Day 3818

Today was futile task day. I tried and failed to fix a security light in the driveway. I think I discovered the problem though. Wasps had built a nest inside the motion sensor. I managed to kill the wasps, but the bug spray probably didn't do what remained of the sensor any good. I thought I'd get rid of a few more wasp nests while I was outside, but they build them back so fast that I don't know why I even bothered.

My big task for the day was cleaning the atrium. I managed to pry open the broken sliding glass door just wide enough for me to squeeze inside with a broom and a bottle of Windex. I tried to lubricate the door tracks with a silicon spray designed for balky garage doors, but it didn't do much good. One, or perhaps several, of the track wheels have broken and jam when you try to move the door. The atrium does look better now. It's just impossible to use as it was intended. I probably won't try to open the door again for another six months. I'm always afraid it will become permanently jammed in an open position. Since there appears to be nobody in creation who is able to fix this oversize sliding glass door, this would be very bad.

We figured out that we would have to leave at 5 AM to beat the morning runners and cyclists on our walk with Dawn. That would get us home at 7 AM when the morning rush usually starts. We left at 6 AM this morning and the trails were quiet for a while. The tranquility didn't last though. By the time we returned home the park was packed. The good thing about these early walks is that the weather is still cool enough for Dawn. She did well today and we felt good about completing our full five miles.

I still take an afternoon walk, although I don't really know why. It is very hot and there are far to many people in the park. I still keep my distance from these people, but clearly nobody cares about social distancing anymore. There are large groups having picnics and crowds routinely gather around the ice cream truck and the kayak rental stand. After all the mass protests, I think it will be impossible to institute another lockdown if there is a second wave of virus infections. Everyone has moved on and they just don't care about the virus anymore. Very odd, since infections are still increasing in Texas.

It's time to mow the grass again but I just could bring myself to start the mower. The house feels like an old friend who has let me down. Everything is shabby and falling apart. It's hard to get excited about yard work and even harder to get excited about major renovations. We live in a neighborhood where virtually all the small houses like ours are eventually torn down to build McMansions when they are sold. It seems crazy to put a lot of money into a house that will just be torn down.

I saw the International Space Station for a final time this evening. I worked up my nerve to walk to a good viewing spot in the park with a pair of binoculars. It was a good thing that I brought the binoculars because the station was fairly dim this time. The sky was clear, but it was much further away. The first time I saw it on Thursday evening was definitely the best.

Maybe I'll try to contact Sky and Telescope and the Air Force media office tomorrow. I've been very patient. It's about time I heard something from these guys.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day