TravelsandEscapes

Up in the tree…it’s a plane…it’s a ?? Any guesses?

Here are some more travel resolutions you could aim for in 2010.

Relax… Maybe you are one of those vacationers who is up at the crack of dawn for a full day of activities. All well and good if you need to get somewhere early. But how about taking one day to sleep in, people watch, have a glass of wine at lunch or get a massage?

Take better photos… Learn to master some of the settings and functions on your camera this year and you will come back with photos that do justice to your travel memories.

Sample a new delicacy… Even if it’s close to home, try something that you have never eaten before. Seek out the local street food cart with the longest line or ask the waiter for the house specialty.

Strike up a conversation… Make an extra effort to talk to your taxi driver, your waiter or the hotel staff. Ask about their favorites in the city or country you are visiting. You might find more interesting information and things to see than you would get from your guide book.

How many of us make New Year’s Resolutions…and then totally forget about them? Or maybe you think you’ll make some this year…and all of a sudden it’s February.

Well here’s a few you may be able to make…and keep this year. After all they relate to travel. So how hard should this be?

Get a passport. If you don’t have one, now would be a great time to apply for one. Canada, Mexico and much of the Caribbean now require a passport. If you have one, check to see if yours is close to expiring. Some countries won’t let you travel to them or back to the US if it expires within six months of your travel date.

Learn 10 phrases. A few simple phrases can make your life easier and earn you a smile. Grab a pocket sized phrase book and practice a few like “thank you”, “please”,or “excuse me”.

Upgrade your travel gear. Get a new piece of luggage and learn to pack it lightly. Look for some of the new light weight ones and maybe try a color other than black.

More tomorrow…bet you can’t wait.

This lovely dinosaur had to go to Denver on a plane…Southwest flight attendant made a big deal of having a “roboraptor dinosaur” on his plane. Quite the thrill for all the passengers.

Lights around the pool.

Christmas Day by Vacaville.

Just found these fun superstition facts on Budget Travel…

Japan: traditional funeral rites dictate that bodies be laid out with the head to the north. Hotels often position beds to point east, south or west so the afterworld doesn’t get the wrong idea.

UK: it’s lucky to cross paths with a black cat. Steer clear of crows or ravens, though.

East Asia: the number 4 is avoided in hotel floors and office buildings as it sounds like the word for “death” in Japanese and Mandarin.

Italy: the number 17 is unlucky here. As a courtesy to passengers from Italy and countries where the number 13 is unlucky, Lufthansa Airlines has removed rows 13 and 17 from its planes.

Ireland: a four leaf clover brings luck…but you must carry it about on you and never give it away or your luck will run away.

It was a little steamy in the hot tub for Philip.

Glorious colors at Solano Lake County Park.

Guarding the hallway…you just never know when those cats will come out.

Reflections at Lake Solano.

Red berries…green leaves on a Laurel Tree.

Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year’s Eve. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don’t expect it to be blue as the name has nothing to do with the color.

The New Year’s Eve blue moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. The Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse on New Year’s Eve when part of the moon enters the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will not be visible in the Americas.

A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year’s countdown.

A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month, a blue moon, occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year’s Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won’t come again until 2028.

Blue moons have no astronomical significance, said Greg Laughlin, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “‘Blue moon’ is just a name in the same sense as a ‘hunter’s moon’ or a ‘harvest moon,”‘ Laughlin said in an email.

Myron was doing some guest posts for me this Christmas. He missed a few days due to his house guest., Miso. She tolerated the bow but not the bells (photo coming later).

I’m not sure who was more animated…Myron with his white paws swatting out from under the bed at her nose (he has no front claws) or Miso as she tried and tried to fit something more than her nose under the bed.

Hourly the noises escalated depending upon who had the upper hand…or paw. Growling that would rival most mountain lions emanated from under the bed. Husky talk and soft barks were accompanied by fierce tail wagging.

Quite the sites and sounds. But no fur flew.

But, she almost convinced Mable to be her friend. And then she just couldn’t keep her excitement to herself. She barked. Mable did what any self respecting cat would do…she puffed up, hissed in Miso’s face and hid in the corner. Miso didn’t know what to make of that. She escaped to another room.

Last night a large dog that looks like a wolf came to visit us for Christmas. We immediately hid under the bed hissing and growling. Because she can’t get under it we are safe from her sniffing.

Good news…she’s afraid of our hissing. She even yelped when we became louder.

Bad news…she ate our food. Now that’s low. I guess we’ll have to hiss more at her.

She’s really nice, for a dog. But she is a dog, after all. She just doesn’t understand the rules around here. And that is…cats rule. We’ll have to find a way to teach her that rule.

Tune in later for an update.

Consider this an early Christmas greeting. Since we will be celebrating with family and friends I thought I’d take a couple of days off.

See you next week.