Day 3528

Sometimes simple things can take forever. I was trying to add some software to my laptop that was already on my desktop computer. I've had the software for a while so it was hard to find the disk image I'd downloaded years ago. When I eventually found this, I discovered I needed the authorization code that came with it as well. Where was that? I still prefer the old days when your software was on a CD. The codes you needed were usually printed right on the box. Downloaded software and more complex licenses are a pain. I finally had to call customer support and sit on hold for quite a while to get the information I needed. Everything works now, but something that should have taken ten minutes ended up taking two hours instead.

I was planning to take some pictures of the Milky Way while we are out in West Texas but it has been so long since I've attempted night sky photos that I'd forgotten the procedure. There's no point to doing this in Dallas. You can't see many stars at night anyway due to light pollution. I see these spectacular night sky pictures on the Internet and wonder how they're done. Basically you need a fast wide angle lens, a tripod, and a fifteen to thirty second exposure using a self timer. I imagine you need a certain amount of luck as well. I'll give it a try and see what happens.

The Sweet Autumn Clematis has started to bloom along the shoreline. I always thought these vines were a wetland weed, but apparently they originated in Japan and escaped into the wild a long time ago. They are more or less a native plant now. At this time of year I see them everywhere near the lake. Hey, something new to photograph. Even the hardy Texas Thistle flowers have gone to seed by now.

The only useful thing I did today was cut apart the big cardboard boxes for the toaster oven and dehumidifier that have been sitting on the back porch for over a week. After the boxes were broken down, I added them to the trash and took the can out to the curb for tomorrow's trash pickup. I don't save boxes anymore after finally realizing how much space they were taking up in the storage warehouse. I used to save boxes in case we moved. I doubt that this is going to happen anymore. Moving is way too much trouble and Texas is a good place to live anyway.

This heat is relentless. It's hard to believe that the observatory told us to bring some light jackets for our visit. I can't imagine wearing a jacket in August in Texas, but apparently the weather is much cooler in the Davis Mountains. The thought of temperatures in the 70's in the evening sounds very appealing right now.

A good night's sleep sounds appealing too. I still wish I was sleeping longer at night. Maybe I shouldn't take so many naps during the day.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day