the
heart to tell Tip this wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

I'm not saying all dogs should go to the vet for teeth cleaning.
Some dogs live a full life with impeccable pearly whites...but
not Tipper.

I'm sorry, Tipper. I just thought you had bad breath.

I picked up Tipper from the vet at 3 this afternoon. The vet
puts the dog to sleep for the dental cleaning. Tipper didn't
remember the procedure. All she knew was I dropped her off,
helped the attendant put her in a cage and left her there. She
woke up a few hours later with a hangover.

When I picked her up she was a sport about it. She tried to
jump into the pickup for the trip home, missed the step up and
stumbled. Reminded me of some of my college experiences I would
just as soon forget. I helped her up. She settled into the
passenger seat, determined to sit there as co-pilot like she
usually does but the drugs got the best of her. She finally
laid down for the trip home...looking at me as if to say I will
never get in this truck with you again cause when I do, bad
things happen.

I felt the need to make things right. I stopped by the
convenience store and bought Tipper some soft dog food, thinking
her teeth would be too sensitive for the crunchy stuff she
usually eats. Not necessary. When she got into the house she
staggered past the other dogs wanting to know where she had been
all day and went straight for the crunchie stuff. I think she
had the munchies.

Tipper's teeth look great. They'd better. Tipper has a
hangover and my credit card exploded.

Our neighbors Don and Joanne lost their friend Spanky this week.
I didn't know that Beagle very well but her family did. There's
no doubt in my mind that she had almost 14 years of great
living.

Dogs don't want much. They just want their people to be happy.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL -- APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY PHOTOS
3. WEEKLY PICTURE
4. VILLAGE NEWS
5. INSIDE THE SHOP -- CASA MANANA
6. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- SANDIA TRAMWAY
7. Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
8. COMING EVENTS
9. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
10. CONTACT INFORMATION
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LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
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More new snow. The best snowfall in the Cloudcroft area in over
10 years. About a foot (1 inch in actual precipitation) since
last Thursday.

High during the reporting period 46 at noon Saturday (12-4) Low
of 17 was at 9am Tuesday (12-7).

Total precipitation to date for the year...24.68 inches.

Current Cloudcroft weather conditions are updated every 10
minutes and the information is free on Cloudcroft.com.
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SPECIAL -- APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY PHOTOS
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Wayne West has kindly provided the following photos which he
took at Apache Point Observatory on Thanksgiving. All photos 
copyright Wayne West.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/apache/apo_117_1767.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/apache/apo_117_1769.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/apache/apo_117_1772.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/apache/apo_117_1775.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/apache/apo_117_1780.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/apache/apo_n_117_1794.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/apache/apo_n_118_1803.jpg

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/apache/cel_117_1738_v2.jpg

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WEEKLY PICTURE --- A CLOUDCROFT ICON
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The Cloudcroft Lodge is as old as the village itself.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/cloudcroft8.jpg

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VILLAGE NEWS
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A new business in Cloudcroft. Jamocha Bean CoffeeHouse Cafe
in the old Pie in The Sky location in the Burro Street Exchange.
A coffee house and reading room featuring exotic coffees and
bistro cuisine.

Call (505) 682-2332.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- CASA MANANA
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Enjoy the beauty of the mountains in this cozy rental. Located
4 miles from Cloudcroft at mile marker 12 on Hwy 82. It features
a queen bed in the loft and a double futon in the living room
below. There is a fully equipped kitchen, wood burning stove,
and picnic area. Two night minimum ($90 for two, $125 for four),
pets welcome, adults only. Stay 7 nights and get one night free!
For more information, call (505) 682-4550 or (505) 430 9112.
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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- SANDIA TRAMWAY
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http://www.sandiapeak.com/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - What is the nearest airport to Cloudcroft?

A - The nearest major airport is El Paso, 90 miles away.
The Alamogordo airport recently contracted for commuter service
and they can also accommodate private planes. You can contact
the Alamogordo White Sands Regional Airport by calling (505)
437-4330.
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COMING EVENTS
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December 11 -- Pet Parade on Burro Street. Cloudcroft.
Late night shopping in Cloudcroft.

December 12 -- Community Contata -- 3pm -- Cloudcroft Methodist
Church.

December 18 -- Christmas in Cloudcroft and Santa Land.

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:

Just wanted to let you know that I have been reading your
message for some months now, perhaps years and I enjoy each
each and every one of your letters to us subscribers. 

I am a lousy typist so I have trouble getting through a line
with out zillions of mistakes. I suppose there are many like
me mute on the stupid keyboard, so I want to thank you from
the bottom of my heart for all of us who are keyboard
illiterates.

Many thanks,
Merrill Sweet

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Dear Newsletter:

Don, you crack me up! I can't wait to get your newsletter and
see what light you're going to shed on the world each week. Let
us know how it goes with the horse. Maybe Santa is listening
this year. 

Rhonda in Corpus Christi 

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Dear Newsletter:

We get and enjoy your Thursday newsletters. Thank you! The days
or times you refer to in today's newsletter may not be all
geriatrically induced deterioration or decreptitudination, but
might be connected to your biorhythm condition at that time. 

The days that I am intellectually critical are almost always
good days to avoid making any important decision - etc.

We have a home brewed program in Microsoft Excel that prints
out a one page chart that covers 150 days. Holler if you're
interested and will email it.

Cheers and later,
Reuben

PS: My bride and I were both born in 1921. We keep each a
current chart taped on the inside of our bathroom doors.

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Dear Newsletter:

Your mention of the chemistry set given to you for Xmas by your
parents, who lived to regret their choice of gift, reminded me
of my poor parents and the grief I caused them one Xmas. Back
when kid-size tool kits for boys held saws and such that really
were miniatures of the adult tools - in the days before anyone
really worried about kids hurting themselves with the toys they
played with.

I got this really nifty tool set with all the normal carpentry
tools, and promptly used the saw to saw off the ornamental knobs
on the cross-bars under my parent's coffee table! And no, I
never did discover where that tool set disappeared to....

Happy Holidays to one and all,
Jack Schuller
Ruidoso

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Dear Newsletter:

After reading your article and the subsequent letters concerning
tattoos it reminds me of when I joined the Navy right after
high school graduation. My mother had two pieces of advice for
me before I left for induction, they were: 

1. If the Good Lord wanted pictures drawn on you, he would have
done it himself.

2. There are plenty of good American girls looking for a good
husband.

Needless to say, the only marking I have on my body today is a
very ornate birthmark on one cheek of my b*** that the Good Lord
did supply me with and I am married to a great little Red-headed
girl from Carlsbad. The best advice I ever had.

Jack Keith
Carlsbad & Cloudcroft, NM

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Dear Newsletter:

As a current secondary educator in Texas, I have to let you 
know that it is not just the high school basketball players
with tattoos. They are the "in" fashion for students of all
ages. 

I cannot number the many students I see everyday with tattoos.
They are everywhere-wrists, necks, arms, ankles, thighs, on
the small of their backs, everywhere! 

My mother once said to me, (and I think it was the best advice
of my life), "If you want a tattoo now, make sure you will put
it where you will want it when you are 50." 

I never got the tattoo. I couldn't decide where it would look
best when I was 50.

I really enjoy your letters,

Jolene Davis
Pecos, TX 

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Dear Newsletter:

I read your fragmented thoughts.

While horses can be wonderful animals to own perhaps you might
consider as I have a slightly different animal. My plan is to
retire to the Cloudcroft area and the one larger animal that
intrigues me is the donkey. Actually a very smart animal and
when properly trained works well with other smaller animals. 

I am the proud pet attender to four mini Dachshunds (also 
properly trained) so this could work out. Donkeys come in
sizes from quite small to large enough to ride regularly.

Are there any donkeys the Cloudcroft pet parades? Save a
horse ride a donkey? Maybe a possibility?

Andy Ray,
Michigan

PS: Those complimentary pens don't usually work very long
anyhow.

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Dear Newsletter:

I enjoy your newsletter.

My past experience with owning horses tells me to suggest you
rename the parakeet rather than buy a horse. The parakeet will
eat much less and is much easier to clean up after.

Bill Crutcher
Dallas

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