Day 3665

Today was a little discouraging. Everything seems to be in limbo. The magazine told me that I should reapply for NASA media credentials as a photographer instead of as a writer. Apparently they already have a writer covering the Solar Orbiter launch. Jeez. I wish I knew this two weeks ago. I'm not even sure that I can reapply, but I'll give it a shot.

I'm also having trouble connecting with the right people at the observatory. I still don't know how these on-site visits really work and if I can't come up with a place to stay while I'm on Mount Locke this whole experiment isn't going to work very well. These new development leave me feeling like an outsider. I hate feeling like I'm on the outside looking in. Life is much easier when you're an insider.

The day wasn't all bad though. Janet and I had an enjoyable time visiting with the rescue Dalmatians. The dogs seem happy and are doing well. Hank is having problems again though. Hopefully, our vet can bring him back to normal soon. The good news is that Treasure has finally found her forever home. I think her new family will be coming to pick her up tomorrow.

We were up at the kennel for quite a while, so I got a real late start on my walk today. I returned home in the dark again. It would have been easier to just forget the walk, but I'm determined to keep moving. I've managed to convince myself that this activity is keeping me healthy, so I guess that's reason enough to continue.  The problem with doing something every day like this is that it can get boring. I find these long walks essential, but I seldom look forward to them. The only time I really look forward to going on a long walk is when it allows me to postpone something else I'm trying to avoid.

I didn't order the Universe2Go viewer after all. I read some more reviews and now I'm thinking that the product is junk again. I shouldn't be making a big deal about this. The viewer is inexpensive and I'm sure it will provide a little entertainment regardless of how accurate it is. Would I even use this thing? Who knows. I took some trash out to the garbage can just before I went to bed last night and the sky looked beautiful. There wasn't as much light pollution as usual either. Did I pull up a lawn chair and look at the stars for a while? Nope. It felt cold and I was tired. I just went back inside and went to bed.

I guess I'll reapply for NASA media credentials tomorrow. This seems kind of futile to me, but the magazine says I have a better chance of getting approved as a photographer. What do I know? Maybe they're right.

Lake, the guy in today's picture, is still shy, but I got him to take treats out of my hand today. I think that's progress. I wish I could convince the shy Dalmatians that the world isn't really such a scary place. I might not be the best messenger though. I'm usually the one who thinks the world is a scary place.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3664

It felt a lot more like the first day of Spring than the middle of Winter today. The temperature was in the mid-seventies and I was able to wear shorts and a t-shirt on my walk. On days like this the gym is usually empty. Everybody is outside.

I did my usual workout, but spent quite a bit of time outside as well. I took advantage of the warm weather and made some more patches on the roof. I've used most of the silicon material now and what little remains has started to harden in the can. I patched a bunch of very small holes today. After today's patches dry, I've probably got just enough coating left to do this one more time.

The park was packed with people today. There was a traffic jam on the trails as joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, and families out for a stroll competed for space. The weather was nice, but in a way, I like bleak, cold days better when I have the entire park to myself.

You notice things on busy days. More people have small dogs than large dogs. Drivers prefer Japanese cars to American or European ones, but they prefer pickup trucks even more. Kids don't like long walks nearly as much as their parents. Dogs wish their owners would slow down so they could smell things. I'm sure there's more but I'm really not that observant.

I always see lots of hammocks on a nice day. I've never understood their popularity. Why would you go to a park and spend all your time sitting in a hammock looking at your phone? I saw dozens of hammocks strung between trees today and the occupants were all looking at their phones. Of course, I see lots of cyclists and joggers looking at their phones as well. It is that hard to just put the phone away for a while?

I'm thinking about getting one of those Universe2Go AR viewers. These things are dirt cheap compared to other alternatives and I've got an old iPhone without a SIM card that I could use with it. Some reviewers love this thing and others think it is a piece of junk. There are enough good reviews to make me think that the bad reviews were mostly from people who didn't read the instructions. It would be cool to be able to look up at the sky and see constellation names and planet locations superimposed on your field of view.

I need to call the observatory next week and find out about living arrangements. If living in an RV or travel trailer is the only alternative, it's really going to complicate things. It's easy enough to rent an RV, but I hate the thought of driving it to the Davis Mountains from Dallas. I'm still hoping that I can rent a little house or cabin on the mountain somewhere. We'll see. Basically I still don't have a clue how this all works yet.

I also need to find out whether I'm going to get press credentials for Kennedy Space Center. I though I would have heard something by now, but again I don't have a clue how this all works yet. One way or another, this Spring ought to be interesting.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day