Tick-tock, tick-tock. That's the countdown to the National Shrimp Festival, which is Oct. 9-12. It's not too late to plan a trip – although you will need to act quickly. To find out some special deals on rooms or other rentals, check out www.thebeachiscalling.org. From the home page, click on the “Packages & Deals” tab. In the center of the page, there's a link named “Special Events.” Follow it to find all sorts of deals on condos and other rental properties. If you've never been to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores during the festival, you should rectify that immediately. Come on down. We'll leave the tails on for you!