Category Archives: Quick Hits

From Wine and Cheese to Cowboys

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A charcuterie board arranged with assorted cheeses, sliced cured meats, green grapes, blueberries, pomegranate halves, crackers, green olives in a small bowl, and a creamy white dip. Behind the board are four bottles of red wine, creating an elegant wine‑and‑cheese presentation.

Today’s a great day. Everything from Wine and Cheese to Cowboys

Today is a very special day. If you like food, ice cream, and the Wild West… July 25 gives us a triple‑header: National Wine and Cheese Day, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, and National Day of the Cowboy. How good is that!

Here are a few ideas to make the most of it:

  1. Host a wine and cheese party. Brie from the Brie region pairs beautifully with Beaujolais — a red wine that complements the creamy texture of the cheese like they were born to be together.
  2. Finish your party with a hot fudge sundae station. Set out vanilla bean ice cream, homemade or artisanal hot fudge, whipped cream, crushed waffle cones, toasted peanuts or pecans, and plenty of cherries. (If you’re going to celebrate, celebrate properly.)
  3. Fun Fact: According to the first sundae story, customer George Hallauer ordered an ice cream soda on a Sunday. Ordinances at the time prohibited selling ice cream sodas on the Sabbath. So 18‑year‑old Ed Berners improvised: ice cream in a dish, chocolate syrup on top, no soda. He named it a “Sundae” in honor of the day. And just like that, dessert history was made.

Finally, wrap up your day by celebrating the Cowboy — that hardworking symbol of the American West. The world would be a better place if we all followed the Cowboy Code.

The Cowboy Code

Your Word is Your Bond A handshake and a promise carry more weight than any written contract.

Live Each Day with Courage Face hardships head‑on and never quit.

Take Pride in Your Work Whatever you do, do it well and finish what you start.

Protect the Vulnerable and Weak Be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.

Never Take Unfair Advantage of Someone A cowboy never strikes a smaller man or shoots first.

Respect Others Never touch another person’s horse or tack without permission.

These are a few of my favorite things. So glad to have a day to celecrate them all. 

 

A Like From the Top of the World

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Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas, showing a remote valley village, rugged mountain terrain, snow‑capped peaks, and the iconic Everest region landscape.

⭐ My Blog Just Climbed a Mountain

I just have to share this. Sometimes something small can feel really big. Yesterday I got a like from Nepal, and it made my whole day.

If you’ve been reading AroundDustyRoads for very long, you’ve probably seen me joke that I’m “international now.” It’s fun, and I love checking my stats and seeing views from other countries. But yesterday was special. It wasn’t just stats. It was a like.

I got a like from Nepal!

It’s real! Not just an algorithm or a bot. A real person in Nepal!

That is so awesome. Someone from the top of the world took time to like one of my little posts. In case you’re curious, it was Monday’s post: America the Beautiful – Unique and Wonderful.

I checked out that like. It came from Adventure Trail Nepal, a guide company based in the Himalayas. How cool is that! They’ll guide you to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna, or even help you visit Bhutan — where you can meet the happiest people on earth. (No, it’s not Disney World.)

So wave to my new friends in Nepal. Adventure Trail Nepal, you made my day.

July 23 is World Whale and Dolphin Day

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Whale‑watching tour boat with humpback whales surfacing beside the vessel as passengers watch and photograph the marine wildlife.

 Good Morning

 

Fresh from the Feline Desk at WMEO (We Meow, You Listen) Correspondents Banner and Balboa are here with an update on World Whale and Dolphin Day.

 

Banner:

July 23 is World Whale and Dolphin Day. Concerned that commercial fishing had reached such a level that several species of marine mammals were at real risk of extinction, international conservation groups pushed for quotas and a total ban on commercial whaling on July 23, 1982. In 1986, July 23rd was officially designated World Whale and Dolphin Day.

Balboa:

dolphins. Whales play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ocean and even help combat climate change by supporting natural carbon removal. There are other observances too, like World Whale Day on February 19.

Banner:

Whales and dolphins have become beloved worldwide thanks to their intelligence and unique behaviors. Orcas can live 30–60 years in the wild, while dolphins—among the smartest animals on Earth—have demonstrated remarkable communication abilities and even therapeutic benefits for humans. Learning more about these incredible creatures helps us protect them.

Balboa:

Whale and dolphin watching has grown into a major ecotourism industry, bringing visitors and revenue to coastal communitiesBreaching Whale while promoting conservation. A good trip offers education, excitement, and the unforgettable experience of seeing these magnificent animals in the wild. Humpbacks feed off Alaska all summer, gray whales cruise past California bluffs in winter, and the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale still passes close enough to Cape Cod to spot from a boat.

Banner:

Celebrate Whale and Dolphin Day with a whale watch adventure. You’ll almost certainly see whales—and maybe some energetic white‑sided dolphins racing alongside the boat. Humpbacks may breach, feed, and sometimes even bring their calves over for a curious hello.

Balboa:

In Massachusetts, you can enjoy a day on the water with:

Cape Ann Whale Watch

7 Seas Whale Watch

Newburyport Whale Watching

Dolphin Fleet, Provincetown

City Cruises Whale Watching

Captain John Boats (Plymouth & Provincetown)

Celebrate Whale and Dolphom Day with a Summer Day on the Open Ocean.

End of bulletin. Please resume your regularly scheduled scrolling.

 

A National Parks Sweepstakes Alert

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Breaking News from the Feline Desk 

Live from WMEO- We Meow, you listen

Balboa reporting live from the newsroom (the sunny patch on the floor): Attention, human readers. Mom has discovered a very important annual sweepstakes from the National Park Foundation. The prize includes airfare, a customizable National Park vacation, and $10,000 in travel funds. That’s… a lot of treats.

 

 

Banner adds: You can pick any park you haven’t visited yet — Yosemite, Channel Islands, Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef… basically all the places Mom talks about while we pretend to listen.

Adventure Awaits Sweepstakes promotional graphic featuring scenic national park landscapes and text announcing 500,000 American Airlines miles plus $10,000 cash prize.”

National Park Sweepstake

Balboa again: Entry requires a donation unless you send a postcard. Mom says this month’s budget is already spoken for, so she’s bookmarking it for next year. Very responsible human behavior.

Banner’s closing statement: We fully support Mom entering next year. More parks = more photos = more chances for us to photobomb her blog. Also, we would like to ride in the red convertible she keeps mentioning. We promise not to shed. Much.

If you enter this year, we wish you luck. We would love to hear that one of our readers won the trip.

End of bulletin. Please resume your regularly scheduled scrolling.

 

It’s National Ice Cream Day- Who Wants to Party?!

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Children walking outdoors in cool weather, happily eating ice‑cream cones, with buildings blurred in the background.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Do you know what day it is? It’s National Ice Cream Day! A totally legitimate excuse to pig out on your favorite frozen treat — cones, sundaes, cups, bars, whatever makes your inner child happy.

A Little Nostalgia

Let’s get nostalgic for a minute. Do neighborhoods still have ice cream trucks? They used to cruise the streets with jolly jingles and ringing bells, and we all came running. We had to get our ice‑cream bar or our little “hoodsie” cup.

Anyone remember the old ice‑cream counters, or am I really dating myself? They were usually tucked inside the local drugstore or a Woolworth’s. You climbed up on a stool and ordered a shake or a cone, and life was good.

Right now I’m craving some Caramel Cup ice cream… and of course my freezer is empty.

Freebies for National Ice Cream Day

A bunch of ice‑cream companies are celebrating with deals and giveaways:

  • Dairy Queen: Rewards members get a free Dilly Bar with any order of $1 or more using the DQ App.
  • Baskin-Robbins: Rewards members get $5 off an order of $20 or more, plus a buy‑one‑get‑one free single scoop next week.
  • Friendly’s: Every guest gets a free cone or dish — no purchase necessary.
  • Dippin’ Dots: Participating locations are giving away free mini cups during a designated two‑hour window.
  • Häagen-Dazs: Rewards members can get a Buy One, Get One Free sundae at participating shops.
  • Insomnia Cookies: Get a free two‑scoop ice‑cream cup with any $5 purchase.

And while Boston isn’t hosting an official Ice Cream Day celebration, plenty of shops are scooping happiness today.

So… What Are You Doing for National Ice Cream Day?

I think I’m going to go buy a quart of my favorite flavors. Maybe two. It is a holiday, after all.