Day 4510

I could get used to this. I woke up early, so I went outside to watch the Milky Way core rise in the east again. There was also a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus this morning. The two planets were very close together just before sunrise. I also saw quite a few meteors. They were probably leftovers from the Lyrid metoior shower, which peaked just a few days ago. It was very windy just before dawn, but I had a warm coat. I'm starting to recognize constellations easier now. It helps if you actually take the trouble to go outside at night. I wouldn't do this in Dallas, but this definitely isn't Dallas.

Saturday has been the busiest day of my stay. In addition to my regular star party duties, I spent the afternoon at a festival booth explaining different types of telescopes to visitors. There were a variety of different types of telescopes on display and I explained the pros and cons of each. I didn't tell people that I rarely look through a telescope myself. I do know a fair amount about them though. I think my presentation sounded reasonably knowledgable. Maybe someday I'll spend more time looking at the night sky. I kind of doubt it though. There's always the blog to write and I do live in Dallas. 

I had the same telescope tonight at the star party. We looked at the same target too. Messier 3 is quite beautiful. I doubt that I could even see it from Dallas. It is quite faint. I'm not sure I'm pronouncing the Canes Venatici constellation the globular cluster is located in correctly. I do know that it means hunting dog in Latin though. I always learn something new whenever I'm out here. I now know how to open, close, and rotate telescope domes.

It's been a very nice stay out at the observatory. I reconnected with friends, got to enjoy some of the most beautiful dark skies in America, had some delicious meals at the Astronomer's Lodge, and had a chance to remind myself why I became interested in astronomy in the first place. I dread the drive back to Dallas tomorrow just as much as I dreaded the drive out here. It's a necessary evil though. There is no other way to get here. It would be nice if Southwest Airlines flew to Marfa, but I don't think that's ever going to happen. You can take a train to Alpine, but Amtrak is incredibly unreliable. Often the train that goes through Alpine is hours late. It's a lot more expensive than driving as well. 

I'm glad I had time to eat dinner tonight. I was hungry and pretty tired. There was about an hour break between the end of the daytime activities and the start of the star party, so I drove back up the mountain to the Astronomer's Lodge and had my dinner. I don't think I'm going to do any more photography. I've had a good look at both the morning sky and the evening sky. Right now getting some sleep is pretty high on the agenda. It's a long drive back to Dallas tomorrow.

Bea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day'

Day 4507

It's good to be back on Mount Locke. It was a long, tiring drive out to the observatory, but there wasn't much road construction and I didn't encounter any accidents. I've made this trip so often that I'm starting to remember lots of little things along the way. I-20 isn't exactly a scenic drive, but there are lots of wind turbines, a huge oil refinery, and mile long freight trains that run parallel to the freeway. Once you get out of Dallas/Fort Worth, the traffic is mostly large trucks. I don't know which is worse: big city congestion or 500 miles of non-stop eighteen wheelers.

This wasn't the best rental car I've had. The seats weren't very comfortable and there was no GPS. The car did have Apple CarPlay though, so I was able to use the GPS on my phone. Apple Maps actually does a good job of tracking and route planning. I'm not sure that this is good for your phone though. My phone felt hot after being on all day. I think it's going to be harder and harder to find cars with in-dash GPS in the future. Your phone basically provides everything you need.

I always forget things when I travel. It doesn't matter how carefully I pack. Something important always gets left behind. I took two cameras and the Polaris star tracker with me, but I forgot to take my tripod. Jeez. How could I forget this? A tripod is pretty essential. You definitely can't do astrophotography without one. I feel stupid to forget something this important, but that's what happens when you start to rush things so you can leave on time. Hopefully I can borrow a tripod from one of my friends out here.

It's a good thing that I did leave early because when I arrived at the Astronomer's Lodge I discovered that they had put me in the cottage instead of the lodge itself. Some of you might actually like the cottage, but getting there involves a lengthy climb up some very steep steps. The manager had already left for the day when I arrived, but the cook was still there and she was able to transfer my reservation to an available room in the lodge. I'm glad that everything worked out because I wasn't looking forward to hauling my heavy suitcase up those steep steps.

I walked for a couple of miles on the mountain after dinner this evening. It's amazingly quiet up here. There are no traffic noises, no airplanes flying overhead, and very few people. Some of the resident astronomers live on the mountain, but you rarely see them. Other than talking to the cook about my reservation, I haven't spoken to anyone. There is one other car parked outside, so at least one other person is staying in the lodge. One of the nice things about staying here is that meals are included. I'm pretty sure they had to include meals to get anyone to stay here. There aren't any restaurants for miles and miles.

I'm going to be very busy with volunteer work on Friday and Saturday, but tomorrow is kind of a free day. I'll try to catch up on my sleep and then go do some personal photography. There's lots of wildlife up here and the scenery is spectacular. If I can find a tripod to borrow, I'm finally going to try out the star tracker. After all the time I've spent monkeying around with it, I really hope it works.

It's been a long day and it's about time to get some sleep. Before I go to bed I'm going to go outside and check out the sky. I'm not expecting much since it was cloudy while I was eating dinner. Things change quickly on the mountain though. Who knows what I might see.

Bowser is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4159

I'm back in Dallas. It's been a long and interesting day. The weather wasn't very cooperative Thursday evening. Around sunset there were thunderstorms on the southern horizon and a thick blanket of clouds overhead. We kept checking the forecast, but it didn't look promising. While it was still light outside, our group got a sneak preview of a new telescope prototype from Planewave Instruments. The company wanted to test this scope under McDonald Observatory's famous dark skies. Unfortunitely, the fancy computerized telescope wasn't having any better luck than we were. The only telescope that could penetrate the clouds was a nearby radio telescope that would have made a perfect backdrop for the photos I was planning.

We began to see lightning and as the thunderstorm got closer we retreated to the Astronomer's Lodge to learn more about PixInsight and the intricacies of processing astrophotography images. It was still cloudy around midnight and most of the group decided to call it quits and headed back to their hotels, Airbnb rentals, or campsites for the night. I was the lucky one, since I was already home. I walked to my room, set an alarm for 3 AM and tried to get a few hours sleep. The predawn skies cleared a bit yesterday. Maybe they would do the same thing today.

I dozed off for a few hours and when the alarm on my phone rang, I got up and went outside. It was completely clear. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. I dressed quickly and set my cameras up in in a few choice locations. Since I had the luxury of time this morning, I was more methodical than I was yesterday and tried to take my shots properly. I didn't try to photograph any galaxies or nebula, because I knew I would have difficulty finding them without help from my astronomer friends. The Milky Way was still there though and it looked even more spectacular than it did yesterday.

The picture you see here is straight out of the camera and hasn't been processed yet. I'm standing in front of the Astronomer's Lodge and looking up at the 107 inch Harlan J. Smith Telescope. This should make a nice shot when I have finished processing it. I stayed outside until dawn, photographing the sky from a variety of different angles. It is so beautiful on top of Mount Locke when the sky is clear and the Milky Way is rising. I love this place.

There was no point in going back to bed when the stars began to fade. I fixed a pot of coffee and made myself some breakfast. It is so quiet in the morning at the Astronomer's Lodge. The staff doesn't arrive until later in the morning and I essentially had the place to myself. After breakfast, I packed my bags and got ready for the long drive home. I stopped at the observatory fire station to pump up my tire again since it had lost five pounds of pressure overnight. By 8 AM I was on the road.

As I made the 50 mile drive North through the Davis Mountain to head East on I-10 I didn't see a single car. I almost hit a deer though. The deer are everywhere up here. Luckily, even though my rental car had a bad tire, it had good brakes. No deer were harmed. 

It probably wasn't a great idea to make a 550 mile drive with no sleep, but I made it back to Dallas in one piece. I arrived in town during rush hour but the traffic wasn't as bad as I expected. I don't think anyone works on Friday anymore. It was still a shock to see so many cars though. I really prefer the solitude of the Davis Mountains. I'm sure I'll be back again, even though I hate the drive. The Davis Mountains have become my happy place.

Lady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4157

I'm posting early today. I've finally realized that there is no point in trying to write something at 2 AM after a long night of starwatching. I am usually incoherent at that time of day. It might be better to start writing during the day anyway. Years and years of posting something at the very end of every day have deprived me of a lot of sleep. 

So far the day has been interesting. I woke up this morning surrounded by a heavy fog. When I looked out my window at the Astronomer's Lodge the whole world was grey. I couldn't see the telescopes or the visitor's center in the valley below. It was cold too. The temperature was around 50 degrees for most of the morning.

After breakfast I put on some warm clothes and took a walk around the mountain. There is a road that circles the top of Mount Locke providing access the Astronomer's Lodge and some of the smaller telescopes. The road is not as long as I thought. I had to circle the mountain five times in order to walk two miles. It seemed like I walked longer than this because of some steep slopes and the high altitude. The top of Mount Locke is the tallest mountain in Texas accessible by road.

I met the guy from Planewave Instruments who will be conducting the workshop with my friend from the observatory. This is probably as close as I will ever get to a Planewave telescope. They sell mostly to universities and smaller professional observatories. Their telescopes start at about $20,000 and go up to over $500,000. A little rich for my blood. The Planewave guy isn't here to sell us a telescope though. He is here to teach us how to use PixInsight, the software program that I had so much trouble installing on my laptop. The first time I opened this software it seemed incomprehensible to me. I hope I learn something in the next few days. So far, it's all Greek to me.

The fog is already starting to lift and according to the latest weather forecast it should be clear tonight. I'm glad I brought my warmest winter coats with me. I have a feeling that I"m going to need them. When I was here last March, the temperature got down in the mid-30's at night. By the time we were through with our photography session, I was frozen. I've learned to be a little better prepared on subsequent trips. With any luck, I should be warm enough tonight.

Later this afternoon I'm going to assemble my star tracker so it will be ready for this evening. I'm really beginning to wonder why I bought this thing. It's heavy and a royal pain to put together. Also I have to kneel down and look through a small scope built into the tracker in order to line everything up correctly with Polaris. This was made for younger knees. When I'm down, it's hard to get up again. I"m going to regret not going to REI and getting a collapsible walking stick. I'm also going to regret not bringing a small folding chair with me. I hope to learn a lot about astrophotography at this workshop, but I may just learn that I'm getting too old for this.

Have I mentioned how good the food is at the Astronomer's Lodge? I always gain a few pounds while I'm here. Maybe I'm weird, but this is my idea of a nice vacation. The food is great. The place is quiet and peaceful. Quiet might actually be an understatement. It is dead silent out here. When I took my walk in the fog this morning, I heard nothing at all. There is no traffic noise, no airplanes, no police sirens, and no yard crews with their irritating leaf blowers. I didn't even hear any birds this morning. 

The fog continues to lift and I'm starting to see some blue sky now. Things are looking up.

Dixie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4156

I made it out to the observatory in one piece. What a long drive. Every time I travel to West Texas I'm reminded what a big state Texas is. I felt like I drove halfway to California today. I traveled through every type of weather imaginable. Parts of the state had clear skies. Other parts had thunderstorms with lots of thunder and lightning. Towards the end of the drive I even encountered a small dust storm. The weather is nice at the observatory this evening. Who knows what it will be like tomorrow. I guess I"ll have to wait and see.

The worst part of the trip was a construction zone around Odessa where the freeway was shut down to a single lane for almost 40 miles. Traffic was backed up for miles. I was stuck between two eighteen wheelers and there was no place to get off the freeway. Luckily I'd gotten gas just before the construction zone started. This was no place to worry about running low on gas. My rental car was a huge SUV that gets terrible gas mileage. It was the only thing I could find with an in-dash navigation system and blind spot warning lights. When did gas get so expensive? It was over three dollars a gallon in most places.

I think I'm the only one staying at the Astronomer's Lodge tonight. It's kind of spooky up here. The manager and the cook were leaving when I arrived. They showed me my room and got my dinner for me and then they left. I think some more people are arriving tomorrow, but for now it's just me. Luckily the WiFi password hasn't changed. The password is so long and complex that I needed help getting online the last time I was here. Meals are amazingly good up here. I don't know how this place managed to snag such a good chef. 

One of my astronomer friends stopped by to say hello while I was eating dinner alone in the dining room. He invited me to join him later this evening to look for Red Sprites on the horizon. I'd never even heard of Red Sprites until recently, but they are a spectacular form of lightning in the upper atmosphere. Often they are hundreds of miles away when they appear.  Red Sprites only last a fraction of a second, so they are very difficult to photograph. Maybe I'll see a Sprite tonight. Maybe I'll see nothing. I'm pretty tired after today's drive. I see a pillow right now and a nap is pretty tempting.

I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. The workshop doesn't begin until later in the afternoon, so there's plenty of time to go exploring. I didn't get a lot of exercise today, so I really ought to take a long walk in the morning. I took a short walk after dinner and was very tired. My feet hurt too. Going to bed early tonight is starting to look better and better.

We did end up looking for Sprites around 10:30 this evening. The storms were too far away though and we didn't see anything. The sky was pretty though. The Milky Way was just starting to rise and the sky was alive with stars. I stayed outside for about an hour trying to identify constellations. I wish I was more familiar with the night sky, but that's what I'm here for. Tomorrow should be a busy day. Maybe after a good night's sleep I can finally figure out how to put my star tracker together.

Dodger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4143

Upgrading my computers is always a traumatic experience. I carefully followed all the instructions for installing new memory in my laptop and was convinced that I'd done everything correctly. When I put the computer back together and pressed the power button nothing happened. The computer was completely dead. I took the computer apart again and reinstalled the old memory. It was still dead. After several false starts I finally got it to start using AC power. My control panel said the battery was completely empty. How did that happen? The battery was at 90% when I started the repairs. I called technical support and they told me to try resetting the system management controller. I've reset a lot of things on Apple computers over the years, but I'd never even heard of this. The service guy said that my problem didn't make any sense, but that sometimes things get scrambled when the battery is disconnected. Evidently. The battery is recharging now and we'll see if it holds a charge overnight.

I got some good news from McDonald Observatory today. I can stay at the Astronomer's Lodge while I'm attending the astrophotography workshop. This might not seem like a big deal, but it actually is. I hate driving late at night on mountain roads. I almost hit a deer the last time I was driving back to the Prude Ranch after the workshop was over for the night. If I'm staying on-site at the observatory I can relax and probably stay up a little later taking photographs. Meals are included at the Astronomer's Lodge too. I'm looking forward to this.

We were supposed to get severe weather today, but it never materialized. So far this year we have been very lucky. The bad storms always seem to go to the north or the south of us. I hope this trend continues. I always worry about tornados since our house offers no protection whatsoever. May is supposed to be the worst month for tornados in Texas but the weather hasn't been that bad this year. Alabama and Tennessee seem to be getting a lot worse weather than we have lately. 

It was overcast with a little drizzle today, but I was still able to take my long walk. There are two very large Muscovy ducks I frequently see on my walk. These ducks always hang out together, but today they were more than a mile apart. This was the first time I've ever seen the pair separated. I wonder if they had a spat? Ducks are noisy and apparently very social. I often wonder what all the quacking is about?

It looks like there will be another Starship launch at Boca Chica this week. I keep thinking that I ought to go down there, but it is not as easy as it sounds. South Texas is almost as far away as Florida and there are fewer hotels. Also, when you get down there you never know if there actually will be a launch. This doesn't seem to bother some of the launch photographers, but they are much more adventurous than I am. I still like Florida when NASA rolls out the welcome mat the best. I hope those days aren't gone forever, but we'll just have to wait and see. 

I certainly won't be doing anything exciting tomorrow. I'll look forward to another fruit smoothie and a long walk. Maybe if I'm lucky I can convince Dawn to be friends with me.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3728

My first star party is in the books. I managed to keep my telescope pointed at the right star cluster for the entire evening. Everyone seemed pleased at what they were seeing. I was surprised  that we even had a star party tonight. It was overcast for most of the day, but the sky began to clear toward sunset. The original star cluster I was supposed to show people was covered by clouds, so a different target was selected. I now know a lot more about Messier 41 than I did yesterday.

Almost five hundred people looked through my telescope this evening. I didn't actually count them, but that was supposed to be tonight's attendance. Every night is supposed to be this way. The crowd seemed healthy, but if I don't get the coronavirus after all this, I'm probably immune.

It's a good thing I brought two warm coats. I needed both of them tonight. It gets very cold after sunset on the mountain. I thought I brought my most comfortable shoes, but they still left a lot to be desired. It's hard standing on your feet for that long. My feet hurt, but all in all, I was fairly well prepared. I even brought a little flashlight with a red bulb so I could check the telescope settings without ruining my night vision.

One of the weirdest things about the evening was driving back to the Astronomer's Lodge at the top of the mountain without headlights. You are supposed to keep your lights off so you won't ruin an astronomer's observing session at one of the big telescopes. The staff told me to use my headlights if I didn't feel safe, but there was a full moon and there were no other cars on the road. I just drove with my parking lights and straddled the center line. I could actually see very well, since there was a full moon and my eyes were completely dark adapted by the time the star party was over.

It's been an interesting day. I met some engineers at breakfast who were doing modifications to the huge coudé spectrograph located underneath the 107" telescope. They invited me to tag along with them and I got to see the spectrograph room, as well as the huge vacuum chamber where the main mirror is recoated every few years. The Tull Spectrograph is used to search for exoplanets now and has found quite a few. I always expect rooms where science is being done at these large telescopes to look like something out of Star Trek. Usually they are a messy maze of wires and pipes with plug strips and loose electric cords and cables everywhere. I've learned no to touch anything.

Tomorrow I start doing observatory tours. I have an orientation lesson in the morning and my first work shift starts in the afternoon. I'm going to be kept busy out here. That's a good thing actually. There is nothing else to do on the mountain. The isolation is kind of nice. I'd rather be here than sitting in front of the television in Dallas, listening to alarming news about the coronavirus and stock market crash.

I shouldn't have any problem sleeping tonight. I'm really tired and my room is completely dark when you turn the lights out. Last night I had to keep a flashlight by my bed so I could find the bathroom. Hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. The forecast doesn't look good.

Vai is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3727

I made it to McDonald Observatory. but it is a very It's a long drive to West Texas. I purposely made the trip on a Sunday because traffic is much lighter. I got started later than I'd planned, but I still made it in time for dinner at the Astronomer's Lodge. I guess you could call the Astronomer's Lodge a hotel, but it is not what you would expect. The place is located at the top of Mount Locke, right next to the big telescopes. The windows all have black out curtains to prevent extraneous light from reaching the telescopes. The hallways are dark, illuminated only by dim red bulbs. Astronomers come and go throughout the night and they don't want to ruin their night vision. You are encouraged to be quiet during the day, since that's when most of the astronomers sleep. There are no radios and televisions at the Astronomer's Lodge. I think this the first hotel I've ever stayed in that didn't have a television.

This place is very quiet. I walked around the mountain a bit before it got dark and there was no noise at all. There was no traffic noise. No airplanes overhead. No police sirens. Nothing at all. The Astronomer's Lodge is silent as well. I talked to a few people during dinner, but after the kitchen crew went home, silence returned. The strangest thing is the place feels like you are on a boat. The building was built on piers on the side of a cliff and in a strong wind, you can feel the entire building move. This feels a little unsettling, but the building has been here a long time and it hasn't blown away yet. The mountain is almost always windy and sometimes the winds can become quite strong. I've heard stories that winds have become so strong that once the dome of the huge 107" telescope was blown completely off its tracks.

Room rates for the Astronomer's Lodge include three meals a day. Breakfast is serve yourself and they will pack a lunch for you if you are busy. Dinner was excellent tonight. Once you're here, there's not much reason to leave. When I checked in, I was given two keys. One was my room key but I couldn't figure out what the second key was for. I asked the manager and she said, "Oh, the second key is for the telescopes. Jeez. I've got a key that opens the 82" Otto Struve and the 107" Harlan Smith telescopes. Sure is tempting. I'd better not go in the buildings on my own though. I'd probably be banned from this place for life.

There are no activities tonight, but my first work shift starts tomorrow. I'll be manning one of the Star Party telescopes and explaining Open Clusters to visitors. Hopefully the weather will be better than it is today. I seems to bring clouds with me to the observatory. It was very overcast when I arrived. It's a good thing that no Star Parties were planned for tonight. There's not much to see.

I knew I would forget a few things on my trip. I always do. I really tried to remember everything, but I forgot to bring a hat. I'm probably going to have to buy a wool hat at the visitor center gift shop tomorrow. It's pretty cold at night and I'm definitely going to need a warm hat. I also forgot to bring my good binoculars. I didn't bring my bad binoculars either. This was a major oversight.

I hope Dawn doesn't forget about me while I'm gone. Janet said she did very well today. She's completely relaxed and it appears she knows she has a home. Janet and I are really glad we adopted Dawn. She's had a hard life and really needs a place where she can rest and relax. She's not a whirling dervish like some of the younger dogs, but neither are we. A sweet older dog is exactly what we need.

I think I'll go outside and see if the clouds have cleared before I go to bed. I won't stay out long though. There are mountain lions and bears up here.

Bacardi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3712

Today has been uneventful. Dawn is learning our routines and acts like she's been here for years. I don't feel bad when I have to run errands now because I feel confident she'll be fine in the house. We still gate her in a safe area like we always did with Dot and Dash, but since this area includes the bedroom and the big bed that she loves so much, Dawn has no problem with being somewhat confined. She's always sitting on the bed when I return.

I got a letter from the observatory today confirming some travel arrangements. These people always seem so friendly and inviting. I'm really looking forward to joining them on the mountain. The trip isn't imminent, but it's on my mind. I still have a lot of decisions to make about what to take with me. Do I need a lot of clothes? I wonder whether I'll have laundry facilities on site? I'm sure the people who live on the mountain have washers and dryers in their homes, but I'm not so sure about the Astronomer's Lodge. I'm not so sure about WiFi either. WiFi access is important so I can continue blogging. I'm thinking about buying an ultra-wide angle lens so I can take good pictures of the Milky Way. It seems a bit extravagant for a picture I've already seen over and over again. Maybe I just want to take one of my own.

I can't even decide whether to rent a car or take my own. A rental car would add to the expense, but there is no Land Rover service even remotely nearby. I didn't see a single Land Rover when I was out in West Texas. I don't think snakes will be a problem in the Winter, but I always worry about snakes. I probably should worry more about shoes. I'll be on my feet a lot and will need some comfortable shoes. I don't think comfortable shoes even exist for my feet. Shoes are always a problem. A normal person would just get in the car and go. Not me. I'll fret about all this for weeks.

I need to remember how we taught Dot and Dash to heal. Dawn loves her daily walks but she's all over the place. One of these days I'm going to trip over her. It's understandable that Dawn is still nervous about other dogs. Dash was nervous about other dogs for the rest of his life after he was attacked. Hopefully, memories of the attack will fade and be replaced by memories of our big soft bed.

My walking schedule has changed a bit. Janet and I take Dawn on a walk together and then later I take another walk on my own. I walk about the same number of miles as I did before. It's just divided up differently. Today was certainly a good day for a walk. Dawn thought so too. It was a little chilly but the sun was out and the result was just a nice, brisk day. I could use a few more days like this.

Janet is at a Dalmatian Rescue fundraiser this evening. I don't think Dawn is much of a blogger. I can tell she'd rather have me sitting on the bed with her. Hey, I'll be there soon enough. It's been a long day.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3667

Things are starting to come together. I heard from the observatory today and they told me that I'll be able to stay at the Astronomer's Lodge this Spring. This is pretty cool. A long list of well known astronomers have stayed here while they were using one of the big telescopes on Mount Locke. I'm relieved that I won't have to worry about renting an RV any longer. I also won't have to worry about food. Apparently, there is a cook on the mountain and two hot meals a day are included with my stay. It looks like I will be very busy as an on-site volunteer, but I'm really looking forward to this. It will definitely be something that few non-astronomers get to experience.

I still haven't heard whether I'll be attending the upcoming Solar Orbiter launch at Kennedy Space Center. SpaceFlight Magazine has told me that they'll verify my application to be a photographer for their publication. What remains to be seen is whether NASA will approve their request to cover the launch. It looks like getting a press pass is more complicated than I anticipated. There is still time for all this to be resolved, so there is no reason not to be optimistic. Even if a trip to Kennedy Space Center isn't in the cards, I've still got plenty on my plate with a trip to McDonald Observatory in the planning stages.

I had a meeting with my financial adviser this afternoon. I've been doing these periodic meetings over the phone for the past several years because I had sick dogs to take care of. I couldn't think of a good reason not to visit in person today. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly, because I should have stayed home. When I arrived at the guy's office he told me that he was recovering from the flu. He looked terrible. Yikes. I've always had a terrible phobia about being around people with colds. I seldom get sick, but I think the main reason is that I spend very little time around other people. I get nervous when I'm around someone with a cold. Oh, well. I did get my flu shot this year.

It's getting harder and harder to do more than one thing a day. When I got home from my meeting there was barely time to take my long walk. I initially thought I might be able to increase the distance I walk after a few months. I'm not so sure now. I've probably got the energy to go another mile on most days, but it just takes too long. Walking is a fairly time consuming way to get your exercise, but it still seems like a good idea. I don't think I'd want to spend this much time at the gym every day.

It looks like it's going to rain tomorrow. It may rain Friday as well. I wonder if I'll ever become comfortable with the idea of rain. Even though I've done a good job of patching the roof, I'm convinced that it is going to start leaking again. I need to make a decision about replacing the roof, but I haven't been happy with any of the bids so far. I don't want to spend a lot of money on a new roof and still be dealing with standing water after I'm done. Adding a slight pitch to the roof so that it will drain properly seems to double the price. I don't care how much you might love mid-century modern homes, don't ever buy a house with a flat roof. They are nothing but trouble.

I've wondered for a while why I wasn't able to enable WiFi calling on my phone. It turns out that my SIM card is too old. Usually when I get a new phone I just take the SIM card out of the old phone and put it in the new one. Looks like I can't do this any longer. If I want to be able to make WiFi calls on my current phone, I'll need to exchange the card for a current model. Who knew that these little chips had changed over the years. One more thing to add to my to-do list.

I hope I don't get the flu. I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow either. I probably should just hope I can eventually learn to quit fretting about stupid things I have no control over.

Jordan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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