Around Taunton

Posted on December 22, 2013December 22, 2013 by Dusty Roads

I’ve been working the day shift the last couple of days. Instead of my usual 12-9 I’ve been moved to 9-6. On Friday it was because the Holiday Party was taking place and even if I’d wanted to skip it, everyone else was going so I wouldn’t have been able to get anything done. It was quite the turnout. On Saturday my other weekend warrior took the day off to get some last minute holiday stuff done so I agreed to cover early. That makes sense from a business stand point so requests that come in overnight get handled quickly.

So I actually got an evening to go check out Christmas lights. There was a lot of traffic so it was hard to stop and really enjoy them. 2 houses in particular stood out. I couldn’t find a place to park for the first one but I’m going to check out the area in daylight to see if I can find a place. The other was near a parking lot. SO here is decorated house # 2 from Taunton, MA.

News of the Week

Posted on December 21, 2013December 21, 2013 by Dusty Roads

While I was out Partying in the best Holiday Tradition, ugly sweater and all, the world kept turning and strange news kept happening. Here’s a few of this week’s headlines. 🙂

Peabody ducks retire to Jack Daniel’s distillery

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. (AP) — A group of ducks retiring from service at Memphis’ Peabody Hotel has moved to Lynchburg.

According to a news release from Jack Daniel’s, Peabody ducks generally retire to the farm where they were raised. But in a Wednesday ceremony, one group walked down red and black carpets following Peabody Duckmaster Anthony Petrina and Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Jeff Arnett to a new home in a pond just below the distillery’s cave spring. There, the ducks will eat the same grain and drink the same iron-free water used to make Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

Legend has it that the 80-year-old tradition of letting ducks swim in the Peabody fountain is linked to Jack Daniel’s, in a roundabout way. Supposedly, the Peabody general manager left his live duck decoys in the hotel fountain after enjoying a little of the whiskey on a hunting trip.

Jack Daniel’s is owned by Louisville, Ky.-based Brown-Forman Corp.

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Dog that survived gassing headed to Rose Parade

Samantha Henry, AP

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Things are coming up roses for a scrappy New Jersey beagle who survived a dog pound gas chamber.

Daniel will be among eight shelter dogs riding on a float in the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif.

The 2-year-old beagle mix was 6 months old on Oct. 3, 2011, when he was scheduled to be put down at the animal control facility in Florence, Ala. He was placed with 17 other dogs in a stainless-steel box roughly the size of a pickup truck bed that was filled with carbon monoxide.

Workers at the facility were surprised when he emerged, scared but unscathed, from the chamber. They named him Daniel after the biblical figure who survived the lion’s den.

He was adopted by Joe Dwyer of Nutley, N.J., and has been living happily with Dwyer’s family and other rescue dogs at their home about 10 miles west of New York City.

Dwyer, a motivational speaker, said Daniel’s story of surviving and thriving has prompted laws in 31 states that protect shelter animals against inhumane forms of euthanasia.

Daniel will perform his “high five to keep pets alive” trick and perform with other animal shelter survivors on a parade float sponsored by the Lucy Pet Foundation, which runs mobile spay, neuter and adoption clinics across the country. Daniel has been chosen as the “spokesdog” for the California-based organization, Dwyer added.

“He’s definitely one of the most joyous, happy dogs I’ve ever met in my life,” Dwyer said. “I think his positive attitude is why he’s survived.”

The Rose Parade takes place on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif.

And Last but not least, this Florida man must have had a real bad thirst!

“Florida man cited for trying to trade four-foot alligator for 12-pack of beer”

I don’t think that needs any explanation. 🙂

Have an outstanding day everyone!

I Made It!

Posted on December 20, 2013December 20, 2013 by Dusty Roads

I’m not a butcher, a baker or even a pie maker but I did make this! It came out so good. A little labor intensive but look at the result! And it tastes as good as it looks , very light and fluffy.

Rainbow Christmas Wreath

The professional

My Version

Not bad for a first try if I do say so myself…and it’s really light and fluffy.

I used the egg white version. I saved the egg yolks and made French Toast. 🙂

http://bit.ly/1k57VGm

Spoiled Rotten Kitties Live Here

Posted on December 19, 2013December 19, 2013 by Dusty Roads

You think children are bad at Christmas? They are in the stores and they want, want want. They get excited and over tired and pout. I don’t care what the song says about not pouting or crying it happens. They are just overstimulated.

Well my 3 cats would put any child to shame. Hard to believe it when they look so innocent.

You heard about Rocky’s attack on the Christmas tree

and Buddy’s destruction of my winter wonderland but wait till I tell you the rest of the story.

I have been thinking about getting one of those toys they advertise on the late night infomercials called Cat’s Meow.

Its supposed to entertain all cats. I was hesitating because they already have a similar toy and they have no interest in it. But I was wandering through the “As Seen on TV” section at CVS and low and behold…there was the Cat’s Meow and they were 2 for $19.00. Same price as TV but no shipping this way. So in a moment of weakness I bought them.

Cat’s can’t read so I brought them in the house and set them on the table. I figured I’d open them up on Christmas. What I want to know is how do those 3 cats know that it was something for them in the boxes? They zeroed in on them immediately. It didn’t take long before the plop, plop of the boxes landing on the floor came to my ears. Sure enough, the boxes weren’t just on the floor, one was being pushed around while the other one had a cat perched on top of it. (I didn’t give in. They still have to wait.)

Rocky has had a heat lamp for about a year now. He is the only one of the 3 cats that ever paid much attention to it. He lounges the day away basking like a sun lover at the beach. There’s a story behind the heat lamp but I won’t bore you with it now. Suffice it to say that I got the result I was looking for so it was a good investment.

The problem now is that Smokey has started trying it out. The first time, about a month ago , was only for a couple of minutes and then he moved on. But about a week later he was under it again and Rocky wasn’t happy about it. Now as soon as Rocky gets down, whether to get a drink of water, or something to eat or use the litter box, Smokey is right there to take over and he isn’t giving it up when Rocky comes back. This is causing Rocky to become very distressed but he shares his annoyance with me instead of Smokey. Rocky follows me around meowing and getting underfoot until Smokey gets down and relinquishes the sunlamp lit perch. Tonight the only way Smokey got down was for a handful of kitty treats.

Does this mean I need to get another sunlamp now for Smokey? And what a coincidence that he’s doing this right before Christmas. (I want, I want, I want)

Who says cats aren’t smart?!