Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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It begins with a dab of mud in a discreet corner, easily passed by without drawing attention, yet over the course of a few days, the mud slowly builds upon itself and takes shape, eventually protruding from the wall like a naturally sculpted sconce. Along with the growing mud pile in the corner, from dawn to dusk the yard becomes stage to an ongoing dance of swooping arrow-shaped shadows that dive, climb, bank and swoop like miniature fighter jets. Congratulations, you are...
At the end of a long workday, nothing adds insult to injury quite like climbing into an oven for the ride home — the steering wheel and gear shift burn hands, the hot air is hard to breathe, sweat is almost instantaneous, and worse yet is the realization that the puddle of slimy liquid in the cup holder used to be lip balm. Yep, it’s summertime, and in New Mexico, that means a lot of heat. There are solutions to ease the impact of heat on a vehicle’s interior, which can range...
It was an exciting weekend, full of celebrations, family get-togethers and time with close friends — all begun by donning a cap and gown and taking those steps 12 years in the making. Graduation is an inherently strange juxtaposition of completion and beginning. For the majority of newly minted high school graduates, the next step is college — 69.2 percent went directly to college the fall after graduation in 2015, according to the National Center for Education Sta...
Having the closest relationship to humans of all those in the animal world, it’s easy to understand why dogs are known as “man’s best friend.” But that’s not to say the relationship is perfect. Dogs and humans have been almost inseparable in the thousands of years their companionship has endured. Unfortunately, there are plenty of times the connection doesn’t click, the match is flawed, or something goes terribly wrong. And in those situations the results can range from...
Poor darlings, with their dense fur, proximity to the ground and penchant for laying in dirt and thick grass. They just can’t help it; they’re magnets for trouble. Nothing rings the dinner bell for parasitic bugs like a furry pal strolling through the yard. While humans offer similar dining opportunity, their hairless skin and aversion to intrusive critters make it harder to hide and airborne assaults become a swat avoiding dance. Pets, on the other hand, are much easier to...
With rows of eyes staring longingly from behind wire gates and a deafening chorus of barking and cries that reverberate off concrete floors, few places are as tough to visit as an animal shelter. It’s a strange collection of personalities and appearances — all shapes, sizes, colors and ages — and they either rush to the front of their pens to greet visitors or retreat to a far corner as if they would give anything to dissolve into the wall. Just as varied are the stories that...
Animals are often credited with superior senses that allow them to intuit danger — from atmospheric changes to storms, tornado and even earthquakes, stories of changes in the behavior of domestic animals, pets and wildlife abound. It sure would be nice to have advance warning before the ground trembles, the walls shake violently, windows shatter and buildings crumble — but alas that’s not likely. What is more likely is that an earthquake will hit with no notice and those...
Throughout the course of a lifetime, a person may have the fortune to enjoy not only several pets, but several types of pets. It may start with something small and easy to care for — a goldfish or hamster — and as a child grows and proves they’re ready, they might graduate to a cat or dog. It’s a natural progression many children experience, beginning with the colorful critters adorning the nursery and stuffed animals propped in the crib. Reasons children find themsel...
For many societies, beauty and brawn are preferred attributes and can influence where an individual lands in social circles. What defines “cool” for humans differs from one generation to the next, but — at least as far as stereotypes and teen movies are concerned — being studious is one of those traits not usually considered a key to getting in the popular cliques. Humans do tend to place a lot of value on things like physical appearance, strength, competitive dominan...
Images of primates dunking sticks into termite mounds and pulling out tasty snacks — the monkey version of fishing — are common enough, but they haven’t always been. Indeed, though a well-known fact now, at one time, the thought animals might use tools or innovation to accomplish tasks would have been considered preposterous. As astounding as the revelation must have been, it’s perhaps even more astounding that it was discovered by a 26-year-old British woman sent to live am...
Road trips can be great — wind rushing through open windows, favorite tunes on the stereo and an abundance of scenery to take in — and having a happy, slobbering pooch riding along makes it that much better. One of the fun parts of having pets is being able to incorporate them into your activities and do things with them; after all, most pet owners will quickly say their critters are part of the family. Hiking, walks in the park, picnics, you name it, people like to have the...
If the version of spring you imagine includes frolicking with the pooch on balmy days with fresh green sprigs of grass under paw and the smell of new blossoms drifting on light breezes, don’t hold your breath. Today marks the first official day of spring, and if predictions hold true, it will be a doozy. Replace balmy with hot and dry, floral fragrances with grit and dust, and light breezes with gusts that send billboards flying, and you’re a little closer to spring on the...
Little bearded men in top hats and stockings, shamrocks, an over-abundance of green and painful pinches in its absence — St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays saturated with symbolism and tradition, however one character tied to the holiday that rarely receives mention is snakes. This Saturday, behind all the green menu offerings at restaurants, shamrock decals in windows, poorly executed Irish brogues and leprechaun references, is a commemoration of the acc...
The differences couldn’t be more profound — walking on four legs vs. two, full-body fur vs. bare skin, a tail, oversized ears, and, not to be understated, vastly different bathing practices — yet pets and their people have quite a lot in common, too. Often thought of as a reflection of their owners, an uncanny resemblance can exist between people and their dogs, and research has shown the resemblance is so strong that even strangers can match dogs and owners based on photos. T...
If you love your pets dearly, count them as family members, and you’re between 18 and 33, there’s something you deserve to know — you’re being targeted. As the leading cash cow consumer group, millennials — people born between the early 1980s and early 2000s respectively — are expected to almost single-handedly fund the pet industry in coming years. It turns out millennials drop more cash and are more likely to take their pets into consideration when it comes spending ch...
The power of pets may seem obvious — they’re always glad to see you, provide unconditional companionship, they listen yet impose no judgment or criticism on their people and they give purpose to those who might otherwise be aimless or detached. Certainly, pets of all shapes and sizes can bring happiness and comfort. Whether it’s the cooing of a caged dove drowning out the silence, the blinking of a lizard sunning itself under a light in an otherwise dark room, colorful fish ea...
As the sun rises on Wednesday, one might notice a slightly rosy tint washing over everything — metaphorically speaking anyway — when people the world over commence the sharing of affectionate overtures. Flowers, cards, candies, and gifts ... the currency of Valentine’s Day is meant to convey sentiments to one’s nearest and dearest. And in a time where pets are increasingly beloved and adored as family members, heart-shaped dog biscuits and catnip toys are to be expecte...
Savory, sweet, spicy, hearty, fresh and light or rich and full of flavor, an integral part of our survival, food can be an even bigger part of what we enjoy about life – and that makes the tools used to enjoy it pretty important. Used to pulverize, chew, grind, tear and cut, the teeth are a critical part of maintaining the nutrient intake needed to stay alive. Aside from protecting them from obvious injuries, it doesn’t take long to realize that ridding the teeth of sti...
While humans may refer to their dogs as fur babies, it’s undeniable they have some distinctly non-human habits — very thorough tongue bathes, social derriere sniffing, and perhaps the worst of all, eating not just the leavings of other animals, but snacking on their own as well. Believe it or not, while repulsive to humans, eating the feces of other creatures, for instance those horrifying moments when the family pooch snags a gravel coated morsel from the cat box, is more com...
With the touch of a button and a couple drops of oil, a large space can quickly be infused with the refreshing scents of citrus or soothing herbs — a steady stream of fresh, clean fragrance to shift the feel of a room. Aroma diffusers are quickly becoming a staple in places where people spend time — living rooms, bedrooms, infant nurseries, offices, vehicles and even portable diffusers for on-the-go scent therapy — pretty much anywhere a person goes, scent diffusers can be fo...
It’s nothing short of sheer misery — a collective onslaught of fever, aches, runny nose, coughing fits and a slew of other uncomfortable-to-agonizing symptoms. Making headlines, influenza is sweeping the nation this season. In New Mexico alone, health officials recently reported the number of flu-like illnesses documented this season is double last year’s numbers, and with flu season yet to reach its peak, it’s still early. The warnings from health folks begin to sink in as p...
As a general rule, collaboration is a human thing that the majority of animals aren’t exactly known for. Sure, there are familial species that work together and situations in which animals hunt together or combine resources, but they also spend a lot of time in competition. Observe just about any non-human species and it becomes clear they have different perspectives from humans — even pampered domestic pets steal each other’s food, chase one another away from water, fight ove...
There are a lot of reasons bird enthusiasts brave the December cold to count birds every year — to contribute to national understanding of species and populations and to commune with other birders among them — but it's a rare coup when, in doing so, they discover something new. Yet that's exactly what happened in Clovis when a small group of birders set out early one morning a couple of weeks ago. During the 18th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count in Clovis, participants spe...
As today dawns, the hectic pace of the Christmas holiday is behind us, yet in its afterglow, is the mess, piles of presents to be put away, decorations to be disassembled and packed up and lingering company to entertain. With all the anticipation and anxiety leading into the holidays, it’s somewhat remarkable that on the other side there’s more work, and yes, stress before it’s all said and done. In the midst of Christmas recovery mode and heading into New Years, there is su...
The Christmas season is filled with symbolism from the top of the tree all the way to the dining table, and among icons of the season, animals are well represented. One theme that consistently appears in just about all versions of the Christmas holiday tradition is a significant cast of non-human characters. Among this parade from the animal kingdom, some have earned their Christmas roles through deeply symbolic connections, while others are a little harder to pin down. Indeed...
