Day 4990

When is this month going to be over? I keep waiting for the weather to change, but every day is the same. It looks like we're going to have clear skies and triple digit temperatures forever. The only time when the weather is tolerable is just before sunrise. Our early walks with Dawn are warm now, but they are still the nicest part of the day.

I applied to attend another launch at Kennedy Space Center. This one isn't until early October and I'm not even sure I want to go. I need to keep my space connections alive though. It took me a long time before I was publishing regularly and could consider myself an official space reporter. I definitely don't want to be forgotten and have to start all over again. Maybe my interest in things will return when the weather gets cooler. Right now I just want to hibernate.

I took my time with breakfast this morning because I didn't want to get to they gym too early. What's the hurry? Going to the gym is my only regular activity lately. I've got to space things out so I don't have an entire afternoon to fill. When I did arrive for my workout there seemed to be twice as many people on the floor as there usually are. I'm convinced that the heat is driving everyone indoors. Luckily someone was leaving just as I arrived and I still found a spot in the parking garage. If I have to park outdoors, the steering wheel is almost too hot to touch when it's time to go home again. I was slow on the track today, probably because there were too many other people walking and running. I was pretty good on the basketball court though. If I can ever manage to complete ten free throws in a row, I'll move on to something more difficult.

I wish I hadn't started eating lunch again. I know that's why I'm gaining weight. I'm not even that hungry, but fixing myself lunch is a great way to kill time. There are all kinds of things that need attention around the house, but I'm doing my best to avoid them. Painting is messy. Repairing cracks in ceiling is messy. Some of the carpentry work that is needed is probably beyond the scope of my abilities. It's actually pretty easy to talk myself out of doing repairs. I'm an expert at talking myself out of things.

The pharmacy still doesn't have the pills I need. I may have to get the prescription refilled at a different pharmacy because I will run out tomorrow. It seems like a pharmacy should always have the pills you need but nothing works smoothly anymore. Little inconsequential things have a way of becoming giant hassles.

It looks like we're going to be doing Santa Paw pictures again. We've already got dates scheduled in December. I hope my old equipment keeps working. I hope my body keeps working as well. I definitely don't want to buy any new photo equipment at this stage of my life. I'll keep walking to keep myself working.

Dawn didn't get to go to her training class tonight. It's still way too hot outside. Maybe next week will be better.

Mickey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4981

Another triple digit day. They say we've broken an all time record for consecutive days above 80 degrees. I wouldn't be surprised if we've broken records for days above 100 degrees as well. Hey, we're supposed to get a break tomorrow. A cold front is on the way and it's only supposed to reach 95 degrees.

The day started normally with Dawn's sunrise walk. There wasn't much of a breeze this morning. Even before sunrise you could tell it was going to be a hot one. I had my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit and then did a load of laundry. When the first load was in the dryer I changed the sheets on the bed and washed them as well. Changing the bed upset Dawn for obvious reasons. I was messing with her throne. I had to lead her out to the living room on a leash and then gate her out of the bedroom until I finished. She was not a happy dog.

Changing a fitted sheet sure seems harder than it used to be. Bad knees and a dislocated shoulder make this simple task a bit of a struggle. I got the job done though. I even washed all the bed coverings because they routinely get filled with dog hair. I remember when my Dad got older he started sleeping on top of his bed because he got tired of making it every day. Makes sense to me.

When I finished with the household chores, I went to the gym again. No matter what the weather is doing outside, I'm going to continue to get my steps. Traffic seemed worse than usual today and then I remembered that school is in session again. I need to remember where all the school zones are. It's an easy way to get a ticket if you aren't careful. There are more people using the gym than you typically see in August. I think this heat is driving everyone indoors. I did my three mile walk on the indoor track, completed ten free throws on the basketball court, and lifted weights for a while. Even though I completed my routine, it wasn't a great day. I was slower doing everything today.

Since I went to the gym a lot later today, I didn't return home until mid afternoon. This was probably a good thing because I was out of the way when Janet did her housecleaning. I often run out of things to do in the afternoon which makes me wonder what I'm going to do with myself when I reach my blogging goal. I've genuinely grown tired of writing these daily posts, but I like a life with structure. I've been spending my evenings blogging for so long that it's going to seem strange doing anything else. I don't watch much TV and reading tires my eyes now. I imagine I'll think of something though. Nature abhors a vacuum.

I'm looking forward to a break in the hot weather. They say the temperature will only be in the mid 70's when we take our sunrise walk tomorrow. Sadly this respite from triple digit temperatures isn't going to last. On Thursday the heat wave returns and temperatures are supposed to reach 108 degrees. I have no idea how long this is supposed to last, but it's definitely been long enough. Cooler Fall weather can't come soon enough.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4898

Since I had to fast for my physical exam this morning I couldn't have my morning coffee or breakfast. It showed. I felt like I had no energy for the rest of the day. Of course this might have been some sort of jet lag effect from my trip. I never get much sleep on these launch trips. The exam went well though. The doc thinks I'm in great shape for my age. Of course "for my age" probably just means that I can still move around without using a walker.

I wish now that I'd asked the doctor about all the bug bites I've got. They're horrible. I think Florida mosquitos are much worse than Texas mosquitos. I get bites like this every time I visit Kennedy Space Center because I'm outside a lot. Since the bites don't go away quickly and I'm a terrible hypochondriac, I always worry that I've caught some strange disease. Were there bedbugs in the hotel? Did I eat tainted food? Did I sit next to the wrong person on the plane? Of course not. These almost have to be mosquito or chigger bites because I've experienced the same thing every time I go to Florida. The bites usually go away in about a week.

On the way back from the doctor I had to stop at the bank and get some documents out of my safe deposit box for tomorrow's driver's license renewal. Something must have changed in the law because I've never needed so much documentation before. I used to just renew my license by mail. The weird thing is that I already have a Real ID, so DPS should know exactly who I am. The letter I got for my appointment said to bring two forms of ID to prove I'm a US citizen, two forms of ID to prove I'm a Texas resident, an original Social Security card, and the title to my car. I've had numerous background checks run on me since I visit military bases to watch launches. Seems very strange that it's easier to visit high security areas at Kennedy Space Center than it is to get a Texas driver's license. At any rate, I've got a pile of documents now and hope I have everything I need. I definitely don't want to have to do this again.

When I returned home I mowed the grass in the back yard and then I took my long walk. The yard looks much better now, although there are still a few dead spots where the roofers left pallets of material while they were working. The grass will grow back quickly and I'll have to mow again pretty quickly as well. At least the new batteries I bought for the mower worked. I'll try to mow the front yard tomorrow.

I finally threw away my worn out Hoka shoes and broke in a new pair on my long walk today. These shoes are comfortable and help with my foot pain, but I sure wish they lasted longer. I've had hiking boots that can be resoled for a lifetime, but any type of sneaker is basically a throw away item. If you're active, you're lucky if they last a year. I was exceptionally slow on my walk today. I got started late and the  weather was hotter than I expected. My feet bothered me as well, but mostly I was just tired. I mentioned to the doctor this morning that I don't have as much energy as I used to. He just laughed and told me I was getting old.

Maybe Dawn did miss me while I was gone. She seems a little friendlier toward me now. One of these days we'll finally be friends. Hopefully there will be no problems with my driver's license renewal tomorrow. I need that license to travel. I also need to get started on my Axiom-2 article soon. There is no rush deadline this time, but I promised my editor that I'd get him something by Friday. Right now I just need to get some sleep.

Willie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4894

We have a new roof. We won't be able to tell if this was all worth it until we've had a couple of hard rains, but I'm pretty pleased so far. We've lived here a long time and this is the third roof we've had to put on our house. This crew was by far the most professional I've encountered so far. I guess if you count the condo I owned before I bought our current house, I've been through a total of five roof replacements. Why so many? Well, if you are an architect or live in a house designed by one, chances are it will have a flat roof. I think it's a rule that architects, or former architects like myself, must live in houses with flat roofs.

I hope the new roof holds up well when we get our next big storm. I also hope it drains well. If I never have to climb up on the roof again to sweep away standing water, the cost will be well worth it. We certainly didn't have to wait long for rain. Literally less than an hour after the roofers finished working today it started raining. This was only a light shower. It's going to take a lot more to put the roof to the test.

I thought I'd be packed by now, but of course I haven't even started. I guess I had an excuse since I've been dealing with the roofers most of the day, but I could have been packed if I was more organized. I always seem to wait until the last possible minute to get ready for a trip. I'll probably end up packing first thing tomorrow morning. My flight doesn't leave until the afternoon. I always take the same things with me whenever I go to Florida. I could save time if I just left a suitcase permanently packed.

I got a haircut after breakfast this morning. I almost always get a haircut before I travel anywhere. There was a long list of other things I needed to do, but they will have to wait until I return from the launch. I needed to get home quickly today, so Janet could do her grocery shopping. Dawn doesn't like the noise of the roofers overhead and we didn't want to leave her alone. While I was waiting for Janet to return I decided to do some yard work and take advantage of the big dumpster sitting in our driveway. By the time I finished moving dirt around, I was too tired to take my long walk. Hey, I got my 10,000 steps, so that was enough for me.

I finally enabled e-mail on my phone. The last time I was at Kennedy Space Center I felt kind of helpless sitting in my car during a violent tornado warned thunderstorm without the ability to communicate with anyone locally. I had some of the other rocket photographer's e-mail addresses but I didn't know their phone numbers. Also NASA communicates with everyone using e-mail. I couldn't remember all the passwords and IP addresses for my mail host, so I couldn't set up my e-mail on the spot.  That's all been fixed now. I can't believe that I've been using an iPhone for dozens of years and have never used it to get e-mail before.

I hope that the AX-2 launch doesn't get postponed. I've got a busy week when I return. I've got a doctor's appointment that was scheduled months ago and I need to get my driver's license renewed as well. This is the first time I've had to go down to the DMV in many years. I think I've renewed online for at least ten years, but I guess they want to see you in person every once in a while. I didn't have the option to renew online this time. I hope they don't make me take a driving test again. I was surprised to learn that several people my age had to take a driving test to get their license renewed. My license is more for travel than driving these days. I have to show it everywhere when I'm down at Kennedy Space Center. You need a license to get on a plane as well.

I'd better call it a day so I can get up early tomorrow and pack for my trip. It was a good day today. I think I made the right decision to get a new roof and even managed to pick a good roofing company. Hopefully, this is the last roof we'll ever need. The roof has a ten year warranty. That's pretty good for a flat roof. I think the warranty on my own body expired years ago.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4827

Dawn got a walk this morning and she did quite well. She seemed much happier today and being able to resume some of her regular activies was probably the reason. It's hard to tell if she is actually getting better since she is still taking pain medication and her neck still feels puffy. She's started to shake her head again which is both good and bad. It's good that her neck isn't as painful anymore, but we're going to have to start wearing the No Flap Ear Wrap again. The hematoma in her ear is starting to improve and we don't want that to get bad again.

I didn't do anything exciting today, but I did stay busy. I did several chores that I've been trying to avoid like cleaning toilets and trying to remove the stains on the ceiling. Spraying bleach on the ceiling works pretty well to remove a lot of the brown stains, but it's a messy job. You have to remove everything in the area, so you don't bleach furniture or other objects by mistake. I've learned to wear a hat, glasses and white clothing while I'm doing this so I don't ruin my clothes as well. The living room looks better now but I'm not even going to bother with the stains in the office ceiling. That part of the house is still leaking.

When Janet came home from the gym I took my long walk. We make sure that one of us is always home now to keep an eye on Dawn. We're making progress and the last thing we want is for Dawn to hurt her leg again with a bad fall. It turns out to be easier to let her continue to sleeping on our bed rather than gate her in a hallway where she can't fall. Dawn is a very stubborn dog and she just won't relax if she can't do things her way. Breakfast her way now means breakfast in bed. I don't know why she won't eat her breakfast in the kitchen anymore but it's not a big deal. I bring her bowl back to the bed and she eats there lying down. Oddly, she eats her other meals just fine in the kitchen.

Our weather has been like a roller coaster lately. One day it's hot and the next day it's cold. Today it was pretty chilly. It's hard to decide what to wear because it's always colder next to the lake. At least it was sunny today. I dressed warmly and completed my route, even though my feet hurt at the end. I'm not a big fan of Daylight Savings Time. It stays dark too long in the morning now and light too long in the evening.  I guess the late sunsets don't really matter because I'm not taking a telescope out in the evening anyway. The only connection I have with astronomy these days is testing the star tracker inside the house.

I had a nice walk this morning but it bothers me that I'm getting tired more easily. Walking six miles seems like a struggle at times. I'm going to keep walking though. I'm convinced that this activity is keeping me healthy and walking in the park is a lot easier than driving to the gym. I'm already doing better than my parents. Dad had Parkinson's Disease at my age and Mom was already dead.

I hate hearing that there's going to be a run on the banks after Silicon Valley Bank failed. Jeez. The money I have in the bank is my safe money, since I've never considered investing in the stock market to be all that safe. If the banks aren't safe anymore what do you do? Personally I think the news media love to scare people because it's good for ratings. They are making a big deal out of the bank failure because they know it will scare people. They've also been making a big deal out of airline safety lately because people are traveling more. Be that way if you want. I'll just quit listening to the news.

I need to remember that I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Doctors and dentists hate it when you fail to show up. I have to go to the dermatologist now because I have a few spots of actinic keratosis on my face. Since this is sometimes a pre-cancerous condition they want to check me every six months. No problems so far. The doctor freezes the keratosis spots with liquid nitrogen and I'm on my way. Did I mention that I hate growing old.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4824

Dawn is getting tired of wearing her harness all the time, but it's for her own good. We need a handle to grab if she starts to go down. No falls today, but she's still pretty fragile. Dawn is learning to walk up the step to the bed, but you've got to watch her like a hawk. Her instinct is still to jump on and off the bed like she used to. We have a nice dog bed on the floor, but she is reluctant to use it. Dawn is a very stubborn dog.

I hate to see Dawn so sedated, but if it's bed rest she needs the plan seems to be working. I watched her this morning while Janet was grocery shopping and she mostly just slept. There is no anxiety now and she seems relaxed. The real test will come when her meds run out. Strangely, the hematoma on her ear seems to be getting better because she can't shake her head anymore. I think the swelling in her neck is better today, but it's hard to tell.

Yesterday's hard rain just seems like a bad dream now. Today was beautiful and the ground was dry again. Did the sudden storm even happen? The sky was clear this morning and our roof leaks stopped fairly quickly. I guess I'll take what I can get. Historically it always rains a lot during this time of year. Increasingly, it does seem like we are having an early Spring. It's hard to imagine more snow and ice when the air conditioner is running in March.

I wrote a letter to my sister today and took it to the post office. Traffic on our street has gotten impossible, It took me ten minutes to get out of the driveway. It doesn't matter what time of day you are out and about. It always seems like rush hour these days. The traffic and crime in the city make me wish I lived in a small town. That's not going to happen though. We like our neighborhood by the lake, the house is paid for, and moving anywhere is way too much trouble. Moving is for younger people. I moved around a lot during my 20's and 30's. It didn't seem like a big deal back then, but I can't imagine doing that sort of thing now.

I wonder how long I'm going to be able to continue walking six miles a day? It seems harder now. My last mile was terrible today. I walked a lot faster when I was trying to avoid the rain yesterday. I'll continue walking because it's good exercise and so much easier than driving to the gym. I do wish that it wasn't such an effort to remain physically fit. Growing old isn't all that fun.

I think I'm going to need a new phone, a new computer, or maybe both. Increasingly, things I use a lot aren't supported anymore. I can't update the system on my phone, computers, or even my watch because they are all too old. Safari is worthless on my computer now so I've had to switch to Firefox. I can't even upgrade my watch anymore because the watch says I need a newer phone. On and on it goes. Apple basically does a terrible job of supporting old hardware. Like most companies they just want you to buy new stuff.

Tomorrow is my grocery day. I wonder how expensive everything is going to be this week? Inflation seems fairly relentless when you like to travel and are living on a fixed income.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4794

When going to the dentist turns out to be the best thing about your day, it's usually a pretty dismal day. The dental hygienist is always very complementary about the way I take care of my teeth. My gums are healthy. There is very little plaque on my teeth and no cavities. One more dental cleaning is in the books. I'll go back for another in August.

It's been raining nonstop for almost 24 hours. Dawn didn't get a morning walk and I almost didn't get an afternoon walk. There are leaks everywhere in the house. I've run out of buckets again. It was raining pretty hard when I drove to the dentist, but by mid-afternoon most of the precipitation had finally moved out of the area. I did get to eventually take a long walk and get my steps, but it was very cold outside. Although the temperature was almost fifty, it felt more like thirty. There was a light mist and a strong wind. Lets just say that it wasn't a very pleasant walk.

The roof leaks are driving me crazy. I never know where the drips are going to occur. This time the leaks appeared in a different location than they did during the ice storm last week. My Fitbit didn't register any sleep at all last night. I know I must have slept, but the dripping water kept waking me up. Every time I heard a new sound I had to get up and investigate. At least this time there has been no water flowing down the walls. Those type of leaks are almost impossible to capture in buckets.

I was the only person on the trails today. I literally did not see anyone else when I was out walking this afternoon. I'll admit that I'm a bit obsessive, but walking gives a structure to my day. The exercise is good for me too. Even the ducks looked miserable on today's walk. I feel sorry for the animals on days like this. They have no place to hide. The geese seemed angry since no one was feeding them. I should have taken them some dried corn or frozen peas. People are always feeding the ducks and geese bread, but that's just about the worst thing you can give them. I just kept moving today. I wanted to get back home where it was warm and relatively dry.

I got a surprise e-mail this morning. The local historical society in a small Pennsylvania town asked me for a copy of a story I'd written about their town many years ago. I'd almost forgotten about the story and no longer had a copy. Why would someone even remember this so many years later? It was thirty years ago. I told the lady that I'd look for the story but I doubt that I'll find it. I remember it was somewhat controversial and I ended up taking it off my website. I don't like controversy and prefer to remain invisible. Lesson learned I guess. This is why I mostly just write about myself these days. 

The rain has moved to the East but the roof is still leaking. I'll have to empty all the buckets before I go to bed tonight and if the weather is nice tomorrow I suspect that I'll have to climb up on the roof and sweep away the standing water. The roofing company did call me today. They want to schedule a time for their flat roof specialist to come out and take a look at things. Maybe if all goes well we can replace this roof in the Spring. Until then, I just hope it quits raining.

Hopefully it will be dry enough to give Dawn a walk in the morning. She didn't get to go to her training class tonight and appears to be getting cabin fever. Although Dawn is basically a lazy dog who spends most of the day on our bed, she does like to go smell things in the park. 

The medical and dental appointments never end. Now the dermatologist wants to see me again. Didn't I just see this guy a little while ago? It appears that doctors want to see you every six months now. This week has gone quickly, but not quickly enough for me. I just want it to be warm and dry again. Hopefully tomorrow will be an improvement.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4793

I've been waiting for rain all day. For most of the day there have only been a few sprinkles. That's changing quickly though. Is the roof going to leak again? Probably. I just hate the suspense. I'll probably go to sleep tonight thinking that everything's fine and then wake up in the middle of the night hearing the dreaded dripping sounds I've grown to hate.

Most of my problems today weren't related to water. They were with my computer. The hardware is too old to upgrade to a modern operating system and that means most of my software is not supported anymore. A lot of things still work fine, but if something crashes it's very hard to reinstall it again. I've tried to upgrade my antivirus software, but current versions require a newer system. I've had to quit using Safari because it is considered system software and I'm still running Sierra. I guess I could upgrade to High Sierra which is the last OS that my computer will recognize. High Sierra wouldn't make any difference though. It is still ancient. Basically, when I fire up the computer every morning I'm taken back to 2010. Hey, there's nothing wrong with 2010. It was a good year. A lot has changed though. Especially when it comes to Internet security, WiFi, and how websites function. A lot of websites just won't work with my antique browser and hardware.

Will I give in any buy a new computer and upgrade all my software, or will I just abandon the Internet altogether? It's an open question. Computers were a vital and very essential tool when I was working, but I'm retired now. Basically just about the only thing I use a computer for these days is writing this blog. With my blogging goal less than a year away, we'll just have to see what happens. I still spend a lot of time online, but it is just force of habit. I have a feeling that I could make better use of my time.

Even though it's been a dreary day, Dawn and I both got our walks. It was surprisingly warm today. I only needed a light jacket on my long walk and probably could have gotten away with wearing shorts. I got a little wet on my walk, but the heavy rain is just starting now. I can hear thunder outside so I'd better get the buckets ready. 

I haven't heard anything yet from the flat roof specialist who was supposed to call me. I'm going to remain optimistic for a while, but I have my doubts that this story has a happy ending. When roofing companies take a good look at my problems, most just walk away. I'm so tired of dealing with leaks I could scream. This has to be dealt with though. Will I weather these storms or will I go batshit crazy? Only time will tell.

I've got a dentist appointment tomorrow. That's actually where my computer problems started today. The program I've used for years to remind me of upcoming events crashed and I had trouble reinstalling it. The program has completely disappeared on the app store and I think the company has gone out of business. I'm sure there are similar programs out there, but I liked this one. This isn't the first software that has bit the dust on my computer. It probably won't be the last either. For the moment I just wrote all my appointment information on a piece of paper and put it on the kitchen table where I will see it when I eat breakfast tomorrow.

No wonder I like to go to launches in Florida. It's an imaginary world where none of these problems exist. Reality is an old house, an old car, and an aging body that are all falling apart. I think I'm doing a pretty good job of staying healthy, but long walks won't fix an old house. It's a shame that my carefully curated list of craftsmen have all died or retired. These guys could have fixed anything in this house, but they're all gone now. There's no use crying over spilt milk. I'm already starting to hear dripping water. I'd better get the buckets out.

Stortz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4788 - Groundhog Day

I didn't need Punxsutawney Phil to tell me that we were going to have six more weeks of winter. All I had to do was look out the window. The freezing rain actually stopped around noon today and the temperature eventually climbed to two degrees above freezing. This was good news for anyone out on the roads, but it was bad news for me. The thawing ice on the roof just caused my roof leaks to get even worse. I've got more leaks than I have buckets now. The pumps still aren't working either.

It was hard to get to sleep with all the leaks last night. Every time I'd hear a different cadence of dripping water, I'd jump out of bed and investigate to make sure nothing was being damaged. Janet eventually went to sleep with headphones on to block the noise. Fitbit says I fell asleep too, but it doesn't seem like it.

The first thing I did this morning was empty all the water buckets. The whole process seemed to take several hours. Whenever you remove a full bucket, you have to have another empty one ready to immediately slide under the leak. I try to put a sponge at the bottom of each bucket to dampen the splashback, but as the water rises in the bucket, the sponge becomes useless. Sometimes the leaks are too close together for the dripping water to fall into the five gallon buckets. I also need a few large rectangular plastic tubs like people often store sweaters or winter clothes in. I always have to put a towel under each bucket because water inevitably splashes outside as the water drips. If a leak is near a wall it is very hard to capture the water. Trust me. It's a huge mess.

I typically have to empty the buckets three times a day. I have to do this one more time tonight before I go to bed. There is so much standing water on the roof that I will have to get up on the roof either tomorrow or Saturday, depending on when everything thaws completely. Slush is just as slippery as ice. I think this is probably the worst roof leak we have ever had. Probably because the roof is not in good condition. I called a roofing company today that came highly recommended by a friend we trust. I looked at their website before I called and it seemed like they were quite knowledgable about flat roofs and the problems they create. We'll see. At any rate, an estimator is supposed to call me back tomorrow to set up a time to come over. 

In between all my cleanup woes, I still found time to walk. Dawn remains in the yard for the time being because it is still too dangerous to get her down to the park. Maybe tomorrow afternoon we can finally give her a walk. I was able to walk my entire route in the park today. Except for a few bridges, the roads and pathways were free of ice. There was lots of slush, but it wasn't slippery. I had good traction with my Hoka boots and never felt I was in danger of falling. Yesterday I had fears of twisting an ankle while I was off the trails tramping my way through the icy woods. Today was just a regular long walk. The only difference between any other day was that it was messy. I also got rained on for a bit. The cold rain didn't last long, but my outer jacket was wet by the time I returned home.

I got my steps today and am doing the best I can to manage the leaks. I still feel very tired and discouraged though. This is the rainy season and even if I do get a new roof fairly soon, we're going to have to wait until everything dries out to remove the existing roof and replace it. Lord knows how many times it's going to rain again before that happens. I may have to be dealing with the bucket brigade over and over again until it drives me completely crazy.

The roads are definitely drivable now. I may go to Home Depot tomorrow to get more tubs and five gallon buckets, along with some rags and sponges. I may get a ladder too. It's not really safe for me to climb up the bricks anymore. I'm in a bad enough mood as it is. If I break a leg, things will be even worse.

Hopefully, I'll still like the roofing company after we talk. I'm ready to do this. A new roof on a house like ours will be expensive, but it's clear that I need a new roof a lot more than I need a new car. I'm looking forward to a reasonably normal weekend. Hopefully it will be warm enough to take Dawn on her Sunday outing again. She hasn't had a proper walk since this mess started and she's starting to get cabin fever.

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4770

Today's Falcon Heavy launch was a resounding success and ended up being one of the most beautiful launch events I have ever witnessed. What a difference a day makes. It was warmer today, the skies were clear, and there was no wind. The timing for this mission was perfect. The launch took place right at sunset, and as the rocket rose through the atmosphere, the exhaust plumes from the three boosters glowed with fantastic sunset colors. 

You could see the two side boosters detach from the center core high in the atmosphere and begin the boost back burns that would return them to landing zones LZ-1 and LZ-2 at Kennedy Space Center. Shortly after the side boosters landed we heard the two very loud double sonic booms that have become a signature of Falcon Heavy launches. From our vantage point at the NASA Press Site, you could hear these sonic booms ricochet off the nearby Vertical Assembly Building making a strange high pitched ringing sound each time the sound hit the building.

It was worth waiting an additional day to see this launch, but I'll be glad to be back in Dallas tomorrow. Traveling is tiring for me. I never sleep well while traveling and according to Fitbit my resting heart rate goes way up along with my heart rate variability. Not good. I'm sure a lot of this is caused by the lack of sleep, but my poor travel diet might have something to do with this as well. It's nice to see rocket launches and look at stars under dark West Texas skies, but I think I do better in familiar surroundings, leading a somewhat dull predictable life. I eat much healthier meals when I'm home and certainly sleep a lot better. All in all I think I prefer my simple life of long walks and predictable days to unexpected surprises and excitement.

I certainly had a few unexpected surprises today. I found myself locked out of my e-mail account because the laptop reverted to the old passwords I used to use before I updated everything recently. I couldn't access the new passwords on my desktop computer at home and much to my chagrin I discovered that I never bothered to set up e-mail on my phone. Since Space X only communicates with me using e-mail, I drove out to the NASA Press Site this afternoon not knowing whether the launch had been canceled or not. 

Luckily the launch was right on schedule. The iPhone app I use to remotely trigger my cameras is such a battery hog that my phone completely died shortly after the launch. I did get the photos I need though. When I was putting my equipment away I thought my phone was broken, but then I remembered that the battery was probably dead. It did feel a bit weird to drive back to Titusville realizing that I had no way to communicate with anyone. I had a brief scare when the rental car automatic transmission wouldn't go into gear at the Press Site and then I noticed that I hadn't closed the driver's side door completely. Strangely, the warning light on the dash didn't say "door open" or anything remotely understandable. It just said "transmission not engaged." That seemed alarming, but everything ended well and I'm back at the Airbnb now.

Even though it was a busy day out at the Press Site, I still managed to get my Fitbit steps and close all three rings on my Apple Watch. I even found time to get started on my article for SpaceFlight Magazine. I kept wondering why I was seeing other people out walking today and then I remembered it was Sunday. The last time I stayed at this Airbnb during the middle of the week and didn't see anymore. They were all at work. I just walked around the neighborhood today, even though there was a hiking trail nearby. I was curious about the hiking trail but was afraid I'd run into an alligator. 

I was determined not to eat any more restaurant food, so I got a chicken Caesar salad and a small quiche for dinner at the grocery store and ate in my room after I returned from the launch. I often forget how lucky I am to live in Texas. Food and gas prices are higher in Florida and I hear that Florida prices are still much better than the rest of the country. It's hard to buy for one. Most portion sizes are too large and when you can find a single serve size of just about anything, the price is always $4.99. It's easy to spend more than you think on a simple meal. Picking up something at a grocery store is still much cheaper than going to a restaurant though. What ever happened to $5.00 hamburgers? A burger and a beer will cost you more than twenty dollars these days.

I'm ready to come home and resume my simple life. Hopefully Dawn will be glad to see me again. You never know with that dog.

Betty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4745 - Winter Solstice

I should have known. You don't start planning for cold weather on the day before the cold weather arrives. I went out this morning to get some faucet covers for our outdoor faucets. It seemed like a simple enough errand. Home Depot was completely out of stock. Lowes was completely out of stock. Ace Hardware was out of stock as well. I couldn't even find any of the covers at Teeters. Everyone seemed to be looking for these things. I definitely wasn't the only one asking about faucet covers today. I started calling around and eventually found a few covers in a small neighborhood store. The guy on the phone said that he had ten faucet covers left. I asked if he could hold three for me and that I would be right over to pick them up. When I arrived at the store my three faucet covers were sitting behind the register and the other seven were in the hands of people checking out. I'm glad I called ahead of time. If I had just driven over to the store, they would have all been gone before I got there. If this little saga proves anything it is only that I'm not the only one who waits until the last possible minute to plan for bad weather.

It also took quite a while to get gas this morning. Everyone seemed to want to fill their tank before the storm arrives. I don't know if it makes any difference, but a full tank of gas seemed like a smart move to me as well. Am I ready for the arctic blast? I doubt it. Thankfully the really cold weather will only last two days.

We had a nice early walk with Dawn this morning. It was quite dark when we left the house and I was worried about coyotes. The sky brightened rapidly though and it was daylight by the time we arrived home. I didn't' sleep well last night and even this short walk made me tired. I should have gone back to bed, but I ate breakfast instead and got ready to take an even longer walk.

I sent in my application for press credentials for the January falcon heavy launch. I'm pretty sure that my application will be accepted since credentialing is being managed by the Space Force. The Space Force is easier to deal with than NASA for some reason. I wish I knew the actual date of the launch so I could go ahead and make travel arrangements. I'd like to stay at my favorite Airbnb again.

I was really slow on my long walk today. I thought about turning around early but I kept trudging along and eventually made it home again. Maybe I do have a cold instead of seasonal allergies. I certainly didn't feel very good today. I wanted to take a nap as soon as I returned home, but Dawn didn't want me in the bedroom. As soon as I got on the bed she went out in the hallway and started whining. Eventually I just took a nap on the sofa in the living room. I hate to see Dawn crying. She's a very manipulative dog and I think she's got me figured out.

The cold weather and high winds arrive tomorrow afternoon. We should be able to have a normal sunrise walk with Dawn, but all bets are off after that. I just hope we don't have any problems with the furnace. It has a tendency to go out at the worse possible times.

Willow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4728

Santa has left the building. We are done with Santa Paws for another year. Today I set a new record for number of dogs photographed in a single day. Over a 100 dogs had their picture taken with Santa and I wound up with over 1600 exposures on my camera. We had to be very efficient today and the kennel staff we worked with were great. They were so efficient and had all the dogs staged and ready to go for us.

None of us really thought that this type of event would work, but we were pleasantly surprised. We saved a lot of time by not having the dog's owners present. All the dogs were already at the kennel and boarding for the day, so we didn't have to wait for anyone who was running late or got lost on their way to their appointment. We usually have a big box of costumes that people could sort through and find something for their dog. We abandoned that today and just photographed the dogs without any Christmas apparel. If an owner really wanted their dog to wear something, they supplied it themselves. 

We didn't take as many photos of each dog either. Typically we spend about twenty minutes with each dog or group and take a huge amount of pictures. Today's customers still got about 25 pictures to choose from and I think everyone was happy. The big change today was that we didn't make prints on the spot. This saved a huge amount of time. We just burned a flash drive with all the pictures for each customer and they could print whatever they wanted later.

It's hard to believe that we used to do five or six of these events every year. We even did photo events for Easter and Mother's Day. We're all getting older and two events wore us out. I kind of liked the way we did things this year. We did one invitation only low volume event for Dalmatian Rescue volunteers and people who have adopted dogs from us and then a second high volume event partnering with a local boarding facility. We pre-screened the dogs at the first event and the kennel pre-screened the dogs at today's event. There were no walk-ins with aggressive or psychotic dogs. One really bad dog at an event like this can screw up everything.

I'll unpack everything and put it away tomorrow. All I want to do now is finish this blog post and go to bed. Dinner tonight was a left over slice of pizza from lunch. Dawn was really good about being left alone in the house for so long. We got up extra early to give her a walk before we left and then gave her another short walk after we returned home. I got home first this afternoon and Dawn actually seemed glad to see me. I don't know how I managed to get home a half hour ahead of Janet because she left the event first. I guess I picked the better road today.

Tomorrow I'll do my grocery shopping, take the photo gear back to the storage warehouse, and return to my regular uneventful schedule. I may be a bit biased, but I think we have the best Santa photos in town. People always seem to love the pictures they get. Who knows how long we can keep this up, but hopefully we'll be around next year. I have Santa Paws photos in my files from 2010, so we've been doing these events for over twelve years now.  I think we've helped a lot of dogs along the way.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4727

One down, one to go. Our first Santa Paws event for 2022 went smoothly. We did things a little differently this year. Instead of setting up the backdrop in a boarding kennel or veterinary clinic, we were inside a nice home where we used the homes Christmas tree and fireplace as a backdrop. This was an invitation only event for volunteers and people who had adopted a dog from Dalmatian Rescue, so it was much less stressful than our typical Christmas photoshoots. Santa was happy because he got to watch football on a big screen TV while we were taking pictures and I was happy because I didn't have to set up the backdrop.

Not surprisingly, most of the dogs we photographed today were Dalmatians. Many of the dogs were Dalmatian Rescue alumni and a few of them have been featured as Dog of the Day on this blog at some point in the past. The dogs were well behaved and fun to be around. There was no pooping in the house and no Christmas trees were destroyed.

Since we photographed very few little dogs today, I didn't have to get down on my knees. I sat on a comfortable ottoman in the living room and took pictures while Santa was watching the Big 12 Championship Game between TCU and Kansas State. There wasn't a madhouse of barking dogs because we scheduled things so that there was only one set of dogs inside the house at any given time. We probably didn't make as much money doing things this way, but I hope we can do this again. The whole atmosphere was very relaxed and the event was easier on everyone.

Tomorrow will be the exact opposite of today. We will be doing Santa Paws pictures for a large boarding kennel that they will provide for their customers. The dogs owners will not be there for the event, but we will be photographing a huge number of dogs. I have heard that there might be as many as 100 dogs at tomorrow's event. The kennel will be bringing in extra staff to coordinate things, but there is still only one Santa and one photographer. I imagine that we will both be very tired tomorrow.

We didn't take Dawn with us today because it would have been very stressful for her. I doubt that she'll ever have any Santa pictures of her own. Dawn did get her morning walk before we left though. It wasn't that cold this morning, but it was dark. Dawn had her green LED collar, Janet and I had warning lights on our jackets, and off we went. By the time we returned it was almost sunrise. I don't think Dawn minded being alone in the house at all. She's very comfortable on our big bed. Occasionally we check in on her using the wifi petcam and she's usually just sleeping.

I even managed to get my steps today. I didn't start walking until I'd taken Dawn out to pee after I returned home. The sun was low in the sky, but I managed to get home again before dark. After walking in the park after dark earlier this month, I decided that I wasn't going to do that again. The park is kind of spooky after dark. 

I didn't have time to do my grocery shopping today and won't have time tomorrow either. I guess Monday will be grocery day this week. i'm going to try to get to bed earlier tonight because we have a longer drive to our location tomorrow morning. Hopefully Dawn will still be able to get her morning walk. I'll be glad when this year's Santa Paws events are over. It's a great fund raiser for our rescue dogs, but it's tiring for me. I'm still not sure if my equipment or my old bones are going to give out first.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4726

I would have preferred to sleep in this morning, but Dawn and Janet were ready to walk. Did it rain last night? The ground was very wet even though I don't remember it raining. There was a light mist in the air and my coat was damp by the time we returned home. Dawn had a good walk though. We took our lights this morning because we got started early, but we didn't need heavy coats. It was surprisingly warm today.

After breakfast I installed the latest firmware on the star tracker and tested everything to make sure it still worked. This took about an hour. I must have upgraded the firmware on this tracker at least a dozen times by now. There have been quite a few changes to the software app that controls the tracker as well. After many hours of testing, I've still only used this thing out in the field once. I guess it was a good purchase though. It has kept me occupied for many hours and I suspect that I've learned a lot along the way. One thing I've learned is that I'm not quite as interested in astronomy as I thought I was. The night sky is fascinating, but I'd really rather stay inside at night.

I changed my eye doctor appointment because it turned out to be on the same day I need to take Janet to and from dental surgery. When they asked when I'd like to reschedule, I felt like saying how about several years from now. I know my eye doctor is going to want to do cataract surgery and I'm not ready yet. Somehow it really bothers me that I won't be able to quickly change focus between near and far objects anymore. The artificial lens is just a simple fixed focus lens usually optimized for distance viewing.

It was fairly warm by the time I took my long walk, but it was not a nice day. It's been grey and gloomy all day. There were lots of people with cameras and binoculars when I passed the eagle's nest. I thought it was funny that the three Muscovy ducks were wandering through all the gawkers and being totally ignored. I'm sure the ducks thought the people were there to feed them and they looked pissed. "Hey, what about us," they seemed to be saying.

Construction continues on the world's most elaborate stone gates. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where the city approved these five gates. I'm still not sure what their purpose is, but there had to be a less expensive way to accomplish the park department's goals.

I think I've got my equipment ready for the first Santa Paws photo shoot tomorrow morning. I always take an extra camera body and a spare strobe light and power supply in case something breaks. Likely the only thing that is going to break is me. I'm getting too old for this. Dogs are small and I'm down on my knees a lot trying to get the best angle. I'm sure I've already mentioned that my knees are terrible. Last year I brought a cane to one of the photo shoots, but it didn't help much. Oh, well. This event is a good fund raiser for the dogs. I don't really do enough to help the rescue Dalmatians.

I can postpone my weekly grocery shopping, but I'm not sure how I'm going to get my steps tomorrow. Santa Paws days are long. Did I manage to get 10,000 steps last year? I don't even remember. 

Gretta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4713

Another cold day. I think today was even colder than yesterday. The cold didn't stop us though. We took our sunrise walk with Dawn, returned home, ate a big breakfast, and got ready for another day. I didn't have a big grocery list today, but shopping still took me a while. 

The stores were really crowded this morning. I guess everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving. For once the shelves were fully stocked. There seemed to be an abundance of everything. Prices were still high, but it was nice to have a feeling of normalcy again. I don't like seeing empty shelves.

I didn't even think seriously about walking in the park today. Our sunrise walk with Dawn convinced me that it was too cold and windy. I went to the gym, feeling thankful for the car's heated seats and steering wheel. When I arrived, I couldn't shoot baskets because there was a game in progress on the court. I got my steps on the indoor track, making fairly decent time. There were more people on the floor today than a typical Saturday. Probably most of them decided like I did that it was just too cold to do anything outside.

The pick up game on the court concluded as I reached the two mile mark on the track, so I got to shoot some baskets anyway. I was terrible today. I guess I should shoot baskets before I walk. It usually takes me about fifteen minutes to reach my goal. Today it took over thirty. Eventually I completed thirty free throws and headed home. I wanted to take a nap, but Dawn looked peaceful on the bed and I didn't want to disturb her. I've been tired ever since I returned from Florida. I'm not sick; just tired.

I started the car and warmed up the engine after dinner tonight to make sure it will start tomorrow. It is supposed to get below freezing tonight. I'll go mall walking in the morning and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. Dawn seems to like the cooler weather, so a cold day tomorrow isn't going to stop her. I'm sure I'll get used to the colder weather. I'm just not there yet.

I've dozed off twice writing this post. I wish I'd gotten more done today, but some days are like this. Maybe I'll have more energy tomorrow. I've got a doctor's appointment for a physical exam on Tuesday and I'm still trying to decide whether to get a flu shot and Covid booster. I don't think I need either, but I'm sure my doctor will try to insist on both. I still think too many meds and you begin to lose your natural immunity to things.  I'm not a fool though. I already take meds to control blood pressure, cholesterol, and a few other things. I didn't initially think I needed this stuff either. I'll probably end up listening to the doctor and then being mad at myself for not following my instincts. I still think the best way to avoid Covid is to just stay away from other people.

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4638 - Labor Day

I wouldn't say summer is over yet, but I don't think we'll see many more hundred degree days. It's very pleasant when we take our sunrise walks with Dawn now. It was only 71 degrees when we left the house this morning. It warmed up as the day progressed, but it was still nice enough to take a walk in the park instead of going to the gym this morning.

It was pleasant walking outdoors for a change. The park is green again. A week of rainy days has made a huge difference. The ducks and geese are still here, but the construction workers are gone. I think the fancy new trail they've been building all summer is finally finished. There must have been a really strong wind accompanying yesterday's storm.  I saw a lot of downed trees. I'm glad our own trees withstood the storm. The last thing I need right now are more tree problems.

I mowed the grass in the back yard this afternoon and the yard looks a lot better. The batteries on the electric mower really need to be replaced. I was barely able to get the back yard mowed before the batteries died. I used to be able to mow both the front and back on a single charge. There seems to be a never ending list of batteries to replace. I've got to find new batteries for a power drill and circular saw as well. In the future I think I'll just buy power tools with a cord that plugs into the wall. Batteries that constantly need to be recharged or replaced have become a huge nuisance.

I got started on my article about Artemis-1, but I didn't get very far. I still can't decide whether to take a "practice makes perfect" point of view, or a slightly more pessimistic "billion dollar boondoggle" angle. Personally I think this rocket is a huge waste of money when Space X already has a better idea, but what do I know. Obsolete or not, I'd still like to see this thing fly.

I updated the star tracker again. I guess that's what you do with this thing. I've lost track of how many updates and firmware installations I've already done. The good news is that the tracker still works after today's update. The bad news is that I doubt that I'll be using it to photograph stars anytime soon. Lord knows when I'll get out to the observatory again. My memory of the terrible drive out there is starting to fade, so maybe I'll start planning something for the Spring.

I feel perpetually tired these days. A walk in the park and mowing half the yard shouldn't have worn me out, but it did. I just don't have the energy that I used to. I should finish mowing the grass tomorrow, but we'll have to see. Right now a nap sound much more appealing.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4631

Bummer. Today's launch scrubbed with only 40 minutes left on the clock. There were lots of problems this morning but the engineering team was able to resolve most of them. The problem that shut down the launch was that one of the four main engines wasn't able to pre-chill properly during the engine bleed proceedure. The other three engines were fine, but you need all four to launch. Evidently these engines have to be super cold prior to launch so the liquid oxygen and hydrogen will flow through them. Pre-chilling the engines with liquid hydrogen prior to launch is very important.

I'm hoping that the engineering team can resolve the problem in time for a second attempt on Friday, but there are no promises. Nobody know what caused the problem yet. If they can't fix the rocket out on the pad, they will have to roll it back to the Vertical Assembly Building again. This could put the launch weeks or even months behind schedule. There will be a briefing tomorrow evening that hopefully will provide some answers.

I decided to stay an extra day to see if the launch team can make a decision about how to proceed tomorrow. I can't stay down here forever, but I'd hate to fly home and then discover that the launch was successful on Friday. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at what happened today. This is a new rocket and scrubs are quite common for any number of reasons. I overheard one of the astronauts tell someone that his Space Shuttle flight was s scrubbed four different times before it eventually got off the ground.

There were more people at the press site this morning than I've ever seen before. They all disappeared quickly after the launch got scrubbed though. I hung around for the rest of the morning hoping to hear something about rescheduling the launch. There was a final press conference where the NASA officials basically said to stay tuned because they didn't know what went wrong yet. I could have asked a question myself, but didn't. The reporters who did ask questions pretty much covered all the bases anyway. I went and had lunch at the space center cafeteria before heading back to Titusville, and was surprised to see an astronaut sitting at the next table. There was a lot of disappointment in the air this morning but nobody seemed terrible surprised that the launch got scrubbed. 

I drove over to the Canaveral National Seashore before returning to my Airbnb. It is very pretty out there but the mosquitos were biting and it was getting hot. I took a few more pictures and called a day. It took a while to reschedule my flight, car rental, and Airbnb, but I'm all set now. We'll just have to see whether I'm staying one more day or four more days. If the launch gets delayed any longer than this, I'm out of luck.

I have no idea what I'll end up doing tomorrow, but it probably won't involve going back to the press site. I doubt that much is happening out there tomorrow. The press conference tomorrow is virtual and I'll need to call in to find out what the Artemis team has decided about rescheduling the launch.

I think it's time to call it a day. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately and I'm feeling tired. Maybe I'll just get some rest tomorrow. I'm still really disappointed that the launch didn't take place today, but hopefully I'll still be able to see Artemis fly when all the problems get sorted out. Eventually this rocket will get us back to the moon, but maybe not as soon as I'd hoped.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day