Category Archives: Quick Hits

Look! 100,000 views

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“Deborah sits between her two cats, Banner (orange tabby) and Balboa (black cat), with a softly glowing, ethereal image of her retired editor‑in‑chief cat Rocky in the upper right corner.”

The Dustyroads Team — Banner, Deb (aka Dusty), Balboa, and Editor‑in‑Chief Cat Rocky (retired)

Hello my friends, loyal readers, and family.

Today is a very special day at Arounddustyroads. It feels like I’ve been writing forever, but this morning we crossed a huge milestone: 100,000 all‑time views. My little blog — this one‑woman column from Taunton that started with a camera, a keyboard, and a stubborn posting schedule — finally hit six figures. And we couldn’t have done it without you.

Along the way I had a finicky editor‑in‑chief cat who kept nudging me forward even when the going got tough. Rocky may be retired now, but his legacy lives on. Banner and Balboa have big whiskers to fill.

Here’s to the next 100,000 views. 

 

Breaking News from the Feline Desk – Daylight Saving Time Moves Ahead

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Banner and Balboa perched in front of the TV, one orange and fluffy, one black and sleek, looking like feline news anchors.

DST Déjà Vu

Well… here we go again. The House has once more nudged a bill forward to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. It’s not a done deal — it would still need to pass the full House and Senate — but the committee pushed it to the next step. We’ve been down this road before, so consider this another lap around the track.

Critics say keeping time saving daylight as a permanent fixture would mean darker mornings, groggy commutes, and kids waiting for buses in the shadows. Proponents counter that lighter evenings mean fewer accidents and a little more sunshine in our day.

Banner and Balboa have weighed in, of course. They love springing forward — earlier breakfast is a win in their book. But as for the concept of Daylight and Saving Time, “falling back”? Absolute chaos. Too many delays. Too much waiting. Feline outrage everywhere.

So what do you think? Would you want to keep Saving Time Daylight all year: good idea, bad idea, or “haven’t we talked about this every few years since the dawn of time”?

And finally, as Daylight Saving changes come up yet again, inquiring minds want to know your opinion.

The Day Roswell Landed on the Map

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“A glowing disc‑shaped UFO hovering in a dark, misty night sky, shining bright green beams of light onto the ground below.”

Seventy‑nine years ago today, on July 8, 1947, the Roswell Army Air Field casually announced they’d recovered a “flying disc.” Just tossed it into the news like someone found a lost hubcap in the desert.

By the next day, the Army said, “No no, wait — it was a weather balloon.” And that was the moment America collectively raised an eyebrow and said, “Sure it was.”

That tiny headline didn’t just make the local paper — it put Roswell, New Mexico on the map. Before the “crash,” it was a quiet desert town. After the “crash,” it became the Alien Capital of the World, complete with:

  • UFO museums
  • alien‑themed diners
  • green‑skinned mascots
  • and an annual festival that looks like Comic‑Con met Area 51

All because someone typed “flying disc” before their morning coffee.

The whole modern UFO craze — the sightings, the documentaries, the late‑night radio callers, the government cover‑up theories — traces back to that one moment in 1947.

And decades later, The X‑Files summed up the entire Roswell vibe with its iconic slogan:

“I want to believe.”

Roswell still does. Do you?

 

Some days The Dragon Wins

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A green dragon lounging against a tree in a grassy field, casually using a knight’s lance like a toothpick. Pieces of defeated knight armor are scattered around, with a castle visible in the distance. The dragon looks relaxed and victorious, as if enjoying a quiet moment after winning a battle.

Some Days the Dragon Wins

Retirement is great… until it’s not. Anyone on a fixed income will tell you that making ends meet at the end of each month is the biggest challenge. Us old folks have medical bills you whipper snappers can’t even imagine, plus the aches and pains that remind us we’re still alive. On top of that, we have to watch every penny. Creative accounting becomes a skill set. I’m pretty good at it — but today wasn’t one of those days. Some days the dragon wins.

Everything Hits at Once

Today is grocery shopping day. I like to stock up when things are on sale so I have a freezer full of options on the lean weeks. Today’s list was pretty basic. While I was checking the old cash flow, an alert flew across my phone: Forever stamps are going up to 82¢. What!? Wow. That’s a lot. Almost a dollar just to pay a bill. And of course the only bills I still mail are the medical ones — the ones that make paying online feel like earning a college degree.

And then the rest of the week decided to join the party. Chewy hits on July 10 for $89, and Kitty Poo Club is shipping the same day for another $91. Pet essentials — no negotiating. You can’t delay food, and you certainly can’t run out of litter. That would be the feline version of me running out of toilet paper. Absolutely not happening.

Meanwhile, the Postal Service is raising Forever stamps on July 12. Naturally. Add it to the pile.

Good thing I still have a stash of Christmas Forever stamps from back when they were around 45¢. My tiny inflation win for the week.

Well… it is what it is. At least I stocked up on toilet paper last week.

 

 

America 250: Quick‑Hit History Quiz

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: An American flag waves in the wind against a warm golden sunset, its red and white stripes glowing in the light and the blue field of stars clearly visible.

Happy 250th Anniversary America!

How well do you know your American History? Here’s a Quick Quiz, just for fun. I promise your history teacher won’t see the results.

Answer Key is at the bottom. Good luck!

America 250: Quick‑Hit History Quiz

1. In what city was the Declaration of Independence signed?

A) Boston

B) Philadelphia

C) New York

D) Richmond

2. Who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence?

A) John Adams

B) Benjamin Franklin

C) Thomas Jefferson

D) James Madison

3. Which battle is often called the “turning point” of the American Revolution?

A) Bunker Hill

B) Saratoga

C) Yorktown

D) Trenton

4. What year did the American Revolution officially end?

A) 1776

B) 1781

C) 1783

D) 1787

5. Which founding document established the first national government before the Constitution?

A) Bill of Rights

B) Articles of Confederation

C) Federalist Papers

D) Northwest Ordinance

6. Who commanded the Continental Army?

A) Benedict Arnold

B) George Washington

C) Horatio Gates

D) Nathanael Greene

7. Which foreign nation provided the most crucial military support to the American colonies?

A) Spain

B) France

C) Netherlands

D) Portugal

8. What was the last major battle of the American Revolution?

A) Lexington

B) Concord

C) Yorktown

D) King’s Mountain

9. Which famous pamphlet helped convince colonists to support independence?

A) The Federalist No. 10

B) Common Sense

C) Poor Richard’s Almanack

D) The Liberty Song

10. On July 4, 1776, how many colonies voted to declare independence?

A) 12

B) 13

C) 11

D) 10

✅ Answer Key

  1. B — Philadelphia
  2. C — Thomas Jefferson
  3. B — Saratoga
  4. C — 1783
  5. B — Articles of Confederation
  6. B — George Washington
  7. B — France
  8. C — Yorktown
  9. B — Common Sense
  10. A — 12 (New York abstained)

So How did you do? Are you the teacher’s Pet? Happy 4th of July