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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #245
December 17, 2004
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Dear Subscriber:

Peggy is in the Christmas mode and during that time it's best
to just stay out of her way.

It started before Thanksgiving. She started stringing lights.

Everywhere you look lights. She sent me to town to buy more
lights. Silly me, I brought back a string of 50. She was
thinking multiples of that.

I am a little reclusive. I write my newsletter and visit with
people, but I'd just as soon nobody knew where I lived on this
mountain. When it's the Christmas season it's kinda hard to
hide. Just follow the lights.

Today was sunny and a good day to do outside chores. I built
some shelves and did some snow removal work, but when I came
into the house the kitchen resembled what I would think Mrs. 
Santa's workshop would look like.

Spices and mixes and smells from the oven. There were little
cakes lined up on the counter. The dogs were pretending to help
but they were really just hanging around hoping something good
to eat would drop on the floor.

"Who are those cakes for?" I asked.

"I don't know," Peggy said. "All our friends, I guess."

They looked and smelled so good.

I'm not a holiday person. It seems to me people expect too much
of the season. Ultimately people get their feelings hurt. The
season never seems to live up to the little bell on Donna Reed
and Jimmy Stewart's tree. The angel only shows up once in a
blue moon.

Today, with Peggy's help, I realized Christmas is little pieces
of life. What Peggy has known for years I'm just beginning to
understand. The smiles in your direction. The nice things
people say to you. The waves through the windshields. It's all
Christmas no matter what time of year it is.

You're never to old to learn.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. SPECIAL -- THE HERMIT
3. PICTURE OF THE WEEK -- THE 2004 PET PARADE IN CLOUDCROFT
4. VILLAGE NEWS
5. INSIDE THE SHOP -- CENTURY 21 CASA
6. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO STATE SONG
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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Another sunny week. No new precipitation since Thursday
(12-10). High was 59.8 at 11:12am December 12. Low was 15.4 at
7:10 am December 14. The forecast is colder with some
precipitation possible this weekend.

For current Cloudcroft weather conditions 24-7, go to 
Cloudcroft.com. It's free.
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SPECIAL -- THE HERMIT
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Jodiah Jones is a hermit, he lives up in the hills,
Just south of Ruidoso 'cause of people he's had his fill.
He'd once lived in the city, San Antonio was his home.
But he got fed up one Tuesday and set out to be alone.

Jones had this ole' Ford pick-up, he loaded to the hilt
Then heading west on IH-10 he drove that truck full tilt.
With each and every passing mile his burdens seemed to lift
As though God silently told him that aloneness was His gift.

And that he weren't alone, he had the mountains and trees
And all those wild critters to set his mind at ease. 
He's built hisself a cabin that sits up on a hill
So his view of all that's round him is clear from his window
 sill.

He seldom goes to town no more, 'cause he's got himself a Dish
And he orders stuff from Internet, 'bout everything he'd wish,
including food and luxuries he thinks that he might need
Like Boston Crab from Boston, Cornish hens, h***, even birdseed!

Jones got no want for money 'cause when he's got the itch
He day-trades stock on Internet, and it's made him pretty rich.
Six million bucks he'd guess he's earned, he lives most 
 comfortably
and, there's the eighteen million more he got from the lottery

But, Jodiah's content to live up in those big Rocky hills
To commune with nature away from people and without any special
 frills 
Jodiah figures to live up there 'til the Lord says it's his
 time to go
Then he'll step next door 'cause everyone knows… God's home's
 in New Mexico.

Tom Tannehill
Timberon, NM
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PICTURE OF THE WEEK -- THE 2004 PET PARADE IN CLOUDCROFT (12-11)
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http://www.cloudcroft.com/pics/cloudcroft9.jpg

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VILLAGE NEWS
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Christmas tree permits are available at all Lincoln National
Forest offices, at the chamber of commerce offices in
Cloudcroft, Carlsbad and Ruidoso and WalMart stores in Ruidoso,
Alamogordo, Las Cruces and Ruidoso Downs.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- CENTURY 21 CASA
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We are members of the Alamogordo Association of REALTORS. As
such we subscribe to a Code Of Ethics that puts you, the
customer and client, FIRST. Our Cloudcroft office offers a full
range of real estate services. As members of of the Alamogordo
Association of Realtors, we can expose your property to more
buyers by putting it into the Multiple Listing Service. Call us
toll free at (877) 873-6468 or see the link to our web site on
the Real Estate page of Cloudcroft.com.

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

Remember, when people think real estate, they think CENTURY 21!
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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- NEW MEXICO STATE SONG
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Hear it here!

http://www.cloudcroft.com/nm1.mid

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - What is your prediction of a white Christmas in Cloudcroft?

A - There's no doubt. There's enough snow on the ground now to
guarantee a white blanket on December 25th. Even without new
snowfall, there are several places to go tubing and sledding and
Ski Cloudcroft is scheduled to open this weekend.

As to the possibility of new snow...the chances of that are also
good. Cloudcroft weather trends over the past several years
indicate December as the best month for snowfall.
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COMING EVENTS
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December 18 -- Christmas in Cloudcroft and Santa Land.

January 5 -- High Noon book club. Noon in the library. Bring
your lunch and join us in discussing "Whale Talk" by Chris
Crutcher. 

February 4, 5, 6, 7 -- Mardi Gras celebration. Cloudcroft.

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:

Blessed and Happy, Good to you holidays......as ever thanks
for your enjoyable newsletter...appreciate your gift of
writing shared.
 
Rev. Julia M. Johnson

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Dear Newsletter:

Greetings from the basin.
 
I read about your neighbors' dog this morning and know
firsthand that the loss of a pet can be devastating… I also
know that sometimes there's an urge to adopt a new pet
(eventually). I have never replaced a pet, only opened my
heart to love another furry friend and in some way, that's
comforting after a loss.

Well, in some strange coincidence, I received an email about
a female beagle puppy one of the squadron wives has “available”
just this morning. If/when the time is right, and you want to
let your neighbors know about this beagle in Alamogordo, please
let me know and I'll give you the contact info for “Beth”. 
This dog has been checked out by Dr Wiley and has had all her
shots. I really don't know much else about her.
 
By the way, thanks for your wonderful newsletter each week.
Your tips have led us to some of the special events and clued
us into the little mountain town's happenings… My husband and
I enjoy heading to Cloudcroft. In the winter, we appreciate its
change in season and in the summer, Cloudcroft provides
gorgeous scenery for our rides on the Harley. Thanks again.
 
Cheers,
Jill Petty

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Dear Newsletter:

Thank you for sharing your feelings about your dog. We lost
our 11 year old last summer from a tumor that we were unaware
that he had - only thought he had bad breath (he was the "Boss"
of our house even though he only weighed about 5 pounds). 

Our other "baby" - our outside "big" dog is the same age. She
had a nasty insect bite (we thought) on her upper hip just in
front of her tail that would not heal despite the medication
that the vet gave us to administer. We had the "bite" removed
last week. The lab results just came back and it was cancer and
they could not determine if they got it all. We now have to
watch for signs of reoccurrence or new swelling in the nodes. 

Regardless of the heart-rendering emotions that come from our
sorrow for each pet we still would not trade a single moment of
joy that each have given us through the years - they have
enriched our lives with their devotion and acceptance of us
despite our faults or sins. They will be greatly missed.

Sherri Elliott,
Dog Lover - Twice Blessed

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Dear Newsletter:

My husband and I are both big dog lovers. We have three 
lab/lab mixes. We got married in Cloudcroft six years ago
and had our oldest dog with us at the time. She is 14 now
but still spry. We have had her teeth cleaned several times
over her life and even though it is an expensive endeavor,
I feel certain it helped lengthen her life. I think you made
a great decision.
 
Latrice Hertzler-Rust
Austin, TX

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Dear Newsletter:

To quote from that old TV show: doom, despair, and agony on me!
Thursday came and went without my Cloudcroft on-line 
newsletter! I guess it was bounced when sent and I was deleted
from the e-mail list, but I'm back. I so look forward to the
newsletter. It is like an oasis in the desert, no pun intended
since I live in Lubbock. My chance to spend a few virtual
minutes in Cloudcroft. 

Thanks for sharing your home with me and so many others.

Lee Phillips
near New Mexico

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You will be emailed the latest version and you cannot be in our
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spam filter are automatically deleted from our database.]

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Dear Newsletter:

254 more days until I cross the finish line!

When I say it, it seems so very close. But in some respects
it seems like a long ways off.

I've been doing what I do for so long it almost seems a little
frightening. But I've been waiting for this for so long that
I just can't seem to wait any longer. You know they say we
are all the time wishing our lives away, always look for that
next event in our lives; can't wait to go to school, can't
wait to drive, can't wait to start our lives in the work place
and finely, can't wait to retire. Well that time is closing
in on me fast and my life in the mountains is waiting for me
just the other side of that two-hundred and fifty-forth day.

I've secured a second piece of land in the Cloudcroft area,
this one with a cabin on it and now all I need to do is wait,
tic-tic-tic-tic.... The days have been passing like mud through
an hour glass. But at least I can see some light at the end
of the tunnel. I just hope it isn't a train.

Bill White
Phoenix, AZ

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