Day 3867

I guess I should look out the window more. I kept seeing all these pictures of a large rainbow by the lake on the Internet. I didn't even know it had rained. The rain couldn't have lasted long, but the yard is wet. It's weird. I've been waiting for rain for weeks and I missed it. I doubt that I would have made an effort to take a picture of the rainbow anyway. I hate to get wet.

Without my regular trip to the gym, Sundays are more uneventful than ever. We got another late start on our walk this morning but it was OK. The sky was cloudy and there was a breeze. The ducks and geese have all returned to the water. Why? As recently as a week ago they were all on the shoreline. One thing about ducks and geese, they do everything together.

I thought the wildflower season was over, but I keep finding new ones. The other day I found the Buttonbush flowers. Today it was a Rose Mallow. I think they call these big blooms Hardy Hibiscus as well. Janet and I are trying to identify a tree that looks like it is full of little plumbs. The park does have plumb trees, but this fruit looks a bit too small. I don't understand why so many people seem to spend their entire time in the park looking at their phones. There is so much to see out here.

It was hard to get up this morning. It's difficult to get up early when you go to bed late. It's taking me longer and longer to write the blog in the evening because I have so little to say. I stare at the screen waiting for a thought, but often nothing comes. Sometimes I'll take a break and do laundry, but that's not very inspirational. I need to go back to the observatory. I felt safe up on the mountain and I felt inspired looking at the night sky. The whole experience was the exact opposite of life in the city during a pandemic.

I keep seeing all these amazing pictures of comet Neowise on the Internet. I'm impressed, but lot of these people are just showing off. The images have clearly been manipulated using compositing and other advanced image stacking techniques. Sky replacement seems to be a popular technique these days. I kind of admire the people who just go take a picture of the comet in their back yard with their phone. It doesn't look like much, but for most of us the comet doesn't look like much in real life either.

I'm fascinated by the popularity of manipulated images that are presented as real. Somebody ought to do a serious article about this. Real isn't good enough anymore. People want better than real. Most selfies aren't real. There are so many filters out there that make it easy to bump things up a notch. I've met people at NASA events that I'd only seen on the Internet before. I didn't even recognize many of them. My photos may not be great, but they are definitely real. I'm too damn lazy to manipulate images.

I wish Dawn would warm up to me. She's pretty good most of the time, but I can tell she is still frightened at times when Janet is gone. Dawn tolerates me, but she's clearly Janet's dog. Oh, well. We've got plenty of time to bond and work on things. I'm not going anywhere. This pandemic has ruined most of my plans.

Smokey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3866

We were looking for a place to photograph Dawn this morning and I discovered some Buttonbush trees. Buttonbush flowers have always seemed strange to me, but now they remind me of the coronavirus. I guess there is good reason to be cautious of this plant. It's poisonous. Native people have used the Buttonbush tree for medicinal purposes for centuries, but don't let your dog get near it. One of the only reasons I started learning about Texas plants was to keep our dogs away from the poisonous ones. There's quite a few around here.

We got a late start on our walk this morning, but at least it was overcast so the heat wasn't so bad. It was very muggy though. Sometimes I think Dawn wishes we were lazier and just slept in on weekends. There are always a lot more people out walking on Saturday morning. The coronavirus had definitely gotten more people interested in exercising. We see a lot more joggers and cyclists in the park than we did this time last year. I preferred things when the park was empty, but I guess it's a good thing that people are finally starting to take fitness seriously.

I never can find everything on my shopping list anymore. There were plenty of blueberries today, but I couldn't find raspberries. I finally remembered to get air filters for the furnace and was surprised to see that the new ones were much more expensive. When I looked at the label when I got home I noticed that these filters had a fancy new layer that trapped even microscopic particles. I guess with all the interest in air conditioning systems and clean air these days, the store thought people would go for a more expensive filter. It might help if I looked at labels before I bought things.

I wasted most of the day trying to fix little things around the house. Janet had a battery powered fan that had sat around so long that the batteries had corroded and started leaking. I thought I could clean up the battery mess and fix the fan, but I failed. The fan motor had gone bad as well. There was a flickering light in the bedroom and I couldn't figure out whether the problem was the bulb or the fixture. Something was causing the LED bulbs to get too hot and they would shut off for a while and then come back on after they had cooled. Why now? This lamp has worked perfectly for years. There was also a clogged drain in the shower. Yuk. I hate pulling hair out of clogged drains.

Dawn seems really tired after our morning walks. I hope we aren't pushing her too hard. She is always eager to walk and never shows any of the warning signs of heat exhaustion. She kept up a good pace this morning and wasn't even panting, but as soon as we got home she went straight for her dog bed. Maybe this is normal. I kind of felt like going back to bed myself.

I doubt hat I'll do anything productive tomorrow. I don't feel like going back to the gym yet. Actually, I'm amazed that the gyms are still open. Things look like they are finally starting to improve in Texas but I don't put a lot of faith in these charts anymore. Some of the tests are notoriously inaccurate and it takes so long to get results that you could be negative when you take the test and positive by the time you get the results. Everyone measures things differently as well. Each country, each state, and even each city has a different method of keeping track of things. It would be nice if there was a little consistency.

No comet tonight. Our skies are very cloudy. Even if we do get clear skies in the next few days, the comet is going to be very hard to find. It's getting fainter every day. It still makes me mad that the one clear day I had, all my pictures were slightly out of focus. Hey, that Buttonbush flower is nice and sharp though.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3864

I'm a firm believer that there should be something interesting in every day, but it's been slim pickings lately. I kind of wish I'd chosen to write the blog once a week instead of every day. I've never liked the summer heat and the hotter it gets, the more I just feel like sleeping all day. The pandemic doesn't help either. After a while you just get tired of looking at stuff on the computer.

I miss the days when there were lots of odd little shops that catered to my eclectic interests. There used to be three stores in Dallas that just sold model trains. There were two stores that just sold telescopes. There used to be half a dozen interesting little camera stores. All these stores are gone. They just couldn't survive in a world of online commerce. On days where nothing was happening, I used to like to hang out at my favorite little shops. I would talk to people and get ideas. I would usually buy stuff as well. That's why my office is so full of crap.

I guess walking has become a substitute for many of the things I used to do. We've been taking our morning walks for long enough now that we're starting to recognize the other people on the trails. The same people seem to be out there every day. We wave or sometimes say hi as we pass each other. It's amazing how predictable everyone is. We pass some of the same people at almost exactly the same locations every day. Most people, including ourselves, even wear the same clothes every day.

The animals in the park actually seem less predicable than the people. There is a large flock of geese that move to a new location every day. Some days they will be on the left hand side of the road and other days they will be on the right. The only time I've seen the cyclists stop is when the geese decide to cross the road. Today they was all in the water. Most of the ducks are back in the water as well. During the nesting season, a lot of ducks move onshore. Probably the animals are just as predictable as the people. I just haven't figured out all their habits yet.

I haven't completely given up on the comet. I'm continuing to look through the office for suitable equipment to photograph it better. I opened an old aluminum camera case this afternoon and discovered that all the foam inserts had gone bad. I hate when that happens. I hadn't looked at these old Nikon lenses in a long time, but I must have anticipated that the foam would eventually disintegrate because I had carefully wrapped each lens in paper towels. I'll add replacing the foam inserts to my growing list of broken stuff to fix. If there were still little camera stores in town, I could have run out this afternoon and got some replacement foam inserts. Nope. I'll have to buy the stuff online instead.

Dawn seems to be warming up to me. She comes when I call most of the time now and even curls up next to me on the bed. She doesn't like people to stare at her directly and still occasionally gets frightened when we make sudden movements. Gaining Dawn's trust is still a work in progress, but I'm starting to see big improvements. Hopefully, when the pandemic is over and Janet starts traveling again, Dawn and I will be best buddies.

Jewel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3863

Dawn is getting better at riding in the car, but she definitely doesn't like going to the vet. She was shivering and shaking during our entire visit this morning. There was certainly nothing to be afraid of. She just got a Bordetella shot and we took in a urine sample for analysis. We were in and out in fifteen minutes. Dawn certainly has some bad memories about going to the vet. We'll never know what they are unfortunately. Some things about a rescue dog's past are never known.

Since Dawn had a traumatic morning, we stopped and got ice cream cones on the way home. That seemed to do the trick. Like most dogs, she loves ice cream. By the time we returned home, our little prima donna was completely back to normal.

There was rain in the forecast again today, but for the second day in a row it never appeared. There was a lot of cloud cover, which helped keep things bearable on our walk this morning. It also helped that we got an early start. We were able to complete our full five miles and even finish breakfast before our vet appointment.

For a while this afternoon I thought the skies might clear. I began making plans to search for the comet again tonight, but before I could even decide on what gear to take, the clouds returned. Time is running out to photograph this comet. It's getting a little dimmer every day. If I was braver, I would have planned a camping trip to an area with dark skies. Unfortunately, I don't like to camp and I'm wary about spending the night alone in the middle of nowhere. I have a real fear of snakes. Under normal circumstances a lot of local astronomy groups would have planned star parties to view the comet under favorable dark sky conditions. Star parties appear to be out for the rest of the year however. They are being canceled left and right.

I just applied for press credentials to attend the second crewed mission to the International Space Station in September. I don't think my chances are good however. The application form stated that Covid-19 rules were still in effect at Kennedy Space Center and that press participation would be extremely limited. I don't think the little British magazine I write for is even on NASA's radar these days. You've got to keep trying though. I keep applying for every launch opportunity. Who knows. Maybe the virus will have started to die out by September.

I'm trying to think of something interesting to do tomorrow. My options appear to be limited. I don't feel like cleaning and straightening things around the house. It's too hot for yard work. There seems to be little point in making travel plans. I don't even feel like buying new gear. Maybe I'm just making excuses, but I think the pandemic is wearing me down. If an antisocial person like me is starting to feel hemmed in, I can only imagine what social people are feeling. This is not the way the world is supposed to work.

Maybe if I go to bed early, it will be easier to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Got to keep walking. I think I'll go outside one last time tonight and see if the clouds have cleared. Oddly, I still believe that things can change.

Pongo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3861

Time flies. It's already Dalmatian Day again. There are still only three dogs at the kennel. Luckie, Hank, and Charlie are all doing well. Luckie is still very sky and apprehensive, but she seems to be relaxing a little. Someone came and looked at Hank during the week, but thought he was too active for them. Hmm. All Dalmatians are pretty active. I'd be more worried if a Dalmatian wasn't active. At any rate, we had a good time playing ball with Hank and Charlie and Luckie came over to us and let us pet her this week. We're making progress. Charlie is amazing. He knows how to sit, stay, lie down, and come on command now. I think he would enjoy doing agility work.

We got an early start on our walk this morning, but there wasn't much of a breeze today. Monday mornings are very quiet. We had the park to ourselves for a while. More people must be returning to work now. I'm starting to see a difference between weekends and weekdays again. It started to get hot as soon as the sun came up, so we had to cut the walk short a bit to keep Dawn from overheating. She almost always picks the best route home now on her own, depending on the weather.

Fifty one years ago today Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. A little over one year ago I was standing on the same launch pad the astronauts used, getting ready to watch a Falcon Heavy launch. I had no idea back then then that just one year later the entire world would have changed. Who knew? I keep wondering how long it's going to be before I can return to Kennedy Space Center and start covering launches again? It certainly doesn't look good this week. Florida and Texas have both become virus hotspots.

I went ahead and made an appointment to get a haircut. I'm perfectly OK with looking shabby, but I want to help my stylist stay in business. She said that if I made an early appointment, I'd be the only one in the salon. Sounds good to me. The last time I got a haircut was just before I went out to McDonald Observatory for a week. Early March was when all this mess with the virus started. I remember the discussions we had about whether the observatory was going to shut down. Nobody would have believed that we would still be talking about the same thing in late July.

I'm glad I got to see the comet again last night. No comet tonight. The last time I looked, there were thick clouds building toward the Northwest. I think it is going to rain tomorrow. Hopefully we will get at least one more clear night before the comet disappears from view. I think I know how to take a better picture now. It's not going to look like those fabulous pictures I keep seeing on social media, but I'm learning. Some of these people are just showing off with their pictures. I've seen the comet and the International Space Station flying overhead in the same picture. I've seen the comet in the same frame with an aurora, with meteors, with noctilucent clouds, and even a picture of the comet with red sprites in the background. Most of the good pictures were taken in remote areas with very dark skies. I'm lucky if I can see the comet at all through our light pollution and perpetually hazy skies.

Hopefully we can get Dawn walked tomorrow before the rain starts. I'd welcome a little rain at this point. It might cool things down a bit.

Lady Jane is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3860

I've got a lot to learn about taking comet pictures. I went back to the same hill where I went last night, but this time I took a telephoto lens. This was probably a mistake. The comet was still lost in the haze around the horizon and you couldn't see it with the naked eye. I found it easily enough with binoculars, but I couldn't see it with the camera viewfinder. You had to point the camera in the general direction of the comet, take an exposure, and see what you got.

The lens I took didn't have a hard stop at infinity either. You could focus past infinity which made it even harder to focus on something you couldn't see. I finally found the comet but it didn't look like those pretty pictures I've been seeing on the internet. There was too much light pollution from the city and too much haze along the horizon. If the comet would stick around for another month or so, I might finally get this right.

My hilltop vantage point seemed kind of weird tonight as well. There were lots of kids milling around in the dark. Several hundred yards away from me, there was a group having a DJ party in the dark with a portable sound system and a lot of people were dancing around waving glow sticks. Cars would drive by from time to time and their headlights would ruin my long time exposure shot. I wonder if this goes on every night? You certainly wouldn't know there was a pandemic going on. Have I mentioned that I miss the quiet solitude of the David Mountains.

We got an early start on our walk this morning. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and as soon as the sun came up you could feel the heat. All the early morning exercisers must start at 7 AM. When we leave the house a little before 6, we have the park to ourselves. By 7 the trails start to fill with joggers and dog walkers. Sundays aren't as busy as Saturdays, but I'm still surprised at how many people are out this early. We saw the green parrots again this morning. All the baby ducks we began noticing last month are growing up fast. I enjoy watching the birds and animals on our walks. I think Dawn does too, but she didn't see any rabbits today.

I thought about taking a telescope when I went looking for the comet tonight, but decided against it. I got out the telescope during the afternoon and reviewed putting it together and aligning it. I think I'm missing a few parts. I have so many things that I have forgotten how to use and the telescope is one of them. It's a shame that there are so many lights in our neighborhood at night. The telescope is virtually useless in the back yard unless I wanted to look at the moon. I didn't know what to expect at my hilltop location tonight, so I wanted to be able to hop in the car and leave quickly if I had too. The telescope was just too cumbersome. Oh, well. I did get to see the comet again and take some mediocre pictures.

This weekend has gone quickly. The monotony of pandemic life is starting to get to me. I don't miss talking to people all that much, but I do miss being able to make plans. You really can't go anywhere now. Janet and I talk about taking a car trip, but where would you go? Neither of us like camping. Flying is out of the question now and even staying in a hotel seems questionable. I don't think anyone wants visitors from Texas or Florida anyway. I may try to get a better picture of the comet tomorrow. Who knows when I'll get a chance to see another one.

Jade is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3859

I found most of the items on my grocery list this morning. It remains to be seen whether I'll find the comet tonight. While I was out grocery shopping and running errands today, I scouted some more promising locations. Everyone says you have to be at least ten miles away from the city to see this thing with the naked eye. I'm not going that far, but I did find a little hill that might be better than down by the lake. We'll see. I hate driving at night. I might not even have the nerve to leave the house tonight.

We got a late start on our morning walk, but at least we had a breeze this morning. Saturday morning is always busier than other days of the week. We see the same people in the park day after day. At first I thought it was curious that everyone seemed to always wear the same clothes when they walk or jog. Then I realized that Janet and I do the same thing. I guess there is no sense in changing outfits on pre-dawn walks. We know the names of a few other dogs now. People are always curious about Dawn. We trade names and ages of our dogs as we pass on the trails. We keep our distance, but early morning walkers seem like a nice group of people.

I found blueberries again at the store, but I don't think I'll ever find Clorox Wipes. Now that conditions are getting worse in Texas, I hope people don't go back in hoarding mode. Shopping was just starting to feel normal again with most items back on the shelves. People do seem a bit nervous now. I know I am. When I was getting gas this morning I noticed two ladies sitting in their car at the next pump. They were both wearing gas masks that covered their entire face and purple rubber gloves inside their car. I haven't seen that before. I still wear the old drywall masks I bought at a hardware store a long time ago. I'm not sure how good they are, but they seem to last a long time.

Days are still extremely uneventful. I easily got my 20,000 steps today after two walks and a little grocery shopping. I'm working on getting Dawn to trust me more. She's still more comfortable around women, since the breeders who mistreated her were both men. I've learned never to make any sudden moves when I'm around her. She walks well on a leash with me and relaxes when we are both on the bed together. She's still a little wary when I'm doing something unfamiliar though. I'm fairly predictable. Eventually everything will become familiar. You just have to be patient with rescue dogs.

I think I'm going to go ahead and get a haircut. My stylist really needs the work. Since I'm retired, it's easy for me to forget how hard the pandemic has been on people who have a small business. Gig workers have it the worst I think. My stylist is very careful and I have an N-95 mask. I don't think I can wait until this is over anyway. Covid is going to be with us for a very long time.

You didn't know I was gone, but I took a break from writing for a couple of hours and went looking for the comet. Found it. I went to the only hill I could find in Dallas and discovered that there were other people looking as well. One couple I spoke with had even been out to a special observing night at McDonald Observatory. The comet was almost impossible to see with the naked eye, but looked spectacular in my image stabilized binoculars. I took some pictures but they didn't turn out very well. The sky just wasn't dark enough. I did see a pretty bright meteor though. Too bad my camera was pointed in the other direction at the comet. It was surprising to meet random astronomy people on a hill in the dark in the middle of a pandemic. They were nice people though. Maybe a comet brings out the best in us.

Beemer is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3857

After I processed some of the pictures I took last night in Photoshop, I discovered that the comet was there after all. It was exactly where I had been looking, but was too dim to see even with binoculars. So much for astronomy in the city. It's hard to see anything through the perpetual haze. I was a little surprised that my camera captured something I couldn't see with my own eyes, but my eyes can't seem to manage an eight second exposure. This comet is pretty dim. It makes me miss those dark skies of West Texas.

I looked for the comet again tonight but the sky was cloudy toward the Northwest. No luck today.  I did manage to see the ISS as it flew overhead around 9 PM. Unlike comet Neowise, the space station is bright enough to cut through patchy clouds. Every time I see the station it is coming from a different direction. I still have this simpleminded notion that the space station should travel in a predictable path like the planets. Nope. The ISS definitely is predictable because I have an app on my phone that shows where it is at any given time. I just can't wrap my head around orbital mechanics. Maybe that's why I went into advertising.

We got started on our morning walk before daylight again. Today there was no breeze though. Even though it was cloudy, we all got hot fairly quickly. Dawn got excited when she spotted a rabbit, but after that she let us know that she wanted to take the short route home and we were happy to comply. I'll be glad when Summer is over. Every day seems like Ground Hog Day. We just do the same things over and over again.

I think I missed my chance to finish the roof repairs. It's way too hot to go up on the roof these days. I hope my expensive bucket of silicon material stays good until the weather cools down again. I hate to waste this stuff. There are so many things that need attention around the house, but it's almost impossible to get motivated. Covid life is basically just walking and fixing meals.

I find myself looking at telescopes on the Internet a lot now. Buying a nice telescope is tempting, but somewhat foolish at this point. Where would I use it? Light pollution in Dallas is terrible and I hate the idea of a long drive out to the country every time I want to look at the stars. An astronomy club here in Dallas owns some land up in Oklahoma where there are dark skies. Members can use the site for observing, but that's a really long drive. Probably going to Mcdonald Observatory several times a year is a better plan. Oops, I forgot. The observatory is closed.

Clearly I'm not the only person interested in the new Ford Bronco. My newsfeed is filled with articles now. It's weird that Ford seemed to get this retro 4x4 thing right, while Land Rover missed with their new Defender. I waited for years for the new Defender to arrive and now I don't want one. It's too expensive for a utility vehicle and I don't like the styling. So far I like almost everything about the Bronco.

When New York was having a lot of problems with the virus, I kept thinking that Texas had dodged a bullet. Apparently it just wasn't our turn yet. Florida is even in worse shape than we are. I wonder if I'm ever going to get to return to Kennedy Space Center. It's a waiting game now. Janet and I sit here and make plans for things that just aren't going to happen for quite a while.

Laura is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3856

I received a notice this morning that NASA rejected my request for media accreditation for the July 30th Mars 2020 launch. The language in the notice was exactly the same as it was for the DM-2 launch last month.  "Due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic, we had to limit the number of media permitted on site, etc..." I wasn't going to go to Florida anyway, since it has become one of the world's leading virus hotspots, but this was still sad news. How long is this going to go on? I'm sure there are many people who have had more important plans interrupted, but this is very frustrating. I haven't heard from the Air Force yet, but I doubt that they are credentialing out of state visitors right now either. Florida is struggling. So is Texas for that matter. Maybe 2021 will be better.

The skies have been clearing this afternoon and I decided to try and find the comet this evening. I scouted out a few locations on my afternoon walk and thought if the skies remained clear, I might finally be able to see it. The best location I found still has some trees on the horizon, so wasn't sure if the comet would clear them. I wasn't sure if sunset haze would obscure things either. Hey, what did I have to lose.

It was another hot day. Getting started on our morning walk before 6 AM really helps. It is noticeably cooler before the sun rises. Today we had a nice breeze and lots of cloud cover too. We had a nice walk and were able to complete our full five miles. Dawn seems to be an early bird. She likes these early walks as long as she gets her breakfast first. Dogs have their priorities. I'm content to wait for breakfast until we finish our walk, but Dawn wants to eat as soon as she gets out of bed in the morning.

If I'm able to find the comet tonight, I'll want to take a picture of it as well. Hmm. How do I take long time exposures with my good camera? Seems like I've done this before, but it's been a while. I looked up directions on the Internet and the procedure was a little more complicated than I anticipated. With old mechanical cameras you just set the shutter on bulb and used a locking cable release to activate the shutter. With modern digital cameras you have to disable a lot of automatic functions before you can use the camera manually.

After spending an hour looking for the comet, I finally had to admit defeat. I saw nothing. The sky was pretty clear, but there was haze on the horizon. Actually, there is always a thin haze on the horizon down by the lake. If I really want to see this comet, I'm going to have to get in the car and look for a higher elevation. It's possible that I was just looking in the wrong place, but I don't think so. There were many maps on the Internet showing just where to look.

I've never been wild about venturing into the park at night. It's dark, there are coyotes, and there are always the voices. I can always hear people off in the distance that I can't see. What are these people doing? Every time I've gone into the park to look at stars at night, I hear these hidden voices. It's kind of creepy.

When I returned to the house from my futile comet hunting excursion Dawn didn't initially recognize me and started barking like crazy. She's a good little watch dog. I wish she'd watch things a little more carefully though and realize that it's me coming in the house. Don't bite me girl. I'm friendly.

Lizzy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3855

We got up early enough this morning to see the comet if it hadn't been cloudy again. Cloudy was good though. It kept our morning walk nice and cool. We keep leaving earlier and earlier in an attempt to avoid the heat. I used to think 7 AM was early. Now our goal is to be out of the house before 6 AM. The extra hour makes a big difference. There are fewer people on the trails and the weather is noticeably cooler.

Dawn did well today, but it is still the middle of July. It's going to be a long march to September. Dawn has the right idea about surviving summer. She went back to sleep on the bed while I had my breakfast. I usually watch TV while I'm eating breakfast. The news is still dismal, but the stock market was having a good day. It's kind of a mystery to me why the stock market has made such a dramatic recovery in recent weeks. What do other investors know that I don't. People are even starting to buy cruise line stocks again. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking a cruise for a long, long time.

I got Luckie up on the Dalmatian Rescue website after breakfast. I'm glad the rescue websites I work on are fairly simple. I've lost some of my skills. I haven't created a complex website in quite a while now and it shows. Use it or lose it has been my motto for many years. When it comes to web design, I think I've lost it.

I mowed the grass in the front yard this afternoon. It was too hot to be outside, but if I keep waiting for cooler weather, the yard is going to look like a jungle. Since I survived this task, I decided to go ahead and take my afternoon walk to get my 20,000 steps. It's a simple and at times mindless life, but I do have goals.

I went out and looked for the comet again a few minutes ago, but there were thick clouds on the horizon to the Northwest. I'm still not sure how the comet can be visible in both the morning and evening skies for the next several days, but that's what I keep hearing. Pretty soon it will be evening skies only. I think the best viewing opportunities will last for about a week. I'm hoping that we'll get clear skies on at least one of these days. I keep seeing cool pictures of the comet all over the Internet and I haven't been able to see it at all.

It looks like the new Ford Bronco is going to be incredibly popular. They are taking reservations online like Elon Musk now, and one model sold out in a single day. They say dealers are going to be charging a premium for the Bronco for at least a year. I don't know why I'm even interested. My car is running fine. It still looks almost new. I guess planning to buy a new car is just so much easier than planning to move to a new state.

I've already decided that it would be stupid to travel to Florida right now but I'm still wondering why I haven't heard anything about media accreditation for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover launch. Usually when a launch is only several weeks away, all these details have been worked out. You'd think I would have at least received a rejection notice by now. Who knows. Maybe I'll hear something tomorrow. Otherwise, the big event of the day might be looking for blueberries.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3854

Today was Dalmatian day. We got to know our newest member of the rescue program a little better this afternoon. Lucky is a shy girl who is still getting used to life at the kennel. She was a little nervous around us at first and didn't want to play, but was very comfortable riding in the car when we took her to the vet later for an exam. This beautiful dog is going to make a wonderful companion for some lucky person. Hank and Charlie are still doing well. We think someone is coming to look at Hank later this week. Maybe he will find his forever home soon.

We had to cut our walk short this morning because of the heat. Even though we got an early start, we could tell that today wasn't the time to do our full five miles. Dawn lets us know how far she wants to go and when she selects the shorter route home, we know she's had enough. I'm not looking forward to another two months of this heat. The air conditioner never stopped running today. It's nice and cool inside, but you quickly realize you are at the mercy of these machines in the summer.

When I took my afternoon walk after we returned from the kennel, it was well over one hundred degrees. I should have stayed inside, but I was bored. These walks provide a structure to the day and save me from starting household projects that I will regret later.

I got a message from my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine saying that the article I wrote about my Artemis Day visit to the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans last December is still going to be published in the magazine's upcoming September issue. It was supposed to be published months ago, but things change. That trip to the NASA facility seems like a lifetime ago now. I hadn't even heard of the coronavirus yet. I wonder when I'm going to get an opportunity to write about space and rockets again? The editor told me that the Air Force hasn't even contacted him yet about covering the Mars 2020 launch for the magazine. In a way, that's probably for the best. I don't even want to be tempted to fly to Florida right now. Until we can get a handle on this virus, I'd better hunker down and stay home. I'm not an optimistic person by nature, but I do hope that when the Artemis 1 rocket that I went to see in New Orleans has completed its tests at the Stennis Space Center and is ready to fly, I'll be attending the launch.

I missed my chance to see the comet Neowise in the morning skies. The comet appears in the evening skies right after sunset very soon. Maybe my luck will be better at night after sunset. We never did get clear skies on the horizon before sunrise. We'll see. I was going to go look tonight, but it was cloudy again.

I'm trying not to talk about the coronavirus or social unrest anymore. I've got my opinions, but opinions just start arguments these days. It's sad we have become so divided. What I will do tomorrow is get Lucky's new picture up on the Dalmatian Rescue website. I think she's a good looking dog. Website updates don't take that long, so I'll need to think of something else to do. I might finish mowing the grass, but I have a feeling that it will already be too hot by the time we finish walking Dawn and eating breakfast. Hey, that new Ford Bronco looks pretty nice. It's much cheaper than the new Defender too. Something to think about.

Watson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day