Day 711

It was one of those gray Winter days where you keep thinking it might snow. Of course it rarely does snow in Texas, but we still probably spend more time anticipating the white stuff than the rest of the country.

This morning we went up and photographed Holly and Belle, the two newest Dalmatian Rescue dogs. Both of these females had been used as breeding dogs in a puppy mill before we found them. They weren't well socialized and had probably spent most of their lives in a small cage. The bad thing is that situations like this are common. The good thing is that dogs are very resilient, and within a few months, Holly and Belle will be playing with other dogs and trusting their human companions again.

I went up on the roof this afternoon to sweep all the water off before the weather gets colder. I definitely don't want the standing water turning to ice. Ice on a flat roof like ours is a recipe for a leak. Heat from inside the house heats up the lower layer of ice and melts it, while the ice on top stays frozen. You can't just chop away the ice with a shovel, because the tar and grave roof is very fragile and a misplaced shovel blow could create a hole that would let lots of water inside. Getting the water off the roof is difficult at this time of year anyway, because the Red Oak and Pecan trees in the back year are all shedding their leaves. When it rains, the leaves on the roof form little dams which keeps the water from draining. When I get up on the roof to clean things up, it looks like a bunch of miniature Beaver dams.

I'd like to go out and support Small Business Saturday on days like this. I've always liked to buy things and I can think of several deserving small businesses that could use my money. The only problem is that there just isn't much money left over any more. As soon as December rolls around, the real estate taxes on two houses become due again. Yikes! I can't believe how high these taxes have become. Real estate values have plunged in recent years, but cities and municipalities are fighting tooth and nail to hang on to their tax base. I'm still paying taxes on the boom years, even though the boom is definitely over. Sign of the times, I guess.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day