Day 1818

Today's Santa Paws photo shoot was in Lewisville, so I had to get up a little earlier than usual to make the 40 mile drive to our location. The crowds were a little lighter than yesterday, but I still ended up with almost 800 images on my memory cards. There were no mishaps today at all. The dogs were friendly and all the equipment worked. I even managed to get the MicroSync transmitter that broke yesterday working again.

It's surprising how many people come to these events year after year. One photo session made me sad today. A dog I have known almost since he was a pup is finally approaching the end of his life. His family wanted some special portraits to remember him by, since they didn't think he would make it another year. I have taken the final portraits of many Dalmatians over the years and I always wish they could live a little longer. Dogs live just long enough to work their way into your heart and then they are gone. Maybe Jasper can make it one more year though. I certainly hope so.

We had Pizza for lunch today. These photo events are the only time I ever eat lunch. If I ate lunch every day, I'm sure I'd be twenty pounds heavier. I don't see how people do it. Even if it weren't for all the extra calories, three meals a day just takes up too much time. I like a leisurely breakfast, but that's about it for me. I certainly don't spend much time on dinner. That being said, the pizza was delicious. I figure I deserve to indulge on days like this. The work is tiring and I'm surprisingly hungry. Maybe if I worked hard every day, I could eat like a horse. I suspect that if I did manual labor for a living, I'd be dead by now though. My bones and joints are just barely holding together as it is.

Dot was surprisingly energetic on our evening walk. I guess this shouldn't seem that surprising since she and Dash just slept all day while we were gone. Janet thinks I worry too much, but I still hate to leave the dogs for long periods of time. When I photograph all these old dogs, it really hits home just how short their lives are. I read an article recently saying that since dogs have been domesticated for centuries, they age in a very similar way that we do. They tend to get Alzheimer's, dementia, and cancer at almost the same rate as humans. The point of the article was that since old dogs live longer when they eat the best possible food, take lots of naps, and continue to stay active with long walks, we could do ourselves a big favor by living our own lives the same way. I ought to do pretty well, since just about all I do is shop for healthy food, take lots of naps, and take long daily walks with Dot and Dash.

Tomorrow I take my car to the dealer for a service check and go see the oral surgeon who is going to remove my wisdom teeth for an initial consultation. My car and my teeth have both been remarkably reliable. I really have had no problems at all with this new car, which is certainly a change of pace from my old Defender. The Defender was always in the shop, but I loved it anyway. Whenever I do see a dentist, they always tell me I have great teeth. They also tell me that if I saw a dentist a little more frequently, I might not have any problems at all. The decay in my wisdom tooth is totally my fault. Dentists told me ten years ago that I should have the tooth removed because it was coming in at an angle and was prone to cavities. They were right!

I know I take better care of the dogs, my cars, and my cameras than I take care of myself, but I really thought my teeth could make it another twenty years on their own.  I guess, like everything else in life, they're going to need a little help.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day