July 16, 1945 at 5:30 am there was an atomic blast that shook most of New Mexico and later all of the world. The blast had been scheduled earlier in the morning but because of a rain storm it was delayed for an hour and one half. The prevailing wind carried the fallout north by northeast, right across the Chupadera Mesa. Beginning in 1945 tests were conducted all though the fallout area, and again in 1948, 1950, 1951, 1973, 1974 and until 1986 when the Radiological Survey and Evaluation of the fallout area stated that no further testing was required. So, all is well on the Chupadera Mesa…By the way, that mesa is just west of Claunch….The Deer Canyon Preserve is just further north of the Chupadera Mesa but I don’t think it was ever a part of the testing done after the atomic bomb blast….I’m sure the property is ok but I did want to mention it, mainly just so you readers will know. I have mentioned Deer Canyon Preserve before stating that it was nice country and none of that has changed, lots of wild life and beautiful scenery, still  it could have been a part of that fall out area, if it matters to you at all. The all clear issued by the US of A should be good for something, huh, and that was over twenty years ago…..You can research it also, enter Chupadera Mesa in your search engine and it will tell you most of what you want to know.

Listen, I’m still pushing for the flood waters of the Mississippi to be pump to a series of lakes out west….Costly? you bet….Live saving? It might be a few years in the future and maybe sooner than later. Every state in the west is making plans to extend the water that we do have available. The Colorado River system is water for Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, California and down in Mexico…The Rio Grande waters Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico…The water starved states out west could all chip in for the building  of a water line that only operates when the Mississippi and Missouri goes over a certain foot level and it pumps until the flood waters recede to under that recommended level. That water would be pumped to a series of lakes for storage and for pumping further west. Or, we can do nothing and take pot luck….One day soon, water will become more precious that oil or gas that we now pump all over the nation…Hey, locks and dams will work also….We could call it the Miss-New Mexico Waterway….(Have the Delta Queen sail into Albuquerque?)…..Oh, back to the pipeline, we can start working on it now or we can work on it later, but with the population growth in the west something will have to be done soon. Now, if I can find me a senator to sponsor this little operation….Maybe the Senior Senator from Arizona….Reckon?….Well, he could ’cause he sure understands, huh?…Pete Hester

Yes sir, folks of New Mexico, our drivers license do not prove we are Americans. We need a passport to verify that little tidbit of info. Governor Martinez promised to fix that and the Democrats in our state are fighting it for some reason….In this morning’s paper some of our legislators recounted all the reasons we should not pass a bill barring illegals from gaining a New Mexico drivers license…Most of them are “peeing down our neck and telling us its raining”….Listen, if you don’t do something soon then the people of New Mexico will need a passport for traveling between the states….I can see the time when the Border Patrol will be on main thoroughfares throughout the nation checking drivers license or passports of people traveling between states….It will happen…Mark it down….Our drivers license prove we are legal to drive in New Mexico, that’s about it….Talk to your Democratic Representative or Senator about getting the driver’s licenses rule changed. Tell them one must be an American citizen to have a New Mexico License….Let’s have a license that means something, ok? ….Rep. Bill O’Neill said the phone calls to him regarding the drivers license bill are from “people who do not have all the facts”……He said his committee tabled three driver’s license bills on Saturday, not because they don’t agree with the bills, but because the details of the legislation would cause problems….Well, not doing anything is causing lots more problems, Mr. O’Neill, and it is embrassing to us New Mexician’s who would like for our drivers license to prove we are Americans…..Are you listening, Mr. O”Neill, “prove that us New Mexicans are Americans”…..

Well, doggone, wouldn’t you know it, some of my kinfolks read my blog and dropped me a note….It was so good to hear from them…My granddad’s brother moved off to West Texas and except for isolated contact with some of our folks here and there, we have not heard much from them…Anyway, this young lady that I have been e-mailing has a good handle on the Hester family history even down my branch of the tree. I worked on our genealogy a few years ago but have let it go for the last ten years or so. Maybe now, with some others working also, I will try and get back into it….It’s nice to talk family, huh? And to learn what the other siblings  side of the family has been up to. Back in the 1960’s our quartet was singing at a Sunday Afternoon Singing in Hobbs, NM, the Stamps Baxter type singing and the moderator asked a Mr. Hester to come and lead a song. Looking at that gentleman was like looking at my Dad. When he finished he was walking down the aisle back to his seat and I stood up, took him by the arm and led him outside….He said his family came to West Texas from Alabama and at the time I never thought about him being my Dad’s first cousin as I had not done any genealogy work….He had to be kin because of the striking resemblance. Small world, ain’t it….I am looking forward to learning more about this side of our family….Pete

Christy Germscheid of Angel Fire Resort sent me the winners of the shovel race, actually, sent me a list of the results of all the races. I will only post the top winner of each class. Master Men: winner, Jeff Hamblin, top speed 73.21 miles per hour….wow….Adult men: winner, Justin Gonzales, top speed, 71.92 mph. Adult women: winner, Kelly Haukebo, top speed, 68.57 mph. Junior: winner, Niko Haukebo, top speed, 70.37 (flying,huh). Youth: winner, Dominik Ickes, top speed, 65.99 mph. Little Scoops: winner, Braden Allen, top speed, 48.44 mph. Team Racer: Fish on Ice team of John Herring, Janet Herring and Daniel Herring with a top speed of 63.13 (Daniel) 62.51 (John) and 60.50 (Janet). Thank you Christy for sharing that information….. Now, just what do you folks think about that. Can you imagine traveling down that hill at 70 miles per hour in or on anything…..a shovel?….I wasn’t there in person, but I’m thinking about making it next year, er, do they make extra wide shovels? Just wondered, er, not for me, it’s er, for a friend…….that’s www.AngelFireResort.com if you need info about a few days on the snow at this beautiful northern New Mexico ski resort….come on out, the skiing is great…. (so I’ve heard)…Pete Hester

Have you ever looked in the Bible to try and determine what you should do in certain instances? And have you ever looked in the Bible to determine what you should not do in certain instances? I personally think “Thou shalt not” would win…Most of us try to figure out those things which we should not do…Well, I have to tell you I’m guilty in both instances having equally disobeyed the “shalls” as well as the “shall nots”. God said He would forgive me my transgressions, all of them, throwing them as far as “east” is from “west”…That’s pretty good, huh…North and South meet at the poles, but east and west never meet, it just keeps going, and that’s good for me, and probably you….Why am I bringing this up?…Well, some folks are doing some things I disapprove of, such as same sex marriage and I think that is real bad, and I think those people need to read about the “thou shall nots”,  but really…. I just need to hold on a minute…That job belongs to God, that judging thing. that for Him…. I just gotta step aside and let God talk to those folks ’bout their lives cause really, they ain’t no worse than me since God views a sin as a sin….Sex sins seem to be worst, as I read the Bible….You remember Jimmy Carter and the thoughts about adultery was the same as committing the act….Oh, Lordy, Lordy…..Well, I’m against same sex marriage, it just don’t seem right to me…I have never seen a male dog chasing a male dog for sex. I don’t think same sex is practiced anywhere but humans, but I could be wrong there as well….I am trying hard not to judge and I am not doing a very good job of it,….. but I sure can’t throw any stones!!!!

I received this e-mail today. I think you all need to read it and think on it’s content…….Document Muslins

Well, we have a new problem….Bird poop….I’m not sure it an official law just yet, “but they working on it”. Bird poop is getting so bad around the city that the city fathers are talking about fining those of us who feed birds, well, those of us who feed pigeons or rock doves. The TV showed pictures of piles of poop in places that perturbs the city managers and makes clean up, er, messy….So they do not want the citizenry to aid and abet in the bird population around town..”Do not feed the pigeons and rock dove” says our city fathers…… I am planning to put up a sign near my feeders that say, “no pigeons or doves allowed”. and I hope that will work…Over the bird bath I am not going to place a sign there  because the city has not placed restrictions on giving them a drink or bath….yet….Now I do have some pine trees in my yard and some dove have been roosting there…uh oh, also a no-no, because that allows for an accumulation of bird, er, poop and that is wrong….and it is a lot more difficult for me as I gave up climbing trees several years ago and getting a sign up there will be almost impossible….I might try putting the sign on the ground stating, “pigeons and rock doves, no pooping allowed”…..I suppose it is a problem for the city and for all of us and something probably should be done….That old cat that patrols my yard eating the bird population could be hired to work the city buildings and bridges…That might help some…

I’m thinking tonight of one of my cousin’s down in south Texas that has just had a tumor removed from his brain…..That is serious stuff and around here we have been praying for him every day, each time we think of him we sent up a prayer…would you join me in praying for him?…I hope so because I’m of the belief that more is better and some are better prayer warriors than some of the others, but all count and are heard….”The prayers of a righteous man prevailth much”…When I was singing in a gospel quartet down in Carlsbad many years ago, our manager was a righteous man and with that scripture in mind I would go to him with my prayer request and never, let me repeat, never did I fail to get an answer to the prayer….A big part of it is praying with conviction, praying knowing that a loving God is listening, praying with a faith of having an answered prayer….One of the songs we used to sing said, “Prayer is the keys to heaven, but Faith unlocks the door”….So, tonight Lord, …Hear our prayers and reach down your hand and touch my cousin and let him know he is in your hands….I thank you Lord Jesus……Amen

We have come through some of the coldest weather I can remember and I have been living at this location in Albuquerque for 17 years, down in the minus numbers and the wind chill pushing the temperature even colder….I did not even want to get out in my car….And yet, there those boys were, riding the streets of Albuquerque on their bicycles, bundled up against the coldest wind imaginable, out  spreading the Mormon message….Believe the message or not, it takes a dedicated person to get out in that type weather for any reason…and  that type effort is what is gaining ground for that denomination. Some of the rest of us can and should  learn from the hardy efforts of these young Mormon Missionaries…..Perhaps some of you saw them also?