Day 4887

My editor liked my article about the Viasat-3 launch and sent me a press proof of how it will appear in the July issue of SpaceFlight. I'm getting to be a regular contributor to this magazine. Will I be able to make it to the AX-2 launch several weeks from now? We'll see. I paid my credit card bills from the previous launch today and it's not looking promising. Everything is getting way too expensive. Being a space journalist is not a lucrative endeavor. Most of the other rocket photographers I've met down at the space center get paid virtually nothing for their efforts. We all seem to think it's worth it though. Not many people get inside access to view launches like this.

I continue to worry about the weather for the roof replacement next week. I was going to call the roofers today and try to postpone things, but I think I'll wait until Monday. The weather forecast changes daily. If the weather improves we might as well go ahead and get this done. I still don't want to deal with rain while half the roof is pulled off though. I'd kind of rather wait till July when we can go for weeks without any sort of moisture. With my luck, the best time for the roof replacement will probably be when I want to go to Florida for the AX-2 launch.

Today was a typical Friday. Janet did her grocery shopping. Dawn got impatient waiting for her to return. And I took another long walk. It was a good day for walking. The sky was overcast and it was relatively cool with very little wind. I like days like this. Dawn wasn't so sure about her own morning walk. She's scared of the neighbor's cat and won't go down into the park if the cat is outside in the neighbor's yard. We had to take a different route this morning but it all worked out fine. Dawn actually seemed excited to be doing something new.

I did nothing new at all on my long walk later in the morning. I followed my familiar route. Made sure all the resident ducks were accounted for. And tried to keep up a decent pace. I'm hopelessly slow compared to some people I see walking. Fitbit thinks I'm doing a good job though. Walking six miles a day still seems like a better alternative than going to the gym.

My supplemental health insurance went up in price again. I think the cable bill went up too. Everything keeps getting more expensive, while no additional money is coming in. This sucks. It's too bad I am no longer an in demand web designer. I could use a little extra income these days. I hear jobs are plentiful, but I don't think I'd want the type of job seniors tend to get these days. I'm not cut out to be a greeter at Walmart. I'll just have to learn to be more frugal. I was never very good at being frugal.

This week has gone quickly. I need to make a grocery list because my own grocery run is tomorrow. I'm trying to avoid outdoor chores, but the grass will need to be mowed very soon. Can it wait another week? We'll see.

Dixie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4237

The appliance repairman came back today and installed the new part. The ice maker and in-door water dispenser still aren't working though because no water is flowing to the refrigerator. I'm going to have to call the plumbers again. Actually, I did call the plumber, but they aren't working on Saturday. When the plumbers were out at the house we checked to make sure that the new shut off valve they installed stopped the leak in the freezer. I guess we didn't check to see if the valve actually worked. It seems fine in the off position, but nothing happens in the on position. This is frustrating to say the least. I hope the plumbers don't charge me again when I can get them to come out and investigate things. Janet suggested just leaving the ice maker broken since the freezer is working fine. I like the ice in my morning smoothie though, so the ice maker will have to be fixed. I can't keep buying bags of party ice forever.

I went to the gym really early this morning so I could be home in time to meet the appliance repairman. I did an abbreviated workout, finished my grocery shopping and made it home again thirty minutes before the repairman arrived. I was really disappointed when the repairman informed me that this whole refrigerator saga isn't over yet. Until I can get the water flowing to the refrigerator, I have no idea whether anything the repairman did today actually worked. I doubt if he knows either. The weird thing is that there is no logical reason why water isn't flowing. The shut off valve is very simple. It's either on or it's off. Water was definitely flowing with the old broken valve so there's nothing wrong with the copper pipe. Hopefully I can get a plumber out Monday because this thing is driving me crazy.

Dawn did extremely well on her sunrise walk this morning. She seemed back to her old self and walked almost two miles. We still have no idea what caused Dawn to stop walking and what is making her feel confident again. I'd like to think that the reluctance to walking had something to do with her paws, but she wasn't licking or paying any attention to them then. Now that she wants to walk longer again, she's tearing her paws up. I had to put the cone on her while I was eating breakfast, because she immediately wanted to start licking when we returned to the house. I don't understand anything anymore. Dawn shouldn't be licking her paws and water should be flowing through that copper pipe.

I might have missed my opportunity to see a Starship launch. Activity is really picking up in Boca Chica and they say that the hotels in the area are filled with Space X employees now. Space X is also building a tall fence that blocks a lot of the views you used to get from Highway 4. It still would be nice to go down there for the first orbital launch later this year. I'm beginning to think that space journalism was just something I imagined. I'm losing a lot of my connections at Kennedy Space Center and it seems harder and harder to get press credentials. Maybe it's all for the best. I don't feel really comfortable traveling now that Covid panic is on the rise again. I've had so many expenses lately that I probably couldn't afford a trip right now anyway. It was fun to be part of the space community for a while. Hopefully, I'll be able to rejoin them when life returns to normal.

It's not getting any cooler, so we'll probably have to take Dawn on her Sunday outing a little earlier tomorrow. A walk and ice cream cones will probably be the big event of the day. I doubt that I'll see a plumber tomorrow. The dispatcher told me that emergency plumbers worked on the weekends but that ice makers weren't considered an emergency.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4129

I'm still puzzled that I didn't get credentialed to attend the Space X Crew-2 launch. I wrote my editor to see if NASA had even bothered to contact the magazine. Before getting press credentials NASA has to verify that you actually have an assignment from your media outlet. The whole process is way too complicated. Maybe I'm doing something wrong when I submit my applications. Hopefully my editor can help me sort this all out. It just makes no sense that I'm accepted sometimes and rejected at other times for no apparent reason.

I wrote a few more letters while I was still in a letter writing mood and then I went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription they've been calling me about. Somehow my prescription refills have gotten totally out of sync with the rate I am actually taking the pills. I now have an 180 day supply of three different pills. I hadn't even started using the last 90 day refills before this latest refill kicked in. Everything is so automated now that it is hard to change anything. My pharmacist and I both agreed that it would be easier for me to just take the refills and save them until needed than to put in a change order. We tried that once and a prescription I need got accidentally discontinued. 

This is why I always do my best to learn how to fix things myself. Unfortunately, fixing a furnace is easier than fixing a medical record. We live in a world where cashiers don't even know how to make change. People go to a website and click a few buttons to make something happen without having any idea how the whole process works. I'm pretty sure that I'm taking the correct prescriptions but some of them have been listed incorrectly in my medical records for years. I predict that in a few years from now, some of your doctors will have no idea whether you took the Covid vaccine or not. The only record you have is that little card they gave you when you got your shot. How long is it going to take you to lose that?

Tomorrow I am supposed to get a package that the UPS website says was delivered before it was shipped. I'm curious whether I'll actually get the package. We'll see. I've given up on trying to sort this out. Nobody has been able to explain why the tracking number tells me that the package was delivered last month to someone in New Jersey. This whole situation seems very similar to my incorrect medical records. UPS tells me that everything is fine and just to ignore the website. My doctor never even looks at my online medical records. He just asks me over and over again what pills I am taking every time I visit.

Today was uneventful, but what else is new. As always, I drank my morning smoothie while catching up on the dismal state of the world on cable news. I can't stand to watch anything for more than thirty seconds, so I'm constantly switching channels. I check my e-mail and the mailbox outside after breakfast. The electronic world is nothing but junk and so is the physical world. I'll usually block a few telemarketers on my phone and then I'm done. No wonder I like walking so much.

It's getting pretty warm. I don't think I'll be wearing jackets on my walks for quite a while. Hopefully Dawn will be OK with the heat. She doesn't walk far now, so I think she'll be fine. I'm not so sure about myself. I was sweating when I returned home today and it's only April. I don't even want to think about what it's going to feel like in July. The Summer heat may be what ends up getting me back to the gym. There is a nice indoor running track at the gym and the building is air conditioned. Sounds pretty good right now.

Flash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3996

I received the press proofs of my article about the Crew 1 launch today. The article will appear in the February 2021 issue of SpaceFlight Magazine and it looks pretty good. I got six full pages in the magazine this time and they used quite a few of my photos. I'm pleased with how everything turned out. February is looking good for me. That's when my Sky & telescope article will appear as well. My editor wondered if I'd be interested in covering the upcoming Perseverance landing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in February. Sure. Why not. I'll have to get credentials approved though. I kind of wanted to go out to JPL when the Curiosity rover landed, but I wasn't able to get approved. Maybe it will be easier now that I've gotten a few more articles published. Who knows. I may become a legit space and astronomy journalist yet.

An HVAC technician came over to the house this morning to diagnose what was wrong with my old dehumidifier so I could submit a warranty claim. I thought the guy would just do a quick write up saying that the unit wasn't working anymore. Nope. He tore the unit apart and was determined to find the problem. It turned out that the compressor wasn't leaking after all. Something inside the sealed system was restricting the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator coil and causing it to freeze almost instantly as soon as you turned the dehumidifier on. The good news is that this is something that definitely would be covered by the warranty. I have to send all my paperwork to the manufacturer and they'll open a claim. Hopefully, sometime in the foreseeable future I will get a free replacement for this defective unit. I've already got another dehumidifier running that seems to be working well, but you can't have too many dehumidifiers in this house. 

I was completely wrong about the weather yesterday. The two forecasting services I use both predicted an almost 100% chance of rain, but it stayed dry all day. We took our morning walk at the regular time and then I took another walk later in the day. It's weird how often the weather forecasts on my phone are wrong. They are pretty good about telling you what is going to happen thirty minutes from now. Not so good about telling you what is going to happen thirty hours from now. Right now it looks like we won't have any rain for the next ten days. The forecast could be completely different tomorrow morning though. We'll have to see what happens.

I penned Dawn in the back of the house while the repair technician was here. She slept through most of the service call, but finally noticed what was going on and started barking like crazy. Luckily, the repairman was just finishing up and taking his tools back to the truck. Dawn sounded like a good watchdog, but I think she was scared. She doesn't like new situations. Janet was home at the time, so Dawn calmed down quickly. Later in the day when Janet was gone, Dawn became fearful again. I think she might have gotten me mixed up with the repairman. At any rate, I knew to leave her alone and I went on my afternoon walk. She was back to normal when I returned.

The radiology department at Baylor called to schedule me for a swallow test. I'm not looking forward to drinking the Barium liquid they use during the test, but the whole thing is painless and doesn't take long. I'll be glad when all my medical appointments are over with. They all seem to happen in November and December. I've still got a follow-up visit with the dermatologist, this swallow test x-ray, and maybe a visit to see a foot doctor. Then I probably won't see anyone else for another year. 

I need to start gathering my gear together for this weekend's Santa Paws photo shoot. It would probably be a good idea to test my strobe lights and wash the backdrop as well. Most of this studio gear I only use one a year. It's all getting pretty old by now and I'm never certain whether everything will work. Fingers crossed. I'm not even certain that I'm working properly anymore.

Gretta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3947

It's time to get serious about packing. I really haven't started yet. I'm the absolute worst about travel planning. I wait till the last possible minute. I forget things. I can't even decide what to take. I'm still undecided about which cameras to bring with me and I have no idea where I'm going to eat breakfast. There were several restaurants that I tried to call, but nobody answers their phone anymore. I can't even get the ranch where I'm staying to answer their phone. They did send me a confirmation letter a few days ago, but I still have fears of arriving late and finding the entire place dark and locked up.

I did pick up my rental car, but even that was a little weird. When Janet dropped me off at the Enterprise office, I quickly discovered that the place was empty and locked up. What now? I wandered around aimlessly for a while, looking for an entrance and finally a maintenance guy pointed to the nearby Alamo office and told me, "You have to go in there." For reasons that were never explained to me, Alamo was renting cars for National and Enterprise too. There was a small staff that didn't know the available cars very well, but eventually I found something with in-dash GPS and blind spot warning lights on the mirrors. I never care what kind of car I get, but I always make sure it has GPS and blind spot indicators. Hopefully, this car has cruise control as well. There are very long stretches of flat uneventful roads in Texas.

We had another nice walk this morning. Dawn loves these cool Fall mornings. The temperature was in the high 50's when we left the house and didn't climb past the mid 60's for the rest of the morning. When the temperature remains low, Dawn is back to her old self. She didn't even seem that tired when we returned to the house. 

I wish ground fog was easier to photograph. There was lots of fog early this morning. It's very pretty visually, but it often seems to disappear in the camera. I did notice that all the Pelicans were back this morning. We haven't seen the female Muscovy duck in over a week though. Hopefully, we will never see the coyotes when Dawn is with us. I don't want to tangle with a pack of coyotes.

Now that I'm on the press list for both ULA and Space X, I'm starting to get lots of notices about upcoming launches. It's kind of an abundance of riches. I could never afford to go to all these launches, but it's nice to know I'm invited. I still plan to attend the Space X Crew 1 launch, but it hasn't been rescheduled yet. It was scheduled to launch on Halloween at one point. I hope the launch isn't pushed back to Thanksgiving now. Janet an I would still like to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner. It's a shame that buffets have probably disappeared forever. A lavish buffet brunch on Thanksgiving is the best.

I might not have WiFi on my trip. Yikes. The observatory is still officially closed and the astrophotography workshop is being held outdoors. There will be no fast Internet at the Astronomer's Lodge this time. The remote ranch cabin where I'll be staying probably doesn't have WiFi either. This presents a real problem for a daily blogger like me. What do I do if I can't upload a post each evening? I might have to write my entries offline and then post them retroactively to the correct day when I return. I hope it doesn't come to this. I've gone a long, long time without missing a day.

We'll see what happens. I wish I was more of a free spirit and wasn't so apprehensive about travel. I usually enjoy myself after I have arrived at my destination, but getting there can be a bitch. Hopefully, this trip will go smoothly.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3913

Jacket weather has arrived. Our recent rain was accompanied by a cold front, bringing considerably cooler temperatures. This was the first time I've needed a jacket since late last Spring. The last time I actually remember wearing a coat was last March when I was out at McDonald Observatory. There must have been a few more cold days after I returned to Dallas, but my memory isn't as good as it used to be.

The heavy rains washed away all the food the guy set out for the ducks and geese the other day. What a shame. The huge bag of feed was probably pretty expensive. Maybe the ducks ate it all before the rain arrived, but I doubt it. At any rate, I hope the ducks and geese ate hearty before the rain washed their unexpected treasure away. I'm not even sure that the wildlife in the park needs any help finding food, but it made me feel good to see the man attempt to take care of a gaggle of angry geese. People can fend for themselves. My loyalty remains with the animals.

Space X and ULA have both added me to their media lists. I received the notice from Space X today. I don't know if this will amount to anything in the future, but it's another step in the long road to legitimacy as a space journalist. I also got a letter from SpaceFlight Magazine saying that my author copies of the October issue with my article about the Artemis program were on their way. I now have three published articles under my belt and am confident that the fourth will eventually appear in a future issue of Sky and Telescope. This is really slow progress but it beats doing nothing. It's not exactly a natural transition going from writing ads about soft drinks and tacos to becoming a legitimate space journalist.

I was proud of Dawn today. She seems to slowly be learning to trust me. Today Janet had to be gone for a considerable amount of time and Dawn came when I called and ate her meals in the kitchen normally. This may not sound like much, but less than a month ago, she refused to come out of the bedroom until Janet returned to the house. I think this will all work out fine. I have no idea what Dawn went through earlier in her life, but it clearly wasn't good. I think the key to winning Dawn's trust is to be patient and consistent. She may never be completely comfortable with men, but I think she will eventually become comfortable with me. I can see a difference already.

I saw a video today where someone took the music from Bladerunner and added pictures of San Francisco with dark orange forest fire skies. It was kind of eerie, especially considering that the original Bladerunner movie was supposed to take place in 2019. I guess we are entering science fiction territory here. You wonder what else can go wrong in 2020. We've still got three months to go.

I've taken this week's trash to the curb. I'm so bored now that I'm starting to miss my restaurant breakfasts on Friday mornings. I doubt that I'll be going out any time soon though. They now say that indoor dining is pretty high on the danger list. Janet and I survived our birthday dinners, but we'll just stick with take-out meals for a while. When you've stayed healthy this long, you start to get superstitious.

Cleo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3905

It was raining again when we woke up this morning. This looked like a long, hard rain, so there was no point in looking for a little window on the weather radar where we could walk. Dawn would have to wait this morning. That seemed fine by her. Once again, we couldn't even get her to go out in the back yard to pee.

I went ahead and fixed my breakfast while waiting for the storm to clear. It turned out to be just as well that I stayed home because I got a call at 9 AM from the media liaison officer at Patrick Air Force Base to fill me in on the procedures for visiting Cape Canaveral. The guy was extremely nice and spent a lot of time answering all my questions. He also put me in touch with media relations people at Space X and United Launch Alliance. It took a while to get my credentials, but I'm starting to feel like part of the space coast press corps now. There's a good chance I may attend the upcoming Delta IV Heavy launch after all.

The skies finally started clearing around noon and we got a chance to walk Dawn. There was still a light drizzle when we left the house, but that was OK. Anything that makes us feel cooler is fine these days. We thought we'd turn around if the rain got worse, but it ended completely before we finished our first mile. There was a nice breeze too. These walks are a lot more enjoyable when the temperature is in the low 70's. I hope the cold front that preceded last night's rain stays around for a while. I'm enjoying these cooler temperatures.

When we returned home I wrote introductory letters to the Space X and United Launch Alliance contacts that the Air Force liaison suggested I reach out to. He told me that the more people I can establish some sort of a relationship with, the greater my chances would be of getting a good story when I return to  Cape Canaveral. Good advice. I asked the Space X folks about the possibility of scheduling a visit to Boca Chica to do a Starship story as well. We'll see what happens. I'm glad I can start making plans again. I was really getting tired of doing nothing. Having some sort of a purpose during the pandemic can make all the difference.

Dawn was absolutely fine with me today. It was almost as if yesterday never even happened. We're thinking of talking to a behaviorist. Dawn has these panic episodes from time to time and we don't really know what is causing them. It's almost like she has PTSD or something. Dawn has clearly had some troubling experiences in her past. Maybe occasionally I remind her of them. It may take a while, but we're going to work this out. I want to be Dawn's best friend, not her worst nightmare.

It looks like there is still rain in the forecast for tomorrow. We'll try our best to walk Dawn, but if I'm stuck inside at least I've got a couple of launches to watch on the computer. Space X will be launching its twelfth Starlink mission tomorrow morning and later the same day they will attempt another low altitude Starship hop down in Boca Chica. Today I watched a test of the SLS solid rocket boosters out at the Northrop Grumman facility in Promontory, Utah. Watching these things is much more enjoyable for me than watching the news. The news is extremely negative these days. Rockets are just the opposite. Reaching for the stars is very positive.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3894

I missed the free shredding event this morning. It was only two hours long. Who has an event that is only two hours long? Oh, well. I didn't really know what I wanted to throw away anyway. There will be other events like this and I will probably miss them too.

I still can't find everyday items in the grocery store. Today my favorite kinds of cheese and popcorn were gone. I couldn't find those blue Scott shop towels either. When I asked where the peaches were, the produce guy told me that they had all been recalled. This seemed odd. I'd read about fresh peaches being recalled because of Salmonella contamination, but this wasn't supposed to be happening in Texas. The contaminated peaches were a different brand than I buy anyway. Hopefully, I haven't been eating contaminated peaches. I eat a lot of peaches.

We got an early start on our walk this morning in an effort to avoid the Saturday crowds. Apparently we weren't early enough. I think twice as many people cycle and run on Saturday than on any other day of the week. The pandemic hasn't been kind to many businesses, but it's been great for anyone selling recreational equipment. They say sales of bicycles, running shoes, and kayaks are skyrocketing. I see more people exercising in the park than I've ever seen before.

I'd hate to work in retail these days. I basically only go out on Saturdays now and I continue to be amazed by what I see. A huge number of people wear their mask below their nose. Don't they know that the nose is connected to your lungs? Even stranger are the people who always pull their mask down or take it off when they are talking to someone. Jeez. You can talk through these things. I went out to pick up some barbecue for dinner and while I was waiting for my order, I watched three different people pull down their mask to talk to the lady at the checkout register. No wonder we are having problems with this virus. Maybe this was why there was a help wanted sign on the restaurant as well.

I'm tempted to call my contact at the Air Force and ask what has happened to my request for media credentials. The only reason I hesitate is that I don't know what I would do if I was suddenly approved. There is a launch I'd like to go to next week at Kennedy Space Center, but I'm not really ready to fly yet. I've been on enough airplanes to realize that flying is probably the worst place to social distance. If the airlines were still running a full schedule, this probably wouldn't problem. Unfortunately, most airlines are cutting back flights so when their planes are in the air, they are still full.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow. Eventually boredom is going to drive me back to the gym. Janet has been going to her gym for several weeks now and says it isn't crowded and feels much safer than the grocery store. She's probably right. My gym was never crowded even before the pandemic. It's probably virtually empty now.

I do lots of daydreaming on my walks these days. I've got plenty of of plans, but most of them take place in a world that probably doesn't even exist anymore. What's going to happen to my plan to become a space reporter? I've got the full support of a magazine in London, but basically no place to go. I'm getting older and don't want to get sick either. I think 2020 is a lost cause. I'm thinking about 2021 now.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3870

It's been exactly one year since I received the press proofs of my first article for SpaceFlight Magazine. A second article was published about six months later and a third is still scheduled for publication in September. It was a good beginning, but I thought my budding career as a space journalist be a lot further along by now. I certainly thought I'd be down at Kennedy Space Center tomorrow morning for the launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission. Oh, well. It wasn't meant to be. Little did I know back then that the world was about to change. I keep trying to get media accreditation again, but it might be a while. In a post-covid world, newcomers go to the back of the line.

I shouldn't complain though. My problems are small compared with what other people are going through. I was going to get a haircut later in the week, but my stylist got laid off at the salon. Another covid casualty. I know someone locally who got infected now. He's OK, but it makes me realize that the disease is all around us. Most of my friends are healthy and continue to lead normal lives. A few seem to have flipped out and are way too angry for their own good.

Sometimes when my day is uneventful it is tempting to go on an angry rant myself. It would certainly be an easy way to fill up space. The problem is that I'm not really angry. I'm still very detached. I think this is the secret to social distancing. I look at the world like it is an episode of Black Mirror or the Twilight Zone. It is not my world though. I try to navigate the pandemic and the social unrest like everything is covered in a sticky glue that you can't let touch you. You have to plan your moves very carefully.

I have a few farmer and rancher friends that I envy. I keep thinking that their farms are so remote that they are completely unaffected by all this turmoil. This probably isn't true though. Farmers and ranchers might not have to worry about riots in the city or getting killed by a random cough at a grocery store, but some of them are probably having big problems selling their cattle or their crops. The whole supply chain is screwed up now. We are in the middle of a global mess that affects all of us.

You'd think we could all rally together to find a solution. That's what my parents did during World War II. It's not happening though. I have never seen so much anger and division. Much of the rancor takes place on Facebook. I look at what some of my friends say online and think "Do I even know you." I think there are going to be articles in prestigious medical journals for years to come about how social media causes mental illness.

The solution for some of us has always been dogs. It's hard to be angry when you've got a good dog. Dawn continues to be a joy. She certainly came into our lives at exactly the right time.

Tink is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3702

We took Dawn back to the emergency vet today to get the drainage tube removed from her neck. She was nervous in the car because she knew where she was going but was a lot more relaxed on the way home. She had to feel better without the plastic tube protruding from her neck. We'll have to go back again in about ten days to get her stitches removed, but so far everything is looking good. The vet said her wounds were healing nicely.

Dawn has been the perfect houseguest. She has adapted so quickly to her new routine that it seems like she has been living here for years. The family who adopted her couldn't have found a better dog. Dawn is one of those Dalmatians who smiles, but I haven't been able to get a picture yet. When you point a camera at her, she quits smiling. We have a low platform bed, which probably seems like the world's biggest dog bed to Dawn. It's easy for her to get up and down and she loves to take naps on the bed. We haven't been able to walk her because the location of her wounds makes it difficult to use a collar or harness. She likes our yard though and is completely housetrained. Just like Ginny, it's going to be hard to see her leave.

I miss having a dog, but I still think fostering is the right thing to do. Since we're experienced with Dalmatians, but don't have a dog of our own now, we're the perfect place for dogs like Hank, Ginny, and Dawn who temporarily need a quiet place to rest and recuperate.

The rain finally stopped around noon today. I was able to get up on the roof and remove all the water. A few hours later the leak in the kitchen stopped. I noticed that there is another leak on the back porch as well. I wrote the roofer a very polite letter asking for help. He's done so many repairs already that I know he doesn't want to hear from me again, but I don't think I can fix this leak myself. I can't really call other roofers either, because he's the only one locally who specializes in these silicon roofs. I think I've found where the water is getting in, but I could be wrong. I definitely don't want to make the situation worse.

I sent my pictures of the launch to the magazine but still haven't received a response. This is a little troubling but it has happened before. The magazine is based in London and the editor is often away from the office for days at a time. Oh, well. I've done my part. I hope they like the pictures. I offered to write a story, but since the Solar Orbiter was a European mission I think they already had a European writer working on an article. I'll probably write an article anyway and try submitting it to other publications.

Janet wanted to see how Dawn would do alone in the house, so I took a short walk while she was out running errands. Dawn seemed a little nervous when I gated her in the bedroom but quickly warmed up when I gave her a few treats. When I returned home, she was sleeping comfortably in the center of the bed. I'm usually here, but it's nice to know that it's safe to leave her if we need to be somewhere else.

It's hard to believe that it's almost the middle of the month already. I need to start working on my taxes and do some more planning for my upcoming trip to McDonald Observatory. Retirement is starting to feel busier than when I was working. That's probably a good thing.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3682

I saw a little blue sky today. Things are looking up. I guess the big news is that I got my press pass. NASA sent me a notice today that my application has been approved. I'm a space journalist now. I'll be covering the Solar Orbiter launch for a little British magazine few people have even heard of, but it's still a big deal to me.

The good news about getting real press credentials inspired me to get my butt in gear and make my reservations for the trip. Since I've started traveling more, I've joined several airline, hotel, and rental car loyalty programs in hopes of getting a better deal. All I've gotten so far is a lot more spam e-mail. It's not so easy to get a great deal. What I've discovered is that when you tell an airline or hotel when you want to travel, there are seldom any deals. You get the bargains when you let them tell you when to travel. Discounts aren't really meant to help you. They exist to fill empty seats and rent rooms on slow days. Needless to say, I'm not getting any deals this trip, but I do have my reservations now.

I spent a lot of time up on the roof today. Truthfully, I still have no idea where the leak is coming from. After I removed all the standing water, I took a tape measure and found the spot on the roof directly above where the leak occurred. Everything looked good to me. I couldn't find any holes or tears in the silicon coating at all. The water is getting in somewhere though. I just don't know if I'll ever find the source. The problem is that once that water manages to get under the protective coating, it can travel almost anywhere. The leak might be nowhere near where it is actually entering the house. Luckily, this was a very small leak after a very heavy rain. Maybe if I'm more careful about using the pumps, it won't happen again.

Since the rain has moved on to the East, I was able to take my walk today. It was definitely easier walking on an indoor track, but time seems to pass much more quickly when you are outdoors. It's easy to let your mind wander and daydream when there are interesting things to look at. Walking the same distance on a small indoor track is mind numbing. I totally lost track of time yesterday and was just waiting for my Fitbit to tell me that I'd gone the distance. I'll admit it was warmer though. There's definitely something to be said for staying warm. It was nice to see blue sky this afternoon, but I was still cold.

This week has gone quickly. I even managed to get a few things done. Now it's time to take this week's trash out to the curb and start thinking about where I want to go for breakfast tomorrow. Shrimp grits sounds pretty good. If the weather stays nice, I might start thinking about visiting the little observatory north of town as well. I still need to do this before leaving for the Davis Mountains. Did I mention that the weird rattling noise in the washing machine has disappeared. The machine sounds normal again. All in all, it's been a pretty good day.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3649 - Winter Solstice

Today is the shortest day of the year. Even though the day was overcast and short, it was pleasant. We had an early Christmas dinner this evening, since Janet will be leaving to visit relatives soon. The meal was delicious and reminded me that the year is almost over. Where did the time go? It seems like time speeds up as you grow older.

When I did my grocery shopping today I noticed that the app I use to bypass the checkout line lets me buy alcohol now. I wonder why it took the technology gods this long to realize I was old enough to buy beer? I've assumed all along that they knew everything about me anyway. At any rate, this added convenience means that I'll never have to go through the checkout line again. I don't know why some people hate self-checkout. Self-checkout is great and no checkout at all is even better.

I applied for real NASA press credentials this morning. The editor of SpaceFlight Magazine said he would verify and approve my application. We'll see if that actually happens. Maybe the next time I go to Kennedy Space Center, I'll be a working journalist. I suspect that I have a very long road ahead, but I've made a start. Two published articles in less than six months is actually better than I expected.

I wanted to see the pelicans, so I walked all the way to the other side of the lake. This was a much longer walk than usual, but I was feeling good and didn't have much else to do. I wish the birds made their winter home on my side of the lake because I'm definitely not going to do this every day. The mystery of where all the birds went was finally answered. There weren't just pelicans at Pelican Bay. There were lots of ducks, geese, coots, and cormorants as well. I don't know what makes this particular place so attractive to waterfowl, but I'll know where to go for pictures now.

I've been writing this blog for so long that I forgot my Blogiversary this year. I just noticed on the calendar that it was last Sunday. Jeez. How many years does this make? I can't even remember off hand. Janet and I were trying to remember how many year we had been doing Santa Paws pictures. We couldn't remember that either. I'll have to go back and amend the header of last Sunday's post. It seemed like such a big deal when I had posted for 500 days. Now, after writing this thing for well over ten years, the blog just seems like it was always here. Like Winter Solstice and Christmas, I don't question it. Writing in the evening is just something I do.

I'll go to the gym tomorrow morning. That's just something I do as well. I find comfort in my structured routines. Hopefully, I'll add a few things to them in the year ahead. Will I make it as a space reporter? Will I enjoy my time at the observatory? Will we ever get a dog again. You'll just have to keep reading to find out.

Willow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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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

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Day 3590

I'm never going to become a space journalist if I don't take advantage of every opportunity. With this in mind, I decided to apply for credentials to attend an upcoming Space X launch in early December. I don't think I'll ever be a natural traveler, but they don't launch rockets in Dallas. If I want to watch a launch or even look at the stars on a clear, dark night, I'm going to have to go somewhere else. I think I can afford another trip by December, so we'll see what happens. Space X is always doing interesting things, so maybe there's a story in this as well.

It looks like I did a good job of applying the silicon coating yesterday. When I went up on the roof this afternoon to inspect my work, I was pleased to see that the coating had cured properly and was ready for the rain we are expecting tonight. All the damaged areas are covered, but I wish I had applied a little more of the product to sections of the roof where I know water accumulates. I have a lot of the silicon material left, so I can always go back later and apply more if needed. I'm always a little cautious with this stuff. I wasn't sure how long it would take the silicon to dry completely and I didn't want a big sticky mess when the rain arrived.

The weather was perfect again today. It's too bad the price we pay for Fall weather is often a cold front preceded by a line of severe storms. Fall is definitely the rainy season here in Dallas. The front that will be arriving early tomorrow morning isn't expected to produce severe weather, but it will bring a lot of rain. We'll see how my roof patches hold up. I'm optimistic at this point. I carefully walked the roof this afternoon and couldn't find any torn spots where water might enter.

While I was filling out my application for press credentials today, I thought I'd send a few query letters to magazines as well. I hate to see anything go to waste, so I'm trying to repurpose the article I wrote about traveling to McDonald Observatory. Hey, it was a good article. I just didn't look through any telescopes. If I get accepted by NASA to go back to Kennedy Space Center, I'm going to see if I can get access to the nearby Space X Starship assembly facility as well. Starship is definitely an interesting story.

While I'm waiting to hear from NASA, Sky and Telescope, and the folks at McDonald Observatory, I can always look at butterflies. There seem to be an unusual number of Monarchs in the area right now. The Fall migration is underway and I see the butterflies everywhere these days. I never noticed that Spring migration this year, but that's understandable. I had my hands full dealing with Dash's many health issues at the time.

I thought that the bulky trash trucks were going to arrive today, but my big pile of tree branches is still sitting out at the curb. I guess I could have trimmed a few more trees, but there's always November. I've probably done enough damage to the yard for one month.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3508

The September issue of Spaceflight Magazine has finally arrived. Since I doubt if many of you subscribe to this British publication, I thought I'd just upload a PDF copy of my article to Facebook. Oops. You can't upload PDF files to Facebook. Weird. Why didn't I know this already? I guess I never tried to post a PDF file. There's always a solution though. I just put the file on my website and made a link. If anyone's interested in reading the article, just click here or on the picture to your left.

The good news about all this is that the magazine is interested in having me cover future launches for them and can even get me a press pass. I might have found my calling. I doubt if I can do this sort of thing all that often because it can get expensive. Nevertheless, the road ahead is something to look forward to.

When I went to the new neighborhood restaurant for breakfast this morning, I was surprised to see that it was completely full. There was even a small line out front. How did this happen? I've been going to this place fairly frequently on Friday mornings and it's never been full before. Oh, well. I'm not big on standing in line, so I got back in my car and drove to the hotel instead. The restaurant at the hotel never seems to be full. I ordered the French Toast like I always do at the hotel and daydreamed about traveling to rocket launches. The hotel reminds me of the old days when I used to do a lot of business travel. How did I transition from a road warrior to a person who rarely leaves the house? Life is strange. I don't even question a lot of things like this. We all go through stages.

I'm starting to see more birds at the lake. I wonder what this means? August doesn't seem like a time for migrations. I've seen a lot of Great Egrets lately as well as a few Great Blue Herons. I've seen smaller Cattle Egrets as well. I need to get some pictures of these birds because I don't know how long they will stay. This might be a project for the weekend. It will probably be easier to find the birds than to carry the camera on hot days like this. I sure wish Apple would invent an iPhone with a telephoto lens. Putting a phone in your pocket is a lot easier than carrying a big camera on long walks.

Janet has convinced me to try wearing ankle socks on my walks. The combination of long shorts and equally long wool socks has given me a very weird tan. Basically, it's just a dark stripe on my legs. I tried the shorter socks that everybody else seems to be wearing but I didn't like them. I came home with a blister on my heel. The Nike Air shoes I'm wearing now are fairly comfortable, but I guess I need the extra cushion of the thick wool socks as well. Who cares if I look ridiculous. Most old men look ridiculous anyway.

The security light in the back yard has started acting up again. It will come on around sunset but will go off again a few hours later. The lamp hasn't burned out or anything, but I have to go behind the greenhouse and flip a switch on the breaker box to get the light to tun on again. This involves walking through spider webs in the dark and getting bitten by chiggers. It's irritating. When this used to happen I had the electrician come out several times and they could never find anything wrong. They replaced the photocell twice and it didn't make any difference. Even though the dogs are gone and we don't really need the light anymore, this flaky fixture still bothers me. Why do things break so often? I want a world where everything is dependable.

One thing I can depend on is more hot weather tomorrow. I'm ready for winter.

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3507

The carpenter came over again to look at the greenhouse this morning. He asked me what I was trying to accomplish. Did I want a second office? A tiny guest house? A man cave? A woodworking shop? It didn't take long to come to the conclusion that I didn't have an objective. I just wanted to get rid of the eyesore the demolished greenhouse had become. It turns out that it would be a lot easier and less expensive to just make the place a nice greenhouse again. Glass was broken and the roof was gone, but most of the basic structure was intact. I guess thats what we're going to do. Neither Janet or I have much interest in gardening, but if we ever move, having a greenhouse in the back yard could be a selling point.

There were a lot of things I never considered when I was thinking of turning the greenhouse into something else. The first big hurdle would be putting in a concrete floor. Right now the place has a thick gravel floor covered with loose fitting bricks you can walk on. This is great for drainage in a greenhouse, but terrible for any kind of a living space. Due to the location of the greenhouse you'd have to use one of those giant concrete pump trucks to pour a concrete floor. I'm not even sure a concrete pump would work because of the location of several large Oak trees. Occasionally the greenhouse floods after heavy rains as well. Mostly this is because the place is right in the path of runoff from the flat roof of our house. Making the place cozy and watertight wouldn't be easy. It's just not worth the trouble. It looks like we are just going to repair the greenhouse and make it like it was before.

I sent off a few query letters to see if any magazines would be interested in an article about my upcoming trip to McDonald Observatory. I felt I needed to make the effort. I'm so lazy that I could easily go another year without writing anything at all. Who knows. It might make an interesting story. Or maybe not. I have no interest in writing a travel guide. Basically everything I write is all about me. Reading about my low key adventures is definitely an acquired taste. Not everyone is interested.

Is a trip to Alpine, Texas inherently any more interesting than a walk in the park? I'm not sure. Either way, you observe things and think about them. My daily walks take two hours and the road trip will take seven hours. Most of my travel west of Fort Worth has been in an airplane. From what I've seen out the window, West Texas is pretty flat and uneventful. If there is a story at all it will probably be found at the observatory itself. We'll see what happens.

It is hard to believe that it is already August. Where has this year gone? Time seems to speed by so fast now that you hate to waste it. Maybe that's why I'm thinking about travel and new experiences more than I have in prior years. In the grand scheme of things, there isn't that much time left. Maybe becoming a space journalist is kind of a worthy goal after all. There are lots of places to visit and things to do. When I was a kid I loved astronomy and read a lot of science fiction. Now, I've come full circle.

I skipped going out to breakfast last week. A restaurant breakfast is starting to sound appealing again. Pancakes, waffles, omelets, or Eggs Benedict? So many choices. It's odd that not a single restaurant I've even been to offers a fruit smoothie for breakfast. It's a shame. I've got a good recipe.

Snoopy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3473

I found out this morning that the article I finished yesterday about my trip to Kennedy Space Center has already been accepted for publication in the August issue of Spaceflight Magazine. I was stunned. All I could think was wow, that didn't take long. It isn't every day that you can write an article on Thursday, send it off, and get it accepted by an internationally recognized magazine on Friday. Some of you may never have heard of Spaceflight Magazine, but it's a big deal for people who follow astronomy and space. This well respected British publication has been around since 1956 and is still considered by many to be the authoritative reference for information about international space programs and commercial space exploration. It's not the New York Times, but for a space geek like me, it's exactly where I wanted to be.

This new development gave me hope that I may become a space journalist yet. Hey, it could happen. There was a time when I wrote so much about Dalmatians that I ended up becoming a contributing editor for The Dalmatian Quarterly. I loved that little magazine. Much later I became fascinated by watches and ended up writing frequently about the watch industry. I wrote hundreds and hundreds of articles about watches until that ship finally sailed. I haven't written much lately, but the blog keeps me in practice.

I've kind of been on Cloud 9 all day thinking about what might lie ahead. I may never be published again, but that's not what typically happens. One thing very often leads to another. I learned long ago that if something falls in your lap, you must seize the opportunity and run with it. I'm definitely going to apply to attend more of these NASA events in the future. I won't get accepted for all of them, but persistence does pay off. One of these days I'll be watching a launch again and I'll write about that one too.

I was excited to find a brand new breakfast restaurant this morning right in my own neighborhood. I noticed this place while I was driving toward the once trendy restaurant that has fallen off the map lately. I immediately turned around to try the new place, but unfortunately it wasn't open yet. The reason it looked open was that there was a training meeting for new employees going on. The manager told me that the restaurant will be opening for business on Monday. Guess where I'll be going next Friday morning?

Has anyone seen that new movie Yesterday? Some people love it and others hate it, but this sounds like something that I might actually go see in a theater. I love the unlikely premise that after a freak bus accident during a strange and largely unexplained global blackout, a struggling singer/songwriter wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed. For some reason this guy still remembers, starts singing their songs to a world that has never heard of The Beatles and becomes an overnight success. Kind of a wacky little fantasy film, but I've always loved the music. I think I'll go see this film.

Another hot day. Another sweaty walk. Another uneventful breakfast away from home. Life is good though. I'm a happy camper today.

Queenie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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