Day 792

It was a busy day. I methodically moved from one thing to the next and by the end of the day I had accomplished a lot more than I thought I would. I used to have at least one day a week where I would work in the yard or tackle some household repair project. These days, I can't seem to get away from the computer. Between the website updates, the writing assignments, and the seemingly futile efforts to get my Klout score above 50, there just isn't any extra time. I've settled into a routine that starts with the dogs and ends with the blogs. I guess I'm glad I've gotten playing in a band and having gallery shows out of my system, because I really don't know where I'd find the time for these activities anymore.

Even with too much on my plate already, I still keep adding more things to my daily routine. I'm actually glad I added daily photographs to my list, even though it makes the walks with Dot and Dash a bit longer and more difficult. I've taken more photographs in the past month than I typically take in a year. I'm developing a whole new style of shooting as well. If you don't think it's difficult to take nature photographs while holding two very strong and rambunctious Dalmatians on a leash, just try it sometime. I've learned to quickly wrap the leashes around my foot when I see something interesting, so I can steady the camera better. I've also learned to start shooting as I approach something, because if I wait for the perfect vantage point, the dogs will invariably scare the critters away. Thinking quickly and shooting fast isn't usually the way I approach photography, but this run and gun style has actually improved my eye. I'm starting to see things I never noticed before.

I wish I could figure a way to do my writing assignments as fast as I do my photography now. I don't think it's going to happen though. Writing has always been a slow, methodical process for me. I write a sentence, take a sip of coffee, change a word or two in the previous sentence and then move on to the next sentence. I have to concentrate more when I write as well. When I'm working in Photoshop, it's fine to listen to music, but I never listen to music when I write. It destroys my concentration.

I don't think music affects the dogs one way or the other. What destroys their concentration are other dogs. At training class tonight, there was a young pit bull in the beginners class that would snap and growl at any dog that came anywhere near it. Even though we were in a completely different class, this behavior put all the dogs in our class on edge. They knew exactly what was going on.

Even though it was sunny most of the day, it must have rained again last night. There's water up on the roof again. I didn't have time to get up there today, but it's first on my list for tomorrow. Water leaks are kind of like death and taxes. You can ignore them, but you can't make them go away.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day