todays' news (not Libya or Japan)

The people who had this house before us must have paid for a subscription to the local daily newspaper (the Roswell Daily Record, for which one has to pay to see the stories in the on-line edition), because it was in the front yard when I looked out this AM while making coffee. As you can see, the word "yard" is misleading, as it is hay stubble, dry as a bone, despite the owner spraying it daily.

Friday's news: the local narc squad was executing a search warrant when they busted into the "perp's" house (he wasn't home, needless to say), and found 2 large alligators. While it is mostly illegal to have such animals, there are, apparently, exceptions, for which a permit is required. The paper said the owners of the house had 72 hours to produce their permit. Not a word about the drug charges; owners not identified.

second story: 95 year old ex-commandante of the local boy's (and only recently, girls) military academy (read: alternative high school) was today's hero of the month, or something, and he told of his youth in Iowa growing up on a corn farm (I do not make this up - pay$19.95 for a short subscription to the aforesaid RDR and see for yourself) and his jobs included turning the corn in the right direction - that would be up? The article did not elaborate, so we'll never know the "right" way for corn to grow.

And, finally, sightings around town: I got into a lane of traffic behind a "family"'sedan-looking kind of car, and noticed the bumper stickers: on the left, in plain simple print: "Buy the good stuff." and on the right, same print, "Marijuana Heals. " Gary's mom says she often detects the sweet odor around her senior complex. Medical marijuana is legal in NM. So all is not lost.

The full moon tonight is absolutely brilliant at 5,000 feet with no smog or lights to cut the view. It is the superfull moon, with the earth and moon orbits as close as they will be in 18 years (or is it 18 years since the last time?) Very pretty over the fence in our humongous back yard.

Which is also hay stubble, and which the dog, Rusty, pads dross from into the house every time he goes out in the back, which is pretty often, for the usual reasons, or to chase the birds, or to throw his ball around. There's a thin layer of dry, grain dust on the floor!

And in between the two hay stubble fields, is our cute little pink house (see above), a very southwestern-cottage style home from the post war era. Thick walls, cool inside, no complaints. Best of all, it is less than a mile from a very good Thai restaurant, from which we have been having take out for the past 2 days. How can a town as weird as Roswell have this good a Thai restaurant! There may be hope yet.