Day 4085

Charlie and Cooper were really playful today. They had a lot more energy than we did and could have played all afternoon. Charlie is nimble and can easily catch things in midair. Cooper is kind of clumsy but still has fun chasing after things he can never seem to catch. The dogs have plenty of toys at the kennel, but are always most interested in the new toys we bring with us. Both dogs are very motivated by food and will do almost anything for a treat. We spent some extra time with them today because next Monday the kennel will be full with Spring Break visitors. 

It kind of surprised me that people are even traveling on Spring Break this year. Have schools even been open long enough to have a break? Is there even anyplace to go? So many questions. I don't think McDonald Observatory is having any special Spring Break activities this year. Traditionally, this used to be their busiest time of the year and it was always the time when they called on volunteers like me to come out and help them with tours and star parties. I won't be making the trip this year. People are getting vaccinated, but restrictions are still in place almost everywhere. I wonder how long it will be before people start filling stadiums and going to concerts again? I have a feeling that it's going to take at least another year.

Dawn is full of surprises. She decided to take a longer walk today. The new route she picked wasn't a lot longer, but it probably added at least ten minutes to her walk. It was encouraging to see her try something new. We tried a second walk when we returned from visiting the rescue Dalmatians and she picked the longer route again. Who knows. Maybe she will decide to join us on longer walks later this Spring. We're not going to force her to walk longer than she wants. Walks should be fun for a dog. She's going to enjoy walking a lot more if it is something she looks forward to. At any rate, Dawn had a good day today. So did Charlie and Cooper.

I can't say that I did that well myself. I walked seven miles today, but my foot was bothering me for much of the way. Often my foot doesn't start bothering me until I've walked quite a way. By then it's too late. I still have to walk home. Today's return journey was slow and somewhat uncomfortable, but I did get 21,000 steps.

Our nasty weather appears to be over. We should have clear skies for the rest of the week and afternoon temperatures will be in the 70's. Maybe we've got a few more winter days left, but I doubt it. It's already March. It won't be long before the trees start budding and things get green again. I certainly hope they get green anyway. A lot of plants froze in our yard during the cold spell and it is unclear if they are going to come back again. 

Tomorrow, Janet and I get our second Covid vaccinations. I don't anticipate any problems, but they do say that the second shot is harder on you than the first. In two weeks from now we should have immunity and be good to go. Where do you go though? It's really hard to plan ahead. What if there's another surge in infections? What if the places we like don't open up again? Everyone wants to get back to normal, but what is normal now? Maybe all this uncertainty has become normal.

We'll see what happens. You've kind of got to take things one day at a time. Maybe Dawn will like walking again. Maybe NASA will invite me down for the Starliner launch. Maybe my allergies will go away. One can always hope.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day