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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #90
December 28, 2001
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Dear Subscriber:

I don't like Januarys.

If you stop and think about it, there is probably one of the 12
months of the year that is your least favorite for whatever
reason.

January is my least favorite. My reason is based upon a
combination of history and superstition. I won't bore you with
the baseless and hysteric details. The bottom line is, in my
lifetime, I remember far more bad Januarys than good Januarys.

What's to like?

Januarys are generally cold.

It's the month we use as a starting point with regard to our
hopes for the new year. Invariably by March we realize we
were hoping for too much.

January represents the Big Countdown...we have 3 and a half
months before Uncle Sam expects us to cough up our income
taxes.

All those extended payments you thought were so far away seem
to always be due in January. Those tires you bought for no
money down and no payments until January have no tread left
on them.

After the Superbowl, January means no more football until
September and it will become the monumental task of the TV
sports guys to try and convince you basketball is exciting.

January means 360 shopping days until Christmas.

New Year's Eve is not even in January. It's the last day of
December. New Year's Day is in January but what's so special
about that? People that never drink during the year drink too
much on New Year's Eve which makes New Year's Day just a dull
blue haze for a lot of people.

It's not just me. Statistics show January as one of the slowest
months economically in the country. Ask a person in retail
sales how he or she likes January and then move swiftly out of
the way.

Some bad things happened to me in past Januarys, but even I
admit that's no reason to relegate a month to the trash heap.
If we began bad-mouthing every month in which we suffered a
transgression, we would soon run out of months. Specifically, I
don't know where my cynical attitude toward January came from.

I like Februarys because that means January is over.

Give me a break. I try to be uplifting and cheerful most of the
year, but in January, fuggetaboutit.

So if you don't mind, I'll wait a month before I wish you a
happy new year.

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 -- MOUNTAIN DOVE REALTY
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- MUSEUM OF THE HORSE
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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[No weather report this issue since Don is in Las Vegas.]

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VILLAGE NEWS
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The next village election will be March 5, 2002.

Positions up for election are mayor (a 4-year term) and two
village trusty positions (also 4-year terms).

All declarations of candidacy must be filed with the Municipal
Clerk in Cloudcroft by Tuesday, January 8.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- MOUNTAIN DOVE REALTY
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Since 1991, serving the last frontier of the Rockie Mountains
in the heart of the Lincoln National Forest. A step ahead of
the crowd, catering to your heart's desire. Land, mountain
properties, cabins, ranches, and commercial.

For more information, call 800-494-3683 or see the link to
their web site on the the Real Estate page of Cloudcroft.com:

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

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- MUSEUM OF THE HORSE
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Founded in 1992 by R. D. and Joan Dale Hubbard, and supported
by memberships and donations, The Hubbard Museum of the
American West has grown from its original and incredible
collection of Anne C. Stradling and the Museum of the Horse to
being a truly first class historic Western museum.

Near the race track in Ruidoso Downs.

http://www.zianet.com/museum/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Are there all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trails in and around
the Cloudcroft area?

A - Yes, but there are several trails that are not a part of
the official trail system that have been honed by ATVs on land
not properly designated for that use. ATV riders must have the
permission of private land owners to ride over such properties,
whether there is a discernable trail or not.
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COMING EVENTS
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December 28 -- Cloudcroft Museum Open House. 6-9pm. Free.

December 31 -- Torch Light Parade. Ski Cloudcroft
For more information, call (505) 682-2733.

January 3 -- Cloudcroft vs Tularosa (BB). Away.

January 11 -- Yesterday: Beatles tribute. Flickinger
Center. Alamogordo. 7:30pm

Cloudcroft Art Society meets the first Sunday of each month,
2-4pm, in the Old Red Brick School House. There will NOT be a
meeting in December or January. The February 3 meeting subject
is "Perspective." Call (505) 682-2494 for more information.

Senior Van from Timberon to Alamogordo leaves the Timberon
Lodge promptly at 8:30am every Tuesday morning.

If you have news of public events in the Cloudcroft area, email
us.

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For an online calendar of area events, click the Events Calendar
link in the left column of our home page:

http://www.cloudcroft.com/index.html

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Dear Newsletter:

I love your newsletter! But I think New York is "The City That
Never Sleeps," and Las Vegas is known as "Sin City."

Merry Christmas.
Janice (Pittman) Fiddler,
Gardena, CA

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Dear Newsletter:

Sure enjoyed your newsletter about the dogs. I am a friend of
Cliff's.

I wanted to suggest one last final step in the saga of taking
the dogs to the kennel.

If you want to make sure they remember you (haha!!), sleep for
a day or two with the cushions you are taking (or sit on them
for a couple of days). They'll have your scent on them and be
a wonderful reminder of you when your dogs can't see you!

I've never kenneled my dogs, either. I pay a young lady to come
and house-sit so they can all go about their normal routine.
For $10 a day they all get to stay home and be comfy! That sure
beats a huge kennel bill and everybody is so much happier.

Good luck!
Charlotte

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Dear Newsletter:

Don, Tipper sounds more like a cat, a highly evolved life form.

Shirley Alford
NMSU

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Dear Newsletter:

Thank you Cloudcroft for a great time. We loved your town.

We just came home from visiting your town. We talked about we
would like to retire there someday. It started snowing like
crazy when we had to leave. We did run in to a small problem
at your Western Cafe. The food was great; the people waiting
on tables were big time rude to my wife, and my 71-year-old
mother-in-law. They were totally in the wrong, but other then
that we had a great time.

The Santa village was great. Our 5-year-old and 8-year-old
daughters had a great time. 

Thank you,
Art, Tamara, Cody, Amber, Ashley

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