Re: 2006 merchant miseries

Many good points have been raised regarding the difficult economic and political climate in Chama. In my experience it really hasn’t evolved that much in the past 35 years. It is what it is, no sense in wasting a lot of time trying to figure it out, like the weather, wait a few hours and it will change...
In a couple of weeks when the NG convention swings through I can see it so vividly from many past experiences: 6AM Monday morning 8/21, 50 -75 hungry railfans descend on the Elkhorn Café prior to heading out. The locals as usual will be totally unprepared, even unaware of what is going on, and in their defense where do they get the warm bodies to fill in for a surge in business for a brief time anyway? So, everybody just pitches in, pours their own coffee, bus the tables etc. because that is the only way to get to the station on time...LOL
So here are a couple of things we do to keep the green flowing in town (besides staying and eating there). Buy some film (assuming you haven’t gone digital), yeah it is a lot more than those big box stores but is a couple of extra bucks for some film going to break the bank? Pickup that calendar for next year or a book that your library has been missing. Look for some holiday/Christmas gifts that might fit your needs. Fill-up the car prior to leaving town and stock up on snacks and drinks before hitting the road. Small things yes, but if a lot of people participate in putting their dollars into the local economy it will make a difference IMHO. That is good for us all.
My 2 ½ cents for the day.
Rod