O.V. #24 RC of Raton 8-24-10

President Mike Carter, apart from being follically challenged such as myself really, does a great job and uses his personality well.  I enjoyed this group, they meet at the KBobs in Raton.  Once again, a club with potential if they choose to use it.  Good place to make up. Secretary Bob and Cindy took me to Sugarite to check things out after the club meeting.  Great place to vacation and visit in Raton.

President Mike & TP

President Mike & TP doing what two bald guys do when their heads come together..... Do you know what they are doing to you the esteemed reader of this blog???

Raton Board Meeting Dinner 8-23-10

I haven't laughed this hard in a while, we had a great time, talked about a couple issues, but really got to know folks through our 'lightening round' of questions.... Thanks for putting this together.... The Crystal had good food and atmosphere....

No Room At The Inn (Raton) 8-23-10

So I get into Raton, and without a reservation anywhere.  I try the Holiday Inn, nope.  But they recommended this place called the Robin Hood (Raton, NM)

Very nice owners, but the interesting thing when I opened the door to my room, it looked like a time machine to a late 60's or very early 70's motel..... I kind of laughed a bit until I started looking around to see how clean everything was.  As a self proclaimed germophobe, this place for having power outlets without a ground (I had to get an adapter from the hotel to use my laptop) was really really clean and I slept like a rock.  Never judge a book by the cover.  Good recommendation from the Holiday Inn staff.

I also got to drive by the Pappas Restaurant (whose son Nick lived in Roswell, and Nick's sons and I went to high school together).  Mike Pappas still runs it (Nick's brother).  Good place to eat as well as the Crystal....

drive from Clayton to Raton 8-23-10

Construction, nap on the road side, construction, volcano, then another story in the 'economic' down turn in many of our communities.

The Capulin Country Store is kind of like a 'Cracker Barrel' junior, very nice, clean, lots of stuff to buy.  Bathrooms clean and staff very friendly.  Jim and Jenny Pugh (pictured) have a very nice 'diamond in the rough' with this place. 

The problem, their restaurant, which has been in operation since the 50's was recently shut down by the NM Environment Department because their lot is not large enough for their septic system.  Talk about a travesty.  Not even considered to be grandfathered in (like most places) or provided with options such as some of the newer microbial systems.  

While I was there a young couple from Colorado came in wanting to eat in the restaurant and they had to be turned 10 miles down the road to another community.  The restaurant area is very nice and ready to go.  So it isn't always the economy that can decimate a community, sometimes its our own state.   Although I don't have all the details, if you are an engineer or perhaps a lawyer, you may have a new client with these folks... 575-278-3900

O.V. #23 RC of Clayton 8-23-10

What a really nice community and great little club.  President Gary is a very personable guy and the restaurant they meet in (the rabbit ear) is pretty good too.  This club operates a little more independently from the district than many other clubs, but they still make a large impact in their community from offering a scholarship to a high school student for the past 20 years as well as putting together gift boxes for another charity.  Very good group and hospitable.  I am looking forward to the 'what happens next' with these folks.