Day 4118

The stores were crowded today. Passover is almost over so I guess most people were buying for Easter meals. Some stores are discounting masks and toilet paper now. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of anything. Those stickers on the floor that tell people to stay six feet apart are largely ignored these days. It basically just seemed like a normal shopping day.

While I was out this morning I stopped at an abandoned Fry's store that was selling fixtures and equipment. There were some great bargains for anyone starting a business that required lots of bins and out of date computers. The store's PC's and printers were all on sale for $50 each. I don't know who would buy these things though. They were all old and showed lots of wear. I bought nothing.

When we walked Dawn today, she took the new route that she discovered yesterday again. We have no idea why this route seems more appealing now. As we made out way through the neighborhood, we kept noticing that there was an unusual amount of remodeling and landscaping projects going on. Everyone appears to be fixing up their houses and yards. Maybe some people are hurting from the pandemic, but I'm not seeing it. The real estate market is booming. The stock market is booming. A lot of people seem to be doing better than they ever were.

Janet was gone for most of the afternoon, so Dawn and I spent some quality time together. I stayed outside with her for quite a while, but inside she still won't leave the bedroom. When I fixed her dinner, she wouldn't even come out and eat it until Janet returned. It's been a year now, so she should have adjusted to anything that needs adjusting. Maybe I'm missing something, but it just doesn't look like it's going to happen.

I'm still spending a little time each day familiarizing myself with the new star tracker and camera. I oscillate between genuine interest and befuddlement. Sometimes I look at this stuff and wonder why I even bought it. The night sky is interesting, but if I had a choice I'd probably opt for a good night's sleep. If I ever really got serious about backyard astronomy, I'd probably have to start writing the blog during the day. By the time I finish each night's post, I'm done for the day. On most nights I'm way too tired to spend another three hours staring up at the sky.

Today I was almost too tired to take my long walk. I definitely didn't set any records this afternoon. My foot hurt for most of the walk and my right knee still feels stiff. I saw the mean little duck that chased away all the larger ducks while I was walking. I haven't seen her in over a month and was wondering if she was still around. Today she was peacefully eating with a bunch of Coots. Most of the White Pelicans have flown away, but there are still a few stragglers. I thought they would all leave together, but there are still about half a dozen left.

I tried running my laptop off of an external drive this afternoon in hopes that I could get it to run the software I'll need for the astrophotography workshop in May. The laptop ran way too slow to be useful unfortunately. Sadly, I'll probably end up attending the workshop with the wrong cameras and computer, just like I did last time. I'm not about to convert to a PC just for a few evenings under a dark sky.

I'm already looking forward to Easter dinner. Such a simple life I lead. I mostly just think about food and wonder why Dawn doesn't like me.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day