Day 3409

I overthink things. For almost a week I've been debating about whether to go to an afternoon movie. I've looked up theaters on Google. I've read reviews for the film I was planning to see. I've fretted about the traffic. The reviews were mostly bad and I'd just about convinced myself that going out wasn't worth the effort. Unfortunately, I had way too much time on my hands today, so at the last minute I decided to go see the movie anyway. I usually like science fiction, but I should have listened to the reviewer who said that this was basically just a prison movie in space. I wasn't fond of this movie at all.

Evidently 2 PM on a Thursday isn't when people go to the movies. When I entered the theater, I quickly understood why the guy at the ticket counter told me I could sit anywhere I wanted. I was the only one in the theater. It wasn't a huge theater, but it wasn't small either. It was weird to be the only person in the entire theater.

I'm finishing breakfast earlier now. I made my morning coffee, fixed my fruit smoothie, ate breakfast, and washed the breakfast dishes before 9 AM today. When I was tending to Dash, it was usually after 11 AM before I was finished with breakfast. I guess it's good that I'm getting an earlier start. As Summer approaches I'm going to want to take my morning walk before the day gets too hot.

It didn't get too hot today. The weather was beautiful and a three mile walk seemed like a much better alternative to staring at the computer. I've finally started seeing nesting ducks. Maybe they just got a late start this year. There were lots of recumbent bikes on the bike path today. I wonder why the riders of these bikes are always older men with short white beards? I very rarely see younger men riding recumbent bikes and I've never seen a woman on one of these things.

Prairie Verbena seems to be the wildflower of the week. These little purple flowers are everywhere now. Next week a new wildflower will take the stage. Most of the wildflowers in the park are perennials. They keep coming back in the same places year after year. I've photographed all these plants before but I still enjoy seeing them. They've become familiar friends. Unlike Texas weather, the flowers are reliable and consistent.

The week has gone quickly. I've already taken the trash out to the curb and am thinking about having shrimp grits for breakfast tomorrow. I hope this nice weather continues. I didn't even have allergy problems today. Sooner or later the rain will return and so will the 100 degree days. For now I'm going to enjoy the blue skies and mild temperatures.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3264

One down, one to go. Today's photo shoot went well. All the dogs were friendly. The owners were happy with their pictures. And nobody peed on the set. One dog threw up on Santa, but it was a minor mishap. Basically, everything went like clockwork today. We were busy all day long, but I don't think the crowds were as big as they were last year. Maybe we were just better organized this year. We never got behind schedule. No equipment malfunctioned. And we even had time to eat lunch.

The day started early. Dash got me up at 4 AM, but he managed to make it outside and there was no poop to clean up. I actually got more sleep than usual last night since I went to bed early and Dash slept soundly until he needed to go outside. I wish he would do this every night. There was actually plenty of time to take a shower and complete our morning walk before I had to leave for the photo shoot.

There were no exotic animals today. We did photograph two cats, but today's event seemed tame compared to several weeks ago when I spent the day photographing children holding snakes. I wonder why Santa pictures are important to people? Some folks come every year and have entire albums devoted to these pictures. Our own dogs would never sit still for Santa pictures, but I'm glad that other people's dogs do. Santa Paws has always been a good fundraiser for Dalmatian Rescue.

We've got another Santa Paws event scheduled for tomorrow and then we're done for the year. This is much easier than when we used to do these events every weekend during the holiday season. I keep saying that I'm too old for pet photography and this will be the last year, but I always reconsider. It's such a good cause and I enjoy working with our team. Even though I'm a grumpy person with bad knees, it's nice to know you can still do something useful.

Dash did fine today. He got his morning and evening walks and all of his regular meals. Janet came home at noon to check on him and take him outside to pee. He spent most of the day sleeping, just like he usually does. I always worry about leaving Dash alone, since he is so unpredictable these days. We did fine though. We'll repeat this routine tomorrow and then it's back to drinking smoothies for the rest of the year.

Every year I photograph a few dogs who are nearing the end of their life. I always wonder if I'll see them again next year. Pet owners almost universally agree that dogs don't live long enough. They become indispensable members of the family and then they're gone. Maybe this is why the photographs are so important. I try to give people good memories. That's kind of what it's all about.

The weather was beautiful this morning. I was inside most of the day, but I got to watch the sunrise as Venus gradually disappeared in the Eastern sky. There was a thin crescent moon overhead, a gentle breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. Dash was steady on his feet and was enjoying himself. I had a feeling that it was going to be a good day.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3145

Dash was in good spirits this morning. He was eager to leave the house and quickly decided that we needed to explore some new places. He wanted to walk near the shoreline today. This is always a good sign, since he has trouble navigating the more uneven terrain unless he is feeling strong. We had a good walk. The weather was cool. There was a nice breeze. And Dash was feeling confident.

I got my new vehicle registration sticker today. As soon as I renew my car insurance later this month, I should be good to go for another year. Texas doesn't require a safety inspection sticker anymore. You still need to get your car inspected, but there is no need for a windshield sticker. The state just won't renew your registration until their computers show that you have a current inspection.

My grocery list wasn't large today. I'm still a bit confused since I bought a number of things out of sequence while Janet was away. It's kind of sad that I basically buy the same things week after week, but it does make life easier. Usually people feed their dog the same thing day after day while they enjoy a more varied menu. I'm the exact opposite. We're always feeding Dash something different to ensure that he keeps eating, while I keep eating my familiar favorites.

The trouble with hot weather is that it's impossible to get an early start on everything. Dash is always our first priority, so we take him on a walk as soon as we wake up. I also like to go shopping early on Saturday to avoid the crowds. I didn't do so well this morning, since I needed to pay some bills and get my vehicle registration sticker. It would have been nice to mow the grass early this morning as well, but like I said you can't do everything at once. The grass will have to wait. By the time I finished my Saturday errands, it was way too hot to even think about mowing.

I tried, and failed, to discover where the carpenter ants are coming from. I haven't actually seen any ants, but I have seen the little sawdust piles they create. When we bought the house, I was pleased that it was largely brick. "We'll never have termites," I thought. I forgot that there is still a lot of wood in a brick house. The entire roof is made of wood. I think that's where the ants get in. Carpenter ants aren't as destructive as termites, but they can still do a lot of damage. Luckily, they only seems to be a problem for a few weeks each year.

I wonder if Facebook is having a secret war with Apple? Ever since Tim Cook made some derogatory comments about Facebook, the platform quit working on Safari. Coincidence? I think not. Facebook works fine for me when I use Firefox or Chrome, but it freezes, crashes, and uses way too much memory whenever I view it using Safari. This wasn't happening before Tim Cook began publicly mocking Facebook's business model. The Internet was a more enjoyable place when the only people who used it were a few nerds like me. I think the desire to monetize everything has ruined everything.

There is rain in the forecast for next week. Almost everyone in town is hoping for rain, but I still have mixed feelings. Is there still a roof leak? Only time will tell.

Pebbles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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