We made a major purchase over the weekend….A Dyson DC-14 Cyclone Vacuum Cleaner..It sucks….It has a clear plastic cover for where the deposited dirt and stuff goes…This thing takes care of business and you can see it working as you go….The build up of the sucked up stuff advises you of progress being made toward a clean house…It does carpets, floors and has the pull out extentions so us short people can reach the ceiling fans and vents, cob webs in the corners and the hard to get to spots in the house….This is my very first vacuum cleaner purchase, my very own….Momma said………………………….Oh, the joys of retirement…

Old ghost are scary, ain’t they? You remember me writing about Mrs. Old Lady Thornton, huh? Well, she was a friendly ghost back in Pickens County, AL. I just changed her name. Folks around those parts could insert the real name I’m sure. Well, Mrs. Old Lady Thornton was based on hearsay…I never actually saw her….Let me tell you of a personal encounter, in Sarasota, FL. In 1982 while working a temporary job, I lived with a couple of engineers. They would go home or visiting people most every weekend while I just stayed put. I noticed some odd things going on, alarm clock being moved, shoes being moved, while I took note of those things it did not really bother me. One Saturday morning I had coffee with the Land Lady across the street. I asked her how she happened to buy the house across the street. “Well,” she says, “a nice young couple lived over there for a long time, biker types and the girl decided she wanted a divorce.” One morning after she left him, he was heart broken, she said, took his own life with a gun in the middle bedroom.” Gasp, gasp, that was where I was sleeping…Some time later, I woke during the night and the covers were tucked tightly  all around my person, stuff up under my body, really making me prisoner. I woke up and freed myself after a bit, but I continued to sleep in that bedroom..A few nights later, a week or so before my duty period was to be over, a sheer curtain over the head of my bed, was hanging loosely over a couple of small nails. It fell down over my face and head during the night. I got up and not having a hammer, took my shoe and bent the nails over the rod. Feeling that I now had it securely in place, I went back to sleep….It came down again, a little harder..Again, I got up and this time made sure it was securely affixed to the wall and it should not fall again. Just after going to sleep, the rod that had been falling on my face was thrown with force, all the way down to my feet. It was obvious at this time it was not falling on it’s own. There was a good couch in the den, so I moved and spent the rest of my time in that house sleeping in the den….I got the feeling that the old ghost did not like me…..Or maybe he just wanted me to know he was there….Anything like that ever happen to you?….It’s plum scary, ain’t it…. Let me know if you have a story to share…Pete

Well, I know I have been hitting local issues a lot here lately, but I just got to tell you the Lobo’s are playing some tough ball. Number 12 BYU came into the Pit Wednesday night to take on the No. 23 New Mexico Lobos. We had been rated now as we have worked our way back up again. BYU was 20 – 1 coming into Wednesday nights game and even with the construction going on at the Pit, 15,000 screaming fans were there cheering on the Lobos. You really cannot believe the noise level until you have been there. Dairese Gary, our out standing point guard, said you had to be standing next to a player on the court to hear him. Anyway, it came down to the wire, but the Lobos pulled it out at 76 – 72, bringing New Mexico to 19 – 3. The Mountain West is loaded this year, BYU 20 – 2, New Mexico 19 – 3, UNLV 17 – 4, San Diego State 14 – 6 and Colorado State 12 – 8. Utah, Wyoming, TCU and Air Force are playing pretty fair ball as well. Really no pushovers in the conference this year….. And speaking of the pit, they turn out for the Lady Lobo’s here as well. They have 7000 to 8000 folks on hand for most of their games. The Lady Lobos beat BYU in Provo, same night….. I attended the Lobo – UNLV game, and we got beat, so I’m gonna stay home for a while, but my ears rang for at least an hour after the game ended….. There are other gyms that are as full of people, but I am not sure any gym is louder. Keep watching ’cause I think you might get to see the Lobo’s in the NCAA tourney this year…And maybe some of the other MWC teams as well…..We will see…

Hurry…Hurry…Hurry….Come one, come all..Bring your snow shovel and 35 bucks for the time of your life…or maybe in my case, for you life…Can you believe these people ride down the slopes of Angel Fire sitting on a snow shovel. They say you can reach speeds of 70 miles per hour or so…They say, “most” of the time people tumble harmlessly before they ever reach the bottom, but I wonder what happens the other times not included in the aforementioned, “most”. How in the world can anyone on a shovel with a handle sticking up between his or her legs, control a 70 mph shovel. They say you don’t steer with the handle, you steer with you hands out to your side. Now lets see if we can visualize this: An old man, say me, sitting on a shovel, saying goodbye to friends and family up on the top of a 12,000 foot mountain, telling them that he will “see them at the bottom”, (yeah, right) and pushes off, shovel handle between his legs, holding his feet off the snow, guiding himself down this mountain, that by the way does have trees on the side of it, and going up to 70 miles per hour. Yeah, sure, ain’t no way folks, just ain’t no way. But remember this is up near Eagle’s Nest where they take their vehicles out on the ice, with holes drilled 10 yards apart, to do their fishing. Riding snow shovels is tame stuff for some folks……You Angel Fire/Eagle Nest folks are tough….I ain’t saying about smart just yet…

Feb 5 – 6, 2010 visit www.angelfireresort.com for additional information and try clicking on to to their live web cam.

I have mixed emotions over the Railrunner. It is a good idea to have passenger rail service in place from Belen, through Albuquerque on up to Santa Fe. This takes some of the commuters off the interstate, saves on gasoline and numerous other savings I am sure. But, should it not be self sufficient when it comes to maintaining and paying for itself? Let the people who benefit the most from it, pay for it….Maybe that is old school thinking in having things pay for themselves. It has a shortfall of 3/4 of a million for the first year of operations. I think they have over 2 million riders throughout the year and those business that benefit the most because of increased foot traffic can kick in a portion to keep it in operation. Also, seems to me like a increase in fares would be in order to help alleviate the situation. Maybe it is ok for the state to kick in some, but first, look at the Railrunner taking care of its own business…..

I raised my family in Carlsbad, NM and did not sell our home down there until 2006, even though we moved to Albuquerque in 1990. So, I have always followed Carlsbad sports. For some reason unknown to me, Carlsbad can turn out good baseball players(probably the coaching). Before Cody, there were several others, that I will not discuss at this time, but since Shane Andrews was a neighbor kid, I would like to acknowledge him. He was a great kid and an outstanding athlete. He played 10 years or so in the pros and ended his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, I believe. Now, on to Cody… I never met him but I watched his Dad play football and his Dad was very good.  He followed in his Dad’s steps  in being a good athlete. To my point about Cody. Last year was a tremendous season for Cody. I googled him the other day and he made 2.25 million last season, not bad, but when you consider what some of the others made and compare, the Marlin’s had a heck of a deal. He asked for 4.45 million this year and the Marlin’s offered 4.25 or so. They are going to arbitration over the salary and I hope he gets even more than he asked for. I really look for 2010 to be Cody’s best year yet…..Better hold on to him Marlin’s….He’s a good, steady, strong player and the market is pretty needy right now….

A birthday greeting goes out to No. 3 son up in Wisconsin. Momma got his gift off a few days ago and sent  him among other things some peanut brittle. (a household member tested it out for quality before it left the premises and it was deemed worthy). Funny how things work. He was our smallest child, weight wise. My father in law saw him as an infant and said, “that will be your biggest child” and of course I asked, “how do you know that”. He replied, “look at the size of those feet. If he grows into those, he has got to be a big boy”. …..Well, he is my tallest child…Now, about weight…… I ain’t a talkin’…. By the way, he is a singer/songwriter/promoter/ all sorts of things and he is a good’un…..Happy Birthday son…

The man went by several names, Webb, Uncle Webb, Sonny, Sonny Boy, Preacher, Pappa, Pop and maybe some others. My favorite was Dad. He was a small man yet bigger than life in my sight. I loved him dearly. He battled the demon alcohol for several years. But I don’t think his grand children or  great grand children ever saw him take a drink. He overcame that addiction and when he passed away at age 93, he had been free from the bonds of that demon for over sixty years. He was a happy, energetic, loving guy and even in old age was very agile, hard for us younger guys to keep up with. Very strong, as one of my nephews can attest to, who tested him out from time to time. Every one who knew him, loved him. I think it is only fitting that I honor him today on this his birthday and let all the world know my love for the man. He never had a lot of money, but I don’t think that ever really mattered to him. Seems like his treasure was his family. You remember my story posted earlier where he asked me to talk with him about his salvation….It was a benefit to the both of us…I still miss my Dad, but I know where he went….

Happy Birthday Dad

“Hey, did you hear about the new cavern down at Carlsbad?” he asked. “Yeah, I heard about it a long time ago. How do you say that Letakee or Lechu,  it has a strange name, I remember that,” he reported. “No, no, I don’t mean Lechuguilla Cave, I’m talking about the new one south of town.”  “Well, yeah, they are south of town, all the way out to White City.” “Man, where you been. I talking about the one about to form down at the south y. It appears to be huge.” “Oh, so you mean it is brand new. No, I have not heard about it,  but I am not surprised. Who digging it? Is there something else we can store down there. Most things at Carlsbad are underground, aren’t they?”

Now folks ought not be talking like that, huh? All in jest, my Carlsbad friends, but it is somewhat ironic, huh? For those of my readers that have not heard, apparently a brine water company pumped brine water from underneath the city leaving a void underground and now some of the city has been falling in or is in danger of falling in. And there seems to be a real danger of further sinking of the city, just how much is unknown. In the paper today, the State of New Mexico and the City of Carlsbad are suing the company involved for 2.6 million dollars. But that makes me wonder, how much is, say a third of the city worth? or a 1/4. Interesting….If it does join up with the Caverns, what then? Will this allow rain water and sewage into the caverns. Then how much will the law suit be?…. It can’t get all the way over to the WIPP site can it? I really am kidding folks, cause it is serious stuff. But in reality, when you think of caverns forming and the number of miles of cavern involved south of the city…what is the earth like underneath Carlsbad? I just wondered…Kind of scary, ain’t it…Makes you want to sleep with your miners light on, huh?….

Every song book I open I see songs written by Fanny Crosby, good songs and songs that I have sung all my life. You have probably already researched her but until today I have not. Blinded at 6 months of age, she went on to study piano, guitar, speak at functions and teach and preach. She became an instructor at one of the institutes for the blind and wrote over 8000 songs. This Methodist lady wrote some outstanding songs, some of my favorite are: Blessed Assurance, Near The Cross, Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Savior, To God Be The Glory, Rescue The Perishing, Tell Me the Story of Jesus….Some of you that do not recognize the name may well recognize the songs. Once a minister asked if she at any time wished she had sight. She replied that the first face she wanted to see was Jesus. I can look at the titles of any of those songs listed above and go to singing…I was raised on them and sung them while singing with the Harmony Brothers Gospel Quartet. Matter of fact as I write this my mind is going over, Near the Cross….Want to sing along with me?  ok, a one and a two and a three…..
We can sing together someday, ok?…..Pete