Category Archives: Quick Hits

A Design Fit For A Feast

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Four cats posed inside the Dusty Roads Mercantile store. Banner the orange long-haired cat wears a black bow tie, Balboa the black cat sits in a flour sack, an orange cat wearing a press cap holds a microphone, and a white cat dressed as a chef holds a wooden spoon beneath a Dusty Roads Mercantile sign.

Dusty Roads Mercantile

Hi All

Our new Thanksgiving design is fit for a feast. Yes, those crazy cats are back ready to stuff themselves like the turkey  on their platter. We are showing the design on a brown shirt so the gravy spills won’t be noticeable.

A brown T-shirt, cream tote bag, and black baseball cap displayed together as a merchandise collection. Each item features a festive Thanksgiving design showing four cat characters seated behind a table filled with turkey, pies, pumpkins, and other holiday foods framed by autumn leaves.

Since all of our designs are custom and printed on demand, we recommend you allow 2 weeks between order and deliver. That allows time for printing and for USPS to make the delivery before the big day.

As always our products are backed by Tee Public’s Satisfaction Guarantee.

You can browse all of our designs here.

WMEO Breaking News: Space Telescope about to Crash!

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WMEO News desk broadcast featuring Banner and Balboa reporting on a falling space telescope. Banner, an orange tabby cat wearing a black bow tie, sits calmly at the anchor desk while Balboa, a black cat wearing a bright yellow hard hat, sits beside him. Behind them, a large newsroom screen displays the headline “SPACE TELESCOPE TO CRASH” alongside an image of a space telescope orbiting above Earth. A microphone sits between the anchors. On the desk are papers marked with paw prints, a toy mouse, and a teddy bear wearing its own tiny yellow hard hat. The front of the desk displays the WMEO 9 logo.

WMEO News Flash: Swift’s Final Descent

A bold “BREAKING NEWS” graphic with white capital letters centered on a dynamic background of red, orange, and yellow streaks. The design conveys urgency and motion, resembling a television news alert banner.

This is WMEO 9 Breaking News            We Meow- You Listen

Banner: Good afternoon. We interrupt our regular programming for this WMEO News Flash. NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere any day now  after efforts to save the spacecraft failed.

Balboa: Failed.

Banner: Failed.

Balboa: That’s not my favorite word.

Banner: The Swift Observatory has spent years studying some of the most energetic events in the universe, including gamma-ray bursts, black holes, and exploding stars.

Balboa: And now it’s studying gravity.

Banner: A private robotic mission recently attempted to raise Swift into a higher orbit and extend its life.

Balboa: A noble plan.

Banner: Unfortunately, the mission was unsuccessful.

Balboa: And that’s when I ordered the hard hat.

Banner: The observatory is now expected to make an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.

Balboa: “Uncontrolled” is not helping.

Banner: Experts expect much of the spacecraft to burn up during reentry.

Balboa: Much.

Banner: Much.

Balboa: Not all.

Banner: Potentially not all.

Balboa: That’s how math works, Banner.

Banner: The risk to any individual person remains extremely low.

Balboa: That’s what the telescope wants us to think.

Banner: The telescope doesn’t think.

Balboa: That’s exactly what makes it dangerous.

Banner: We now go live to Pumpkin Spice with Team WMEO’s field report.

[Cut to Pumpkin Spice aboard a ship at sea.]

Pumpkin Spice reports live from the deck of a ship during a WMEO News Flash about the expected reentry of a space telescope. The orange tabby field reporter wears an orange life jacket, a black hat decorated with autumn leaves, and a pair of binoculars while holding a WMEO-branded microphone. Behind Pumpkin Spice, blue ocean waves stretch to the horizon where several naval vessels can be seen in the distance. A large seagull flies overhead near the reporter. The scene suggests a serious maritime news assignment, despite the unusual mission of watching for a falling space telescope.

Pumpkin Spice: Thank you, Banner. I am reporting from the Atlantic Ocean, where experts believe any surviving debris would most likely land.

Balboa: MOST LIKELY.

Pumpkin Spice: Yes.

Balboa: Not definitely.

Pumpkin Spice: No.

Balboa: That’s why you’re there.

Pumpkin Spice: I still don’t understand why I’m here.

Balboa: If the telescope lands in the ocean, WMEO will have exclusive coverage.

Pumpkin Spice: How?

Balboa: You’ll point at it.

Pumpkin Spice: So far I’ve observed several waves and one suspicious seagull.

Balboa: Continue monitoring both.

[Back at the News Desk]

Banner: NASA continues to track the telescope’s descent and will refine predictions as reentry approaches.

Balboa: Good. Someone should.

Banner: NASA stresses there is no cause for alarm.

At the WMEO 9 news desk, Banner, an orange tabby cat wearing a dark bow tie, remains calmly at the anchor position while Balboa, a black cat wearing a yellow construction hard hat, hides beneath the desk with only part of his body visible. A teddy bear wearing its own yellow hard hat sits beside Banner on top of the desk. The WMEO 9 logo is displayed on the front of the anchor desk. The newsroom background features television monitors and studio lighting. The image humorously suggests that Banner is continuing the broadcast while Balboa has taken cover during a report about a falling space telescope.

Banner: Balboa, what are you doing?

Balboa: Implementing Phase Seven.

Banner: What happened to Phases One through Six?

Balboa: They failed.

Banner: What were they?

Balboa: Mostly screaming.

The WMEO News broadcast signs off from the newsroom desk. Banner, an orange tabby cat wearing a dark bow tie, sits behind the anchor desk. Beside Banner are a gray toy mouse and a teddy bear wearing a yellow construction hard hat. The front of the desk displays the WMEO 9 logo and the message “Thank you for watching.” Balboa is notably absent from the desk following a news report about a falling space telescope, leaving the teddy bear and toy mouse to assist Banner with the broadcast's closing moments.

Banner: For WMEO News, I’m Banner.

Balboa: (from under the desk) Stay alert. Stay safe. Watch the skies.

This Has been a WMEO 9 Breaking News Alert- Please resume your regular Scrolling

 

WMEO INVESTIGATES: ALIEN ABDUCTION ENDS IN REPORTER RETURN

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WMEO 9 newsroom set featuring two cat anchors seated behind the news desk. A headline on the studio screen reads, "Alien Abduction Ends in Reporter Return." An orange tabby cat wearing a blue bow tie sits beside a black cat, with a microphone centered on the desk. In the background, a flying saucer hovers over a mountain landscape at night, shining a beam of light onto a floating press hat. Papers with paw-print graphics rest on the desk alongside a toy mouse and teddy bear. The WMEO 9 logo and slogan, "We Meow. You Listen." appear on the front of the desk.

This is a WMEO 9 Special report   We Meow – You Listen

Banner: Good evening. We begin tonight with an update on a developing story that has captivated viewers across the Hudson Valley, the Berkshires, and apparently several nearby star systems.

Balboa: The alien abduction of our field reporter, Pumpkin Spice!

Banner: Alleged alien abduction.

Balboa: Banner, there was literally a UFO hovering over Pumpkin yesterday.

Banner: We have not independently verified that.

Balboa: The UFO independently verified it.

Banner: Nevertheless, Pumpkin Spice disappeared while investigating reports of mysterious aerial activity.

Balboa: And now he’s back.

Banner: Safe and unharmed.

Balboa: The aliens, however, may not be.

Banner: We go now live to Pumpkin Spice with this exclusive report.

A fleet of seven glowing UFOs drifts across a moonlit sky above rolling mountains and forests, with beams of light shining down through the clouds during Pumpkin Spice's latest extraterrestrial assignment

“Exclusive: My Trip Through Space”

Pumpkin Spice: Thank you, Banner. I can now confirm that I have returned from what can only be described as an extended journalistic assignment.

Banner: Pumpkin, many viewers want to know. Were you abducted?

Pumpkin Spice: The extraterrestrials prefer the term “unexpected guest exchange program.”

Balboa: That’s alien for abduction.

Pumpkin Spice: The important thing is that I maintained my professionalism throughout the experience.

Banner: How long were you aboard the spacecraft?

Pumpkin Spice: Approximately six hours.

Balboa: That’s a long time.

Pumpkin Spice: Especially when conducting interviews.

Banner: Interviews?

Pumpkin Spice: Naturally. Upon arrival I began gathering information regarding propulsion systems, navigational procedures, interstellar diplomacy, alien cuisine, spacecraft maintenance schedules, and possible connections to the Hudson Valley sightings.

Balboa: You interrogated the aliens.

Pumpkin Spice: Journalism, Balboa.

Banner: Were the aliens cooperative?

Pumpkin Spice: At first, yes. They seemed quite interested in speaking with Earth’s media.

Banner: And then?

Pumpkin Spice: I requested clarification regarding faster-than-light travel.

Balboa: Reasonable.

Pumpkin Spice: Then I asked for supporting documentation.

Banner: Ah.

Pumpkin Spice: Then maintenance records.

Banner: Oh no.

Pumpkin Spice: Then crew manifests.

Banner: Pumpkin…

Pumpkin Spice: Then I requested comments on crop circles, cattle mutilations, moon bases, and whether Bigfoot has ever applied for interplanetary citizenship.

Balboa: You asked all that?

Pumpkin Spice: Several times.

According to sources familiar with the situation, the alien crew initially welcomed questions.

Pumpkin Spice takes his journalism to another galaxy, interviewing aliens face-to-face while gathering exclusive comments on UFO sightings, interstellar travel, and alien snack preferences. Meanwhile, several spacecraft appear ready to leave before he asks another follow-up question.

Pumpkin: “Just one more question.”

Alien Captain: “Nop’tar!”

Pumpkin: “Just one follow-up.”

Alien Captain: “VRRAAAKK!”

Pumpkin: “Can you elaborate on that?”

Balboa: “What does that mean?”
Pumpkin Spice: “Well… literally translated, it means, ‘No. Stop asking. We’re leaving.’
Balboa: “A universal phrase.”

Pumpkin: “Let’s circle back to unexplained lights.”

Banner: So how exactly did you make it home?

Pumpkin Spice: At approximately the six-hour mark, the captain informed me that Earth was nearby and suggested it would be best if I continued my investigation there.

Balboa: Suggested?

Pumpkin Spice: The exact quote was, “Please leave.”

Banner: That’s rather direct.

Pumpkin Spice: The crew then opened the hatch and pointed toward Massachusetts.

Balboa: They dumped you out!

Pumpkin Spice: They provided transportation.

Breaking News: Pumpkin Spice returns from space. The orange tabby reporter is carefully lowered from a hovering UFO into a peaceful countryside field after allegedly overwhelming an alien crew with nonstop questions about UFO sightings, spacecraft maintenance records, and extraterrestrial snack preferences. The aliens reportedly departed immediately after drop-off.

 

Banner: Pumpkin, before we let you go, did the aliens leave any final message for the people of Earth?

Pumpkin Spice: They did.

Banner: And what was it?

Pumpkin Spice: They asked that all future media inquiries be directed to somebody else.

Balboa: Incredible.

Pumpkin Spice: They also requested that I stop sending follow-up questions.

Banner: Have you?

Pumpkin Spice: Absolutely not.

Balboa: That’s our reporter!

Two cats sit behind a WMEO 9 news desk as if hosting a broadcast. The orange cat on the left wears a dark blue bow tie, while the black cat on the right sits beside a small gray mouse toy and a brown teddy bear. A sheet of paper with red markings lies on the desk. The front of the desk displays the text “WMEO 9” in large yellow letters and “Thank you for watching” in white. The blurred newsroom background features blue and red tones.

WMEO Investgates: UFO’s over New England

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WMEO television news opening graphic showing a moonlit New England town nestled among dark forested hills and mountains. Multiple glowing flying saucers hover across a dramatic cloud-filled night sky illuminated by bright moonlight. A large metallic news banner spans the lower center of the image with the headline: "WMEO INVESTIGATES: UFOS OVER NEW ENGLAND." Blue and silver tones dominate the scene, creating a mysterious but polished television news atmosphere.

UFOs Over New England

This is A WMEO 9 Invetgative Report.  We Meow-You Listen

AT THE NEWS DESK

Two cat news anchors sit behind the WMEO news desk during a special investigative broadcast. An orange tabby cat wearing a blue bow tie sits on the left beside papers marked with paw prints, while a black cat sits on the right near a toy mouse and teddy bear. A microphone stands centered on the desk. Behind the anchors, a large studio screen displays a starry night sky over mountains and pine forests, with a flying saucer shining a beam of light from the upper right corner. The headline on the screen reads: "WMEO Investigates: Strange Lights in the Sky." The front of the desk displays the WMEO 9 logo and the station slogan, "We Meow. You Listen."

Banner: “Good evening. Reports of unidentified objects in the sky have fascinated people for generations.”

Balboa: “As opposed to identified objects, which we simply call objects.”

Banner: “Tonight we’re examining three of the Northeast’s most famous UFO encounters.“

Balboa: “Or three examples of people needing more sleep.”

SEGMENT 1: BETTY AND BARNEY HILL

Banner: “In 1961, Betty and Barney Hill reported seeing a strange object while driving through New Hampshire. The Historical roadside marker in New Hampshire titled “Betty and Barney Hill Incident.” The green sign with white lettering describes the reported 1961 UFO encounter involving Betty and Barney Hill near Lincoln, New Hampshire, often cited as the first widely reported UFO abduction case in the United States. The sign bears the New Hampshire state seal at the top and stands outdoors with trees and a cloudy sky in the background. couple later claimed they experienced missing time and became the most famous alleged UFO abductees in American history.”

Balboa: “If I lost two hours, I’d assume I took a nap.”

Banner: “The Hills believed something far more extraordinary occurred.”

Balboa: “I once thought the red dot from a laser pointer was an invading army, so let’s keep an open mind.”

 

 

SEGMENT 2: THE BERKSHIRE INCIDENT

The Sheffield Covered Bridge in Sheffield, Massachusetts, spans a calm river beneath a dramatic sky filled with towering gray clouds. The long wooden bridge, painted a light color with a metal roof, stretches from right to left across the image. Trees frame the scene on both sides, casting deep shadows in the foreground, while the bridge and clouds are reflected in the dark, still water below. The overall mood is quiet and atmospheric, with strong contrasts between sunlight and shadow.

Thom Reed – UFO Monument Park, SHEFFIELD MASS Sheffield Covered Bridge

Banner: “Eight years later, in 1969, residents across Berkshire County, Massachusetts reported unusual lights. Among them was Thom Reed, whose family claimed they experienced a close encounter near Sheffield.”

Balboa: “The only close encounter I’ve ever had in the Berkshires involved a goose with anger issues.”

Banner: “A memorial park now marks the location.”

Balboa: “New England will put a historic marker on anything.”

Banner: “That’s not entirely untrue.”

SEGMENT 3: THE HUDSON VALLEY WAVE

A massive triangular UFO with bright white lights lining its edges hovers silently over a river valley at night. Small houses with glowing windows sit along the shoreline below, while dark hills and misty blue skies form the backdrop. Reflections shimmer on the water beneath the mysterious craft, creating an eerie and dramatic scene above the quiet Hudson Valley landscape.

Banner: “Then came the Hudson Valley sightings. Between 1982 and 1986, thousands of witnesses reported enormous formations of lights moving silently across the night sky.”

Balboa: “Thousands?”

Banner: “Thousands.”

Balboa: “That’s either aliens or the world’s largest neighborhood misunderstanding.”

Banner: “Many witnesses insisted the objects were unlike anything they had ever seen.”

Balboa: “I’ve seen a vacuum cleaner. I still don’t know what that is.”

TRANSITION TO PUMPKIN

Banner: “To learn more, WMEO field reporter Pumpkin Spice is standing by live at a location known for unexplained activity.”

Balboa: “Bravest cat in journalism.”

Banner: “Let’s go live to Pumpkin.”

A WMEO field reporter's black hat with an orange band and autumn leaves rests on a grassy field beneath a star-filled night sky. A WMEO-branded microphone lies nearby while a classic flying saucer hovers overhead, casting a beam of light toward the ground. Text in the corner reads: "live wmeo field report."

BACK TO DESK

Banner: “…Pumpkin?”

Balboa: “That’s not Pumpkin.”

Banner: “No.”

Balboa: “That’s his hat.”

Banner: “Yes.”

Balboa: “Pretty sure reporters are normally attached to their hats.”

Banner: “We appear to have lost contact with our field correspondent.”

Balboa: “Well that’s not suspicious at all.”…Pumpkin!!!!!

 

PUMPKIN SPICE TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT

Banner: “At this time, Pumpkin Spice’s whereabouts remain unknown.”

Balboa: “This was supposed to be a story about UFO folklore.”

Banner: “Yes.”

Balboa: “I did not expect the folklore to start collecting reporters.”

Banner: “WMEO will continue following this developing story.”

Balboa: “And if our reporter returns speaking fluent Martian, you’ll hear it here first.”

Two cats sit behind a WMEO 9 news desk as if hosting a broadcast. The orange cat on the left wears a dark blue bow tie, while the black cat on the right sits beside a small gray mouse toy and a brown teddy bear. A sheet of paper with red markings lies on the desk. The front of the desk displays the text “WMEO 9” in large yellow letters and “Thank you for watching” in white. The blurred newsroom background features blue and red tones.

This has been a WMEO 9 Invetigative report    We Meow-You Listen

 

Wildlife Photography is all about the unexpected

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The Best Shots Are the Ones You Never Plan

I love wildlife photography. It’s completely unscripted. You never know what, if anything, you’ll see when you head out into the field.

Sure, it can be boring. It can be uncomfortable. People often ask why I do it instead of photographing weddings or shooting portraits.

My stock answer is simple: wildlife doesn’t care if it looks fat or has a pimple. It just is.

But really, it’s more than that.

Wildlife photography is about capturing those moments when something completely unexpected happens.

This is one of my favorite photographs. It would never make the cut for a gallery show, and it probably wouldn’t earn a spot framed on my wall. Technically, it’s far from perfect. But despite all its flaws, it’s a fun image, and it captures exactly what I’m trying to say.

This is the day I was photobombed by a Great Blue Heron.

I never even saw it coming.

I was concentrating on the landscape: the lush green vegetation, the reflections on the water, and the peaceful scene in front of me. Then, just as I pressed the shutter, out of nowhere came this enormous bird!

I confess, it startled me so badly that my heart nearly climbed into my throat.

But look at the result.

If that’s not a perfect photobomb, I don’t know what is.

It was completely unplanned, a total surprise, and one of those moments you couldn’t recreate if you tried.

You can’t buy moments like that.

And that’s exactly why I love wildlife photography.