Day 4535

I'm amazed that the roof didn't leak. We really got a lot of rain last night. I'm glad that Dawn isn't bothered by storms. All our other dogs would havae been in a panic. I was close to being in a panic myself. I hate dealing with roof leaks and was convinced that I was going to wake up this morning with a big mess on the floor. All is well though. There were no leaks at all.

Since the pumps didn't work last night, I was forced to go up on the roof and investigate this morning. It's a lot harder for me to climb up on the roof these days. I try to limit my time up there because I really don't want to fall. It turned out that the pumps weren't broken after all. The extension cords didn't appear to be bad either. The main pump had tipped over on its side which explained why it wasn't working. Maybe the wind blew it over or a possum bumped into it. Who knows? I swept all the standing water away with the big push broom that resides permanently on the roof, made sure that both pumps were working again, and carefully made my way back to the ground. It was slippery up there today. I hope I don't have to do this again for a long time.

Dawn wasn't wild about walking this morning because the ground was still very wet. We made it all the way around our one mile loop though. Dawn only stopped once, but we got her going again with a dog biscuit. She really doesn't like wet weather. I waited until later in the morning to take my own longer walk. I didn't really feel like walking either, but I am determined to keep moving. I was able to complete my full six mile route again. It was nice and cool outside, but I just didn't feel like walking. As much as I would like to on some days, I just can't substitute napping for walking and expect to stay in shape.

I resisted the urge to monkey around with the star tracker today. I had plenty of time, but why cause myself needless aggravation? The tracker works now, but if I update the software, it will probably stop working again. That's what happened the last time there was an app upgrade anyway. My Chinese contacts at Benro say it's perfectly safe to update the app, but I have little faith in this product anymore. I wonder how long I can ignore this thing? I'm curious what will happen if I upgrade the app and firmware, but I think I'm just asking for trouble.

There's a lot going on in space these days. I watched the Transporter 5 launch this morning and the Starliner return to earth this afternoon. Sure wish I could see more of these events in person. I kind of like being part of the little community of space journalists and photographers. It's just too expensive to go to the Space Center very often though. Most of the other photographers live nearby. Maybe I'll go back later this year. There are lots of launches I'd like to see. There's just not lots of money to indulge what has become a rather expensive hobby.

At least the rain is over for a while. It's going to be cooler for the next week or so as well. I was surprised that the furnace came on for a little while today. I thought I wouldn't hear that thing again until next winter. Maybe the cooler weather will make my walks a little easier. One can always hope.

Ranger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day