Day 3939

Another busy day. Dawn was in good spirits this morning. I was surprised at how much energy she had. We walked four miles and she kept wanting me to pick up the pace. Now that her Prednisone dose has been reduced, Dawn seems a lot more like her old self. I really hope she remains stable when she has completed her meds. A healthy dog is usually a happy dog.

After breakfast I found a place to stay reasonably near the observatory and made reservations for my trip. I'll be staying at Prude Ranch, a 100 year old working cattle ranch that now hosts visitors in several guest houses on the property. I've passed the ranch several times on my way to the observatory and always wondered what it would be like to stay there. The people I talked with today were extremely nice and made me feel welcome. This is a lot better alternative than driving all the way back to Fort Davis every night after the astrophotography workshop sessions have concluded. 

I got my flu shot this morning. It still seems weird to go to the doctor with all the Covid safety protocols they have in place. The nurse who gave me the shot said that it was a good thing I came in today. There is evidently a lot more interest in flu shots this season than in previous years. Janet and I both got our senior shots today. By the end of the day the supply that came in yesterday was already gone.

Our forehead thermometer never gives me the same readings as the one at the doctor's office. How do you calibrate these things? I suspect that you can't. It's kind of silly taking my temperature every day if the readings aren't even right. There's one thermometer at the house that I know is accurate. It's been up a dog's butt quite a few times though. Not going to use that one.

I wish I had a better way of dealing with my seasonal allergies. They were pretty bad today. I can't take antihistamines. Even newer antihistamines like Zyrtec and Allegra leave me feeling worse than doing nothing at all. As a consequence, my nose is starting to look like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Masks and constant sneezing aren't a good combination. I hope I can shake these allergies before I begin my trip. In a post-Covid world, sneezing a lot is not a good look.

One of the Space X rockets that has been delayed quite a few times finally got off the ground today. Several of my Florida photographer friends got some beautiful pictures. I wonder if today's successful launch had anything to do with Elon Musk flying out to Cape Canaveral to personally inspect things. He spends most of his time in Boca Chica these days. A lot is happening down there. Pretty soon the first Starship prototype that actually looks more like a rocket than a flying grain silo is going to fly. I still watch the Boca Chica live feed almost every day. It's amazing how much is going on down there.

I keep putting off making roof repairs because working with the silicon coating is so messy. This is the perfect time to do it though. The weather is cool and there is a long stretch of sunny days ahead. Maybe I can force myself to do this loathsome chore tomorrow.

Cassie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3937

Dawn had her best day since she got sick. She was alert, full of energy, and was able to walk four miles this morning. It probably helped that the weather was absolutely beautiful. There was a nice breeze and the temperature was in the 60's. We took our time and Dawn stopped to smell everything. I think she was very happy to be feeling better again.

We have started the process of gradually decreasing her meds. That probably helps as well. Steroids like Prednisone do a great job of reducing inflammation, but they have a lot of side effects. Any time that I've had to take steroids, I've been really glad when I finished my treatment.

Dawn even seems to be overcoming some of the fear she has of me at times. She comes when I call most of the time and seems much more relaxed. I've been feeding and walking her for several weeks in an effort to get her to associate me with positive events. It's a slow process, but it seems to be working. Dawn's overall mood is better than we've seen in a long time. Maybe this all has something to do with what is going on in her brain. It could be that she was feeling strange long before she got the high fever and had a seizure. Hopefully, she will remain stable when she is finished with her meds. We should know in a week or two.

Even though it was a beautiful day, my allergies were terrible. I was blowing my nose constantly on our walk this morning. I've been going through quite a few blue shop towels lately, but this is still better than taking antihistamines. After breakfast this morning, I went up on the roof and made a careful search for damaged areas in the silicon coating. I found two small spots that need to be recoated, but I didn't do the repairs today. The weather looks good for at least the next week, so I"m hoping that one of these days will be free of allergies. I still don't know what makes some days worse than others. The air quality reading on my weather app was good today, but my allergies were still terrible. Maybe I need to look for another app that is specific to allergens in the air. I looked on the weather.com website and it said that the ragweed pollen count was high in Dallas today. Maybe that was what was bothering me.

It's kind of sad that I've given up on travel. It seems like the right thing to do though. Every time I'm out and about I see convincing evidence that the virus is going to be around for a while. This isn't really about Democrats vs Republicans. It's mostly about family and friends who seems to think you can only be infected by strangers. Since today was a nice day, I saw lots of large gatherings in the park. I know several friends who have attended or are planning large weddings. What are these people thinking? Statistics show that this is exactly how the virus spreads. I take precautions and feel like I would be safe enough out at McDonald Observatory or Kennedy Space Center. It's getting there that is the problem. I have no faith at all in the people I might be sitting next to on Southwest Airlines.

This weekend has really gone quickly. I'm not really looking forward to another week of walks with a runny nose or watching more dismal news on the television while I drink my morning smoothie. It is what is is though. I probably should just go ahead and fix the roof. There isn't much else to do.

Jersey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3934

Our long family walks may be over. Dawn still enjoys her morning walks. She just doesn't feel like going very far. This morning we turned around at about the same point we did yesterday. I'm glad Dawn knows how to tell us when she has reached her limit. At least she's able to get some exercise this way. Other than not having quite as much energy, she seems to be doing fine. There is no fever and as far as we can tell, no signs of discomfort. Dawn's appetite is better than ever, but a lot of that is because of the Prednisone. I'll be glad when she has finished her meds and we can see if we've made any real progress.

The Delta IV Heavy isn't making any progress at all. I stayed up late and watched the launch on my computer last night. It didn't happen. For the second time in less than a month the launch was scrubbed in the final seconds of the count. Considering that this rocket was originally supposed to launch back in June, it has had an extraordinary streak of bad luck. Articles are starting to be written now about how the launch pad is so old that it is falling into disrepair. I doubt that ULA will be spending a lot of money to upgrade things though since there are only two launches left at Cape Canaveral before the rocket is officially retired. All this kind of makes you realize how far ahead of everyone else Space X is now.

The weather was perfect for making roof repairs or mowing the grass, but I couldn't get motivated to do anything. This year has just sucked the energy out of me. Some days I don't even feel like taking a shower.   I still take long walks where I often daydream about better times. I count the ducks and pelicans and still try to identify mystery trees. I got over 20,000 steps today. Not bad for a weekday without a trip to the gym.

When I got back from my long walk, Janet thought Dawn might like a short afternoon walk, so I just continued walking. We took Dawn down to the shoreline where there were lots of things to smell. We didn't go far, but Dawn really seemed to enjoy herself. That's our goal now. We just want to make Dawn's days as enjoyable as we can, since we don't really know how long she has left.

Janet said her doctor is taking part in a vaccine clinical trial. I don't think I'd have the nerve to do this. I assume that at some point the participants will be told whether that got the vaccine or a placebo. What if you got the vaccine but it wasn't very good? Could you still take another type of vaccine later? It still seems so weird to me that are moving full speed ahead without a lot of knowledge. Why is it considered unsafe to eat in a restaurant when you can fly on a crowded plane? Isn't anybody even curious whey so few people are getting the virus in Africa? Why are infections rising again in Europe? Aren't these the guys who were supposed to be doing everything right? Statistics are constantly being revised and a lot of them were never correct in the first place. It's all very frustrating.

All I really want is the ability to travel freely again without worrying about catching a deadly disease from a stranger or finding myself in the middle of a riot in a strange city on the way back to my hotel. It's an unsettling dystopian world we live in now. Maybe all those zombie movies were just getting us ready for what's to come.

Tori is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3931

What a beautiful day. A cold front arrived last night and brought some cool dry air and clear skies with it. My allergies were much better today. Dawn felt better as well. Today we completed a short loop that I used to take with Dot and Dash when they were getting older. It's still way too early to draw any conclusions about Dawn's condition. We'll need to wait until she's finished with the Prednisone she's curently taking to reduce inflamation. So far, she hasn't had any further seizures. This is a good sign. If this continues when she's completed all her meds, it's an even better sign.

Dawn was feeling normal enough today that we felt it was safe to leave her for a few hours while we visited Charlie up at the kennel. Poor Charlie. Clyde found his forever home so quickly that Charlie is once again the only Dalmatian at the kennel. Charlie has adjusted well to kennel life, but he deserves a forever home just like the other dogs. Charlie was never a calm dog, but he's much more relaxed with us now. Once he has worked off his pent up energy, he will even sit with us and let us pet him. Charlie always has something in his mouth. He is constantly chewing.

I did a lot of walking today. After we returned from the kennel, I took a four mile walk by myself. Even during the warmest part of the day, the temperature never got above the mid 70's. It was nice to be able to walk without being drenched in sweat with a dripping nose. Weather fronts are kind of amazing. It felt like all of yesterday's air was completely replaced by a new supply of clean, fresh air without all the pollen that has been bothering me for weeks. The weather was so cool and nice that we took Dawn on another short walk just before supper. We took her on a new route where there were lots of things to smell and she loved it.

The Delta IV Heavy launch got postponed again. I've lost count of how many times this mission has been scrubbed. This particular rocket doesn't fly very often and maybe that is part of the problem. There have been lots of small mechanical problems with the equipment at the pad. Today's problem had nothing to do with the rocket though. There were thunderstorms in the area and several lightning strikes hit very near the pad. The weather must have been pretty bad because two different launches got scrubbed in a single day. I only mention all this because it makes my decision to skip the launch and stay here in Dallas seem better every day. I'm always pleased when doing nothing turns out to be the wise choice.

I need to take a telescope outside and look at Mars as it is nearing opposition. For a short time it will be even brighter than Jupiter as it makes it's closest approach to Earth on October 13. I've been watching Mars in the morning sky all Summer when we took out pre-dawn walks. Now the planet is in the evening sky and is much brighter. I doubt that I'll be able to see much detail with my small telescope but these close approaches only occur every two years. Just like looking for the comet a few months ago, it would be silly to miss the opportunity.

I have no idea what I'll be doing tomorrow, but you probably already knew that. I won't be going to Florida but I will check the ULA website to see if the Delta IV Heavy makes it off the ground on its next attempt tomorrow evening. Like the Mars opposition, there won't be another Delta IV Heavy launch until two years from now. Maybe by then Covid will just be a bad memory and we can all travel freely again. 

Spanky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2615

When I was driving to breakfast this morning, I noticed that a popular restaurant I used to frequent had gone out of business. The sign was down. The furniture was gone. And there was a large For Lease sign in front of the building. There's got to be a story behind this sudden departure, but I'll probably never know the details. I was sad to see the restaurant go out of business. I hope I didn't contribute to the demise of this place. The owners were good people. I quit eating here because the food quality declined. Maybe the chef quit or the place changed ownership. Whatever happened, it was apparent that somebody was trying to cut corners by using inferior ingredients. You can never assume that customers will never know the difference. I think customers always know the difference.

I was nervous about leaving the dogs this afternoon, but everything worked out fine. It took longer than I thought to get the set ready for Sunday's photo shoot, but it was actually kind of enjoyable talking with the other photographer who was working with me. This guy was near the beginning of his career while I was near the end of mine, but we still found plenty to talk about. I enjoy talking shop. We talked about lighting techniques and the types of gear we preferred and never mentioned politics at all. I was skeptical about the client's idea at first, but I now think it will work. I still might not understand the concept, but the photo will be pretty.

I had hoped that Dot would still be asleep when I returned, but she was standing up and barking instead. A quick glance revealed that she had not peed or pooped in her bed, so I quickly unlocked the back door and immediately took her outside. I brought her inside after she peed and wandered around for a bit, and then she promptly pooped on a rug in the dining room. Oh, well. I was expecting a mess this afternoon, and I got one.

Dash continues to improve. The wobbling walk and uncertain gait was almost unnoticeable. By the time he finishes his Prednisone tablets, he should be back to normal. The dogs were actually pretty good today. I had some rugs and blankets to wash this afternoon because we didn't make it this morning on our daily mad dash to the back door. It was my fault that we didn't make it. Dot and I woke up about the same time and I had to pee too. I need to remember that her needs have to come first. In theory, I should be able to hold it for a while, but when you first wake up it doesn't seem that way.

There was a penumbral eclipse of the moon tonight. I caught the tail end of it when I was taking Dot out to pee after dinner. I should have gone outside a little earlier, since mid-eclipse was right after sunset, but I don't think I missed much. A penumbral eclipse is pretty subtle. The moon doesn't disappear or turn red; it just gets a little darker. A comet is supposed to be viable later tonight as well. I think I'll skip this one. It doesn't come into view until 3 AM and you need binoculars and a dark, clear sky to see it anyway.

This weekend should be busy. Janet has a Dalmatian Rescue event tomorrow and I've got the photo shoot on Sunday. Hopefully, the dogs will cooperate. I won't be able to go to the gym this week, but I have a feeling that I'll get plenty of exercise anyway.

Landry is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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