Day 4767

Today was very busy. Dawn got a bath. I went out and got ink for both printers and got them working again. All the batteries for my devices have been charged. The laundry has been done. I've answered my e-mail and caught up on all my messages. Of course Dawn got her early morning walk and I took a longer walk later in the morning. I still haven't finished packing, but there's still time. Hey, I've got to save something for the last possible minute.

I was surprised at how cold it was this morning. It was over 80 degrees yesterday, so I expected that it would be warm today as well. Nope. Texas weather is never predictable. The temperature was in the low 40's and there was a stiff wind. I was chilly on our early walk, but Dawn seemed to love the brisk weather.

Everything I did today seemed to take twice as long as I expected. The shower drain was clogged when I took a shower. Every towel we own seemed to be in the laundry. I wanted to switch to using Firefox on my laptop, but I had trouble importing my desktop settings. I still can't decide what clothes to take to Florida. Right now it's colder down there than it is here.

I felt like skipping my long walk today, but I went ahead and got my steps. I was reasonably fast today. I had to be. I doubt that I'll have time to take a long walk tomorrow, but Dawn will still get her early morning walk. Today I walked my regular route, counted all the ducks, and made it home in time to help Janet get Dawn ready for her bath. We go to a self bathe place in the neighborhood and Dawn always gets her nails clipped and her anal glands expressed while she's there. Needless to say, bath time is not one of Dawn's favorite activities. She looks so much better though. Her coat is actually white again. It's hard to keep Dawn clean after a bath because she loves to roll in the grass. Oh, well. She'll look good for a couple of days anyway.

I guess I'll finish packing after I complete this blog post. I hate packing. No matter how hard I try, I always forget something. Sometimes it's reading glasses and toothpaste. Other times it's a raincoat, or a sweater for cool mornings. At least I'm pretty good at getting the computers and cameras ready. I can spend hours transferring information from the desktop to the laptop and then just spend a few minutes throwing some clothes into the suitcase. True luxury would be having a Titusville apartment stocked with a full complement of everything I need. That's never going to happen, but it's something to daydream about on my long walks.

I've got my writing assignments now. The article the magazine wants isn't going to be as easy as some I've written in the past, but I'm pretty sure I can deliver what is needed. I've downloaded my boarding pass on my phone, so I guess I'm ready to go. Oops. My suitcase is still empty. I guess I've still got some work to do.

Suzie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4584

This heat is wearing me down. The entire day just seems like a futile effort to escape from it. The temperature on our sunrise walk with Dawn is already higher than the high of the day just a few weeks ago. By lunchtime the temperature is well over 100 degrees and it doesn't begin to cool down again until it is time to go to sleep. The air conditioner is working, but it can't keep up with the heat. We start out at 75 degrees in the morning and it is always over 80 by dinnertime. I'm sure it has been this hot before. I'm not so sure why people settled here in the first place. I'd rather be in the mountains right now. Telluride sound nice. So does Flathead Lake.

I continue to take my long walk right after breakfast. I'm still able to complete my route, but I need a change of clothes when I'm done. The trails are pretty empty these days. Only fools like me are out walking. As soon as my car repairs are finished, I'm headed back to the gym. I'm still kind of irritated about the cost of catalytic converters, but what can you do? I can't pass my annual safety inspection without one.

I tried entering an online photo contest this afternoon. After filling out the lengthy entry form, I discovered that the submit entry button didn't work. All that work for nothing. I thought I had a good photo too. This contest was put on by the International Dark Sky Association and I've got some fairly decent Milky Way photos. I probably wouldn't win anyway, but hopefully these guys can get the website fixed before the entry deadline closes. I rarely enter contests of any type, but I like this organization. I think I've even met some of these guys out at the observatory.

I got a letter from the Space Force today saying that my press credentials have been renewed for another year. This is good news. It means I've got a back up plan if NASA rejects my application to cover the Artemis-1 launch. The Space Force location for viewing launches isn't quite as close to the pads as the NASA Press Site, but it's still pretty good. There are actually quite a few Space Force launches during the year. I won't be able to afford to go to Florida for a while though. I've got a catalytic converter to pay for.

Dawn loves to lie out in the sun on days like this. Maybe this is why she's been itchy lately. I bet she gets bitten by ants. I get bitten by ants every time I'm out in the yard for any length of time. The ants are everywhere and it's increasingly difficult to keep them out of the house. I don't mind all the squirrels in our yard, but I wish the ants and the hornets would go away. I don't let Dawn stay out in the yard for too long. Ten or fifteen minutes at a time is plenty. I don't want her to get sunburned or have a heat stroke. I'm surprised she actually likes the sun because she also loves the air conditioning.

It was really a slow day. The big event of the day was reading a camera manual in an attempt to remember how to change a setting on one of my cameras. I eventually solved the problem, but I still hate that I forget things. Don't let anyone tell you that old people's memory is just as good as a younger person's. It's not. I really think there should be an age limit on politicians. There are far too many forgetful old people running things.

Watson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4532

What a difference a day makes. Finally, a proper Spring day. The temperature was in the sixties for most of the day and there was a nice breeze. Dawn was pleased with the situation and so was I. This would have been a great day for walking, but my feet refused to cooperate. This was a bad day for foot pain. After our two walks with Dawn today, I really didn't feel like walking much further.

Dawn really enjoyed our Sunday outing today. I think she knows where we are going by our schedule or maybe by what we wear. It's weird to see a dog get so excited to get in a car she hates riding in. The ride is short fortunately and pretty soon she is back on the ground again, tugging at her leash and smelling everything in sight.

After our walk, we always go for ice cream. The ice cream place raised their prices about a month ago, but now the price has gone back to what it used to be. There must have been complaints. There's always more than one way to achieve your objective though. I noticed today that the cones are smaller than they used to be. The cones used to be filled all the way to the bottom and now there's just a scoop of ice cream on top and the cone itself is largely empty. I feel cheated. Maybe the price increase would have been better.

Today changing the sheets was on the agenda. Why has putting on a fitted sheet gotten so hard? I struggle with lifting the heavy mattress and tucking in the bottom sheet now. This never used to seem like a difficult task, but my wrists still ache hours later. Now I think I know why my Dad started just sleeping on the top of his bed after Mom passed away. It was probably too much trouble to make the bed. Janet says I need to go back to the gym because I'm losing my upper body strength. She's probably right.

Today's long walk was just a short walk through the neighborhood. A lot has changed over the years. One by one all the small frame houses are being torn down and replaced by McMansions. I wonder how people can afford these monster houses or why they even want them. Who really needs a third story on their house? I'm old enough that I don't even like the idea of stairs.

I feel perpetually tired these days. After every activity I feel like taking a nap. You'd think that after a number of short naps I wouldn't feel like sleeping at night. That isn't the case at all. I go to sleep quickly and sleep soundly. Sleeping has become one of my favorite activities. I'm starting to remember my dreams better than my daytime activities. I lived in Seattle for several years right after I graduated from college and I can't ever remember going to the grocery store there. How did I eat? I remember furniture stores and art galleries, but no grocery stores. Weird. The other day I was thinking about a production house that I used to use when I started my business. I went there frequently, but now I can't remember why. What client was I working for and why wasn't I doing the work in my own studio? I could go on and on. I still think I'm pretty sharp, but I'm sure I've lost a few brain cells along the way.

I guess I'm going to have to get the uninterrupted power supply fixed tomorrow. I've already lost one computer due to power surges and I don't want to lose another. The UPS is heavy and awkward though, so I'm not looking forward to this. I'm definitely going to have to take a nap after finishing this chore.

Rosco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4507

It's good to be back on Mount Locke. It was a long, tiring drive out to the observatory, but there wasn't much road construction and I didn't encounter any accidents. I've made this trip so often that I'm starting to remember lots of little things along the way. I-20 isn't exactly a scenic drive, but there are lots of wind turbines, a huge oil refinery, and mile long freight trains that run parallel to the freeway. Once you get out of Dallas/Fort Worth, the traffic is mostly large trucks. I don't know which is worse: big city congestion or 500 miles of non-stop eighteen wheelers.

This wasn't the best rental car I've had. The seats weren't very comfortable and there was no GPS. The car did have Apple CarPlay though, so I was able to use the GPS on my phone. Apple Maps actually does a good job of tracking and route planning. I'm not sure that this is good for your phone though. My phone felt hot after being on all day. I think it's going to be harder and harder to find cars with in-dash GPS in the future. Your phone basically provides everything you need.

I always forget things when I travel. It doesn't matter how carefully I pack. Something important always gets left behind. I took two cameras and the Polaris star tracker with me, but I forgot to take my tripod. Jeez. How could I forget this? A tripod is pretty essential. You definitely can't do astrophotography without one. I feel stupid to forget something this important, but that's what happens when you start to rush things so you can leave on time. Hopefully I can borrow a tripod from one of my friends out here.

It's a good thing that I did leave early because when I arrived at the Astronomer's Lodge I discovered that they had put me in the cottage instead of the lodge itself. Some of you might actually like the cottage, but getting there involves a lengthy climb up some very steep steps. The manager had already left for the day when I arrived, but the cook was still there and she was able to transfer my reservation to an available room in the lodge. I'm glad that everything worked out because I wasn't looking forward to hauling my heavy suitcase up those steep steps.

I walked for a couple of miles on the mountain after dinner this evening. It's amazingly quiet up here. There are no traffic noises, no airplanes flying overhead, and very few people. Some of the resident astronomers live on the mountain, but you rarely see them. Other than talking to the cook about my reservation, I haven't spoken to anyone. There is one other car parked outside, so at least one other person is staying in the lodge. One of the nice things about staying here is that meals are included. I'm pretty sure they had to include meals to get anyone to stay here. There aren't any restaurants for miles and miles.

I'm going to be very busy with volunteer work on Friday and Saturday, but tomorrow is kind of a free day. I'll try to catch up on my sleep and then go do some personal photography. There's lots of wildlife up here and the scenery is spectacular. If I can find a tripod to borrow, I'm finally going to try out the star tracker. After all the time I've spent monkeying around with it, I really hope it works.

It's been a long day and it's about time to get some sleep. Before I go to bed I'm going to go outside and check out the sky. I'm not expecting much since it was cloudy while I was eating dinner. Things change quickly on the mountain though. Who knows what I might see.

Bowser is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4398

Success. I finally got the star tracker to work. The problem wasn't really buggy software or bad cables. The problem was me. After all these years I still haven't learned to use my iPhone. I was expecting buttons to control the software app. The developers chose to use gestures instead. Who uses gestures? Apparently everyone except me. I still haven't taken the Polaris outside at night to attempt star pictures, but I think it's going to work. This is an incredible little piece of machinery. That's more than I can say for my own brain at the moment.

We took a fecal sample to the vet this morning and were happy to learn that Dawn doesn't have giardia. The vet gave us some pills to control diarrhea and hopefully Dawn will be back to normal soon. Her poop is still very soft, but she's definitely getting better. Last night she slept through the night, so neither of us had to sleep with one eye open in case Dawn needed to make a quick trip outside at 3 AM. We're going to have to rake leaves soon. There was probably something nasty under the leaves that she ate. I don't think she ate anything on her walks. We watch her too carefully.

I doubt that we'll be raking leaves tomorrow or even the next day. It's still too wet. It rained again last night and was misty and foggy all day today. It was really kind of a dismal day. It never got warm and it never got dry. I still took my long walk though. It's got to be pretty bad before I stop walking.

I forgot to take the Christmas stuff back to the storage warehouse while I was out grocery shopping this morning. I seem to forget something almost every day now. Usually the memory lapses are minor, but occasionally they are major. I've started leaving notes around the house for myself now with messages like "remember to feed the dog."

Prices are still going up at the grocery store. The weekly changes are small, but they add up over time. If this continues I may have to start looking for bargains. Janet is a savvy shopper, but I just buy the same things over and over again. I typically don't even look at the price. It's really only recently that I've become aware that something has changed. Some items have gotten expensive a lot more quickly than others. It probably has something to do with transportation and the current lack of truckers. I'm glad I'm not looking for a car right now. Car prices are even worse than food prices. Even used car prices are out of sight.

It's hard to say whether Dawn is going to get a Sunday outing tomorrow. The weather still looks marginal and Dawn hates to get wet. We'll see what happens. I really don't trust the weather apps on my phone anymore. They've been wrong more than they've been right lately. I need to find a new project now that my month long Odyssey with the star tracker is coming to a close. Learning to use the Polaris was actually kind of interesting. Now it's on to more mundane things like fixing a running toilet.

Jordan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4160

I spent the day falling asleep at random moments. That's the price you pay for spending a week masquerading as a younger man. It was worth it though. I really needed my visit to the observatory. Today was kind of like those stories you hear about astronauts returning from the ISS. I felt heavy and sluggish. Grocery shopping wasn't at all like star watching.

I had a lot of things on my list today. I had to get some fire ant bait because our yard is getting overrun with fire ant mounds. Most of the things on  my list were still readily available, but I had to find a new store that carried my favorite beer. Since the mask mandate has been rescinded in Texas, shoppers were a mix of of masked and bare faced. This is going to be a problem. These two different approaches to life are never going to come to a mutual agreement about anything. I even saw a few gas lines this morning. This is crazy because there is no shortage of gas in Texas. Gasoline is plentiful. We were never affected by that pipeline shutdown at all.

Dawn apparently thinks that I am a necessary component in her daily walks. Janet told me that she was reluctant to take walks while I was away. When I asked her if she was ready for a walk today, she immediately gave me one of those big Dalmatian smiles and started wagging her tail. When we left the house she couldn't wait to return to her regular one mile loop. In Dawn's world I am apparently a necessary and beloved dog walker, but a scary and frightening presence in the kitchen. I can't figure it out, but I'm willing to go with the flow. Maybe Dawn just has PTSD from years of being abused at the breeding kennel.

I took my new camera with me to the observatory, but I completely forgot how to use one of the features I thought would be useful for astrophotography. I didn't have a lot of time to figure things out, so I reverted to using my old camera and a few tried and true settings. I got some good pictures, but was frustrated that the new camera appeared to be broken. This afternoon I was determined to figure out whether it was the camera or me. I loaded the massive 500 page PDF instruction manual in my computer and slowly went through the procedure for creating Live Composite images. Yep. It was me. The camera worked fine. They could have made enabling this feature a little easier to do in the dark. There were way too many steps and it wasn't intuitive at all.  Maybe I just don't have the same capacity to assimilate new knowledge as I did when I was younger. I had trouble with the star tracker  and the PixInsight processing software as well. I'm determined to master the intricacies of the new camera by the time I return to the observatory again. I've probably got plenty of time.

My long walk was difficult today. It was hot outside and my feet were giving me problems again. It's a mystery why my foot pain is so inconsistent. I have good days and bad days. Today was one of the bad days. I completed six miles, but I didn't set any speed records. I was practically limping by the time I returned to the house. I don't understand this at all. I wear the same shoes and walk the same route. It seems like any discomfort would be more consistent.

I'm back on the Air Force launch list. I've received two notifications for upcoming military launches this week, but I don't think this would be a good time to go to Florida. I keep hearing that there are gas lines everywhere and rental cars are almost impossible to find. Rental car rates have gone up in Dallas, but it is much, much worse in Florida. I feel like waiting until life returns to normal before traveling to Kennedy Space Center to attend a launch. On the other hand, I may never travel again if I wait for life to return to normal. Maybe I should just plan a trip to Boca Chica for a Starship launch. That's where the future is anyway.

Tomorrow's version of normal will probably include a trip to Dawn's alternate park for a Sunday walk. If we're lucky there might be an ice cream cone as well.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3993

I thought I had gotten everything we needed for next week's Santa Paws pictures from the storage warehouse a few day ago. Not so fast. I was looking at my gear today and it felt like something was missing. What was it? Jeez. I had forgotten the two large steel stands and aluminum crossbar that holds up the backdrop. How could I forget this? These three items are the largest, heaviest parts of the entire setup. I'll go back to the storage warehouse tomorrow and retrieve these items. I'll also take a good look around to see if I've forgotten anything else. I need to make a checklist when I get up in the morning. I forget everything these days.

I wish I could forget about all the water on the roof. Since it looks like the weather has cleared up for a few days, it was time to remove all the standing water from yesterday's rain. I've grown to hate this job, but it needs to be done. It must have rained a lot last night, because there was a ton of water on the roof. The water never evaporates in the Winter and falling leaves from the large Oak and Pecan trees form little duck ponds that hold the water in place. It took me almost two hours to remove all the leaves and standing water. While I was working, I found a few new areas that need to be repaired. Why can't I find these things in the Summer when it much easier to patch the roof? If there's ever a warm, dry day in the next month or so, I know what I'll be doing.

We slept in a little later than usual this morning and by the time we were ready to walk, all the rain had stopped. It was still wet and muddy however, so we tried to stick to paved roads. Dawn enjoyed the chilly morning, but I wished I had dressed a little warmer. It's hard to decide what to wear on days like these. When it's windy down by the water it can seem ten degrees cooler. When the sun comes out on a cloudy day, it almost instantly seems ten degrees warmer.

When we were taking inventory of our props for next week's photoshoot, we tried a few hats on Dawn. She was a good sport, but I don't think she likes wearing hats any more than our other dogs. We seldom get Santa pictures of our own dogs because Janet and I are both working at these events. I'm sure that Dawn would much rather stay home and take a long nap on our big bed than be in a kennel run while we were taking pictures. We did take Dot and Dash to a Santa Paws event once and you could tell that they almost immediately wanted to go back home again.

I attached a strap to the new camera and charged the batteries. That's as far as I got. I'm in no particular hurry. I still haven't even finished unpacking from my trip to Florida. It's taking me longer and longer to accomplish anything these days but I keep plodding along. Eventually, everything gets done. I'm going to use an older, more familiar camera for the Santa Paws photoshoot anyway. I learned long ago that the worst time to try something new is when you need everything to go right.

When I was taking my afternoon walk, I watched the sky change from heavily overcast to completely clear in less than an hour. It was really quite beautiful. I enjoy being outdoors. When I was looking up at the sky, I could imagine I was anywhere. The recurring sounds of police sirens and fire trucks quickly reminded me of where I actually was though. I miss the solitude of the Davis Mountains.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3983

After making a few more edits, I sent my completed manuscript to the magazine today. A few hours later I sent the accompanying photographs. I selected eighteen of the best images from the hundreds I took at the launch and did my best to clean them up for publication. It's weird that after all these years I'm still discovering new things you can do with Photoshop. I used to wonder why other launch photographer's images always looked better than mine. Sometimes it was just using a better tripod to keep the camera steady. Every photographer seemed to have their own secret sauce. Some like to shoot in manual mode. Others like aperture priority. Almost everyone does some sort of post-processing because the lighting is so difficult on  night launches.

I discovered that by changing the contrast and color temperature of an image I could often bring out more detail. You want everything to look natural, but there is nothing natural about an insanely bright flame surrounded by darkness. I wanted to make sure that you could at least see the rocket that was creating all the flames. My images might improve a bit with better equipment, but I think I did pretty well. Hopefully, the magazine will find something they like. When you send eighteen images, they'll probably only use three.

I must have fallen back to sleep after Janet said it was time to get up this morning. When I realized I was late, I stumbled around getting dressed as quickly as I could while Janet and Dawn waited at the door. It was cloudy this morning, but we still had a pleasant walk. Fifty degrees seems to be an ideal temperature for everyone. We have all settled into a predictable routine. Dawn has specific trees and rocks that she always smells. Janet checks out the progress of new construction in the neighborhood. We both count the ducks and geese to make sure they are all there. Our long walk takes about two hours and the slightly shorter route we sometimes use takes about an hour and a half.

It was a slow day, although I did spend a considerable amount of time preparing my launch photo for publication. Since photography was already on my mind, I went over to the storage warehouse to look for the backdrop we'll be using for Santa Paws pictures. I have lots of photo backdrops, but one is washable and is much lighter than the rest. That's the one I wanted. My storage space is so full that it always takes me a while to find anything. Lots of stuff brings back memories, but there is very little that I'll actually use again. While looking for the photo backdrop, I stumbled across some nice leather coats that don't fit anymore. There was a brand new outboard motor that belonged to my Dad. That's not much use without a boat. The only thing that resembled a boat was a windsurfing board that I'll never be able to use because of my bad shoulder. The guitars and most of the model trains are gone now, but there are still a few vintage synthesizers gathering dust. I diod find the backdrop, but was in no mood for decluttering today. That will have to wait.

My insect bites itch like crazy. I still don't know if I was bitten by mosquitoes or fire ants. I guess it doesn't matter at this point. They will eventually subside and while I wait, I've just got to keep from scratching them. The next time I go to a night launch, I need to remember to bring some industrial strength  insect repellent.

It was one of those days where I kept forgetting what day it was. I did remember it was Thursday just in time to take the week's trash out to the curb. You never want to forget the trash when the city only picks it up once a week. It's hard to believe that it's already been a full week since I left for Titusville and Kennedy Space Center. I wonder how many weeks or months it will be before I pack my bags again?

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3969

Don't you hate it when you're running errands and you realize that you forgot your mask right as you reach the first store on your list. Damn. I had to drive all the way home, get a mask, and start my errands all over again. I finally did what I should have done months ago though. I put a few spare masks in the glove compartment.

I wrote my NASA contact and asked whether they had an updated schedule yet. Nope. They did tell me that I probably guessed correctly on my choice of travel days though. I feel a little better now. I'd still like to see an official schedule however. Kennedy Space Center is fairly huge. If you arrive at the wrong gate for an event, you might miss it completely. I've already had a fifteen minute drive turn into an hour drive by getting confused on directions. Don't want that to happen again.

It was overcast today, but the temperature was still nice for our morning walk with Dawn. I thought it might rain for a little while, but it never did. By mid afternoon, the skies had partially cleared and I could see a little blue peaking through the clouds. I shouldn't have been disappointed today, but I've been spoiled by the near perfect weather we've been having lately. 

I finally worked up my nerve to look at the long range weather forecast for Titusville. There's a 30% chance of rain on launch day and thunderstorms are predicted on the day before the launch. This is fairly typical weather for the Space Coast at this time of year, but it sure would be nice to have clear skies down there as well. I'm not wild about driving in from Orlando in a rainstorm, but I don't have much influence over the weather. It is what it is.

I got the results for my recent doctor visit and all is good. I always prefer it when a doctor calls me with results. Everyone is switching to online patient portals now, and half the time the information gets entered incorrectly. Occasionally, the information is correct, but I completely misinterpret it. It's better if you can talk to someone and ask questions. If we have to do this electronically, it would be nice if all the doctors could just enter their information in a common database. It would seem that they would wont to share information, but that never seems to happen. I have so many separate patient portals now that I have a hard time remembering what they are for.

I discovered that my new carry-on bag includes a nifty built-in battery that can be used to recharge a phone or tablet up to five times. This is actually very handy. I wonder why nobody has thought of this before. It's easy to run your battery down at the airport if you have a long wait between flights. The charging stations at airports never seem to work either.

Janet and I still can't decide what to do for Thanksgiving this year. In recent years we've gone out to eat at a local hotel that has an amazing Thanksgiving buffet. It was always fun to try all sorts of things that we normally never eat. I think buffets are gone for the foreseeable future though. What a shame. I doubt that many people get Covid from serving themselves at a buffet. Probably a lot of people will get the virus from having Thanksgiving dinner with their family though. Experts still say that family gatherings are one of the most common ways the virus spreads.

I loaded the dishwasher last night and forgot to turn it on. I forgot to wear a mask to the pharmacy today. I wonder what I'll forget on my trip to Florida. I was real careful about taking everything I needed on my trip to McDonald Observatory, but I still ended up forgetting several things. I guess I'd better get used to this. Old people forget things. I did remember to take the trash out to the curb this evening though. That's something.

Coach is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3960

Another wet day. Today seemed almost identical to yesterday. It was cold and raining when we woke up. We had to delay our morning walk. And it was still cold when things tried off enough to walk later in the day. Damp cold days aren't the same as dry cold days to Dawn. About halfway through our planned five mile walk she stopped in her tracks and wouldn't go any further. She'd had enough of the wet weather and was ready to go home. She was the wise one today. When we arrived home a little earlier than we'd planned, I realized that I didn't want to walk any further either. It was a nasty day and staying at home in a warm house was definitely the smart thing to do.

My senior moments come more frequently now. Last night I discovered that I had completely run out of one of the pills I take every evening. Since most of my meds auto-renew, I don't even think about running out anymore. I was sure I must have a new supply somewhere, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Oops. When I tried to sort things out this morning, I discovered that the annual exam when I usually get this pill renewed for another year was always in September. Why did I think it was in November this year? The doctor never reminded me of the September appointment because I never made an appointment. My bad. I'm so used to doctors and dentists pestering me about upcoming visits that it never occurred to me that scheduling appointments was my responsibility. It's all sorted out now, but I still don't have the pills I need. They were out of stock at my pharmacy and needed to be ordered.

I tried to buy some N-95 masks for my trip to Florida on Amazon this afternoon. The first thing I discovered was that you needed a business account to shop for PPE. No problem. I have a business account on Amazon. I found the masks I needed and put them in my cart. The checkout process seemed normal until I got to the end. Instead of completing my order, I got a message saying that there had been a problem and my order had been canceled. I tried several times to complete the order and finally discovered that Amazon didn't think my company was a proper medical organization. They could have just told me this up front and saved me a lot of time. 

When I was trying to select the mask I wanted, I read a lot of the comments. Evidently most N-95 masks are not made for medical use. They are made for drywall contractors, exterminators, woodworkers, and other trades that do dusty or hazardous work. These people are furious that they can't find the masks they need for their trade anymore. Jeez. It's been over eight months now. Wouldn't you think that someone would have figured out how to make enough of these things? Hardware stores used to be filled with industrial masks. Not anymore. I can't believe there is still a shortage of N-95 masks and Clorox wipes. 

Truthfully, I can't believe a lot of what goes on these days. The world has gone nuts. The European nations who supposedly did everything right about the pandemic are having a huge resurgence of the virus. The Chinese, who started this whole mess, don't appear to be having any problems at all. It doesn't make sense. Two senile old men are running for president and nobody seems to realize that this is a problem. There is no objective news media anymore. Everyone is just pushing an agenda. If you don't like something, you just call it fake news. Social media isn't content with controlling our friendships and buying habits. Now they want to censor us as well. The world is slipping off the rails, but instead of rational, logical solutions, people keep asking for more empathy. 

I'm tired of all this. I wish there was a remote island where I could put up some solar panels and have a helicopter drop me supplies from time to time. I'm a realist though. Little islands routinely get blown away by hurricanes. If the weather stayed nice, I'd probably get eaten by alligators. I guess I've got to make my peace with the world, even if it means wearing my crappy Chinese made KN-95 masks to Florida.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3948

What a long day. I wanted a little activity before starting the long drive to West Texas, so we took Dawn on a four mile walk before I left the house. I ate a light breakfast, finished packing my bags, and off I went. I wanted to be on the road before 9 AM, but it was closer to 10 before I was on my way. This always happens. It is next to impossible for me to get an early start.

I thought I"d remembered everything this time, but as the miles rolled along, I kept remembering little things that I'd forgotten. I forgot to take shampoo. I forgot a nail clipper. I forgot a ball point pen to take notes with. I'm sure I'll think of other things I forgot as I go to sleep tonight. Usually there is shampoo and pens at the hotel. Not this time. The little ranch cabin I'm staying in only has the bare necessities.

It's such a long drive to West Texas. Most of the drive is on I-20 which is always filled with large trucks. I find myself passing eighteen wheelers every few minutes. The highway between Midland and Odessa is filled with even larger oilfield trucks. There always seems to be construction too. Traffic really backs up quickly when the freeway becomes a one lave road. I wish there were scenic backroads I could take to the Davis Mountains, but basically the middle of Texas isn't very scenic and I-20 is the only choice you get.

I was making pretty good time today until I stopped for gas at a place where the pumps wouldn't accept my credit card. The logical thing to do would be to just drive on to the next station. Never mind. My tank was low and I wasn't sure I could make it to the next station. I finally got the station attendant to get the pumps working, but the whole process made me thirty minutes late. I need to fill up more often on the trip back.

With the exception of the gas stop, I drove straight through. I was hoping to catch the Prude Ranch manager before she left work at 5 PM. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I arrived around 6 PM and the place seemed empty. I went from building to building until I found the office. The place was dark and empty, but a map of the facility and my room key were waiting for me on the front desk.

I'm glad I took a cooler with sandwiches and water. There definitely wasn't any place to eat as evening approached. I brought one beer with m so I could relax after the long drive and immediately wish I'd brought more. Janet made me an excellent ham and cheese sandwich, which I ate in my room. Actually, eating in my room was probably a lot smarter than trying to find a restaurant. The observatory will be serving us some sort of an outdoor dinner tomorrow evening, so all I've got to worry about is breakfast.

Hopefully, the skies will be clear tomorrow night. I drove through a major dust storm getting here. I couldn't even see the David Mountains until I was about thirty miles away. It was very windy today, so maybe the dust will blow away. I can't hear any wind now. It's so quiet out here that it is kind of spooky. There is no traffic noise. No planes overhead. No police sirens. And no barking dogs. It seems unnatural for it to be this quiet. I should sleep well tonight. On the other hand, if I do hear a noise, it will probably break me out. 

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3881

We managed to get an early start this morning. The pre-dawn skies were clear, there was a nice breeze, and as an added bonus, there was a conjunction of the Moon and Mars overhead. Mars is nearing opposition and gets brighter every day. I still find it hard to believe that three spacecraft are currently on their way to this little orange dot in the sky.

The female Muscovy duck has returned and the trio living by the bridge is back together again. The hello guy has returned on his bicycle as well. The guy who walks his cat on a leash is still gone, as are a few regular dog walkers, but I appreciate continuity wherever I can find it. I have counted the local gaggle of geese and I always make sure that there are still ten. Four of the geese are white and the rest are brown. I'm still not sure what that means.

The Mexican plums are getting ripe. It would be tempting to pick some and make jam, but my plant identification skills leave a lot to be desired. I just think these are plums. They might be something pretty and poisonous instead. They say the white powder on the surface of this fruit is actually a natural yeast and can be used for making a sourdough starter. That seems a lot more complicated than making jam.

I finally acknowledged that my walking shoes have worn out, so I went out and got some new ones after breakfast. I still think Nike Air shoes are ugly and don't last very long, but they seem to provide the best cushioning for my tired feet. Another pair of Nike Air Max shoes it is. Since I was already out, I stopped and got some more ink for my printer and a tub of ice cream on the way home. There is no further need to use the car for the rest of the week.

This afternoon I made sure that all my video gear still worked. I doubt that I'll have a need for any of this stuff soon, but I don't want to forget how to use it. Actually, I did forget how to pair the wireless microphone transmitter and receiver. I had to download a manual online and review the procedure. At any rate, batteries are charged, everything works properly, and I'm ready to make a video again if the urge ever strikes me.

I don't know why I still take afternoon walks. Mornings are fine, but afternoons are way too hot. A lot of people must actually seem to like the heat because the park is full of people renting kayaks, having picnics, sitting in hammocks, and slacklining on Sunday afternoons. Young people have no problem gathering in large groups. I'm convinced that they are the ones spreading the virus.  It couldn't be us old people.

I guess I'll try out my new walking shoes tomorrow morning. This is when I usually discover that I've gotten the wrong size. My feet must be an odd size because nothing seems to fit perfectly. Shoes improve with wear however. By the time you've worn them out, they usually fit perfectly

Nautica is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3727

I made it to McDonald Observatory. but it is a very It's a long drive to West Texas. I purposely made the trip on a Sunday because traffic is much lighter. I got started later than I'd planned, but I still made it in time for dinner at the Astronomer's Lodge. I guess you could call the Astronomer's Lodge a hotel, but it is not what you would expect. The place is located at the top of Mount Locke, right next to the big telescopes. The windows all have black out curtains to prevent extraneous light from reaching the telescopes. The hallways are dark, illuminated only by dim red bulbs. Astronomers come and go throughout the night and they don't want to ruin their night vision. You are encouraged to be quiet during the day, since that's when most of the astronomers sleep. There are no radios and televisions at the Astronomer's Lodge. I think this the first hotel I've ever stayed in that didn't have a television.

This place is very quiet. I walked around the mountain a bit before it got dark and there was no noise at all. There was no traffic noise. No airplanes overhead. No police sirens. Nothing at all. The Astronomer's Lodge is silent as well. I talked to a few people during dinner, but after the kitchen crew went home, silence returned. The strangest thing is the place feels like you are on a boat. The building was built on piers on the side of a cliff and in a strong wind, you can feel the entire building move. This feels a little unsettling, but the building has been here a long time and it hasn't blown away yet. The mountain is almost always windy and sometimes the winds can become quite strong. I've heard stories that winds have become so strong that once the dome of the huge 107" telescope was blown completely off its tracks.

Room rates for the Astronomer's Lodge include three meals a day. Breakfast is serve yourself and they will pack a lunch for you if you are busy. Dinner was excellent tonight. Once you're here, there's not much reason to leave. When I checked in, I was given two keys. One was my room key but I couldn't figure out what the second key was for. I asked the manager and she said, "Oh, the second key is for the telescopes. Jeez. I've got a key that opens the 82" Otto Struve and the 107" Harlan Smith telescopes. Sure is tempting. I'd better not go in the buildings on my own though. I'd probably be banned from this place for life.

There are no activities tonight, but my first work shift starts tomorrow. I'll be manning one of the Star Party telescopes and explaining Open Clusters to visitors. Hopefully the weather will be better than it is today. I seems to bring clouds with me to the observatory. It was very overcast when I arrived. It's a good thing that no Star Parties were planned for tonight. There's not much to see.

I knew I would forget a few things on my trip. I always do. I really tried to remember everything, but I forgot to bring a hat. I'm probably going to have to buy a wool hat at the visitor center gift shop tomorrow. It's pretty cold at night and I'm definitely going to need a warm hat. I also forgot to bring my good binoculars. I didn't bring my bad binoculars either. This was a major oversight.

I hope Dawn doesn't forget about me while I'm gone. Janet said she did very well today. She's completely relaxed and it appears she knows she has a home. Janet and I are really glad we adopted Dawn. She's had a hard life and really needs a place where she can rest and relax. She's not a whirling dervish like some of the younger dogs, but neither are we. A sweet older dog is exactly what we need.

I think I'll go outside and see if the clouds have cleared before I go to bed. I won't stay out long though. There are mountain lions and bears up here.

Bacardi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3635

One down, two to go. I'm happy to report that our first Santa Paws event of the year went well. The animals were well behaved. The customers were happy. And none of the equipment broke. No dogs vomited or peed on the backdrop either. You really can't ask for more than that. We photographed more cats than I expected. I don't think the cats were expecting to be photographed either. Most of them clearly didn't enjoy sitting on Santa's lap. A few of the dogs enjoyed things a little too much, although nobody was really naughty. Santa was pleased.

I'm a little slower than I was last year. I stayed sitting for most of the day and my knees were thankful. It just isn't as easy to get up and down anymore. I may be falling apart, but the rest of the team has entered the modern age. We can take mobile payments now. We don't burn a CD for customers anymore. When they want all the pictures of their pet, they get their own Flash Drive. I'm amazed at how affordable Flash Drives have become. We couldn't have done this five years ago.

We'll be doing Santa photos at a different location tomorrow. Tomorrow's event is further away, so Janet and I will need to get up even earlier in the morning. It takes about an hour to set everything up and about the same amount of time to put all the equipment away again. Add another hour of driving time each way and it's going to be a long day. Our team of volunteers have become very efficient over the years. Everybody knows what to do and there are very few surprises. When the day is over, I always think that we do the best Santa photos in town.

I should go to bed early tonight but that's not going to happen. I've still got to pack for my NASA trip.   I'd like to think I've got these short trips down to a science, but it's so easy to forget things. Did I remember my passport? Did I remember to take all my meds? Can I even find my hotel? I like to travel light, so I almost always leave an important item of clothing behind. If I think I can live without a warm coat, it's almost guaranteed to be cold when I arrive. I'll do the best I can, but I'm never going to enjoy packing a suitcase.

I wonder how many more years I can do this? I'm a little slower every year, but somehow everything still works out OK. I guess it's good to stay busy, but it doesn't feel natural. Right now it feels more natural to get up at 10 AM and have a trip to the post office as your big event of the day. I'm still a little apprehensive about traveling on the same day we do one of these big photo events. Hey, I can do this. When it's all over, I'll probably be glad I tried to extend myself a little. I know I will enjoy seeing the Artemis moon rocket at the Michoud Assembly Facility. I enjoyed seeing all the dogs today as well. Some even made me laugh. I don't laugh nearly enough. Truth be known, being a pet photographer who likes to follow rocket launches isn't a bad way to spend your time. I think it would be even more fun if I was thirty again.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3632

I got detailed instructions for the Artemis Day event today. The instructions covered what to wear, when to arrive, and how to find the place. Among the detailed instructions was a disconcerting note that said "Your GPS may try to route you onto Chef Highway or Almonaster Blvd. These routes should be avoided." Jeez. I depend on GPS. If I'm told to ignore it, I'm lost. I also learned that it will probably rain when I'm in New Orleans. Should I take a raincoat? Do I even have a raincoat?  I got the impression that umbrellas aren't allowed in the building. Evidently food will be available at the Michoud Assembly Facility, but you must bring cash. No credit cards accepted. The instructions were much more detailed and complicated than the ones I received before going to Vandenberg Air Force Base and Kennedy Space Center. I'm a little apprehensive, but this should be interesting.

I couldn't remember whether I took my evening meds last night. I never forget my morning meds, but  sometimes I forget what I'm doing in the evening. I guess my morning routine is much more regimented. There's a difference between forgetting to take a pill and forgetting whether you took a pill. I figured that it's better to skip a day than to take a double dose by mistake. No harm was done but it is frustrating to have these memory lapses. I still don't know if I took the pills last night. Don't worry. I'll remember tonight.

I took my walk a little earlier today. I like seeing the stars start to appear as the sky grows darker, but I think that I'd rather have my dinner at a decent time. I wish I could think of a more compelling reason for taking these walks. I'm sure that walking is good for my health, but I mostly do this just to make the days seem shorter. With no work deadlines and few strong desires, uneventful days can seem really long.

The photo backdrop has almost completed its long journey from China. It is in the DFW area now and I think it will be delivered tomorrow. DHL doesn't seem to have a "signature required" policy like UPS and FedEx. I don't know whether I need to stay around and wait for the package or not. I hate signature required packages. You wait around all day and then the package isn't delivered until 8 PM.

I hope your favorite charity did well during yesterday's Giving Day. I'm still not sure how these Giving Days work. Does everybody get matching money, or are only some groups eligible? I think Dalmatian Rescue did well. I hope we got the matching money. We certainly could use it. There are more dogs in the program right now than we've had in a long time. I just heard that six more Dalmatians will be coming to us soon as well.

Our first Santa Paws photo shoot is this Saturday. It's time to start charging batteries and checking the cameras. Maybe if I get more sleep for the rest of the week, I'll have lots of energy on Saturday. Sure. That's going to happen. Maybe I'll win the lottery too. I have a feeling I'd better get used to being perpetually tired.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3603

What a wet, dreary day. I kept waiting for the rain to stop, but it never did. Clearly the weather forecast was wrong today. My phone kept saying that it wasn't raining and then I would go outside and see rain falling. I'm typically frozen in place on rainy days. I just sit and wait for the roof to start leaking.

I finally gave up and took some bills to the post office in the rain. I cleaned the car when I got home even though I knew that it was supposed to rain again tomorrow. It was a slow, gentle rain so the pumps on the roof would work for a while and then they would quit. I hate to turn the pumps off on a rainy day, but if the water level gets low and there isn't enough water to prime the pump, the motor can burn up. I fret about little things like this because there isn't anything big to fret about.

I finally got so bored that I decided to take my walk anyway even though it meant getting wet. I put on some waterproof boots, waited until the rain slowed to a drizzle, and then made my usual rounds. I guess I've become a slave to Fitbit. I had very little interest in going out and getting wet, but if I stayed home and did nothing, I would break a 57 day streak for meeting all my fitness goals.

It was actually quite pretty outside. It usually is when I don't have a camera with me. The temperature was a lot warmer than yesterday, so this created a lot of fog on the surface of the lake. If I'd had a camera with the right lens, I could have gotten a great picture of the White Pelicans shrouded in fog. They looked like stately ghosts swimming on the lake.

One of the things on my to-do list today was getting a banner reprinted that I'd done years ago. Usually reprinting anything is a simple matter. You just call up the printer and tell them to reprint the job they have on file. Unbeknownst to me, the printer had experienced a major computer crash a few years ago and lost most of their customer's files. Why didn't I know this already? Probably because I very rarely have anything printed anymore. Did I still have this file on one of my computers? It took me forever to find it, but I still did. It pays to save everything.

One of my doctors called today and asked why I hadn't paid a bill they'd sent me in September. The reason was simple. Either my mail carrier put the bill in the wrong mailbox or I mistook it for junk mail and threw it away. Both things happen frequently. I apologized and said I'd send them a check right away. Maybe I actually received the bill and just forgot about it. I hate the thought that I'm becoming even more forgetful as I grow older, but of course I am. It happens.

The rest of the week is going to be busy by my low standards. I'm getting a haircut tomorrow, going back to the dentist to refit my retainer on Thursday, and going to my regular doctor for my annual physical on Friday. It sure looks like I"m going to be doing some of these things in the rain.

Coach is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3489

I was terrible on the basketball court this morning. I wonder a lot about consistency. Why can I sink free throws like clockwork on some days and am all over the place on others? You'd think that over time I'd become more and more consistent. Why don't I sleep the same length every night. If my days are consistent, why aren't my nights? I like consistency. I eat the same things and wear the same things over and over. Apparently nature likes a little variety though. Every day seems to have at least one surprise.

There's a sound system at the gym and I always try to remember who is singing the songs. My memory fails me at times. When I heard Sweet Dreams Are Made of This, it took me a little while to remember that Annie Lennox was singing. It took me a little longer to remember that Dave Stewart was her partner. I never could remember the name of the band. I had to look it up when I got home. Jeez. How could I forget the Eurythmics.

Memories are weird. I read an article recently that said that forgetting things was good for the brain and might actually make you smarter. If that's the case I must be a genius. I forget a lot. It's amazing how many memories remain though. One memory often triggers another and all of the sudden you are remembering something that happened fifty years ago in vivid detail. Researchers now say that people who tend to forget unnecessary information are better at problem solving and less prone to depression. I wish I'd heard about this theory years ago. I used to think my forgetfulness was a curse rather than a blessing. I've described my brain to others as a tape loop like those flight recorders in airplanes. After a while new information overwrites the old and you start fresh again. This probably saved me in advertising. I used to do a lot of bank advertising. Basically all bank advertising is the same. If I wasn't continuously reinventing the wheel and starting over, I probably would have gone nuts.

It seemed harder to get my requisite 20,000 steps today. This was puzzling too. I should have had more energy because the weather was cooler and it wasn't miserable outside. It was actually a pretty nice day. Why was I tired today? I certainly got plenty of sleep. I think about these things while I walk. I don't really dwell on them though. I probably spend more time counting ducks than I do having deep thoughts.

Someone asked me recently whether I'd ever considered going to Adult Space Camp in Alabama. Actually, yes. I looked at their web site once and immediately noticed that training involved spending time in a multi-axis simulator and scuba diving in the underwater neutral buoyancy trainer. For someone who routinely gets sick on cruise ships and had difficulty flying a Cessna 152 in a straight line without throwing up, this might not be for me. Maybe spending an evening with an astronomer during a special viewing night at McDonald Observatory's 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope is more my speed.  Janet and most of my friends like to visit new places. I seem to like learning new things instead.

I doubt that I'll be learning anything new tomorrow. We'll probably visit the Dalmatians again though. Monday seems the best day to go to the kennel. Charlie needs a better picture. Now that he's learned to sit still for a treat, maybe I can finally get a decent portrait.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day