Day 3424

People I've never met still stop me in the park to ask about Dash. I guess it must seem strange to see me walking alone. Dot and Dash have been fixtures in the neighborhood for so long that I forget how many people used to see them every day. Rain or shine, we were almost always out there. Today a lady with two Greyhounds enquired about Dash. I've noticed her dogs for a long time too because they have matching coats for every type of weather. Today they were both wearing their raincoats. It wasn't raining but I almost wore my raincoat as well. It was one of those days where it looked like the rain could begin at any minute.

Since it was Friday, I went out to breakfast before my walk. I had Shrimp and Grits again at the cool restaurant. I've got to stop calling this place "the cool restaurant" because it just seems like your average breakfast place when you go at 8 AM. The restaurant was only half full and I was seated immediately. I had trouble finishing my meal this morning. I just can't eat as much as I used to. I probably should have just stayed home and had a bowl of cereal.

I continued exploring the idea of going to McDonald Observatory today. There is only one place to rent a car in Alpine, Texas but they seemed very friendly. The guy I talked to said they would meet you at the train station with a car if you arrived by train. Janet likes the idea of taking a train trip too. Now I've just got to wait and see whether I get accepted by NASA to attend the next Falcon Heavy Launch. As luck would have it, the first available Special Viewing Night at the Otto Struve Telescope happens to coincide with the launch date for the Falcon Heavy. We'll see what happens. Maybe one of these two events will work out for me.

I've been thinking about looking for owls ever since I met that guy in the park who showed me where they live. This afternoon, I took a detour from my regular evening walk and visited the owl habitat. A huge bird flew away as I arrived. It looked like a Great Horned Owl but I wasn't really sure. It was gone before I could get my camera focused. I kept looking and about five minutes later I saw a Barred Owl looking down at me from a nearby tree. I noticed the bird because a nearby Mockingbird was harassing it. A lot of birds in the park don't seem to like the large Hawks and Owls. Perhaps they know that they might become these birds next meal.

I hope all the walking I've been doing is good for my health. I don't feel any different yet, but the walks do feel easier now. I'd rather walk outdoors than in a gym. I gradually learn the names of the plants and animals I see. You learn to appreciate the Seasons when you spend a lot of time outdoors. I miss not having a dog at my side, but for now I'm going to do some things that were almost impossible when I was walking Dot and Dash. I carry a better camera with me now.

I got the heals on my hiking boots repaired this week. I probably should have just bought some new boots, but I hate the idea of breaking them in. Old boots are more comfortable. New or old, I see a lot of walking in my immediate future. I might not be doing much tomorrow though. The thunderstorms are returning. I can already see them approaching on the weather radar.

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Day 3423

I've been trying to think of an interesting way to occupy my time. Maybe astronomy vacations are a thing. Well yes, actually they are. I was surprised at how many options are available. In December of 2020 you can take a three week cruise around the tip of South America to view a total eclipse of the sun off the coast of Patagonia. This one's a little pricy, but you do get to go to Antartica. More reasonable are a wide variety of dark sky photo workshops. These workshops seem to take place in spectacular remote locations like Joshua Tree National Park or Badlands National park. It doesn't seem to be easy to fly into places like these, but I guess that's what cars are for. Prices vary considerably but the workshops are quite small and all seem to led by well known astrophotographers.

One of the most interesting options are the Special Viewing Nights at McDonald Observatory. Several times a year a select group of people get a chance to look at the heavens through one of the three large research telescopes at the observatory. How cool would it be to spend an evening looking through the 82" Otto Struve Telescope. Professional astronomers often wait months for an opportunity to use this famous telescope because skies at the observatory are still among the darkest in the world. You can take Amtrack to Alpine, Texas too. I'm sure there are other interesting things out there. I've just started looking.

The bad thing about astronomy vacations is that you really have to plan ahead to take advantage of these very limited opportunities. Only a few people at a time are able to get observatory access or attend a dark sky workshop. So what happens if you arrive for an event you planned months earlier and it's cloudy or raining? You lose. There is just no way to guarantee a clear day months in advance.

Weather is really unpredictable. I can't even guarantee a clear day tomorrow. It rained a little bit today, but I was able to take my walk. You see some strange things in the park. For the past week I've noticed a guy with a huge pair of calipers measuring tree trunks. He seems to be measuring every tree in the park. He writes down the diameter of the tree in a little book and then moves on the the next tree. Why? I guess I could ask him some day. I've started noticing the same runners and cyclists day after day. Often our paths cross at almost exactly the same spot. I guess I'm not the only one who keeps a rigid schedule.

I saw a film crew setting up to shoot a commercial in the park as I started my walk this morning. They were still setting up when I returned. I wouldn't be surprised if the crew spent all day to film something that lasted fifteen seconds. I used to do this. For once I felt glad that I was retired.

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