Day 4885

I spent the day trying to avoid the rain and it never actually rained. I think I pay too much attention to the weather. Its going to do what its going to do anyway. Everything did get done. Dawn got walked and I stayed dry on my daily long walk. It just would have been a little easier if I wasn't constantly checking the weather radar.

I'm starting to see lots of baby ducks in the park. It's that time of year. I rarely see young squirrels although squirrels are everywhere. I sometime hear coyote cubs howling, but I've never seen them. They stay well hidden. Maybe the baby owls near us have grown old enough to fly. I never see photographers around their tree anymore. With all this activity you'd think the resident eagles would be making a nest as well. They abandoned an earlier nest and don't appear to have built another one. I'm curious about these things, but not curious enough to become a birder myself. The animals in the park are just something to occupy my mind during my daily walks.

For the past several weeks I've seen lots of birders taking pictures of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. This seems curious to me, since the birds are not rare or hard to photograph. I've taken many pictures of these birds over the years. They often perch on top of yucca flowers and look quite striking. Maybe people are interested now because the birds are migratory and are just now arriving for the summer. Of maybe the birders can't find the eagles and are just looking for something to photograph.

I didn't end up doing much today. After my long walk I was planning on practicing using the star tracker again, but never got around to it. I did do a minor update to the Dalmatian Rescue website because I got one of the dogs names wrong when I was doing updates yesterday. I got an e-mail from Southwest Airlines advertising discount flights to Florida this month. This made me rethink returning to the Space Center this Spring. I haven't heard anything yet, but I think I will end up getting credentialed for the upcoming AX-2 launch. It's always tempting to go back to Florida. Especially when I can't think of anything to do here.

There seem to be a lot of homes for sale in our neighborhood now. I wonder why? When we first moved here people would live in the same homes until they died. There are still a lot of permanent residents, but the neighborhood seems more transient now. People will stay for five or six years and then disappear. Almost all the houses on our street have changed hands since we initially moved here. Things change I guess. In the beginning we were one of the youngest people on the street. Now we're one of the oldest.

Yesterday the weather forecast looked good for next week's roof replacement. Today there's a chance of rain on the day the roofers planned to begin. I definitely don't want the roof being replaced on a rainy day, so we may need to change the schedule. I probably should have just waited until July to do this. We get very little rain in the Summer here. One way or another, this job will get done. I'm just not looking forward to it.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4862

As soon as we finished walking Dawn this morning, I turned on the computer and watched the Starship orbital launch attempt on the Space X live feed. I wasn't terrible surprised when the launch got scrubbed at the last minute. A lot can go wrong with something this complicated. At any rate, I'm glad I didn't drive down to Boca Chica to see the launch in person. The people who did make the trip are probably wondering now whether to stay for another attempt, or cut their losses and go home. Space X has not scheduled another attempt yet, so waiting is a gamble. Chasing rockets is complicated and can often end up being much more expensive than you'd planned. I guess it's worth it though. I'm still planning on going to Florida for the upcoming Viasat-3 launch. That one got delayed again today as well.

Our nice Spring weather continues. It's always a little chilly on our sunrise walk with Dawn, but the temperature rises quickly. By the time I'm ready for my daily long walk, I can usually change into shorts and a t-shirt. It's weird to see the temperature change so dramatically in just a few hours, but luckily the high temperature for the day is still very pleasant. I could probably put my time to better use, but a long walk seems essential now. Without my daily walk, I would end up spending even more time doing unavoidable chores around the house. 

Today's chores were changing the sheets on the bed and pulling weeds in the yard. I think that bulky trash pick up is tomorrow, so I wanted to get a few more things out to the curb before the trucks arrived. I tried to clean up the front yard today. The yard still doesn't look great, but I can see a definite improvement. When I'm doing yard work I often think about getting a yard service like the other neighbors, but I never do anything. The yard is small and I do need the exercise. 

The roofers want to get started on replacing the roof. I guess we might as well get this over with, but I'm not eager to spend a lot of money on something I can't even see. Getting a new roof is the key to fixing up the house. It makes no sense to repair stained sheetrock or replace carpets and paint until the leaks are eliminated. Sometimes I think it would be easier just to move, but we already live where we want to be. This is definitely the best part of town to have a dog. At any rate, the roof replacement is on my radar now. The work will probably begin within the next several weeks.

It seems like I'm spending more and more time dealing with spam these days. I get multiple spam phone calls, spam text messages, and spam e-mail every day. I never answer the phone anymore unless I recognize the number on the caller ID. When I get spam text messages I immediately block the caller. A lot of these messages get blocked by service providers before I even see them, but quite a few seem to get through. I feel like I am under siege. Who are these people and why are they making such an effort to deceive me? If a message on my caller ID says "suspected spam," why does the phone company even bother to put it through?

Tomorrow will be another day very much like today. Will I do anything different? Probably not. I really should have made plans to go out to the observatory for Dark Sky Week, but it's too late for that now. I'll think of something. Maybe I'll wash the car.

Bella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4861

Another beautiful Spring day. The sun was already up when we took Dawn on her early walk, but I guess it still counts as a sunrise walk. There is always a crowd of photographers when we pass the tree with the baby owls. These appear to be very popular little owls. Dawn had lots to smell and didn't want to stay on the trail this morning. This meant dirty paws and dirty shoes when we returned home, but we all had an enjoyable walk.

After a big weekend breakfast of sausage, eggs, and toast I went mall walking. I'm always surprised at how much changes from week to week. The duck pond has reopened after weeks of renovation. It looks exactly the same, but I suspect the area was leaking. Kids seem to love this little water attraction with ducks and turtles. I still wonder where they kept the ducks while the area was being refurbished.

All the window displays have changed and feature Spring clothing now. White seems to be the seasonal color of choice. Most of the window displays seem very similar. It's kind of weird that the mall has hundreds of stores and they all seem more or less the same. I did my five laps of the mall perimeter and came home. According to Fitbit I was a little faster today, although it certainly didn't feel that way. I still seem to walk slower than most people.

Dawn was ready for her Sunday outing as soon as I returned home. It was definitely a beautiful day for a walk. The sky was clear and no jackets were required. I really hope this Spring weather lingers for a while. This has been an exceptionally nice Spring this year. Dawn really enjoyed her walk and we didn't forget the ice cream either. It wouldn't be a proper Sunday outing without ice cream cones.

I finally finished raking leaves this afternoon. I've been avoiding the leaves in the side yard because this is where the wind blows leaves off the roof and the thick pile of leaves is perpetually damp. Wet leaves are a lot heavier than dry leaves. Every time I filled a leaf bag, I could hardly lift it to carry it out to the curb. I don't think the yard will ever be completely free of leaves, but it definitely looks better now. The yard work tired me out. I'm not as strong as I used to be. It's one more reason I need to start going back to the gym.

Dawn has been getting much bolder around me lately. I took a short nap after I finished raking leaves and Dawn stayed on the bed with me. She didn't appear entirely happy about the situation, but she didn't get up and leave. She never used to come in the office. Now, she'll come in and bark at me when it's time for her dinner. Her internal clock is flawless. She always knows exactly when it is time for breakfast, dinner, and snacks.

I need to remember to get up early and watch the live feed of the Starship orbital launch tomorrow morning. I can't believe how many people I know decided to drive to Brownsville and see the launch in person. Why? There are very few places to stay in the area. If you decide to drive down Highway 4 to see the rocket up close, you need to remember that there are absolutely no public restrooms. If you need to go, you are at least thirty minutes away from the nearest gas station. You are never far away from the bugs and snakes though. I hear that the insect bites are terrible around Boca Chica. At any rate, I think I'll have a much better view of things on my computer.

I won't be going to Florida next week since the Falcon Heavy launch has been delayed. I think all the April launches have been delayed now. Oh, well. There's plenty to do here in Dallas. I still need to get the roof replacement scheduled and I need to go pick up the unsold gear I consigned at the guitar store as well. The yard still needs a lot of work too.

Becker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4857

The weather has been perfect for the past several days. The skies are clear and blue on our sunrise walk with Dawn and there are white puffy clouds when I take my long walk later in the day. Everything is green now. All the trees have leaves and the wildflowers are in full bloom. It's a pleasant time for walking, which is a good thing since that's all I'm doing these days.

I still haven't heard anything about the Viasat-3 launch. Another launch photographer told me that Space X is only giving journalists a 2 or 3 day notice about credentialing status these days. That's a shame since Southwest Airlines tickets will definitely be more expensive at such short notice. I'm assuming that I'll get approved but I might not. You never know.

Some neighbors stopped us to talk on our early walk this morning and Dawn did really well greeting their dogs. She used to be nervous around these dogs, so I think the training class is helping her. Janet said she did well in class tonight, although she is not heeling as well while wearing a harness. We're still not putting anything around her neck after learning about the bulging disc in her neck. There is no point in aggravating something that is already a problem.

My Fitbit quit working this morning, so I have no record of today's walk. I don't know why this bothers me, since I already know exactly what the Fitbit was going to tell me. I've done this walk so many times that I can gauge my pace pretty exactly by just listening to my footsteps. I know where all the mile markers are and how long it will take me to arrive home again. I still like to look at the Fitbit though. This afternoon I figured out how to get the thing started again, but I still don't know what went wrong.

It's a good thing that Janet and I like ham. There's a lot of leftover Easter ham. I've been having ham sandwiches for lunch and more ham for dinner. We may have to freeze some of this. At this rate I'll be eating ham until June. It's a shame that there are no more holidays coming up for a while. I always enjoy a good holiday.

I'm a little surprised that there hasn't been a call for volunteers out at the observatory this year. Usually I get called at least once a year. Maybe it's just as well. I have serious misgivings about driving that far again. On the other hand, I love that place once I manage to make it out there. It's quiet and peaceful and the night skies are incredible. The Astronomer's Lodge has a really good cook too. I'd go out there just for the meals.

This week has really gone quickly. You'd think I'd be bored to tears since I basically do nothing all day. I putter around and before you know it the day is over. It's probably a good thing that I don't have clients anymore. I'm slower about everything now. I don't know how I ever managed to get so much stuff done back in the day.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4819

Today was a good day. The weather was almost perfect, but more importantly, Dawn is back to normal again. We may never know what was wrong with her yesterday. I suspect that she just pulled a muscle or something when she got too wild during her grocery day shenanigans. She gets very excited and races around the house when Janet brings home the groceries. At any rate, we saw no signs of problems today. She walked normally and had no problems getting on and off the bed.

If it's Sunday, I go walking at the mall. I went earlier this morning and the place was almost empty. I need to remember this since I'm perpetually trying to avoid crowds. I can't get over how much the place changes from week to week. I always see stores that have closed and others that have just opened. A surprising number of businesses seem to just move from one location in the mall to another. You have to watch where you're going while mall walking. So many people never look up from their phones while walking that you'd bump into them if you didn't move out of their way. I see this in the park as well. We have an entire nation of people who've become addicted to their phones. The young people are the worst. Very rarely l'll see an older couple actually talking to each other without a phone in sight.

Since Dawn was feeling better we took her on a Sunday outing this morning. She seems to enjoy new places now, so we drove her to the other side of the lake. We didn't take a long walk because we didn't want to push our luck, but Dawn had a good time smelling new things and looking for critters. As always we ended our outing with a trip to the ice cream store. The ice cream cones are no bargain, but it's a nice little Sunday treat. Even though Dawn rides terribly in the car, the ice cream seems to calm her. On the way home from the ice cream store she appears almost normal.

I thought about going up on the roof this afternoon and looking for the remaining leak, but quickly changed my mind when I realized what was involved. Chances of failure were very high and I really didn't want to deal with the messy silicon coating again. Even though I keep a roller on the roof to spread the stuff around, I always seem to get some of the Armor Flex on my hands and clothing. I still need to try this before the next rain though. My last attempt slowed down the leaks considerably. If I can just find where the remaining water is getting through, I may be able to stop the leaks entirely. I'm probably being too optimistic, but I need to give it a try.

Instead of going up on the roof, I vacuumed the carpets instead. I need to do this more often because the carpets were really dirty today. Dawn used to sit on the bed and stare at me while I cleaned the bedroom. Not anymore. She left the room and wouldn't come back until I was finished and put the vacuum cleaner away. She wouldn't stay in the room when I took a short nap after I finished my chores either. It's kind of sad. If Janet isn't around to keep her safe, Dawn wants nothing to do with me.

I'm going to have to call the roofers tomorrow because they seem to have disappeared. Several weeks ago I couldn't get rid of the guys. Now it's crickets. I need to get this job scheduled so we can get on with our lives. A new roof won't solve all my problems, but it will certainly help.

Hopefully tomorrow is an uneventful day with no surprises. A day where nothing happens is always a good day as far as I'm concerned.

Rory is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4483

Another nice Spring day. We walked a little later this morning so I got to sleep in a bit. Dawn enjoyed her early walk and enjoyed getting a little bacon with our Sunday breakfast even more. It was a relaxing morning, but the tranquility didn't last long. After breakfast I was forced to start packing for my trip.

I hate packing, but I try to be methodical about it. First I make sure all my devices are fully charged. Then I transfer the documents I need from the desktop computer to the laptop. Most of these documents have been printed as well, but I like to have a backup. I did a load of laundry because some of the clothes I wanted to take were dirty. I located the cables and plugs I need and put them in a bag. I put my meds, toothpaste, razor, other toiletries in another bag, and then put some orthotics in my new Hoka shoes which I will be taking on the trip. I did this off and on during the day and I'm still not completely done. Should I take a jacket? I usually do but the forecast says it will be very warm in Titusville. I'll definitely take a light raincoat. It always rains at some point during these trips.

We had a nice Sunday outing with Dawn this afternoon. It was warm, but it still felt like Spring instead of Summer. Dawn seems to like getting two walks during the day, but she still doesn't like riding in the car. Each of these walks is a little over a mile. Dawn does pretty well, but I don't think she would want to go much further. As usual, we concluded our Sunday outing with ice cream cones. I wonder if all dogs like ice cream. All of ours certainly did.

I didn't take a long walk today because I still had packing to do. I did take a short little walk later this afternoon just to make sure I got at least 10,000 steps. It's hard to meet my step goals while I'm traveling. Sometimes I'll walk after dinner at the hotel. If I'm early at the airport, I'll walk up and down the concourse until my flight boards. Launch events are usually pretty busy though. There always seems to be some place that I need to be.

I hope the trip goes smoothly. Yesterday a ton of flights to Florida got canceled because of storms in the area. Hopefully that is over now. The Artemis-1 wet dress rehearsal got delayed because of lightning strikes and a problem with fans on the mobile launcher. Since the Axiom-1 rocket is on an adjacent launch pad, I hope this doesn't foul things up. The last thing I want at this point is to add extra days to my trip. Everything is too expensive as it is.

I wish I'd booked a later flight, but I really didn't have much choice. I need to pick up my press credentials at a place I've never been before and I wanted to allow enough time to get lost. I'll have to get up very early but I can always sleep on the plane. I always fear that I won't be able to get a car with GPS at the Orlando rental car lot. Oddly, cars with in-dash GPS are surprisingly hard to find. I can't imagine driving around in a strange city without GPS these days. How did we used to do this?

I'd better go finish packing before it gets too late. I'd really like to go to bed early and get some sleep tonight.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4145

Another rainy day. Dawn doesn't like getting wet and didn't even want to leave the house today. At one point we thought we'd found a little dry patch where she could take her short one mile loop, but we were barely out of the back yard when the wind blew and some water from a tree fell on her. That was all it took. Back to the house we went. The rain didn't stop me of course. I waited until the rain slowed to a drizzle and was determined to get at least a minimum of 10,000 steps.

It seems like a rainy Spring, but actually this completely normal. It always rains a lot in the Spring. By Summer, we are wondering where all the rain went, because it is hot and dry for months at a time. It would be nice if we had a nice even amount of rain throughout the year, but that's not the way it works in Texas.

I got a little wet this afternoon, but I managed to walk four miles. There weren't many other people on the trails, but the ducks seemed to love the weather. I should have dressed a little warmer today. Usually I get warmer as I walk. Today I got colder. I should have known better. I had to turn the furnace on again this morning. Every time I turn the furnace on in April, I think "well, this is it for the year." Texas weather always proves me wrong.

One of the presenters at the astrophotography workshop wrote today and asked the participants to download WhatsApp so it would be easier for him to contact the group. I'm alway reluctant to install any Facebook app on my phone because Facebook is relentless about wanting to grab all the information about you it can. Instagram and WhatsApp won't even work unless you give them access to your contact list. I went ahead and added the app to my phone because I didn't want to be obstinate and get started on the wrong foot. I can always delete it later. I don't know why there is an obsession to use tools like this. Isn't e-mail enough? A few years ago, some NASA folks wanted me to download Slack for the same reason. I've never had any use for Slack since.

I wrote a letter to my sister today, but I didn't mail it because I didn't want to drive to the post office in the rain. This was actually kind of silly, since it's going to be raining even harder tomorrow and I'll have to go out and get groceries anyway. Oh, well. I'll add a stop at the post office to my errand list and wash the car later. I should be happy for all the rain we're getting. The yard is getting green again and some of the plants I thought had died in the freeze are starting to come back. Even some of the Asian Jasmine is starting to grow again. It's going to take a while before it looks like it did before the freeze, but green is good.

I keep trying to think of a follow up to my Sky & Telescope article.  My upcoming trip will be the second time I have returned to the observatory since the initial article I wrote last March. You'd think I could come up with something. I can't use the travel angle anymore since I've already used that. I'm limited in what I can write about astrophotography as well, because I actually don't know that much. I have to remember that I'm going out there to learn, not to teach. I hate to let an opportunity go to waste though. Maybe I can come up with something that the editors will like.

The lens I ordered hasn't even shipped yet. Not this again. Why has shipping become so difficult lately? Janet says Amazon Prime isn't delivering the next day anymore. The post office is hopeless. With my luck the lens will probably arrive the day after I leave for the observatory. My bad for wanting a world that runs like clockwork. I should have learned by now that what I'm going to get is a dystopian mess.

Bea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4143

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4140

Taking Dawn on a car ride to a new park has become a Sunday ritual. Dawn always appears excited and apprehensive at the same time. It kind of reminds me of how I feel when I take car trips. By all rights Dawn and I should be best buddies. We both spend way too much time waiting for the other shoe to drop. Today was certainly a good day for a little excursion. It was beautiful outside. We saw horses today. Dawn wasn't scared of them, but I don't think she realized that Dalmatians are supposed to have a natural affinity for horses. What Dawn was really interested in was the ice cream. We always end our Sunday outings with an ice cream cone.

I stayed busy today. It was an increasingly rare 20,000 step day. I must have looked pitiful when I was mowing the grass this morning because a homeless man wandering down the street stopped and asked if I needed help with the mower. I assured him that I was fine and always mowed this slow, but he persisted for a while before he continued wandering down the street. I think he just wanted money. The good news is that the yard looks a lot better now. The bad news is that I'm probably going to have to start mowing every week again. Most people on the street use a yard service now, but I continue to mow myself. Why not. We have a small yard and it's good exercise. I don't really like yard work, but I don't like going to the gym either. I wish the human body just stayed in shape automatically.

Now that my missing package has resurfaced, I'm getting frequent notices from the post office about its whereabouts. Oddly, the package is still in Indiana. I think it is making a grand tour of Indiana postal facilities. The post office needs to talk to Amazon. Janet has Amazon Prime and they seem to be able to deliver virtually anything the next day.

There were even more people in the park today than there were yesterday. It's not surprising. You've really got to take advantage of nice weather here in Dallas. It doesn't last long. I don't mind all the joggers and dog walkers on the trails, but there are way too many skateboarders and guys barreling along at thirty miles an hour on those electric Onewheel boards. You can buy a used car for the price of a Onewheel, but  these things are surprisingly popular. A brand new way to kill yourself I guess.

I'm continuing to watch YouTube tutorials about astrophotography. I'm amazed at how many people make these things. Some of them are very good. If you want to do anything, there's a YouTube video to tell you how. Before I attempt any major computer repairs, I'll look for a YouTube video to explain the process. Why do people make these videos? You might make a little money from the ads that Google inserts at the beginning, but I suspect that most of these tutorials are a labor of love. I could never do this myself but I'm glad these tutorials are out there. You can learn a lot on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Dawn has decided to join us for dinner again now that Janet and I have switched chairs and she can't see me. It's weird to have a dog that doesn't like you. Dawn isn't scared of me at all and is perfectly comfortable with me feeding her and walking her on a leash. She just doesn't want to be friends. It's OK. Actually I understand completely. I don't want to be friends with everyone either. 

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4134

How did it get to be Monday again? These weeks go so fast. Whenever we visit the Dalmatians at the kennel, I realize that Dawn is the perfect dogs for us. She is older and pretty subdued for a Dalmatian. Younger Dalmatians have so much energy. Charlie and Cooper are fun to play with, but I don't think I could keep up with these two for very long. Hopefully they will find homes with someone who has as much energy as they do.

I tried to find my lost memory chips today and was told that the post office doesn't consider anything lost until they've had it for at least fourteen days. OK. I'll wait a little longer. Since it only takes two days for mail to travel from the shipper's location to my house, I wonder what's going on for those other twelve days. Amazon Prime has spoiled me. Somehow I think that everything should arrive the next day now.

I also wrote NASA and politely asked why I was being rejected for certain launches. I get accepted for some launches and rejected for others, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the process. If I'm doing something wrong on my end, I'd like to know what it is. I think the articles I've written have been very good. What do I know though. If I can't consistently get press credentials, it is going to be very difficult for me to become a space journalist.

Maybe it would be easier for me to become a HVAC technician. The furnace repairs I made the other day are working well. This is a weird time of year. It's very cold around sunrise and when I hear the furnace running I know it's time to get up. The furnace continues running while I'm eating breakfast, but by mid-afternoon it is warm enough outside for the air conditioner to kick in. Every day for the past week we have had the furnace and the air conditioner running on the same day.

My back is still bothering me. I'm comfortable when I wake up, but the process of becoming upright changes everything. Yikes. Those "I've fallen and I can't get up" commercials are starting to make sense now. Am I going to need a cane soon? I hope not, but it might be a good idea to have a few stashed around, just in case. My Dad had a ton of canes and I gave them all to the Goodwill when I cleared out his house. I should have kept a few.

At least I can still walk. Walking doesn't bother my back like it does my feet. It's bending over that bothers my back. If I stay on level ground and don't do anything stupid, a long walk still feels good. I've managed to convince myself that this type of exercise is the best thing for aging, tired bones. I hope nobody proves me wrong. I don't think I'm cut out for yoga, pilates, or lifting weights. You don't need a class or a gym or a trainer to take a walk. All you need is some free time. I've got plenty of that.

We'll see what happens tomorrow. Early voting has started for a local election. Maybe I'll go vote. I need to pick up some more duct tape at Home Depot as well. You can't ever run out of duct tape. Maybe Dawn will wake up and decide to be my best friend. That's a long shot, but it could happen.

Marley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4128

Well, it doesn't look like I'll be going to Florida any time soon. NASA rejected my application to attend the Crew-2 launch later this month. I was getting accepted for a while and then Covid hit and everything changed. It's discouraging that it's so hard to get press credentials even when I've got a magazine supporting me. Jeez. I've written some nice articles about space. NASA ought to be eager to have me attend their launches. Oh, well. I ought to look on the bright side. I really can't afford many of these trips anyway.

I got an e-mail from UPS today saying that I was getting a delivery later this week. When I clicked on the tracking number, it said that the item had been delivered last month to someone in New Jersey. How could something be delivered before I ordered it? The e-mail said the item was shipped on 4/12 and delivered on 3/24. Weird. I called UPS to explain the mix-up and the first thing the automated message system asked for was my tracking number. I wanted to talk to a real person so I could tell then they'd given me the wrong tracking number, but the automated system kept telling me "your package has been delivered." Very frustrating. I called the shipper who assured me that the package was addressed correctly and was on its way. "Just ignore the tracking number," the guy told me. "We're having issues with duplicate numbers." Will I ever get this package, or have I entered the Twilight Zone? I guess we'll see.

The weather has been beautiful lately, but I'm not really taking advantage of it. I take my daily walk and then I return to the house. The car gets used once a week for grocery shopping and that's about it. I have no desire to go to a movie or visit a nearby town. Whenever I do go out, the traffic is so terrible that I wish I was home again. Maybe it's important that I go to West Texas periodically. I'm always a little apprehensive about these trips, but they keep me from becoming a shut in.

I was tempted to enter a photo contest today, but when I read the fine print on the contest rules, it said that a contest entry gave the company the right to use the photo for whatever they wanted in perpetuity with no additional compensation. That sounded pretty harsh. It's not that I was planning on selling the photo anyway, but I hate weasel words in contracts. Why do people have to be this way? The contest is legit with a well respected company, but I think I'll pass.

The water level is dropping in the lake again. There must be a leak in the dam. You'd think the city would be right on top of this, but maybe they haven't noticed. I probably wouldn't have noticed myself if I didn't walk the same route along the shoreline day after day. I could tell you when certain flowers were going to bloom several years ago, but now I'm starting to recognize individual ducks. This walk is getting very familiar. It won't be long before I start naming the ducks.

Dawn seems more relaxed now that I've decided to stay out of the kitchen while she's eating. Dawn's a noisy eater so it's easy to tell when she's finished. I still fix her meals and then go back to the office. It seems to work. Oddly, Janet doesn't like me in the kitchen either. Oh, well. It is a small kitchen and I seldom cook anyway.

I'm still irritated that NASA rejected my press pass application. I need something more exciting to write about than UPS tracking numbers.

Valli is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4123

I tried to catch up on some correspondence today. I've never felt a huge compulsion to communicate with others, but occasionally I feel a need to see if I still exist. I write people like a castaway throwing notes in a bottle out in the ocean. I got one answer to my e-mails today, so that was a good sign. I think I'll give it a rest for a while.

I'm still frustrated that there appears to be no way I can add old software to my old computers. Auto manufacturers are required to have parts available for any model they sell for a minimum of ten years. Most manufacturers keep parts in stock for much longer than this. Software publishers don't seem to follow these rules. As soon as they develop a new version of their software, they pull the old versions off the shelves. Old versions of popular software are seldom supported and after a while  you can't even find them to download. Old software just disappears. Hardware manufacturers are pretty much the same. If you want to install an older operating system on your computer, you are out of luck. 

All this makes life difficult for a person like me who wants to keep things frozen in time. I remember a time when everything worked perfectly and I want to keep it that way. I like old cars because you could fix them yourself. I can't remember my parents refrigerator ever breaking. Appliances used to last forever back in the day. There was a golden age for computers and electronics, but I think we are long past it now. I had a lot more interesting software to choose from back in the ancient days of Apple's System Nine than I do now. The little niche players have all disappeared. If you can't find what you want in the App Store, you are out of luck. 

It's not really worth fretting about things you can't change, so I just drink my smoothie and walk. There were times when I was much, much busier, but maybe there is no longer a need for that. Before I took my long walk today I continued experimenting with the images I took out at the observatory last October. There's an art to squeezing every last bit on information out of astro photos. I'm learning a lot more about image processing and I've discovered that the photos I used to be pleased with can look much better after I align the red, green, and blue layers and stretch the histogram. I'm starting to understand why a lot of astrophotographers call their individual images data. There is a lot of information hidden in every photo. Processing is just learning how to extract it.

Dawn really looks forward to her walks now. She knows when we are getting ready to go and her tail starts wagging. I think she expects these walks now. Occasionally we are late and she starts barking at the door. I hope she continues to enjoy walking as the weather become warmer. We were near the limits for an enjoyable walk today. The temperature was in the low 80's and as we neared the end of Dawn's short one mile loop, I noticed that her tongue was hanging out. We'll need to start taking water with us soon. Summer can be brutal in Texas.

At this time of year the furnace comes on early in the morning and then the air conditioner comes on around mid afternoon. This morning the furnace refused to light again while I was eating breakfast. I got out my tools and was prepared to disassemble things so I could clean the flame sensor. Just as I was getting ready to turn the unit off and take the cover off, the furnace lit and everything was fine again. The flame sensor must be dirty, but not hopelessly dirty. Maybe I'll still have to fix it this Spring, or maybe I can wait until next Fall. I'm in no hurry to fix this thing. Working in the tiny utility room is hard on my wrists and knees.

I've taken this week's trash out to the curb and am ready to declare the week officially over. I slept better last night and my Fitbit actually worked. Go figure.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4115

The star tracker I ordered arrived today. I looked at the instruction manual just long enough to realize that it's going to take me a while to learn to use this thing. I've got a month or so to master assembling and operating the tracker in complete darkness. This is not easy. When I was out at McDonald Observatory last October, even setting camera exposures in the dark was a chore. I spent a lot of time looking for little things I dropped on the ground. It was way too easy to throw off your polar alignment by bumping the tripod in the dark or spoiling the focus that took you forever to get just right by accidently touching the lens. Astrophotography is not an avocation for the clumsy. Unfortunately I am very clumsy. We'll see if I can be more careful this time. The last time I was on the mountain, I almost fell in a hole and broke my leg.

Maybe I ought to stick to photographing dogs. I'm pretty good at photographing dogs. Getting a good picture of the Andromeda Galaxy or the Orion Nebula is much harder for me. The night sky is interesting though and there are very few things that interest me anymore. Hey, if other people can do this, I should be able to take good night sky pictures as well. I'll figure out this star tracker in the weeks ahead and I bet my photos will be a lot better this time than they were last October.

I resumed my long walks today. It was very windy which made it almost impossible to dress for the occasion. When I was near the shoreline and the wind was blowing in my face I was cold. When I was out in the meadows and away from the water I was hot. I don't know where the ducks were today. I saw very few. Pretty soon the pelicans will fly North for the summer. There are already a lot fewer of them at the lake. Another week of two of warm weather and they'll be gone.

I see a few new wildflowers blooming every day now. It's interesting that the blue and purple flowers bloom first. Then the yellow flowers start blooming. The red flowers are almost always last. In April and May you see all the flowers at once and then they slowly start to disappear. It's not as much fun to photograph these flowers anymore because I've already captured every variety that grows here many times. April used to be a time for photography. Now it's mostly a time where I don't need to wear a coat and I don't get sunburned either. 

I was going to go looking for an Easter ham today but I forgot. I need to do this tomorrow. I've learned to ask for a Chop at the smokehouse. This is a small boneless cut that the store uses to make ham sandwiches for customers. A regular ham is way too much for two people and this small size is perfect. If you vacuum seal the meat in a boil-in bag you can keep it nice and juicy by just heating it in boiling water instead of putting it in the oven. Did I mention that I love a good smoked ham?

It's hard to believe that tomorrow will be April 1. It's getting harder and harder to separate the April Fool's jokes from reality. Life is so strange now that I'm having a difficult time telling the difference. The fact that Covid is still with us after an entire year seems like a cruel joke, but I guess it's real. I don't need any more big surprises. I'm waiting for life to become simple and predictable again. That wish is probably an April Fool's joke. I don't think that life will ever be simple and predictable again.

Smiley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4113

Somebody bought Charlie and Cooper a yellow football with a squeaker inside and it was their new favorite toy this week. We discovered that both dogs would make pretty good wide receivers because you could toss them the football and they would catch it in the air surprisingly often. We met some new employees today. Like most Dallas businesses, the kennel seems to be slowly returning to normal. I'm glad they survived the pandemic.

When we returned home I went out and got a new pair of walking shorts. I was down to a single pair and I knew they wouldn't make it through the Summer.  Amazingly, I found some shorts that were exactly the same brand and style as the ones I bought three years ago. In theory, buying something that I didn't need to try on first should have saved me time. It didn't. There was only one person working at the checkout counters and the person ahead of me in line was trying to return something without a receipt. It took me forever to get out of the store, but I still like to support local business whenever I can.

Dawn did well on her first walk this morning, so we thought she'd enjoy a second walk after we returned from the kennel. Apparently not. We couldn't even get her down to the park. She froze in place and wouldn't go any further before we had even gone three hundred yards. Oh, well. At least she got a good walk this morning. Janet returned to the house with Dawn and I continued walking.

I wonder how long this nice Spring weather is going to continue? The weather has been almost perfect for over a week and there is no rain in the forecast. The pleasant weather is probably why I thought about getting shorts today. I've been wearing shorts and a t-shirt all week. Right now, the heat comes on when we wake up in the morning and then the air conditioner comes on later in the afternoon. I'd better enjoy this while it lasts. Pretty soon it's going to be way too hot.

I had a good walk this afternoon, even though I am still embarrassingly slow and every step reminds me that I'm almost 73 years old. I have so many aches and pains that I feel like an old rusty machine. I think things would be a lot worse if I didn't keep moving. Would I feel more fit if I moved even more? I guess I'll never know unless I return to the gym. When am I going to find the time though? I'm so slow that a few chores and a long walk fills my entire day.

I'm surprised that I still haven't heard from NASA or the Air Force about the launches I've applied to attend in April. Jeez. It's almost April. I hate to make plans at the last minute. I haven't heard anything from the magazine I write for either. It's starting to feel like everyone has forgotten about me. I'm torn between wanting a full schedule and the realization that I could never afford a full schedule anyway. I do get published, but the magazine never pays for my expenses when I travel. Does this just make my space journalism quest an expensive hobby? Who knows. 

I'm thinking about getting a smoked ham for Easter again. Janet thinks about the true meaning of Easter, but I usually just think about smoked ham. I'd better go look for something tomorrow. It may be too late already.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4105

I think I accidentally threw away an important part of my video kit while I was attempting to clean up the office a few weeks ago. I threw away some empty boxes but neglected to check and see if they were really empty. I was pretty sure the boxes were all empty because I knew what used to be in them and they all felt really light. Now, I remember that I kept this component in one of the boxes. The component was really light too. All this makes me mad because there is nobody to blame but myself. It just goes to show that you should never throw anything away. It's always possible that the missing component is in the storage warehouse, but that doesn't help much. I have no idea what is in the storage warehouse anymore.

I vacuumed the house today and I couldn't figure out why the vacuum wasn't picking up much dust. It turns out that Janet had already vacuumed the house a few days ago and I didn't even notice. Oh, well. The house is even cleaner now. It won't stay that way long though. If you have a Dalmatian there is always an enormous amount of dog hair. I don't know how these dogs manage to keep such a nice looking coat because they are constantly shedding.

The weather continues to be almost perfect. Dawn is enjoying spending more time outdoors. She took two short walks today, but we still can't get her to take a longer one. I continue to take my long daily walk although my feet are screaming at me to quit. I don't know if it would prove anything to go to the gym instead of taking these daily walks. If I did more upper body exercises, it would be my shoulders and wrists screaming at me to quit. I walked a lot slower today, but I did manage to complete five miles.

I watched a few more instructional videos about my new camera this afternoon. I'm finding that I learn a lot more watching YouTube videos that reading the instruction manual. Instruction manuals for Japanese cameras have always left a lot to be desired. One of these days I'm going to have to actually take some pictures with this camera. I've basically just been using my phone for photography all winter. I'm planning on taking the new camera to the astrophotography workshop, so I'd better become proficient in using all the fancy new features. I thought I knew everything there was to know about cameras, but that was before they all turned into computers. I think this new camera is a lot smarter than I am.

I promised Janet I'd get some bids for taking down the damaged Oak tree in the back yard. I should have done this months ago, but I hate to lose these old trees. This tree does need to come down, because it probably won't survive another really bad storm. It's such a hassle though. The tree is near power lines and has branches that extend over the neighbor's yard. Oh, well. It needs to be done. Dealing with an old house is discouraging. It always seems like a losing battle. I remember how nice things looked forty years ago. I probably looked better forty years ago myself.

I'm not sure if Spring Break is over yet, but we'll probably go visit the rescue Dalmatians again tomorrow. I think we've skipped two weeks now and Charlie probably misses us.  

Big Boy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4104 - Vernal Equinox

It definitely felt like the first day of Spring. The weather was beautiful and that meant the park was incredibly crowded. It seemed weird to see so many people out and about when the commentators on television are still talking about social distancing and Covid spikes. People aren't listening anymore. I think they've had enough. It also seems weird that only a little more than twelve percent of the population has been vaccinated when every single person I know has had at least one shot. Even younger people seem to be getting vaccinated now. Apparently it is still hard to get an appointment in some parts of the country, but the whole process is relatively easy in Dallas. I'm still glad I live in Texas.

My grocery list was longer than usual this week, but I managed to find everything. When I was getting blueberries, the ink was smudged on all the bar code labels and I had to learn to enter the information by hand in my handy shopping app. I kept getting the SKU wrong because there is one number way to the left of all the other numbers. The produce guy finally showed me how to enter the information correctly. I bought some LED bulbs for a burned out lamp in the bedroom, forgetting that we already had plenty of spare bulbs at home. I also bought some more Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, forgetting that I'd already gotten some two weeks ago. I'm not really a very good shopper.

We slept in late this morning, but I'm still not getting enough sleep. I need to get to bed earlier. It's taking me longer and longer to write the blog each night, even though I have less and less to say. Sometimes I seriously wonder if I'm going to be able to complete my 5000 day goal. I keep plodding along one day at a time, but a little voice in my head keeps telling me that this strange journey doesn't even matter anymore. I'm certainly not writing for an audience. I think only about ten of you are regular readers.

Dawn seems to like being outside more than our other dogs. We leave the back door open for her on these nice Spring days, but that's not going to last long. It won't be long until the air conditioner starts running continually and all the windows and doors will be sealed shut again. It's a shame that Spring doesn't last longer in Texas. It's easy to forget how nice it can be when the temperature is reasonable.

I keep bookmarking articles and videos about astrophotography. I'm learning a lot, but still feel like a beginner. It's amazing to me how many people around the world have chosen this complicated activity as their hobby. There must be thousands and thousands of them. I took a telescope out occasionally over the years to look at the planets and the moon, but never really got serious about astronomy until I started spending time out at McDonald Observatory. It's fascinating to look at the sky at night and realize how truly insignificant we really are. It's a shame that so much of the night sky is invisible to Dallas residents. Maybe all the light pollution is for the best though. I don't feel safe going out at night in this city anyway. Somebody seems to get shot every night.

My feet weren't my friend today. By the time I finished my long walk, every bone in my body seemed to ache. I'm not very fast. On a good day it takes me about 19 minutes to walk a mile. On a bad day it can take me up to 24 minutes. People pass me all the time. I don't really care. Most of these people are in their 30's and 40's. Let's see how fast they move when they're 72.

Baxter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4099

What a weird day. We were getting ready to go visit the rescue Dalmatians when Janet discovered that she had a flat tire. Neither of us could remember how to change a tire, so we called AAA. A guy came out to the house and put on the strange little skinny tire that a lot of cars have nowdays so Janet could go to a garage and get the flat fixed. On the way to the garage, all the warning lights lit up on her dash and she had to have the car towed to the dealership. This all took a long time, so we didn't go visit the Dalmatians at all today.

It was a nice day, but I knew that Dawn wouldn't walk with me if Janet wasn't around. I left the back door open so she could go in and out and sun herself in the backyard when she felt like it. Unfortunately, what she really felt like doing was rolling in the dirt. When my back was turned, she managed to get absolutely filthy. She also came back inside and hopped on the bed. I had to get her cleaned up, but I knew it wasn't going to be an easy task. When Janet isn't around Dawn becomes very wary of me. I got some wet towels and gently began to clean her off. Not surprisingly, this frightened Dawn and she began to whine and cry. It's sad to see how easily Dawn can get herself in a panic. I managed to get Dawn reasonably clean, but I still have to wash the bedding. I don't know why Dawn is so fearful, but I don't think it is going to change. I'm learning to live with her weird ways.

I called Janet and asked if I could come pick her up, but she said that the dealership was going to look at her car soon and she was going to stay until it was finished. I didn't understand why all the warning lights came on at once, but apparently they just needed to be reset. I left Dawn to chill out in the bedroom and went on my long walk. It was a windy day, but very warm. I think the temperature got up to eighty degrees today.

I hope that we don't get any more freezing weather because the trees are definitely starting to bud. Every day I walk, the park looks a little more green. Our own trees are starting to bud as well, so I think that everything with the exception of a few shrubs survived the freeze. The yard could definitely use some sprucing up though. The house could use even more. I don't know if I have the energy to do anything substantial, but I'll give it a try. 

By the time Janet returned with her car it was almost dinnertime. We took Dawn on a short walk and called it a day. Dawn is starting to freeze on her short walks now. We got her going again and completed our short one mile loop, but it is frustrating to realize that we haven't really solved anything. Janet did manage to get Dawn clean again though. She doesn't seem to mind Janet cleaning her with wet rags. We should have just hosed her down, but that would have brought on a major panic attack. 

Very little was accomplished today, but there's always tomorrow. I need to make one more sweep of the yard and see if there is anything else that I can take to the curb for the bulky trash trucks. The trucks might actually come tomorrow. At least the washing machine is working well again. I'd better go wash the bedspread while I've got a chance.

Carmine is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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