Six Hours From Las Vegas

When I worked on my Australian Job Application video, I looked at a lot of pictures before I picked the shots that made it into the video. Some of the pictures on this clip were shots I considered for my video, and some are just pictures I love. Every one of them is a place within a six-hour drive of Las Vegas. Take 30 seconds to enjoy a clip of Travels with T!

The Australian Job

No, The Australian Job is not the new Mark Wahlberg movie or a euphemism for activities that might take place in a Nye County establishment. It’s a six-month caretaker/blogger job on Hamilton Island, which sits on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. I just uploaded my video application to their website, but since the job posting closes on Saturday, I’m not sure when (or if) my video will be viewable.

To learn more about Hamilton Island and this incredible job, check out their website at:
http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/home

UPDATE: My application has been accepted! Please visit my page on the Tourism Queensland website--you can vote for my video: http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/D8rOg45_hig

_______________

Music in my video is courtesy of http://www.purple-planet.com/

Presidents’ Day Weekend at Dumont

My son and husband are getting ready for their end-of-the-season trip to the Dumont Sand Dunes, that place where ATV lovers of all types converge in the cooler months. The Presidents’ Day weekend is the last three-dayer between now and the blistering summer heat. After early spring, it will be October before the temperature cools enough for riding.

Last year I spent the day hiking in China Ranch before I met my men at the Dunes, but this year I’m staying home. I’m applying for a job in Australia, and I’ve got a book to finish editing. Besides, I prefer my sand dunes on the quiet side. Dumont is a lot of things, but quiet is not one of them.

(Hopefully, my hubby will take an occasional break from zooming over the dunes to snap a few pictures for the blog.)
_______________
Photo information: my pictures last year (2008) from Presidents’ Day weekend at Dumont.

The Trees of Lorenzi Park

When my writing group moved from the Northwest Senior Center to Derfelt in Lorenzi Park, I noticed two things about our new home in historic Lorenzi: the trees and the construction. The large, old trees are rare finds in Las Vegas. People fish from the shore of a large pond and ducks beg for handouts. This area was purchased in 1911 by David Lorenzi and later developed into a resort; its waters originally came from a natural spring, although I'm not sure if that's true today. Despite its historic status, Lorenzi Park has been subjected to a lot of redevelopment recently. Many of the mature trees were destroyed to make way for tennis courts, although it looks like an effort was made to save some trees around the playground. I was appalled to find neon pink blazes all over the trees in the senior center’s courtyard, right outside the room where my group meets. According to my sources, no one will say exactly what the blazes are for, only that “desert landscaping” is being planned. Almost every tree in these pictures is marked for whatever it is they have in mind. I suspect it has something to do with a chain saw.
_________________
Photo information: My pictures at Lorenzi Park, taken on Wednesday, February 4, 2009.