Day 4723

I think we got a one day reprieve before Winter arrives. It was really nice today. It got up to eighty degrees with clear skies this afternoon and I was able to take my long walk wearing shorts and a t-shirt. That's about to end. A cold front just rolled through town and the temperature is already falling rapidly. Tomorow morning it is supposed to be twenty-eight degrees. I know Texas weather is unpredictable, but this is ridiculous.

We walked very early this morning and had to wear our lights again. I kind of thought that walking in the dark was over after the time change, but I forgot that the days are still getting shorter. I was a little wary when we entered the park this morning. I noticed that the were a lot of feathers but no bird in our front yard. This is usually a sign that coyotes or bobcats are nearby. We didn't see any critters this morning, but I wouldn't be surprised of something was watching us. Bobcats and coyotes are not uncommon in the park.

I took my long walk right after breakfast because I knew that Dawn had a vet appointment later in the day. It was really a pleasant day for a walk. It's hard to beat seventy degrees and a light breeze. I saw one of the Bald Eagles again today. I can't really tell the difference between the male and female eagle, but I just assume that if the eagle is in the nest it is Nora and if it is sitting at the top of a nearby tree it is Nick. The word seems to have gotten out that the eagles are back. I"m seeing a lot more people with binoculars and cameras every time I pass by the nest.

There is still a lot of work taking place on the five new stone gates the park department is building. There must have been some leftover money in their budget because these gates are very elaborate. I still have no idea what their purpose is although I'm assuming they will be used to regulate traffic. Maybe this is useful, but there isn't a lot of traffic in this section of the park anyway. 

After a quick lunch we took Dawn to the vet to get her flu shot. I didn't realize that this vaccine needs a booster in three weeks. All vaccines seem to require a booster these days. The shot was uneventful, but the vet said that Dawn was showing early signs of gingivitis and that we needed to do a better job of cleaning her teeth. This is easier said than done because Dawn hates getting her teeth cleaned. None of our dogs have enjoyed having their teeth brushed, but Dawn seems the most determined to avoid having anyone near her mouth. Brushing her teeth is a challenge.

We took Dawn to get a bath after her vet appointment. The groomer told us that canine flu was going around and tried to convince us that herbal remedies were the way to prevent it. When we mentioned that Dawn had just gotten her flu shot, she kind of rolled her eyes at us. She obviously didn't believe in vaccines. We didn't mention that we had both recently gotten a Covid booster. It is pointless getting into an argument about vaccines.

Dawn doesn't like getting a bath but she always seems to feel better afterwards. We've noticed that she doesn't lick her coat after a bath. She was probably itchy before her bath. It's Fall and there are a lot of allergens in the air. At any rate, Dawn's coat looks nice and white again and she smells good. This probably won't last long.

I'm not looking forward to sub-freezing temperatures tomorrow morning. I guess the cold weather had to arrive sometime. It's almost December. At least our furnace is working well and the roof leaks have stopped.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4324

Not a lot happened today. I wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office. I went to Home Depot and got a new plunger to replace the one I broke trying to clean out a slow drain last week. I went to Auto Zone to buy a windshield wiper blade for my car. I only needed one wiper blade because I bought the other one over a month ago when it was the only one in stock. Wiper blades at Auto Zone only cost a small fraction of what the Land Rover dealer was going to charge me. I had trouble finding a blade that matched the one that was already on the car, but the counter guy eventually found something for me in the back. Why did I do this today? Well, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and it is supposed to rain. Doctors frown on canceling an appointment because it is a rainy day.

I tried a different brand of shredded wheat this morning because the brand I'd been using had too many crumbs. When I got to the bottom third of the box, all I was eating was crumbs. When I opened this new box, the cereal inside looked exactly the same as the old box. It was so similar that it looked like it came from the same factory. What was I expecting? Did I really think that this cereal would be better because the picture on the box looked better. Maybe I should just go back to fixing myself an omelet in the morning.

There is some odd construction going on in the park. This morning I saw a bunch of small stone dams blocking some of the gullies that fill with water when it rains. Wire mesh held the stones in place, but water could clearly pass through the stone barriers. Was this some sort of erosion control or something else? There was also a huge pile of stones blocking a trail at one point. The cyclists who ride in the dark are going to love that. The park department definitely stays busy although I seldom know what they are doing. I wish the street department was this industrious. Potholes can stay in city streets for years without any attention.

I've noticed that a lot of people are looking for the eagles when I take my walk in the morning. I haven't seen the birds again, but the word is definitely out that they have arrived. If you see someone going from tree to tree looking upward, they are probably looking for the eagles. I even passed a city event sign that said "The Eagles have landed." I spend so much time in the park that I"ll probably see these birds again. I hope I have my camera with me next time.

I got an invitation in the mail to go to a focus group about cars. I like talking about cars, but I'm not sure if I'll attend. Focus groups usually pay attendees a small stipend for their trouble, but they are sometimes located far away and take place at inconvenient times. I'll probably talk myself out of this. I'm really reluctant to do anything new these days. 

I did order a new backdrop for this years Santa Paws pictures. We've got a ton of these Christmas themed photo backdrops now, but Janet thinks we need to make the set look a little different every year. She's probably right. I ordered the backdrop from China, so hopefully it won't be sitting on a ship somewhere when we do the Christmas pictures. I paid for expedited shipping, so I assume that this means it will be coming by air. We'll see. Hard to believe that it is already time to be thinking about holiday pictures again. Where did this year go?

I need to remember not to eat breakfast tomorrow. I have a physical exam scheduled in the morning to see if my blood work has finally returned to normal and I'm not supposed to eat anything after 10 PM tonight. Needless to say, I hate missing breakfast. 

Pearl is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day