Author Archives: Patrick Lamb

Several weeks ago, I wrote about a childhood memory of the surprising visual discovery of a gleaming silver Atlas missile poised above its underground launch pad on a trip to Roswell from my home town in Ruidoso. At that time in the mid 1960s, the then Walker Air Force Base controlled a number of AtlasContinue reading “I’m taking credit for this…”

In most Americans’ minds, the town of Roswell likely triggers thoughts of an alien spaceship crash landing near the town in the late 1940s. I recently wrote about that because of the dramatic headline and story in the July 8, 1947, Roswell Daily Record announcing that an alien spacecraft had crashed on a ranch northwestContinue reading “Coulda, woulda, shoulda…”

I think I may written earlier about Hollywood’s inside joke. It’s called the “Willhelm scream.” But I’ve found a little more information about how it’s linked to New Mexico. The “Wilhelm scream” is believed to have been first recordedby actor Sheb Wooly as a sound effect in the 1951 Western “Distant Drums.” It has beenContinue reading “Now where did I hear that before???”

Although I could not relocate the article, I recall reading an item from northern New Mexico recently in which local police said that an online post had incorrectly identified a woman who had been killed during a crime. The local authorities urged citizens to avoid getting information from unknown sources and rely directly on theContinue reading “Why real local reporting matters…”

This blog has featured several humorous signs that I’ve either heard about or spotted in my years of traveling throughout the Land of Enchantment. One that I’ll never forget was a roadside sign on U.S. 64 between Farmington and Shiprock. The crudely painted sign outside a booth made from juniper and pinon branches on theContinue reading “Um, thanks, but I’ll take care of that myself…”

A good friend recently sent me an article from a veterans group publication called “Together We Served” regarding use of camels by the U.S. Army in the Southwest in the mid 1800s. Given that camels and deserts go together like peanut butter and jelly, it wasn’t surprising to find out that many of these creaturesContinue reading “A “mule lobby” in Washington???”

I read with great sadness last week that the Roswell Daily Record is ceasing operations after 123 years of publication. It’s the second daily newspaper in our state to announce plans to shut down this year because of declining readership, rising costs and aging equipment. The Gallup Independent announced late this winter that it wasContinue reading “Who will be there to report the next UFO crash???”

Highway U.S. 70 from Ruidoso to Roswell is a treasure of a drive, especially in the fall when the cottonwoods, fruit trees and other deciduous vegetation are showing their vibrant yellow, red, orange and rust colors. The landscape is spiked by tall rows of Lombardi poplars outlining property boundaries of small farms and ranches. ItContinue reading “A gleaming projectile on top of the hill…”

As you’ve probably guessed from reading my blogs from the past, I have a special appreciation and love for the once endangered Gila trout. Once near the edge of extinction, efforts by government and non profit groups (like Trout Unlimited) have brought this fish back to swim in increasing numbers in waters of the GilaContinue reading “Beautiful, but lacking in taste…”

In bouts of extended inactivity and resulting boredom during my time as a same day registration official during the June 2 New Mexico primary election season, I start thinking of things to write about in my blog. New Mexico critters seemed to come to mind frequently for blog topics and when someone walked into myContinue reading ““Never seen one around here…””

About seven years ago, likely on a Sunday morning in the summer, I went out our front door to fetch the daily newspapers that are tossed onto our driveway. It was before I had my one and only cup of coffee for the day, so I was still slowly assimilating full consciousness. When I heardContinue reading “An odiferous red squadron…”