One of my favorite bloggers just went to Alaska. I was behind on my reading so just got a chance to check out her blog. If you want to find out about Alaska you have to check this out! I only made a quick visit just now but will be back after work to read this in detail and enjoy the awesome pictures.
It just looks amazing. If you are interested in Alaska, please take a minute to visit this blog! Tell them Dusty sent you! 🙂
We haven’t done a travel trivia quiz for a while so for a change of pace I thought it might be fun to try one again. Let’s see how you do.
1. If you wanted to order a frozen hot chocolate in the place where it was invented, where would you go?
A) Chicago B) Los Angeles C) New York City D) Miami
2. If you wanted to see the longest river in the United States, which river would you head to?
A) The Colorado B) the Mississippi C) The Missouri D) The Ohio
3. If you wanted to see the smallest state in the nation, where would you go?
A) Hawaii B) Delaware C) New York D) Rhode Island
4. If you want to visit Yellowstone National Park, which state do you go to?
A) Arizona B) Iowa C) Wyoming D) Utah
5. Which four presidents are immortalized on Mount Rushmore?
A) Washington, Lincoln, Adams, Roosevelt B) Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Jefferson C) Washington, Grant, Roosevelt, Jefferson D) Lincoln, Grant, Roosevelt, Madison
6. What is the fastest roller coaster in the United States?
A) Space Mountain, Disneyland, Caifornia B) Superman The Escape, Six Flags Magic Mountain, California C) Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey D) Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point, Ohio
7. In 2005, GQ Magazine listed the best hamburgers in America. Where can you get the best hamburger in the country?
A) Le Tub, Hollywood, Florida B) Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn, NY C) Louis’ Lunch, New Haven, CT D)Rouge, Philadelphia, PA
8. What California town was named after the movie studio?
A) MGM B) Universal C) Paramount D) Columbia
9. In what city will you find Coit Tower?
A) Chicago B) San Francisco C) Los Angeles D) New York
10. If you wanted to stay in the most expensive hotel in America, where would you stay?
The Mansion at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas D) Inn at Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina
11. If you wanted to see Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where would you go?
A) Arizona B) California C) New Mexico D) Nevada
12. If you want to see the capital city of Florida, which city should you visit?
A) Miami B) Daytona C) Tallahassee D) Kissimmee
Answers:
| 1. If you wanted to order a frozen hot chocolate in the place where it was invented, where would you go? |
| Correct Answer: New York City |
| 2. If you wanted to see the longest river in the United States, which river would you head to? |
| Correct Answer: The Mississippi River |
| 3. If you wanted to see the smallest state in the nation, where would you go? |
| Correct Answer: Rhode Island |
| 4. If you want to visit Yellowstone National Park, which state do you go to? |
| Correct Answer: Wyoming |
| 5. Which four presidents are immortalized on Mount Rushmore? |
| Correct Answer: Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Jefferson |
| 6. What is the fastest roller coaster in the United States? |
| Correct Answer: Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey |
| 7. In 2005, GQ Magazine listed the best hamburgers in America. Where can you get the best hamburger in the country? |
| Correct Answer: Le Tub, Hollywood, Florida |
| 8. What California town was named after the movie studio? |
| Correct Answer: Paramount |
| 9. In what city will you find Coit Tower? |
| Correct Answer: San Francisco |
| 10. If you wanted to stay in the most expensive hotel in America, where would you stay? |
| Correct Answer: The Mansion at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas |
| 11. If you wanted to see Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where would you go? |
| Correct Answer: New Mexico |
| 12. If you want to see the capital city of Florida, which city should you visit? |
| Correct Answer: Tallahassee |
 |
| How’d you do? |
The other day I took off to Narragansett. It was a spur of the moment thing. I’ll tell you about the drive and the awesome bridge another time. It was one of the nice warm fall days that makes you think it’s still summer and there was a little surf. Actually there was more surf than we saw at anytime while we were in Hawaii.
There were surfers too and I think that’s what got me thinking about Hawaii…this time. I think about Hawaii a lot. The funny thing is that when I suggested our first trip it was more because my Mom had mentioned going with “us girls” someday. It was sort of “ok, I have this time share and you said you wanted to go to Hawaii so..let’s go.” Planning the trip was fun but if I were really honest with myself, I would admit that as the trip neared I wasn’t excited. I was trying to put on a good front but of the 3 I would bet I was the least enthusiastic.
As is the way things usually work out, I was the one bitten by the islands..BIG TIME! You know the song…I left my heart in San Francisco? Well I left my heart in Hawaii.
I’ve been twice. Once to the Big Island with its barren volcanos and dry desert-like Kona District. And of course there’s Kilauea. Fascinating and amazing, I loved everything about Volcano National Park.
I also loved the wet side of the island. The lush rainforest with ocean views, 400 ft waterfalls, and tropical blooms.
I hated to leave and I couldn’t stay away. I came home only to start planning my return.
My 2nd trip was to Oahu. We stayed in Honolulu 4 blocks from Waikiki. We looked for the famous surf but the seas were flat, flat, flat. Not being a surfer myself I was only disappointed in not seeing the surf. I doubt I would have tried it but I did go snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, something not to be missed even if snorkeling isn’t normally your “thing”. The water is shallow and warm and the sea life plentiful. Best of all you are in the protected harbor of a collapsed volcanic crater!
Of course if you are in Honolulu you have to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial. 
That was worth the whole trip and I was hesitant to go. I knew it would be emotional, that it would touch me deeply, and I was right. Still it was worth the sadness I felt over all those we lost to see the beautiful memorial in a beautiful, peaceful place.
Finally. on the last day of our visit the surf came up..a little. There were a few die-hard surfers trying to catch a wave off Diamond Head. They were so far away they were little more than specks.
So here I was in Narragansett and there were the surfers. Still no gigantic waves but they were waves and they were long lasting enough that the surfers were out for a good time. I guess the waves don’t have to be huge to give you a good ride.
And I guess you don’t have to be in Hawaii to take a mini vacation there! It’s an Aloha State of Mind.
Can’t wait to get to Maui! That’s the next Island on my bucket list.
This is a little bit off my usual theme but I was watching the late news the other night and the weatherman (yes, it was a man) was commenting on the activity in the tropics and then mentioned that it is snowing in northern parts of Canada. He then went on to say that the most recent copy of the Farmer’s Almanac was out with the predictions for another hard winter.
His comments got me thinking of how “Mother Nature” had been in the news a lot this year or maybe I’ve just noticed it more. There are reality programs about tornadoes and tornado chasing (I wonder if I’d have the nerve to go on one of those trips for vacation?) that have become very popular over the past few years. The debate on Global warming continues while volcanos shut down air traffic with their ash clouds.
Presidential hopeful Michelle Bachman even wants us to think that at least some of the recent natural disasters are a message from God. In late August while speaking at a political rally in Florida she said: “I don’t know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We’ve had an earthquake; we’ve had a hurricane…” Yes she was joking but maybe she has a point.
Have you heard of the Gaia hypothesis? I’ve always liked this theory. It appeals the primitive part of me that has a deep respect and affection for nature…not that I’d want to give up all of my modern conveniences…just make them more energy-efficient. But anyway the Gaia hypothesis proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet. ( This is the definition listed on Wikipedia)
The Gaia Theory first showed up in the 1970’s and received a great deal of ridicule by the scientific community. How things have changed. Scientific investigation of the biosphere, the salinity of the oceans, global surface temperature, Ozone, oxygen levels and so on have developed into a number of earth sciences. There are even some religious offshoots connected with the theory.
Some of those treat the earth as a living organism and liken hurricanes and tornadoes and other natural disruptions as the mother earth trying to cleanse itself. Well, far be it from me to offer any opinion on that theory but the Jesus Blog has listed the natural disasters so far this year:
Whew! I’m glad they are tracking these and not me. But If the Gaia theory has any validity, and some mainstream scientists are starting to take note, I’d say we have a sick planet and we’d better start helping out. Break out the antibiotics for the earth or something! My sister and I need to get to Alaska before the glaciers melt!
The news is all good at least for now. Due to Smokey’s age he is starting to develope kidney problems. This is not unusual in older cats but there was no infection or anything like that. For now he is in the early stages and all are going to do is make some adjustments in his diet to try to reduce the stress on the kidneys. 
He will have to have another blood panel in 6 months to monitor any changes so we can stay on top of it. As the condition progresses there are medications that can be introduced but we don’t have to go that route yet.
Rocky was happy to have his buddy home and calm seems to have returned to the household.
You can see Smokey’s picture in the gallery of Yankee Magazine’s cutest cat in New England photo contest. Rocky’s is there too.
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/ecard/index.php?action=See%20Photos&sortby=&category=108
Thanks for all the well wishes and support. Hopefully Smokey has a few more good years ahead of him.