Forgotten Trains

I Live in La Luz NM which is about 6 miles from Alamogordo NM, or as the Spanish called it in 1898 Fat cottonwood.  This was for the Large cottonwood trees that are abundant here. The town of Alamogordo NM was basically founded in 1898 because of the logging industry that was grounded in El Paso Tx. So to meet the need for lumber a rail line was constructed from Alamogordo NM to Cloudcroft NM high up in the Sacramento <Mts. The line was well used to haul lumber and to carry passengers to and from Cloudcroft.

There were many water stops along the way. The first stop along the track was a place called Pinto NM. Pinto does't exist anymore, along with many other places the train went. There was 35 miles of track winding through the mountains, With more than 50 tressels to carry the trains across steep ravines and across huge gorges. The cloud climbing railroad as it was called had many wrecks on that grade. One of the more famous wrecks was called the 7 man wreck. Seven men from a steel gang,  (that's what  they called the people who installed track), lost their lives when one of the engines derailed on wet track and drove 200 tons of steel rail through the cars in front of them killing all seven men instantly.

Here are some then and now pictures of the old Cloudcroft line, which was discontinued in 1946 or 1947. There are a few pics of the station in Cloudcroft NM.  Enjoy.

Women vs Men

It’s Christmas time again and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except a little mouse. My wife woke up when she heard the clatter, then pushed me out of bed to see what was the matter. As I tried, to get off the floor, she through me some  mouse traps and pointed at the door. I knew at once just what I was to do, so I grabbed the mouse traps and away I flew. Out the door and into the hall, I found some cheese and loaded them all. I set them carefully all through the house, and knew at once that I would catch that mouse. As I got through and ran back to bed, I pulled the blankets back over my head. I turned my head to fall back to sleep, then into my thoughts a message did creep. I turned to my wife and said with a grin, why didn’t you get up to deal with them. She just laughed as my head felt a blow, that is your job didn’t you know. I thought I taught you years ago, that I find the problems you make them go. Then she turned her head and shut off the light, and said maybe you’ll learn, and oh goodnight.

I did a little survey recently and randomly asked women and men who was the boss of their house. Of course the men bragged and told me that they were the men of their house. And that anything they said the woman of the house had no choice but to do. One man that I happen to work with, said that his woman knows better than to question what he says. Of course the women that I interviewed said totally opposite. They all said that they were in charge of the relationship.

I personally, through years of marriage, found out that the woman is in charge of the house.  And as for the man from work, his wife showed up to work one day. She pulled up to the curb in front of the car wash that we work at and yelled at him to come over to the car. You see, the man I am referring to was right in the middle of bragging on how he was in charge as she pulled up. Once he heard her voice he bowed his head and said ” Sorry, I’m coming, I’ll be there right away”.  And off he went reaching into his pocket, pulling out some cash without being asked, handed it to her and said goodbye as she drove out of site. When he came back I said, In charge eay.  He said, alright, I don’t want to hear it.  Strike one for the men.

I once was told by a pastor of the church why women are mainly in charge of the relationship. He told me it has to do with the beginning of the world. When Adam and Eve first set foot on this planet. He said that after Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God punished her and every woman from there on. As for the man, God did not punish him, he just kicked him out of Paradise because he allowed Eve to eat from the forbidden fruit. Therefore, men today are still living in a paradise state of mind. If it were not for a woman in our lives, we would get nothing done. That is because what ever happens in our lives would be cool. We have that La La La mentality.

So thanks to all of you wonderful women  for helping us through our lives. If it were not for you we would be nothing. We love you all.

I have to go, I just seen a mouse.

Cool Morning

Hello again,  It is a  very cool morning today. Maybe it should be, here in La Luz NM it has been in the upper 70s for most of the winter. It is almost like the earth shifted on its axis and relocated us nearer the equaitor than we once was.

So today it is heaters blazing. be cool and see you guys tonight when I get off from work. I'm sure Ill have something to write about after working in a car wash all day. It doesn't even matter if it is cold we open and freeze our butts of in this stuff.

So what is the weirdest job that you guys have had to do in the cold? There has to be some good ones. Please comment and let me know.

Computer Problems

We all have them, in our daily routine we will run into one or the other kind of technological malfunction that will make you want to scream. It seems today that almost everything is ran by some sort of computer operated device. Look at  your vehicle for example. Before, when it became cold outside, you would get in your car pump the gas pedal about 20 times, pull the choke, and fire the thing up.  Of course computers made that easier. OK, computers did help us some I guess. Although when the car finally warmed up after 20 min, you would hop in with your big fluffy coat on and reach over pull out the heat knob, make sure your vents were pointed in the right direction and turn the fan switch to high and wham, the heat came pumping out.

Today we push our button to lock the car twice and then push the start button in which the little fob in our hand sends a signal to the computer in the vehicle telling it to start the car. Once the vehicle starts it can then automatically turn on the heater after the vehicle warms up for about 5 min. Then when its all toasty warm in 5 min, you can walk outside in your light coat and be off to work in under 20 min.  Another big win for the computer right?

The only problem with the computer in a vehicle is that any do it yourself person cannot work on his or her own vehicle anymore. That’s right you need a computer to tell you what is wrong with your vehicle. It seems that there are many controls going to many circuits in your vehicle, so that heater knob that you used to pull out for heat is now a control circuit in the computer module, along with your vent controls, fan speed controls, heat settings, automatic temp controls, cabin air controls, rear heat controls, and so on and so on.

When everything is working fine, life is great, although, if a computer module go’s bonkers life becomes hectic. It is a flat fee of $80.00 just to hook the computer up to the vehicle just  find out if your module is bad. If not there will be a charge of $90.00 and hour to find out if a sensor is out, or maybe a wire connection is bad, or maybe a mouse has chewed through your wiring harness. or  maybe a vent control went bad.

Just for the heat that you used to have in three quick movements, you now have to pay a huge bill and be without a vehicle for days.  And the response from the service adviser, (computer problems).

There are a multitude of uses for computers although some uses are useless. For instance, Electronic toilets. Boy what do you think would happen if it had a computer problem. A little to much water on the rinse cycle.

We will talk about that later, I must go for now, So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu.

The Stars and Bars or the Southern flag

I was asked the other day by a black man just what the southern flag really means. He told me that he was raised in LA and that his family and everyone he knew was told that the southern flag was a sign of racism , skin heads and the KKK. I told him that being from the south the flag was a sign of freedom from the tyranny that the government bestowed upon its people. When I was a kid I was taught that the southern states succeeded from the union because the southern people were getting over taxed by the government in charge. The southern people were tired of being screwed around and were willing to fight for their rights.
One thing that I do know is that I was born in Texas, a southern state. And I never once was taught that we fought so hard to keep our slaves. Or to build the ranks of the KKK. Why would anyone fight and DIE in the thousands for such stupid reasons. I heard the southern flag called the flag of racism, prejudice, hatred, strife,  the flag of the KKK, and the skin head movement. When actually The Southern Flag represents the southern people in general. All southern people, not just the White southern people but Black as well. All races in the south are covered under the southern cross. We as Southerners have a great deal of pride invested in the southern flag, It flew in many battles during the civil war. And now it is flying in the midst of many battles today. It looks like the government is still trying to get rid of the south. But we stand tall, just like our flag. So to the people who are trying to destroy our flag by making it yours. Mainly the racism group, skin heads, and the KKK.  Step back and make your own flag so you wont have to hide behind ours.