Day 4213

Dawn and Janet were ready to walk when I woke up this morning. I could have slept for several hours longer, but I quickly got dressed and off we went. No matter how hot it was the previous day, it always seems nice before sunrise. Today, the sky was blue and there was no wind at all. I knew that this was as good as it was going to get. This was going to be a very hot day.

When we returned home I made the bed and fixed my breakfast. I was in no hurry because there was absolutely nothing on my agenda today. I kind of hoped we would get a short afternoon shower to cool things down, but that didn't happen. When I took Dawn outside to pee around mid-morning I could already tell that it was going to be way too hot for a long walk in the park.

Dawn still loves the new food we got for her. There's probably no going back to kibble now. We are able to mix a little of her old dry food in with her tasty new stew. Eventually, we'll be able to use this food up, but it will take a while. We still have no idea what her long term diet will be, since we haven't gotten the lab results from the vet yet. I hope we can find a solution that is healthy for Dawn, won't cause crystals or bladder stones to form, and most importantly that she will continue to eat. 

The more comfortable Dawn becomes at our house, the bossier she gets. I'm not really surprised since she's an old mama dog who has raised many puppies. The first thing she let us know was where she wanted to sleep. Next, she let us know how long she wanted to walk. Now, she's trying to tell us what she wants for dinner. In the beginning I think she was fearful that we might punish or hurt her if she didn't do exactly what we wanted. Now, she's pretty confident that she has a safe place to live and that we are both pretty nice people. Dawn is still a little scared of me, but even that is getting better. We probably should be a little more firm with her, but we just like to see her happy. This dog has had a very rough life. She deserves a little happiness.

I deserve a little happiness too, but usually I just settle for exercise. I went to the gym this afternoon mainly because I knew it was going to be cool inside. I can't even imagine what the electric bill is for this gym because they keep the place really cold. I did a little work with free weights today, but mostly I just walked around and around the indoor track. I don't know why it seems to take longer to walk a mile indoors than it does outdoors. I walked three miles around the small track and it seemed to take forever. When I looked at my Fitbit my pace was almost the same as it was outdoors. Maybe it's just boring to walk around and around in a circle. Time goes a lot quicker when you're outdoors counting ducks.

I'm getting tired of seeing the "service required" light come on every time I start the car, but I still haven't made an appointment to take it to the Land Rover dealer. I haven't made the doctor's appointments I keep getting e-mail reminders about either. At a certain point you realize that you are just a source of revenue for other people. There is a routine checkup for everything now. The HVAC guy wants to check your furnace. The car dealer wants to check your car. Every doctor you have ever seen in your life wants you to come in every six months for a check-up. Nine times out of ten there is nothing wrong. Maybe this is why it is so irritating to see the "service required" light in my car when I know there is nothing wrong.

Janet said that Dawn did well in training class tonight. I hope this class is good for her. It would be nice if she finally realized that life isn't so bad and that there is nothing to be fearful of. I'm one to talk though. I'm fearful of all sorts of things. 

Delaney is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3925 - Autumn Equinox

Another rainy day. We had to wait until this afternoon to walk Dawn. Luckily, it was still quite cool when the rain stopped. The weather seemed appropriate for the first day of Fall. I think Dawn would have preferred to sleep all day, but we all need our exercise. Even on a wet day there is always something to see. The female Muscovy duck moved her ducklings about a half mile away from all the other ducks. I don't know what this means, but it was probably a good idea. There are several owls that live near where the ducks gather. I imagine that ducklings would look pretty tasty to an owl.

I got my official invitation to the Delta IV Heavy NROL-44 launch today. Now I've got to decide whether to go or not. The ULA website says that there is a 70% chance of good weather at launch time. My long range weather app says exactly the opposite, predicting a strong chance of thunderstorms. I'm pleased that I'm good to go, but more than a bit frustrated that travel is so complicated in the post-Covid world. Hotels and rental car companies are offering special deals to attract customers, but airlines have actually become more expensive. They've reduced the number of flights they offer as well, so that chances are good that you'll still be flying on a full plane.

I watched Elon Musk's battery day announcement this afternoon. I hope this doesn't mean that I've become a fanboy. The talk was actually kind of interesting in a dry technical way. I guess I never really realized how batteries were made. The audience for this talk was a bunch of people sitting in their Teslas. When they liked something Elon said, they would honk their horns. I don't know if this was corny or cute, but I'm still thinking about getting a Cybertruck.

I wonder when the mosquitoes disappear for the year? It seems like they shouldn't be a problem in mid-September, but I'm still getting bitten when we take our morning walks. I'll be glad when the bugs are gone. One of the only good things about Winter around here is fewer bugs. I'm getting tired of knocking down wasp nests, clearing away spider webs, and keeping roaches out of the house. If I do go to Florida I'll need to remember to take plenty of insect repellant. The bugs down there make ours seem like amateurs.

Dawn immediately jumped off the bed and came to the kitchen when I called her to dinner tonight. She also followed me outside after she ate when she needed to pee. Is this progress? It's hard to tell. Dawn still seems very fearful for no reason at all. I'm convinced that she was treated badly in her former life. You realize that trust is a fragile thing with both people and animals. It's hard to acquire and very easy to destroy.

I forgot what day is was several times today. I'll probably do the same tomorrow. Maybe this is why I'm thinking of going to Florida even though the weather is less than ideal and the planes aren't safe. It's time for something different.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day