Day 4435 - Valentines Day

We worked on training Jo Jo today while we were up at the kennel. He's a big friendly boy and must weigh at least 80 pounds. The first thing he needs to learn is not to jump up on people when he greets you. He likes toys, but not like the other dogs. Every toy we introduced him to he took outside and tried to bury it. We had lots of fun getting to know him today and he made us laugh a lot. 

I'm surprised that Oliver is still at the kennel. He's such a nice dog. He's basically just a big goofy puppy. Charlie has become an old friend. We've known him a long time now. Charlie is one of the smartest dogs we've ever had in the rescue program. He's also one of the most unpredictable which explains why he's been at the kennel a while.

The power company tree trimming crew arrived at our house today. The two Live Oaks near the alley basically have no leaves anymore. The trees are still healthy and small branches with leaves will start to appear next Spring. We've seen this before. This is the third time these two trees have been trimmed to keep the branches away from the power lines. They both look really ugly now. I was hoping that the crew would just cut the trees down this time. No luck though. I don't think the crew even carried large chain saws with them. The tree crews probably won the contract from the electric company on a fixed budget and they had no interest in wasting time with individual trees. They had a schedule to keep. They were very efficient in removing smaller limbs and then grinding them up in a wood chipper. Our two trees were a big job though. The five person crew was in our yard most of the day.

I didn't get around to taking my long walk until later in the afternoon. I didn't make it very far this time. I don't think I planned very well. I wore a t-shirt and it didn't take long for me to discover that this wasn't enough. I was cold. My feet hurt a lot today as well. The worst thing was that my allergies have returned with a vengeance and I forgot to bring Kleenex with me. How could today be so different than yesterday? The sky was clear both days, but the wind must have been blowing from a different direction. I'm so tired of seasonal allergies, but they'll probably be with me forever. As bad as they are, I still prefer blowing my nose a lot to taking antihistamines.

I thought that Dawn would be upset by all the noise in the backyard today, but it didn't seem to bother her. She spent the day sleeping on the bed as usual and the only time she barked was when someone from the work crew got too close to the house. I don't know how she knew. The blinds were closed and you could never hear footsteps over all the other noise. We waited until all the equipment was gone before taking her on a short walk. The yard was a danger zone for a while.

It was my turn to drive to the kennel today and it reminded me how much I hate driving in this city. Traffic is terrible and everyone is in a hurry. People are always running traffic lights and making illegal u-turns. I don't understand all the u-turns. It seems like half the city is lost. Right now I can't imagine driving all the way out to West Texas again. A forty-five minute drive around town makes me tired.

We didn't get cupcakes for Valentines Day this year. Neither of us wanted to stand in a long line at Sprinkles. We did have some champagne in the fridge and a few leftover brownies so we had a little party anyway. Dawn kind of got cheated though. Usually we always went to Sprinkles because the dogs loved their dog cupcakes. 

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4432

The power company crews arrived in our alley today. I asked if they would just cut down the two trees at the back of our yard that are growing through the power lines but they made no promises. It will be much easier for them to just cut off the branches touching the wires like they've done in the past and leave the bare trunks again. The trees eventually grow back but they are so ugly now after multiple haircuts like this that they are not worth saving anymore. 

Ironically, the last time the power line crews were here they asked us if they could remove the trees. I was determined to save them then. Now that we are ready to let them go, tree trimming budgets have been cut and the crews are only doing minimal trimming. We'll have to see what happens. I thought they'd get to our trees today, but they spent most of the day in our neighbor's yard. I'm sure they'll be back though. Our trees are tangled up in the power lines worse than anyone else's.

When I was starting out on my long walk this afternoon I noticed that a friend's house had been scraped. A big excavator was being unloaded as I was walking down the street and by the time I returned the house was gone. My friend sold the house a while back and I guess that the new owners just wanted the lot with a nice view of the lake. This was a very nice house and many years had gone into fixing it up. It still seems strange to me to buy a house and just tear it down, but it's pretty common these days. RIP old house.

I wish my seasonal allergies would go away. My eyes are watering constantly and I spend the day sneezing and blowing my nose. Sadly, things will get worse as Spring approaches and everything starts to grow again. I used to suffer from allergies only a few months a year. Now it seems like there are only a few months without them.

Dawn still doesn't seem to like walking in the morning. She was eager to get her harness on today and raced out the back door, but as soon as she got to the park she froze again. We got her moving using some treats we have in  our pockets, but she froze in place several times before we completed our loop and made it home again. Oddly, we walked exactly the same route this afternoon and Dawn was fine. No problems whatsoever. None of this makes any sense to me. Maybe it would if I was a dog.

I didn't accomplish much today. I was going to wash my car but didn't get around to it. I was going to write a letter to my sister, but didn't do that either. I did take several naps and thought about what I was going to do tomorrow. I probably won't do those things either. The older I get, the less important it seems to stay busy. I still get stuff done. It just takes a little longer.

I wonder what I'll find at the grocery store tomorrow? At first I just noticed that things were getting more expensive. Now I'm starting to notice that entire shelves are empty. We never should have shut the country down for two years. The economy isn't like a light switch. You can't just turn it off and back on again. I'm glad I'm retired. This doesn't seem like a great time to be looking for new clients. Everyone seems cautious and confused. Maybe we'll snap out of this malaise, but I certainly don't have any answers.

Lady Gogh is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4344

If you've seen one Monday post, you've probably seen them all. Monday's are always the same. That's not a bad thing though. We get everything out of the way in the morning, so we have the afternoon to spend with the Dalmatians at the boarding kennel. It felt warmer when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. We left the house a little earlier than normal because Janet had a morning meeting. It kind of felt like one of those mornings before the time change. I always watch for coyotes when it is dark outside. I don't want Dawn to tangle with a coyote.

When we returned to the house I tried a wide, flatter cereal bowl instead of the deep one I've been using lately. Sometimes experimentation doesn't work. My shredded wheat kept falling out of the bowl. By the time I was ready for my long walk, it had warmed up enough so that I didn't even need a jacket. I keep looking for the eagles, but they are pretty illusive. Maybe I just don't look up enough. I'm usually looking down when I walk so I don't inadvertently step in a hole. I'm sure I'll see the birds again. There's still a lot of walking to do before the end of the year.

The same three dogs are still at the kennel. One of the kennel attendants told us that someone had been looking at Pepper but that she hadn't been adopted yet. Charlie, Oliver and Pepper are all so active that it makes me glad that we ended up adopting Dawn. I don't think I have the energy for a younger Dal anymore. In fairness, I think that Charlie, Oliver and Pepper would all be a lot calmer in a home environment. There's something about comfy furniture and a big king sized bed that brings out the laziness in almost any Dalmatian. The kennel Dalmatians all seem to love the time we spend playing with them. It is time well spent. Each of these dogs seems to get smarter every time we visit.

The kennel is one of our locations for the upcoming Santa Paws photo events. I noticed that the kennel already has sign up sheets out in the lobby. This is a good location because there is plenty of room to set everything up. Some of the places we've been are so small that it is difficult to squeeze all the gear in. I keep thinking that I'm going to have to add a cane to my growing pile of photo gear. My knees are terrible now and it's not that easy to get up off the floor these days. When you are photographing dogs, you spend a lot of time on your knees.

Thanksgiving dinner and the Santa Paws fundraiser events will be here before you know it. I don't know where this year has gone. It seems like yesterday when we started 2021 thinking that the world was finally getting back to normal. I was sure wrong about that one. Maybe we can finally put Covid behind us soon. I've noticed that the drive-thru Covid testing site that we always pass on our way to the kennel is looking pretty empty these days. A few months ago cars were wrapped all the way around the block at this place.

We got a notice from the electric company that they would be in the neighborhood trimming trees around the power lines later this month. This was always a traumatic event for us because they would butcher our trees. This year we are thinking of asking the crew to just cut the trees down. The trees near the alley where the power lines run would need to come down anyway if we ever move our driveway to the rear of the house. I'm always scared that a big storm is going to blow the trees over anyway. We've lost two large trees to straight line winds already. I loved all the big trees in our back yard when we bought the house. Times change though and I think I'm finally ready to give up on the trees. Janet was ready years ago.

Maybe I can get something productive done tomorrow. I still need to make appointments with the dermatologist and the dentist. I need to write NASA and ask how I can apply for long-term credentials. Some photographers I know only have to renew their credentials once a year. It would be so much easier to plan ahead if I didn't need to worry about getting overlooked or rejected for every single launch. I need to find a carpenter too. I'm tired of looking at the rotting wood on the side of the house.

Honey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day