Day 4178

Janet took Dawn to her first training class this evening. I didn't go, because there isn't much point in going to a dog training class without a dog. Hopefully, Dawn will do well and enjoy the class. Some of our dogs loved the training classes and others didn't. Dash did very well at first and then grew bored with the class and became a poor student. Some of the exercises are done off leash and I was always nervous that Dash would run away. He was unpredictible that way. Dawn likes being around other dogs, so hopefully she will have a lot of fun.

Today might have been eventful for Dawn, but it was uneventful for me. Not a lot happened. It didn't rain today, but I didn't take advantage of the dry weather to do anything special. I fixed my smoothie while I watched the morning news. I checked my e-mail, hoping that there might be a message from NASA or the magazine I write for in London. Janet and I walked Dawn after she returned from the gym. And then I took my longer walk later in the day. I do these things every day. I really need to add a little variety to my routine.

One thing I didn't do today was practice using PixInsight or any of the other astrophotography processing software I'm trying to learn. I don't want to get burned out before I even get started on this somewhat difficult hobby. When I was working, I was reluctant to call things like writing, photography, and graphic design hobbies because I made money doing these things. Astronomy is clearly a hobby. I will never be an astronomer. I don't even understand what a lot of them do.

I think the cortisone shot the vet gave Dawn yesterday is working. She didn't lick or bite at her paws nearly as much today. I wish the cortisone shot would solve the problem, but it will only point us in the right direction. If allergies are the problem, we need to find out what Dawn is allergic to. We had Spot, our first Dalmatian, tested for allergies and it was a long, complicated process. It turned out he was allergic to almost everything.

I made good time on my long walk today. I can't figure out why I feel so different from one day to the next. Yesterday I could barely make it home. Today I actually had a spring in my step. Inconsistency bothers me. I would like everything to be consistent and predictable even though it never is. In an inconsistent world, I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have a feeling that Dawn feels the same way. We should be best buddies. We share many of the same fears and are alike in many ways.

The little telescope I ordered has shipped and is on its way. When it arrives I will probably spend the day testing and learning how to use it. Then it will go back in a box until my next trip out to McDonald Observatory. I still haven't really mastered the star tracker I got for my last trip to the observatory. That's sitting in a box too. One problem is that you have to align the tracker with Polaris before it will track anything and you can't see the North Star from our house because there are too many trees in the way. This is just an excuse, but it's good enough for me. I'm definitely not dragging my equipment out into the park at night. 

This week has gone quickly. Pretty soon it will be my birthday again. Last year on my birthday we were right in the middle of a global pandemic. I guess we still are.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4118

The stores were crowded today. Passover is almost over so I guess most people were buying for Easter meals. Some stores are discounting masks and toilet paper now. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of anything. Those stickers on the floor that tell people to stay six feet apart are largely ignored these days. It basically just seemed like a normal shopping day.

While I was out this morning I stopped at an abandoned Fry's store that was selling fixtures and equipment. There were some great bargains for anyone starting a business that required lots of bins and out of date computers. The store's PC's and printers were all on sale for $50 each. I don't know who would buy these things though. They were all old and showed lots of wear. I bought nothing.

When we walked Dawn today, she took the new route that she discovered yesterday again. We have no idea why this route seems more appealing now. As we made out way through the neighborhood, we kept noticing that there was an unusual amount of remodeling and landscaping projects going on. Everyone appears to be fixing up their houses and yards. Maybe some people are hurting from the pandemic, but I'm not seeing it. The real estate market is booming. The stock market is booming. A lot of people seem to be doing better than they ever were.

Janet was gone for most of the afternoon, so Dawn and I spent some quality time together. I stayed outside with her for quite a while, but inside she still won't leave the bedroom. When I fixed her dinner, she wouldn't even come out and eat it until Janet returned. It's been a year now, so she should have adjusted to anything that needs adjusting. Maybe I'm missing something, but it just doesn't look like it's going to happen.

I'm still spending a little time each day familiarizing myself with the new star tracker and camera. I oscillate between genuine interest and befuddlement. Sometimes I look at this stuff and wonder why I even bought it. The night sky is interesting, but if I had a choice I'd probably opt for a good night's sleep. If I ever really got serious about backyard astronomy, I'd probably have to start writing the blog during the day. By the time I finish each night's post, I'm done for the day. On most nights I'm way too tired to spend another three hours staring up at the sky.

Today I was almost too tired to take my long walk. I definitely didn't set any records this afternoon. My foot hurt for most of the walk and my right knee still feels stiff. I saw the mean little duck that chased away all the larger ducks while I was walking. I haven't seen her in over a month and was wondering if she was still around. Today she was peacefully eating with a bunch of Coots. Most of the White Pelicans have flown away, but there are still a few stragglers. I thought they would all leave together, but there are still about half a dozen left.

I tried running my laptop off of an external drive this afternoon in hopes that I could get it to run the software I'll need for the astrophotography workshop in May. The laptop ran way too slow to be useful unfortunately. Sadly, I'll probably end up attending the workshop with the wrong cameras and computer, just like I did last time. I'm not about to convert to a PC just for a few evenings under a dark sky.

I'm already looking forward to Easter dinner. Such a simple life I lead. I mostly just think about food and wonder why Dawn doesn't like me.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day