Day 4504

We went and saw Sammy's puppies today. I'd almost forgotten how cute Dalmatian puppies are. Sammy had a large litter. There were eleven puppies and they were all adorable. The puppies were eight weeks old and in a few weeks they will be going to their new homes. As you might expect, there was a lot of demand for these pups. Potential adopters were carefully screened and most of the puppies will be going to people who have adopted from Dalmatian Rescue before. We met some of these people this afternoon. They were so excited to see and hold their puppies for the first time. These dogs are all going to have a great life. Even Sammy, the Mom, got adopted.

It was supposed to rain today but the rain never materialized. We were able to have a nice walk with Dawn early this morning and then take her on a Sunday outing after we returned from visiting the puppies. Dawn could tell we'd been around puppies. She smelled us a lot more than usual when we returned. It was hard to tell whether she missed being around puppies or was alarmed that we might bring one home with us. I suspect that Dawn is happy that she will never have to nurse another litter. Sammy's pups are almost weaned, but the family that is fostering Sammy and the puppies say that the pups are trying to have the best of both worlds. They are all eating solid food now, but still try to nurse occasionally. 

Dawn enjoyed her Sunday outing today. She definitely prefers cooler weather. We're going to have to start watching out for poison ivy now. I'm starting to see the stuff everywhere. There are huge patches of poison ivy on the hill where we take Dawn on Sundays. Most dogs don't seem to be bothered by poison ivy. Janet isn't bothered by it either. I'm not this lucky. I think I can catch poison ivy just by looking at the stuff. 

The ice cream shop seems to be doing well. There was a long line of cars at the drive up window when we went for our cones today. They call this stuff frozen custard, but I still call it ice cream. It definitely is a tasty treat after our Sunday walk. It's not quite as sweet at the ice cream you typically get in stores and is a huge improvement over Dairy Queen soft serve. Dawn likes it too. I think getting ice cream is the only thing she likes about riding in a car.

It was very windy with dark clouds everywhere when I took my long walk later this afternoon. I didn't end up going very far because the wind was terrible and the air was full of pollen. My eyes were watering the entire time I was outside. I also didn't want to end up getting caught in the rain. I got a respectable number of steps, but I've done a lot better on Sundays.

Since I didn't walk as far today, I had time to vacuum the carpets when I got home. This is another chore like mowing the grass that I tend to put off too long. I wanted to get this done before I left on my trip though. I also wanted to test out the star tracker camera for regular photography before I left, so I took it with me when we visited the puppies. This camera was a pleasant surprise. It was actually easier to use than my regular camera.

We're finally starting to get some rain. It's supposed to get heavier during the night, but the worst weather is quite a ways North of us. I'm not sure if we will visit the kennel tomorrow. It all depends on the weather.  We'll see what happens. Forecasts around here are often wrong.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4503

I had to pick up some prescriptions while I was grocery shopping this morning and out of curiosity I asked the pharmacist if I would save any money if I used GoodRx instead of my prescription drug plan. "Well, let's see," she said. The pharmacist picked a random bottle out of my order and looked it up. "This would cost you $3.65 using GoodRx and $34 using your Supplemental Part-D plan. I was shocked. "So why am I paying all this money every month for my prescription drug plan," I asked? The pharmacist just shrugged. "A lot of people are just using GoodRx these days," she said. Looks like I'll be adding another app to my phone.

Smartphone apps have taken over the world. They're cheaper and more efficient than employees and everyone wants you to use them. Janet wanted me to pick up something at the store that she said was on sale. I returned without it, because it wasn't on sale after all. "You have to use the coupon on the store's app," Janet said. "They scan it at the register and the price comes off your bill." Who knew? Janet has apps from dozens of different stores on her phone. I have none. Well, I guess I do have one, but even that app that lets me bypass the register at one store is starting to irritate me. I've learned how to do things a certain way and find it frustrating when I am forced to change.

It was even windier today than yesterday. I wonder what is causing this? At least we still get a decent amount of rain, so the wind doesn't cause wildfires like it does out west. Our part of the country seems to be in some sort of a sweet spot where the climate isn't changing as rapidly as it is in other parts of the country. Temperatures are getting much hotter out West. They are actually getting a little cooler here.

It was nice and cool today. If it wasn't for the unrelenting wind, it would have been a very pleasant day for walking. I completed my full six miles this afternoon, but foot problems definitely slowed me down. I can't decide if the Hoka boots or the lighter Hoka running shoes are more comfortable. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Basically, the last mile is hard no matter what I'm wearing.

It's been interesting to watch the construction of the new bike trail through the park. Whoever is building this thing is much more efficient than the highway department. I've been amazed at how fast the construction is proceeding and how nice the results look. It looks like the entire project will be finished by early Summer, just like they promised. The only bad thing about this new super trail is that it will bring even more bicycles to the park. Bicycles and dog walkers don't mix well. We always have to keep any eye out for bicycles when we are walking Dawn. She likes to meander from one side of the trail to the other following the best smells. Bicycles are silent and deadly. We always have to make sure that Dawn isn't wandering into their path. It seems to be an unwritten rule that bicycles never slow down for anymore.

I tried to learn a few more features of the star tracker camera this afternoon. It would be nice to just take one camera out to the observatory and this one has to go with the star tracker. Once again I'm faced with the issue of learning new things. I know the camera I use for taking dog pictures backwards and forwards. This new one, not so much. The menu structure on these two cameras is completely different even though they can share lenses. I may end up having to take both cameras because the learning curve on the new one is a bit steeper than I'd hoped.

I got Chinese take out for dinner again. This time I checked my order at the restaurant to make sure that I was actually taking home what I ordered. This week has gone quickly. It's almost time for Dawn's Sunday outing again. Hopefully, it won't be quite so windy tomorrow.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4396

I now have a camera that connects to the star tracker. It's almost identical to a camera I already have, but for some reason this one works. I'm not home free yet, but I'm getting closer. The software for the phone app that controls the camera and tracker is still a little wonky. I don't think this will be a problem. I'm sure the app will have been updated at least five times before I get a chance to use this combo under dark skies. 

I went down to a local camera store after breakfast this morning and tried cameras until I found one that worked. I went through a period when I ordered almost everything online. That's over. Real stores have their advantages. If I ordered online, there's a good chance I would have bought the wrong camera and would have had to send it back. Seeing and touching things before you buy definitely beats reading a bunch of bullet points on a web page. More importantly, after my recent experiences with Fedex I'm not sure I ever want to deal with delivery services again.

Tomorrow I'll see if I can conquer some of the software issues that still remain with the iPhone app. There is already new firmware to install. Maybe that will fix some of the problems I had today. This is still a work in progress, but it definitely gives me something to do. Luckily, I was able to find the camera I needed used. It looks new and has seen very little use, but I was able to get it for basically half price. Hey, it doesn't hurt anything to have one more camera.

I wasn't very surprised that it was cold this morning. The surprising thing was that it never warmed up. I waited until almost noon to take my long walk and it was still only a few degrees above freezing. I worry that Dawn is getting cold. Some dogs love the cold weather but Dawn isn't one of them. I'm with her. I don't like cold weather either. At least I have plenty of warm coats. I still need to order some waterproof Hoka boots. The boots should have really been a higher priority than the camera, but it's always been hard for me to make clothing a priority.

My foot pain was worse today. The humidity was still low, so there goes my humidity theory. It still baffles me why my feet feel different from one day to the next. Logically, things should be a lot more constant. I wear the same shoes and basically walk the same distance every day. My comfort level varies wildly though. I guess I should just be glad for the good days. I'm well aware that this could be a lot worse.

Dawn had diarrhea today. She must have eaten something bad in the yard because she doesn't seem sick and still has a good appetite. We always watch carefully to make sure she doesn't get into anything in the park. Dogs are sneaky though. You think they are just smelling something and then all of the sudden they snarf something down. All of our dogs have had diarrhea at one time of another. Mostly it was because they ate something bad. We'll keep an eye on Dawn. I have a feeling that we might need to take her outside in the middle of the night as well. Brrr. It's going to be very cold tonight.

I'm glad I did a good job of fixing the furnace the other day. This is no time to have a cold house. No time for a cold car either. It was nice to have heated seats and a heated steering wheel while I was driving down to the camera store this morning. I don't think I'll ever really get used to Winter. At least the days are starting to get longer though.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4105

I think I accidentally threw away an important part of my video kit while I was attempting to clean up the office a few weeks ago. I threw away some empty boxes but neglected to check and see if they were really empty. I was pretty sure the boxes were all empty because I knew what used to be in them and they all felt really light. Now, I remember that I kept this component in one of the boxes. The component was really light too. All this makes me mad because there is nobody to blame but myself. It just goes to show that you should never throw anything away. It's always possible that the missing component is in the storage warehouse, but that doesn't help much. I have no idea what is in the storage warehouse anymore.

I vacuumed the house today and I couldn't figure out why the vacuum wasn't picking up much dust. It turns out that Janet had already vacuumed the house a few days ago and I didn't even notice. Oh, well. The house is even cleaner now. It won't stay that way long though. If you have a Dalmatian there is always an enormous amount of dog hair. I don't know how these dogs manage to keep such a nice looking coat because they are constantly shedding.

The weather continues to be almost perfect. Dawn is enjoying spending more time outdoors. She took two short walks today, but we still can't get her to take a longer one. I continue to take my long daily walk although my feet are screaming at me to quit. I don't know if it would prove anything to go to the gym instead of taking these daily walks. If I did more upper body exercises, it would be my shoulders and wrists screaming at me to quit. I walked a lot slower today, but I did manage to complete five miles.

I watched a few more instructional videos about my new camera this afternoon. I'm finding that I learn a lot more watching YouTube videos that reading the instruction manual. Instruction manuals for Japanese cameras have always left a lot to be desired. One of these days I'm going to have to actually take some pictures with this camera. I've basically just been using my phone for photography all winter. I'm planning on taking the new camera to the astrophotography workshop, so I'd better become proficient in using all the fancy new features. I thought I knew everything there was to know about cameras, but that was before they all turned into computers. I think this new camera is a lot smarter than I am.

I promised Janet I'd get some bids for taking down the damaged Oak tree in the back yard. I should have done this months ago, but I hate to lose these old trees. This tree does need to come down, because it probably won't survive another really bad storm. It's such a hassle though. The tree is near power lines and has branches that extend over the neighbor's yard. Oh, well. It needs to be done. Dealing with an old house is discouraging. It always seems like a losing battle. I remember how nice things looked forty years ago. I probably looked better forty years ago myself.

I'm not sure if Spring Break is over yet, but we'll probably go visit the rescue Dalmatians again tomorrow. I think we've skipped two weeks now and Charlie probably misses us.  

Big Boy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4049

I'm getting tired of all this rain. I keep forgetting that this happens every year, but the gloomy days are still irritating. It will be a while before we can rake the leaves. The yard is a soggy mess rtight now. We did manage to get Dawn walked before the rain started. That was a good thing. There are no problems with walks now that Dawn gets her own way. I'm not surprised that Dawn is stubborn. Most of our Dalmatians were stubborn. I'm just surprised that she doesn't like to walk. I thought all dogs loved a walk.

After we took Dawn back to the house, Janet continued walking with me. We generally walk along the same trails where we used to take Dawn and wonder what the problem is. We see lots of other people walking their dogs and most of the dogs seem to be having a great time. Oh, well. Dawn still walks a mile a day and maybe that's all the exercise she needs right now.

I need to find a project that doesn't involve cleaning or yard work. I'm kind of envious of my Florida photographer friends who still manage to show up at Kennedy Space Center for every single launch. It's just too expensive to do this unless you are a local. I'm a little less envious of my friends in West Texas. It's snowing out there and very cold. I have a feeling that I won't be returning to until the weather is warmer. West Texas is still a virus hot spot. 

It's weird that there is almost nothing I'm interested in doing in Dallas. Was there ever anything I was interested in doing in Dallas? It's hard to remember. Most of my time here has been spent behind this computer. If your occupation involves writing and web design, you end up spending an enormous amount of time staring at a computer screen. There's really no reason to continue doing this, but old habits die hard.

I spent some time this afternoon configuring my new camera. Every time I buy a camera, the menu list keeps getting longer and longer. New digital cameras are complicated. You can configure this one to do almost anything, but I doubt that I will ever use most of the settings. I still take pictures exactly the same way I did years ago with my old Nikon-F.

I've found a lens that I'd like to use with the new camera. Maybe I'll go out and look for this sometime next week. I used to buy almost all my equipment for the business online, but Covid has given me a new respect for local businesses. There aren't a lot of camera stores left in Dallas and I'd like to support them. I think retirement hit me at about the right time. This definitely isn't the best time to be running a small business. It doesn't seem fair that Amazon keeps getting richer while small businesses of all types are being decimated by the pandemic. Life never was fair though. Even the ducks in the park know that.

Something tripped a breaker while we were eating dinner tonight and the kitchen and utility room went dark. Strangely, the television and the microwave in the kitchen were still on. These appliances must have been on a different circuit. Nothing was turned on in the kitchen when the breaker got tripped, so the whole thing is a big mystery. Our new sensor that is supposed to monitor the electric wiring didn't detect anything either. Ghosts? It could be. This is a pretty old house.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4019 - Christmas

It turns out it wasn't Dawn, it was us. We tried an experiment this morning. Instead of having Dawn follow us on a walk, we followed her. She led us over the hills and through the woods on a wild walk to parts of the park we had never even visited before. Luckily, it was a beautiful, dry winter day with no poison ivy, no bugs, and most importantly, no snakes. Dawn had a great time. She was happy, energetic, and didn't freeze in place at all. We ended up walking over five miles and probably could have walked longer. If there is a lesson in all this, it might be that Dawn thinks we are boring people and wishes we would do more interesting things with her.

Dawn's triumphant Christmas walk was the beginning of a very pleasant day. The house was filled with the smells of delicious things in the oven. Janet talked with her family on the phone while I finally figured out how to use my new camera. I've barely scratched the surface of what the camera can do, but I did take some pictures and was pleased with the results. I figured out how to install and pair the phone app that lets me operate the camera remotely and I tried out a couple of lenses that I already own. This camera is going to be very good for astrophotography and future Dalmatian Rescue photo shoots.

Even Facebook was better today. Instead of people arguing about politics, there were just lots of happy pictures of dogs dressed up in Christmas outfits. It's too bad we can't act like it's Christmas all year long. For one day a year, humanity doesn't seem so bad after all.

I took another walk later in the day and some of the larger paved trails were filled with children playing with their Christmas toys. The gifts kids get now are much larger and more expensive than what I used to find under the tree. Janet and I were talking recently about how happy we were to get a ViewMaster for Christmas when we were little. Everything runs on batteries now and will probably break fairly quickly. I saw a parade of children riding on fancy motorized toy cars and scooters. There were motorized skateboards as well. A lot of the older kids on motorized scooters were going way too fast. Luckily, I didn't encounter any serious accidents today. It would have spoiled my Christmas mood.

Our Christmas dinner was delicious. Janet baked a Crown Roast surrounded by root vegetables, all covered by a fabulous spicy glaze. When it came out of the oven it looked like something you'd see in a food magazine. Our side dishes were candied sweet potatoes, Italian sausage dressing, fresh cranberry sauce, and a Brussels Sprout salad. We made Mimosas, got out our best champagne glasses and ate way too much.

Dawn got her first taste of Devon's Doggie Delights for Christmas and she loves the Cheese Chompers. I forget when we first discovered Devon's treats, but Dot and Dash loved them. I'm really happy that Dawn had a good day. It was so nice to see her acting normally again. We'll see how long this lasts. Realistically, it will be impossible to let her drag us through the woods every day. The park isn't that big either. There are only so many undiscovered routes left. Maybe we just have a very stubborn dog instead of a dog with mental problems. We forget sometimes that Dawn is a mama dog who has raised many, many puppies. I think this might explain a lot of her behavior.

A very Merry Christmas to all of you. I hope your day was as nice as ours was. For a short moment in time, I'm feeling fairly optimistic.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4001

We went back to the kennel today to visit Charlie. Even though we were at the same boarding facility most of the day yesterday for our Santa Paws event, we were far too busy to visit Charlie. He didn't even get his picture taken with Santa because he is not good with other dogs. Yesterday's oversight certainly didn't seem to bother him. He was his typical unpredictable, happy self today. Charlie loves to destroy toys, so we only let him play with the most indestructible red Kongs we can find. He almost always has a ball in his mouth unless he is waiting for a treat. Charlie is smart and very food motivated. We've learned that we can teach him almost anything if there is a food reward involved. At any rate, he was glad to see us today. I think he expects to see us on Mondays now.

The props and photo gear we used at yesterday's photo shoot are back in the storage warehouse again. The house looks a little neater now, but not by much. We've still got way too much pandemic related stuff stacked up in the front hallway. I don't think there's much of a chance that we'll ever run out of toilet paper. I wish my storage warehouse was a lot bigger. If I had more room I could clear out the hallway and then start moving all the books in my office to storage as well. It would be much easier for me to put everything in the office in storage instead of just throwing it away. A storage warehouse is a great way to postpone making a decision. You always have the option of retrieving something if you change your mind.  It's an expensive luxury though. Storage warehouse companies keep raising your rent year after year until you are paying a ridiculous amount for a room full of worthless junk. They should be rewarding loyal customers, but they do exactly the opposite. I have a love/hate relationship with my storage warehouse. I like having a halfway house for my stuff, but I'm convinced that I'm being cheated by the warehouse company.

Today was definitely a nice day for a walk. It was still chilly outside, but the temperature was much warmer than yesterday. It is still hard to decide what to wear on these walks with Dawn. If you are comfortable at the beginning of the walk, you will be way too hot on your journey back home. If you are comfortable after you've been walking a few miles, you are going to be pretty chilly when you begin. I underdressed today and by the time I returned home, I felt just about right.

One of these days I'm going to need to learn to use my new camera. The instruction manual is over two hundred pages long and the menu in the camera itself offers a labyrinth of confusing choices. Most of the features I want to use are buried deep inside this menu. I guess there is plenty of time to experiment. I have absolutely nothing on my agenda now.

I wish people were better at answering my e-mails. I always answer messages almost immediately. The mask distributor has been silent about replacing my defective N-95 masks. The dehumidifier company hasn't told me whether they received the warranty information I sent them. Even my editor at Sky & Telescope failed to respond to a question I had about my upcoming article. When people do respond they usually tell me that they get hundreds of messages a day and don't have time to respond to everything. This is hard for me to comprehend, since I seldom get five messages a week. Spam doesn't count as a message obviously. I get plenty of spam.

I think Space X is going to do the big high altitude Starship test down in Boca Chica tomorrow. I need to remember to watch this. It ought to be interesting.

Humphrey 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 3992

Did I need toilet paper today? Not really. Did I grab a package when I saw the small supply at my grocery store dissapearing in front of my eyes? Absolutely. This is how hoarding starts. Nobody wants to be that person who just found out what everybody else was doing yesterday. Everything else on my grocery list we actually needed. I definitely don't want to wind up with a huge pile of food and supplies blocking the front hallway again.

Today was another day when the rain arrived much later than expected. It was supposed to start raining this morning, so we made sure to take our walk with Dawn earlier than usual. I went to the grocery store earlier than usual and took my afternoon walk at noon for the same reason. Since it is just starting to rain now, I guess all this activity was unnecessary. I don't know why rain bothers me so much. It probably has a lot to do with all the problems I've had with the roof. The roof isn't leaking now though and rain still bothers me. Maybe I just don't like surprises.

I found everything on my grocery list and scored a huge package of toilet paper as a bonus, but I didn't accomplish much after I returned home. It took forever to break down the large box the dehumidifier came in so it would fit in our trash can. It took even longer to clean all the scum out of the collection bucket on the old dehumidifier. After I got the machine looking sparkling new again, it occurred to me that maybe I should have left the oily scum inside the bucket alone. Oil was leaking somewhere and it might have helped the HVAC guy diagnose the problem. 

I was thinking about taking a few pictures with the new camera today, but the thought of rain put a damper on things. There is no urgency anyway. I often leave new things untouched for weeks before I actually begin to use them. One day I will feel a genuine need for this thing and will learn everything I need to know in a matter of hours. Since I bought the camera mainly for launch photography, it might be a while before I need it.

Dawn follows Janet around like glue when she's home. Whenever Janet leaves, Dawn retreats to the bedroom and seldom gets off the bed until Janet returns. Sometimes Dawn will come out to the kitchen when I am fixing her dinner, but even that is not consistent. I keep hoping that Dawn will bond with me, but I think she decided that men weren't to be trusted long ago. She's friendly with me when Janet is around, but when we're alone together Dawn is definitely wary. We'll never know what happened in Dawn's past, but it definitely wasn't good. It's a shame that she doesn't trust me. She's missing out on an afternoon walk that she could have every day.

I wanted to see if the automatic shut-off worked on the new dehumidifier so I let the bucket fill with water all the way to the top. I was apprehensive as the bucket filled, thinking that the living room would soon be filled with water. Everything worked properly though, so I can now leave the machine running all night without worries. This bucket must hold a little more water than the old dehumidifier because it was quite heavy when I eventually emptied it. I see a spill waiting to happen.

If the weather forecast holds, it will be raining when we wake up tomorrow. This means no early morning walk with Dawn. It also means another day of fretting about whether my roof patches will hold up. Did I mention that I don't like rain?

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3989

I think Dallas has decided the coronavirus is over. People cetainly weren't sheltering in place today. There were traffic jams everywhere and the stores were packed. I had to pick up some last minute items for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner and it seemed like the entire town had the same idea. The grocery store that I went to was so crowded that I had trouble moving from one aisle to the next. I got what I needed though. Janet and I will have a nice Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.

The storm last night was intense, but it was over very quickly. The thin line of storms passed through town at about 50 miles and hour and within fifteen minutes it was all over. We got a lot of rain within a short amount of time and there were some momentary high winds, but we didn't have any damage. One thing we learned was that Dawn does very well during a storm. We all sat together in our pitiful little hallway "safe space" during the worst of the storm and Dawn was completely calm. She just lay down between us and waited until the coast was clear. Petey and Dash would have totally lost it and Dot wouldn't have done that well either. A lot of our former dogs have had severe storm phobias, but Dawn just takes the weather in stride. I think she's more fearful of men than she is of tornadoes.

I succumbed to temptation and got the camera. There was no real justification for this purchase, but I knew that six months from now when the camera was full price again, I would be kicking myself for not getting it when it was on sale. I have plenty of cameras, but this is something I will definitely use. There are several innovative features that will be very useful the next time I find myself at Kennedy Space Center. My next attempt at astrophotography might benefit from this camera as well. At any rate, the deed is done. Now I have to read the instruction manual and learn how to use this thing.

I got a reminder call about my eye exam on Monday. Once you see a doctor about anything, they make sure that you'll continue seeing them forever. My vision is still good, although I need readers now for close up work. My vision would probably be even better if I hadn't spent so many years staring at a computer screen. The eye doctor says that I am slowly developing cataracts, but I can't notice any changes yet. Eventually, I'll have to deal with this, but cataract surgery is still way off in the future as far as I'm concerned. My distance vision is still 20/20 and I want to keep it that way. Good vision is important to almost everything I do. Hopefully the eye doctor won't throw me a curve on Monday.

We had a really nice walk this morning. Last night's storm seemed to have cleared the air and I didn't have any allergy problems at all. Lately it's been a little chilly when we leave the house, but we warm up quickly. Dawn loves the cool Fall weather and has been eager to walk these days. There are days when it's hard to get her out of bed, but today she was waiting at the door for us. It's nice to see her back to her old self. That seizure last month really had us worried.

I hope that tomorrow's celebrations don't cause a big virus spike. I'm tired of listening to pundits attempt to pin the blame for all this on somebody. If there is a huge spike, we'll never hear the end of it. Have a nice Thanksgiving. Eat too much and watch footfall afterwards. Just don't sit grandma right next to your college age kids at the table.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2334

It drives me crazy when stuff breaks all the time. I called the electrician today to fix a broken sodium vapor light in the back yard. These lights typically last up to ten years, but this one bit the dust in less than a year. The good news is that the fixture is probably still under warranty. The bad news is that my electrician has gone to a four day week and doesn't work on Friday anymore. He won't be able to come out and replace the faulty security lamp until next Wednesday. By then, Janet and I will both have tripped over rocks and stepped in dog poop while taking the dogs out late at night. The security light is essential.

Next on the list was a call to the plumber to fix the leaking fixtures in the bathroom sink. I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I will have to measure and photograph the existing fixtures and then bring the photos to their offices so they can see if they can locate a suitable replacement. They're probably telling me the truth, since the modern fixtures I see at Home Depot and Lowes are too big to fit in the old sink. I had to do this once before when I owned rental property and it seemed like it took months to get the old leaking fixtures replaced. I keep thinking that all repair people are going to be like those friendly, knowledgeable guys on that PBS This Old House show, but sadly this is seldom the case.

I've started hearing a loud squeak or chirping noise on the left side of my car when I drive over a bump. I heard exactly the same noise a few weeks before the suspension went out on the right hand side of the car last year. To be proactive, I called the dealership to make an appointment to bring the car in for service. They don't have any openings until the end of the month. I guess I'd better not drive over any big bumps until then.

It was quite warm today and I could tell that Dot was already having trouble with the heat. We're going to have a real problem this Summer. The higher the temperature, the less energy she has. In Texas terms, this was just a mild Spring day. It's going to get worse. When Summer really hits us, we might not be able to walk at all. It's going to be a challenge to keep Dot moving in the Summer. I guess we could start using the underwater treadmill more, but it's a long ride in the car to get to our therapy sessions and cars can get very hot during Texas Summers.

Don't ask me why, but I had breakfast at a neighborhood cafe that appears to be a favorite with the over 70 crowd. Literally, everyone in the place was a senior citizen. I hadn't been to this place for several years, but it certainly hasn't changed much. The food is actually pretty good, but that's not why the place is popular. Old people love this place because the portions are huge. I could barely finish my meal this morning. It's weird how people tend to stay with their own tribe. There were no hipsters in this restaurant. There were no young moms, pushing their kids in fancy strollers. All I saw were a bunch of very old men who were clearly going to vote for Trump.

The new camera arrived today. I opened the box to make sure everything was there, but that's about as far as I got. I'll be taking plenty of pictures in the future, but my hands are full with other things now. Taking care of Dot and keeping the house from falling apart has become a full time job.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2331

We woke up to sunshine this morning. The weather has become just as unpredictable as Dot's pooping schedule. I was delighted that thunder and lightning weren't going to be a problem today, but still it would be nice to know these things in advance. I've given up trying to figure out how Dot is going to feel in advance. Every day is a new day. I'm not a flexible person by nature, but Dot has forced me to embrace flexibility this year. Some days she is so weak and tired that she doesn't even want to move. Other days she seems to have found a second wind and actually seems to be getting better. She is so old now that each additional day is a gift. I try my best to adapt to her current condition and I'm even getting used to constantly cleaning up poop.

I wish I could get used to the idea of retirement. 2014 was a good year. Last year, things started to slow down, but billings were still OK. This year has been a disaster. I feel like I've totally dropped off the radar. I've known for forty years that advertising was a young business, but it still hurts to realize that you've gone past your expiration date. Things probably aren't going to change. For most of my career I was the first to try new things and was always on the leading edge of innovation. Now, I don't welcome the latest trends. For the most part, I'm appalled by where we seem to be headed. I have to live with the fact that I'm a clever, but increasingly grumpy old man.

I ordered the camera today. You knew I would. I don't buy things because I need them anymore. I buy things to influence my mood. The new camera probably won't get me any new jobs, but it will make the few jobs I still have a little more interesting. I look forward to experimenting and learning something new. It is ironic in a way that my knowledge of photography continues to improve, while my desire to actually sell the photographs I take continues to decline. I just don't care anymore. I take pictures almost every single day, but rarely show them to anybody. When I do get an assignment, all I think about is what a bother it is going to be to load all the equipment in the car and drive to the location.

I was fascinated by tonight's primary results. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have pretty well proved that the Democratic and Republican parties are irrelevant. Bernie is not really a Democrat and Trump is not really a Republican. The reason that they are both popular is that most voters aren't either. Almost everyone I know of voting age describes themselves as an independent. If the Democrats were smart, they would nominate Bernie because he has a better chance of winning than Hillary. If the Republicans were smart, they would swallow their pride and get behind Trump. These two candidates are as different as night and day, but they are both protectionists who believe that globalism and bad trade deals have destroyed the middle class. They also both believe that we ought to stay out of disastrous foreign wars. Sounds good to me. Maybe the Democrats and the Republicans ought to start listening to what the voters are thinking for a change.

I hope that Dot sleeps well tonight. Of course, I always hope that Dot sleeps well and there are no accidents. Sometimes we get lucky.

Milo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2330

What was I thinking? Yesterday, I was convinced that the weather would be nice this week, so imagine my surprise when I woke up and discovered that it was just another wet, stormy day. Like most rainy days, the house felt more humid, the dogs refused to go outside, and the mail arrived damp and soggy. My efforts to clean up the roof yesterday were completely wasted.

I didn't sleep well, mostly because the dogs sensed the storm and kept waking me up. Dash was nervous and Dot pooped in her bed. I can't really blame Dot's accident on the rain. Chances are that would have happened anyway. Everything takes longer on a rainy day. By the time I'd convinced both dogs to go outside and do their business, cleaned the mud off my shoes several times, and finished my breakfast, it was almost time for lunch.

I only had a single website revision to make today, but it seemed like a busy day anyway. There were bills to pay, a check to take to the bank, and some prescriptions to pick up at the pharmacy. I didn't bother to vacuum the house because the dogs would just track more dirt inside anyway. I'm going to wait for the rain to stop before I do anymore cleaning. I did make an appointment for Dash's annual exam at the vet after checking my calendar to make sure that it had already really been a year since his last exam. It doesn't seem like a year since Dash's birthday. Dash doesn't go to the vet nearly as often as Dot, but he definitely goes more than once a year. The annual exam is just where he gets his yearly vaccinations and a new city tag.

I noticed that the camera I've had my eye on has gone back on sale again. I probably ought to just go ahead and get the thing, mostly so I'll quit thinking about it. I doubt that I'll need to be making any 4K videos in the near future, although that is one of the camera's big selling points. I do like the fact that you can fix focus errors after you've taken the shot. The camera has the ability to take a quick burst of pictures at a variety of focus points, all centered around the object you want to feature. You just select the shot with the best focus afterwards. I wish someone had invented something like this twenty years ago. It would have saved me on a number of occasions.

The weather app on my phone says it is supposed to be clear tomorrow. I don't know whether to believe it, because on Sunday evening the app said it was supposed to be clear today. I shouldn't let the weather rule my life, but it does have a tendency to set the agenda. I understand that we need the rain to avoid another drought and keep the area lakes stay full, but the wet weather sure does make taking care of Dot more difficult.

I got bit by a mosquito today. Does this mean I'm going to have to start worrying about the Zika Virus? One of the side effects of lots of rain is lots of mosquitoes. Last Spring there were a ton of mosquitoes. Actually, every year there are a ton of mosquitoes. Some years the city sprays, and other years it does nothing. You really can't win with spraying. If you don't spray, people complain. If you do spray, other people complain.

I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. I guess it depends on whether it rains or not. I'll probably fret about whether to buy the camera or not. I'll wonder whether to add some leftover pineapple to my morning smoothie. I'll keep trying to predict when Dot is going to poop next, even though my odds of success are small. If I had some new writing jobs, I could keep these thoughts at bay, but writing assignments have been scarce lately.

Bogart is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 695

I was watching one of those Lynda.com training CD's today to brush up on software I use in my work. Even though I tried to stay focused, I kept falling asleep. The training CD was well produced and very professional. The problem was that the subject matter was totally boring. This is stuff I do all the time. Let's face it. A lot of what I do is boring. I just needed to watch the CD, so I could learn how to do the boring stuff faster and hopefully, a lot more productively. The instructions that came with the CD said it would only take me half a day to watch all the course material. Wrong! I think it's going to take me about three weeks. My head is so filled with useless technical information already, that I'm going to have to take this new information in small chunks so it won't explode.

There's the new camera I've got to master as well. This little learning exercise is a bit easier, since the new camera is just a better version of equipment I'm already familiar with. I practice taking little movies of the dogs in the back yard after lunch. I not quite ready for prime time yet, but it shouldn't take that long. Sometimes this continual learning process gets tiring. It's absolutely essential though. If I didn't try to stay ahead of the curve and discover new and better ways of doing things, I wouldn't even have a business today.

One of the rescue groups I work with is having a big fund-raising event this Sunday. We had our final run through meeting tonight and the whole thing seemed quite complicated. I was glad that my task on Sunday was taking video of the event and not setting up tents or running the silent auction.

We're still having beautiful sunsets just about every evening. I hope you're enjoying them as much as I am.

Puppies are our Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 690

On weekends, I forget about website problems for a while and concentrate on problems around the house. The one thing that websites and household problems seem to have in common is that once fixed, they never seem to stay fixed for very long.

The first thing on today's agenda was trying to get rid of the rust stains on the ceiling where water had leaked in at some point in the past. I used to just paint over these stains, but they would always seep through the new paint in a matter of weeks. Now, I get up on a ladder and take a rag soaked with bleach and bleach the stains away. I've been avoiding this for quite a while, because if the bleach drips from the rag, it usually ruins whatever is directly below. I was more or less successful today, and the ceiling looks a lot better than it did before.

The second thing on my list was taking care of the slow drains in the bathroom. I went to Home Depot and came home with some new plungers, but that isn't what I really wanted. I had meant to buy one of those CO2 powered drain cleaners that sends a powerful blast of carbon dioxide through the pipes to clear out the gunk. I asked the plumbing guys at the store where these things were, because they work like gangbusters. They told me that they had to quit selling them because they were considered "dangerous." Jeez, just about everything that actually works is dangerous. I'm really getting tired of somebody else deciding if something is safe enough for me to use. I think I'm perfectly capible of deciding these things for myself.

I finally decided to open the box with the camera inside. It's a good thing I did. The first thing I encountered inside the box was a piece of paper saying that if I didn't register the camera within one month of purchase, the warranty was no good. I immediately went to the Panasonic website and got everything registered just under the wire.

We're got to remember to set the clocks back tonight. I used to hate time changes, because I felt compelled to reset most of the watches in my collection. Now, I don't even bother. The iPhone and the computer automatically reset themselves when the time changes and a couple of radio controlled watches do as well. That's enough for me. I still don't like the time change though, because it means that tomorrow evening, I'll probably be walking the dogs in the dark.

Coach is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 687

All day long I've been hearing that a big cold front was on its way. By tomorrow morning it's supposed to get down to thirty-five degrees. The front didn't really arrive until I took the dogs on their evening walk. Just when we reached the halfway point, the wind picked up and leaves started blowing off the trees. The temperature dropped ten degrees in just a few minutes. The dogs seemed alarmed by this rapid change of affairs and were eager to get home again. The temperature continued to drop as I ate dinner, but it wasn't enough to cancel dog training class. Nobody, except for me, seems to want to wimp out on dog class, so the training went on as usual.

Some dogs were excited by the wind and others were scared of it. Most of the people were just wishing they'd worn a warmer jacket.

I got an e-mail today saying that there was a typo in one of the websites I manage. Apparently, it's should have been its. I'll admit that I should have noticed this error. Other people should have noticed the error too. Guess how long the error has been online? Would you believe eight years! I guess this proves that people just look at the pictures.

I hope it doesn't take me eight years to open the Panasonic box sitting next to my desk. It's been sitting there almost a month now with a new camera inside. Every day, I think I'm going to have time to put this camera through its paces, but then something comes up and I postpone things for another day. If history is any guide, I probably won't open the box until I need the camera for a job. I'm the same way with shoes. I have shoes that I really like, but have never taken out of the box, because the right occasion never comes up. My dog walking shoes are worn out though. That's all I seem to need these days: a warm coat and a good pair of dog walking shoes.

Puppies are our Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day