FANCY HOTELS, BEAUTIFUL WALLED CITY, FABULOUS RESTAURANTS TRUMP FEAR OF DRUG LIFE Browsing for souvenirs is a must in colorful Cartagena, here in the old walled part of the pretty city. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" A young accordionist entertains for change near Cartagena's old town. CARTAGENA is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in Americas. Indeed, it may be one of the world's prettiest cities, with its colorful old town, cobblestone streets, pastel plazas and brilliant clusters of bougainvillea. It's a city for romantics, historians, beach lovers and gourmets. It's also a city for romantics -- with music in the air. Talented buskers play violin, accordion and mandolin on streets and nightclubs offer lively choices, from jazz to rumba and more. THE CITY was the first Spanish colony on the American continent and one of the first sanctuaries of freed African slaves in the Americas. It is now populated by an ethnic mix Cartagena at night, a riot of color. of Colombia's own spicy and distinctive variety. Cartagena calls -- and we answer Spread out on Colombia's northern coast and facing the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena is the most visited city in the country. It's crowded in the December holidays and the holy week, when schools are out and many Colombians take their vacations. But we enjoyed our recent visit with unhampered strolls through the walled city and a leisurely afternoon on the famed Bocagrande. This stately old Cartagena convent is now a museum. THE HISTORY of Colombia is soaked in blood. Sadly, that theme continues to today’s violence and drug wars. The South American country’s flag is tri-colored: red for blood shed to win independence, yellow for rich veins of gold, emeralds and other minerals, and blue for the sky and ocean. We sailed into beautiful Cartagena at dawn and explored the city stem to stern. Cartagena's charm includes pedestrian only streets and plazas. THROUGH A 17th Century harbor with stone cannon casings, we walked inside ancient walls to explore cool, tiled cloisters and serene convents. Cartagena is a city of many colors and people. We saw scantily clad lovers cavorting and caressing on the beaches, much as we saw in Rio. We visited the city's massive wall, built by the Spanish 500 years ago to guard the harbor. And we toured the fortress of all fortresses, San Felipe de Barajas, so solid it kept out even the aggressive English fleet. WE ALSO saw hundreds of greenhouses. Many of the flowers during the Princess Diana mourning came from Cartagena and Colombia! Dressed in the colors of Colombia's flag, a fruit seller serves up papaya. Behind him, a customer negotiates for Cuban cigars. A huge restoration project has brought Cartagena to international attention. It has revived with billions of dollars in new hotels, condos and office buildings. And it has an influx of hard-working immigrants, adding to its myriad ethnic restaurants. In fact, Cartagena's eateries are said to be among South America's best. Its nightlife -- along with its risque beaches -- rivals Rio's. HERE ON AN alluring strip of sand and surf are a dozen classy hotels and graceful high-rise condos. The city has two main parts: the walled colonial city ("ciudad amurallada"), with its fancy restaurants, clubs and hotels; and a long strip of hotel towers and condos fronting onto the Bocagrande. An exclusive neighborhood, Castillogrande, sports artistically designed condos, beautiful places to jog, and a quiet beach. One Cartagena man gave us advice on how to eat fruit: "Not fruit salad, but one fruit at a time," he said. "If you want papaya, eat papaya. Better for your stomach." Flowers greet visitors to Cabo San Lucas, our next blog stop, and we see the place that inspired the Eagles' "Hotel California" at whereiscookie.com COMING UP: Our revels continue up and down the Americas’ coast as we visit lovely Cabo San Lucas, famous for its flowers, pristine sandy beaches, spectacular fishing, challenging diving and bottomless margaritas. Then we salute the booby, our faithful escort on our sea-driven adventure. Finally, we catch our breath in Fort Lauderdale, where we fall in love with the water taxi. Remember to explore, learn and live. Visit us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, the arts and more at: www.whereiscookie.com.

Bruce Keller displays the cookies he begged for and which the non-baker Cookie provided. He pronounced them "incredible - far beyond edible." THREE KINDS OF COOKIES: LABOR OF LOVE FROM A LOUSY BAKER's KITCHEN RESTORES HOLIDAY TRADITION STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Grandmother Olive's vintage cookie cutters. I AN NOT A BAKER. The art demands a precision that most improvisational cooks like me lack. But I can still picture helping my grandmother make holiday cookies in the   1950s. The ritual was about  much more than sweets.  It was about sharing, learning, being together with my siblings and one of our all time favorite individuals. The memories come happily alive. As I enter her well lit, geranium filled kitchen, I smell cookies baking, see  ingredients and utensils on the green counter.  My grandmother, Olive, places a large yellow earthenware mixing bowl on the kitchen counter. She holds her long wooden spoon like a conductor's baton, directing each grandchild to a specific task. "Peny, beat the eggs."  "Cookie, measure sugar." "Rick, soften butter -- use a mixing spoon, not hands." The little kids had separate "ingredients" -- flour, water, sprinkles to make their own faux cookies.  "Watch how I sift the flour." "Here are measuring cups and spoons."  "Add an extra half-teaspoon of vanilla."  Then we mix the dry and moist ingredients. The first of the chocolate cookies cool on the counter and we children hurry to sample.  We sing Christmas carols as we work.  Soon the counter is a mess of spilled sugar, wayward spices, egg shells. There's flour on the floor, in our hair. (Gran wears a pair of her clean pink knickers on her head, which makes us giggle.) The happily cluttered kitchen cupboard bears witness to our endeavor.   For me and my siblings, it's a cherished memory.  Grandmother Olive Nystul  (minus her classic hair net. ) CHRISTMAS COOKIES are a tradition in many families, and for mine, the cookies were several kinds: ginger snaps, sugar cookies and the family favorite: filled cookies, usually mincemeat and dates, with walnuts or pecans, sometimes coconut. Gram was a great improviser and encouraged that in all of us youngsters -- not only in the kitchen, but at the piano, the garden, in life in general.   Grandmother Olive's filled cookies create family ambiance, teach baking skills and and leave lasting memories. Her notes are priceless, and I've included them here. GRAM OLIVE'S FAMOUS FILLED CHRISTMAS COOKIES Dry ingredients: Mix together: 5 tsp baking powder, 4 cups sifted flour, 1 cup raw oatmeal, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, optional nutmeg, cloves, ginger or allspice  In separate large mixing bowl, mix: 2 cups butter, 1 cup milk or buttermilk, 2 eggs. Cream these 3 ingredients with 2 cups packed brown sugar.) Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Chill dough a half hour. Filling (have fun, improvise): 1 l/2 cup of dates, cup of jarred mincemeat or raisins, half-cup walnuts, 3 tbsp brandy or liquor of choice, 2 tbsp flour, 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey. Coconut, cranberries, grated orange rind. Chocolate or caramel chips make the filling too "goopy." Nice idea. Grandmother Olive's filled cookies create family ambiance, teach baking skills and and leave lasting memories. If pressed for time, substitute 3-4 nine-inch prepared pie crust for dough. (No need to announce this.) Roll pastry thin on floured surface.  Pre-heat oven 350 degrees. Cut in circles or squares, top of large glass works well.   Separate dough into four or five rounds; refrigerate, remove one at a time. Fill each cookie with generous spoon of filling, pinch edges. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Can store dough for a week or more, if covered. Store cookies in air tight jar. In our house, they don't usually last more than a day or two. This is a great recipe for introducing kids to the art of baking.  "Keller and Cookie" on the road at Christmas time, off to catch some sun, bound for a holiday away from home. UP NEXT: Happy holidays and a joyous New Year! We've spent many a New Year's Eve on the road, ushering in the next day on Bali, in Buenos Aires, Berlin and in Big Timber, Montana!   We take a look at the traditions and fun of celebrating this festive season and the turn of the year -- from Europe to our own back yards in San Diego and the West Fork of the Stillwater River. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us for a fresh spin on travel, nature, family, the arts and more: www.whereiscookie.com  Please share the link with like-minded folks.

Robbie helped choreograph several European trips with mum “I’m home,” she cried, lifting her hands heavenward. “I feel their spirits.” Then she wept. My sister and I looked at one another, blinking back our own tears. Then we hugged mum and all of us cried. I remembered watching “The Wizard of Oz” as a five-year-old, with my mother at my side. Near the end, when Dorothy wakes up safely back in Kansas, her auntie and uncle at her side and the scarecrow and his pals turned back to farm hands, my mother wept. “Why are you crying, mummy?” I asked. “Because I’m so happy. You’ll understand some day.” She was right. Happiness and sorrow, like the comic and tragic masks, are merely different takes on the same thing. Cookie and mummy at the Folies I’d been to Ireland a half-dozen times before, but seeing it through my mother’s eyes was like seeing it anew. She made me feel connected to the country in a way I had never felt before. The Blarney Stone took on new meaning. The potato famine felt real. When she told me the story of her great grandmother’s departure, I felt the face of the Emerald Isle staring at me. “They had a wake for her,” she said, “because they knew she wouldn’t be coming back. Can you imagine their sadness and bravery?” We had put down anchor in Kolb, where my great, great-grandmother, Molly Wilson, had left her family for America before the Century’s turn. She’d taken the train from Cork, on a tiny track which we found. Again, my mother wept. But it wasn’t all weeping, not by any means. My 20 days in Europe with my mother and youngest sister rank high on my list of world adventures. Not because of the exotic nature of the ports, all of which I’d visited for extended periods, but because of the unique nature of the trip. Life is shaped by defining moments and we don’t always know when they. Looking back, we realize the importance. Somehow, I had felt the significance of this trip since we first started planning. It began as a challenge. Mum had taken me on trips as a little girl. Indeed, I owe much of my love of travel, music and theater to her and her mother for the curiosity they instilled in me as a toddler. She’d hinted broadly for 20 years, mentioning on each of my forays how she’s always wanted to go to Blank or return to Blank one last time. So I’d challenged my mother with part bribe, part enticement. She knew she needed to lose weight, with two leaky heart valves, one seriously compromised. “You lose the weight and we’ll go to Europe,” I said in the summer of 1998. By the summer of 1999, she’d lost 45 pounds, through diet and exercise and the European Enticement Plan. The game was afoot. By summer of 1999, she’d lost another 40. I sent her a stack of brochures and pamphlets and she picked the trip. A Royal occasion The Princess 2000 cruise brochure was her favorite. She’d chosen the Western Europe tour on page 61, which sailed on the Royal Princess from Dover Aug. 22 – just a few days after my birthday, and 5 days before hers. “We’ll celebrate together,” she said, overjoyed that we’d be sailing the Irish sea on her actual Aug. 27 anniversary. My sister, Robbie, and I had been planning the complex logistics of such a journey for months. Three busy people, three departure cities, dozens of planes, boats and trains and tour buses. The cruise concept, we’d decided, was ideal because it would plant us in one place for a couple weeks and we could add sidetrips before and after. Paris and London were must-sees for mummy, and she wanted to experience the Eurostar Channel Tunnel. So I suggested we fly into London, catch our breaths at my favorite hotel, the Dorchester, then “Chunnel” to Paris for 3 days. After that, we’d “Chunnel” back to England, departing at Ashford, then taking a taxi to our embarkation point of Dover. Mum had chosen the Princess for Western Europe because it visited places she’d long wanted to see: Normandy, where the Allies clawed their way ashore on D-Day. She, after all, remembered the invasion and had friends among the casualties. The Irish stops – to Cork and Dublin with other sidetrips – had obvious appeal, with her Irish heritage. She wanted to walk the Georgian squares and have lunch in a pub. Edinburgh with its castle and romance intrigued her She’d taken us to see Maggie Smith in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” years ago, and knew there were Scotsmen, too, in our lineage. She wanted to ride the Royal Mile to Holyrood Castle. Hamburg fascinated her with its lovely bridges and churches. But mostly, she knew of its proximity to Berlin and wanted to see the fallen wall and stand beneath Brandenburg Gate. My sister, Robbie, better with “enforcement” than I am, had cautioned mum about the importance of “less is more” in packing, warning her that we’d have to schlep our own bags at certain points. “She promised she’d pack light. We went through her cruise wardrobe, and she knows she has to leave room for gifts,” Robbie said. Sounded good to me. And so 20 pounds of paperwork later -- faxes, xeroxes, maps, tickets, reservations in hand – we left our trio of cities – Portland, Sacramento and Billings – to link in Salt Lake, there to continue onward non-stop to Cincinnati, and “across the pond” to Gatwick. Mum was elated when I met her at her gate. Despite my cautioning, she’d packed everything she owned, was one bag over her allotment and had a bulging carry-on, and an checked extra bag which she sheepishly defended. Ah, well, onward. And, lest you wonder, “How did it go?” I’ll give you a hint up front. Fabulously. It had a rough moment or two – adult “children” and their parents are bound to have a moment or two. But it was glorious and the memories are indelible. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Baggage overboard and improv As the trip evolved, sis and I slyly unloaded unnecessary items from mum’s bags when she wasn’t looking. We had to. And mum knew we were doing it, so in the interest of diplomacy, looked the other way. She knew she had way too many panty hose, dozens of plastic bags, and tissues enough for the entire ship. Once we were able to comfortably lift her bags and ours, we were happy, and we had that all sorted out by the time we arrived at the Dorchester in London. I’d sprung for business air tickets on Delta, so we arrived rested and mum was delighted with the personal video on the way over. She charmed the flight attendants, heard her birthday announced by the captain -- with a champagne toast from her fellow passengers -- and actually got a bit of rest, so she was ready to explore London. Our first adventure was a boat trip on the Thames, and she loved going under the Tower Bridge, and hearing the commentary of wars, beheadings and ransom. The woman who took me to my first Shakespeare play was thrilled to see the restored Old Globe Theater, and proud that a fellow American, Sam Wanamaker, had a huge hand in it. A genial cabbie took us on an extended driving tour of the city so she could tip her hat to No. 10 Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and other London landmarks. We dined on fish and chips the first night, her choice, and saw a fabulous production of “Fosse” so our first full day was a hit. Then on to Waterloo Station and the Chunnel, a first-class experience we all agreed, and an easy three hours to Paris, another city on her bucket list. That night, we cruised the Seine, admired the Eifel Tower aglow in thousands of lights, and listened to a jazz trio play. She sang along with “La Vie En Rose,” and I remembered the Edith Piaf records she’d played us as kids. The next day, we lazed about in our rooms at the Westminster, strolled up the Rue de la Paix to the Opera House, and admired the architecture and the perfect weather. The second night found us at the most authentic nightclub Paris has to offer. “Paradise Latin” is an old-style revue, complete with can-can and acrobats, comedy and magic, scantily dressed girls and plenty of risque humor. “Very Parisian,” pronounced my mother. “I’m having so much fun.” My college French was useful and mother was a perfect subject, loving everything, thanking people profusely. The French loved my mother, and having her along opened doors. People were touched that we had actually gotten it together to take mum to Europe – something lots of families talk about, but few seem to accomplish. She had many great moments abroad. In Ireland, we visited a pub, the day before her birthday, and she chatted with an Irish family on holiday, celebrating their daughter’s 25th birthday. She did a little can-can flourish the night we went to the Paris revue, bought herself some shamrock socks in Dublin, left a red rose at Normandy, walked under the Brandenburg Gate and waved at the hookers in the famous Amsterdam red-light windows. Her enthusiasm made me realize I was becoming a bit jaded as a traveler, taking too much for granted. She reveled at the flowers in Hyde Park, at the gardens of Cornwall, at the vastness of the museums and the splendor of their holdings. She loved the brightly painted doors of Dublin, a protest of “her” people who wouldn’t be told to paint their doors black. Every moment of that trip, large and small, lingers in my memory, bright as the sunlight that first morning on the Irish sea as Cobn came into sight. It was an odyssey and I’m the richer for it. Now, a dozen years later on the anniversary of our sail-out, both my mother's and baby sister's remains rest in small Waterford vessels -- intended for sugar cubes and purchased on that memorable, sweet trip.

HORSE HAS BEEN AROUND LONGER THAN WE THOUGHT STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER and JANE MILDER This scene, of horses in pasture framed by the Crazy Mountains, epitomizes the grandeur of Big Sky Country to many Montanans. No horsing around. The horse goes back farther than we imagined. So an homage seems in order. With Fourth of July parades and the horse the star of the rodeo, we have new scientific information about his history. But first, allow me some steed-steeped memories. MY CHILDHOOOD HORSE was Peanuts. He was 18 years old and three of us pre-schoolers could fit in the sway of his patient back. He remains the favorite horse of many I've ridden since. There was Pedro delivering me safely down a rocky trail high above the sea, to the famed Leper Colony of Molokai. He was a mule, actually, so only half-horse. And he was sure-footed, although he frightened me a number of times as rocks slipped under his sturdy shoes. I heard one crash down to the ocean from our trail, carved against the jagged cliffs above the Pacific. Pedro didn't blink. THERE WAS FRANCO, sleek on a white sand beach in Italy. He galloped when I had no interest -- a Roman holiday for sure but he was too frisky for me. I hit the sand. There was Jose, sweetly obedient on the Acapulco shore. Maggie took me for a Montana ride, packing into the Crazies. She was an eater and got me in trouble with the guide. A herd of wild horses looks to include several pregnant mares, caught in a pause of grazing and moving. Hank in the Tetons. Too frisky for this reporter. Seth on a Taos trail. He chewed his way along just fine. "I want an old horse, close to the ground and slow. I don't care if he stops to munch grass," I always tell the guides and packers. "And let me be the last rider." (Guides usually want me near them so they can keep an eye on me and encourage my horse if necessary.) San Diego's East County has a volunteer police posse in which riders, including Linda Slater and her horse Wendy help out in full regalia. Horses have plowed our fields, forged our trails, moved our cattle and hunted our outlaws. Today, they still provide valuable services, in sheriff's volunteer groups and police posses. The horse has played a part in my life -- on and off the trail. Even in the theater. For the horse has long fascinated poets and playwrights. Several of my favorite plays involve horses. At the top of the list is "Equus." Horse inspired plays have won Tony awards and toured the world. Horses are the heart of the Kentucky Derby and I've visited the famed Lipizzaner Stallions on their home turf of Vienna. Horses and riders share a unique bond. Reverie and fitness are just two of the offshoots of the friendship. Horses have long been beloved by royals; Queen Elizabeth II has visited Wyoming friends to view their thoroughbreds. A driver takes his passengers around town square in the Canary Islands. FOR HORSE LOVERS , there's news about the history of this gorgeous beast. The horse is even older than we've thought. By piecing together new genetic information, scientists have deciphered the complete genome of an extinct prehistoric horse that roamed the Yukon more than 700,000 years ago. Analyzing a fossilized bone, scientists are rewriting the evolutionary history of the horse and smashing the previous record for the oldest complete genome ever sequenced. Do you hear that, Jose, Franco, Wendy, Maggie? Your ancestors are making history! A horse tips his head to a sunny winter day near Luther, MT. In the new study, an international team of scientists led by Ludovic Orlando and Eske Willerslev at the University of Copenhagen used what’s become a common approach: comparing the DNA of modern species to DNA recovered from fossil remains. Their study focuses on a frozen, fossil bone fragment found near Thistle Creek, Canada. By pushing DNA sequencing technology to its limits, they were able to rewind the evolutionary clock back further than ever before. So the next time you put your backside on a horse, show some respect. You're throwing your leg over millions of years of evolutionary history -- and a critter whose history goes back more than 700,000 years! COMING SATURDAY: Flower Power to the people, as the year marks its half-way point. Future posts will circle the globe, giving tips on travel and taking memorable photos abroad. We'll also celebrate the joys and trials of life with a handicapped child, explore a glider port, look at the moon and more. Enjoy the Fourth of July and remember to explore, learn and live. We post each Wednesday and Saturday at: www.whereiscookie.com

We've borrowed many terms from life aboard ships; whether you "know the ropes" or not, come have fun If you "know the ropes" you have proficiency in your task, a term which comes straight from sailing. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" AHOY, avast and shiver your timbers! Much of our language comes from the sea, from the early Phoenician and Greek cultures, on up through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when British naval vessels ruled the seas. Did you know, for instance, that "overwhelm" comes from the Middle English meaning to capsize. Our term, "square meal," comes from the square trays set before hungry seamen, the "three squares a day" promised in their contract. DO YOU try to "go with the flow" and "give some slack" to your colleagues or friends? Both old sailing terms. Are you proud of "knowing the ropes" and understanding "the lay of the land." Both derive from sailing, meaning proficiency in a task and knowledge of the terrain. Perhaps there is a modern day "floozy" aboard, enjoying. If you're a "leading light" in your business, you're a natural teacher or leader -- another sea term in which lights were hung to mark entry to a port and show other ships the way. MAYBE you're a "floozy," meaning loose woman. This salty phrase comes from a centuries-old term, floozies, for women brought aboard when a vessel was in port. Basically prostitutes, assuming they received some pay. Or perhaps they just liked fooling around with sailors. Are you a "Limey" -- hailing from the British Isles -- or a "loose cannon," slightly out of control? Limey dates to the 17th Century when British sailors were issued limes to combat scurvy. The cannon reference The term "loose cannon" comes from an unpredictable, loose cannon on deck. refers to the unpredictable or potentially dangerous cannon which came loose on decks of old sailing vessels. Want to tie up some "loose ends" -- or are you feeling "under the weather"? The "loose ends" refers to having everything shipshape on board -- no details overlooked, no ropes untied. The "weather" reference refers to feeling ill and comes from the frequency of ship passengers becoming seasick in heavy weather. DO YOU do your best to "keep an even keel"? Another sailing Above and below left, writer and photographer are minding their "P's and Q's" or at least champagne. term for keeping a boat upright, not listing to either side. Today the expression is used when describing a person's emotions, encouraging level-headed or stable behavior. You may have guessed that "minding your P's and Q's" has to do with pints and quarts. Sailors would get bar credit at the taverns in port until they were paid. The barman always kept a record of their drinks on a chalkboard behind the bar. A mark was made under "P" for pint or "Q" for quart. On payday, a sailor was liable for each mark next to his name, so he was forced to "mind his P's and Q's." Today the term means to remain well behaved. THERE ARE many, many more. Even the word "nautical" originates from the Greek word 'nauti' meaning sailor, not questionable behavior. "May Day" is one of my favorites, an internationally recognized voice radio signal for ships and people in stress or trouble -at-sea. Its source is actually a verb, the French Even the word "nautical" comes from the sea; "nauti" is Greek for sailor. m'aidez which means "help me." So the next time you're sailing, think of language and its shipshape evolution. That term, by the way, shipshape, derives from the captain's command that everything be left in meticulous order or "shipshape" by the crew. HERE ARE a few more to ponder and have fun with. *Feeling over a barrel? Sailors were sometimes tied over a cannon barrel when being whipped. Today the expression is used when someone is in a risky or precarious situation with limited or no course of action. "Getting hitched" means marriage, deriving from joining ropes together. *High and dry: This expression usually refers to being without resources or support. It derives from the description of a ship that is beached or on the rocks. She's "high -- as the tide recedes -- and "dry" without water. *Getting hitched: This common term usually describes the act of marriage and comes from the ship hands' joining or hitching two ropes together to form one. *Holy mackerel: Because mackerel spoils quickly, merchants were allowed to sell it on Sundays contradicting the blue laws in 17th-century England. Thus mackerel is a "holy" fish! The phrase is still If you wanted other vessels to see your identity, you flew your flag or "colors" when passing. used as an expression of surprise. *Swashbuckler has become synonymous with adventurer, explorer or traveler. The word originated in the 1500s, and was used to refer to a below average swordsman. Its present day connotation is more glamourous. If you "scrape the bottom of the barrel," you're dealing with the undesirable, deriving from the ship's cook's last couple ladles of food which were not very appetizing. My daddy always woke us youngsters with "rise and shine," an old naval morning call now used to mean "get yourselves out of bed and greet the day!" "Swashbuckling" has its roots in sea language, connoting adventure. If you knew most of these, you've "passed with flying colors." This expression comes from the sailing custom of flying colors, or flags and pennants, to be identified when passing other ships at sea. Today this expression is used to refer to someone who has easily passed a test or some other trial or challenge! Aboard the Jada, out of San Diego bay, everything is "shipshape" in her beautifully restored galley. OKAY. Now are you ready to go the "whole nine yards? This expression means "everything" or all encompassing. The expression comes from square-rigged sailing vessels that had three masts with three yards of sails on each. "The whole nine yards" meant all sails were up. Now, perhaps you'll come into a windfall. Originally the word was used to refer to a rush of wind which would help a vessel's forward movement. Today, it means a stroke of good luck. Since language has been evolving for hundreds of years, and the sea has played a huge part in our lives, it makes sense that our speech is permeated with nautical terms. TRY FIGURING out "run the gauntlet" or "rake you from stem to stern". While ancient armies forced soldiers to "run the gauntlet" the Royal Navy had its shipside version, as a punishment for theft. The condemned was prevented from rushing by the master-at-arms with a cutlass and pushed forward by a corporal, while being beaten with rope yarns. If you're raked "stem to stern," you are verbally chastised completely, from one end of your "boat" to the other." So happy sailing. Happy speaking. The two have a time honored connection! COMING UP: We take a loving look at our three-year old Christena, born with a birth defect, Down Syndrome, but thriving in the "Cosgriffe Village." See how our family is coping with this delightful youngster (the writer's namesake) and how she is thriving with her single dad's steadfast care and many loving helpers. Christena recently celebrated her third birthday with balloons. Her father, Patrick Cosgriffe, hosted a party for her. AND, HAVE you ever been to Martinsdale, Montana? You're in for a treat. At the world class Bair Museum and the Crazy Mountain Inn with its delectable lemon pie. Remember to explore, learn and live. Check us out weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, nature, family and more at whereisccookie.com

This birthday, Keller takes Cookie sailing off La Jolla Shores. Ringing in another year brings time for reflection, joy, humor and appreciation "...all the gardens of spring and summer were blooming in the tall tales Beyond the border and under the lark full cloud. There could I marvel my birthday...." --Dylan Thomas STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" AS I MARK my birthday tomorrow, I am thankful that I, too have "lark full cloud" and another summer "blooming in the tall tales." Cookie in her birthday togs. How lucky I am to mark another year, dividing my time with beloved family and friends in Montana and sweet, smart kind Keller, my partner, in California. To be able to appreciate the natural world is, besides my human circle, my greatest pleasure. HOW SAD life would my life be without gardens, birds, mountains, our gorgeous sea and sky. I am thankful to have the health and time to travel. Born and raised in Montana,I've celebrated about half of my birthdays "elsewhere." When I was three, I spent my first out-of-state birthday in Kansas, where my family had driven to visit my Aunt Lillian and Uncle Ronnie. Keller and Cookie celebrate in Rome at Trevi Fountain. I HAVE a vivid memory of climbing into the tornado shelter near the house, wiping a cobweb from my face and shrieking at the thought that a spider might be nesting there! As a grade-school kid, I spent birthdays along the Stillwater River at our family's cabin. We feasted on corn on the cob and steaks from 4-H beef, crowning the meal with one of my mother's famous artistic cakes. Sometimes she crafted a scene from a musical ("Oklahoma" complete with the corn fields and surrey with the fringe on top.) The Cosgriffes, from left bottom: Cookie, Olivia, Patrick; top row, Robbie, mum Ellen, Misha, Peny, Rick, circa 1979. I remember the ghost stories my father told around the campfire and late-night walks with my sister Peny. One night, she bolted when she thought she heard a man's voice in the chokecherry bushes. Peny's long runner's legs moved faster than mine. She had the lantern! BUT WE made it safely back to the cabin, I following by five frightened, breathless minutes. I spent my 18th birthday on the night train from Paris to Florence, my first foray to Europe as a so-called adult. Many birthdays abroad followed. A happy birthday, Yellowstone Park style! Bruce and I spent another birthday sailing the Queen Elizabeth II across the Atlantic. Billy and I marked a birthday in Bora Bora, watching manta rays through a glass floor. Keller and I have toasted my birthday in Yellowstone Park, on a ship harbored in Monte Carlo, in Rome with lunch at the Tivoli Fountain, sailing out of Barcelona, and whale watching and wine tasting in Santa Barbara. I SPENT A birthday at "Sweeney Todd" in New York the year Angela Lansbury won the Tony as Mrs. Lovett. I won $2,500 another birthday at a blackjack table in Las Vegas. Whoopee! Ordered a room service bottle of Dom Perignon. Cookie's favorite birthday treats. Cookie, Keller on Atlantic crossing. I've had some melancholy birthdays, including my first one without my mother's "happy birthday" phone call. Or my birthday the August my daddy died . "Firsts" are tough without the folks we love. I'VE BLOWN out the candles on several continents, and with adored nieces and nephews. I spent one birthday in England on the balcony of the Hotel Intercontinental. The manager, born in America, heard it was my day and feted us-- and five other American couples -- to cocktails and caviar. I don't need a birthday cake. A chocolate souffle or raspberry mousse is wonderful. I'd love a bowl of my gran's bread pudding with rum sauce this birthday. Or creme brule, my favorite dessert. All hold a single Cookie's birthday last year -- her wish: "and many more." Cookie and Keller on his birthday. candle nicely, and who needs more than one flame? Candles become a fire hazard as one ages and the numbers increase. Some people ignore birthdays. I celebrate for more than a month, much to the teasing of my friends. My birthday begins August 1 and ends on Labor Day -- this year, Labor Day comes early, Sept. 2. I like it when that first Monday of the month comes as late as it can, September 6! Cookie celebrating with niece Amarylla. CALL IT hubris. Call it gilding the lily. Call it honking my own horn! (I did that too, one birthday, playing my saxophone with friend Art Daniel at the Cowboy Bar in Fishtail.) I don't care. It's my day, so happy birthday to me! And thank you friends and family for indulging me days on end. I love you and cherish you all. I appreciate all the birthdays we've shared, yours and mine! I hope for many more, "without no pants on." That last little line prompts a late-August blog on my mum's birthday. As we blow extinguish our candles and light a hope for the future, let's remember what George Bernard Shaw said: Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter!" Cookie and Corby cruise the Greek Isles on his birthday. COMING SOON: The Alberta Bair Theater in Billings has a rich history, evolving from its 1931 birth as the nation's last Fox Theatre. See how Corby Skinner and Cookie helped save it. And enjoy a look at sexy Rudolph Valentino and his star-gazing effect on Cookie's mother -- and Cookie! Remember to explore, learn, live. And catch us Wednesdays and Saturdays at: www.whereiscookie.com

It was late November when Keller and Cookie toured Lisbon last. LONDON IN SPRING, LISBON IN FALL MAKE SMART SENSE FOR THE ENTERPRISING TRAVELER STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS, PHOTOS BY BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" It's a lovely feeling to arrive in a foreign destination and not feel crushed, crowded or surrounded by other tourists. The harbor in Toulon, France, off season in early December. HERE ARE more tips on making the most of your time and money, thinking outside the box, being creative on the road! * THINK "Off-season." Late spring and late autumn are wonderful times to travel, whether it's to one of our country's splendid national parks, an Atlantic crossing or a couple weeks in Australia or Europe. Schools are in session so you won't be surrounded by kids in hotels or planes. Hotel rates are lower and the beauty of the countryside in changing seasons matches the attractive prices. * BAG IT UP. We always teased my mother for packing empty plastic bags whenever we traveled. But she knew what she was doing. Friends Misha and David Minesinger enjoy off-season time in Key Largo. I bring a half-dozen variously sized plastic bags. They take no space and are great for soiled or damp cloths, odd toiletries, extra batteries, laptop and phone chargers and other stuff that gets scattered throughout the luggage. Thanks, mums. You can shop economically at a city market -- this large one is in Sao Paulo. * EATING OUT. Surrounded by foreign snacks, bakery delights and all the treats we indulge in when traveling, it is not necessary to eat three full meals out every day. In the morning, we do fine with coffee and a sparse breakfast, often included in the room price. Full American breakfasts are expensive overseas. We often picnic for lunch -- a stop at a market for a hunk of cheese, a baguette, an apple or pear, wedge of salami, a couple beers or split of wine -- and thou! Under $15. Keep fruit in your room and take a banana or apple with you on a walk. Then we have a nice supper, often composed of three or four appetizers or a large salad and a shared main course. House wines are usually excellent in Europe, sometimes served in a carafe or pitcher and half the price of bottles. *AVOID PRICEY hotel shops and gourmet food places and shop instead at the local supermarkets. We always pick up tins of tea and bags of coffee for reasonable prices. (Save room when you're packing.) Fun memories to sip a cuppa with a French or Italian label Be up for a mountain trek or hike, as this one in Santorini, the Greek Isles, with Cookie and Corby Skinner. when you're back home. A $3 package of cookies with the foreign label, or jar of local jam are nice presents. No need to spend $25 at duty free or the airport. You can also find cheap gifts such as t-shirts by shopping around. * IF YOU'RE visiting only major European cities, take the train. Eurailpass is time honored. European trains are clean and punctual. A Labor Day march in Athens, viewed from the Grande Bretagne Hotel. If you're concentrating on villages within a small area -- say, Tuscany, Costa del Sol or Provence -- rural locales trains don't regularly service -- you're better off to rent a car. Buses are also an inexpensive way to augment travel and save money. But driving yourself on a big European "Tuesday it must be Belgium" loop is not a good idea for the time, expense and pace. Overnight trains save you hotel money, too. We traveled once from Venice to Paris, leaving in the evening in a shared, four-bed sleeper car, arriving rested the next morning with new friends and a shared midnight supper! * HAVE YOUR camera and sense of adventure and discovery ready for the unexpected! Sometimes the most memorable photos come from a spontaneous moment, an surprise event or scene upon which you stumble! Jugglers in Barcelona, marchers in Athens, the Queen's Brigade with horses and riders, enroute to Buckingham Palace on a sunny London morning. COMING NEXT: We take a look at travel technology, from apps for reading, to maps, to money-saving phone tips. Then on to the art of learning to fully enjoy vacation. Then our grand travel tips take an in-depth look at packing and preparation! On to eating wisely, looking for nature and combating jet lag. Catch us Wednesdays and Saturdays at www.whereiscookie.com

TRAVEL LIGHT: DON'T LUG BOTTLES OR TAKE WHAT YOU CAN EASILY BUY 'OVER THERE' Nearly everything you might forget can be easily purchased, usually cheaply, while on holiday. So don't stress. This ship stateroom may be furnished with duty free beverages, so avoid bulky, heavy bottles in your baggage. Pick up a bottle or two of wine at your destination. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" REMEMBER, the globe is shrinking with technology and travel advances. You're not visiting a remote planet. You're probably going to Paris, Rome, the British Isles, Mexico, China, South America, the Caribbean, or to visit relatives or friends, possibly one of our delightful U.S. destinations. Maybe a cruise. ALL OF THESE places have markets, shops, convenience stores! Don't pack bottles of liquor when you can purchase duty free on the plane, or buy your wine on the ship or a supermarket. (Not at the hotel -- way too expensive.) Buy a wine package on the ship to save money. They usually won't let you cart your own on board -- they want you to buy theirs! As you pack, think about each item you put in. Evaluate its usefulness and importance. Do you really need it? Can you pick it up there? As a trip ends, Cookie sorts, sifts, decides what to toss. Here, she'll give away a cheap cooler used for picnics. * THE INCREDIBLE BULK. If you forget something, you can buy nearly everything you might need -- from razor blades and tooth paste to cosmetics. You'll pick up freebies from the hotels and ships -- shampoos, lotions, etc. Your bag will get heavier; don't load yourself down. If you stick to one loosely packed Pullman per person for check-through, plus your carry-on (backpack for Keller with his laptop in the padded center), you won't be weighted down. Save room for small gifts -- coffee, tea, jam, cookies. Toss or give away small, junky, bulky "unnecessaries" you've collected before flying home. Buy one nice item for yourself -- a flat scarf is easy to pack but if you can't resist the fun pair of shoes on sale in Italy, have the store send them home. I've never failed to receive anything I've bought this way. Fake pearls, a compact but pretty top, a sport coat and tie dress Keller and Cookie up for a night on the town in Las Vegas. * AVOID TAKING the family jewels. Sure, you can use the hotel and ship safes, or check your valuables with the concierge, but why stress? No one will care if you don't wear your Mikimoto pearls or your grandmother's diamond bracelet. Have fun. Bring attractive costume jewelry and you won't agonize if you lose something. Never bring your favorite anything on a trip. * COPY YOUR PASSPORT, visa, driver's license and other valuable documents. Put them in a separate place from your carry-on original documents (inside a book or your laptop bag, somewhere you'll remember.) Keller also uses his Droid Take a few tops out -- no one notices wardrobe repetition. to photograph our critical paperwork, including our airline confirmation numbers, cruise boarding documents and passport main pages. * DON'T DOUBLE UP. Check with your traveling companion and don't duplicate items you can share -- tooth paste, deoderant, vitamins, pain relievers, etc. Again, it is essential to be able to carry your own stuff. Period. You can't always get a porter in a train station. * ALL THAT OTHER STUFF. I just looked at a bag that I still haven't unpacked from the last long trip -- nearly three weeks. Good packing makes a relaxed Cookie -- with enough stuff to look nice. In it, I discovered items that were never used. I'd packed three pair of capri pants. Two would have been adequate. A little hair-curling kit was not use at all -- and it weighed two or three pounds. (I had my hair done once cruising to Alaska and washed and blew dry it the other times in Seattle. Didn't need curlers.) If you have to sit on your bag to close it, take some stuff out! ON A RECENT trip to Europe, I didn't need any of my electric plug converters and adapters. Most of the nice hotels now accommodate American electronics. If you do need a converter, the hotel will likely have one. So the old adage of "packing, then taking half of the stuff out" might serve me well on the next trip. You'll sleep better with a lighter bag. I swear by it! * BE RUTHLESS with yourself. Think, "Do I really need that extra black shell top? Will anyone notice if I wear the same swimsuit to the beach or pool twice? Must I really have three separate formal outfits for the ship's three formal nights? Big bulky sweatshirts and fluffy robes are not necessary. If it's really cool, I borrow Keller's sweatshirt and he wears his jacket and sweater. And hotels and ships usually provide robes. NEXT: Wednesday, a tribute to violinist Robert Sandstrom, left, who mixed it up with jazz and swing, played first-violin symphonic scores, loved Bach, opera, Celtic and more. His memorial service was Monday in San Diego. Bravo, Bob. We miss you. COMING UP: Dining on the road and not turning into the incredible bulk. We offer tips on food and enjoying yourself, indulging without gaining tons of poundage. Remember to explore, learn and live and check us out Wednesdays and Saturdays at: www.whereiscookie.com

A BIT OF CONTROL HELPS AND YOU STILL INDULGE ON YOUR HOLIDAY Dining and drinking are pleasures of travel, here new friends! STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" SO YOU'RE loving your Caribbean cruise, Spanish parador, Rio hotel, Mexican casita, or Cotswolds B&B. Maybe you're with your favorite cousins exploring San Francisco. Hiking across Spain. Or enjoying a theater marathon in New York. Eating is one of the great pleasures of life, and no more so than when we're on holiday. A small, elegantly served appetizer on Crystal's Serenity. The escargot, the duck a l'orange, the rich soups and sauces, homemade breads, then mousse, creme brule or tarts for dessert. More cocktails, wine and after-dinner drinks than we would normally consume at home. So what to do? Vacation is not the time to deny yourself. But you don't have to choose everything offered or gobble every bite of every course. HERE ARE some tips we've gleaned. Yes, we've gained a few pounds over decades of frequent traveling, but we employ a few techniques that keep us from annoying ourselves when we step on the scale once home. A few downward dogs at an Arizona vacation yoga retreat. * EXERCISE EVERY DAY. I can't emphasize this enough. You know you are going to be indulging, trying new things, drinking and eating more than usual. So get up every morning, do a few stretches and take a walk after breakfast. If you can, go to the gym on ship or at the hotel. See if there are exercise classes available and try to make yourself work out or join a class at least two or three times a week. It all adds up. * BREAKFAST. The old "eat a good breakfast" adage never worked for me. True, it does make you feel better -- satisfied and relaxed -- but that also means, for me, that I feel groggy and unproductive. So no big breakfasts for this reporter. Granola, yogurt, fruit, coffee or tea. No bread, butters, jams or pastries on a regular basis. I How about toasting your Greek isle cruise? splurge once in a while for my favorite vacation breakfast -- lox, bagel and cream cheese, but NEVER every day. And nix on the bacon, waffles, omelettes, and Eggs Benedict. If you and your partner want to split a large item once in a while, live it up! Low-fat milk instead of half and half, and bypass the creamed sausage and biscuits. A handful of raisins and pecans or walnuts is good, and a bowl of fresh fruit. No juice unless it's fresh. * LUNCH. My favorite meal of the vacation. If we're walking or touring a new city, we buy the picnic described in an earlier post -- cheese, fruit, a small amount of bread, a split of wine and some meat or chicken. If we're on a ship, I head for the salad bar. It's smart to go easy on dressings and pasta items. Aboard Oceania's Insignia, a table for seven pauses between courses. Go instead for a bed of romaine. I add artful dollops of vegetables, shrimp, red onions, a bit of grated cheese, sunflower seeds, raisins and maybe some cherry tomatoes or a few slices of avocado. If I crave dessert, I have a tiny dish of sherbet. Once in a while, I fall off the wagon and have a cookie, too. *DINNER. Cocktail hour is trouble because drinking stimulates the appetite. Still, again, be moderate. Try the smoked salmon pate or the fresh shrimp, but go easy on the little pastry sausage things and the fried items or tempura. I again skip breads at dinner and avoid creamed soups and rich appetizers, choosing instead a cold soup and a small salad. Can't resist dessert? Share at your table and sample. FOR MY MAIN course, I order broiled or grilled chicken or fish, and nothing with fancy sauces. On ships, I eat only half or a bit more. On land, Keller and I usually share a couple appetizers and a main course. Perfectly satisfying. If you're with a group, share a few desserts and everyone gets a couple tastes of the bread pudding, flan or creme brule and chocolate eclair. Remember the "20 minute lag" -- it takes your tummy 20 minutes to tell your brain it is full. Your liver, spirit, waistline and wallet will thank you! Tips on transiting TSA, up next! COMING UP: Transiting the TSA line can be a challenge, a drag, a frustration. We'll share a few pointers we've gleaned on how to get through quickly at home or abroad -- with no conflicts, wear and tear, tension or forfeited items! Remember to explore, learn and live. And check us out Wednesdays and Saturdays at: www.whereiscookie.com

NEW 'PRE-CHECK' OPTION LETS YOU THROUGH WITHOUT REMOVING SHOES! STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" OptionsDID YOU know that you can greatly simplify your transit through the airport TSA by purchasing a pre-check screening option? It costs $85 but lasts several years and is worth its weight in platinum. NEARLY 100 airports participate in this expedited arrangement. We found out about this by chance, when we were randomly selected to try it out. But anyone can get it -- if you pass a basic security scan. One applies on line, answering a few questions. A vetting process occurs and if you are accepted as "pre-screen" material, your status will last five years, and may then be renewed. THE RANKING allows the traveler to enter a special line where you need not remove your shoes and belt. Even more appealing, you may keep your laptop in its case, carry-on or back pack. YOU ALSO get to keep your belt and jacket on! To find out more and which states and airlines These travelers are in line to check through bags. participate in pre-check screening, go to www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/tsa-precheck-application-process Learn the 3-1-1 rule for carry-ons: 3 maximum 3.4 ounce (100ml) bottles or less (by volume); 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger in the screening bin. The one-quart bag per person limits the liquids each traveler can bring. If you're not checking bags, pack your carry-on carefully. Be prepared. Each time TSA searches a carry-on it slows down the line. Practicing 3-1-1 ensures a faster and easier checkpoint experience for all. (3-1-1 is for short trips. If in doubt, put liquids in checked luggage. Some countries are sterner!) DECLARE larger liquids. Medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in a zipped bag. Declare these for inspection at checkpoints. Officers are usually co-operative but may conduct additional screening. If you're planning to contribute an item to your host's party or dinner table, bring the ingredients and cook it there! *IF YOU HAVE a favorite holiday food or beverage creation and it's at all "runny" or liquid, either ship it ahead, pack it carefully in checked baggage, or prepare it at your destination. Prohibited and likely to be confiscated are cranberry sauce, eggnog, salad dressings, dips, salsas, soups, gravies. And of course, guacamole! IF YOU don't want your gift-wrapping tampered with, plan to wrap your presents when you arrive. If they look at all suspicious, you run the risk of having them unwrapped. YEARS AGO, a well dressed Japanese businessman gave me this tip leaving Tokyo: A lighter load makes a happy trip! "Get behind someone dressed like me. I travel all the time. I zip right through the line." He also cautioned me to avoid families, teens, children or people who look like neophytes to travel. My most memorable "quick zip through TSA" trips were with my mother, who had a pace maker in her last years. On several forays to Europe, we were all ushered through a special line with my mother. She was patted down and "wanded" while we zipped through the x-ray machine and had our carry-ons briefly surveyed. For more on traveling with a disability or medical condition, go to www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/travelers-disabilities-and-medical-conditions Pointers for flying in comfort await! COMING SOON: You're through TSA, you're on the plane, buckled in. Now you're off to Europe -- or across the U.S., south to the Caribbean, lazing in the Greek Isles, Mexican Riviera or elsewhere. We'll help you arrive feeling "sunny side up" rather than "over easy"! Remember to explore, learn and live, and check us out Wednesdays and Saturdays at: www.whereiscookie.com

UP, UP AND AWAY WITH SOME TIPS FOR A QUIETER, HEALTHIER TRIP STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" Once you're up, up and away, a few pointers can help you arrive not terribly exhausted, and perhaps even rested! NOW THAT we can work on our tablets and read our e-books during many phases of flight, the airways are increasingly user friendly. But if you're flying "across the pond" -- over either ocean, East or West -- or over the Rockies, maybe to Australia, you have a long journey ahead. There's no way it won't beat up on you. A few tips may help you fly the skies in decent shape and reasonable comfort. All it takes is a bit of planning. * SLEEP STUFF. First, organize your carry-on before TSA. Make sure you put together a little carry-on bag of sleep aids: a u-shaped pillow, an eye mask, ear plugs and a shawl or light sweater. Once you're pushed back, you can relax and enjoy. Once you clear TSA, check your "sleep kit" and start drinking water. Situate yourself, your stuff quickly. *BUY A bottle of water immediately after you clear TSA. Start chugging it down. Or bring an empty bottle inside your carry-on and fill it immediately after TSA, when you use the bathroom before boarding your flight. Hydration is critical in the air. Refill the bottle often. Remember, air in the cabin is not humidified. Experts recommend eight ounces of water every hour or two. On the plane, if you're in first class or business, or even in coach across the pond, it's nice to have a cocktail or two. It helps me relax. Beware of over-imbibing. Both caffeine and alcohol will dehydrate you, but I drink double the amount of water for each glass of wine. I'm not about to deprive myself entirely. * CARRY A SMALL vial of hand lotion (under the three-ounce TSA limit) and keep a chapstick in your purse or pocket. I also carry eye drops to help combat dryness. Have a look out the window! * Business travelers already know that many carriers now offer in-flight wireless internet -- for a fee, of course. Keller does a lot of business while we're flying, believing it's worth the fee for him to stay productive and connected while in the air. The price isn't horrible. Gogo Inflight Internet charges $12 for one flight's worth of internet service. A monthly pass for frequent fliers is about $30. The connection isn't too slow. And you're communicating at 30,000 feet! *MY MOTHER was the world's top hand-washer and she seldom got a cold. She was ahead of her time! Flying can be dirty business but soap and water are usually easily available. Take advantage. Wash your hands for 20 seconds every couple hours. Mum also carried little square packets of hand wipes, and a small bottle of sanitizer. I do that, now, and think of her. Just a dab of an alcohol-based sanitizer on a paper towel helps clean tray tables, overhead lights, the sound or video ear and head piece, arm rests, etc. MY ASIAN friends use little mouth masks when they're feeling ill. I appreciate that. But it's too much to expect everyone to do that in an airplane. If you have a cougher or sneezer near you, get out your sanitizer and wipes and use them! A pasta dish may help you sleep. * HUNGRY? Save cash and useless calories by bringing snacks This pre-ordered meal was tasty! along. I usually bring a couple carrots and a celery stalk, a half-dozen crackers and some dried fruit and nuts. Little prepared packs of peanut butter and crackers are good, too. You can also make your own. On long flights, you can pre-order kosher or vegetarian meals. Sometimes they're healthier and tastier than the regular fare. I once shared a first-class cabin with Robert Redford, who declined the shrimp and steak and asked for the chicken dish from coach! Protein dishes give you energy. Great if you want to read or work. If you want to sleep, choose pasta. *IF YOU have kids, you know they get bored in the air, even if the flight isn't a long one. Portable DVD players can be found online and at electronics stores for as little as $100. Get some kid games if you travel with a tot. Well worth the price for all concerned, and appreciated by those of us who travel childless. Toss in headphones for the little people and you'll all have a more restful flight. * HELP US ALL! When you board the plane, you should have your phone or other toy put away. Find your seat, place your carry-on in the overhead bin, get out of the aisle and sit down. Turn off your cell phone -- remembering that , iPod, portable DVD player, and other electronic devices are now okay to use on most airlines. But don't make someone come and ask you to turn off your phone! The captain or flight crew will tell you when you may use it again. * CHANGING SEATS? No airplane can take off while people are standing. We've all asked someone to switch seats so we could be with a spouse, friend or relative. Best to arrange it with the person, get approval from the flight attendant then wait to execute your switch until the flight is in the air and the seatbelt sign is off. These two are taking a nap between flights! This first-class cabin is luxury! Cookie and Keller enjoy a walk, a rest and a snack when they arrive. * DURING a long flight, walk the plane a time or two. Stretch. Look outside! If you have a connecting flight, get some exercise by walking the terminal. Do some simple muscle and leg flexes. Turn your head slowly, move your ankles. Try to sleep, for at least three or four hours. This will help ease you into the new time zone. * I LIKE TO take a walk when I arrive at my destination -- even if I'm eager for a nap. A walk perks you up. Have a cup of coffee or strong tea before your stroll, enjoy a snack, and if you must nap, make it no more than an hour. Have dinner at a reasonable time and don't get more sleep than you normally would. In a couple days in the new time zone, you'll be acclimated. Keep drinking that water. But a little wine won't hurt. The beautiful Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles offers top-drawer shows. COMING UP: The Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles is a treasure of the city and a treat for theater aficionados, including two travelers and play lovers from San Diego. Actors Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch recently finished a run of "The Sunshine Boys" there and Christopher Plummer is on tap. Remember to explore, learn and live and check us out Wednesdays and Saturdays at www.whereiscookie.com

Cookie with Nick and Nora on a walk in Davis, Calif., during which time she embraced her genetic dog disorder. ABIDING LOVE OF CANINES IS A LONG ESTABLISHED FAMILY TRAIT "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." -- writer, photographer Roger Caras. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" Cookie's mother, Ellen Nystul and her beloved Scottie, Jinx, in 1941 in Columbus, Montana. Jinx ate shoes, books and the legs off a piano -- but Ellen loved him dearly. Cookie and her sister Robbie with Nick, near Carmel. The wind was blowing, and Nick's ears were back, too. "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." -- Josh Billings, aka Henry Wheeler Shaw, humorist. Nora, left, and Nick, enjoy the Fess Parker Doubletree from their oceanside perch in dog friendly Santa Barbara, Calif. Cookie's mother, Ellen, loved labs Drexler, left, and Pfeiffer. I INHERITED MANY traits from my mother: musical talent, a love of travel, a fondness for tomatoes, snapdragons and the color purple, a painful lower back, less than perfect vision, and a lifelong love of dogs. My mother had dogs all her life, as did her mother and her mother's mother. Apparently, I come by this affliction honestly. ALL MY ANCESTORS were great storytellers and had many stories about their beloved companions. Cookie's great-grandparents had many dogs, too, including this miniature cocker spaniel. Some think her name was Marlene. Others think Trixie. My mother's most notorious dog was her adored Scottish terrier, Jinx. Like all terriers, he was spirited, feisty, loyal,smart and quick. He was also, apparently, aptly named. Sigmund Freud said, "Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, unlike people who are incapable of pure love and always mix love and hate." Nick and Nora enjoy the Pollard Hotel in Red Lodge, Montana, one of more than 200 pet friendly hotels in which they've stayed. JINX HAD a long record of loving. But he knew hate, too. He hated when his favorite slippers were removed from the bedroom and he disliked the removal of the socks after laundry time -- before he could sample them. He was the family's most pronounced failure in our inability to train dogs. Despite numerous attempts to reform Jinx, he ate shoes, books, boxes of candy, thawing meat and the legs off a baby grand piano. Nick's prancing attracts admirers and dog lovers wherever the writers go. He learned nothing from hundreds of dollars of obedience lessons. He was also beloved until his final day -- my mother swore that he could sing -- and Jinx probably died with furniture slivers and shoe leather in his mouth. MY MOTHER'S grandmother loved dogs, too, and had many terriers and cocker spaniels. I, in turn, would come to love my first cocker, Bopeep, a gift from my daddy's cousin Sally Jane, who found him abandoned in a camp ground in western Montana and brought him to us when I was five years old. Cookie, Keller and the Yorkies - bonded forever on the California coast. BEAU FOLLOWED me to grade school each day and I'll never forget the day I walked home -- frightened because Beau had not been there to meet me. I saw the blood on the road in the snow as I approached the house. Beau was done in by a milk truck, skidding to miss him on icy streets. My thoughtful parents and grand folks hastily took him away to the ranch for burial before I could see his mangled body. AFTER SHE married, my mother began a campaign of dog salvation and child rearing. She and dad rescued ranch dogs who tested the patience of their owners, failing to herd properly and making friends with the bears who broke into the hen house. BONGO DRUMS was named for the sound his tail made when he thumped it on the hardwood floors. Goldie, not very originally named, was a beautiful golden retriever who swam the Stillwater and Yellowstone rivers until she grew too fat from grandma's hamburger. "Dogs are better than humans because they know but do not tell." -- poet Emily Dickinson. BLONDIE was a circus dog, bought by my daddy for $10 after the gypsy circus ended and all the animals went to homes in our small Montana town. I never knew who took the Elephant, Rosie. Blondie was as big as we could manage. She jumped through hoops and was a delightful companion for years. Her final resting place was a small coffin lovingly crafted by my carpenter grandfather Gustav. So many dogs, so little time. I've loved them all well and now understand that -- like all things "in the genes" -- this delightful disorder cannot be helped. Only enjoyed. The Barrister Bed and Breakfast, aptly named because its owner is a well respected retired Helena attorney, beckons guests. COMING SOON: We're sorting more than 2,000 Glacier Park trip photos, chronicling our odyssey from the Stillwater Valley through charming Fairfield, Montana, into Glacier and back through Helena, where we found a bed and breakfast fit for a king -- or a barrister! Follow us Wednesdays and weekends at: www.whereiscookie.com for travel insights and entertaining banter about food, wine, fun, romance and being alive and on the road! And remember -- "Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." Author Robert A. Heinlein said it best.