Standing Into Danger: Thursday Art and Dinner Date

Showing posts with label Thursday Art and Dinner Date. Show all posts

Friday, September 29, 2023

Lucky Louise!

It's been an intense time for me recently,

but as of today, everything has worked out!

In early May Terry discovered a repositioning cruise from Honolulu to Sydney,

and he asked me what I thought about going on it.

Duh! It's been my dream to see French Polynesia, New Zealand, and Australia,

but I never hoped that Terry would consider an eighteen-night cruise across the Pacific.

You can be together for forty years, and your spouse can still shock you!!!

Mount Tohiea

Mo'orea, French Polynesia

Wikimedia

Terry warned me that we wouldn't be able to see all the places I wanted to visit on this trip.

Royal Caribbean was moving the ship from the summer season in Alaska

to the summer season in the South Pacific,

and the Ovation of the Seas was only calling at a few ports.

But we would be able to see some of the places I longed to visit.

Something or nothing? Nothing hard about that choice!

Something is always better than nothing!!!

But he wouldn't book it.

He had a deal in his sights, and I couldn't budge him.

I was beside myself, while he calmly waited and waited,

until the price dropped to its lowest in late July, and he jumped on it.

On the final possible date in August, Terry paid the balance and said to me,

"There's no turning back now, because the money is unrefundable."

Whew! I could finally dare to believe that we were going!

Ovation of the Seas at Sydney, Australia

Wikimedia

My dreams of seeing the Southern Cross and the Magellanic Clouds,

crossing the equator, viewing the volcanic mountains of Mo'orea,

and standing on New Zealand and Australia were about to come true.

The Southern Cross

Wikimedia

This wide-field image shows the Milky Way stretching across the southern sky. The beautiful Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) is seen at the right of the image glowing in red. It is within this spiral arm of our Milky Way that the bright star cluster NGC 3603 resides. At the centre of the image is the constellation of Crux (The Southern Cross). The bright yellow/white star at the left of the image is Alpha Centauri, in fact a system of three stars, at a distance of about 4.4 light-years from Earth. The star Alpha Centauri C, Proxima Centauri, is the closest star to the Solar System.

The Route: Honolulu to French Polynesia, to New Zealand, to Australia

Clean Cruising

Our plans proceeded smoothly until the end of the first week in September.

When we tried to take a photo of me on my iPhone for my Australian visa,

the Australian government rejected it.

We tried to retake my photo dozens of times over the next several days,

but it was always rejected.

It had worked for my New Zealand visa. Why wouldn't it work for the Australian?

I thought it was my wonky eyes, because it's difficult for me to look at a camera.

Terry thought it was my awful passport photo which had been giving me difficulties

with TSA officials at airports and customs officers at borders.

Regardless, the computer program refused to match my face with my passport photo.

I referred to my photo as MushFace.
I have no idea how my passport came back with this barely recognizable photo when it was issued.

Finally, in desperation, we decided I should try to apply for an emergency passport.

A wonderful government worker at the National Passport Agency

told me to call the Colorado Passport Agency early on September 19th

and to make sure the person understood I needed a visa as well as a new passport.

Otherwise, I'd have to wait to October 2nd to call.

The days leading up to the 19th crawled by.

I was lucky that the office was in Aurora.

The next nearest offices are in Phoenix and Chicago.

I landed an appointment last Friday and scrambled to get photos and documents together.

I was in at 10:00 am and out within an hour.

The officer took one look at MushFace and approved me for a new passport.

Overheard from an applicant explaining his lost passport:

"My dog ate it. He usually goes for my socks."

Believed no teacher ever, but it worked for the passport officer.

I picked up my new passport on Monday at 2:00 pm!

I'm recognizable, and you can't believe the security improvements

that have been made since my old passport was issued over five years ago!

We raced home, filled out the Australian visa application, and took my photo again.

It went through.

I dropped my head on the kitchen counter in relief, and then Ding!

My phone alerted me to a text message: Planned System Maintenance.

"You're cursed!" Terry said. "You have a black cloud hovering over you and following you around everywhere you go!"

It was only 7:00 a.m. in Australia, so we had to wait an anxious hour until we could call to find out what to do

because I had submitted my application during the blackout.

An hour and five minutes later, Ding!

My phone alerted me to a text message again.

My Australian visa application had been approved.

It had gone through anyway.

I was drenched with relief!

New Zealand had already granted me a visa,

but now I had to update it with my new passport.

Five minutes after submitting my update, my phone dinged again.

New Zealand had received my visa update

and would let me know if it was approved before we traveled.

Give me a break!

No time to sit around and worry though. It was Monday night.

We had an 8:10 am flight to Vegas on Tuesday morning, just overnight,

so we could earn a free pass for me from Denver to Honolulu and back early next year.

Terry wasn't going to pass up a deal like this!

Hurry Up Train! Heading to the Airport!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

September 26, 2023

We made our flight, had a delicious Thai dinner at 8 East, gambled a little,

and I watched a great cover band, Alter Ego, until it finished its third set at 1:00 am.

Terry had gone to bed.

He can barely tolerate standing with me at the barrier in front of the stage for one song,

let alone three hourlong sets.

Terry Drops Me Off Near the Stage

Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

September 26, 2023

Thai Beef Jerky, a Scrumptious Appetizer

8 East, CIRCA, Downtown Las Vegas

September 26, 2023

When it was over I decompressed at American Coney Island at the D

with a classic hot dog smothered in chili, relish, mustard, and onions.

I was wired after Alter Ego's last set which featured heavy metal.

I could still feel the beat of the amplifiers thumping on my chest

and Metallica's "Enter Sandman" ringing in my ears.

Back in the room I found Terry wide awake under the covers.

"You don't need to worry about me!" I told him for at least the thousandth time.

But he does, because "Things happen to you!" he says.

Alter Ego Members: Johnny Douglas (Guitar) and KV, Kevin Vecchione, (Bass)

DC, Daniel Conway, (Drums) pictured on the screen

Main Street Stage, Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas

September 26, 2023

A Street Cleaner Gets into the Act and Revs Up the Crowd

Main Street Stage, Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas

September 26, 2023

Riding SlotZilla's Super-Hero Zoomline

(Starting 11 Stories High)

Under the Canopy and above the Stage

September 26, 2023

Alter Ego Member Rich Embry (Vocals)

Accompanying "Hotel California" Acoustically

Main Street Stage, Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas

September 26, 2023

Me Enjoying the Show

Main Street Stage, Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas

September 26, 2023

Johnny Douglas and KV, Kevin Vecchione

Main Street Stage, Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas

September 26, 2023

I Hate That I'm Going to Miss Teddy Swims' Concert!

Johnny and DC Getting Ready for the Next Set

Main Street Stage, Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas

September 26, 2023

Up and at it early on Wednesday! We left for the airport at 1:30 pm.

Everything was tickety-boo, until I lost my purse on C Concourse.

I felt sick when I flashed on the contents of my purse: driver's license,

health insurance cards, medicare card, credit cards, boarding pass, iPhone, and money.

I could not believe it!

We hadn't stopped anywhere!

Where could I have lost it?

We ran back 23 gates to security.

Several professional and calm TSA agents searched the area for my purse,

while another scanned the security tapes looking for me.

There I was at the last bench slipping my purse over my shoulder and exiting the area.

Terry suddenly remembered that he had a locator for me on his iPhone,

but he didn't know where it was or how to use it.

A police officer, who was also helping us, took out his iPhone

and walked Terry through the process using his family's locators as an example.

Terry's iPhone spotted mine immediately and placed it in a map of the concourse.

It was stationary near a Burger King back beyond the 23 gates.

The police officer walked us back with a plan to scan the vicinity of the Burger King.

If we didn't find it, he and Terry would start asking people if they had seen it.

C Concourse Stretching into the Distance

@LASairport

"Does this happen often?" I asked the police officer.

"All the time. People are traveling, hurrying, and distracted.

They put something down without realizing it, and they don't remember where."

I didn't have the heart to ask him how many things were actually found.

I just hoped my purse would be one of them.

"Well, at least I'm getting my steps in," I remarked, looking at my FitBit.

"So am I," the officer answered looking at his. Simpatico! ~ lol.

When we reached the end of the concourse, the officer told me to wait by a water fountain where Terry had filled his water bottle, then they left to search.

I couldn't handle standing still for more than a couple of minutes.

I realized that the restaurant we had entered for a meal

before our flight was by the Burger King.

I raced to the hostess stand at the entrance.

"One for lunch?" the hostess asked.

"No! Did you find a black purse?"

"Yes, we did. Let me go get it."

The gratitude I felt when I saw her walking toward me with my purse was profound.

Terry and the police officer entered the restaurant from the opposite side

just as I was tearing through my purse to grab my iPhone and call them.

They knew from the look on my beaming face that it was my purse.

Black purse, black seat, wonky eyes.

I couldn't see it when I had automatically slipped the purse

onto the chair where I was about to sit for lunch.

And when I realized that I didn't know where my purse was, I had panicked.

"Thank you!" didn't seem adequate when I thanked the police officer for his help.

I gave him a big hug and he disappeared into the crowds.

I hugged Terry too. He had been so kind and supportive.

He never once gave me The Look

or said, "I told you so! Things happen to you!"

We made it home, and I checked my email for something from New Zealand.

Nothing, after six days.

We rushed to see a recording of the "Survivor" premier for its 45th season.

We had seen every episode of all 44 previous seasons,

and we were not going to miss this one!

Afterwards I checked my email again.

My New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority Visa had been issued.

I managed to sleep before rolling out of bed yesterday for my latest blood draw at LabCorp.

Then a couple of hours later I was off to CVS Pharmacy for my Covid and flu shots.

Then time to write my post.

I have no idea where I found this 9 years ago.

I was too tired to stay up late into the night to finish it,

so here I am on Friday afternoon typing away.

My blood test results arrived today and are in the normal range.

If they hold for several months, I should be able to have my eyes operated on.

It looks like smooth sailing ahead!

I'm not cursed! I am Lucky Louise!

🙌🏼 🍀 🙌🏼 🍀 🙌🏼 🍀 🙌🏼 🍀 🙌🏼 🍀

I'm sending a shout out to all the dedicated government employees

and public servants who work hard for Americans every day.

The vast majority are wonderful and often work in difficult, essential jobs.

It's almost guaranteed that many will be required to work

in stressful situations without pay starting tomorrow.

Be kind to them, and they will be kind to you.

Our Congress will be paid however!

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date and Nicole's Friday Face Off.

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be soon! 🤞

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Friday, January 27, 2023

A Maui Cat Named Rusty

I came across a touching memorial for an orange tabby cat named Rusty,

and I thought a photo of Rusty's face would be a cute one for Nicole's Friday Face Off.

But, as I tried to find out more about this beloved feral cat, I fell down a rabbit hole.

Since it took me a while to find my way out of the warren,

I've postponed using the photos I have for Rain's

Thursday Art and Dinner Date theme Scarves until next week.

Into the Rabbit Hole ~ A Scarves Preview

Waikiki, Oʻahu, Hawaii

January 23, 2023

I stumbled across Rusty's memorial while walking through a gulch

between the Marriott Hotel and the Elua Condos on the Wailea Beach Path in Maui.

A Distracting View: West Maui Mountain

Along the Wailea Beach Path, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

January 23, 2023

Trail Map Near Rusty's Memorial

Along the Wailea Beach Path, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

January 23, 2023

But the story behind Rusty and his memorial was much bigger than I knew.

Rusty the Cat

Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

January 18, 2023

Curious to find out more about this feral cat who inspired the memorial,

I started searching online.

I quickly discovered that Rusty was one of Maui's many "community cats,"

a catchall term for all cats, including feral cats,

that live outdoors and are unowned and free-roaming.

Maui Humane Society

I learned that Rusty had lived by the gulch for twenty years,

and he was known to visitors from all over the world.

No one owned Rusty, but caretakers took him to veterinaries

for checkups or for treatment after fights with other cats.

One caretaker took Rusty home twice,

but he always found his way back to the gulch.

Tributes to Rusty

Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

January 18, 2023

Rusty was an informal ambassador for Maui,

because he greeted so many people who walked by,

many of whom returned year after year to see him.

Sweet and friendly, Rusty gave and accepted love from countless people.

He died on 9/18/22 from cancer of the jaw.

Rusty

Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

January 18, 2023

Unfortunately, as I searched for information about Rusty,

I also learned that feral cats are a widespread ecological problem

for Maui and the other seven main Hawaiian islands.

Approximately two million feral cats inhabit these eight islands.

nationsonline.org

The Hawaii Invasive Species Council says that feral cats

are one of the most devastating predators of Hawai‘i’s unique wildlife

and that even well-fed feral cats will instinctively hunt and kill prey.

Feral cats also spread a potentially lethal parasite (Toxoplasma gondii)

which contaminates terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments

and negatively impact birds and mammals – including humans.

Feral Cats at ʻĪao Valley State Park, Maui

Wikipedia

As I read about organizations trying to address the feral cat problem

(Maui Humane Society, University of Hawaii, Save Maui Cats, Maui Forest Birds, etc),

I realized what a complex and tragic situation the feral cats present

and that there is a lot of disagreement about how to deal with them.

Feral cats are not just a Hawaiian problem.

PETA estimates that between 60 and 100 million homeless cats live in the U.S.

Their lives are short and hard, and they do not die of old age

(Rusty was a rare exception).

PETA says that The American Bird Conservancy estimates that free-roaming cats

kill millions of birds and small mammals in the U.S. every year,

including endangered species.

And this is just in the U.S. It's a worldwide problem.

This feral cat near Brisbane has caught a Pale-headed rosella.

Wikimedia

Part of the solution begins with cat owners,

because feral cats are often the descendants

of unaltered cats who were abandoned by their owners.

Cat owners anywhere can help to reduce the number of feral cats.

They can spay or neuter their pet cats and keep them indoors or safely contained.

They can microchip their pet cats so the cats can be returned if they become lost.

Also, they should never abandon their cats if they can no longer care for them.

Instead cat owners should surrender them to a local animal shelter

where the cats have a chance of being adopted.

Meanwhile, some of the people who loved Rusty have created

a Facebook page, Rusty Mauicat, in memory of Rusty.

They have formed The Rusty Cat Collective, a volunteer group dedicated to humanely addressing the feral cat overpopulation issue on Maui.

Rusty ~ Facebook

There are no easy solutions for dealing with the feral cat problem.

I hope that effective and humane solutions can be implemented,

sooner rather than later.

Terry and I don't have pets, because we like to travel,

and we feel it's unfair to keep leaving an animal behind

in a pet care facility or with a pet sitter.

I have donated to an animal shelter in Denver for many years,

and I had representatives visit my class annually to discuss caring for pets.

I'm going to pick one of the charities working on the feral cat problem

in Maui and start making donations to it as well.

It's a start.

I'm not going to forget a Maui cat named Rusty

or the impact cats like him have on their environment.

My eyes have certainly been opened.

Rusty ~ Facebook

🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈

Wishing you fascinating rabbit holes to fall into.

You never know what you might learn.

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be on

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 🤞

🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈

Community Cats:

“Community Cats” is a term used to describe outdoor, unowned, free-roaming cats. These cats could be friendly, feral, adults, kittens, healthy, sick, fixed and/or not fixed. They may or may not have a caregiver. These cats also may have 1 or more people in the community who feed and watch over them but are not household pets. This definition, the only outdoor free-roaming cats who are not community cats are those who have an owner. Community cats are cats that may be social or unsocial, but cannot be traced back to any one owner.

Maui Humane Society