Obesity is a major problem in the United States and Americans are larger than they’ve even been before. Yet, Southwest Airlines (whose routes are all domestic) began a $60 million overhaul of airline interiors. This includes a new seat that reduces total weight on each plane by 635 pounds thus saving the airlines millions of dollars on fuel costs. The newer seats have less cushioning and will sport mesh seat-back pockets.
Each 737 jet gains six seats, raising the capacity from 137 to 143 by squeezing in one more seat row. The seat recline is reduced to two inches from three. This might be okay since the person in front can barely intrude on your precious space, but bring a neck pillow for napping.
Seat pitch – the space allotted to each row, including the seat and legroom — will drop to 31 inches from 32. Southwest claims the lighter seats are more comfortable and have more room underneath for luggage.
I am not an artist; the closest I come is through photography. However, I recently found myself in Key Largo and was offered a painting class with Pasta. Hmm. My thoughts ran to my grandkids and those colorful necklaces and bracelets they make with painted pasta shapes.
No noodles here. I entered a fabulous artist’s studio and gallery where I met Roberto Pantaleo, a.k.a. Pasta, my instructor. Pasta is an artist who paints vibrant scenes of the Keys, mostly fish and marine life. I adored his lines and design in the above fish and was drawn to the peacefulness of this mangrove tree with criss-crossed roots.
Pasta Pantaleo and the Mangrove Tree
I was to paint a Leatherback turtle–okay! First, I sketched oval egg shapes on a piece of paper and Pasta showed me how to blend those into the turtle’s head, body and limbs. Next, I drew a similar animal on canvas. So far so good.
Painting the water
Now it was time to pick up the brush- a daunting task. “Just mix blue and green together and drab them onto the canvas like Monet,” said Pasta. Sure, I thought.
“Lovely colors,” he said. “Do the same thing with beige and browns to create the beach.”
Amazingly, my little turtle was coming to life better than I expected and the thing was — I was having a blast. I forgot about time and felt like I was floating in the water with my tortoise. I was literally living in the moment.
When I tried painting my turtle’s shell, my efforts didn’t achieve much depth. But, a few strokes from the master greatly helped the cause. I ended up with a painting I’m rather proud of. Sure, I know it’s a primitive work but I had fun. Wish I could take another class.
Turtle by Debi
Pasta Pantaleo is the ideal teacher; he’s encouraging and helpful, never demeaning and an all-around happy person. Might be the island’s aura, but the Keys seem to bring out art in everyone.
Camel riding isn’t a popular means of transportation in the United States, but a method I’ve always wanted to try. As luck goes, I was blessed with two diverse opportunities within one month.
The first came when I traveled to Jordan and spent two nights in a Bedouin tent camp. The desert at Wadi Rum reigns as an ideal location for a camel trek. Lawrence of Arabia described the landscape as, “red sands that stretch like seas between mountains of crimson sandstone. The rock monoliths sculpted by nature resemble the drippings of candle wax on a monumental scale.”
On the morning of my ride, owners in long flowing robes crossed the dunes and walked alongside their herd. The scene looked like it a sepia-tinted photograph from a history book, except the two Bedouin were talking on cell phones. Okay, I thought — digital age dromedaries.
They cushed the camels (lowered to a kneeling position) and covered their basic saddles with blankets. Stirrups are not part of a camel’s gear, so one grips the tufts of hair atop the hump. To get on, I flung one leg over the beast, feeling my yoga class stretches coming into use. I casually shimmied my butt into place and hunkered down.
Suddenly, my camel erupted upward nearly tossing me off its back as it leaped to its fore-knees. Then, in a two-stage process, its back legs extended, and I was nearly catapulted forward over its head. I then found myself riding at the height that would guarantee a slam dunk into a basketball net. Woo-hoo!
Desert camel riders in Jordan
The first few minutes gave me a bumpy, disconcerting ride, as my body jostled to and fro. But soon I began to adapt and enjoy the feel of the gentle compression of my camel’s hooves into the sandy sea. The view on camelback is spectacular, you’re about twice as high as when riding a horse and the desert scenery gorgeous.
Later in the month, I found myself at the Safari Wilderness Ranch in Central Florida. Believe it or not, I mounted a camel here for another ride. They use an easier method to get of on and off, but honestly it’s not as much fun nor as hair-raising as my original. Polk County camel riders step up onto a platform at the dromedary’s height. Then, riders simply toss a foot over. The camel does not rise or descend. In Florida, the saddles had metal frames which guarantee a secure ride.
Once beyond the loading zone, the sensation of riding is identical, except the safari traverses grass instead of sand. While riding through Wilderness Park I saw zebras, lemurs, wart hogs, cattle, deer, antelope and Water Buffalo. Safari Wilderness Ranch is not a zoo or theme park. There are no crowds and no lines; it’s a natural adventure with guides who explain the herds of exotic game. Safari vehicles fitted with shade canopies offer an alternative tour.
I highly recommend a trip to Jordan; the country is safe, the people are friendly and the archeological ruins outstanding. A camel ride across the desert is a cherished memory, but I have to admit, a three-hour car ride gave me a similar, close encounter with the humped beasts.
