I hear they do this tope in many villages on Sundays in Costa Rica. (If we survive the Feb. 1, 2008 layoffs, Central America is where we're headed. For vacation, just in case I need to clarify.) The Sunday horse parade. I'd like to see something like this instituted in the village of Pecos. We could ride behind a mariachi band.

I wonder what Val Kilmer, our charming Hollywood neighbor who said that 80% of the people in our county are drunk most of the time, thereby making himself very popular, would have to say about a Pecos tope? From the videos I've seen of these parades, there does seem to be a little drinking of some beer.

This is old news, but ...

KILMER UPSETS NEW MEXICO SENATOR. The screen star told the magazine he carries a gun in his car and justified it by explaining, "I live in the homicide capital of the south-west. Eighty per cent of the people in my county are drunk. So driving home on the highway, especially with kids, it's (carrying a gun) just a precaution."

The BATMAN FOREVER star was also asked how he spends his time. After talking about feeding the animals and going to the watering hole, he put on a country accent and said, "We shoot the automatic weapons at the trespassers and people a different colour than us."

State senator PHIL GRIEGO, whose district includes Kilmer's ranch and who lives nearby, says that if the actor doesn't like San Miguel County he's welcome to leave.

They were shooting footage for his new action movie out on my road late this summer. Yeah... I'm sure going to cough up $9 to go see that ...