Author Archives: Patrick Lamb

We’ve all been aware of the hard times that Ruidoso residents have been facing since the huge South Fork and Salt fires and subsequent flooding this summer. Last Sunday, the Albuquerque Journal wrote a great story about how the Ruidoso High School football team was going ahead with its fall season, even though they wereContinue reading “A good news story…”

Our Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus (2002 edition) offer this as the definition of the word “twaddle:” “n. {prob. var. of TATTLE} foolish empty talk or writing. nonsense” For the last several weeks, our local newspaper has been publishing daily separate obituaries for a Henry J. Twaddle and Linda M. Twaddle. The obituaries areContinue reading “A twaddle on the Twaddles…”

Years ago, a journalist colleague of mine while I was working for United Press International in Santa Fe once described a particularly bland news release issued by some state agency as being “as exciting as the third tallest building in Zurich, Switzerland.” That was my reaction a couple of weeks ago when I picked upContinue reading “The third tallest building in Zurich…”

Newspapers.com is a source I refer to regularly for interesting items about New Mexico’s history. I especially like to read how newspaper editors and reporters of the time write about events, specifically about wording they use to describe them. As I was poking through the site today, I stumbled across an article in the MarchContinue reading ““…so grave and heinous…””

I first learned about Gila trout almost 50 years ago when I was Santa Fe Bureau Chief and state capitol reporter for United Press International. The New Mexico Game and Fish Department, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies, had recognized that the colorful native trout of southwestern New Mexico andContinue reading “The tiny trout menace…”

Today is the fifth anniversary of my open heart surgery to replace a bad heart valve that I was born with but had not given me any trouble until about a year before I had the procedure done. I’m glad to stay it’s still working well and I feel very healthy for a guy myContinue reading “Takes a licking and still keeps on ticking…”

I learned last Friday of the death of my brother-in-law, Buzz Murrell, 91, of Cochiti Lake, NM. He had suffered a severe stroke 16 months ago, showed some recovery for a while, but in recent months had continued to go downhill. I know he loved my sister very much and saved her from a darkContinue reading “A sad day…”

(if their event gets approved by the Olympic Committee) You’ve probably never heard of the South America Republic of El Guacador. It’s so tiny it doesn’t appear on most maps — but mostly because the government officials couldn’t afford enough Guacos (the national currency) to bribe cartographers to include the country in their maps. TheContinue reading “Cheer for the El Guacador Olympic Team…”

If you grew up in the rural west or central United States in the 1960s, you probably listened to Oklahoma City radio station KOMA at night. It was the only source many of us early Boomers had for current rock and roll music. I thought of the station last week as a result of aContinue reading “I flaunt(ed) the law and the law won…”

Every year, it seems like merchandisers rush toward Christmas even earlier, hoping they won’t miss out on the shoppers who really really like to get a jump on the holidays. I fear the next early Christmas sale at Hobby Lobby will be on Dec. 26, 2024, when it will be promoted as “Get ready forContinue reading “And you thought they were rushing Christmas…”

When the word “wilderness” is mentioned, I suspect most people visualize a towering range of snow-capped mountains, unending lush conifer forests, broad meadows with rushing rivers flowing through them and waterfalls tumbling from cliffs into a valley below. In the Gila Wilderness of southwestern New Mexico, you don’t get much of that. It’s a placeContinue reading “Tough love…”

We just completed our annual Fourth of July sacrifice of more than $200 in fireworks for the benefit of our grandchildren and some visitors from a state where such shenanigans aren’t allowed. The finale was a device called “Kooky Caterpillar,” which shot crackling sparks of vivid colors out of various orifices, whistled loudly and concludedContinue reading “How about a little combat for a Fourth of July celebration?”

Things continue to improve in the Ruidoso area following the two devastating fires earlier this month. Police have now confirmed that they have now located everyone who was feared missing. The fires are largely contained and rains continue to dampen the area. Stories of kind gestures in the aftermath of the fire are starting toContinue reading “At twenty bucks a bottle, it was apparently worth it…”

The situation in Ruidoso continues to unfold as residents have finally been allowed to return to see if their homes, businesses and favorite places in the mountain community have been destroyed in the devastating fires. At this point, there is good containment of both the South Fork and Salt fires, but officials still estimate moreContinue reading “It shouldn’t take a disaster…”