Day 4893

The mountain of construction materials in the front yard is now mostly up on the roof. Quite a lot got done today. The main roof is finished except for the metal flashing that goes around the fascia. The roofers still need to finish the carport, but they assure me that they can do this tomorrow morning. The translucent fiberglass covering over the atrium will be replaced as well. Our new roof may get it's first test tonight. It was supposed to remain clear all week, but a surprise thunderstorm has cropped up over Amarillo and it appears to be headed our way. I wish the roof was completely finished before it is tested by weather, but I learned long ago that I have no control over the weather. Actually we've been pretty lucky to have had two warm sunny days in  row.

I went up on the roof to inspect things for the first time this evening and everything looks a lot better. There are no low spots I can see that would cause ponding. The TPO Membrane seems tough and resilient. With any luck, this roof should drain normally now. I'm going to be real disappointed if there is still standing water after the first big rain. We'll see what happens. There's no way to determine how well the roof is going to perform until it gets wet.

I like to think of myself as a low key person who doesn't get bothered by anything. I'll have to admit though that this roof replacement has stressed me out. I didn't sleep well last night. Usually I fall asleep instantly. The work has been extremely noisy and there have been times when I though the house was falling apart. I think replacing all the rotted wood has given the house a lot more structural stability, but it won't reverse the interior damage that has already been done. There are still cracks and stains in the ceiling all over the place. One thing at a time I guess. Once we are confident that the roof no longer leaks, we can start repairing the damaged sheetrock and give the house a new coat of paint. 

We took Dawn on her early walk at the normal time. The roofers start working early, but Janet and I start our day even earlier. When the roofers arrived this morning, I was already eating my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit. I stayed around the house longer than usual today because Janet wasn't going to return home until about 2 PM. I still didn't feel comfortable leaving Dawn alone with the roofers making so much noise on the roof. Today was even noisier than usual because the roofers were running a large portable generator right outside my office window. The electric welding  machine that fused the TPO segments together must have required 240 volts because they used our outdoor electric outlets for all their other tools.

When Janet returned home I took my long walk. Since it was mid-afternoon by this time, I almost immediately began to feel hot. I have a feeling that our mild Spring is just about over. It's been way too wet this Spring, but I think I prefer the rain to a long string of 100 degree days. Today I passed a group of photographers surrounding a tree. I asked what was going on and one guy said there were baby eagles in the tree. The nest looked too small for eagles, but what do I know. Eventually a guy on a bicycle showed up and told everyone that we were actually looking at baby Red Shouldered Hawks.

Tomorrow is going to be busy. The roofers are supposed to finish their work in the morning. I bet it's going to take them all day. I have an appointment to get a haircut tomorrow. I always like to get a haircut before I take a trip. I'll spend part of the day packing. I haven't even started yet. The weather doesn't look great for Sunday's launch, but I'm going to try to remain optimistic. It's got to be better than my last trip to Florida.

Skippy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4877

I stayed busy today although I don't think I accomplished much. I signed the contract with the roofing company and paid my early May bills. I attempted to mow the grass in the front yard, but the mower wasn't up to the job. I either need to replace the battery pack again or just get a new mower. I used to be able to mow both the front and the back yard on a single charge. Today the batteries died before I could even finish the front. I guess I could recharge the batteries and finish things up tomorrow but my heart isn't in it. I've lost all interest in household chores.

The weather continues to be really pleasant. We had a nice early walk with Dawn this morning. Nobody was photographing the baby owls this morning, but we did see a bunny. Dawn was so busy smelling things that she didn't even notice the rabbit.

I mowed the grass before taking my long walk today, which probably explains why I was so slow. Some days these walks really seem like a chore. My feet hurt and I didn't have a lot of energy, but I did manage to finish my six miles. It's weird that I continue to do this day after day even though it is not always enjoyable. I'm a big believer in discipline. If you set a goal, you need to accomplish it. I'm slow and have my share of aches and pains, but I still think I'm in better shape than many people my age.

I don't know why I'm dreading having the roof replaced so much. We definitely need a new roof, but I keep expecting all sorts of surprises when the work begins. I want to schedule the job when there is no rain in the forecast, but that won't guarantee that it won't rain. Texas weather is full of surprises. Old houses are full of surprises too. The roofers will probably discover something that will end up making the job even more expensive. Having strangers around the house making lots of noise will scare Dawn too. In theory this will all be worth it if the roof stops leaking and I no longer have to sweep the standing water away after every heavy rain. Maybe I won't even need the pumps anymore. 

My expenses on the Viasat-3 launch trip were higher than I expected. The cost of these trips has almost doubled since I started doing them about seven years ago. Airfares have increased the most, but hotels and rental cars have gone up as well. Even meals are more expensive. I really wonder how long I can continue doing this. The magazine I write for doesn't pay expenses, so the trips just end up being a weird kind of vacation. I guess it is no surprise that most of the other launch photographers are local and live near the space center. There are several other launches I'd like to attend this year, but we'll just have to see. I'm a realist and realize that it doesn't really matter if I'm down there or not. These launch trips are just an indulgence.

There's a laundry list of things I need to do this week. I still need to apply for TSA Pre before I travel anywhere again. I need to get some gravel to fill in a big pot hole in the driveway. It's time to write my sister again since I got a letter from her. Do I buy a new mower or just fix the old one again? I need to finish my SpaceFlight Magazine article about the Viasat-3 program. None of these things are all that important but they will nag at me if I don't get them done. 

I'm sure that tomorrow will be a lot like today, but you probably know that already.

Bogart is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4876

How can it be May already? This year has really gone quickly. We've had a health scare with Dawn and I've made two trips down to Kennedy Space Center. For the most part, life has been uneventful though. I guess that's a good thing. I'm not looking for a lot of drama at this point.

Today was a typical Monday. We took Dawn on her early morning walk. I had my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit and then I took some things to the storage warehouse, filled the car with gas, and went to the bank. I was planning to mow the grass in the front yard today but never got around to it. Oh, well. There's always tomorrow for chores I'm trying to avoid today.

It looks like we'll be starting on the roof replacement soon. The roofers want to set a date to begin and have sent me a final contract to sign. I asked Janet to read over the contract because after a career in the title business she knows far more about this type of thing than I do. Whenever I read through any type of contract, it always seems like the other party wants to be responsible for nothing and wants me to be responsible for everything. This company comes highly recommended by people we trust, but I'm still apprehensive about dealing with contractors. Once burned, twice shy is the rule of thumb here.

The weather is still very nice, but there are increasing signs that Summer is on the way. I guess it's time to take the protective covers off the outdoor faucets and shut off the ones that were set to a slow drip during our short spell of freezing weather this Winter. I need to decide whether to buy a new lawnmower this year. I don't know whether the old mower is going to survive another season. Everyone else in the neighborhood uses a lawn service now, but I hate dealing with others for things I can still do myself. Obviously I can't put on a new roof myself, but I can probably still manage to mow the lawn.

I still need to write my article about the Viasat-3 launch and send it off to SpaceFlight Magazine. I'm disappointed that I didn't see the launch in person, but it won't affect my ability to write the article. I did get a lot of good pictures while I was down at Kennedy Space Center. I just didn't get any of the launch itself. I could probably send pictures of a previous Falcon Heavy launch and nobody would know the difference. Viasat-3 was the fourth Falcon Heavy launch I've attended and these night launches all look exactly the same.

I had a pleasant long walk this morning although I was surprisingly slow. I was actually feeling pretty good, but my pace was terrible today. I still don't understand why I'm not more consistent on these walks. My elapsed time for the entire walk can vary by up to eight minutes. We've had lots of rain this year, so the park looks unusually green this year. When we moved here over thirty years ago, I didn't realize what a special place this was. Just got lucky I guess. The neighborhood is very stable and we live near one of the largest urban parks in the entire country.

I don't have any plans for tomorrow. Not to worry. I didn't have any plans for today either and the day turned out OK. 

Betsy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4874

Life is back to normal. Dawn seems happy that I am walking her again. Only a dog could appreciate a regular routine more than me. After our early walk with Dawn, we had a big weekend breakfast and then I did my Saturday grocery shopping. I only went to one store today and managed to find everything I needed. I should do this more often. Shopping is a lot easier when you don't have to visit multiple stores. I probably won't be able to do this again next week because I didn't need shop towels, laundry detergent, orange juice or my favorite beer today. Sam's Club still has the best prices on bulk items and Central Market is the only place that sells fresh squeezed, cold press juices. Today I only went to Tom Thumb.

It didn't take long to unpack my bags and put everything away. It pays to travel light. I did all my laundry from the trip and put that away as well. Now I'm ready to go again. The only thing preventing me from taking another trip to Kennedy Space Center is the expense. I'm getting ahead of myself though. I haven't been approved yet for any future launches and I'm too tired to go anywhere anyway. I sleep better and eat a lot healthier when I'm at home. Even though I got to bed late last night, I slept better than I have all week.

The weather was nice today. It was chilly when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk, but it warmed up to the mid 60's later in the day. This is perfect walking weather. I don't need a heavy coat and I don't get hot and sweaty either. The park looks great this Spring. With all the rain we've had lately, there is an abundance of wildflowers and the native prairie grasses in the meadows are lush and green. I need to enjoy this while I can. By July or August all these areas will look parched and dry.

The baby owls must still be in their nest because all the bird photographers were back this morning. The park department has posted signs that say "do not disturb, sensitive nesting area," but nobody reads signs anymore. Photographers still surround the tree with the nest. I wish people would leave the animals alone. They are constantly feeding the ducks bread, which is very bad for them. Today I saw a little kid try to pick up a turtle. Luckily his mother told him to stop. It was a snapping turtle.

I made good time on my long walk today. It aways helps when the weather is nice. It's probably time to retire my current pair of Hoka shoes. They don't provide enough support anymore and are slowly starting to disintegrate. A good pair of hiking boots will last a lifetime. A pair of running shoes is lucky to last a year. I've already got a replacement pair of Hokas, but I'm trying to get as much use out of the old pair as possible.

It looks like the weather will be nice again tomorrow, so Dawn will get her Sunday outing. We've had a lot of rain, so hopefully the park we go to on Sunday won't be muddy. I'll go mall walking again tomorrow as well. The park is great, but it's still nice to have a change of pace every once in a while. The Falcon Heavy launch I went down to Florida to see has been rescheduled for tomorrow evening. I'll watch that on the Space X live feed. The weather down there is still iffy, so we'll see if the launch gets scrubbed again.

Parker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4866

Another day where I had trouble remembering what day it was. We got a lot of rain last night, but no severe weather. This morning there were very few signs that we'd even had a storm. The sky was clear and blue with a light breeze. It looked like it was going to be a good day for walking.

I accomplished very little today. After our sunrise walk with Dawn, I ate my breakfast and started reading other people's accounts of the Starship launch down in Boca Chica. I'm still glad I didn't try to go down for the launch. It's a long drive from Dallas and if I flew to Brownsville, it is often next to impossible to find a rental car. There is only one good hotel on South Padre Island and the bridge connecting the island to the mainland can be a huge bottleneck when things get busy. You'd have to be pretty dedicated to stay for any length of time. I think the photographers who went down there are still waiting to retrieve their remote cameras because Highway 4 is still closed. I'd still really like to see a Starship launch, but maybe I'll just wait until Space X finishes the facility they are building at Kennedy Space Center.

I called the guitar store to see about retrieving my unsold gear, but the owner said they still haven't found the mixing board I consigned. I'm in no hurry. I haven't even thought about this equipment for several years and the storage warehouse is getting full anyway. I still need to pick up the stuff though before I forget about it. I've lent out things before and forgotten about them. Often when you eventually do remember, it's too late. If the person has moved or the store has gone out of business, you're usually out of luck. I'll probably never use the mixing board again, but I do have a fairly decent synthesizer on consignment. I'd still use that. All I need is a place to put it. 

I looked at the long range forecast for Titusville and there's a good chance for rain next Wednesday. That's not a huge concern at this point because it rains almost every day in this part of Florida. I'm still going to go, but I do feel a lot better when there is no chance of rain in the forecast. Usually when I've had to stay an extra day or two at a launch, the delay has been weather related. Viasat-3 will launch around sunset, so that's a good thing. Often even if it rains during the day, the skies often clear around sunset.

I wish I'd gone ahead and signed up for TSA Pre before this trip. I've been meaning to do this for ages, but have never gotten around to it. Love Field usually isn't a problem, but having TSA Pre would save me a lot of time on the Orlando side of the trip. That airport is always crowded. Oh, well. One more thing on my to-do list. I think you have to do something in person to enroll in the TSA Pre program. Maybe they fingerprint you or something. At any rate, I should make an effort to do this. I hate standing in long lines.

I didn't see a lot of birds on my long walk today, but the park was pretty busy. In one part of the park workers were building a new sidewalk and in another part they were resurfacing and painting a tennis court so people could play Pickleball. I'm still not sure what Pickleball is, but apparently is is quite popular. I wonder where the Muscovy Ducks went? They are the laziest ducks in the park and usually just hang around Sunset Bay waiting for people to feed them. I haven't seen them for several weeks though.

This week has really gone quickly. It's time for me to make a grocery list again. I need to write my editor at SpaceFlight and see what he wants me to write about this time. Maybe if I get my grocery shopping done early, I'll swing by the guitar store and pick up that synthesizer. I'm sure there will be a long walk tomorrow as well. There's always a long walk.

Joe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4854 - Easter

For the past week or so I've been seeing a group of photographers with cameras pointed up at a tree when we walked Dawn in the morning. Today curiosity got the best of me and I went down to the tree to investigate. There was a nest with baby owls. There are lots of owls living in the park. I hear them almost every day. This was the second time I've seen baby owls near our house. These looked fairly young. I think it will be a while before they fly.

There are always a ton of people in the park on Easter Sunday. It is a popular place to have an Easter picnic. Today the weather was perfect. The temperature was in the low seventies with light clouds overhead. No matter how long you were outside there was no chance of getting sunburned. Hispanic families had huge extended family gatherings, complete with tents, tables, folding chairs, and games for the kids. Black families came to barbecue. Many brought elaborate smokers and portable barbecue pits with them on trailers. Whatever they were cooking smelled really good. I saw one family boiling crawfish in a huge aluminum pot. I'm just guessing, but I suspect they were from Louisiana. Everyone looked like they were having a good time. I didn't see any egg hunts this year. Probably the cost of eggs has gotten too high.

I did a lot of walking today and got over 21,000 steps. Surprisingly, my feet held up better than expected. After I took my long walk through the throng of park picnickers, Janet and I took Dawn on her Sunday outing. She had lots of energy and enjoyed her Sunday walk. There were lots of people having picnics in this park as well. Probably every park in town was full of picnickers today. 

Luckily, the ice cream store was open today, so we all got ice cream cones on the way home. Dawn loves going to the ice cream store. She doesn't ride well in the car, but having ice cream always calms her down.  Having ice cream cones on Sunday has become a nice little tradition for us. When the weather is bad, you can tell that Dawn really misses her outing.

Our own Easter dinner was delicious. We had spiral cut ham, green bean casserole, loaded baked potatoes, and baked apples, along with pecan pie for dessert. Thanksgiving and Easter are the only times we overeat. Hey, you've got to pig out every once in a while. There will be lots of leftovers too. I love a good ham sandwich.

It was a good day. Finding the baby owls on Easter seemed like a symbol of rebirth and new life. Even though I'm not as religious as Janet, Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. It always seems to be a happy and optimistic day. Tomorrow life returns to normal. I'll have my shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast, take my walk, and fret about why I haven't received any notification from NASA about launch credentials. I'm really glad Dawn seems healthy again. We were very worried about her.

Livy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4846 - April Fools Day

Another normal Saturday. We got up about thirty minutes later than we do on weekdays and gave Dawn her morning walk. Dawn is never in a hurry on these walks and loves smelling things. The walk gives me a chance to wake up. I always get to bed late and would welcome a chance to sleep later in the morning. Dawn has her own agenda though. Thankfully, the weather was nice today. I really think Winter is over now. It won't be long before I'm complaining about how hot it is.

I had trouble telling the April Fools posts from the regular posts on Facebook today. The world is so strange these days that almost anything seems plausible. Almost every day I run across something that seems impossibly strange, yet turns out to be true. I guess it doesn't hurt to be skeptical, but life would be a lot easier if you could actually believe what you hear.

My grocery list was small today, but it still took a long time to find everything. The city has definitely changed. The roads never used to be this crowded on weekends. The stores are well stocked, but there doesn't seem to be as much variety. I dutifully pushed my cart around, picked up what I needed, and returned home. I find no joy in shopping anymore, although I did find some Maryland Crab Cakes on sale. I love crab cakes..

I thought about going to the gym this afternoon, but once again it was a lot easier to just walk in the park. The nice weather brought out lots of visitors. I'm still surprised that so many people walk faster than me. I don't think I'm walking slow, but almost everybody passes me. Moms pushing strollers pass me. Old people pass me. Entire families pass me. I'm not really concerned. At least I'm still moving. According to my Fitbit, I'm actually burning quite a few calories.

The new printer keeps getting disconnected from the WiFi network. It probably needs to be moved to a better location, but where would that be? There are no empty spaces left in the house. It wasn't hard to get the printer working again. I just did what I always do. I turned the machine off and then turned it on again.  This seems to fix just about anything.

Dawn seems fine now, although we are still giving her a small amount of Rimadyl. She still seems to favor one paw occasionally, but maybe I'm imagining things. If we can just keep her from jumping on and off the bed I think we'll be OK. We've had so many things go wrong with dogs over the years that it's understandable to worry. They're always getting into trouble.

There's more rain in the forecast tomorrow. I hope that Dawn still gets her Sunday outing, but that depends on the weather. None of us particularly enjoy getting wet.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4818

I got a lot done today. Well, I got something done anyway. In addition to grocery shopping and my perpetual walks, I washed the car and defrosted the little refrigerator. The little refrigerator was a spur-of-the-moment purchase when we were having problems with the big refrigerator. I can't remember whether there was a power outage or a mechanical problem, but we needed a temporary way to keep things cold. It was never meant to be permanent, but here we are. Now the little refrigerator is essential. We need both. This small dorm room refrigerator doesn't have an automatic defrost cycle, so every once in a while I have to unplug it and let all the ice melt. I transfer the food to the big refrigerator, stuff some old towels in the empty refrigerator to soak up the melting water, and wait a few hours for all the ice in the freezer section to disappear. Usually I only have to do this about every three months.

Usually I only wash the car about every three months as well. It doesn't get very dirty because I don't drive much. The car definitely needed some attention today. West Texas dust and Spring tree pollen were making it hard to see out the front window. It takes longer to clean the wheel rims than the rest of the car. The front wheels get dirty quickly and I have to clean them with soapy water and a rag. Like just about everything else these days, this chore is hard on my knees.

The stores were crowded again today. I guess this is the new normal. I got what I needed and headed home without going to the gym. I would have had to go to the gym first so food wouldn't spoil sitting in the car. It just didn't seem like it was worth the trouble since I can always take a walk in the park. I know I'd been planning on working on my upper body strength, but I think climbing up on the roof and sweeping all the standing water away with the big push broom is all the upper body exercise I need. I know I'm getting a good workout because my muscles feel the same way they do when I'm lifting weights at the gym.

The park was really busy today. I guess that makes sense because was a warm, beautiful day. People of all ages were jogging, roller skating, cycling, and walking their dogs. So much for solitude and communing with nature. Today's walk felt more like I was at the State Fair. I still had an enjoyable walk, even though I was quite slow. Foot pain was pretty bad today. I still can't figure out why some days are better than others. I walk the same route every day, wear the same shoes, and am walking using he same pair of feet. I guess I should just be glad that there are still good days.

Dawn seemed a little painful in her rear end today. She wasn't limping, but was definitely moving slower and seeming to have trouble lying down and getting up on the bed. I hope there's nothing wrong. I don't think she's torn an ACL or has hip dysplasia, but something isn't normal. We gave her a Rimadyl and will take things easy tomorrow. Maybe we'll skip the Sunday outing walk and just go for ice cream.

I'll probably still go mall walking tomorrow. Why not? Even though the weather forecast looks good for Sunday, I've done enough walking in the park this week. It looks like next month might be a good time to go back to the space center. There are several interesting launches scheduled for April. Dark Sky week is also in April out at the observatory, so I ought to start making plans to go somewhere. With my luck April will be when the roofers want to put on the new roof. 

In other news, we've started seeing ants around the house again and the Crane Flies are back. Even though these are both signs of Spring, they are not welcome. I'll try spraying around the exterior of the house to control the ants. There isn't much I can do about the Crane Flies. Whenever I open the back door they fly inside.

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4516

The star tracker is driving me crazy. It kind of worked out at the observatory, but there were a few serious problems. I had high hopes that the latest upgrades would resolve these issues and I would be good-to-go. I installed the new app on my phone and downloaded the latest firmware to the Polaris after breakfast this morning. Did this help? Nope. Now my camera won't connect to the tracker at all. I wasted an inordinate amount of time trying to get the camera to connect, but it was all for nothing. I'm going backwards now. The camera would never stay connected for long, but it always worked before. Now what? I sent my Chinese contact a message. Maybe they'll come up with another update that can turn this brick back into a star tracker.

The weather was great today. No threat of rain at all. Dawn seemed to approve. She was so eager to walk this morning that she added another half mile to her regular route. I never know what to expect when we leave the house in the morning. Sometimes she isn't interested in walking at all and other times she acts like a young pup. Today she really enjoyed her walk and just kept walking.

After I gave up on the star tracker this morning, I decided to defrost the little refrigerator. We got this thing years ago during a major power outage but we still use it today. It's small enough to be powered by a small generator and serves as an overflow fridge when the big one gets full. I wish I'd looked around for self-defrosting mini-fridge now. This one needs to be defrosted every few months. It's easy to forget that all refrigerators needed to be defrosted not that long ago. At any rate, I'm good-to-go for another few months and I didn't make too big of a mess.

My long walk wasn't so long today. My feet weren't the problem this time. It was the heat. It really felt like Summer today. I'm not ready for this yet. With the temperature near 90 degrees, I just didn't feel like walking my full six mile route. I'd better get used to warmer days because they're coming soon. Last Summer I used to soak my hat and shirt in water before I left the house and they would be completely dry before I returned. Maybe the heat will drive me back to the gym again. I prefer walking outside, but the gym is air conditioned.

I keep getting messages that it's time to apply for credentials for a variety of upcoming launches. Things are hopping down at Kennedy Space Center. It's a shame that I can't get down there more often, but it's just too expensive. I wonder if prices will ever go down again? I doubt it. I'll have to choose my launches wisely. I can probably afford one more trip to Florida this year and maybe one more trip out to the observatory as well. It's a shame that there's nothing I like to do in Dallas.

Time to make a grocery list again. The stuff I buy every week isn't a huge expense, but a trip to the grocery store certainly makes inflation seem real. Certain things seem to go up in price every single week. If this is the future I may need to think about working again.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4506

I'm making progress. I picked up my rental car and I'm almost finished packing. I don't know why it takes me so long to get ready, but it does. There always seem to be surprises. I decided to take the star tracker with me, but I had trouble getting it to work today. I think I set up everything the same way I did the previous time, but I must have done something wrong. It took me forever to get the tracker working properly. 

The rental car was an even bigger surprise. There are usually dozens of cars to choose from. This time there were only three. The entire lot was almost empty. This was an airport facility that usually has hundreds of cars. None of the available cars had GPS, so I will have to use my phone again. The car was smaller than what I wanted as well. Oh, well. It is what it is. I thought that travel would become easier when Covid restrictions were lifted. It actually seems more difficult now.

I always have trouble packing when I go to West Texas. Is it going to be hot or cold?  Usually it's a bit of both. It can be quite warm during the day, but freezing cold at night. I'll take my winter coats again, because I'll be helping at star parties and I remember being pretty chilly during these events. Do I need to take sweaters too? I probably just need to get a bigger suitcase. This time my things don't need to fit in an overhead bin on a plane. They just have to fit in the trunk.

I wore my new boots on my long walk today. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to regret wearing them on the trip. So far, so good. I've only put about 10 miles on the boots so far, but they seem comfortable. I don't think I'm going to get blisters or anything. I'll take my dependable Bondi-7 shoes as a backup. I really don't want to let foot pain ruin this trip.

I think our bad weather is behind us. It looks like clear skies for the rest of the week. I think the weather is going to be nice out at the observatory as well. At least the forecast looks good for Ft. Davis. Clear skies are fairly essential if you are having a Dark Skies Festival. It's a very long drive just to get rained out. Unfortunately, this has happened to me before. Let's just hope that everything goes as planned.

I will be getting up early tomorrow, so I was planning on getting to bed equally early tonight. I don't think that's going to happen. I've still got a lot to do after I post tonight's blog entry. This happens every single time I travel. I woke up this morning thinking that I've got plenty of time to get everything done. Where did the day go? I really didn't do that much. I took my walk. I tested the star tracker. I picked up the rent car. Oh, I tossed a few things in a suitcase too. Unfortunately, I'm not done yet. I'm not even close.

I'm still having second thoughts about this trip, but I'm definitely going. I seldom look forward to new experiences, but I always enjoy the memories afterwards. I need to remember that I love this place. I just wish it wasn't so far away.

Brady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4497 - Easter

We had a very pleasant Easter. It was so peaceful and quiet when we took Dawn on her early walk this morning. There was no traffic noise, no planes overhead, and no police or fire sirens. There were very few people in the park and it felt like I remembered it years ago. Of course that would change dramatically later in the day, but for a brief moment in time all was good.

We had a hearty weekend breakfast after we walked Dawn and afterwards since the weather was cool and traffic was light on our street, I thought I'd try to mow the lawn. It's still a loathsome job, but I did it. It actually didn't seem any harder than it did the previous year, so that was encouraging. I'm glad I mowed when I did. The grass was starting to get thick. On most days I hate mowing where our yard meets the street. The traffic has gotten much, much worse during the thirty odd years we've lived here. People don't even slow down when they pass me mowing along the edge of the yard. They barrel by at 40 to 50 miles an hour. I miss the days when our street was relatively quiet.

After I finished mowing and rested a bit, it was time for Dawn's Sunday outing. The weather was still cool and cloudy, so we had a nice walk. The parks weren't quite so empty this time. Families were starting to arrive for Easter picnics and barbecues. A few children were having an egg hunt. We encountered some people on horseback during our walk. Dawn doesn't react to horses the way some of our other dogs have. She pretty much ignores them. After walking about a mile and a half, we went looking for ice cream. I really expected the ice cream place to be closed for Easter, but we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the place was open. They raised their prices again. The cones weren't any bigger though. So it goes. Absolutely everything is getting more expensive these days.

I don't know why I still felt like taking a long walk later in the afternoon. Probably because I couldn't think of anything better to do. This time the park was a zoo. The place was completely filled with families having large picnics. Many groups brought tables and chairs with them. Some set up tents as well. I was surprised at how many families brought their own barbecue grills since there are already lots of permanent grills in the park. There were lots of games for children. One group even set up an elaborate zip line between two trees for their kids to ride. It looked like everyone was having fun. I'm not a fan of crowds in the park, but it was hard to find fault with any of this. In today's increasingly weird world, it was nice to see families acting like regular normal families.

When I finished my third walk of the day I'll have to admit that I was tired. Hey, I got 22,000 steps though and I mowed the yard. Not bad for an old guy with bad feet. I doubt that I'll walk nearly as far tomorrow. The highlight of our day was Easter dinner. A smoked ham has become a tradition on Easter Sunday. You've got to have candied yams and a green bean casserole too. We finished our meal with a delicious carrot cake. I ate too much, but that's what holiday meals are for. It looks like we'll have plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow it's time to visit the rescue Dalmatians again. I hope potential adopters are looking at these dogs. They're all great and it's time for each of them to find their forever homes.

Bella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4482

I'm making progress. I finally got the new Hoka shoes. The store that had the style I wanted was a little out of the way, but I made the trip part of this morning's grocery run and all was well. I asked the sales guy why this shoe never went on sale. "Because it's popular," he said. "We don't need to put this one on sale." Honest answer, I guess. I'm sure this is probably how all sales work.

The weather was just about perfect today. The sky was clear. The temperature was in the low 70's. And there wasn't much wind. I would have enjoyed walking further today if it weren't for my persistent foot problems. I did what I could though. A little over 18,000 steps today.

I think my seasonal allergies are finally going away. I don't have as much congestion at night and I can make it through the day without going through a roll of blue Scott shop towels. I hope this isn't some cruel April Fool's joke. I'm really getting tired of watering eyes and a constantly dripping nose.

It's amazing how quickly everything turned green. There are small leaves on most of the trees now and I'm starting to see some wildflowers. The pecan trees are still pretty bare, but they are always a little later than the other trees. With such nice weather, it's kind of a mystery why the wildflowers are so sparse this year. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.

I woke up last night remembering that I never sleep well when I travel. How quickly we forget. I need to start remembering some of the more positive aspects of traveling. There really are a lot of positive aspects, but all I can think about now is how tired I get and how glad I usually am to be back home.

I think I would enjoy rocket launches more if I actually lived in Titusville. It's a nice sleepy little town, filled with retired NASA workers. I don't think this part of Florida gets nearly as many hurricanes as the Panhandle or the Tampa area. There are still alligators though. Dallas is nice, but it's getting way too crowded. People move here because there are still lots of jobs. I moved here because of job opportunities myself, but this isn't nearly as important when you are retired. Sleepy little towns have a certain appeal when you aren't constantly looking for clients.

I could tell that Dawn was getting hot on her afternoon walk. I don't think she's going to enjoy walking as much this Summer. I don't think I'll enjoy walking this Summer either. It doesn't seem like I'm able to regulate my temperature as well as I used to. I'm always either too cold or too hot. It's very rare that the temperature seems just right. Today was one of those rare days.

I need to start packing soon. I like to travel light, so I am always forgetting things. I always remember to take my daily meds with me, but there are lots of other things in the medicine cabinet that I forget. You've got to remember to take things like Q-tips, Neosporin, Visine, bug spray, toothpaste, and much more. I usually take too many coats and not enough toiletries. Sometimes I forget to take enough socks as well.

We had Chinese take-out for dinner again. I don't know why Chinese take-out is so appealing, but it's usually our go-to meal when we don't feel like cooking. Ice cream cones sound appealing for tomorrow. It looks like it's going to be a good day for Dawn's Sunday outing. I just hope it won't be too hot.

Miracle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4465

Dawn was reluctant to eat her breakfast this morning. She eventually got off the bed and ate but it took a while. I'm not sure how a dog acts when they are depressed, but Dawn certainly fits the bill. Luckily her appetite returned later in the day. I wish I could explain to Dawn that Janet is coming back. She seems a bit lost right now. We're getting everything done that Dawn needs to do, but she's not showing a lot of enthusiasm. It's probably not good for a dog to be so fixated on a single person, but I don't know what to do about it. Dawn decided early on that she was Janet's dog.

Tomorrow is the roll out for Artemis-1. I applied to attend this event but I never heard anything from NASA. I didn't even get a rejection letter this time. This is disappointing. I was getting press credentials fairly regularly for a while but something seems to have changed. I think my previous editor at the magazine had better connections with NASA but I'm just guessing here. It does feel like I've slipped off the radar though.

I'm going to have to get out the star tracker again because I did something wrong when I was uploading the information the company requested. I hope I don't lose interest in this thing before I get some good pictures. It could happen though. I don't think I'm cut out to be a Beta Tester. I'm not that detail oriented and for the most part I just expect machines to work. I'm sure that the bugs will be worked out in this thing over time, but I'm not certain that I want to be part of the process.

The weather was beautiful today but it was a bad day for foot pain. I'm really going to have to get some new shoes soon. I keep waiting for the boots I want to come back in stock, but I don't think that's going to happen. I don't know why it's been so difficult for me to buy something else. Walking is about all I do these days. I really need good shoes.

It's pretty quiet around the house now. I rarely watch television and Janet has the TV on most of the time. I wonder if Dawn would like to have a little noise? I think the quiet is peaceful, but I'm not a dog. There are so many things that I'd like to ask this dog. It would be nice to know why she doesn't like me. Maybe I look or smell like one of the guys who mistreated her at the puppy mill. I still hope we will bond at some point. This week would have been a good time to start.

I think I might have a mild case of the flu. My bones ache, I have a persistent cough, and I'm more tired than usual. I don't really feel sick although I do have a low grade fever. Janet's cough went away very quickly so hopefully mine will as well. I should probably take it easy tomorrow although I was going to do that anyway. My days are never very stressful or strenuous.

I hope Dawn perks up tomorrow. I hate to see her looking so dejected. We're just concentrating on the basics now. I make sure she eats, takes her pills, and has plenty of fresh water. She has plenty of opportunities to go outside and pee and at least once a day we go down to the park behind our house. I would be happy to take a walk with her, but as soon as she does her business, she wants to go immediately back to the house. It's actually a good sign that she will leave the yard with me at all. She stays on the bed with me now as well. We're making slow steady progress. Very slow at some points.

Ruthie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4421

We picked up a new dog at our vet on the way to the kennel today. Peanut is a six month old male owner surrender. He was a little thin, but very healthy and well cared for. I never make judgements about why someone would give up their dog, but it does puzzle me when a dog this nice turns up in the rescue program. Peanut came with a big box of blankets and dog toys, along with a list of what tricks and commands he knew. Peanut knew quite a bit and totally charmed Janet and I, along with the entire kennel staff. We spent quite a while playing with him today because we suspected that this might be the last time we see him. Young dogs like this get adopted incredibly quickly. Don't worry. Charlie and Oliver didn't get left out. We spent a lot of time playing with them as well.

The weather was nice today, but the cold front keeps moving closer and closer. The bad weather isn't supposed to arrive until Wednesday but I can already feel a change in the air. I'm trying to take advantage of the nice weather while I can. I took my long walk early this morning so we'd have plenty of time to visit the kennel. On the way home I finally spotted the eagles nest, along with both eagles. I was totally surprised at where the eagles built the nest. I had always suspected that it was hidden deep in a thick wooded area away from human contact. Nope. These two eagles built their nest right next to a busy road in plain sight of everyone. It's only a few miles from our house. I don't know why I never noticed this before. I drive right by the nest every time I go to the post office. I've heard that the eagles have actually built two nests. I have no idea whether the nest I saw today was the new one or the old one. It was definitely occupied though. The female was sitting in the nest and the male was guarding it from a nearby tree.

The closer the winter storm comes, the more apprehensive I become. Everyone remembers the big fiasco last winter when big chunks of the entire state lost power for days. The cold is bad enough, but this storm comes with freezing rain. Ice storms are the worst because they knock down trees and power lines. I remember a few ice storms where we had to go stay in a hotel for a few days because the power company wasn't making restoring power to our neighborhood a priority. This was back when Janet was still working so we could all go to Janet's office during the day and warm up. Don't have that luxury anymore. I'd be nervous taking Dawn to a hotel anyway. She freaks out about doing anything new. Hopefully, the storm won't be as bad as it already is in my mind. We'll probably be OK. Most things aren't nearly as bad as they are in my mind.

Janet has cataract surgery tomorrow, so I'm the designated driver for a while. I hope the surgery goes smoothly and is as trouble free as most people say it is. I'm next on the list for this same procedure. I'll probably delay my surgery until next year, but I can already tell that I'm going to need it. I've made my living using my eyes for a long time and the thought of a doctor doing anything to them makes me cringe. They say you are back to normal remarkably quickly though. At any rate, I'll be paying close attention to what happens with Janet's procedure.

I took a camera back to the park late in the day to get a picture of the eagles in their nest. Not surprisingly, they were gone. If they went to this much trouble to build the huge nest, they'll probably be back though. I'll keep watching for them. Maybe I'll even have a camera with me. The birds are interesting, but dogs are still much easier to photograph.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4402

I saw the bald eagle again today. I'm always surprised at how large these birds are. Hey, I may become a birder yet. I enjoy watching birds on my walk. I don't see the eagle very often, but looking for it helps to pass the time. I probably shouldn't have walked as far as I did today. My feet were really bothering me. I'd hate to give up walking, but I may have to for a while. The foot pain keeps getting worse.

The weather was really nice today, but I had no desire to rake leaves or clean up the yard. I really had no desire to do anything. I sent out another query letter with vague hopes of getting a writing job. I read some of the new comments about the Polaris star tracker on the user group, but didn't get mine out of the box. My project for today was trying to figure out why my new Fitbit was draining my phone's battery so quickly. Lots of people seem to be having this problem, but it didn't appear that the company has a fix. Maybe I'll just go back to using my old Fitbit. I think it still works.

The problematic French toilet is starting to run again. There is a little plastic valve that I have to replace a lot and I suspect that this is the problem again. Why does this tiny piece of flexible plastic cost over $20 at a plumbing supply store? I should probably just replace the entire toilet with a Toto, which all the plumbers seem to like. I really get tired of fixing things, but stuff always breaks. I would be willing to pay much more for something if it was guaranteed to last forever.

Even on days with nothing to do, there is always vacuuming. I vacuumed the carpets this afternoon and kept wondering why we got the Dyson. These things are so hard to clean properly. I liked our old Hoover better. All the dust just went into a paper bag that you threw away when it got full. I think seeing all the dust spinning around in the Dyson's clear plastic cylinder is just a marketing gimmick to convince you that your house is filthy and needs frequent vacuuming.

I've had a runny nose for so long that I occasionally wonder if I've got Covid. It's easy to forget that I always have seasonal allergies at this time of year with all the hype about Covid. Pretty soon, everything will just turn into Covid. Broken arm? Nope, you've got Covid. Indigestion? That's got to be a new Covid variant. I'm getting tired of the whole thing. 

Janet said that Dawn did well at training class tonight. I don't go to these classes anymore, but I'm glad that Dawn is starting to enjoy them. Inch by inch she is slowly becoming less fearful and starting to act like a normal dog. Give her another year or so and she might even start to like me. Actually, Dawn has warmed up to me quite a bit, but she still doesn't completely trust me. Dawn is a smart dog. Maybe I'm just not trustworthy.

Hopefully, I'll find something interesting to write about tomorrow. Today's post was just a bunch of blather.

Suzie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4360

The television broke today. I hate it when stuff you take for granted breaks. Things like toilets, stoves, and televisions should never break. I started looking at new televisions and it seems they've grown quite a bit since our last one. An average sized flat screen won't fit in our bedroom. Jeez. I don't even like television, but it seems wrong not to have one nearby. I guess we could watch the little TV in the kitchen, but that won't work for falling asleep at night. Too bad this little mishap didn't happen a few days earlier so I could have snagged one of those Black Friday deals.

The weather continues to be exceptional. I continue to walk my same route but there's always something new to look at. The park department is ripping out some of the old trails and replacing them with new superhighway trails. This is not good news for me because the trails will be full of bicycles now. There was lots of activity this morning with surveyors staking out the route and bulldozers clearing a path. I saw several signs saying to expect disruptions until the Summer of 2022. We'll have to be careful where we walk with Dawn for a while. There are lots of new ways to get muddy.

I wrote a letter to my sister this afternoon and took it to the post office. I think the post office is one of the only places left in Dallas where everyone still wears a mask. My old bank closed recently, so on the way home I went to the new branch that replaced it. The old bank had three drive thru lanes for deposits and one for the ATM machine. This new branch had multiple ATM lanes and one drive thru for deposits. I guess that means more people are taking money out of the bank than putting money in these days. I used to always go inside the bank but Covid made me a believer in drive thru windows. I still go inside the post office though. I don't trust those blue postal boxes.

It looks like we added another Santa Paws location. Lord help me. These events are fun but they are hard on my knees. I think I've finally found all the equipment I took last year. I was missing spare bulbs for the strobes and a battery charger for one of the cameras, but everything has been located now. I've decided to use an old camera I know is dependable. Maybe I'll use my new camera next year.

I've got to see the eye doctor tomorrow. I know he's going to tell me that it's time for cataract surgery, but I'm going to try to wait another year. I can tell that there's something going on in my right eye now, but it doesn't seem too bad. I'm pretty sure I could still pass a driving test. Eventually I will need the cataract surgery, though. I keep wondering how it feels to not be able to focus your eyes. I've heard that new technologies like Crystalens make it possible to focus an artificial lens but it all seems a bit scary to me. You really don't know what your vision is going to be like until the procedure is over and you can open your eyes again.

Janet said Dawn did well in training class tonight. Little by little she is becoming more relaxed and increasingly confident. She may never decide to become my best friend, but she's really making progress.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4278

I got a message from Space X today saying that I had been credentialed to cover the upcoming Inspiration 4 launch. This was a surprise. Somewhat short notice too. I had applied for a press pass so long ago that I'd almost forgotten about it. I think I'm going to go. Hotel, flights to Orlando, and rental cars are all still available. The new editor at SpaceFlight said he had been planning to write the article about the launch himself, but that it would be better coming from someone who was actually there. So it looks like I've got a job to do too. So far, it's all looking good. I just hope the launch doesn't get postponed after I've already arrived in Florida. That can get expensive.

I've been hearing horror stories all Summer about the cost and availability of rental cars and hotel rooms. Rental car rates are about the same as they've always been and the hotel and airfare are actually less expensive than the last time I went to Kennedy Space Center. I guess you can't believe everything you read.

The weather has been beautiful all week. We had a nice sunrise walk with Dawn, although she made it clear that she didn't want to go exploring this morning. I could tell she was going to make a right turn and take the short route home at least 100 yards before we reached the turn. I was still able to take my long walk right after breakfast and stay reasonably cool. It's not jacket weather yet, but I really think Summer is just about over.

Although the message from Space X was a big surprise, the rest of my day was fairly uneventful. My long walk eats up two hours and I probably spend the same amount of time napping. This afternoon I spent quite a while checking prices and making reservations. The rental car website crashed and I had to call to make a reservation. I called the hotel front desk, but my reservation never got recorded on my phone app. More calls tomorrow I guess. I tried to reschedule a doctor's appointment only to discover that the office closed at 4 PM and they had no voicemail. I need to remember to do this on Monday.

Dawn still seems indignant when Janet leaves the house and she has to spend the day with me. She isn't scared of me. She just doesn't seem to like me very much. She followed me outside after I returned from my walk because I knew she needed to pee. Generally, she just ignores anything I say. Dawn is a very smart dog though. I'm amazed at what Janet has been able to teach her at training class. I attribute all this to the old adage about old dogs and new tricks. Dawn is an old dog and she was mistreated by the two men who used her for breeding for a long time. We get along though. I never really expected everyone to like me.

It's time to make a grocery list again. The end of smoothies has changed things up a bit. I'm not sure how much fruit to buy anymore. Maybe this is all for the best. I've noticed that I don't have as many problems with heartburn now that I don't drink breakfast smoothies. This makes no sense though. A bowl of chili is supposed to give you heartburn, not a fruit smoothie.

I hope the weather stays nice through the weekend. I definitely don't want to start worrying about roof leaks again.

Cleo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day