Day 4293

Just a normal Saturday. I filled the car with gas and then went to Sam's Club and Central Market. I debated whether to go grocery shopping first and then walk, or the other way around. If you go grocery shopping early, the stores are less crowded. If you go walking early, it's nice and cool. It's too bad you can't do everything early. I opted to get the shopping out of the way, but it was pretty hot by the time I got around to taking my long walk. I had to use the spray fountain in the park to cool off again. I didn't think it would warm up so quickly, especially since we needed light jackets on our sunrise walk with Dawn.

I've had a stomach ache for several days now. At first I thought that something might have gone wrong with my surgery, but I feel better now. I probably just had a mild case of indigestion. It takes a while to get used to a new diet. I've been having huge fruit smoothies for so many years that solid food must be somewhat of a shock to my system. I think I am eating healthier now, but I always thought I was eating healthy before. Who knows? It's hard to get a straight answer on diet and nutrition. I know I'm doing better than all my friends who still get their meals through the drive-thru window at Wendy's, McDonald's, or Whataburger.

Dawn seems friendlier toward me recently. It's a long, slow process but she doesn't run away when I come into a room anymore. Janet thought that if I was the one who fed and walked her, she would eventually start to warm up to me. It seems to be working. She's real friendly early in the mornings now. Later in the day, she remembers that I'm a man and she's got to be cautious. We are making progress though, so that's a good thing.

I'm not making much progress toward finding something I enjoy doing in Dallas. I still wouldn't mind living out at the observatory and I kind of envy my Florida friends who have built an entire lifestyle around following rocket launches. I guess I just don't like big cities anymore. City life revolves around doing things with other people. Not so good when you are trying to avoid people. I can remember a time when I loved going to gallery openings, lectures, and plays. Not anymore.  Did I change, or did the cities themselves change? I know I used to feel safe in almost any large city. That's a big change right there.

It's time to go up on the roof again. I keeps hearing pecans falling on the roof and if I don't remove them, they will stain the water a dark brown the next time it rains. I need to clean things up and do a thorough inspection before the leaves start to fall. A leak under a huge pile of Oak leaves is even harder to find. I wish I could find someone to do this odious job for me. It would take forever to explain what needs to be done and the roof surface is kind of fragile. I've learned a lot tending to this miserable roof over the years. If someone else was up there, I'd just feel that they were making things worse. I'm not getting any younger though. One of these days, I'm not going to be able to climb up there.

I hope the weather stays nice for Dawn's Sunday outing tomorrow. Walking outdoors is so much more enjoyable when the weather is nice.

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4169

There are still four Dalmatians up at the kennel. Aries name has been changed to Millie, which is probably a better name for her anyway. Two of the four have adoptions pending, but I don't think they'll be going to their new homes until June. This is a great group of dogs. They are healthy, happy, and have great personalities. Janet and I have enjoyed getting to know them this Spring. Hopefully all four will find their forever homes very soon.

When is this rain ever going to end? It didn't rain all day today, but it certainly was another wet and dismal day. I'm getting tired of this. We don't have a set schedule for walking anymore. We just try to go out when the weather radar says it's going to be dry for a little while. Dawn got her walk before we left for the kennel and I split my own walk into two shorter walks after we returned home. There wasn't enough time between storm cells to walk very far today, but I did manage to get at least 10,000 steps. There is rain in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday as well. It's enough to make me want to forget about exercising for a while and just take a very long nap.

Sky & Telescope isn't interested in the new article I proposed. The letter I got from my editor was nice enough, but it was clear that the magazine just wasn't interested. I'm having trouble coming up with an interesting astronomy article. When I went out to the observatory last October, I thought an article about astrophotography was a sure bet. Unfortunately, it's becoming increasingly clear that I don't really know that much about the subject. There are thousands of amateur astronomers who know much more than I do. and could probably write a better article or tutorial. I am learning a lot though. It just takes time. Maybe I just got ahead of myself.

I hope my budding career as a space and astronomy journalist isn't short lived. It's beginning to seem that way. Spaceflight Magazine doesn't seem as interested in further launch stories either.  I can't really blame them. Unless I can find a way to get interviews and establish an interesting back story for some of these launches, any article I write is going to be more or less the same. I go to Florida, follow an Air Force liaison to the designated viewing location, and watch a rocket disappear into the sky. Five minutes after the launch, it's all over. From four miles away, all these rockets look the same. Where is the story here? It was a lot more interesting when NASA put on special events for social media influencers. We got to go behind the scenes and see some amazing things that people seldom get access to. Covid put an end to all that. Even if NASA resumes the program at some point, I'm not really an influencer anymore. I think I'm basically writing a blog for twelve people these days.

Why am I still interested in astrophotography? Processing the pictures to bring out hidden details has been much more difficult than I anticipated. I don't feel safe going out after dark in Dallas either. There are too many stories about people getting robbed in the park. It's kind of weird that I have to drive 500 miles to a remote mountain in West Texas before I feel safe being alone outside at night. There are Mountain Lions out in West Texas, but these animals don't seem nearly as threatening as people. All that being said, I still might buy a small telescope this year. I do like learning how to use new gear.

It's going to be a long week if this rain doesn't clear up. At least the roof isn't leaking. I actually must have done a pretty good job of patching things up earlier in the year.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4041

Today seemed busier than usual, even though very little actually happened. I got my grocery shopping done right after breakfast. I found everything on my list and was in and out of the store fairly quickly. This week there was plenty of fresh fruit.

Our shortened walks with Dawn continue to be a success. As long as she can choose a familiar path and doesn't have to walk over a mile, she's a happy camper. It doesn't seem to matter whether I walk her or Janet does, but she definitely listens to Janet better.

When Dawn returns to the house, I just continue walking. I guess this is my new schedule for a while. I ended up walking six miles today. The weather was great. The sky was clear and yesterday's wind was completely gone. My new shoes have really helped eliminate my foot pain. Most of the aches and pains now can just be attributed to old age. I wish the new shoes were a little more durable. They are already showing some wear. I have hiking boots that I've worn my entire adult life. Running shoes seldom last more than a year. I guess that's fair. A durable shoe that is painful isn't of much use at all.

Today was the big day for the Artemis-1 static fire at Stennis Space Center. Maybe it was just as well that I didn't attend this test. The planned eight minute hot fire was aborted after just one minute due to a still undisclosed problem with one of the engines. I watched the news conference later in the day where everyone was trying to put a positive spin on things, but you could hardly call this test a success. The rocket has been sitting on the test stand for over a year now. You'd think that would have been plenty of time to work out all the bugs in this rocket. During this amount of time, Space X has already flown three Starship prototypes and is getting ready to launch a fourth next week. I have a feeling that by the time Artemis finally makes it to the moon, Space X will already be there waiting for them.

I got gas for the first time in a month today. I started driving less when Covid restrictions started last Spring. Now that I've fully adapted to this new normal, there just isn't anyplace to go. I don't go to the bank or post office anymore. All these transactions are handled online now. I don't go to the pharmacy as often because I've switched all my prescriptions to 90 day renewals. Almost all my shopping is done online as well. About the only people I need to see physically anymore are my doctors and appointments aren't that frequent. No wonder I'm eager for another launch opportunity or a trip back to the observatory.

Janet has already signed up for the vaccine at two different locations. I guess I'm going to have to do the same. I was just planning to wait until I could take the shot in my doctor's office, but that might be a while. It's not going to be good if Janet is vaccinated and I'm not. My doctor sent out a letter telling patients to get vaccinated at their first opportunity as well. Oh, well. One more unpleasant thing to add to my to-do list.

I picked up some ribs for dinner at my favorite barbecue place. The ribs and brisket are great. The location of this place, not so much. Got harassed by a homeless person while taking my order out to the car again. City life just isn't what It used to be. 

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3819

Another dog day afternoon. Every Monday, Janet and I spend the afternoon visiting the rescue Dalmatians at their kennel. It is one of the best parts of the week. Currently there are only three dogs in the program and we've grown to love each of them. Hank, Murphy, and Charlie all have their own unique personalities, but they all love to play. Hank is deaf and today we tried to teach him some simple commands. It took a lot of patience and a lot of treats, but I think he finally understands how to sit on command. We'll see if he remembers next week.

Dawn was happy to stay home and sleep on the bed while we visited the rescue dogs. She'd already had her five mile walk and was ready for a nap. We always get started before 7 AM but it seems impossible for us to get ready any earlier. I don't even make the bed or eat breakfast until we have finished our walk. In theory, we should be out the door around 5:45 AM but it's not going to happen. All three of us sleep pretty soundly in the morning.

I heard from my editor at Sky and Telescope today. She said that my article will be published early next year. This seems like an exceptionally long time to wait, but some magazines have always had a long lead time. Actually, six months from manuscript to publication is fairly normal for Sky and Telescope. I wish there was a way to speed the process along. The more published articles I can get under my belt, the easier it will be to get other publications interested in using me. I'd almost forgotten that I had to go through this same arduous process to establish myself as an advertising writer. It seems weird to have to pay my dues at my age, but that's how it works with anything new. I actually welcome the opportunity to reinvent myself one more time. I just need to learn to have patience.

For the first time in many years, Janet and I are talking about moving. It will probably never happen because the whole process is just too complicated. City life is definitely losing its appeal though. Where would you go these days? We enjoy excellent medical care now. So do our dogs. When we used to take Dot and Dash to the cancer center, it was common to meet people waiting in the lobby who had traveled for hours with their dog from a small town just to meet with the oncologist. Life in a little town like Fort Davis seems idyllic at first glance and then I remember all the stories people tell me about wells that go dry and living with septic tanks. Snakes in the garage doesn't sound very appealing either. Everything from getting your car repaired to buying groceries becomes more difficult in a small town. There are a lot of problems with urban life, but there are a lot of things you take for granted too. We definitely aren't interested in retirement communities or life in the suburbs. If we start taking car trips to visit picturesque small towns, you'll know we're getting serious. Actually, what I'd like is a time machine. Almost any place thirty or forty years ago sounds pretty nice to me.

The temperature is supposed to reach 100 degrees tomorrow. We'll have to get an early start on our walk. With clear skies predicted for the next two weeks, I won't have to worry about the roof for a while. Now we just have to make sure that the air conditioner keeps working.

Lacey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3642

Santa has left the building. Another year of Santa Paws events is complete. I think Dalmatian Rescue did pretty well this year. All our customers are happy and we managed to add an extra event to our schedule this year. I'm always tired after these events, but this is nothing new. I'm almost always tired anyway.

We photographed a lot of animals today. Most were dogs, but we did take Christmas pictures of two cats and one rabbit. There was also one young baby and several families. Whenever we photograph families, they say that the experience is much better than going to a shopping mall Santa. I think our team is great. A lot of people say we do the best Santa photos in town, but I wouldn't want to compete with anyone. We're not a high volume operation like a shopping mall Santa. We don't ask the dogs what they want for Christmas either. It probably helps a lot that we mostly photograph dogs. Children are much more difficult.

Every year we do these events, I think it might be my last year. My knees are getting bad and a day of constant kneeling and getting up and down is punishing. This year I felt a little better than last year though. Maybe my daily five mile walks are helping me stay in shape. I hope so. When I got home today and finished unpacking my equipment, the first thing I did was take a five mile walk.

I used to live in the area of town where we had our event today. So much has changed. I hardly recognized the place. Dallas has grown enormously since I moved here in 1976. I'm glad we moved to the lake. I don't think I could live in a high density, urban environment anymore. The streets were so crowded in my old neighborhood that it took forever to get back on the freeway and head for home. Even the relatively peaceful streets of our lakeside neighborhood seem too crowded for me these days. I'm envious of the remote desolation of Fort Davis. A town with less than 2,000 people and no traffic lights seems perfect.

All the photo equipment is still piled in the hallway. Over the next few days, it will go back to the storage warehouse. Everything worked this year and the new backdrop was a good investment. I think we'll throw it in the washing machine and clean it before storing it away. We've never had that option before. All our other backdrops have a strong doggie smell. I hope that the next time I need this equipment that it all still works. Actually, it probably will. Professional photo gear is designed to be used day in and day out in a studio environment. I basically use mine once a year.

Tomorrow, I'll start thinking about the article I'm going to write about the Artemis program. If I knew the magazine was going to ask for an article, I might have arranged a few interviews while I was in New Orleans. I should be fine though. My brain is still filled with random information about rockets. I just need to start writing things down before I forget everything. Developing a reputation as a space journalist seems like a daunting task. Will I ever get there? Launches and newsworthy events don't happen that often and I don't get invited to all of them. It's good to have a goal though. I think you live longer if you have a goal.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3176

I got this check from the Federal Trade Commission today, along with a note saying that it was my share of a class action settlement involving light bulbs. What? I wasn't aware of being involved in any sort of class action suit. My first thought was that this was a scam. Have you ever received a check in the mail that has a small disclaimer saying that by cashing said check you agree to a lifetime of magazine subscriptions, a debit card from a foreign bank, or a ridiculously expensive term life policy? I am very suspicious of checks that mysteriously arrive in the mail. There are so many scammers out there. I did some research online and it appears the check is legit. The government recently mailed out fourteen million dollars worth of these checks to people like me. But how did they know I bought the light bulbs? I didn't tell them. I feel sorry for the light bulb company. The suit claims that the company made false statements about the light bulbs brightness and reliability. Jeez. I've had these LED bulbs in my bathroom for over five years and they work great. They haven't burned out and they're pretty bright. This pretty well sums up my feelings about class action suits. For the most part, they're just a way to make lawyers rich. They probably put that company out of business. That being said, I'll go ahead and cash the check. It might pay for gas next week. No, it wasn't a large check. I just don't drive very much.

I've got to figure out how to cure Dash's digestive problems. The loose stools and diarrhea are driving me crazy. I had to clean up another big mess last night and then had a hard time getting back to sleep. The first thing you're supposed to do if your dog has loose stools is take a sample to your vet to test for parasites. Done that. There were no parasites. We're read that a diet of chicken and rice can help cure the problem. That's what he's been eating for over a month and it hasn't helped. Dash is also taking a probiotic the vet prescribed and that isn't doing much either. It's frustrating. We've read that diarrhea is a known side effect of heart disease. If that's the case, there probably isn't much we can do. Diarrhea and incontinence is a really bad combination. At least when Dot became incontinent, her poop remained firm.

I got a letter from the phone company saying that my account had been compromised. So what else is new? This is almost a routine occurrence these days. By now, probably everyone in the world has had an account compromised in one way or another. The letter apologized for the inconvenience, but said that no sensitive information was revealed. Easy for them to say. They apparently did get my phone number though. Maybe that explains the increase in robocalls I've been getting lately. My landline is almost 100% telemarketers and robocalls now. I feel like the phone company should be paying me.

I walked Dash and paid a few bills today. That was about it. Someone got killed last night riding one of those rental scooters I've started seeing all over town. It was only a matter of time. I've seen people riding these things on busy city streets. Nobody wears helmets and the flimsy scooters go pretty fast. Why did the city approve these ridiculous things? I really need to move to a small town. City life is becoming increasingly strange.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2497

I should move to rural America. I dread going out on weekends now. There are simply too many people in the city. The roads are crowded with careless drivers. I see so many accidents when I'm running errands that I often wonder when my own luck will run out. There are way too many loose dogs in the park on weekends. Loose dogs make me nervous. I've worked with dogs for most of my adult life and have been bitten five times. Any dog will bite you if the circumstances are right. I don't know what people are thinking when they let their dog run loose in a public park. Their dog could get run over by a car. It could get in a fight with another loose dog. Even a friendly, playful dog could injure a child or elderly person. Dash was almost killed by an aggressive, loose dog many years ago and I've never forgotten it.

The city makes me long for empty country roads and neighbors that are at least twelve miles apart. I miss taking long walks with my dogs where I don't encounter a single other person. I have a telescope that I never use because there is too much light pollution in the city to see anything except the moon. City people aren't as nice as country people either. That's not just my opinion, it's my experience.

I mowed the grass this afternoon. Every time I mow the grass in October, I think I can put the mower away until next year. It would be reasonable to think that I've mowed my last for the year, but Texas is full of surprises. Sometimes it gets real warm in November and the grass starts growing again. I can recall even mowing grass in December on rare occasions. Hey, maybe I'll get lucky this time. I clipped things a little shorter today, just in case.

A belt loop came off a pair of supposedly indestructible pants I bought at the REI store. Admittedly, this is a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but I've still got half a mind to go back to the store and demand a refund. The only reason I buy things at the REI store is that they look indestructible. I doubt that the store would give me a refund anyway. These pants aren't exactly brand new.

I'm sure you guys get those notices from Facebook urging you to re-share your old memories. I got one today reminding me of a video a friend took last year at this time showing Dot working out in the underwater treadmill. I was surprised at how much has changed in a year. Dot was much stronger then. Her gradual deterioration has been so slow that sometimes I don't even notice that she is getting worse. It's hard to even remember the days when she could run like the wind.

Dot definitely won't be going to the Dalmatian Rescue Golf Tournament tomorrow. Those days are long gone. Everyone used to bring their dogs to the tournament and it was fun to see all these Dalmatians in one place. I'll be staying home with Dot and Dash tomorrow while Janet goes to the tournament to help with the silent auction. I hope everyone enjoys themselves, even though I've never understood the attraction of golf. It still seems like a very strange sport to me.

I have no plans for tomorrow at all. I'm sure that Dot and Dash do however, which means that I'll have my hands full.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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