Day 4728

Santa has left the building. We are done with Santa Paws for another year. Today I set a new record for number of dogs photographed in a single day. Over a 100 dogs had their picture taken with Santa and I wound up with over 1600 exposures on my camera. We had to be very efficient today and the kennel staff we worked with were great. They were so efficient and had all the dogs staged and ready to go for us.

None of us really thought that this type of event would work, but we were pleasantly surprised. We saved a lot of time by not having the dog's owners present. All the dogs were already at the kennel and boarding for the day, so we didn't have to wait for anyone who was running late or got lost on their way to their appointment. We usually have a big box of costumes that people could sort through and find something for their dog. We abandoned that today and just photographed the dogs without any Christmas apparel. If an owner really wanted their dog to wear something, they supplied it themselves. 

We didn't take as many photos of each dog either. Typically we spend about twenty minutes with each dog or group and take a huge amount of pictures. Today's customers still got about 25 pictures to choose from and I think everyone was happy. The big change today was that we didn't make prints on the spot. This saved a huge amount of time. We just burned a flash drive with all the pictures for each customer and they could print whatever they wanted later.

It's hard to believe that we used to do five or six of these events every year. We even did photo events for Easter and Mother's Day. We're all getting older and two events wore us out. I kind of liked the way we did things this year. We did one invitation only low volume event for Dalmatian Rescue volunteers and people who have adopted dogs from us and then a second high volume event partnering with a local boarding facility. We pre-screened the dogs at the first event and the kennel pre-screened the dogs at today's event. There were no walk-ins with aggressive or psychotic dogs. One really bad dog at an event like this can screw up everything.

I'll unpack everything and put it away tomorrow. All I want to do now is finish this blog post and go to bed. Dinner tonight was a left over slice of pizza from lunch. Dawn was really good about being left alone in the house for so long. We got up extra early to give her a walk before we left and then gave her another short walk after we returned home. I got home first this afternoon and Dawn actually seemed glad to see me. I don't know how I managed to get home a half hour ahead of Janet because she left the event first. I guess I picked the better road today.

Tomorrow I'll do my grocery shopping, take the photo gear back to the storage warehouse, and return to my regular uneventful schedule. I may be a bit biased, but I think we have the best Santa photos in town. People always seem to love the pictures they get. Who knows how long we can keep this up, but hopefully we'll be around next year. I have Santa Paws photos in my files from 2010, so we've been doing these events for over twelve years now.  I think we've helped a lot of dogs along the way.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4727

One down, one to go. Our first Santa Paws event for 2022 went smoothly. We did things a little differently this year. Instead of setting up the backdrop in a boarding kennel or veterinary clinic, we were inside a nice home where we used the homes Christmas tree and fireplace as a backdrop. This was an invitation only event for volunteers and people who had adopted a dog from Dalmatian Rescue, so it was much less stressful than our typical Christmas photoshoots. Santa was happy because he got to watch football on a big screen TV while we were taking pictures and I was happy because I didn't have to set up the backdrop.

Not surprisingly, most of the dogs we photographed today were Dalmatians. Many of the dogs were Dalmatian Rescue alumni and a few of them have been featured as Dog of the Day on this blog at some point in the past. The dogs were well behaved and fun to be around. There was no pooping in the house and no Christmas trees were destroyed.

Since we photographed very few little dogs today, I didn't have to get down on my knees. I sat on a comfortable ottoman in the living room and took pictures while Santa was watching the Big 12 Championship Game between TCU and Kansas State. There wasn't a madhouse of barking dogs because we scheduled things so that there was only one set of dogs inside the house at any given time. We probably didn't make as much money doing things this way, but I hope we can do this again. The whole atmosphere was very relaxed and the event was easier on everyone.

Tomorrow will be the exact opposite of today. We will be doing Santa Paws pictures for a large boarding kennel that they will provide for their customers. The dogs owners will not be there for the event, but we will be photographing a huge number of dogs. I have heard that there might be as many as 100 dogs at tomorrow's event. The kennel will be bringing in extra staff to coordinate things, but there is still only one Santa and one photographer. I imagine that we will both be very tired tomorrow.

We didn't take Dawn with us today because it would have been very stressful for her. I doubt that she'll ever have any Santa pictures of her own. Dawn did get her morning walk before we left though. It wasn't that cold this morning, but it was dark. Dawn had her green LED collar, Janet and I had warning lights on our jackets, and off we went. By the time we returned it was almost sunrise. I don't think Dawn minded being alone in the house at all. She's very comfortable on our big bed. Occasionally we check in on her using the wifi petcam and she's usually just sleeping.

I even managed to get my steps today. I didn't start walking until I'd taken Dawn out to pee after I returned home. The sun was low in the sky, but I managed to get home again before dark. After walking in the park after dark earlier this month, I decided that I wasn't going to do that again. The park is kind of spooky after dark. 

I didn't have time to do my grocery shopping today and won't have time tomorrow either. I guess Monday will be grocery day this week. i'm going to try to get to bed earlier tonight because we have a longer drive to our location tomorrow morning. Hopefully Dawn will still be able to get her morning walk. I'll be glad when this year's Santa Paws events are over. It's a great fund raiser for our rescue dogs, but it's tiring for me. I'm still not sure if my equipment or my old bones are going to give out first.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4726

I would have preferred to sleep in this morning, but Dawn and Janet were ready to walk. Did it rain last night? The ground was very wet even though I don't remember it raining. There was a light mist in the air and my coat was damp by the time we returned home. Dawn had a good walk though. We took our lights this morning because we got started early, but we didn't need heavy coats. It was surprisingly warm today.

After breakfast I installed the latest firmware on the star tracker and tested everything to make sure it still worked. This took about an hour. I must have upgraded the firmware on this tracker at least a dozen times by now. There have been quite a few changes to the software app that controls the tracker as well. After many hours of testing, I've still only used this thing out in the field once. I guess it was a good purchase though. It has kept me occupied for many hours and I suspect that I've learned a lot along the way. One thing I've learned is that I'm not quite as interested in astronomy as I thought I was. The night sky is fascinating, but I'd really rather stay inside at night.

I changed my eye doctor appointment because it turned out to be on the same day I need to take Janet to and from dental surgery. When they asked when I'd like to reschedule, I felt like saying how about several years from now. I know my eye doctor is going to want to do cataract surgery and I'm not ready yet. Somehow it really bothers me that I won't be able to quickly change focus between near and far objects anymore. The artificial lens is just a simple fixed focus lens usually optimized for distance viewing.

It was fairly warm by the time I took my long walk, but it was not a nice day. It's been grey and gloomy all day. There were lots of people with cameras and binoculars when I passed the eagle's nest. I thought it was funny that the three Muscovy ducks were wandering through all the gawkers and being totally ignored. I'm sure the ducks thought the people were there to feed them and they looked pissed. "Hey, what about us," they seemed to be saying.

Construction continues on the world's most elaborate stone gates. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where the city approved these five gates. I'm still not sure what their purpose is, but there had to be a less expensive way to accomplish the park department's goals.

I think I've got my equipment ready for the first Santa Paws photo shoot tomorrow morning. I always take an extra camera body and a spare strobe light and power supply in case something breaks. Likely the only thing that is going to break is me. I'm getting too old for this. Dogs are small and I'm down on my knees a lot trying to get the best angle. I'm sure I've already mentioned that my knees are terrible. Last year I brought a cane to one of the photo shoots, but it didn't help much. Oh, well. This event is a good fund raiser for the dogs. I don't really do enough to help the rescue Dalmatians.

I can postpone my weekly grocery shopping, but I'm not sure how I'm going to get my steps tomorrow. Santa Paws days are long. Did I manage to get 10,000 steps last year? I don't even remember. 

Gretta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4371

Santa has left the building. Another year of Santa Paws events is in the books. It's hard to believe that we used to do five or six of these events a year. We're all getting older now and two events seems plenty. We had a good day today and photographed quite a few dogs along with two cats. Even Charlie and Oliver got a picture with Santa today. We had quite a few Dalmatians at today's event. Dalmatians are very photogenic but they are not always the best behaved. Santa had his hands full. It was lots of fun to see some of our Dalmatian Rescue alumni though. I've known a few of these dogs since they were puppies. We tried to figure out how long we've been doing Santa Paws pictures and our best guess is fourteen years. We might be off by a year or two either way though.

Janet and I walked Dawn even earlier than usual this morning so we would have time to set everything up before the event. This was the first morning this Winter where the temperature was below freezing. Dawn wore her new sweater for the first time and seemed to be comfortable wearing it. The cold doesn't bother Dawn much. Personally, I prefer warmer weather. I dressed very warmly and had to shed a few layers before I left for the event. It seems to take me longer to load the car and set everything up now, but even though I got a late start I was still ready for our first customer. I really need to buy some new stands for the backdrop before next year's events. These stands have seen better days. Everything still worked though. Since most of this equipment was build for daily use in a studio, it might last forever since I basically only use it once a year.

I'm still not sure where my FedEx package is. I know it has arrived in the Dallas area though. Since I wasn't sure if the customer service agent I talked to yesterday understood my request to hold the package at a nearby Fedex Print Center, I also put a vacation hold on the delivery. I was successful at preventing the package from sitting on my front porch all day, but I'm still not sure where it is. There was a cryptic message on the FedEx website this morning that just said "address corrected." I hope this means that the address was changed to the location where I hope to pick up the package tomorrow. It could mean something else though. We'll see. 

I really hate off-shore call centers. You used to be able to pick up the phone and talk directly to almost anymore. Not anymore. Everything is automated now. I'm so tired of sitting on the phone forever to listen to a series of automated prompts that never seem to refer to what I was calling about. Press 1 if you want blah, blah, blah, etc. By the time the robotic voice reaches Press 9, I usually get frustrated and just hang up. If I do eventually manage to reach a real person, it is usually someone in the Philippines or Malaysia that I can barely understand. I remember a time when the FedEx driver in our neighborhood would give me his personal cell number. If I was away when he came to make a delivery, I could just give him a call when I returned and he would swing back by. Those days are gone forever.

I was more organized than usual today. Instead of leaving all the photo gear lying around the house for a week, I took it directly back to the storage warehouse on the way home. Usually, I am too tired to do this, but it is nice to have all this stuff out of the way. Now all I have to do is wash the backdrop, recharge all the camera batteries, and I'm done.

I'm not sure if we'll go back to the kennel tomorrow. We were there all day today and got to see Charlie and Oliver anyway. We still might go, since it is a regular part of our Monday routine. When you are retire, you've got to have a routine or you completely forget what day is is. 

Savanah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4364

Our first Santa Paws event went well. It didn't seem like we had quite as many dogs this year, but there were still enough to keep us all very busy. All the dogs were very well behaved. There was no growling. Nobody knocked over the set or peed on the backdrop. I was proud of these dogs this year. There were a few dogs that have been coming to these events since they were puppies. Some of the old timers have put on a few pounds, but everyone looked like they were living the good life.

All the equipment felt heavier when I was loading the car this morning but nothing broke. We made it through another event. I'm amazed that my strobe lights have lasted this long. I've basically been using the same equipment since 2004. I had some problems with my wireless flash trigger, but I got the unit working again while we were eating lunch. I hope this stuff keeps working. It's almost impossible to find someone who can repair this gear anymore and almost all of it is no longer available.

It was a lot harder for me to get up and down this year. I spent most of my time sitting in a chair. I felt like one of those old rock and rollers who perform sitting down now. I think Phil Collins sings sitting in a chair on his latest tour.  Hey, we all aren't Mick Jagger. I'm glad I can still move at all. I talked to some of the other volunteers about knee surgery and foot pain today. I'm definitely not the only one with aches and pains. I'm still very reluctant to have surgery, but will buy almost any supplement that claims to build back cartilage.

Dawn seemed to do fine on her own at the house today. She's probably used to spending a lot of time alone. Janet still had time to give her a walk when she got home from our event. I took a little longer to arrive home. I am so slow now. It seemed to take me forever to take the equipment down and put it in the car. I think I'll just leave everything parked in the hall until our next event. The backdrop does need to be washed though. A couple of the dogs were fairly dirty.

I'm really glad I didn't try to go to the STP-3 launch now. Not only would this have disrupted the Santa Paws schedule, I would be just sitting in Titusville. The launch got postponed yesterday and today I learned it has gotten postponed even further. If I'm smart I won't even apply to go back to Kennedy Space Center until sometime next Spring. There's too much going on here and real estate taxes are due again anyway. That will suck up any travel money I might have had.

I didn't have time to take my long walk today, but still managed to get 12,000 steps. Tomorrow will be back to normal. Hopefully, I will get a good night's sleep before I resume my regular routine in the morning. All in all, it was a good day. I hope everyone was happy with their photos.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4363

I saw the eagle again today. This makes the fourth time I've seen the bird. I don't think I'm very observant. Every time I've seen the eagle, someone else has pointed it out to me. The two bald eagles must be here to stay. There are even signs in the park now warning people to stay away from the nest.

There wasn't much on my grocery list this week. I did notice that prices are still going up though. While I was out, I started looking at televisions. Flat screens are huge now. Most of the TV's I saw wouldn't even fit in our house. I suppose I could just get the old TV repaired, but the repair costs would probably be more than a new TV. You can't just replace a few tubes these days. Generally you have to get an entirely new mother board.

I've got all the photo gear packed and ready to go. I forget how long we've been doing these Santa Paws events, but it feels like it must be at least ten years. We get a new backdrop every few years, but most of the equipment has always been the same. I'm surprised that everything has lasted this long. Hopefully, the essential stuff will last a few more years. I don't feel like buying anything new at this point. The equipment will probably last longer than I will. I need to remember to bring my cane tomorrow.

I'm glad I didn't try to attend the STP-3 launch. This was one that I really wanted to go to at some point. Tonight's launch just got scrubbed and now it won't take place until Monday. If I was already down in Florida, the last minute scrub would have meant two more hotel and rental car days plus the hassle of trying to reschedule airfares during the holiday season. The older I get, the more travel just seems like a giant hassle. I wish my interests were closer to home. Maybe I'll get bored and become eager to get on the road again. Right now, doing nothing sounds pretty good to me.

I certainly won't be doing nothing tomorrow. I don't know how many people have made reservations, but usually we are pretty busy at Santa Paws events. Janet and I decided not to take Dawn with us. She's going to be a lot happier just snoozing on the bed. I hope everything goes well. Usually at least one dog tries to knock over the set, but we haven't had a disaster yet. Everyone always seems happy with their pictures.

We had pizza for dinner tonight. My new medication for acid reflux works like a charm. I can basically eat anything now. It's too bad that PPI's aren't recommended for long term use. It's a shame that doctors don't agree about this medication. I hate to take something that is going to create more problems than it solves.

We've got to get up early tomorrow so we can walk Dawn and eat breakfast before the photo event. At least there is no longer any rain in the forecast for tomorrow.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4356

It was a damp, rainy day. Not a lot of surprises today. We managed to get Dawn walked this morning before the rain started. I had bacon and eggs for breakfast instead of my usual shredded wheat and did my grocery shopping before taking my long walk. I had to go to three different stores to find everything on my list. It wasn't a long list either. One store didn't have strawberries. Another didn't have the Swiffer dusters Janet wanted me to get. There was supposed to be a half price sale on pies at Central Market, but they were all gone when I got there. I did find my Local Buzz beer though. I used to be able to find everything I needed at a single store. I guess those days are gone. Oddly, none of the stores were crowded.  I guess everyone is still eating Thanksgiving leftovers.

I decided to go ahead and walk in the drizzle when I got home because it didn't look like the rain was going to stop. Bad weather definitely cuts down on the traffic in the park. The trails were pretty empty again. I didn't enjoy getting wet today, but I actually prefer dismal, overcast days like this. It's quiet and peaceful when you have the park to yourself.

So far, no roof leaks today. It's been a quiet, gentle rain, so maybe that helps. I've been avoiding going up on the roof lately, but I guess I'll have to when we get a clear day. Lots of leaves are falling now and they tend to create little duck ponds on the roof after a big rain. I'll have to remove these leaves or the water will never drain away. At least the pumps are still working. I saw water coming out of both pump hoses just before dinner.

Dawn didn't get a second walk today because of the bad weather. She certainly didn't seem very disappointed. Dawn is a lazy dog and seems content to just sit on the bed most of the day. I felt like doing the same thing today. It's hard to get motivated on a rainy day.

I have a feeling that I'm going to have to get a new phone soon. My battery doesn't stay charged very long anymore. I guess I could just replace the battery, but the cameras in the newer iPhones are so much better. A new phone is tempting. The camera is just about the only thing I use on my phone. I rarely talk to anyone and I'm not a big fan of texting. I wish that Apple would put their best camera on their smallest phones, but I don't think that's going to happen. There's certainly no rush to get a better phone. The little app that keeps track of your screen time says I only spend 11 minutes a day on my phone.

It's about time to get the photo gear out of the storage warehouse for our first Santa Paws event. I was going to get some new umbrellas or softboxes this year, but never got around to it. We did get a new backdrop though. I have a growing collection of Christmas themed photo backdrops now. There's nothing wrong with the old ones, but since we get a lot of repeat visitors, it's nice to offer them something new.

Hopefully the weather will clear when we take Dawn on her Sunday outing tomorrow. We've been lucky this Fall with an abundance of clear beautiful days. I guess a little rain is to be expected. At least we don't have to worry about snow. It's hard to believe that it's already snowing in many parts of the country. 

Spots is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3999

We walked a little later this morning and it made a big difference. I only needed one coat and Dawn didn't need a coat at all. It's amazing how quickly the temperature rises as soon as the sun comes up. We see a lot fewer people now that Winter has arrived. Often it seems like we have the park to ourselves. It's still not easy for me to get up in the morning, but I really need the exercise. Whenever I hear Janet say "thirty minutes" I always get out of bed and get ready to walk. The older I get the more I realize that staying healthy is my responsibility.

There wasn't much on my grocery list this week, so shopping didn't take long at all. People still seem to be hoarding toilet paper and bottled water, but we have plenty. All I really needed this week was fresh fruit. I wish peaches weren't a seasonal product. I always think my smoothies taste better with peaches in them.

I think I've got all my equipment ready to load in the car early tomorrow morning. Janet says that we've been doing these Christmas pictures since 2004 and I've been using the same equipment the entire time. I'm amazed that it still works. I have upgraded cameras over the years, but the strobe lights, the power packs, and all the umbrellas and stands have been used every year. We have quite a collection of Christmas themed backdrops by now, but I can't even find some of the older ones. I like the new, lighter washable backdrops better anyway.

Hopefully, everything will work well for one more year. We only have a single venue this year. Covid has changed everything, including the ways that Dalmatian Rescue is able to raise money for the dogs. I'm kind of dreading wearing a mask all day, but if people working in grocery stores can do it, so can I. I've already discovered that photographers have some of the same problems with masks as people wearing glasses. Your viewfinder tends to get fogged up when you breathe. I was thinking of using my new camera tomorrow, but I decided to stick with something I'm more familiar with. Maybe I'll use the new camera next year.

It's a shame that the virus is spiking again. I never thought that the pandemic would last this long. I think the real problem is human nature. I'm a loner, but a lot of people really like to mingle and socialize. Masks won't help if help the people continue to wear them below their nose. I still see a lot of people pull their mask down whenever they talk to someone. Jeez. That defeats the whole purpose. Lockdowns don't work if people are still having weddings, going out to dinner with friends, and planning holiday celebrations. I never got the regular flu because I always stayed away from children in the Winter. It's probably that simple. Just stay away from other people and you are safe.

I'm mostly just going to be around dogs tomorrow. It's much more likely that my knee or shoulder will go out than I'll catch the virus. Photography isn't really kind to old people. Pretty soon I'll have to just sit in a chair like Santa when I take these pictures. Since dogs come in all shapes and sizes I do a lot of kneeling and even lying on my belly to get the best angles. Hey, staying active keeps you young. I guess I've got to practice what I preach.

I think it's supposed to rain tonight. I hope it's all over with before morning. The last thing we need tomorrow is a bunch of wet dogs.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3982

My American made 3M N-95 masks arrived today. These are definitely a step above what you can find at the grocery store. The masks arrived a little late for my trip to Kennedy Space Center, but I will use them when Dalmatian Rescue does Santa Paws Christmas Pictures. It's hard to believe it's that time of year again, but it is. We're only doing pictures at a single venue this year. This one is large enough where we can do everything safely. That's fine by me. One day of pet photography is enough. Every December I keep saying that I'm getting too old for this. The show must go on however. It's been a tough year for fundraising and the Dalmatians still need to eat. I hope we do well.

I'm beginning to think that I got bitten by fire ants instead of mosquitoes while I was watching the Crew-1 launch. These bites are starting to look and feel suspiciously like fire ant bites. I've been bitten by fire ants before and they make hard little welts that itch intensely. Also, fire ants are everywhere in Florida. Maybe this is why I got bitten even though I sprayed myself liberally with mosquito repellant. I forget how long it takes for these things to go away, but it can't be soon enough.

I finished my story for the magazine this afternoon and will start sorting through the pictures tomorrow. I will easily meet the new deadline and then will eagerly await publication. This will be the fifth article I've gotten published since I decided to reinvent myself as a space and astronomy journalist. The whole process has been very rewarding. It's nice to know that you can do something new at any age. I'm glad I didn't start out as a space journalist and then decide to get into advertising after I retired. That wouldn't have worked at all.

I wish I could get a mulligan on that one day I missed my Fitbit goal in Florida. It hardly seems fair. Now I have to start all over again and it's going to take a long time to beat my 422 day record. Oh, well. I was just too busy to take a long walk on launch day. This obsession I have with continuity is why I continue to write the blog even though very few people are reading anymore. After 3982 days, you can't just stop. 4000 days is easily within reach and I may live long enough to reach my 5000 day goal after all. Sometimes I get a little jealous when I see a picture of a puppy that has hundreds and hundreds of likes while I only have about ten readers, but I need to remind myself that I'm doing this for me, not you.

We had another very nice walk with Dawn this morning. I still don't understand Dawn's behavior. She's very friendly with me in the morning. She comes up to me wagging her tail and can't wait for me to put on her harness so we can walk. Early in the day I can't detect any difference in the way she reacts to me and the way she reacts to Janet. As evening approaches she typically becomes wary and will often run away if I make any type of sudden movement. She does come out to the kitchen with me when I fix her dinner now. I guess this is progress. She wouldn't leave the bedroom without Janet a month ago.

I guess peaches are gone until next season, but I did get some more strawberries for tomorrow morning's smoothie. I also looked for a smoked ham for Thanksgiving. I guess we're going to eat at home this year. There is a small batch custom smokehouse in the neighborhood that prepares amazingly delicious smoked meats. They had several large hams available, but nothing small enough for two people. They told me to come back Friday. I'll give this a try, but I'll still miss going out to the Melrose for a Thanksgiving buffet.

I'm already getting invited to future launches by Space X and ULA. Unfortunately, I can't afford to travel very far for a while. I'll have to skip a few launches in the months ahead. I'm counting on there being something interesting on the horizon when my bank account recovers.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3642

Santa has left the building. Another year of Santa Paws events is complete. I think Dalmatian Rescue did pretty well this year. All our customers are happy and we managed to add an extra event to our schedule this year. I'm always tired after these events, but this is nothing new. I'm almost always tired anyway.

We photographed a lot of animals today. Most were dogs, but we did take Christmas pictures of two cats and one rabbit. There was also one young baby and several families. Whenever we photograph families, they say that the experience is much better than going to a shopping mall Santa. I think our team is great. A lot of people say we do the best Santa photos in town, but I wouldn't want to compete with anyone. We're not a high volume operation like a shopping mall Santa. We don't ask the dogs what they want for Christmas either. It probably helps a lot that we mostly photograph dogs. Children are much more difficult.

Every year we do these events, I think it might be my last year. My knees are getting bad and a day of constant kneeling and getting up and down is punishing. This year I felt a little better than last year though. Maybe my daily five mile walks are helping me stay in shape. I hope so. When I got home today and finished unpacking my equipment, the first thing I did was take a five mile walk.

I used to live in the area of town where we had our event today. So much has changed. I hardly recognized the place. Dallas has grown enormously since I moved here in 1976. I'm glad we moved to the lake. I don't think I could live in a high density, urban environment anymore. The streets were so crowded in my old neighborhood that it took forever to get back on the freeway and head for home. Even the relatively peaceful streets of our lakeside neighborhood seem too crowded for me these days. I'm envious of the remote desolation of Fort Davis. A town with less than 2,000 people and no traffic lights seems perfect.

All the photo equipment is still piled in the hallway. Over the next few days, it will go back to the storage warehouse. Everything worked this year and the new backdrop was a good investment. I think we'll throw it in the washing machine and clean it before storing it away. We've never had that option before. All our other backdrops have a strong doggie smell. I hope that the next time I need this equipment that it all still works. Actually, it probably will. Professional photo gear is designed to be used day in and day out in a studio environment. I basically use mine once a year.

Tomorrow, I'll start thinking about the article I'm going to write about the Artemis program. If I knew the magazine was going to ask for an article, I might have arranged a few interviews while I was in New Orleans. I should be fine though. My brain is still filled with random information about rockets. I just need to start writing things down before I forget everything. Developing a reputation as a space journalist seems like a daunting task. Will I ever get there? Launches and newsworthy events don't happen that often and I don't get invited to all of them. It's good to have a goal though. I think you live longer if you have a goal.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3635

One down, two to go. I'm happy to report that our first Santa Paws event of the year went well. The animals were well behaved. The customers were happy. And none of the equipment broke. No dogs vomited or peed on the backdrop either. You really can't ask for more than that. We photographed more cats than I expected. I don't think the cats were expecting to be photographed either. Most of them clearly didn't enjoy sitting on Santa's lap. A few of the dogs enjoyed things a little too much, although nobody was really naughty. Santa was pleased.

I'm a little slower than I was last year. I stayed sitting for most of the day and my knees were thankful. It just isn't as easy to get up and down anymore. I may be falling apart, but the rest of the team has entered the modern age. We can take mobile payments now. We don't burn a CD for customers anymore. When they want all the pictures of their pet, they get their own Flash Drive. I'm amazed at how affordable Flash Drives have become. We couldn't have done this five years ago.

We'll be doing Santa photos at a different location tomorrow. Tomorrow's event is further away, so Janet and I will need to get up even earlier in the morning. It takes about an hour to set everything up and about the same amount of time to put all the equipment away again. Add another hour of driving time each way and it's going to be a long day. Our team of volunteers have become very efficient over the years. Everybody knows what to do and there are very few surprises. When the day is over, I always think that we do the best Santa photos in town.

I should go to bed early tonight but that's not going to happen. I've still got to pack for my NASA trip.   I'd like to think I've got these short trips down to a science, but it's so easy to forget things. Did I remember my passport? Did I remember to take all my meds? Can I even find my hotel? I like to travel light, so I almost always leave an important item of clothing behind. If I think I can live without a warm coat, it's almost guaranteed to be cold when I arrive. I'll do the best I can, but I'm never going to enjoy packing a suitcase.

I wonder how many more years I can do this? I'm a little slower every year, but somehow everything still works out OK. I guess it's good to stay busy, but it doesn't feel natural. Right now it feels more natural to get up at 10 AM and have a trip to the post office as your big event of the day. I'm still a little apprehensive about traveling on the same day we do one of these big photo events. Hey, I can do this. When it's all over, I'll probably be glad I tried to extend myself a little. I know I will enjoy seeing the Artemis moon rocket at the Michoud Assembly Facility. I enjoyed seeing all the dogs today as well. Some even made me laugh. I don't laugh nearly enough. Truth be known, being a pet photographer who likes to follow rocket launches isn't a bad way to spend your time. I think it would be even more fun if I was thirty again.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3634

I think we're ready. The costumes, the set, and all the camera gear has been packed up and is ready to load in the car. The new backdrop looks good and everything appears to work. Tomorrow morning we begin the first of this year's Santa Paws events. These Christmas photos have become a popular fundraiser for Dalmatian Rescue and we will be busy. Hopefully all the dogs will be well behaved and none of the equipment will malfunction. We used to just take pictures of dogs with Santa, but now people bring their children and other pets as well. Hey, why stand in line for a shopping mall Santa when you can have your picture taken with the best dog Santa in town.

I woke up to the sound of hammers pounding nearby. I looked out the window and our neighbor was putting on a new roof. Actually, a lot of people in the neighborhood are putting on a new roof. Probably the insurance settlements from last Summer's big storm finally arrived. Why is it so easy for people with a conventional roof to get insurance to pay for roof damage and it is always so difficult for me. I've had large trees fall on our roof and the insurance agent just shrugged and said he didn't see any damage. Basically, when shingles blow off in a wind storm, insurance comes to the rescue. When standing water slowly causes a leak to develop over time, insurance does nothing.

I went out for breakfast again this morning after staying home on Friday for the past month or so. Why won't restaurants let you order a child's portion of anything on the menu? Better yet, why don't they just make their portions a little smaller. I grew up learning that I needed to finish everything on my plate and the habit of cleaning my plate persists until this day. I'm always too full when I go to a restaurant because I am unable to leave with uneaten food still on my plate. Today's breakfast was good, but it reminded me that it's better to stay home where I can control the portion size.

I haven't started packing for the NASA trip yet, but I did get the laptop ready. I thought by connecting Safari to my iCloud account, I could avoid having to remember a lot of passwords. No such luck. I was able to merge my bookmarks, but none of the website passwords transferred. Maybe there was a reason for this, but it just meant extra work for me. I made sure that the airline, hotel, rental car, and NASA information web sites worked, saved the passwords, and then called it a day. Most of this stuff is already on my phone, but like most things in life, it's always good to have a backup.

After running a few errands, writing a letter to my sister, and getting the photo gear organized, I was surprised to discover that there was still time for a walk. I knew I would be returning in the dark again, but I've become a slave to Fitbit and needed the steps. I also need my sleep tonight, so I'm going to try to go to bed early. Lots of luck with that. I never seem to get to bed early.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3617

I didn't really expect that it would be 75 degrees today. Just a few weeks ago I could have sworn that winter had arrived. I doubt that this unseasonably warm weather will last very long, but I was happy for the reprieve. I'll take a beautiful Indian Summer day any time I can get one.

The nice weather certainly didn't inspire me to do anything useful. I fixed my morning smoothie, checked my e-mail, made a few minor updates to an animal rescue website, and took my walk. That was about it for the day.

It wasn't surprising that there were a lot of people out in the park. There were no jackets and wool hats today. Everybody was wearing shorts. I wish days like this were more common in Dallas. I finished my entire walk without freezing or sweating. This is the way is should be. Unfortunately, there is rain in the forecast for later in the week.

The spare bulbs for my Norman strobes arrived this morning. We still can't decide whether to buy a new backdrop for this years Santa Paws photos. I have a ton of Christmas themed muslin backdrops from previous years, but since we get a lot of the same customers year after year, it's always nice to have something new. There used to be an abundance of hand painted muslin photo backdrops available, but that's not the case anymore. More and more photographers just use a green screen and insert a backdrop electronically using compositing software. Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer a real hand painted backdrop. I guess it's time to go to the storage warehouse and see what I have. We've been doing the Santa Paws pictures for a long time and there are a lot of old backdrops to choose from. Janet and I only found one interesting new pattern this year and after looking at it for a while, realized that we already had it. Like I said, nobody makes these things anymore.

I keep hoping to hear something from NASA, Sky and Telescope, or McDonald Observatory. I have lots of travel plans floating around in my head, but so far everything is still in limbo. I guess it's OK that things are moving slowly. It gives me something to think about on my walks. I still don't know where I'd live if I get approved to stay at the observatory this Spring. I'm not sure what I'd write about if I attend the Starliner launch either. Is there a story here? I guess I can't call myself a space journalist unless I can prove that there is.

I still can't figure out where the ants are coming from. These little sweet ants are so small you can barely see them, but there are everywhere. I've been bitten at night while I sleep and I found one inside my sock today. It really doesn't do much good to use bug spray if you don't know where they are coming from. You can't kill ants one at a time.

I hope that the weather stays nice tomorrow. One more dry day and I'll feel a lot more confident that my roof patches have fully cured. A dry day won't make me confident about anything else, but you've got to take what you can get.

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3585

I was determined to get something done today. I've eaten all the leftovers, so I went to the grocery store right after breakfast. Actually, I went to two grocery stores. You can never find everything you need at a single location these days. After taking some bills to the post office, I took my daily walk. It was a good thing that I ran my errands first today, because the weather was just about perfect around noon. I didn't need a jacket and I didn't sweat. You can't get any better than that.

I've been seeing a lot of Monarch butterflies lately. They're headed back to Mexico for the Winter. Next Spring I'll see the Monarchs again as they migrate north. It's amazing that these tiny creatures can travel such incredible distances. When I see these butterflies fluttering around in the park it's hard to imagine them traveling to Fort Worth. How do they make it all the way to Mexico?

I promised Janet that I'd trim the overgrown Photinia Bushes in the back yard. You couldn't even call these Photinias shrubs anymore. They've grown into large trees. Next week is bulky trash pickup in our neighborhood, so I knew that I couldn't postpone this task much longer. If I don't get the Photinias trimmed this weekend, I'll have to wait another month. I wish I could have gotten the tree guy to do this for me while he was taking down the Elm tree, but he wasn't interested. I can't say that I'm very interested either. The reciprocating saw is very heavy and I have trouble lifting it with my bad shoulder.

It took hours to cut the bushes back to fence level. Instead of fifteen to eighteen feet high, the Photinias are now a more manageable six feet high. It will be several years before they fill in and start to look like a hedge again, but at least the job is done. Large branches are quite heavy. Trimming the trees was only part of the problem. I also had to drag everything I'd cut out to the curb. By the time I finished I was very tired. Hey, I did get 24,000 steps today though.

I finally got a letter from Sky and Telescope. Basically, the letter just thanked me for being patient and said the magazine would be back in touch with me soon. Even though this short, somewhat ambiguous letter didn't say much, it was encouraging. I'd been thinking they might have forgotten about me. Maybe they will help me with future plans after all. One can hope anyway.

The new Dalmatians have arrived at the kennel. I'm going to go meet them tomorrow and photograph each of them for the website. I think there are six new dogs, but I'm not sure. I guess I'll find out when I get there. I need to do the photography soon because I think one of the dogs is being adopted this weekend.

It's been a long day. The utility bills have been paid. The refrigerator is full again. The Photinias have all been trimmed and the debris has been hauled to the curb. I even fixed myself a tasty dinner. I need to get a good night's sleep, because I think tomorrow will be just as busy.

Little Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3490

I finally got some better pictures of Charlie when we visited the Dalmatian Rescue kennels today. He's a hard boy to photograph because he never stays still. I wanted a picture where his ears looked nice, his tongue wasn't hanging out, and there wasn't a ball in his mouth. Eventually I got one.

All the dogs have adjusted well to being in the kennel. They get a lot of attention, are well fed, and are recovering from the medical problems many of them had when they entered the program. They all seem so normal now that I don't think any of them will have any problems adjusting to life in the forever homes each of them will find soon.

We spend a lot of time at the boarding kennel so I don't take a morning walk on Monday's anymore. I still had time for a leisurely breakfast and a few errands before we left for the kennel, but that was about it. I had just enough time to pay some bills, go to the post office, and pick up a few things at Home Depot before we left.

I still had to take some sort of walk when we returned late in the afternoon. This was probably a mistake, but I'm addicted to those Fitbit steps. It was really hot and humid today. I had to stop several times to wet down my shirt and hat in a nearby water fountain. The Pelican has returned but the Egrets are gone. I guess these birds don't like to share the same water. There were water turtles basking on several semi-submerged logs. I guess they liked the sun better than I did.

I'm finally starting to get some bids for the last piece of art I put up for auction. I guess lowering the reserve made a difference. This is just an online auction so there is no drama. Maybe that's for the best. This piece got no attention at all when it was offered at a big auction in New York several months ago. I wish I had more art to unload. The bills for my trip to Florida are starting to come in and it is obvious that travel can be just as expensive as collecting things. I think travel is the way to go now though. When you collect memories they don't take up a lot of space.

I wish I didn't have problems with heartburn. I had some leftover pizza for dinner and I can already tell that it's going to be a long night. Pizza, spaghetti, and chili are just about the only things that give me problems. It's a shame because I love these things. We had steaks last night and a chicken casserole over the weekend and I had no problems at all. Whenever I eat vegetarian meals I don't have any problems either. It's clear that I shouldn't eat pizza, but I hate to give it up entirely. Every once in a while I just resign myself to heartburn.

A carpenter is coming over tomorrow to give me an estimate on repairing the greenhouse. If I like the guy I may get some bids on fixing other things around the house as well. There's certainly plenty of things that need to be fixed. It's hard to find an experienced carpenter who will work on small jobs. I don't know if this guy's any good, but one of my neighbors likes him a lot. I finally called the carpenter because I kept seeing his truck in front of the neighbor's house.

I'll add Charlie's new picture to the Dalmatian website tomorrow. I hope the carpenter shows up. You never know with these guys.

Lizzy 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 3264

One down, one to go. Today's photo shoot went well. All the dogs were friendly. The owners were happy with their pictures. And nobody peed on the set. One dog threw up on Santa, but it was a minor mishap. Basically, everything went like clockwork today. We were busy all day long, but I don't think the crowds were as big as they were last year. Maybe we were just better organized this year. We never got behind schedule. No equipment malfunctioned. And we even had time to eat lunch.

The day started early. Dash got me up at 4 AM, but he managed to make it outside and there was no poop to clean up. I actually got more sleep than usual last night since I went to bed early and Dash slept soundly until he needed to go outside. I wish he would do this every night. There was actually plenty of time to take a shower and complete our morning walk before I had to leave for the photo shoot.

There were no exotic animals today. We did photograph two cats, but today's event seemed tame compared to several weeks ago when I spent the day photographing children holding snakes. I wonder why Santa pictures are important to people? Some folks come every year and have entire albums devoted to these pictures. Our own dogs would never sit still for Santa pictures, but I'm glad that other people's dogs do. Santa Paws has always been a good fundraiser for Dalmatian Rescue.

We've got another Santa Paws event scheduled for tomorrow and then we're done for the year. This is much easier than when we used to do these events every weekend during the holiday season. I keep saying that I'm too old for pet photography and this will be the last year, but I always reconsider. It's such a good cause and I enjoy working with our team. Even though I'm a grumpy person with bad knees, it's nice to know you can still do something useful.

Dash did fine today. He got his morning and evening walks and all of his regular meals. Janet came home at noon to check on him and take him outside to pee. He spent most of the day sleeping, just like he usually does. I always worry about leaving Dash alone, since he is so unpredictable these days. We did fine though. We'll repeat this routine tomorrow and then it's back to drinking smoothies for the rest of the year.

Every year I photograph a few dogs who are nearing the end of their life. I always wonder if I'll see them again next year. Pet owners almost universally agree that dogs don't live long enough. They become indispensable members of the family and then they're gone. Maybe this is why the photographs are so important. I try to give people good memories. That's kind of what it's all about.

The weather was beautiful this morning. I was inside most of the day, but I got to watch the sunrise as Venus gradually disappeared in the Eastern sky. There was a thin crescent moon overhead, a gentle breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. Dash was steady on his feet and was enjoying himself. I had a feeling that it was going to be a good day.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day