Mandatory ship excursions vs independent shore excursions a future possibility?

[1980dory]

7 hours ago, LeeRB said:

No, not Bond, but it does start with a B, and I have never driven an Aston Martin But I have driven both Porsche and Alfa Romeo in the past; but alas now I drive a Honda. I also did not know Ian Fleming; but I knew some Fleming's growing up, but I think they were from Kentucky.

 

All,  probably undercover.  But that's OK, we won't say anything more about it.

[ldubs]

On 5/1/2021 at 5:39 AM, Markanddonna said:

We also were perhaps too honest. We were told we had to report that closed/sealed can of Macadamia nuts from Hawaii. We visited the ag desk who just shooed us through.

 

Maybe we have unknowingly stumbled on a good strategy to get ahead of the long exit line!  😀

[ldubs]

On 5/1/2021 at 1:05 PM, LeeRB said:

I have only been to Australia once; I believe the Opera House was still under construction when I was there; and I had a great time while there. It was October, 1970 and I think my experience with Customs both inbound to Australia and upon leaving was a little different than most people. I flew in since I was coming from Viet Nam with a plane load of other GI’s for a week long R&R trip. But, did I ever cause a commotion going through customs in bound; at the time I had one of those grey Samsonite suitcases with a divider on the inside that covered up the clothes on one side. Before leaving Viet Nam I was given a satchel by an individual from the US Embassy in Viet Nam to take to someone from the US Embassy in Australia; apparently I was the only one on the flight that had or admitted to having a Security Clearance. They took me aside, took my picture and gave me a passport, a card that said courier; and the picture and name of the person I was to give the satchel to when I got to Australia. At that time I was 21 YO kid and knew nothing about passports or there were more than one kind. Anyway I put the card in my wallet and the passport in my suitcase. When I got off the plane, I  picked up my suitcase and started through the customs check the guy opened my suit case and almost completely unpacked the uncovered side, when he opened the other side, it hit the fan, there laid that passport the with the word DIPLOMAT across it. The guy who was going through my stuff froze for a minute; then started apologizing while he put my stuff back in, as quick as he could, which attracted what I guess was his supervisor who called someone else and a couple others showed apologizing about going through my stuff and took me into a little office where another person started apologizing about what had happened. About that time the person I was supposed to meet found me, got me out of there and took the satchel, passport and courier card back; and I went on my way. However, on my departure going back to Viet Nan they were going through everyone’s luggage again. As the guy doing the inspections reached for my suitcase, one of the guys that I was involved with when I got there recognized me and grabbed his arm telling him I was the person that was involved in the passport incident last week, I got another apology and my suitcase went on the plane unopened.

 

 

Rick

 

 

Thanks for sharing what is a remarkable experience.  And, we will never know what was in the pouch!  

[ldubs]

On 4/30/2021 at 8:21 PM, 1980dory said:

My wife is professional apiarist and we can say that honey NEVER spoils.  Jars of honey have been found in Egyptian tombs that were thousands of years old.  Still quite safely edible.  And if your honey congeals at home, it is still good.  Just warm it very gently in a crock pot to liquify it.  NEVER put it in a microwave.  Europeans prefer their honey in the granulated state, but either way, the honey still tastes the same.  You can freeze honey for long term storage, but never place it in the refrigerator for regular use.  It's OK to leave it out at room temp for weeks, months, years, etc.

A honey bee lives 5-6 weeks in the summer and produces 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her entire lifetime.  Just think how many bees it takes to produce that small jar you buy in the store.

Never kill a honey bee.  They pollinate about 1/3 of the foods we eat.  Kill honey bees and you kill our food supply.  Enjoy honey.  It's natural and even therapeutic and far better that raw sugar.  It was good enough for John the Baptist to live on.

 

There are a couple of individuals in our small town that we are supposed to call if we encounter a hive in the yard.   I'm not exactly sure but guess they "rescue" the hive and somehow relocate it.    

[1980dory]

57 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

There are a couple of individuals in our small town that we are supposed to call if we encounter a hive in the yard.   I'm not exactly sure but guess they "rescue" the hive and somehow relocate it.    

Saving swarms is common practice.  Never kill a swarm even if they are a nuisance.

There's always someone who will gladly retrieve and relocate them.

BTW: California nearly lost it's almond business when the bees were lost.  Many/most growers now import bees from other states to pollinate their trees.   That's just one example of how important bees are to us and our food supply.

[ldubs]

5 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

Saving swarms is common practice.  Never kill a swarm even if they are a nuisance.

There's always someone who will gladly retrieve and relocate them.

BTW: California nearly lost it's almond business when the bees were lost.  Many/most growers now import bees from other states to pollinate their trees.   That's just one example of how important bees are to us and our food supply.

 

Thanks.  I've also heard, going back many years, that using local honey helps with pollen allergy season.   Where I come from it was very common to see the white hive boxes (or whatever you call them) out in the orchards.  My brother, rest his soul, had an almond orchard.   He used a bee keeper's service.   

[clo]

39 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

Saving swarms is common practice.  Never kill a swarm even if they are a nuisance.

There's always someone who will gladly retrieve and relocate them.

BTW: California nearly lost it's almond business when the bees were lost.  Many/most growers now import bees from other states to pollinate their trees.   That's just one example of how important bees are to us and our food supply.

When we lived in SW Oregon we saw the boxes out in the orchards.

[1980dory]

19 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Thanks.  I've also heard, going back many years, that using local honey helps with pollen allergy season.   Where I come from it was very common to see the white hive boxes (or whatever you call them) out in the orchards.  My brother, rest his soul, had an almond orchard.   He used a bee keeper's service.   

Studies have shown that local honey can be therapeutic for allergies, arthritis, etc.

Emphasis in on "Local" honey.  You probably won't receive much benefit from store bought honey that comes from Southeast Asia.

We  have local apiarists here in Gulf Coast Mississippi who carry semi loads of bees to California to pollinate the almond groves.

Insecticides, pesticides, and weed killers also kill bees!  Kill the bees and you kill our food supplies.

[Lois R]

We have locally owned honey here----I always make sure to buy it🙂

[1980dory]

Just now, Lois R said:

We have locally owned honey here----I always make sure to buy it🙂

That local honey is probably far better than any big brand name honey you buy in your local Fall Mart.

[clo]

7 hours ago, Lois R said:

We have locally owned honey here----I always make sure to buy it🙂

We have it also but he hasn't had honeycomb in at least a couple of years. Something to do with the weather.