Day 4757

I took down the Christmas tree today. If memory serves, it will be a long time until the next major holiday. It's usually warm around Christmas here in Dallas. It's easy to get lulled into thinking Winter is over. Then comes February and you realize that you've still got a long way to go until Spring. I'm not a big fan of Winter, but I do like the holiday season. I turn on the Christmas lights every evening and they add a festive tone to our otherwise austere house. 

Food at the grocery store is a lot more interesting during the holidays. I frequently pick up something to eat at the Central Market deli counter and the selections are always much better around Christmas. As I put the tree away, I was glad that Janet, Dawn and I had survived another year. At our age you can't take anything for granted. Hopefully, when it's time to unpack the Christmas decorations again, life will still be treating us well.

We were under a severe weather watch today, but the storms never materialized. It rained for about five minutes right after breakfast and that was it. Maybe people living to the East of us got some bad weather, but I doubt that it was too bad because I've heard nothing on the news. Once I was sure that I wasn't going to get wet, I took my long walk. It was so warm today that I didn't even need a jacket. This is Texas weather at its finest. One week we are freezing and making sure that all our outside faucets are set to drip. The next week I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt on my daily walks.

I saw both eagles on my walk today. It would have made a great picture, since they were sitting close together on a tree limb near their nest. Later, I saw one of he eagles flying low over the lake. It was probably looking for fish. I didn't see many white pelicans today. I still think they don't like it when the eagles are nearby.

I made pretty good time today, but I didn't set any records. I usually keep a steady pace during my first two miles. I start to slow down a little on the third mile and by the fourth and fifth miles I've slowed down considerably. The last mile is always the hardest because I'm tired and a lot of it is uphill. You'd think I'd be in great shape doing this day after day, but I'm just hanging in there. These long walks are great for my heart and maintaining bone density, but I'm not building any muscle mass. If I want that I'm going to have to work a lot harder and start going to the gym every day.

I seldom watch television, but Janet was cleaning and wanted me out of the way so I started watching a Las Vegas marathon that was already on the bedroom television. I'd never heard of this show even though it starred James Caan, ran for five seasons on NBC, and was apparently fairly popular. I watched two episodes before I became bored and went back to the computer. The show was mildly entertaining, but I just can't watch TV for very long. It still seems strange that I was totally unaware of this big budget show, even though I used to like to go to Las Vegas myself. There are probably a ton of things that I'm totally unaware of.

Tomorrow the holidays are officially over. I need to run some errands and take a few things back to the storage warehouse. I'm sure I'll find time to take another long walk and then start complaining about my feet hurting. Somehow I feel like 2023 is going to look a lot like 2022.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4722

I went to the storage warehouse today to get the gear we need for this years Santa Paws photos. Most of this equipment has seen better days, but I guess it will last one more year. I think Dalmatian Rescue has been doing this event for over ten years now. It seems like a long time. When I was going to my storage unit, I passed a guy who told me he hoped I had a good lock. He said his unit had just been broken into. I found this hard to believe since all the storage units are inside and monitored by cameras. That's the world we live in these day unfortunately. Janet said it would be a blessing if my unit got robbed. It was hard to argue with her. Most of the stuff in storage there is junk. I just have a hard time getting rid of things.

When I woke up this morning all the leaks had stopped. I emptied the last bucket and put it away. Finally life was back to normal. Three hours later I heard dripping water again. WTF? Is this ever going to end? I put a bucket back under the leak. After about four hours this recurring leak stopped again. I think I'll leave the bucket in place overnight just to play it safe. Janet thinks I should have already hired a roofer by now. I just can't find one that I like or trust. Once burned, twice shy I guess. I've replaced two roofs on this house already using companies recommended by people I respect. Neither of these roofs lasted very well. I hate to do this again, even though it is necessary. Residential roofers typically don't do a good job on flat roofs and commercial and industrial roofers think this job is too small for them.

At least the weather was nice today. We had a pleasant sunrise walk with Dawn this morning and then I went out walking again after breakfast. It's hard to dress for these walks. I'm always cold when I get started and hot by the time I return home. It's surprising how quickly the temperature rises when the sun is out. It was in the low thirties when we got up this morning and almost sixty by the time I finished my long walk. I saw one of the Bald Eagles again today. Nick and Nora appear to be here for the Winter.

My inbox was inundated with Cyber Monday ads today. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are really just the same thing. I deleted most of these messages without even looking at them. Even though I find electronic and camera gear tempting, I don't need anything. I'm not buying more gear this year. If I had stopped buying things I don't need years ago I probably wouldn't have any use for my storage warehouse. 

There is a bad strain of canine flu going around, so we're taking Dawn in for a flu shot tomorrow. You'd think a nurse could just give the shot and we would be on our way. Nope. We had to schedule a full vet appointment to get the shot. This of course make the shot a lot more expensive. Oh, well. It's too bad they don't have doggie Medicare. Dawn is an old dog.

It's time to put the Christmas tree up. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. It seemed like last year the lights weren't working well. That probably means that they won't be working well this year either. We'll see how it goes.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4397

Another day, another problem. This Polaris star tracker is driving me nuts. I don't think I'm cut out to be a Beta tester. The Polaris unit itself seems very well made. It's the software app on my phone that controls the thing that's full of bugs. I think I may have defective connecting cables as well. Everything works well for a little while and then the app freezes and I have to restart everything and try again. I really got nowhere today. The app kept saying that I didn't have a memory card inserted in my camera. The card was there however and it actually was recording pictures for a while. 

It's very hard to communicate with the Chinese manufacturer and the other Kickstarter backers in the Facebook support group are just as lost as I am. A few seem to be able to track stars and are getting some amazing pictures. I suspect that they are all using the one camera that magically seems to work. I imagine that it is very hard, or almost impossible for the Polaris unit to support hundreds of different cameras.

Dawn seems better today. Her poop is still soft, but it is not a runny liquid anymore. Hopefully, this will clear up soon. Dawn definitely doesn't seem sick and her appetite is still good. She is mad at us now because we are feeding her less until her GI tract seems stable again. She had to go outside several times last night and it was very cold. Luckily, Janet is a light sleeper so she was able to let Dawn outside when she appeared restless. We think Dawn is getting better, but if the diarrhea persists we'll take a fecal sample to the vet to be tested. There's always a chance that she might have giardia.

I stubbornly continue to walk, although I'm beginning to question my own sanity. It just isn't very pleasant to walk on a cold windy day. The wind is worse than the temperature for me. A lot of my route is along the shoreline of the lake and on days like today, the lake effect wind can be pretty bad. It's really hard to dress properly. When the wind stops and the sun comes out, I am hot. When the sun goes behind a cloud and the wind start blowing, I'm freezing. The foot pain is always lurking in the background as well. The pain wasn't bad today. Maybe it was just so cold that my feet went numb.

Janet does her grocery shopping on Friday and she said the store shelves are starting to get empty again. I hope we're not headed back to the dark days of 2020. It seems that way sometimes. I'm tired of panic buying. I'm tired of mandates that create more problems than they solve. If the past two years have proved anything it is that the government is fairly inept at solving these type of problems and that everything in today's society gets so politicized that we lose focus of the real problem. Hey, at least we aren't Australia. Those poor Australians are fucked. What ever happened to Crocodile Dundee and Mad Max? I'm amazed that the Australians don't rebel against their repressive government. Maybe they've looked around at other countries and realize what will happen if they do. Sadly, we've living in an increasingly totalitarian world.

We took the Christmas tree down today. I'll take some of the decorations back to the storage warehouse tomorrow and that will be the end of the holiday season. I kind of liked looking at the Christmas tree in the evenings. The lights were pretty and strangely optimistic. I'm not really a very festive person, but holidays are certainly better than nothing. It's fun to watch dogs open their Christmas gifts too.

I'm making my grocery list for tomorrow. Hopefully, I won't run into the same empty shelves that Janet encountered today. I'm almost certain that prices will be higher. Inflation is not only real, it can be quite dramatic. Janet and I have different items on our respective grocery lists, but the things I buy have gone up in price every single week for several months now. The price of gas keeps getting higher as well. You really have to wonder where this is all going to end?

Misty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4359

The Christmas tree is up. It is a small tree decorated with Dalmatian ornaments. We used to buy Dalmatian ornaments whenever we'd see them, but it's been a long while since there's been anything new on the tree. We have plenty of ornaments now. Maybe we should find an ornament for Dawn. All our previous dogs seem to have one.

I retrieved all the gear we need for the Santa Paws photo shoots and it will clutter up the entryway for the next several weeks. The poles and crossbar that hold up the backdrop have seen better days, but I think they'll be good for another season. I really meant to buy a new softbox this year but I never got around to it. There are several boxes of scarves, bandanas, hats, and costumes the dogs can wear. These will probably need to be washed. Somehow I've managed to lose the spare modeling light bulbs for my Norman strobes, but I've got the rest of the week to find them. I can't even remember how long we've been doing this, but it seems like a very long time.

Every time I go to the storage warehouse, I find things I've totally forgotten about. What on earth am I doing with an old dentist's drill, an outboard motor, a wind sail board complete with sail, and the entire PA system from my old band? I really need to clean this place out, but I have no desire to get rid of this stuff. Everything has a memory attached to it. If the cost for storage space didn't continue to go up every year, I'd just get a bigger space so I could clear a few things out of my office. I wonder if that Storage Wars show is still on the air? My space would be a perfect candidate for the show.

Today was a good day for walking. The weather was just about perfect. Since we're trying to give Dawn a second walk in the afternoon now, I spend even more time walking than I used to. It's all good though. If I wasn't walking I don't know what I'd do with myself. I don't feel like taking on work projects anymore and  I have little desire to do things with other people. Someday I'm going to try to walk all the way around the lake. It will need to be a day when Janet is home though. She may need to come retrieve me if I don't make it all the way around.

I'm thinking about going out for breakfast on Fridays again. Its been a while. Some of my favorite restaurants are gone now, but there are new ones to discover. Oddly, I still have no desire to return to my morning smoothie. I always knew that shredded wheat was a temporary solution, so maybe it's time to start eating out again.

We can't decide whether to take Dawn with us to one of the Santa Paws events. It would be nice to have a Christmas picture of her, but she hates car rides. She probably has bad memories of the kennel too, since another dog bit her there. That's how she wound up with us in the first place since she needed a quiet place to recover from her injuries. Probably she'd rather just sleep on the bed while we're gone.

Belle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4358

The kennel was still full with holiday boarding dogs, so we didn't get to go see Charlie, Oliver, and Pepper today. We'll see everyone this Sunday though. That's when the first Santa Paws photo event takes place. If we're not too busy, we always try to take Christmas photos of the rescue dogs. I don't think Santa will be holding Charlie in his lap though.

Tomorrow I'll go retrieve the equipment I need from the storage warehouse and make sure it still works. We need to wash and dry the new backdrop to get all the shipping creases out of the cloth. I have a new camera that is in theory much better for pet photography, but I'll probably just use an older camera I've used many times before. I don't like surprises. 

Other than the change of plans for visiting the kennel, there weren't many surprises today. Dawn got her sunrise walk. I had my bowl of shredded wheat and fruit. I waited a bit before taking my long walk. It's amazing how quickly it warms up on a sunny day. It was in the mid 30's when we woke up this morning. By 10 AM it was already in the 50's. I'm beginning to think the Bald Eagles have moved on. I'm in the park so often that I'm almost certain I would have seen them again by now if they were still around. All the other birds aren't going anywhere. I saw the Monk Parakeets, the Canada Geese, the domestic geese, the White Pelicans, the Double-Crested Cormorants, the Muscovy Ducks, along with plenty of coots and Mallards today.

I also saw the oversized Bobcat again. The big cat made me a little nervous since I was the only one around when we crossed paths. The Bobcat had his mind on other things though and wasn't interested in me at all. I worry about people who walk their dog in the park without a leash. This is probably a cat that it wouldn't be wise for a dog to chase.

Since we didn't go to the kennel today, I thought about putting up the Christmas tree. I got sidetracked though and ended up doing nothing. Probably tomorrow would be a good time to do this, since I have to bring some Christmas things back from the storage warehouse anyway. I keep thinking I need to do some serious decluttering at the storage warehouse, but the task always gets postponed because I hate throwing things away. My storage space has become a convenient dumping ground for just about everything.

Janet got a new battery for her car today and hers was even more expensive than mine. Why have car batteries gotten so expensive? I remember changing lots of reasonably priced batteries myself. You just took the old battery out and hooked up the new one. You can't do that anymore. You have to take newer model cars to the dealership so they can reset the car's computer and electrical systems. I don't think my car would even start if I attempted to change the battery myself. Hopefully we both have very reliable batteries now. With the way the world has become lately, you'd really hate to be stranded anywhere in a major city.

I've got to figure out why my new Fitbit keeps trying to access my phone. It's really draining the battery. I've turned off all the notification and update in background settings I can find on the app, but the Fitbit is still determined to connect to the phone whenever it can. The shopping app that lets me bypass the checkout line in the grocery store is a real battery hog too. This app is constantly updated and each new version seems to drain the battery more than the previous one. I'm sure the store has figured out a way to suck all the information out of my phone and use it for marketing purposes as soon as I start shopping. Even though I know they are doing this, it would still be hard to quit using the app. It's a real time saver. I'm not sure what kind of information the Fitbit wants, but I'm sure it wants something. 

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4032

We had a scare today. Dawn was limping and was having a lot of trouble lying down on the bed. She kept circling and circling but wouldn't put weight on her right rear leg. When I tried to gently move the leg, she flinched. All this made me think that Dawn had a torn cruciate ligament. Other dogs of ours have had a torn ACL and it's pretty serious. There is a surgical treatment called Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy which is as complicated as it sounds. The TPLO surgery is usually very effective on younger dogs, but it takes a long time to recover. It's pretty expensive too. We took Dawn to the vet for an examination and waited nervously for the results. Later this evening we got some good news. Dawn's ACL is fine and she seems to have a soft tissue injury that might have been caused by a pulled muscle. The remedy is lots of rest and some Rimadyl for a while. Dawn is probably happy with this diagnosis. She'd rather just nap on the bed anyway.

We didn't attempt to walk Dawn at all today for obvious reasons. She was actually at the vet for quite a while. I took one long walk by myself and completed a little more than five miles. It seemed pretty cold outside but their was no rain. I really need to start taking a camera with me again but I hate the extra weight. I've always got the phone, but this isn't good for close ups of birds and animals. The phone is good for flowers, but there aren't many flowers in January.

I took down the Christmas tree today and put the decorations away. I also went to the storage warehouse and got one of the steps we've used in the past to help our older dogs get on the bed. Dawn doesn't know how to use the step yet, but she'll learn when it becomes necessary. I hope her problems are temporary and can be cured by rest. A pulled muscle or sprain might explain her recent reluctance to walk as well. We'll see how she responds in the next few days.

I didn't get approved to attend the Artemis-1 static fire later this month at Stennis Space Center. It's just as well because I wasn't planning to go anyway because of Covid worries. Nevertheless, I was still disappointed that my application for press accreditation for this event wasn't accepted. It's an uphill battle to get press accreditation for NASA events. The magazine I write for isn't large and it's easy to get overlooked. I guess I shouldn't fret about this. I'm not going anywhere this Spring anyway. Maybe when I get vaccinated I'll feel better about traveling. With this new, more contagious strain of the virus popping up everywhere, it just seems foolish to get on a plane. I need to be patient. Eventually this pandemic will be over and there'll be plenty of opportunities to cover launch events later.

I finished the outline for my next Sky & Telescope article this afternoon. It seems like it would be an interesting article to me, but what do I know. I'll send the outline to my editor tomorrow and hope that he tells me to proceed with a finished draft. I'd really like to get the go-ahead on this, because who knows when I'll get a launch opportunity again. Covid restrictions have really put a damper on my writing plans. I'm not even going to attempt to go out to JPL next month. I'd much rather stay healthy.

I almost forgot it was Thursday today, but Janet reminded me to take the trash out to the curb. All these days seem the same to me now. There are no big plans for tomorrow. I'll drink my smoothie, take my walk, and maybe start watching Season 5 of The Expanse. The new dehumidifier is running quieter now. Maybe it just needed a break in period. Hopefully, Dawn will be feeling better tomorrow. I don't know what she needs, but we'll try lots of rest for starters.

Misty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4030

I don't think anyone is going back to work after the holidays. Things are usually quiet on a Tuesday, but the roads were crowded, the stores seemed full, and the park looked like it was Sunday afternoon. Granted, it was a nice day, but I've never seen so many people in the park on a Tuesday. 

We're still trying to figure out why Dawn has lost interest in walking. Today we drove her to a new section of the park and started walking on unfamiliar trails. Dawn seemed very excited for a while. She was walking briskly and smelling everything. Then we inadvertently crossed a trail she knew and everything changed. She didn't want to explore anymore. She let us know in no uncertain terms that she wanted to follow the old trail back home.

Oh, well. We tried. We walked back to the house along the familiar trail and Dawn was happy again sitting on the bed. Unfortunately, we then had to walk back to the park to get the car. So much for this new plan. At least the car was only several miles away. Janet got in the car to run some errands and I continued walking. I got plenty of exercise today. This is one good thing about being retired. You don't really need a plan for anything. The goal is usually just to get from sunrise to sunset.

The Christmas tree comes down tomorrow. We left it up a little longer than usual this year, but why not. The tree looks nice and there is nothing else festive on the horizon. With Christmas in the rear view mirror, all we've got to look forward to in January is raking the leaves. We used to hire a lawn service to do this, but they've become very expensive. I think everyone becomes more frugal when they retire. My parents were and so were my grandparents. Living in retirement is like having a full tank of gas, but no gas stations. You really don't want to run out of gas.

I got a letter from my accountant saying that it was time to start gathering my tax materials together. How did this happen? It seems like I just finished last year's taxes. At least I made a little money writing for magazines last year so I can deduct my travel expenses. I thought I'd be traveling a lot this year writing about astronomy and space, but Covid has thrown a wet blanket over my plans. Basically, I'm superstitious. I've managed to stay healthy so far, but I don't want to push my luck. I wanted to go out to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Perseverance landing in February and I've been thinking about visiting Mount Wilson as well. That's not going to happen. California has become a Covid disaster area. You'd have to be crazy to want to travel to Los Angeles right now.

I guess I should start writing my next astronomy article before I forget everything I learned at the astrophotography workshop. My editor at Sky & Telescope said to send an outline first. I can do that. Actually, writing an outline is a good way to procrastinate. Usually, I just start writing and make a lot of revisions, but outlines are OK too. Occasionally, advertising clients would want an outline first. I definitely know how to do them. I just don't know how to follow them.

I still haven't heard from my contact at the dehumidifier company. Maybe they fired him for giving away too many dehumidifiers. I'd really like to know how to stop the rattling noise. I've got the unit placed in a bathroom next to the office and the noise is driving me nuts. It's too bad I threw away the the old dehumidifier on last month's bulky trash day. It didn't work well, but it was very quiet.

Will Dawn walk tomorrow? That seems to be the question of the day lately. We've been trying to build Dawn's confidence ever since she joined our family. I think she's finally confident enough now to let us know she's a very lazy dog.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4027

They had Clorox wipes at the grocery store this morning. I guess that's a good sign. The clouds cleared and there were blue skies this afternoon. That was an even better sign. We're still waiting until later in the day to walk Dawn. What's the hurry. Neither of us have a lot to do these days.

I actually got quite a bit done today. I made a few more tweaks to my new website, wrote a letter to my sister, went to the bank, and finished all my grocery shopping before noon. By the time we got ready to walk Dawn, it had warmed up quite a bit and we were feeling optimistic. Dawn actually did well today. She walked three miles, which was much better than yesterday. When she refused to walk further, we just turned around and let her lead the way home. There is no sense to push her too hard. Dawn is not a young dog and there are probably dozens of good reasons why she doesn't want to walk as far as she used to. She's been to the vet recently and there don't seem to be any serious medical issues. Hopefully, we'll eventually figure out what is going on.

I finally installed the sensor that is supposed to monitor our electric wiring. I've been reluctant to do this because our house is old and I was afraid that the sensor would find a problem immediately. So far, so good. The sensor has been running most of the day and it says everything is normal. We'll see what happens the next time one of the pumps on the roof shorts out.

Yesterday the replacement dehumidifier that the manufacturer sent me was making a loud rattling noise. It sounded like something was coming loose internally. I was convinced that the manufacturer had sent me a factory second, but today the sound disappeared. The machine has been running quietly all day. Did the part that was rattling fall off, or are these dehumidifiers just noisy when you are breaking them in? Who knows? I think I'll call these guys on Monday. I have a lot of questions.

I'm already losing interest in my website revisions. There really isn't much sense in having a company website anymore, since I am more or less retired. I wouldn't turn down a job, but I'm not actively looking for work either. I'd probably be irritated if I got a big website development project. Creating a website that works flawlessly across a wide variety of different platforms has become quite complex. I've got the new website working fine on my desktop computer, but it doesn't look right on my iPad. This means that it probably won't look right on most phones either. What a pain. Once I get this mess figured out, I probably won't look at this site again for several years. As I said, you don't really need a business website when you don't have a business.

I haven't taken the Christmas tree down yet. I guess it's time, but I don't see any need to hurry. The tree is pretty and I am lazy. I imagine that I'll take the tree down sometime next week. I've noticed when we are out walking that most of the neighbors trees are gone already. The Christmas tree is only a diversion. I really need to focus on clearing out the storage warehouse and my office next year. I'm sure this is a year long project. There is so much to do.

Why did I have a pizza tonight? Janet and both I love pizza, but pizza doesn't love me. I can already tell that I am going to have a bad case of heartburn this evening. 

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3661

I took down the Christmas tree today. I guess the new year is officially underway. I can't say that I'm off to a roaring start. I returned a few phone calls, did a load of laundry, and took the trash out to the curb. That was about it. It is hard to get motivated when the weather is cold and the sky is gray.

My Google search history probably reveals something about my state of mind. What are the most reliable RV's? Basically, they're all crap. Where are the best locations for dark skies? Apparently nowhere near Dallas. When is the next interesting launch from Kennedy Space Center? Hmmm. Looks like it is the one where I got waitlisted. I don't do a lot of searches about dog health issues anymore for obvious reasons.

I'm usually pretty good about avoiding computer viruses and malware scams, but I almost got sucked into one today. My version of Adobe Flash is way out of date because very few developers use Flash anymore. There is no use for it. I keep getting notices to upgrade to the current version however. Today, I thought 'why not' and clicked on the upgrade button. Fortunately, my antivirus software wouldn't allow the upgrade to install. I did a little research and discovered that fake Adobe Flash upgrade notices are common and are used to install malware instead of installing a new version of Flash. The notice looked very authentic. There was a genuine looking Adobe logo and the language seemed similar to what Adobe typically uses. You really can't trust anything these days.

My daily walks are mostly about exercise now. There isn't much to see. If there's any activity, it's on the water. I'm still seeing pelicans, but the trees are bare and the flowers are all gone. The only animals I'm seeing lately are squirrels. At least I won't have to worry about snakes for a while. You don't see many snakes in the winter. I still try to memorize things I see along my route. Usually, it's just a tree stump or a mileage marker, but it gives me something to do. The only things I actually need to remember are where the coyote dens and the porta-potties are. I don't really trust coyotes anymore and I'm starting not to trust my bladder either.

I called the tree guy today and he postponed our appointment for another week. That was fine by me. I was in a postponing mood anyway. One of these days I need to call the dermatologist and orthopedic specialist my doctor recommended to me. I've been postponing these things as well. I did make an appointment with my financial adviser. You can't ignore money for too long.

Will I go out for breakfast tomorrow? We're out of fresh fruit again, so I guess it depends on whether I feel like making an omelet. It's a shame that I've lost interest in my Friday breakfast outings. These restaurants worked so well at keeping me connected to the world for a long time. After five or six years I've eaten at just about every place in town. If I've learned anything, it's that it is all just breakfast.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3631

I finally got the Christmas tree up today. It doesn't seem possible that the year is almost over again. Where did the time go? Jeez. I still have things on my to-do list from last Summer. I try to keep up, but it's getting harder and harder every year. One of these years the tree is just going to seem like too much trouble. I've already stopped buying a pumpkin for the front porch on Halloween.

All the dog things we brought home for Ginny went back to the storage warehouse this morning. I returned with a big load of photo gear for the upcoming Santa Paws events. I doubt that I retrieved everything I need, but it's a start. We've been doing these holiday photos for so long that we've almost got it down to a science. I still forget things though. At least I've got a few more days to remember. I felt optimistic and didn't bring home any of the old muslin backdrops. I still think the new backdrop we ordered will arrive on time.

It took a lot longer than I thought to add the new petcam we bought to the network. The price was right on this thing, but the instructions were almost nonexistent. I knew the camera would probably work because when I looked at the comments on the website, people either loved it or hated it. Usually when you get such a polarized response it just means the device is difficult to install. I almost gave up, but eventually I did something right and the little camera sprang into life. Hopefully the petcam will keep working until the next time we foster a dog.

The hotel I booked in New Orleans called me this morning and told me that my credit card had been declined. WTF? I know this card is good. After sitting on hold for what seemed like forever, the issue finally got resolved. Apparently, the credit card company didn't think someone like me would really travel to New Orleans and just declined the charges in an abundance of caution. Why didn't they ask me first? Janet says I make my life difficult by still using the land line for contact information. She says credit card companies will send you a text that you can confirm on the spot if they have questions about a purchase. Who knew? I think they called the land line I had on file and nomorobo thought they were a telemarketer and kept hanging up on them. Life is way too complicated these days. The technology we use to make our lives easier often ends up making it harder instead.

By the end of the day, I felt like I finally had my ducks in a row. I added apps for the airline, the hotel, and the rental car company to my phone. I sorted through the photo gear to see if I had forgotten anything. I showed Janet how to use the new petcam, and I made sure the Christmas tree lights worked. Not bad for a Tuesday.

By the time I finished my walk, it was dark again. It really doesn't take much to completely use up my day. I used to accomplish so much more in a day, but for the life of me I don't know how. Even though I didn't accomplish much, I felt really busy today.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3630

We took Ginny back to the kennel today. She should go to her forever home this week. It was hard to say goodbye. Ginny is a very sweet dog who really seemed to enjoy her Thanksgiving vacation. She followed me everywhere during her stay with us and I know she was disappointed with me today. I could tell by the look she was giving me. I hope her happiness quickly returns when her new family takes her home with them.

I finally got organized and made my travel plans for the upcoming NASA trip. I've been putting this off because I couldn't make the arrangements I wanted. There are no hotels near the Michoud Assembly Facility and I'll be taking a night flight to New Orleans because we have a Santa Paws event the same day that I'm leaving town. I'm not looking forward to driving at night in a strange city. It can't be helped though. I definitely need a rental car with GPS.

I always really enjoy these special NASA events, but getting there is like pulling teeth for me. I'm not a natural traveler. I wonder if this will ever change? Once I'm airborne, I'm fine. It's just the planning that drives me crazy. I don't like airports. I don't like packing bags. I'm kind of nervous about Uber drivers. My idea of fun is taking a nap with a dog in my own house. Doing something adventurous seems crazy to me. The only reason I keep doing these things is that when it is all over, I'm usually glad I made the effort. Nothing ventured, nothing gained is not an easy truth, but it is true.

By the time we returned from taking Ginny to the kennel it was getting late. I still took my walk though. It was really dark when I got home today. These long walks are a source of stability. I like doing the same things day after day. Sometimes I think about the future on these walks, but I never think about the past. I don't even remember the past very well. I think this is on purpose. There are enough problems with the future. You just can't worry about the past.

I guess it's time to put up a Christmas tree. We didn't do anything while Ginny was here because we didn't know how she'd react to having a tree in the house. Some of our dogs have completely ignored the tree, while others have liked to sneak off with ornaments. Ginny did like to walk off with small pillows and rolls of toilet paper, so it's just as well that she didn't have the temptation of a tree.

It's hard to believe it is December already. I haven't heard anything about attending the Starliner launch in Florida so I assume that I never got off the wait list. It's just as well. The month is already too busy as it is. We're got two Santa Paws photo shoots this weekend and then I go to New Orleans. There's another Santa Paws event the following weekend and then Janet leaves to visit her relatives. I think the photo backdrop is going to arrive on time though. It has cleared customs in Hong Kong and is on its way.

Greta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3298

While I was eating breakfast this morning, a man walked over to the chef after paying his bill and shook his hand. I heard him say, "I travel all over the world and I want to tell you that this is the best French Toast I've ever had in my life." I smiled and gave the chef a big thumbs up. So did several other people in the restaurant. The chef pointed over at me and said, "He agrees. He eats these every day." The encounter was over quickly, but the chef was smiling as he went back to work. I love little moments like this. The chef wasn't invisible as he quietly worked behind his counter and apparently neither was I. I don't know who the world traveler was, but he did have an eye for quality.

It was nice to see the sun again. A sunny day can dramatically improve my mood. I thought Dash would enjoy the nice weather too, but he seemed sluggish and disoriented on his walk this morning. Maybe the additional pain pill his doctor recommended was too much for him. We've seen this reaction before when we tried giving Dash Gabapentin. We're going to try going back to the original dose for a few days and see if Dash returns to normal. "Back to normal" is a strange concept with Dash because there is absolutely nothing normal about him. Too much pain medication makes me feel terrible. Maybe dogs can have the same reaction.

I wish I knew more about medicine. I think some of my own meds are unnecessary but I've learned not to self medicate. There is too much I don't know. For a long time I thought that Adequan might help Dash because it helped Spot when his rear legs got weak. Then I did some research and discovered that Adequan injections can inhibit blood clotting and should not be administered to dogs with a history of bleeding abnormalities. I'm sure the vets probably knew this all along.

I was really surprised when the roof started leaking again early this afternoon. The last time I looked the roof was dry. The leak was small this time but there was definitely a slow drip. The roof was still dry when I went up to investigate but I could tell that there was still some residual water trapped under the silicon coating in a few places. This water was probably still looking for a way out. Strangely, this mysterious leak only lasted a few hours during the warmest period of the day.

I had to use some of Dash's Shoe Goo to repair my own boots this afternoon. The soles are starting to come apart. I'm really hard on shoes but I was hoping that these boots would last forever. I've been wearing them for about five years and they are finally comfortable now.

I think I'll take the Christmas tree down tomorrow. The holidays are over. I wish it were Winter that was over. I'm afraid we've got a lot more rain to look forward to and maybe even some snow. One way or another, the leak will eventually get fixed. I just hope it doesn't take as long as it took to fix the refrigerator. With a little luck I can postpone putting on a new roof until Spring when the weather is nicer, but we'll have to see what happens. In my world it is best to take things one day at a time.

Hunter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3261

Dash got a good report card today. Nobody said he was healthy, but he was very well behaved. I think the vet was as surprised as we were. Considering that Dash had to endure a number of procedures he normally hates, I was amazed. The vet was able to draw blood for a necessary test, give him a Bordetella shot, express his anal glands, and trim his nails without much of a fuss. The little guy made us proud.

I feel much better now that his nails have been trimmed. They grow rapidly since the protective boots keep them from being worn down on walks. I remember how much he bled the day he ripped his dew claw out and I don't ever want that to happen while he's taking blood thinners.

Now that Dash has survived his trip to the vet, I need to start thinking about this weekend's Santa Paws photos. I tested my back-up camera today and began charging batteries. I'll continue checking equipment for the rest of the week so everything will be ready by Saturday morning. My equipment is getting older now and I don't entirely trust it. I'd hate to have to replace something at the last minute, but hopefully everything will last for one more year.  I hope I last for one more year as well. I'm not very agile anymore and photographing pets is hard on my knees and shoulders.

The good news is that we're only doing two events this year. We used to do more, but the volunteers and I are all getting older. The Santa photos are still quite popular, so we should have a good turnout. In recent years people have started bringing their children as well as their pets because they say we are much better than the shopping mall Santas. It's amazing how long we have been doing this for Dalmatian Rescue. The team we've put together over the years is very good. I'm probably the only grumpy one in the bunch.

Christmas is definitely on the horizon. In addition to preparing for this weekend's Santa Paws events, I put our Christmas tree up this afternoon. We haven't bought any ornaments for quite a while, but luckily very few of the ornaments have broken. I don't think I broke anything today. Everything on the tree is a Dalmatian. We used to buy Dalmatian ornaments whenever we would see one, but we ran out of room on the tree a long time ago. If we break ornaments now, we can always get a smaller tree.

Our vet had never seen the slip-in bandages Dash wore to his exam before. She was interested in getting some for the clinic. It weird that Janet and I have inadvertently become experts at protecting a dog's feet. I guess necessity is still the mother of invention. It's too bad we haven't come up with a way to make Dash's legs stronger. If he could walk normally we wouldn't need all the protective gear. Amazingly, we may even need more gear in the future. The vet detected some instability in Dash's left knee today. He may need to wear a brace on both rear legs at some point.

I watched the latest episode of the National Geographic Mars series after I finished my chores today. The story arc is still pretty interesting, but I don't like the show's format. They continually switch back and forth between the present and the future in an effort to show that the Earth could wind up like Mars if we don't quit screwing up the planet. Everything they say is true, but the show is far too preachy for my taste. Dr. Who has become the same way. Can't we have a good old fashioned adventure without all the social justice and environmental lessons?

Janet said that we have to get up early tomorrow because she has to leave the house at 8 AM. Piece of cake. Dash has been waking me up early for months now. Just pick a time. I'll probably already be up cleaning up poop.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2932

I took down the Christmas tree today. For a moment I thought about just leaving it up for the rest of the year. I wasn't feeling nostalgic about the holiday. I just didn't feel like putting everything away. On further reflection I realized that taking the tree down was much easier than removing the water from the roof or working on my website project, so the tree is gone.

I think this morning was our coldest morning yet. Our outdoor thermometer registered 17 degrees when I woke up. On our morning walk I noticed that the lake was starting to freeze over. Wow. It's been at least ten years since I've seen any ice on the lake. The ice certainly didn't last long. By mid-afternoon the temperature had risen to a balmy 47 degrees. As they say in Texas, if you don't like the weather, wait a few hours. I hope our cold spell is over for a while. It is certainly easier to walk Dash when the weather is reasonable.

I took some of the Christmas stuff back to the storage warehouse and put the rest in a closet. Dash sleeps so soundly now that he never even noticed that I was gone. I should have taken care of a few more errands while I was out, but I didn't feel like it. I'm definitely getting off to a slow start this year.

I thought that balancing my checkbook would be a good way to start the year, but Quickbooks and my bank statements just didn't agree. Usually I can find errors pretty quickly, but it gets harder if you don't reconcile very often. After much searching, I finally found an automatic payment that I forgot to enter in Quickbooks back in October of last year. Automatic payments always trip me up. I'm sure there's a way to get Quickbooks to automatically enter these charges for me, but I never learned how. After all these years, my knowledge of Quickbooks is still pretty rudimentary.

I wonder if the entire year is going to be this way? My minimal routine does a pretty good job of filling the day, but I'll be the first to admit that very little actually happens. It's kind of amazing that I can fill an entire day with three or four simple activities. Walking Dash probably takes at least two hours. On cold days you can add another thirty minutes just to get his gear on. I easily spend two hours fixing and eating breakfast. Dinner doesn't take long, because I just warm up leftovers in the microwave. Lord knows how long I spend taking Dash out to pee. I always have to go out with him to make sure he doesn't eat cat poop. I must spend an hour a day looking at Facebook, but hey, everybody does that. Add an hour or so for taking mail to the post office and picking up prescription and there isn't that much time left. I really wonder how I used to get so much done.

Tomorrow is a big day for Dash. He's scheduled for another echocardiogram to monitor the blood clots in his heart. There will probably be new blood work and other tests as well. He actually seems to have more energy than the last time we ran these tests several months ago, so I'm hoping for good results. The specialists at the cancer center have become Dash's regular vets now. There's not a whole lot we can do at this point, but at least Dash is getting the best care he can get.

I can't really avoid the roof much longer. Maybe I'll remove the standing water tomorrow.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2908

The Christmas tree is up. It's a small tree and all the ornaments are Dalmatians. Periodically new ornaments are added and occasionally ornaments are removed. Most of the Dalmatians with angel wings are now sitting on top of the little urns on the coffee table that contain the ashes of Spot, Petey, Greta, Mindy, and Dot. We don't put presents under the tree anymore. Once the dogs realized that many of them contained treats for them, they wouldn't leave the packages alone.

Before I could deal with the Christmas tree, I had to remove all the equipment from yesterday's photo shoot. I put away the things that had a place in the office and took the rest of the stuff to the storage warehouse. Every time I visit my storage space, I  realize that the day is coming when I'll have to come to terms with all this clutter. The warehouse has become a black hole that sucks up everything I can't figure out what to do with. There are a few treasures here and there, but most of the stuff is old equipment that isn't useful anymore, but will never be collectible either. It will take an enormous amount of energy to clean this place up and I'm not sure I'm up to the task.

With all the Santa Paws gear out of the way and the Christmas tree in place, I realized that the house was very dirty. I spent the rest of the day vacuuming, changing sheets, and cleaning dog blankets. Dash's protective boots were starting to look threadbare, so I repaired them too. The house doesn't really look much better, but at least I tried.

When we took Dash on his morning walk, there were lots of people preparing for the BMW Dallas Marathon. This used to be called the White Rock Marathon, but I guess everything has a corporate sponsor now. I'm not a runner, but this was definitely a beautiful day for a race. It is almost a tradition to have terrible weather for this marathon. Our house is fairly close to the course and we've watched runners compete in pouring rain many times.

When I returned to the park for Dash's afternoon walk, the same crews that were setting up things things this morning were tearing everything down again. By tomorrow morning, all the signage, rest stations, and temporary parking will be gone. I like the park best when nothing is happening and all I hear are ducks quacking. Our walks are really the only time when Winter weather is welcome. Our dogs have always liked cooler weather and I like the fact that the bicycles virtually disappear. On nice days there are bicycles everywhere and I have to be careful that we don't get run over. On chilly days, Dash and I have the park to ourselves.

Dash didn't have a Cerenia pill yesterday and he still seemed completely normal today. This is good news. I'm sure that Dash will have a vestibular episode again, but maybe he can catch a break and enjoy a few months as a normal dog. This disease never really goes away, but the symptoms can subside for months at a time. Dash is lucky that he still seems to be able to recover from these periodic episodes. Some dogs don't.

I'm not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow. There are lots of things around the house that still need attention and I'm not finished with my website project either. There are fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and bananas for my morning smoothie, so I guess we'll start there.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2907

Another year of Santa Paws has come and gone. Today was a big success and I'm pretty sure that we photographed even more dogs than we did last week. We had a several very large dogs today, one cat, a very well behaved baby, and a chinchilla. I don't think I've ever seen a chinchilla before. They have large ears and look like someone tried to breed a rabbit with a rat.

We photographed quite a few Dalmatians today. Dalmatians are very photogenic, but they have lots of energy. Every year I always have at least one photo of a Dalmatian flying through the air trying to escape from Santa's arms. A nervous Husky was the only dog who peed on the backdrop this year and nobody knocked anything over. I operate the strobes on low power now and move the lights in a little closer to get the same exposure. By babying the equipment this way, maybe I can squeeze one more year out of it.

I was pleased at how well things went this year. We've been doing these Christmas pet pictures for almost a decade now and there are few disaster anymore. We've definitely learned how to photograph dogs. I'm not as nimble as I used to be but I feel foolish even mentioning my somewhat minor aches and pains. Our leader had knee replacement surgery last week and it didn't seem to slow her down a bit. Every year I wonder how much longer we can continue doing this. Judging by how well things went today, I think we'll be back next year.

I feel bad about leaving Dash at home so long when we do these photo shoots, but there is no other alternative. Janet and I are both needed at these events and Dash hates riding in the car. He seemed fine at home today. There were no vestibular events and every time we checked him on the baby monitor, he was just sleeping on the bed. It was a very long day, but Dash still got a walk just before sunset. It was amazing he got a walk at all today. Janet left for home earlier than I did, but we both got caught in a horrible traffic jam on the freeway. There was an accident and it took over an hour to inch our way past the wreck.

The photo equipment is still piled up in the hallway, but I'm going to get organized tomorrow and take it all back to the storage warehouse. I don't do many photo shoots anymore and there's a good chance that this stuff won't be needed again until next year. As soon as I get all the clutter cleared away, it will be time to put up the Christmas tree.

I doubt if I'll make it to the gym this week. I might not even make it to the grocery store. There's so much to do that I don't even know where to begin. Maybe Dash will let us sleep in tomorrow morning. That would be nice. I think I'll sleep well tonight. I'm very tired.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2893

When I was younger I thought I would never live in a cluttered house filled with decades of forgotten and unnecessary things. That was something my parents did. How times have changed. Now, our house suspiciously resembles every older person's home I can remember. There is too much furniture. There are too many things hanging on the walls. And the closets are filled with too many failed attempts to declutter.

Tonight, Janet wanted to make holiday dog biscuits, but we couldn't find the bone shaped cookie cutters. We wouldn't have thrown these things away because we've used them too many times. Where were they though? We couldn't find them in the kitchen. They weren't in the utility room. I even got a step ladder and looked in the ceiling level cabinets above the clothes closets. These hard to reach cabinets have become a temporary purgatory for things we no longer need, but can't bring ourselves to throw away. It would have been far easier to go to a store and buy new cookie cutters, but that would be admitting that you've totally lost control of your house. I was unable to find the cookie cutters, but eventually Janet found three of them at the bottom of a drawer filled with cloth dinner napkins we never use.

After finishing the grocery shopping, I went up on the roof and was pleased to see that everything was dry. It looked like this would be a good day to continue my repairs. I hauled a bucket of the silicon elastomer up on the roof with a rope and immediately spilled some of the messy stuff on my shoe. I've learned to wear worn out clothes that I can dispose of if necessary, but I still try my best to get the coating material on the roof instead of spilling the stuff on me. It was nice that it was warm today, but it would have been even nicer if it weren't so windy. Applying a glue like substance with a paint roller on a windy day is just asking for trouble. I used about two gallons of the elastomer this afternoon and repaired a lot of bad spots. I also ruined a pair of pants and had to clean my hands with nail polish remover when I was done. I really wonder if I am ever going to finish this job.

Dash refused to walk again this afternoon. I don't know what motivates this dog. All week long he has been eager to take a walk around 3 PM. We followed the exact same routine as we do on weekdays, but was just wasn't interested. It is so difficult to get all his protective gear on that I thought I'd leave him suited up in case he got interested in walking later. This was a mistake. The knee brace is good for walks, but hampers his movement around the house. Instead of being sensible and taking a nap on a rug, Dash immediately tried to hop on the bed and fell over. I took everything off and made sure he was OK and then just gave up for the day. Dash didn't get an afternoon walk.

I saw lots of Christmas trees strapped to car roofs when I was out today. It still seems early to me, but I guess I'll need to start thinking about putting ours up soon. So much can change in a year. Last Christmas Dot was still with us, Janet hadn't been diagnosed with cancer yet, and I could still pretend I had a viable business. Somehow we survived. As the year draws to a close, there is a lot to be thankful for and a lot to be apprehensive about as well. This year has been a roller coaster. I'm hoping that next Christmas I can look back at a fairly uneventful year.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day