A cat Named Autumn

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As you know from my post yesterday I’m being kept quite busy trying to wrap up the pet calendar. It seems that dog owners are more willing to have their pet photographed than cat owners but I do want to include some cats. To that end I had pictures of my 2 if no one stepped up.

I took  the last dog for the calendar on Halloween. Maddie is a beautiful chocolate color and a sweet, sweet dog.

Maddie

After  Maddie, I headed over to my friend with the cat. This cat is an indoor /outdoor cat and as anyone who is a cat owner can tell you, cats have a mind of their own. Miss Autumn was out “catting around” and wouldn’t come home. Who can blame her? It was beautiful day.

I waited until around 4pm when the light began to fade but still no cat. I agreed to come back the next day and try again. That morning I got a call. The cat was in the house and would not be let out until after the photo shoot. No getting away this time.

I thought my cats were great subjects. When the camera comes out they drop everything and look at it. But Miss Autumn was a real Diva. What a little ham. She even let me use “fill flash” without blinking something I can never get away with when I try taking my cat’s pictures.

Autumn

I’m trilled Autumn is going to be in the calendar. Now comes the really hard part…Picking the pictures to use.

I think I’m going to the dogs

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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

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 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

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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!

Why Japan?

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Headline: JAPAN TO OFFER THOUSANDS OF FREE AIRFARE TO LURE TOURISTS

Oct 10, 2011…REPORTING FROM SEOUL — Seeking to lure tourists to a nation still reeling from the effects of the March earthquake and tsunami, Japan says it will make it easier for foreign travelers to visit: It’ll offer free airline tickets.

Officials next year plan to offer 10,000 travelers free airfares to visit the country, which is still coping with the tsunami-triggered nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant several hundred miles north of Tokyo. Government officials say the nation is safe for travel anywhere but the area near the stricken nuclear power plant.

The Japan Tourism Agency announced this week that it plans to ask would-be travelers to submit online applications for the free flights, detailing the region of the country they would like to visit, according to a story in the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

The agency will select winning entrants, who will be required to write a review of their experiences in Japan to be published on the Internet. Travelers are asked to cover their own hotels and meals.
Officials hope that positive reports from tourists will help lure travelers back to Japan, which endured a 50% drop in tourism for the first three months following the March 11 disaster, compared with numbers from the same period in 2010.

The sharp drop eased this summer but numbers had yet to rise to normal rates, officials said.

The day this hit the news I began to get emails from friends from all over. My co-workers also made sure I heard about it. I admit I’ve never been all that interested in Japan or in visiting the country even though I know a number of people who are fanatics about that area of the world.  But as my friends point out, I am making my humble attempt to write a travel related blog and this would certainly fit the bill for a subject. It’s actually a requirement of being chosen for the tickets. You must write about your experience in a blog.  Obviously there are more  established blogs than mine but many are professional so they might not be interested in free tickets since they are already paid to travel.

I searched for some suggested itinieries and was disappointed in what I could find on-line. They are heavily weighted with shopping, something I am not really interested in. Most of my souvenirs are my photos. I wouldn’t mind visiting a Shaolin Temple and some Japanese Gardens or having a dinner of Kobe beef..said to be the finest in the world. I’ve heard that Mount Fuji is very hard to climb and usually covered in clouds so what are the chances of seeing that?

And that’s where my research stands right now. That’s why I thought I’d toss the idea out for comment. If I should decide to apply I have to include what I want to see and why.

As one of my friends pointed out, an opportuity like this could open doors and lead to more travel opportunities. In that respect it is very appealing. I welcome your comments and suggestions.