I think I’m going to the dogs

Posted on November 1, 2011November 1, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Last spring I was musing that I needed a photo project for the year (like a picture a day wasn’t enough of a project).

Chase

I said maybe I should make a calendar…maybe a pet calender. Little did I know what was going to be involved. It’s a good thing my friend Mya is right there to keep me motivated.

Marvin

I bring this up now because it’s crunch time. I’m still taking pictures of pets for the calendar and it’s November 1st! I still have to organize and edit the final pictures and get them to the processor.

Sophie

Then when I have the first copy I need to take the orders.

Daisey and Jane

It doesn’t sound like much but it seems to have bogged down a bit. I would prefer the pet owners pick their favorite pictures but only one person has been able to decide.

Tasha

In any event, it has been an adventure but I’m glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m not sure how much time the final stages will take but it’s possible that it could impact this space if I run short on time. Just a little “heads up”.

Tyler

If you want to check out some of the pet portraits they are on my photo website www.dustyroadsphotos.com

Rocky

Still more pets to come and many, many more shots!

Ode to Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2011October 31, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Halloween’s a special time. It’s the time when the veil between our world and the afterlife is thinnest according to Celtic tradition. We dress in costume to fool the ghosts and ghouls who walk the earth for one night each year. So don your cloaks, get out your wands and keep you black cats close.

LITANY FOR HALLOWEEN

From ghoulies and ghosties,
Long-leggety beasties,
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us.

-Anonymous

THE GHOST OF A FLOWER

“You’re what?” asked the common or garden spook
Of a stranger at midnight’s hour.
And the shade replied with a graceful glide,
“Why, I’m the ghost of a flower.”

“The ghost of a flower?” said old-time spook;

“that’s a brand-new one on me;

I never supposed a flower had a ghost,

Though I’ve seen the shade of a tree.”

-Anonymous

Scout’s Tips ~ Jet Lag

Posted on October 29, 2011October 29, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Scout

I’m Back! I had to share an article I ran across in. of all places, Reader’s Digest.

The title is: How to Avoid Jet Lag

If you have ever suffered from this very real side effect of traveling across time zones then you will appreciate the tips in this article.. I guess there are pills to help but I don’t know what they are. Maybe caffeine or No Dose? But I’m sure you’ll still be wandering around in a fog if you depend on stimulants to get you through the adjustment.

So here’s what the pros recommend.

1. EAT

That doesn’t mean use the trip as an excuse to pig out but eat starches like pasta or rice the night before you fly across more than 2 time zones. Carbs help your body adjust more quickly to sudden jolts to circadian rhythms.

2. DRINK

The cabin air that circulates during the flight is bone-dry. This can lead to dehydration, a big contributor to jet lag. Avoid caffeine and avoid those alcoholic beverages. 30,000 ft is not the time to party if you want to avoid jet lag. Drink lots of the good old H2O before, during and after the flight.

3. Sleep

Ahhh, sleep, something Dusty knows how to do on airplanes. If you fly often you would do well to develop this habit too. If you’re flying at night, use earplugs and an eyeshade, turn down the lights, cover up and adjust the a/c valve to a cool setting. Your body will recognize these signals that it’s nighttime.

4. Switch your watch

Switch it to local time before you get off the plane. Dusty doesn’t wear a watch. She just uses her cell phone so when she deplanes and turns on her phone, Voila, local time.

5. Resist the Urge to Nap

I know, I just told you to sleep but now that you are at your destination you want to get your body on local time ASAP. So on arrival don’t decide to take a nap. If you’re landing in the morning, take a shower and have a high protein breakfast…eggs are a great choice, the protein will keep you going through the day. Then head out for some sight-seeing right away. Later in the day get some excercise, jog or swim. This will help you wind down so that you fall asleep naturally.

6. Stay Up

Yup, this first night stay up as late as you can. Aim for your normal bedtime by the local clock. Indulge the next morning and sleep as late as possible. By that night your body should have transitioned into the new time zone and your new routine.

And that’s it. Sounds pretty simple. Dusty often flys several time zones but she could only think of one time when she really got knocked out and had a tough time with jet lag. That was after one of the Hawaii trips. It was the return trip and she went right back to work the next day. Usually she ends her vacations with a couple of days to get back into the home routine before going back to work.

I don’t think she even thought of it as jet lag. She attributed the lethargic feeling she had for three or four days and being so relaxed from her vacation. But we think it was really jet lag…just don’t tell Dusty. We don’t want to disillusion her. 🙂

Have any of you had any experience with jet lag? How do you prevent it or overcome it? Have you tried any of the recommendations we suggested? Did they work for you? We’d love to hear your experiences with jet lag.

Well that about wraps it up for this post. I’ve got some other things in the works so hopefully it won’t be too long before I’m back with more Scout’s tips. In the meantime…Happy Traveling!

OOPS~ We’re Sorry

Posted on October 26, 2011October 26, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Editor in Chief

Good Morning,

It’s me Rocky, your Editor-In-Chief

I guess I was taking a cat nap and didn’t notice that Dusty was getting really backed up. I should have told you we might miss a post here or there. Our star reporter has been working a lot of OT again which has cut into the time she has to file reports for us.

Plus she’s trying to put the 2012 pet calendar to rest but there has been a flurry of activity from folks who want to have their pets included.

We heard the “S” word in the weather cast last night so I got locked in the bedroom while Dusty brought in all the plants. (I try to escape out the open door so have to be confined). I don’t think we’ll get much snow, if any, but it was time to bring them in because even without snow, a frost has to be in the near future. It’s almost November!

Anyway, now all the plants need to be trimmed and pruned and fed and whatever she does so until that’s done the plants are all over the living room. Fun for Smokey and me as we play in the jungle but it drives Dusty crazy to have the mess.

I’m not making excuses for her lapse in posting but I do want everyone to know that she is fine and I’m sure we’ll get back to a regular schedule very soon.

I know she has several topics on the drawing board plus a winner to one of the photo contests has been announced and she wants to share that. Scout is working on a follow-up on the “Bumping issues” with airlines and some comments on the recent fare hikes. He’s researching a question on car rentals for another reader and is almost done with another article on jet lag…so you can see we have a lot coming up.

One last thing..have any of you been to Japan? We’ll tell you why we’re asking in another post. 🙂

Until then Happy Traveling.

Are you Hungry, Milady?

Posted on October 17, 2011October 17, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Back to King Richard’s Faire after our little diversion to Bridgewater.

In actuality the Faire would not have let me take a little side jaunt like that. Unlike a lot of other attractions there is no readmission. You can’t get your hand stamped, leave and come back. I suspect they do that so you can’t leave to find lunch someplace else. As many times as I have been to King Richard’s I have never found much to eat that I enjoy or that’s actually good for you. Now the fudge, fried dough and ice cream are all great but not exactly what you’d like to have for lunch. I’ve tried the “shepherds pie” and the turkey legs in years past. Neither were to my taste. The sausages on a bun aren’t my cup of tea either. I didn’t try the fish and chips but looking at other’s plates, they didn’t look too appealing. Don’t I sound awful fussy.

I finally settled on a slice of pizza and a bottle of water. It didn’t taste too bad but it was expensive. The way it works is that first you stand in line at a kiosk to buy meal tickets.

They are sold in batches of $5.00. Each ticket is worth 50 cents so you get 10 tickets for your $5.00. Then you stand in line at the food vendor’s window to order your food. I swear it’s a psychological ploy but anyway, my slice of Pizza was 14 tickets. That’s $7.00! The bottle of water was 6 tickets which is another $3.00. But since you aren’t using money it’s easy not to think about how much you’re spending. You have this pocketful of tickets and just hand them over. That’s really my only complaint. I’d prefer to be able to leave for lunch, go someplace to eat what I want to eat and then return…or better still, let you bring in a picnic lunch. But that would be undermining the food vendors.

Next to the food vendors is an area with picnic tables surrounded by rides for the kids and a stage for entertainment. Along with the “kiddie” rides there are midway kinds of shows and games. Instead of throwing ring over a bottle you throw an ax or a knife. That sort of thing.