Day 3936

I didn't see any coyotes today, but the rest of the White Pelicans seem to have arrived for the Winter. There were way too many to count today. I wonder whether these birds arrive at night. I never see them flying in, but there always seem to be additional birds when I arrive at Pelican Bay on my daily walks.

Dawn continues to take much shorter walks, so I am faced with making up the extra steps I need on my own. The park was busy today. There were people playing rugby and baseball on city maintained fields. There were lots of families having large picnics and barbecues. I passed a young couple having their wedding pictures taken. It really just seemed like a normal Fall day. A lot of people are still wearing masks, but it appears that Dallas has collectively decided that the virus is over.

One of the many changes I have noticed is that there are a lot of Airstream trailers in the neighborhood now. I counted four Airstream Internationals today. There are big, expensive trailers and seeing so many is probably a good sign that it's going to take a long time for air travel to recover. More and more people are taking car trips now. They say that National Parks have become overcrowded this summer. I thought about getting an RV when I first began contemplating spending a lot of time out at McDonald Observatory. That didn't last long. The bathrooms in an RV or travel trailer leave a lot to be desired. I like to take long showers and dealing with grey and black water tanks is disgusting. Even in a post-Covid world, I still think a nice hotel is much better.

Grocery shopping went smoothly today. I found most of the things on my list, but I have been noticing that there just aren't as many items on the shelves these days. There is plenty of food, but just not as much variety. It still feels like the entire supply chain is messed up. I wonder how long it is going to take for the world to return to normal. Maybe it never will. Sadly, we might just redefine what normal is.

My seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance. Occasionally a cold front will bring a few days of relief, but it's pretty bad this Fall. I forget how long this typically lasts, but I've had enough. It's awkward having to blow your nose all the time when you are wearing a mask. I don't do well with antihistamines either. Those heavy duty blue shop towels are a lot better than Kleenex. I make sure to stuff my pockets with a few shop towels before I go anywhere. Seasonal allergies are probably one more reason I shouldn't attempt to fly anywhere in the near future. 

I went out and picked up a pizza for dinner tonight. I continue to be amazed at how full the restaurants are. Texas must have returned to full occupancy because a lot of the restaurants I passed on the way to the pizza place appeared to be full. Shopping malls and big box retailers seem to be full as well. It's weird. You turn on the television and you see one world. Then you drive around town and see a completely different world. 

Dawn seems a lot better now. Around the house she seem perfectly normal. She still won't take long walks though. It's kind of hard to tell whether she is becoming tired more easily or has just discovered that she's in charge now. Now that she has learned that we will turn around and head home again whenever she sits down in the road, it might have gone to her head. Dalmatians are high energy dogs, but they can also be very lazy.

Hobbs is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day