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When I woke this morning, I detected a nip in the air, an unmistakable drop in temperature heralding the approach of autumn.  Here in Colorado, that means getting the snow blower serviced, pulling out your down filled parka, and stocking the pantry with survival food (caramel chocolate bars, tortilla chips, and wine).  Unlike other places in the world, Colorado does not slip gently into that good season.    When the first cool breeze blows, snow is soon to follow. Rather than mourn the demise of bathing suit season, I made myself a pot of tea and toast with strawberry jam.  For me, tea and toast slathered with strawberry jam are inextricably linked with autumn. I blame it on Scotland.  Several years ago, my best friend nagged/bargained/convinced me to go on a three week tour of the United Kingdom with her.  I was the reluctant tourist.  Not because I loathe travel.  On the contrary.  J’adore travel!  But...

There are many dangers associated with travelling the world.  One can become a victim to illness, injury, crime or a myriad of other unforeseen tragedies.  We've all heard about the infamous pickpockets of Italy who prey on unwitting foreigners as they gaze in awe at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the frequent  shark attacks along the Great Barrier Reef, the kidnapping of tourists in Mexico, and the frightening bird flu epidemic in China. And the media has terrified us with their relentless stories of plane crashes, tour bus crashes , airport shuttle crashes, helicopter crashes , lost luggage, stolen luggage , misdirected luggage, cancelled flights , overbooked flights, hotel fires, car bombs , volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, blizzards, capsized ferries , and insufferably rude Parisians . There is one danger, however, that is rarely reported. One of the least-known but most-insidious risks of frequent travel is the po...

See Spot Run! Run Spot, Run! You might recall I wrote about my mad-cap adventures in the article How NOT to Visit the United Kingdom . Well, when I wasn’t giving first aid to unfortunate pedestrians, being interrogated by Buckingham Palace Guards, and flying on the queen’s own search and rescue helicopter, I was touring historic homes like Number 1 Royal Crescent in Bath. This magnificently restored home allows visitors to see what it would have been like to live in a townhouse in Georgian England. In the kitchen I found an item that captured my interest. It was a large iron wheel located above the fireplace. I asked the sweet-faced, blue-haired docent what it was and she told me it was a turnspit. Apparently, a dog would be placed inside the turnspit (it looked a little like a hamster wheel). The dog would run, causing the spit to turn and allowing the meat to be perfectly roasted and evenly browned. The docent even told me that the dogs put inside the turnspit were called turn...