Day 3901

Another hot summer day. It got up to 106 degrees this afternoon. This is one reason why we got a really early start this morning. I don't think Dawn likes the idea of walking so early, but we are doing it for her. These pre-dawn walks are the only way to beat the heat.

Even though the skies were clear for most of the day, we've under another thunderstorm watch now. It's hard to keep up with Texas weather. It looks like the storm is starting to dissipate, but I'm going to continue to watch the weather radar until the fast moving front passes over us. I hate the thought of losing power in the summer. It doesn't take long for the house to become impossibly hot and humid.

I managed to find most of the items on my grocery list this morning. Grocery shopping has become like a scavenger hunt. You never know what you are going to find on the shelves.  There seems to be plenty of bottled water and toilet paper now. It's common everyday items that seem to have disappeared. I managed to find peaches by going to a different store, but I still can't find my favorite cheese.

I forgot to update my credit card information on the shopping app I always use to avoid the checkout line and it wouldn't process my transaction. I couldn't seem to enter new information at the store, so I had to start over and go through the checkout line after all. I finally figured out how to empty my shopping cart in the app so I wouldn't be charged twice, but it took a while. Technology is always easy until it isn't. I think I'm better at figuring these things out when I'm at home.

The little red light we clip on Dawn's collar wouldn't work this morning. I thought the batteries might be dead, but the light seemed to work perfectly later this morning when the sun was up and we were back home. It's easy to find a bargain these days, but nothing seems well made anymore. We got some solar powered patio lights for the back yard a few months ago and some of the lights are already starting to fail. I suspect this is because we got the lights at the Dollar Store. What can you expect from a solar powered light that costs a dollar?

The launch I'd been wanting to attend all summer got aborted right when the count reached zero early this morning. Just as the rocket started to fire, everything shut down. Now the launch is delayed at least another week while ULA tried to determine what the problem was. If I had traveled to Florida, I would have incurred three extra days of hotel bills and then had to return to Dallas anyway without seeing anything. I think someone is trying to tell me to just lay low for a while. Travel is complicated and filled with uncertainties. Walking your dog every morning is pretty simple.

I hear thunder but it still hasn't rained yet. As much as I hate the idea of rain, maybe it would cool things down a bit. The temperature is still hovering around 100 degrees.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3572

Rolly went to his new home today. The family that adopted him brought their two dogs to the kennel to make sure that everybody got along. All three dogs were very calm and relaxed so we said our goodbyes and Rolly began the long journey to his new Houston home. I was a little apprehensive about the long trip, but we just received pictures of Rolly curled up in a comfy bed at his home and he looks happy. It's nice when things end well for these dogs.

We also met two other couples who were looking for Dalmatians this afternoon. One family was interested in Sock and the other was interested in Jelly Bean. It usually takes several visits before an adoption becomes final. The rescue group always checks with the family's vet to make sure the dog will be well cared for and often we do a home visit as well. We'll see what happens. I still hope that Jasmine and Jelly Bean can be adopted together since they are so fond of each other, but they will do fine on their own. It would be much better if they each got a good home separately than waiting forever in the kennel for someone to adopt them together. We're never certain how each dog's story will end until they are adopted, but we make sure it's a happy ending.

I went to the grocery store early this morning so we'd have plenty of time to visit with the families who were looking for dogs. For the past several weeks I've been noticing that there are fewer and fewer peaches. It looks like the peach season is almost over. I bought some nice looking peaches today along with the usual strawberries and blueberries, but it looks like there won't be many more peach cobblers this year. Have I mentioned that I love peaches?

We spent a lot of time up at the kennel, so I didn't get started on my walk until late in the afternoon. Mornings are much more pleasant. Late in the day heat just radiates off the roads and pathways. You feel like you are inside an oven. It was a lot cooler yesterday, but I don't think it was our long awaited cold front. It is still predicted to get much colder later in the week. We'll see. There's been talk of cooler weather for a long time and it never seems to materialize.

After walking 27,000 steps the day we went to the fair, my Sunday's don't seem as daunting anymore. I still don't look forward to going to the gym, but I don't dread it either. Physically, I'm actually in pretty good shape. I just need to find something to keep my mind engaged.

Lightning is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3512

I guess we're making progress. I got a bid on repairing the greenhouse today. The price seems reasonable, so we'll move ahead with this project. The carpenter doesn't want to begin work until the weather gets cooler. Makes sense to me. It's too damn hot to do anything. The heat didn't stop the AT&T crew from burying my fiber optic cable though. The "crew" was really just a man and his wife who spoke no English. When I asked a question, the wife got out her iPhone and pointed for me to speak into it. She had a translation app that worked surprisingly well. It answered all my questions anyway. The young couple was very nice and I kind of felt sorry that AT&T was making them work in this heat. The technician that diagnosed my problem a few weeks ago told me that the company always hires the lowest bidders to bury the lines. They probably get no benefits.

Right now I've got two lines. A nicely buried line that isn't hooked up to anything and the temporary line that is still providing my connection. Another technician will have to come back and connect the new buried line. This procedure of installing temporary lines and then coming back later with a second buried line line that needs to be installed all over again seems terribly inefficient. So, far I've had six lines pulled to my house from the street since I signed up for U-verse. Half of this fiber optic cable was temporary and was eventually just thrown away. There are probably several buried lines still under my lawn as well. Nobody bothers to pull up the old cable when they install a new one.

Coincidently, I paid my cable bill today. All these service calls explain why my bill is so high. I should call AT&T and demand that they deduct a week's service from my bill for the time the Internet was out while Janet was away. I probably won't bother though. It's like pulling teeth to make a complaint to customer service.

I'm still walking, but the weather is pretty brutal. There aren't as many joggers now, but the cyclists are still out in force. Maybe it's cooler when you are moving faster, but I suspect that the cyclists just love punishment. I keep walking because I've learned that sweating is actually good for you. Sweating can strengthen your immune system, improve circulation, lower the risk of kidney stones, unclog pores, and help fight viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Walking is also one of the best ways to keep bones strong and prevent osteoporosis too. I guess I'll keep walking. It's a slow summer and there isn't much better to do anyway.

The next thing on my list is getting my car safety inspected. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. I could go anywhere but I usually just go to the dealership. They have free snacks and I like to look at new cars I'll never be able to afford. I've been waiting for years for the new Land Rover Defenders to arrive, but there are very few reasons to drive a rugged go anywhere vehicle anymore. Those new mid-engine Corvettes are looking pretty nice.

Janet is making me another Peach Cobbler tonight. I've been eating a lot of peaches lately. It's going to be rough when they go out of season again. Fresh peaches are one of the few good things about Summer.

Margo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3488

It's been three months since Dash died. There are new routines now. I can't say that life has returned to normal because it still seems normal to have dogs in the house. There was at least one Dalmatian in our home for over 30 years. Dogs still matter to us but I have to admit that it's nice to not have huge vet bills or the responsibility of deciding what is right for your best friend when the end is approaching. Janet volunteers with a local rescue group now. We both enjoy visiting the Dalmatians once a week. For now this is enough. We're traveling more now and doing things that weren't possible when caring for sick dogs was a 24/7 responsibility. Although it is sometimes tempting to take a dog home with us when we visit the Dalmatians at the boarding kennel, I realize that these dogs are finding fabulous homes. That's all that matters. If and when we're ready for a dog again, I'm sure there will be a dog that's ready for us.

I'm trying to do everything earlier now since it is so hot. I thought I'd find fresher fruit at the grocery store if I shopped early, but it doesn't seem to matter. Often stores get fresh deliveries daily, but you can't depend on it. I've noticed that the best strawberries are usually in the bottom boxes. Produce managers put the older fruit on top, hoping that people will buy it first. I sort through all the boxes, trying to find the best. Peaches are weird. Specific varieties are usually in the store for only a month and then you'll find a new variety. Not that it matters, but I'm gradually learning which varieties I like best. I eat a lot of peaches in the summer because they aren't even available in the winter. Most of you know that a fungal disease is gradually destroying the Cavendish banana around the world and this fruit might not be available soon. What am I going to do without my favorite bananas? You'd think that someone who was so interested in fruit would be equally interested in vegetables. Nope. I usually skip the vegetable aisle.

I'm conflicted about food. I really like pork, but feel guilty eating it since pigs are nice, exceptionally smart animals. I'm not sure that vegans are doing themselves any favors. I've known some very unhealthy vegans. I've known some very healthy vegans too, but I do believe that humans are basically carnivorous animals. So are dogs. Dogs seem to thrive on a raw diet. I've often wondered if the high incidence of cancer in dogs is because of the heavily processed food most of them eat.

I was amused to learn that the basic ingredients used to make Beyond Meat and those Impossible Burgers is very similar to the ingredients found in high end dog food. The only real difference is the spices used to make these products taste like meat. These meat substitutes have become very popular recently but they're basically just dog food. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I always thought our dogs ate better than we did.

When I was growing up in Alaska, everybody hunted. People has big freezers in their garages and neighbors traded game with each other. Dad was more of a fisherman, but he often traded salmon and trout he'd caught for Moose steaks or ducks. There was an honest simplicity to all this. It was the complete opposite of factory farming. We try to buy cage free eggs and grass fed beef but it's probably just a token gesture. The world has changed. We're not that far away from Soylent Green.

If you're wondering why I'm talking about food today it is because I didn't really do anything. I could have summed up today in a single sentence: Ate breakfast, bought groceries, walked, and blogged.

Watson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3481

Another hot sunny day that ended with a thunderstorm. This has been happening all week. Most of the brief afternoon storms have missed us, but this one was a direct hit. Every time I hear thunder I worry that the power is going to go out or another tree will fall. No damage this time, but I'm definitely gun shy about storms.

I guess it's a good thing that I didn't attempt any roof repairs today. They wouldn't have had time to dry. Instead of going up on the roof, I went to Home Depot and bought some more river rock to fill the ever growing hole in the driveway. I thought I had fixed this several months ago, but the ground keeps sinking. Instead of buying sacks filled with rocks, I should just get a truckload delivered and cover the entire driveway with river rocks. It would be cheaper than repaving and I bet it would look pretty good. On the other hand, rocks are heavy. I can just see me spending hours shoveling and raking a huge pile of rocks so we can move our cars again. Maybe my minimal efforts to fix things will do just fine.

I keep buying peaches at the store, even though we already have peaches. Janet has already made peach bread and is making a peach cobbler tonight. It's a good thing we like peaches. I need to quit buying food out of habit and start checking to see what we actually have on hand.

Only one of the pumps on the roof seems to be working this evening. Mostly the problem turns out to be a kink in the hose, but I don't feel like climbing up and investigating. I'll fix the pump tomorrow. It's getting dark and there's still lightning in the area. It would be crazy to go up on the roof tonight.

If it had to rain I wish it could have rained this morning. The rain cools things down. I sure could have used a little cooler weather on my walks today. I'm always amazed that there are other people out jogging and cycling on these hot summer days. I feel sorry for the dogs. I think it is too hot to be walking your dog a long way on days like this. Despite the oppressive heat, I keep walking. It keeps me in shape and it beats doing yard work.

The guy who was going to give me an estimate on fixing the greenhouse never showed up. Scratch that guy off the list. It's really hard to find good people who are interested in doing little jobs. I have a lot of things that need to be fixed around the house, but they are all small jobs. Remember that handyman named Eldon on Murphy Brown? That's what I need. Somebody who's always around.  when you need them. I used to attempt difficult jobs myself. Not anymore. I think age is catching up with me.

It's time to go to the gym again. I could think of a lot more imaginative things to do on Sunday, but I guess I like staying healthy.

Cisco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3475

Another 20,000 step day. This isn't much by historic standards, but it's about all I can manage these days. Multi-day backpacking trips didn't used to faze me when I was younger. Times have changed. I don't think I could make it all the way around the lake today. I'm not winded or even that tired. It's my joints. My knees, shoulders, and elbows have all seen better days. Sometimes it feels like all the cartilage is gone. I take glucosamine and chondroitin but I'm not sure how effective this is at rebuilding cartilage. I certainly don't see much difference after years of taking these pills.

Although it felt like I spent the day walking, I did manage to get a few other things done. I went back to the store and got strawberries. I should have looked in the refrigerator first. Janet had already gotten strawberries when she went to the store a little earlier. I  also got some more peaches. I guess I didn't realize that there are almost as many varieties of peaches are there are apples. The Earth Rich peaches I got yesterday tasted mushy and fibrous. Today I got a different variety called Sierra Rich which tasted much better.  Needless to say, there is plenty of fruit in the house now.

I was terrible on the basketball court this morning. Maybe skipping a week at the gym made a difference. Hand/eye coordination is a curious thing. You'd think that after all this time I would have perfected the free throw. Nope. Some days I can sink quite a few shots in a row and other days I'm all over the place. Even though my coordination wasn't up to par today, I still enjoyed my time on the court more than the treadmill and hand bicycle. I see a lot of people walking and jogging on the indoor track in the Summer. It would make sense for me to do this as well. For some perverse reason, I still prefer to walk outdoors, even though it's getting pretty hot outside.

Walking outdoors is very conducive to daydreaming. Walking indoors is just exercise. I enjoy trying to identify plants and animals, along with observing what has changed in the neighborhood. There's something new to think about every day. Even cloud formations can be interesting on a hot summer afternoon. There were sailboat races on the lake today. I also noticed that the wild fennel is in bloom. I've often thought about taking sailing lessons, but since I don't even use my kayak anymore, I doubt that I'd go sailing very often. It is not an activity that is usually done alone. The boats are still fun to watch though. There are lots of little Sunfish and Lasers at the lake, along with a variety of larger craft. I think that one of the local sailing clubs must have been having a regatta today. The lake was a busy place.

Now that I've become a slave to my Fitbit, I'm not doing as many household chores. There only so much time in a day. Without a dog, the house stays cleaner now. It's amazing how much hair a Dalmatian can shed. They shed constantly. We were sweeping up big piles of dog hair every week with Dot and Dash and yet each dog always had a full, healthy coat. Where all that hair came from will remain one of life's enduring mysteries.

Not surprisingly, we miss all the dog hair. I think Janet and I will be going to go visit the rescue dogs again tomorrow. There are several new dogs in the program that need to be photographed for the website. That's not the real reason we're going though. We just need our weekly Dalmatian fix.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3446

June 1st will always be the day that Dot died. It was two years ago today. What a long journey. It was initially difficult for Dash to adjust to being the only dog. He was just starting to regain his confidence when he began getting sick as well. It seemed like everything we went through with Dot toward the end of her life, we repeated with Dash. At least both dogs had long, healthy lives before they began to decline. Weekends were fun for the dogs. They both loved to go to dog parks and we visited them all. Our cars were basically just dog taxis. There were rescue events to attend, indoor and outdoor dog parks to visit, evenings at dog friendly restaurants, and a weekly training class that we attended regularly for many years. For every sad memory there is a corresponding happy memory. I hope that over time, only the happy memories remain.

It was almost 90 degrees when I woke up this morning and is only 70 degrees now. Today's weather has been a roller coaster. It was hot and sunny on my morning walk and by the time I was ready to take my evening walk there were storm clouds on the horizon and I could hear distant thunder. I probably put too much faith in the weather radar, because I almost got drenched. It was weird to see the storm approaching and people still renting kayaks on the lake. Some folks began paddling for shore as soon as they saw lightning, but others seemed oblivious. I was almost home before the rain started to fall, but when I looked back toward the lake, I could still see half a dozen kayaks and stand up paddle boards out in the water. There were still a few families barbecuing on the shoreline as well. What were they thinking.

Earlier today I was wondering what a lot of dog walkers were thinking. Don't they know the dangers of heat stroke? I could tell that some of the dogs were too hot. Joggers are the worst. Most of them just don't want to stop to give their dog a rest. If you've got to walk your dog in hot weather, be sure to take some water along. If the dog wants to rest, let them. Heat stroke is very real.

This evening was much better dog walking weather. All you had to worry about was getting struck by lightning. I never walked Dot and Dash on a day like today. Neither dog did well in the heat and both were storm phobic. Dot was terrified of storms and once managed to rip out a nail while trying to run back inside after hearing a particularly loud thunderclap. We were one of the first customers for Thundershirts. Strangely, these garments actually seemed to work. Dot wore hers often.

Peaches are finally available almost everywhere now. Have I mentioned that I like peaches? I bought a dozen nice looking ones today. Unlike a lot of produce, peaches still seem to be seasonal and most of them are grown in the United States. Strawberries and blueberries are imported from all over the place, but I've still got to wait for summer to find peaches.

It's still raining, but the pumps on the roof are working. I just need to remember to turn them off before I go to bed tonight. I wonder if the storms will continue tomorrow? The thermostat says no but my phone says yes. It's silly to speculate at this point. It's all going to change by morning anyway.

Charlie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3439

Today seemed like a prelude to Summer. The temperature was over 90 again. I've noticed that some of the sticking doors in the house are starting to shift back to their warm weather positions. The air conditioner runs quite a bit now. It still seems a little early to be sweating on my morning walks, but the weather is weird these days. Janet just got back from Las Vegas and she said the temperatures were just in the 60's out there.

Today was quiet. I got up early and had a bagel and some fresh peaches while I watched old episodes of Have Gun Will Travel as I ate. I did my weekend grocery shopping as soon as the stores opened so I could take my morning walk before it got too hot. This didn't help much. I still got too hot. I can't tolerate the heat as well as I used to. This might be a long summer.

I saw the baby ducks again today. They were twice as big as when I saw them last time, but I only counted seven. I wonder what happened to the other three? Maybe coyotes or hawks got them. I've seen some very large hawks in the area. It probably isn't easy being a duckling when you're a tasty meal for predators. It's possible that I was looking at a completely different family of ducks, but I don't think so. They were swimming in the same place where I initially saw them and the mother looked the same.

I've started exploring options for traveling to Florida. It's a sixteen hour drive, so I'll probably fly. Do I fly nonstop to Orlando or one-stop to Melborne? What about rental cars? Are there hotels near the space center that don't tend to fill up in advance? Planning for rocket launches can be tricky since they frequently get postponed on short notice. NASA warns you to buy refundable tickets and make sure your travel plans can be changed if needed. There are seldom any bargains on these trips. Maybe it would be better to drive.

I wonder if I'll hit the 20,000 step threshold tomorrow. This seems to be my new Sunday goal. If it gets much warmer I'm going to need to think about spending more time in the gym and less time in the park. I enjoy observing plants and animals in the park. I don't really enjoy being drenched in sweat after a one hour walk. The allergies have been pretty bad this Spring as well. I always make sure to take plenty of Kleenex and a bottle of Visine with me before I leave.

There was a turtle in the yard as I was leaving the house this morning. I couldn't find it when I returned. I don't know how turtles get through the fence or how they get out. It doesn't seem to be a problem though. Most of the turtles we see are just passing through. Once we had a turtle that would drink water from a saucer in the yard and would return every morning to eat strawberries we left for it. The turtles stopped lingering when they discovered we had Dalmatians.

So far, so good with the plumbing repairs. The shower head doesn't leak and the toilet is quiet. Next on deck for repairs is the sliding glass door. It stopped sliding ages ago. We just think of it as a large window now.

Ranger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3425

Nothing to see here. Today was about what you'd expect for a rainy day. The thunder was loud enough last night to wake me up several times. I moved the chairs out of the way that get wet when the roof leaks and went back to bed. When I woke up this morning I discovered that one of the pumps had quit working. As soon as it was light enough, I climbed up on the roof in the rain to unclog the pump. You'd think all the catkins would be gone by now, but they're still falling from the Oak trees. When the pumps suck water from the roof, they also suck these catkins floating on the water into the filter and the pump clogs and quits working. It's irritating, but relatively easy to fix.

When the pumps were working again, we ate breakfast and made our grocery lists. Janet and I both get groceries but we each get different things. There was no avoiding driving in the rain today. We had things to do. Errands don't take as long these days because there is nothing to pick up for Dash. As he grew older, Dash has a grocery list that was just as long as ours. I've noticed that Peaches are back in the stores, but I'm not seeing the really good Georgia peaches yet. Clingstone peaches should be available soon and then Freestone peaches will start to be harvested later this Summer. I'm not a huge fan of grocery shopping, but it's a lot more enjoyable when I can find the things I like.

Around 2 PM the rain stopped and the weather radar looked clear for the rest of the day. I put on my boots and got started on my walk. For some reason I was slower than usual today. I'd like to think that my body runs like a well oiled machine, but like most people I have good days and bad days. I suspect that my energy level has a lot to do with what I eat. We had fried chicken last night. The tastier the meal, the more sluggish I become.

I saw lots of Barn Swallows today. These small birds fly low and fast over the water, catching insects in the air. I sometimes get Swallows and Swifts confused. but I think these were Swallows. They were smaller than Chimney Swifts and had a rust colored underbelly. I didn't feel like looking for Owls or Egrets. I felt tired today.

If it's clear tomorrow I guess I'll have to go clear the remaining water off the roof. I don't enjoy this task at all, but since I've become more diligent, the roof hasn't leaked again. Actually we haven't had a leak in a long time. I'm beginning to think that the one leak we had after the repairs were made was water that was already inside the house. There's no way of knowing what is going on between the exterior of the roof and the sheetrock on the ceiling. This one foot space is filled with insulation and is probably a haven for bugs and ants. I wouldn't be surprised if there are places where water is trapped.

Maybe something interesting will happen tomorrow. I'm not counting on it. I'll go to the gym and if I remember I'll stop at the store and pick up some more beer on the way home. I like a brew called Local Buzz. Pizza and burgers go better with beer. Since both of these things give me heartburn, a six pack of beer often lasts a month. Most of the time I just drink water.

Like I said, nothing to see here, except maybe a few water drops on the daisies in the park.

Dodger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3420

There is a brand new opportunity for me to attend a launch at Kennedy Space Center as a guest of NASA. You never know if your application to attend these events will be accepted but what do I have to lose. When I learned I would be applying to view and blog about the next Space X Falcon Heavy launch I didn't waste any time. I've already sent in my application. I've been accepted to attend NASA events in the past. I've also been rejected. We'll see what happens. All I know is that it would be really cool to go behind the scenes on a Falcon Heavy launch. I'm a huge fan of Space X.

I need to start listening to the pollen count on the local morning weather. My allergies were terrible today. It's weird how quickly this changes. Yesterday the air was clear. Today, my eyes were burning and I was blowing my nose continuously during my morning walk. Allergies aren't going to stop me though. I have already added a short evening walk to my daily routine. Now, I am walking close to five miles a day. I see other people walking faster and longer, but this isn't a contest. It's just important for me to stay occupied right now.

I wrote another letter to my sister this afternoon. I do this about once a month. Sometimes I think she's taking this Luddite thing a bit too far. It sure would be easier to stay in touch if she had an e-mail account. I guess it won't kill me to continue putting my thoughts on paper. After all, I'm the guy who likes old TV Westerns and I rarely miss an episode of Perry Mason. I'm basically lazy though. I'm not fond of texting people, but I do like e-mail. Using e-mail has saved me an enormous amount of time over the years.

Janet has arranged for us to go visit and play with the Dalmatians at the rescue kennel. We can't walk the dogs because of the kennel's location, but we can play with them in a large room. The dogs already get a lot of attention at the kennel, but maybe these visits will help with socialization. At any rate, I'm looking forward to seeing some Dalmatians again. I see lots of dogs on my morning walks, but no Dalmatians. Dot and Dash were the only Dalmatians in the neighborhood. I need to remember to bring my camera and photograph any new dogs. After taking pictures for almost twenty years, I've probably got one of the biggest collections of Dalmatian photos in the world by now.

Peaches are finally starting to become available again. My morning smoothies always taste better when I add a peach to the other fruit. Life is pretty simple when the addition of a peach can make your day better. In theory, tomorrow should be a good day. I've got a fresh peach to add to my smoothie and I'll get to pet a few dogs. I hope my allergies behave a little better tomorrow. I've just about run out of Kleenex.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3384

I went to get some beer on the way to the gym this morning and when I got to the register, the clerk said "We can't sell you that yet." I must have had a puzzled look on my face because he quickly added "It's Sunday and we can't sell beer and wine until noon." The time was 11:50 AM. Jeez. I'd totally forgotten about Blue Laws. Do these things still exist? I guess they do. This little encounter in the grocery store is a perfect example of how government works. Laws get created. Over time, people forget why the laws were passed in the first place, but they are still enforced. It's all very arbitrary. If I'd had the patience to wait ten more minutes, everything would have been fine.

I felt tired and overweight at the gym today. I must not have been that tired because I completed my workout in one hour and four minutes, just like I always do. I probably wasn't overweight either. This was just a day when I would have preferred to sleep until noon. Sleeping until noon, or even until 8 AM isn't an option anymore. I need to walk Dash when he is awake and active. This is usually right after he's taken his morning meds. I've learned that if I miss this opportunity, it can be very difficult to get him moving again.

Dash has a good walk this morning, but he seems to be dragging his right rear leg more. He's been going through the disposable rubber boots at a rapid clip this week. Sometimes he tears a hole in the cotton sock as well. So far, the base layer bandage has remained unharmed. I think the reason the boots are getting torn up is that we are walking on pavement more. Dash likes variety and seems to get bored easily. We are always changing our route as we make our way through the park. I'd like a little more consistency, but it's Dash's walk, not mine. If I can keep him happy and engaged, he's going to keep moving. Muscle atrophy is real. I'm trying to keep those muscles from deteriorating even further.

When I went back to Kroger to get the peaches I forgot yesterday there was only one peach left. I bought the peach along with a few nectarines, wondering why peaches are so hard to find at this time of year. The produce aisles at Whole Foods and Central Market are overflowing with fruit from all over the world, but there are no peaches. There are plenty of pears, plums, oranges, mangoes, and kiwis, along with an enormous variety of apples, but no peaches. One of life's mysteries, I guess.

It's hard to believe it's going to be April tomorrow. This year is really going fast. It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between real stories and April Fool's jokes on social media. Modern life has become so bizarre that real life often appears to be an April Fool's joke. Last year it was Easter on April 1. That was real. I think it was cold last year too.

It's almost time to start mowing the grass again. I wonder if I'll have the strength to push the mower this year. It seems to get harder and harder with each passing year.

Smiley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3355

We went and photographed the new dogs in the Dalmatian Rescue program today. I haven't been to the kennel for a while, so there were quite a few faces I hadn't seen before. It's easy to forget how strong and active young Dalmatians are. Dot and Dash were this way once. You think they'll be able to run and jump forever, but the years go by quickly. These new dogs were a lot of fun. I'm sure they'll all find great homes soon.

As expected, it was another rainy day. The gentle showers came and went throughout the day, so I was still able to walk Dash and do my grocery shopping without much trouble. Dash only got one walk today, but that was plenty. The rain picked up toward the end of the day and neither of us was in the mood to get wet.

Apparently, I still don't know how to tell time. I was going to stay up late and watch the Space X Crew Dragon launch tonight. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the launch was yesterday. Hmm. 2 AM on Saturday is not very late at night. It is actually very early in the morning. No great loss. Everything is recorded these days. I watched the launch this evening and pretended it was live.

My source for peaches has disappeared. I don't know where Kroger was finding peaches at this time of year anyway, but there were only four left when I went shopping this morning. The display was gone too, so I don't think the peaches are coming back soon. Oh, well. It's back to strawberries for the rest of the Winter. You can almost always find strawberries. When I was a kid, fruit really was seasonal. Nobody flew in berries from South America. Actually, fresh fruit of any kind was kind of a rarity. I mostly remember canned fruit.

Since it was cold and rainy this evening, we had chili for dinner. I love a good bowl of chili, but it doesn't always love me. I took my heartburn medicine ahead of time and had a beer with dinner as well. My doctor says it's fine to take a proton pump inhibitor like Protonix occasionally. It's not a good idea to take these drugs for years at a time though, since they can cause bone loss and osteoporosis-related fractures. It's always something, isn't it. For a long time I thought Protonix was a miracle drug, since it allowed me to eat anything. I guess there is no free lunch when it comes to heartburn.

I've got the pumps on the roof running now, but the rain is stopping and won't begin again until almost morning. Do I leave the pumps running and risk burning them out, or do I turn them off and risk a leak if the rain is heavy and the water levels build quickly? It's a tough choice. I wish I could find a pump that was safe to run dry for extended periods of time. It would make life easier. I guess I'll play it safe and turn the pumps off and place a bucket under the spot that usually leaks. I've had enough of this lousy weather, but there is no sign that it will end soon. March is often just as wet as February in Dallas.

There is more rain in the forecast for tomorrow. I'll probably go to the gym anyway. Hopefully, Dash will sleep through the night. If he goes outside to pee while it's raining, he'll get wet and dirty and by the time I dry him off and clean him up, I'll be wide awake. I'll bet those young Dalmatians at the kennel won't have any problems sleeping tonight. Young dogs and young people seldom do.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3251

Today was a catch up day. I didn't accomplish much, but I did finish the things I was supposed to do yesterday. There were no peaches when I went to the grocery store after breakfast. Unlike strawberries and blueberries, peaches seem to disappear when the season is over. I like peaches and when I can't find them in the store anymore it is officially Winter.

A lack of peaches wasn't the only sign of Winter today. It was very cold. Strong winds made it feel a lot colder than it really was. Despite the chilly weather, Dash was still eager to walk this morning. We bundled up and off we went. Dash now seems to understand the importance of protecting his feet and has finally learned to stand still while we fit his leg brace and put on his shoes and socks.

Dash an I are both hard on socks. I bought some more today on my way to the gym. My socks would probably last a lot longer if I didn't wear them as shoes around the house. Why would anyone wear shoes inside?  Spending the day in your socks is much more comfortable.

My routine never varies at the gym. Unlike people who try to push themselves, I'm just looking for consistency. I'd like to sink every shot on the basketball court. If only my hand eye coordination were more consistent.  I try to complete a mile on the treadmill in exactly the same amount of time it took the previous week. Usually I'm only off by a few seconds. I can guess my heart rate pretty accurately now as well. Consistency makes me feel like I accomplished something. Overachieving seldom does.

We're keeping socks on Dash in the house now. It seems to help. His paws need time to heal and he's constantly scraping them on something. We bought some medicine that will help the cuts heal, but he's got to stop opening old wounds. If these small cuts were on his back, everything would be better by now. The paws are always problematic. When Dash tore out a dew claw, it seemed to take forever before he was back to normal. I'm sure glad that accident happened before he was taking blood thinners.

Since yard work was out of the question on a cold day like this, I watched another episode of the National Geographic show about Mars. This kind of seems to be a show about what happens if Elon Musk succeeds. I keep wondering if the guy in charge of the Mars program in the show is supposed to represent an older Elon Musk. I wonder if I'll be alive when humans finally set foot on Mars. Probably not. It's still hard to believe that 50 years have passed since we went to the moon. This means 50 years since I was in college as well. Time flies. Back then I thought the world would have been a lot different by now.

Another weeks begins tomorrow. I'm looking forward to overeating on Thanksgiving. My appointment with the eye doctor, not so much.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3057

I'm glad I only had one thing on my list today. Two things would have been too much. After walking Dash and eating breakfast I went to the bank to set up the new account I needed. If you ask me, I have too many accounts already, but apparently I need this new one to serve as a conduit from my IRA account to the operating account that I pay bills with. I was surprised at the number of people who wanted to "get to know" me. One guy told me that he'd watched me come and go for seventeen years and I'd never stopped and introduced myself. Sadly, this was probably true. I never talk to anyone at the bank. I just hope I don't get stuck in the slow line at the teller window and leave as soon as I've made my deposit. The bank is like the post office to me. I could easily make deposits using my phone these days, but I like to go in person. I'm a Luddite. It's hard for me to believe that anything is actually happening if I don't physically hand the postal clerk my letters or the bank teller my money.

It took a long time to get things set up the way I wanted, but I'm ready to go now. Even if I get dementia or go stark raving mad, my bills will still get paid. I saw how forgetful my Dad became as he got older. You need to get prepared while you've still got your wits about you. I definitely don't want my electricity cut off because I forgot to pay the electric bill. I'm going to gradually set up all my recurring bills to auto pay and quit writing checks. My plan seems pretty solid unless I become a nonagenarian and run out of money. I don't think that's going to happen though. My family is not noted for longevity.

I think we're going to have to consider pain management for Dash pretty soon. The signs are subtle, but he seems more uncomfortable than he did even a month or two ago. Gabapentin didn't work, so we may have to resort to Rimadyl. Rimadyl is very effective, but it has some nasty side effects including gastrointestinal bleeding and liver disease. Hopefully, Dash will continue responding well to the Movoflex supplements and we can postpone the harder drugs for a while. I think pain management is important. It doesn't matter whether it's your dog or your Dad. Nobody should live in pain. I hope we can continue Dash's daily walks as long as possible. When he is no longer mobile, he is going to go downhill rather quickly.

Peaches are back in season. I'm always glad when peaches are plentiful at the grocery store. My morning smoothies taste better when I add a peach to the usual strawberries and blueberries. A peach makes a pretty good dessert too. I wish I could get my diet as organized as I've got my finances. I'm convinced that if I were eating exactly the right things, I would enjoy every meal and still never have heartburn. I need to talk to a nutritionist who doesn't just want me to become a vegetarian. Eating pizza is a disaster, but I can often eat pasta and spaghetti without any problems. Vietnamese Pho doesn't give me problems, but similar Chinese dishes can keep me up all night. I eat earlier now and avoid acidic foods like tomatoes. The holy grail would be a meal that provides the satisfaction of barbecue with the health benefits of kale. I'm still looking.

The weather is perfect for putting in new grass and repairing the roof. Why am I having so much trouble contacting the roofer and the landscaper? They should both be out here now. Guess who I'll be calling tomorrow.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2858

It doesn't look like I'll have to take the refrigerator apart this weekend after all. The temperature is holding steady. I have no idea why the temperature is getting cooler again, but I'll take it. I think we're probably good until the repairmen shows up Monday afternoon.

Dash let us sleep in until about seven-thirty this morning. He ate a good breakfast and then took a surprisingly long walk. This improvement is as much of a mystery as the refrigerator, but I'm happy to see our guy in good spirits again. I know he isn't entirely happy about the protective gear he has to wear. It's helping though. He doesn't lift one of his rear legs very well when he walks and he had ground down several of his nails all the way to the quick. Two of them were even starting to bleed. The protective boots keep his paws safe and the nails are starting to grow back again. I hope the knee brace is equally effective. Dash walks a little stiffly wearing the brace, but I think this is what is supposed to happen. By restricting his range of motion a bit, his knee will have a chance to heal.

I guess fresh peaches are finally out of season. I've been enjoying them in my morning smoothie, but they're getting harder to find at the grocery store. Peaches are more expensive now and are starting to taste mushy. I guess peaches are harder to grow in a greenhouse. Strawberries and blueberries are available all year long. I know there is a season for those berries as well, but it doesn't seem to matter.  You can almost always find good strawberries.

I upgraded the newer iPad to IOS 11. I kind of hope that I don't like the new operating system. If I do, I will be forced to get a new phone. My old phone can't be upgraded anymore and is stuck forever at IOS 10.3.3. My old original iPad is stuck way back at IOS 5.1.1. Apple used to be much better at making sure that their software worked with older products. Like most manufacturers, they've discovered that planned obsolescence is much more profitable. Computers are one of the few tools that become obsolete even when they are still working perfectly. I still have some hand tools that my Dad got from his father. A good hammer will last for a hundred years. A good computer probably won't last for five.

When I was recording some purchases in Quickbooks this afternoon, I noticed an entry from 12/10/17. That hasn't even happened yet. It took me quite a while to figure out where this entry actually belonged. We've all gotten so used to spellcheck that we become complacent and don't think we make mistakes anymore. I'm amazed at how many mistakes I make. I'm a typo factory these days. I wonder how many other undiscovered errors are hidden away in Quickbooks, Word, and Excel? I've even gotten the day count wrong on the blog and I don't have a clue where the error is.

A storm is headed our way. We really need the rain, but I'm always apprehensive about bad weather. I've been watching the storm approach on the weather radar and hope that nothing bad happens. I think the cold front and accompanying rain are supposed to arrive around 2 AM. Maybe we'll just sleep through it. That would certainly be better than having Dash freak out when he hears thunder. I don't want any more large branches falling on the roof either. Let's not even think about a power outage.

The good thing about the rain is that it's supposed to be clear and much cooler by morning. That would be nice. A clear Fall morning is exactly what I need.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2147

Dogs don't understand Daylight Saving Time. Frankly, I don't either. The whole concept of "gaining an hour" or "losing and hour" is bizarre. We all follow the same circadian rhythm and arbitrarily turning back the clock so it will be light when you drive to work in the morning doesn't really prove anything. I'm sure that's what Dot and Dash were thinking when they got us up at 6 AM on a Sunday morning. According to their clock, we were already an hour late for breakfast. We wanted to sleep in a little longer, but it doesn't pay to ignore Dot these days. When we didn't respond immediately to the dogs desire to get the day started, Dot got up on her own and promptly pooped in the hallway.

I had plans to go to the gym in the morning, but got sidetracked by setting all the clocks in the house back an hour. You don't realize until the time changes that almost every device in your home has a clock in it. There's a clock in the thermostat. There's a clock in the coffee maker. There's a clock in the television. There's even a clock in the old land line phone. In addition to these clocks are wall clocks in the bathroom, office, and kitchen, plus two clock radios. You are either forced to change all of these clocks, or ignore them all. Just changing one or two clocks creates confusion.You never know which one is right. I even set one clock back to Daylight Saving Time by mistake this morning. It is ironic that in a house filled with watches and clocks, I am perpetually late everywhere I go.

Since we have a lot of single pane glass in our house, cold weather can cause water to condense on the inside of our windows. This condensation can make the entire house feel damp. There is nothing new about this damp weather condensation, but today it made me feel like it was caused by our invisible water leak instead of the weather. I still see no evidence whatsoever of a leak, but the water keeps running in the pipes. I hope the plumbing company sends out a really good plumber. I hate these kind of mysteries.

I went to the gym this afternoon even though I knew it was raining and I would feel compelled to clean the car when I got home. I had cabin fever and needed to get out of the house. I did clean the car when I got home, but it was no big deal. Sunday is just a giant cleaning day anyway. After I cleaned the car, I vacuumed all the rugs and carpets with the Dyson. I continue to be amazed by the enormous amount of dirt and dog hair that I sweep up every week. I used to wonder why Dyson made the dirt canister out of clear plastic so you could see all the gross gunk you had removed from your carpets. Now, I think that they want you to see all this dirt so you will be impressed by how strong their vacuum cleaner is. Probably all vacuum cleaners suck up the same amount of dirt, but most just hide it away in a bag that your forget about until it is full.

So far, November is looking busy. I have an appointment to take Dot back to the cancer center for one of her periodic exams. She'll get another Ultrasound scan tomorrow to measure whether the tumor in her liver has grown. Dash is fine for the moment. He is eating normally and all four legs are working fine. I haven't seem him limp for almost a week. I think there is already enough work on the books to keep me busy for most of the week. I have three new articles to write, along with a website that needs to be updated and converted to a mobile friendly format. All these projects will be finished in good time, while I spend my time fretting about where to find fresh peaches. My morning smoothies were much better with peaches in them.

Jeda is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2109

I finished the book I've been reading. I watched the Pope's address to Congress. I deleted a section on a client's website that was no longer necessary. I paid a few bills and took them to the post office. It was a very uneventful day. I should use days like this to embark on ambitious personal projects, but I haven't been very ambitious lately. Most of my energy is spent taking care of Dot. Anything that is left over is usually frittered away. I wonder what to put in my morning smoothie when peaches go out of season. I wonder why some of my watches run fast and others run slow. I do the stretching exercises for my shoulder without a lot of enthusiasm. I'm torn between wanting more excitement in my life and being terrified of it. When all else fails, I take a nap with the dogs.

Yesterday I updated the operating system on both my phone and the Apple Watch. Battery life seems better on the watch now, but worse on the phone. This happens every time I update an Apple operating system. Location services is what kills your battery on the iPhone. Apple is very sneaky about trying to get information from the millions of phones it sells. If you're not careful, your phone is constantly sending information back to Apple about all manner of things. I learned today that the phone sends your GPS location back to Apple when the motion sensors detect that you are in a moving car. Apple uses this information for a crowd-sourced database of traffic conditions that can be used with their map application. I don't really care about the privacy issues. I turned this function off primarily because it is a battery hog. As soon as I manage to find all these hidden battery drains, Apple will update the system again and I'll have to start all over.

I find it interesting that both the Democrats and the Republicans are already trying to spin the Pope's speech to congress to support their own agendas. The speech seemed pretty clear and direct to me. I don't know why the politicians and pundits are spending so much time explaining what the Pope was trying to say. They should have just listened to what he actually did say. As I said earlier, I'm not a terribly religious person, but the Pope's speech today made most of what I've heard from the current crop of presidential candidates seem pathetic. How did we ever become so divided?

This weekend the Dalmatian Rescue group has its annual charity golf tournament. I have taken pictures at this event for many, many years. Every year it seems a little more tiring. I don't understand the fascination people have with golf. It takes a long time to play eighteen holes. It is often hot and muggy. Last year, I inadvertently knelt down on a fire ant mound to get a shot of someone on the putting green and was instantly bitten by hundreds of ants. It took almost a week for the swelling to go away. I'm not going to kneel anywhere this year. We can't leave Dot for very long, so Janet and I will trade off this year. She'll check people in before the tournament starts and then come home. I'll go take pictures of the golfers and then come home. Then Janet will go back to the awards dinner. When this event is over, I don't think I have any more events until it's time for Santa photos again.

I'm still debating whether to try the new restaurant tomorrow. It's tempting, but I hate dealing with those school zones. I'd better not postpone this too long or the place might go out of business.

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day