The 2010 AMSA Phoenix conference ended on Tuesday last week with Elaine McPeak of Gaithersburg, Maryland’s Town & Country Movers winning the $100 drawing from Air Animal Pet Movers.
Congratulations, Elaine!
See everyone next year.
Tonight was the awards dinner at the 2010 AMSA conference here in Phoenix, Arizona at the Grand Hyatt.
Congratulations to the Gentle Giant Moving & Storage Company of Sommerville, MA in being designated as the Independent Agent of the year / 2009. Accepting the award, Larry O’Toole, company founder & president, thanked his employees for allowing the company to be successful.
Congratulations to the 2009 AMSA Agent of the Year, Hilldrup Van Lines of Stafford, Virginia. Charles G. McDaniel, accepted the award with graciousness and charm.
Congratulations to MSS of Montgomeryville, PA for being awarded the 2009 AMSA Supplier of the year, with the Summit Award. Accepting the award was Tim Hughes, the company president.
The MSI (Moving & Storage Institute) Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by outgoing MSI chairman, Chip Dircks, to Charles G. McDaniel of Hilldrup Van Lines, of Stafford, Virginia.
Congratulations to all of tonight’s award recipients. Well-deserved only begins to speak of their industry accomplishments and achievements.
Susan Ratliff, the author of “Exhibit Like an Expert”, captivated her audience this afternoon at the 2010 AMSA Phoenix conference & exhibition.
Susan shared with the focused audience of movers the five “E’s” of trade show exhibits: Engage, Excite, Educate, Encourage, Exit.
The Monday night reception opens shortly, where hundreds of movers, and related specialists will gather to learn, network and find out what’s new in the moving & storage industry.
From Phoenix, Flagstaff is having heavy snow today, no school. Snow flurries are forecast for Sedona and Phoenix will have rain showers.
Umbrellas ready.
The weather forecast for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Sedona Arizona did not keep us away from the red rocks. With clouds and mist settling into the red rocks of Sedona today, we were not dissauded from taking the tour of the area with Mike Krajnak of Southwest Outside.
Mike provided a geological explanation of the red rocks, the red sandstone, and the limestone deposits. A history of the ancient ancestral tribes was educational as well.
The back country roads were as rough as we expected, with Mike maneuvering us safely. Rain turned to snow the higher we drove.
By days end, the clouds had settled into the valleys, shrouding the buttes in a gray mist.
Dinner at the Elote Cafe brought the day to an excellent end.
Thursday found five Florida Gators in our office. Of course, four had two legs; and the most important Gator was the four-legged one. All five are relocating to Peru.
The four-legged Gator passed the health exam for the issuing of the International Health Certificate; which will be in the USDA offices today for export endorsement, the requirement for entry of the Peruvian government.
Safe travels, Gators.
The weekend blizzard shutting down the airports in the Washington area brings back memories of the Chicago Blizzard of 1979 when my late wife, Millie Woolf, flew to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to meet the representatives of five companies whose business activities were similar to Air Animal.
Representatives from Pet Express/SFO, JetPets/LAX, Worldwide/JFK, a local veterinarian from Chicago; Dr Gus Gillespie(now deceased), a New Jersey company, J & J transport (no longer in business) and ourselves, Air Animal, gathered for the weekend. Fast and long-standing friends developed due to being blizzard-bound at O’Hare for the weekend.
From the Chicago Blizzard of 1979 and its O’Hare gathering, emerged IPATA, the Independent Pet & Animal Transportation Association, a global trade association of pet and animal transport professionals.
And, the weather continues to play a day-to-day role in the activities of pet shippers, pet movers, and pet transporters. Whether it be winter blizzards, summer heat or any weather condition potentially affecting live animal airline transport.
Some things never change.
Also known as the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese Holidays. It is celebrated, of course, in China and in those countries with large Chinese populations. With festivities beginning on February 13th, it runs for 15 days with the first day of the new year observed on February 14th, 2010.
A joyous holiday today, the Chinese New Year began with fear and myth. The Nian, a wild beast (which identifies with the word ‘year’) appeared at the end of each year, attacking and killing villagers. Legend has it of the Nian being driven away by the lighting of bamboo sticks, with the belief that the crackling flames would drive away the Nian and other evil spirits. With fireworks plentifully available today, they now suffice to chase away the evil spirits.
Themed postage stamps commemorating Chinese New Year are issued by Australia Post, Canada Post, and the United States Postal Service.
Business offices in China are generally closed between February 13 through February 19. with customs offices closed between the 12th and 19th. Shipments of both cargo and live animals may experience delays, which may incur additional clearance charges.
Public health officials in New York city continue their concern with the continual emergence of rabies in raccoons in Manhattan’s Central Park.
With 28 verifiable cases occurring in January 2010 and December 2009, health officials continue their efforts to both educate the public and use oral rabies vaccine within the park to control the fatal disease.
The raccoon is a nocturnal animal. Finding raccoons during the daylight hours is an immediate indication of something affecting the raccoons such as the rabies virus.
Pet owners who chose to frequent the northern part of Central Park, between 79th and 110th Street, should be most concerned. Leashing one’s pet begins the process of caution, while giving you control of your pet as you walk.
Tuesday, 02 February 2010, came and went with more than one groundhog prophesying the winter’s weather, yet the forecast of Spring being only six weeks away gave us encouragement. Indeed we shall have six more weeks of winter, according to Punxsutawney Phil, the long established forecaster of the weather (now challenged by a competitor in Staten Island Chuck).
Competition does enliven the game.
A little bit of mirth does wonders in the shortest month of the year and gives us the opportunity to look forward to Valentine’s Day and its associated pleasures.
Enjoy!
