Day 3944

The people who visit the park in the morning are completely different than the ones who visit in the afternoon. When I walk in the morning I see people full of purpose. I still have hope for humanity when I see these people. They are athletes in training. They are trying to lose weight. They are walking their dogs. They are lugging cameras with long telephoto lenses to photograph shorebirds. I want to give these people a thumbs up when we pass them on the trails.

I completely lose my faith in humanity on my afternoon walks. Today I saw a photographer taking family portraits in a patch of poison ivy. I saw a group almost start a grass fire with their barbecue grill. I saw a guy fall out of his hammock on his ass. And I saw a mother and daughter going way too fast down a steep hill on skateboards. They both crashed and although neither seemed seriously injured, there was a lot of blood.

I guess I identify with the purposeful people, even though I have a strong lazy streak. I finally hauled a bucket of liquid silicon up to the roof today and continued my repair work. I was able to patch most of the questionable areas before I became too tired. Even though the weather was nice on our early walk this morning, it had warmed up considerably by mid-afternoon. After an hour or two on the roof I was exhausted and drenched in sweat. I still have enough of the silicon material for two more repair efforts. I think I'll wait until after the next rain and see how these repairs hold up.

I didn't even think about going to the gym today. After taking a short nap to cool down, I vacuumed the house. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to find some camera gear that I want to take with me to the observatory. I know I've used this little adapter that allows you to connect one brand of lenses to a different brand of camera. I couldn't find it anywhere. Sadly, this is a frequent occurrence. I can't remember where anything is anymore.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not as sharp as I was in my 30's and 40's. This is why I wonder why we let so many really old people run for public office. Term limits might be a good idea, but age limits would be even better. When I see some of these geezers on TV, it's embarrassing. Both parties are to blame. Apparently, power is very addictive. I wouldn't know. I've never had any.

This weekend has gone quickly. Tomorrow is some sort of holiday. Is it Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day? Maybe it's both. At any rate, we won't be getting any mail. I'd better not plan any trips to the bank either. I'm sure stores will be open. I still need to go to REI and look for a headlamp with a red beam that I can use to check camera settings in the dark. On second thought, I might not do any of these things. I just remembered that tomorrow is Dalmatian day. We still need to visit Charlie at the kennel.

Dawn continues to get better. Janet fixed a delicious dinner tonight. Sky & Telescope really seems to like my article. Im old and forgetful, but life is good.

Katy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3720

Today was busy. I kept moving and ended up with 22,000 steps. I didn't feel as tired at the gym this morning and did surprisingly well on the basketball court. Maybe this is a good omen for March.

I checked the roof again this morning and discovered one small damaged spot that I forgot to seal. Damn. This means that I will have to deal with the messy silicon coating before it rains again. I wasn't in the mood for roof repairs today, so maybe tomorrow. I wish I'd noticed this spot when I was up on the roof on Friday. It woulds have saved me a lot of trouble.

We took Dawn on another long walk today. She is strong and has no problem walking several miles. She still seems a little nervous when we begin a walk, but quickly overcomes her fear and just enjoys being outdoors. I have a feeling that she was never taken on walks before. This is all new to her. Whoever ends up adopting Dawn will get a very well socialized dog. She is learning new things every day.

Since I walk much longer than Dawn these days, I just keep walking after we return to the house with Dawn. Today on the second leg of my walk I ran into Treasure. I recognized her right away and introduced myself to her new family. I had never met them before and they were initially surprised that I knew so much about their new dog. Treasure definitely found a great home. These people love her.

On my way back to the house I discovered a Great Horned Owl tending a nest with two baby owls. Great Horned Owls don't build their own nests and sometimes steal them from other birds. This particular nest used to belong to a Hawk. I hope the Hawk doesn't want it back. Hawks are predators and are known to come after nestlings. This nest seemed too small for three owls. I hope the babies don't fall out before they are ready to fly. I got a few pictures, but I'll have to return to this tree if I want a picture of all three owls. I only managed to capture two today and the mother was partially obscured by a twig. You have to be very patient to get good bird photos. I don't know if I am patient enough.

I'll be really glad when my seasonal allergies go away. Every year it's the same thing. My nose runs and my eyes water for weeks at a time. Sometimes I take Allegra, but I don't like the way decongestants make me feel. Given a choice, it's almost better to have a runny nose. At least I don't have the coronavirus. From what I've read, the coronavirus doesn't cause congestion or a runny nose. It goes straight for the lungs.

We'll probably visit the kennel Dalmatians tomorrow. Dawn is comfortable in the house now and mostly just sleeps on the bed while we're gone. A visit at the kennel is definitely preferable to applying liquid silicon on the roof. I have a feeling I'll be doing both though.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3677

It was nice to see the sun again. Although it was still cold and windy, the sunlight made a big difference. I ran my Saturday errands before going up on the roof in hopes that it would warm up a bit. By the time I filled the car with gas, got groceries, and took a few bills to the post office, I was ready. I wish I could get all the water off the roof using the pumps, but that would take at least five pumps. I've only got two now. I put one on the carport and the other over the lowest spot on the roof, which happens to be over the living room. The pumps do a good job of lowering the overall water level, but there are still a lot of big puddles when they stop working. I wonder how much longer I can continue sweeping all this water away by hand? It's pretty tiring. I'm going to be too old for this one of these days. Maybe I'll finally have a new roof by then.

When I was walking in the park today, I saw a guy who appeared to be out cold on the pavement ahead. As I approached, some EMT guys arrived in an ambulance and began working on the man. I wonder if he had a heart attack? I didn't see any blood or sign of injury. A lot of people overdo it on exercise and heart attacks in the park are not uncommon. Drownings are common too. I see the fire department boat searching for people several times a year.

Accidents and injuries always make me nervous. I'm probably careful to a fault, but things can happen when you least expect it. I see accidents on the road almost every time I'm out and about. There seem to be an enormous amount of car accidents in Dallas. Is this common for any big city or are the people here just bad drivers? It's probably a little bit of both.

I got a notice from REI saying they were having a Winter clearance sale. Maybe I'll stop on my way to the gym tomorrow and look for winter coats again. I probably need an ultra wide angle lens more than a coat though, so I can take pictures of the Milky Way while I'm out at the observatory. You need a wide angle lens for those cool time exposure pictures of rocket trails too. Actually, I've already got an ultra wide angle lens. It's for the wrong camera though. I don't use heavy, bulky cameras anymore. I guess I've got a heavy winter coat too if I want to use my old Alaska parka. The older you get, the lighter you want everything to be. A few pounds can make a big difference when you're feeling tired.

Maybe it's a good thing that I'm interested in buying something again. I haven't had the urge for a long time. It's too bad I'm not still working. I'd feel less guilty about spending money if I was still making money. Of course if I was working, I wouldn't have time to go to rocket launches and distant observatories. That's the big irony of retirement.

If the weather stays nice, I might rake some more leaves tomorrow. We've already bagged a ton of leaves and taken them out to the curb for bulky trash day. There are still plenty on the ground though. If I need another reason to remove the damaged Oak tree in the back yard, this might be it.

Dovey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3300

Dash seemed a little more lucid today. He didn't stumble around as much and his eyes seemed brighter. I have no idea what determines whether Dash has a good of bad day. Everything in his life is fairly consistent, but some days are definitely better than others. I'm always happy to see a good day. They are few and far between.

The roof is finally drying out. The weather is still nice and warm but the leak did not return during the midday sun. I'm at the mercy of the roofers now. If they return tomorrow or Tuesday we may be able to fix this leak. The rain is supposed to return on Thursday though, so the window of opportunity is small. I'd love to hear the guys up on the roof tomorrow morning but I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch. I was the squeaky wheel for a while, but I may not be any longer.

On my way to the gym this morning I thought I'd pick up another pair of cheap rubber rain shoes for walking Dash. These slip on shoes don't last very long but I can put them on in seconds and they keep my feet dry. Somehow, instead of these cheap shoes, I came home with a pair of steel toe Doc Martens. Why did I buy these things? I already have some heavy work boots. These felt comfortable though and seemed like they would last forever.

 My shoulders and elbows still hurt from working on the roof last week, but I did my full workout anyway. I'm afraid if I vary my routine, I may just quit going to the gym altogether. I'm pretty much on automatic pilot when I go to the gym, but my Fitbit indicates that I'm doing something right. If I could just bring myself to endure this kind of punishment three times a week I'd be in great shape.

The park behind our house has become so popular in recent years that it is stressful to walk Dash on a nice weekend. There were bicycles everywhere today. None of them slow down for Dash. The number of loose dogs increases dramatically on warm weekends too. You really have to be aware of your surroundings. These things called Onewheel are becoming popular too. They look like a skateboard with a single big motorized wheel in the center and can travel up to twenty miles per hour. We saw six of these contraptions today. They're fairly expensive but that doesn't seem to stop people from buying them. Onewheel travel seems even more dangerous than those ride sharing scooters that are popping up all over the place. What do I know though? I still prefer walking.

If things go well tomorrow the roofers will discover what is causing my roof leak and the Herman Miller technicians will fix my office chair. Unfortunately, it's a Monday tomorrow and people aren't always at the top of their game on a Monday. I'll hope for the best but nothing will really surprise me.

I'm getting sleepy so it's probably time to call it a day. Dash has been sleeping for quite a while, so he'll probably be wide awake at 3 AM. We'll see what happens.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3039

I'm happy to report that there are still a few good people in the world. When Janet and I were walking Dash this evening we saw an injured dog in the park. Several other people noticed the dog as well and we all tried to convince it to come to us without scaring it away. The dog was very young and needed medical attention. He appeared to be very friendly with the dogs we all were walking, but was frightened of humans. It looked like he had been dumped in the park. He was very hard to catch, so I went back home to get a slip leash and some dog treats. It took some patience, but eventually the dog started to trust us and one of the women was able to put a lead around his neck. She was going to take the dog to her vet for treatment and see if they would help her get it into a good adoption program. I have no idea who the folks we met this afternoon were, but they were all good people. The injured pup won't be eaten by coyotes tonight and hopefully his next family will appreciate him much more than the people who dumped him.

Before all this dramatic activity, it was just a normal Friday. I had a nice breakfast, picked up some groceries for the weekend, and made an appointment for the appliance repairman to come out again. It's not the refrigerator this time. The refrigerator is fine, but there's a problem with the stove. Whenever we turn on a burner, the stainless steel counter top gets really hot. I think you could fry an egg on the countertop. This definitely isn't normal. I asked for the same repairman who fixed our refrigerator, and the dispatcher laughed. "He's our MacGyver ," she told me.

I'm reasonably good at fixing things, but I'm definitely no MacGyver. I was pretty much of a klutz today when I tried to repair the silicon fitness tracker band. I was super careful with the Sil-Poxy adhesive, since the warnings on the label seemed ominous. Despite my best intentions, I still managed to get some of the evil stuff on my hands. I know I should have worn gloves, but I'm even more clumsy with gloves on. Also this stuff fuses rubber together, so I thought if I spilled the stuff on the gloves, I might have trouble getting them off again. At any rate, the repaired band is curing now and my hand seems OK. We'll see whether the fitness tracker still works in the morning.

With or without a fitness tracker, it's pretty easy to tell that I'm not getting enough sleep. Dash got me up in the middle of the night again. I don't even need a watch to know what time it is. If Jupiter is in the sky, it is still pretty early. If Saturn and Mars are in the sky, it is near morning. It's been very clear outside for the past several nights, but I can't linger and look at the sky. If I don't get back to the bedroom quickly, Dash will steal my place on the bed.

There are a lot of new Dalmatians in the rescue program, so I may go up to the boarding kennel with Janet this weekend so I can take pictures of them. I'm not as good about keeping the website current as I used to be, but then I'm not as good about anything as I used to be. As always, I'm hoping for an uneventful weekend. I still haven't heard anything from the roofers. It looks like I might have to repair the leak myself.

Wilson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2483

When you've lived in a house for thirty years, you start to realize that a lot of things are much older than you think they are. My electric lawn mower in ancient. I've re-celled the battery five times already. When I went to the battery store this time, they told me that my battery was ruined because the charger failed to quit charging after the light turned green. How was I to know? They rebuilt my battery under the warranty anyway, which is why I like these guys. Unfortunately, now I've got to look for a new battery charger. Since the mower was discontinued over ten years ago, I doubt this will be an easy task.

Getting the battery on the mower rebuilt was just one in a long list of Saturday errands. I went to the bank to deposit a check that will keep me solvent for a little while. I picked up some new meds for Dot and Dash at the vet. I did my grocery shopping, and this time the convenient Scan & Go app worked. When I got home, I upgraded my phone to IOS 10 and wasn't entirely happy with the result. Apple doesn't really give you much choice in these matters. If you don't upgrade right away, they keep bugging you forever.

Janet had to go to a Dalmatian Rescue event today and the dogs aren't happy. Neither of them like any changes in their routine whatsoever. They evidently think Janet should be here right now, because every five minutes they keep going to the front door and barking. Dash is fine with this type of vigil, but Dot can't stand up on her own for more than ten seconds and she hasn't pooped yet either. Needless to say, writing the blog tonight has been a sentence-to-sentence endeavor. Hopefully, the dogs will calm down soon. Otherwise, it's going to be a very long night.

I thought I'd come up with a solution by taking Dot's dog bed, complete with all the protective pads, and placing it under my desk. This seemed to work for about five minutes until Dash decided that this new bed looked interesting and decided to claim it for himself. Since both dogs were touching each other, the bed didn't seems to be good enough for either of them. Now, I'm looking for a Plan-B.

The park was full of hikers, and cyclists, and recreational sailors today. When joggers passed Dash and I on our morning walk, they would comment on how nice the day was. I had to agree. To me, Fall is the best time of the year in Texas. With any luck, we've got another month of this perfect weather before things turn nasty again.

Maybe sanity will return tomorrow. Now, that I've got a battery that works, I need to mow the lawn. When I mow in October, I often think I'm done for the year, but often the grass just keeps growing. I really need to go to the gym too. I didn't go last week, but I've already forgotten why. It's too bad that stress can't be counted as exercise. If it could, I'd be in great shape.

Tori is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2457 - Labor Day

When I was taking Dash on his morning walk, we encountered a lady leading two blind men down the trail. She told the men that they were approaching a Dalmatian and one them asked if he could pet Dash. Soon, both men were using their hands to get a sense of what a Dalmatian looked like. I was proud of Dash. He was gentle and let the blind men examine him from nose to tail. After a few minutes the men thanked me and we were on our way. It was a crisp, cool morning with a nice breeze. I closed my eyes for a moment, listened to the birds, and realized that the park was still a beautiful place even if you couldn't see.

Janet convinced me to get out of the house today, so we decided to explore the new neighborhood that had developed around the recently opened Santiago Calatrava bridge crossing the Trinity River. Actually, I think the bridge has been open for almost four years, but it still seems new to me. I remember this area as a run down industrial neighborhood filled with old construction equipment, rusting cars, and sleazy bail bond businesses. Gentrification  has changed the area into a place filled with trendy restaurants, art galleries, and even a highly regarded craft brewery. We were going to eat lunch at the brewery, but it was closed for some inexplicable reason. We ate at a nearby barbecue place that wasn't quite as good as some of the barbecue joints in our own neighborhood. We walked around a bit so we could get a better view of the bridge and then we went home. I'll have to admit that it was a good idea to get out of the house for a while.

I was convinced that we were going to have to spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning Dot up when we returned, but she was still asleep when we got back home and hadn't pooped in her bed at all. I was initially pleased at this unexpected development, but later became worried when she didn't want to get up at all. She seemed very tired today. Maybe it was just the weather. The cool early morning breeze quickly turned into a scorcher as the day progressed. Dot still seems weak and a bit shaky on her feet, but I hope the extra rest she got today will make her feel better tomorrow.

I rarely eat lunch anymore and purposely ate a very light breakfast so I wouldn't spoil my appetite. Nevertheless, the meal we had at the barbecue place still seemed enormous. I used to eat like this all the time, but it doesn't seem right anymore. When I got home, all I wanted to do was take a long nap. I think a good breakfast, no lunch at all, and a light supper is the way to go. All those lunches I had with friends years ago probably helped to build my business, but I doubt that they did much for my health.

Tomorrow, it's back to work. I will begin another new writing assignment in the morning and I've got a dentist appointment in the afternoon. Eating healthy and taking care of my teeth are two things I should have paid more attention to when I was younger. I guess it's better late than never. I take good care of my teeth now. I take good care of Dot. And I try to eat sensibly. Sensible never even used to be part of my vocabulary.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2442

Janet's birthday dinner was a few days late, but it was still very nice. We went to Knife, a new steakhouse in the neighborhood that has received national attention recently. The place was started by John Tesar, who was once a Top Chef contestant, and according to D Magazine, it is this year's Best Steakhouse in Texas. I prefer to think of the place as the hotel restaurant in the pet friendly hotel where we always stay when the power goes out or a water leak floods the house. We didn't have the nerve or the money to try the signature 240 day dry aged rib-eye, but our meal was very good.

It's a good thing I went to the gym today, because I definitely ate more than I usually do on a Sunday evening. I noticed this afternoon that my workout is remarkably consistent. I'm usually done after about 62 minutes and seem to burn roughly the same number of calories every week. The only thing that seems to vary is how long it takes me to sink five baskets from the free throw line. Sometimes I do this almost immediately and other times it seems to take forever.

I came closer to meeting my sleep goal last night than I have for a long time. We didn't get up until almost 8 AM, which is almost unheard of in this house. It certainly helped that Dot and Dash didn't wake us up like they usually do. Dot made it all the way through the night again without pooping in her bed and Dash didn't make a loud, noisy spectacle out of changing position during the night like he usually does. We need more days like this. Getting enough sleep really makes a difference.

The rain appears to be over for a while. It was somewhat surprising to see blue sky for a change. I'm amazed at how crowded the park has become on a nice day. When we first moved to the neighborhood, we practically had the place to ourselves. It's like a amusement park on weekends now. Dash likes to crisscross from one side of the paths to the other, depending on which side smells the best. I have to really watch out for cyclists now. They appear out of nowhere going very fast, and they never slow down. Bicycles are fine, but I'm not a big fan of cyclists. Why do they all act like the roads and trails were created expressly for them? Today, when I was driving home from the gym, I encountered three cyclists riding side-by-side so they took up the entire road. This made it almost impossible to pass them and traffic was backing up. Did these guys care? Not in the least.

I got another two month free trial offer from SiriusXM radio. I wonder why they sent me this offer, because I didn't bother to sign up when they sent me the same offer last year. I'll probably take advantage of the free offer again, just like I did before. Two months is plenty of time to discover that the service isn't actually worth paying for.

Next week is going to be busy. Dot has three vet appointments scheduled, each at a different vet. The first is her annual wellness exam, the second is her physical therapy session, and the third is a cancer re-check. I don't know how I screwed up and scheduled these so close together. In my defense, the appointments were all made at different times. It's not easy to transport Dot anymore, so one appointment a week is plenty. We'll make it work though. I certainly don't have anything better to do.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2280

We got off to a late start this morning. I woke up at 7 AM, which meant it was really 8 AM because of Daylight Savings Time. Dot couldn't wait that long. She needed to go outside immediately and before I could get her harness attached, she peed on the living room rug. It wasn't her fault. It was her old, slow companion. I hate it when she has an accident just because I wasn't alert enough to see the signs. She does try to tell me, but it doesn't always work in the morning when I am sleep deprived and haven't had my coffee yet. At any rate, it wasn't a big deal. I sprayed the rug with Nature's Miracle, took it outside and hosed it down and left it to dry in the sun. The rug will live to serve another day.

Dash got a bath today while I went to the gym. I don't think either of us really enjoyed the experience. Janet always asks if I had a good workout and I don't even know what that means. She really enjoys going to the gym, but to me it's just a way to moderately reduce the chance of having a heart attack. It's kind of like taking statins and blood pressure medication, except that I sweat more. It would be nice if I enjoyed these workouts, but that would be out of character for me. It's rare that I enjoy anything these days.

I definitely didn't enjoy going up on the roof for the third time this week, but maybe the third time is the charm. According to the weather forecast, we are supposed to have clear skies and warm weather for the next four or five days. I probably should get the landscapers out to refurbish the back yard before the rainy season is completely finished. Last year, we planted the St. Augustine grass in March and the Spring rains really helped it get established before the Summer dry spell and underground grubs killed it again. It wouldn't hurt to call a tree trimmer as well. Now, that the Oak and Elm trees are starting to bud, I'm starting to see more than a few dead limbs.

The park was really crowded today. It's always this way on warm, early Spring days. Dash can smell food from quite a distance, so he's always trying to crash someone's picnic. It's a shame that there are so many loose dogs in the park on weekends. When Dash sees a loose dog, he immediately turns around and wants to go home again. Our afternoon walk got cut short this way today. It's been many years since Dash was attacked, but he has never forgotten. A single loose dog can ruin his day.

I bet we'll be walking the dogs in the dark again tomorrow. I looked outside around 6 AM this morning and it was still quite dark outside. I should of gotten up then and taken Dot out to pee, but I didn't. No worries about repeating this mistake on a weekday. The clocks have been re-set and we'll all be up at the crack of dawn whether I like it or not.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1791

I was pretty pleased with myself when I successfully repaired my iPhone case using the replacement part that came in the mail today. Good as new, I thought. Then I went outside and discovered that a big gust of wind had blown off a segment of the greenhouse roof. Oops. This repair was going to be a lot harder. I found the corrugated roof segment that had come loose, but getting it back in place wasn't going to be easy. The steeply pitched roof isn't really strong enough for a person to stand on, and to make matters worse, there are still bees inside the greenhouse. Even though the greenhouse is basically just a shed to store the lawn mower and garden tools these days, I'd still like to get a roof on the building before the bad weather arrives later this week. Since it's virtually impossible to find competent people to do little jobs like this, it looks like I'll have to tackle this chore myself.

Since I'm not stupid enough to try to modify the furnace myself, I made an appointment with my HVAC guys to come install the new WiFi thermostat that Klout gave me. I was disappointed to hear that Marty, my favorite service technician, was no longer with the company. Marty has been fixing heating and cooling equipment at various properties I've owned for over twenty years. Now that he's gone, my go-to list of service people I trust has shrunk to exactly zero. There used to be dozens of people I could depend on to repair cameras, trim trees, remodel bathrooms, and install glass. They're all gone. My favorite carpenter decided he could make more money selling life insurance. An astoundingly good plumber I depended on abruptly quit a company he'd been working with for fifteen years and just disappeared. My camera repairman hung on for as long as he could by accepting work from collectors in Japan, but he eventually went out of business anyway. I've been through four insurance agents and five stockbrokers. Nothing lasts anymore. It's sad. Is a little continuity in this world too much to ask?

The park was filled with concrete trucks this afternoon. I find it ironic to see these huge, heavy trucks trampling all the native prairie grasses that other park enthusiasts have been telling people not to even walk across because they are so rare. I'm sure there is a master plan somewhere, but all I see is a lot of people at cross purposes. The contingent that wants more bike paths probably could care less about the native grasses. Although things look messy now, I doubt that the prairie grasses have been damaged. They're basically just weeds and have been here for hundreds of years. Trucks or no trucks, they'll be back next Spring.

I got my November invoices in the mail today. This chore doesn't take me as long as it used to, because my client list has shrunk considerably. Occasionally I think that I should do some marketing and get some new clients. Then I think, "now why would I want to do that?" It's all a matter of priorities. Losing a good HVAC repairman can be devastating. Losing a client is probably a blessing.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1790

I wish I had a decent camera with me this morning. While I was walking the dogs, at least thirty bright green parrots flew directly over my head. These weren't small pet parakeets that escaped from a birdcage. They were large, full grown parrots that looked like they belonged in a Central American jungle. What were they doing in Texas? Especially when a major cold front is headed our way. I vaguely recall seeing a few birds like these last year, but never in large numbers like this. Being the kind of guy I am, I did a search for the birds on Google and discovered that they're called Monk Parakeets by some, and Quaker Parrots by others. A large colony of these birds, which are common in South America, have been living in our city at least since 2009. The parrot colony makes their home in an electrical substation just a few miles from my house. Now I'm wondering why I haven't seen them before.

The parrots weren't the only animals enjoying this unseasonably warm Fall morning. Dot and Dash had a great time on their morning walk, pausing to smell every tree and bush along the way. We saw plenty of ducks, squirrels, rabbits, and of course lots of other dogs and their owners taking advantage of the mild Indian Summer day.

The stars must have been aligned today. Nothing irritated me at all. I listened to an interesting Ted Talk on the radio on the way to the gym. I had a good solid workout with only minimal shoulder pain, and when I went to get groceries on the way home, the store wasn't even crowded. Janet and I found a nice place to have Thanksgiving dinner and made our reservations. I even put a fresh hypoallergenic filter in the furnace, so the air in the house should be a little cleaner for at least a couple of weeks. I was originally supposed to shoot a video for a client today, but the job got postponed. These days, I'm never disappointed when work gets postponed. Lazy days with surprise parrots are much better.

I'll make a few phone calls tomorrow and see what it's going to take to get the new WiFi thermostat installed. I'm actually kind of intrigued to have a thermostat I can talk to. I never talk to Siri on my phone, because asking a phone to do things for me still seems a bit ridiculous for someone with my lifestyle. A talking thermostat I could use though. I'm always concerned about the temperature.

Maybe I'll make myself a nice omelet tomorrow morning. Janet tells me I think about food too much, but it certainly beats thinking about Photoshop, Dreamweaver, or where my next job is coming from.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1788

I suppose that in some sort of peripheral way, I am part of the media. I'm a writer and I have readers anyway. One thing I've noticed is whenever something alarming happens in my life, I get more readers. When things calm down and life becomes predictable again, readers drift away. I suspect this happens with the mainstream media as well. This would certainly explain why we are continually bombarded with stories about terrorism, Ebola, and celebrity meltdowns. People love a good disaster. In fairness, most people love stories about overcoming adversity too. They just don't like watching paint dry.

I hope my rather tame Friday adventures haven't become like watching paint dry for you. There is no need to show you another picture of my breakfast, because you've seen it already. My routine has remained unchanged for well over a year. I wake up, walk the dogs, take my morning meds, and go out to breakfast. On the way home, I pick up groceries for the weekend. I retrieve the garbage can from the curb when I hear the trash truck drive by, and finally I turn on the computer and see if there's any work I need to do.

I did mix things up a tiny bit this morning. On my way to the breakfast restaurant, I stopped by my general practitioner's office and had my lab work done in preparation for an annual physical exam later this month. They always want me to fast for these periodic blood tests, so getting the lab work done on the way to breakfast is perfect. With any luck, my physical will be the last doctor visit I make this year.

When I was walking the dogs this evening I saw a fire truck, a police car, and a cop on a bicycle all converge on the workers building the new concrete bike path in the park. Even though the lights were flashing on the emergency vehicles, there was no sign of a fire or altercation. Nobody was arrested or carried away on a stretcher. After about ten minutes everybody returned to their vehicles and drove away. I have absolutely no idea what was going on.

Dot appears to be back to normal. She was active and energetic today, with none of the reflux or heartburn problems she had yesterday. I probably worry about her too much, but once you've dealt with cancer, almost anything can seem like a precursor to the cancer's return. Let's hope that Dot and Dash can lead a normal, uneventful life for years to come. In my world, normal is good, even though it can seem like watching paint dry for some of you.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1781 - Halloween

I was right. The plastic forks didn't even last a week. When I went to breakfast this morning, the regular metal silverware was back. It's good to see that common sense prevailed. The parking places are still too small, but I can live with that. I didn't seem to have as much trouble parking today.

Ordinarily, I'd share a picture of a pumpkin with you on Halloween, but I didn't see any pumpkins today. Maybe I didn't look very hard. There certainly weren't any pumpkins left in the stores. All the stores have moved on to Christmas by now. Halloween is pretty much a non-event at our house anyway. Halloween is a holiday for children and cosplayers and we don't have either in our neighborhood. We haven't had trick or treaters in years. With all the Ebola worries in this town, probably a lot of people aren't opening their doors to strangers anyway.

Commercial spaceflight certainly hasn't had a good week. First the Orbital Sciences Antares Rocket explodes and then today Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo explodes during a test flight. If I was Elon Musk, I'd be a little nervous right now. I was watching TV when the news broke and was astounded at the damage to the spacecraft. Nothing was left. It was amazing that one of the pilots was able to eject, since it all happened so fast. Even if I had the ridiculous amount of money it takes to secure a ticket on one of these Virgin Galactic flights, I don't think you could talk me into going. I'm a huge fan of spaceflight as long as I still have both feet on the ground. I throw up on roller coasters. I wanted to get a pilot's license once, but flunked out of the flight training class for the same reason. I still remember one of my flight instructors telling another instructor, "You take him up this time, I cleaned out the plane last time." Somehow, I don't think the five minutes of weightlessness everyone is looking forward to would sit very well with my stomach.

I wrote a letter to Lunatik asking if they'd replace my broken iPhone case. I bet they won't, but it's worth a shot. The ads for this thing showed the case being run over by a motorcycle and surviving all sorts of punishment. It certainly shouldn't break just sitting in your pocket.

The concrete trucks were back in the park today, pouring another segment of the new bicycle superhighway. Most of the neighbors seem to like this new development, but I still think it is a colossal waste of money. If I knew that this is how the money would be spent, I probably wouldn't have voted for the bond issue that funded this and other efforts to gentrify the park and turn it into a recreation destination. All I want is a quiet place to walk the dogs.

Roxy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1583

I ran into a group of photographers when I was walking the dogs today. They had tripods and long telephoto lenses and were attempting to photograph barn owls in a nearby tree. Surprisingly, I knew exactly which owls they were talking about. I told the photographers when I usually saw the owls and they told me that one of them recently had three babies. I hope the photographers got the pictures they wanted, because they had traveled a long way. That's the difference between me and the other people in the park. I live here. I'm not much of a naturalist, but I'm here every day, year after year. I see patterns. I can tell you when the White Pelicans leave for the Summer and when the baby ducks take to the water for the first time. I can predict when and where flowers will bloom and can tell you where the sun will touch the horizon on any given day. Some people become experts because they are passionate about a subject. My own expertise is usually acquired simply by showing up.

I know every inch of the park because I have a high tolerance for repetition. I have walked a succession of Dalmatians in the park for well over twenty years. This ability to to the same thing over and over again is why I am writing to you for the 1583rd  consecutive day. Endless repetition either drives you crazy or gives you the ability to see nuanced differences. Hopefully, I am not crazy. When I have by favorite breakfast eggs, I can tell if the chef has cooked them 15 seconds too long. When someone takes a book off the bookshelf, I instantly know which book has been removed. Inside every web page is a lot of HTML code that is very similar to all other web pages. The same can be said of print advertising. The only important thing is the headline. The text is just words place together in familiar patterns.

Maybe this is why Texas weather bothers me so much. It seems completely random. I can predict a lot of things fairly accurately, but I can't predict the weather at all. If it rained every Wednesday, I could compensate for it. I never know when it is going to rain, or snow, or when we're in the path of a tornado. The stock market is basically unpredictable as well. There are a ton of people who will tell you that they have the market figured out. Since none of these experts can predict the future, most of them have been fooled again and again.

Today was certainly predictable. Dash had another radiation treatment at the cancer center. I got my exercise by sweeping standing water off the roof. I made an omelet for breakfast using a recipe that became stuck in my head long before I ever moved to Texas. I used to wonder how dogs could get so excited about eating the same bowl of kibble over and over again for breakfast. I do the same thing though. Maybe we just like the ritual of eating. Whatever it is, I think dogs have discovered the secret of life. Eat. Sleep. Play. Repeat. That just about covers it for me.

Becker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1223

I wish people who visited the park behind our house were as nice as the people at the dog park. The people we see at the dog park all seem to be considerate with very well socialized dogs. The people who visit the public parks on weekends are anything but. They change their babies in the bushes and leave the poop filled diapers on the ground. After their weekend picnics, paper plates and cups litter acres of greenery on Monday morning. Worst of all they let their poorly socialized, and often aggressive dogs off leash. I feel like I"m walking the dogs through a minefield on weekends. Happily, the same park is quiet and almost empty during the rest of the week. Today we avoided a loose pitbull, but weren't so lucky with a group of kids who wanted to pet Dot & Dash. The kids were nice enough, but they stopped us near a big pile of horse poop, which Dash proceeded to eat.

I wish they'd let Dash in the small dog park. He's been fearful of larger dogs ever since he was attacked several years ago. He seems to have overcome his fear of small dogs though. Today a small terrier befriended him at the dog park and the two of them had great fun running and playing. I think Dash looks forward to these trips to the dog park all week long. It is one of the few places he feels safe.

I made some more fresh juice today. A mix of half pineapple and half orange tastes quite good. Making the fresh juice is quite easy with the new juicer. Cleaning up the machine afterwards is another matter entirely. What a mess. I can't wash the pulp down the drain either. Even with the garbage disposal, I don't think our old pipes would handle it. I've taken to making enough juice to last a week, so I won't have to clean the machine so often.

I've taken to watching Dr. Who on Sunday afternoon as well. Watching the show on the DVR at a different time than it was broadcast is a little bit like time travel, which makes a show about time travel even more interesting. I wish I'd discovered the DVR earlier. Janet and I always used to complain that there was nothing worth watching on TV. We were wrong. It's all there. The problem is that the shows we like usually come on when we are working or busy with something else. The DVR solves all that. You watch what you want, when you want to watch it.

I need to make a list of questions to ask the vet this week. Dot has her acupuncture treatment and Dash has his annual exam. Dash has been rubbing his snout on the carpet lately and I wonder if he has a toothache. I need to know what the vet thinks about my decision to forgo the elaborate MRI and spinal tap tests for Dot. We're taken Dot and Dash off Trifexis for heartworms and switched them back to Sentinel. There's no conclusive proof that Trifexis can cause seizures, but there sure is a lot of anecdotal evidence on the Internet. Better safe than sorry, I think.

Joe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1202 - Easter Sunday

Two days of rain shut down the dog park this weekend, but the wet weather did have a few benefits. The soil was finally wet enough for me to go pull up all the little oak and elm trees that were growing in the Asian jasmine beds. Every year, acorns and seed pods fall by the thousands from the large trees in our backyard and sprout into small trees during the Spring. These tiny trees have surprisingly deep roots and you can only pull them up when the soil is really wet. If you don't take this opportunity to rid your gardens of these diminutive trees, the root systems will continue to grow and they will be impossible to uproot the next season. In just a few seasons, your entire yard will become an ugly thicket of brush and weeds. Today seemed like the perfect opportunity to do some weeding, so I did.

Even though all the dog parks in Dallas were closed today, the human parks were having their busiest day of the year. As soon as the sun came up, I saw families putting up tents and staking out their territory for huge family picnics in the park behind our house. By the time I walked the dogs in the afternoon, the entire area was like a three ring circus. The air was thick with smoke from hundreds of barbecue grills, and every hundred yards or so, there was an impromptu soccer game going on. At least four times, our walk was interrupted by crowds of little kids running toward the dogs while shouting "Do they bite" in Spanish.

Dot and Dash were very good, allowing all the children to pet them. I could tell Dot was getting tired though. This Easter outing was way too noisy and stressful for her. As soon as we got home again, both dogs went straight to their dog beds and fell asleep.

I was really hungry today. In addition to weeding the garden and walking the dogs, there was also a lot of water from last night's rain to get off the roof. Lucky for me, Janet fixed a fabulous Easter dinner with ham, whipped sweet potatoes, and braised cabbage. I ate lots of vegetables and left just enough room for a pear tart for dessert. It's been a good day. I think I'll be joining the dogs for a snooze on the bed very soon.

Smiley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1168

I didn't leave the house all day. Well, technically I guess I did leave the house to walk the dogs, but that is such a predictable, rain or shine activity that it doesn't really count. I occupied myself with a new technical writing assignment that should take me two or three days to complete. Technical writing is a little different than the consumer oriented writing I usually do. Advertising writing is almost totally BS. Technical writing, on the other hand, is only about 50% BS.

While we were walking this morning, I noticed multiple small Zip-Lock bags with white pills inside strewn along our path through the woods. What was this all about? Did somebody finally get disgusted and throw away all their meds in favor of some vigorous exercise? Was this the remains of a drug deal gone bad? Was someone trying to poison the birds and squirrels? I don't know. I'll probably never know. I have seen stranger things in the park, however. This is one reason I always try to avoid walking the dogs after dark.

It's too bad that the roof wasn't quite dry enough for me to make my repairs yesterday while the weather was nice. It rained again overnight and now I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope for an extended dry spell, so everything can dry out again. I have already learned the hard way that patching a crack on the roof while there is still trapped moisture underneath doesn't accomplish anything.

Would you believe that it might snow tonight? If it does, it will be Winter's last hurrah. There's always one really cold day in late February or early March just to freeze all the early blooming flowers and plants. That's the way it works here in Texas.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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