I received my latest New Mexico Wildlife, Vol. 56, NO. 3 – Fall 2011 issue as a supplement to the Albuquerque Journal today. It is a great read, informative and enjoyable. Nice article on the Las Conchas Fire that recently burned 157,000 acres. Some one third of the Valles Caldera National Preserve was burned in that fire. While the effects of the fire were devastating, the forest is bouncing back. Wildlife is coming back into the burn area to eat the new grass and plant shoots that are now returning. The summer monsoon rains, while washing away a lot of top soil, has the forest returning to life. A flyover of the area by elk biologist Stewart Liley said he liked what he saw. “We are seeing good numbers of elk returning to the burn areas”. He counted about 150 elk in his flyover in late September. He and others agree that wildfires are an important component in the natural cycle that provides food, water and shelter for all wildlife species. You can go to www.wildlife.state.nm.us for information on resident hunting as well as for out of state licenses, etc. Check it out…There is more to New Mexico than deserts, believe me…..elk, deer, bear, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, ibex, javelina, oryx and Barbary sheep…If you are a hunter, New Mexico is pretty special…..Ah, heck, even if you are not a hunter NEW MEXICO IS SPECIAL…..

Air Force over New Mexico…We will just have to start over next year…, Arizona over Washington….Nope, not this year…, Arizona St over Colo..Colorado and New Mexico might be a good game…., Arkansas over Vandy…Just barely, I thought for a while Vandy had this one…, Auburn over Miss…Yeah, they won pretty good to didn’t they…, TCU over BYC..Yeah but closer than I would have thought, Okla St over Baylor, Yeah and worse than I thought.., Texas Tech over Iowa St…Geez, what happened to The Red Raiders? Flu or something?…, Okla over Kansas ST..Yeah, Landry is back on track now…, Mich St over Neb (upset special) My upset was not too special, huh? Nebraska surprised me…, Texas A & M over Mo..Take your business on over to the SEC boys, you are in for some tough times…., Nevada over NMSU, yeah, but I was proud of the Aggies, they played an excellent first half but could not hold on.., Wisconsin over Ohio St.. Wisconsin is going to have to figure out how to play well about one or two more minutes longer..two weeks in a row now….. New Mexico State is capable of beating Nevada, and could but they will need to play their best game of the season..I don’t think that will happen, however, so I will go with Nevada. Prove me wrong Aggies…Well, the wolf pack prevailed, but the Aggies gave them a game…I was proud of the way you Aggies play. Keep on improving….Ready for Georgia?????Just go down there and play your game, guys, just be true to your selfs and don’t back down from any of them…One play at a time…..

Killings have resumed in our back yard this summer. I think I may have mentioned it and also mentioned that I thought it was a feral cat. Well, maybe I missed. Today, no. 2 son was visiting and surprised a hawk with a Roadrunner in his talons trying to take to the air with his prey. For whatever reason, after reaching a height of 3 feet or so, he dropped the Roadrunner. The Roadrunner hung around our yard trying of shake off his injury but it must have been too damaging to shake off. The hawk stayed close, first on the neighbors mailbox, then later in the front yard pine tree. No. 2 son tossed a rock into the limb he was resting on and scared him off. Only thing when the hawk flew off the Roadrunner did what it is famous for and that is run, but mighty shaky. No. 2 said it had a hole in its side and he did not think he would run very far. I asked my son to help identify the would be murderer by going through my bird book. He did…The Red Tail Hawk, Eastern version, a year round resident of New Mexico statewide. I had thought I had seen one flying by in the past few weeks…Now I know…There were feathers every where when we had a murder and I wondered about not seeing bones, figuring I would see them if it was a hawk….I guess he flies off with everything except feathers…There are feathers all over our front yard today…I guess he really tore the Roadrunner up..Now before you get to feeling to sorry for that dang old Roadrunner, he is the one that would get up in the pine trees around my house and rob the eggs from the nest or kill the young that was in the nest. I personally witnessed him being mean to the other birds. Nesting birds, dove, robins and sparrows, would go crazy when the Roadrunner was around…More sayings for “as the old saying goes”….”What goes around, comes around” and “when you make your bed you have to lie in it” and “do it to others before they do it to you”, well, something near that…Thanks No. 2 for helping to clear up the mystery of the killings going on in our yard….

Yesterday CBS News was showing a protest out in California, in part protesting the treatment of illegals in this country. One man was in a close up on CBS, wearing a shawl (or something) with the words, in very large letters, VIVA MEXICO….In the background, there were several people carrying Mexican flags. I wonder why so many of them continue to sneak across the border into the United States if Mexico is so great? They can cry and whine about the treatment they receive in the USA all they want but the illegals are lawbreakers and no sympathy  should be extended them. Come in the front door, earn a citizenship and learn about America and what it means to be an American…Then and only then, can you put down your Mexican flags and honor your new country. You are a thief when you come in, take welfare, health-care and other benefits when you are not entitled to them and you wonder why American are so unappreciative of your country. You don’t give us a very good opinion of it based on you and your actions. Listen folks, I have said before and will say again. Your people are hard working, fun loving and gracious people, but please when you immigrate to the United States, please do it the right way and get your visa or green card or what ever is required to enter the United States. We do need you here, legally……

According to John Fleck, Albuquerque Journal, Oct 21, 2011, Forecasters Predict Extended Drought will stretch into next year. Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico already suffering the worst of the 2010-11 drought, could be hit hard again next year. The same article predicts heavy snow and rains for the northern tier of states. He points out that Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado and Louisiana are also suffering drought conditions and it will expand into Florida. The article also states that for New Mexico, this has been the driest year in the history, with records going back into the 1800s.La Nina causes a shift in the large scale wind patterns that bring winter storms across the North American continent, tending to shift them north. La Nina does not guarantee a dry winter here in New Mexico, but the forecasters said,  strongly shifts the odds. Some of the other items of interest in this article states that with little to no grass available our ranchers have to sell off a lot of their cattle. Streams and springs are drying up, water is being hauled into some ranches and the price of alfalfa has shot up to $300 dollars per ton. In addition, the sell off of cattle is creating a glut of cattle on the market driving the market prices for beef down. Some areas of central New Mexico got rains late in the summer, however, I am not sure it was in sufficient quantities to produce enough grass for the winter. Some ranching stuff…I have had the pleasure of knowing several ranchers in New Mexico and West Texas and  I have been amazed at the talents these ranchers possess. They are mechanics, welders, buyers, sellers, handy men, carpenters, black smith, veterinarian’s, and  number one bull sh..ers…Most of them are in isolated locations, miles from the nearest garages and part stores, so they have to make do to survive…I take my hat off to the ranchers of America…They are a vanishing, independent breed of craftsmen….I hope they can survive…I think they will….Pete Hester

Really, there is no need to pick this week. I think all the favored teams will win. TCU is favored by thirty thousand over New Mexico and Hawaii is favor by a bunch over New Mexico State. However, I think New Mexico State will play better than the spread has them, 21 points…..I predict a seven point or less game and if NMSU plays well the entire game and does not fall apart, they can beat the Rainbows….By the way, I am picking Arizona but they are a 3 point favorite over UCLA..(I’m pulling hard for them no. 1 GD )….So, let us recap who I think will be the winners this week….Alabama over Tenn (Alabama looks tougher every week, don’t they?), Arkansas over Miss, Texas A & M over Iowa St, Okla ST over Mo (Okla St may end up being the surprise team of the season, huh?), Okla over Texas Tech, TCU over New Mexico (I am still hoping the Lobos can make a few scores and then hold them to under 40), Hawaii over NMSU, Arizona over UCLA, Wisconsin over Michigan St and this could be a close one, and  LSU over Auburn…I am tempted to pick the upset at Hawaii, but they are at home and our old NMSU desert rats will be in awe over the island of Hawaii anyway, so I better not…

Update: first things first, my comment on no need to pick…Wow, what a weekend at Tuscaloosa, first half anyway….and in Norman, Ok….what is the world? Wisconsin at Michigan St? That may should have been the least surprising of them all. But, Alabama finally got on track but Bama scared the crap out of a few of us the first half. I had trouble watching all the games…I ’bout wore out my remote control switching between games….Recapping, Alabama beat Tenn, TCU beat New Mexico,  Hawaii beat NMSU, Arkansas beat Miss, LSU beat Auburn, Arizona beat UCLA Tex A&M beat Iowa St, Okla St beat Missouri….My loses, Texas Tech beat Okla and Mich St beat Wisconsin…I was shocked but that is why they play the games…..I wish the TCU game could have gone on a little longer cause I think we about had them wore down….

Eric Roanhaus, head football coach of the Clovis, NM Wildcats has always been very quick witted. Saturday night his team was defeated by  Albuquerque Manzano High. Trailing and with only a few minutes left in the game, Clovis had two long plays called back, one a 89 yard touchdown run called back after a hold, then the next play he called a short swing pass that went for a 94 yards TD. That one was called back on a illegal block. Still they drove down to the five yard line in spite of a sack and a couple more penalties, the game ended with an incomplete pass play. He lost 28 – 20. On the last drive, the Wildcats had a holding penalty,  an illegal block, a sideline warning, delay of game and a personal foul.  When asked about the officiating of the game, Roanhaus said that if that official would come down to Clovis that he would have someone marry his parents for him….. That’s a good one…..He is a great coach and he does not lose many games and he “calls ‘um like he see’s ‘um…..usually with humor…

Listen, you have to give the man credit….He does not quit trying to tell God when to end it all. Last time I thought it was God telling him. When that failed  I am now assuming its him telling God. The heck of it all is that it is going to happen, but mortal man just does not know when. I agree with Mr. Camping that the time is near and maybe even before Oct 21, but since Jesus said that even He did not know the day or the hour, we just have to wait on Him. However, folks, do go ahead and prepare for it as it could be tonight…..You know what… If New Mexico beats Nevada in football on Saturday, that may do it….That may just end it all….Now I’m kidding and this is really not a kidding matter…It is real and it will happen but Mr. Camping does not know when, but he could get lucky…No, you don’t think so?…Well just a thought…..

Alabama beats Ole Miss again….San Diego St beats Air Force….Arizona does not get beat this week but lose Stoops, good or bad I know not, but he’s gone….Arizona St beat Oregon….Auburn beats Florida (what has happened to these guys?)…..BYU and their new QB beat Oregon St…..Baylor beats Texas A & M (A & M is nuts going to the SEC. Their championship days are over.)..NMSU over Idaho, yeah I know, the Vandals are playing pretty tough ball, but the Aggies are doing pretty good also….Kansas St has been playing good football, but Texas Tech beats them this week….and Michigan will beat Michigan St…..Nevada beats New Mexico but the Lobos keep it closer than expected…Okla St beats Texas….Wisconsin beats Indiana and Wyoming beats UNLV…..If I counted correctly that’s 13 games….We’ll see, huh?

Oct 16, 2011….Alabama won, San Diego won, BYU won, NMSU won, Nevada won, Okla St won, Wisconsin won and Wyoming won…..Baylor, Tex Tech, Michigan and Az St lost…It is hard to get them all correct, huh?

You know, if I want to learn about computers, I read a book on computers, probably something like, “Computers for Dummies”. If I want to learn English, I grab an English book, math, a math book…If I want to learn about Christianity, I read the Holy Bible….If I want to learn about Mormonism I suppose I would read the Book of Mormons….As far as I know the only book about Christianity is the Holy Bible, at least for the pure word from God…Of course, there are a lot of things I don’t know…But studying the “Book of Mormons” to learn about Christ? …..I don’t think so…Romney is ok, a good man and will probably make a good president, but sir, don’t pee down my neck and tell me its raining cause that ain’t gonna cut it….You talk about Christianity, you are talking Holy Bible….You talk about Mormons, you are talking about the book of Mormons….I checked my Bible this morning and there ain’t no Book of Mormons in there…..Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Nazarene, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Assembly of God and I could go on and on, but for all of them the Holy Bible is their book. So Mr. Romney, when you teach your children out of the Holy Bible, its Christian…When you teach them from the Book of Mormon, I don’t know what that is as it is not discussed in the Holy Bible…I am not going to call you a cult member, sir, you are a good man, but I am not sure I can call you a Christian either…..Pete Hester