Do 2006 was a year full of growth and development for Rio Rancho. As our city matures, we continue to blend the fun and the fancy, the trendy and the traditional, all reflecting the multicultural heritage of the Land of Enchantment. Reflecting back on 2006, we witnessed the birth of our new city center, a sparkling new library, an incredible housing explosion that continues to this day, and a couple of new Starbucks to boot. The summer brought us rains of biblical proportion. Some of us fared better than others, depending on where in the city we lived. We secured rain barrels, straw wattles and barricades in front of our homes in preparation for the next downpour that would never come as heavily as it did July 8. With the bond passing, SCCAFFCA can now strategically dig the retention ponds and such that will help with flood control and drainage problems should Armageddon rear its ugly head next summer.

We prepare to ring in the New Year by celebrating the best of the past year. So this week, I look back at what I have learned over this past year and share some of my high points from 2006.

I have learned:

-It still takes longer to wait through the line at the post office than it does to cook a turkey. When and where is the next satellite post office opening up?

-Even though the law states no ATVs, quads and dirt bikes are allowed on the dirt roads in the city, the renegades are going to do it anyway.

-If you drive the speed limit in the left hand lane on NM 528 and write about it in the newspaper, you can expect to have just as many disgruntled people thumb their noses at you as the supportive people applauding you. Keep those emails coming.

-That even though the incredible homes in the Homes of Enchantment Parade are beautiful beyond belief, they will eventually have dirty dishes in the sink, dust bunnies under the beds and dog nose prints on their back doors like the rest of us.

-That you shouldn’t put your garbage cans out early when there is a storm with high winds forecasted or you will be retrieving your trash from your neighbor’s yard later.

-That your chances of being attacked on your daily walk by ankle- nipping Chihuahuas are much greater than the fear of being attacked by a big scary dog.

-That if you are going to attend the last day of your children’s horse camp and trot around the ring in the Parent Ride, you better wear a sports bra.

-That addressing flood control and drainage issues by simply laying down black top without incorporating curbs and gutters is like serving cucumber sandwiches to a hungry football team; where’s the beef?

-That the friendly grocery store clerks who chat you up as you make your way through their checkout line, although well intended, can sometimes make you feel like you are in the hot seat of a chat fest on some late night talk show.

-That some years you get lucky and the winds blow the Fiesta balloons right over your house and you get the most incredible pictures. And other years the wind direction is not in your favor and you have to drive down to Balloon Fiesta Park where you end up snapping even better shots during an evening glow.

-That unfortunately four or five die-hard devotees alone cannot sustain Rio Rancho’s Neighborhood and Homeowners Alliance.

-And finally, if your socially inclined dog escapes through your back gate and is escorted home by two big coyotes, you better have a camera ready to capture the moment.

Happy New Year, Rio Ranchoans! I wish you health, happiness and much laughter in 2007.

Quote of the Week: "Life's a dance you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow. Don't worry about what you don't know, life's a dance, you'll learn as you go." by John Michael Montgomery.