Day 4925 - My Birthday

I turned 75 today. Any way you measure it, that's getting old. I think I'm hanging in there though. We started the day early to avoid the heat. Dawn got a nice sunrise walk and then I had my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit. Right after breakfast I mowed the grass. I did both the front and back yards and was finished before 9 AM. The temperature was already in the mid-eighties, but it was still overcast so I decided to take a short walk and get my steps before it got really hot.

I'm definitely slowing down and am not as fit as I used to be, but I felt good that I was still able to do this much on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year. My Mom had already passed away before she reached 75 and my Dad had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and a host of other ailments by his 75th birthday. I'm basically still reasonably healthy. I try to walk six miles every day and am staying active. Who knows how long I can continue this, but nothing is stopping me at this point. I still hope to be attending launches at Kennedy Space Center when I'm 85.

I'm glad we walked Dawn really early this morning because it was way too hot for her to be outside later in the day. It looks like this heat wave is going to continue for the rest of the week. Luckily our air conditioner is working well and I think the insulation we added to the roof is helping keep the house cooler. I'm glad we didn't have to deal with the power outages that plagued other parts of the community after last week's storms. This is not the time to be dealing with power outages.

It was a low key and largely uneventful birthday, but I felt good about it. I didn't do much during the afternoon. I took a shower and looked at my birthday messages on Facebook. I'm not a big fan of social media anymore, but I still think these birthday messages are a nice thing. Nobody sends cards anymore. I got one birthday card from my Luddite sister who has probably never even looked at Facebook. Later in the afternoon I tried to take a nap with Dawn but she wasn't in a celebratory mood. As soon as I went in the bedroom, Dawn went out in the kitchen.

Janet and I went out for dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. We've been there for birthdays before and the food is always good. The prices were a bit higher and the portions were slightly smaller, but what else is new. All restaurants are doing this. At least the place was still in business. A lot of our favorite restaurants didn't survive the pandemic and are no longer here. Our waiter seemed disappointed that we weren't having dessert, but we had cake at home. We wanted to include Dawn in the birthday celebration.

After some cake and a glass of champagne, I did what I always do every evening. I wrote a blog post. Since I will have reached my 5000 Day goal before my next birthday, this might be my last birthday post. We'll see what happens.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4782

Another nice day. I wish this weather would continue but there is rain in the forecast for next week. I took advantage of the clear skies and took three walks today. It was cold enough on our sunrise walk with Dawn that I needed two coats. My long walk in the park later in the morning only required one coat. By mid-afternoon it had warmed enough that I wore shorts for a final shorter walk. That's Texas weather for you. Almost 22,000 steps today. Not bad for an old man with creaky joints.

I finally got around to updating the star tracker this afternoon. This update made everything worse. It's always a gamble with these firmware updates. The company is trying to provide compatibility for so many different brands of cameras that when they make an improvement for one brand they often inadvertently cripple something for another brand. I think the tracker works best with Canon cameras. The Olympus I use is not a popular brand and sometimes gets overlooked. The tracker basically still works fine, but my camera wouldn't stay connected today. I have no idea what the problem is. I eventually got everything working, but I don't have a lot of faith in this unit. I think it would be a giant hassle to get everything working properly in the dark.

I really thought the leaks were over after I cleared all the water off the roof yesterday. Much to my surprise another small leak appeared today. Will this ever end? Only about one drop of water fell per minute, but it was still a leak. Probably a lot of water got underneath the surface of the roof before I removed all the standing water. That water's got to go somewhere. I suspect that when everything dries completely the next round of rain will start. I really can't catch a break with this roof.

I got a letter saying that it was time for my annual appointment with my gastrointestinal doctor. When did this start? I think that if you see a doctor once, you will end up seeing them forever. Just about every time I've been referred to a specialist by my primary care physician, I end up becoming a permanent patient. I hate to ignore these doctors, since you never know when you will need them again. I do think I have way too many doctors now though.

It's time to renew my credentials with the Space Force. Unlike NASA credentials, these last for a full year. Since there are launch pads at Patrick Air Force Base as well as Kennedy Space Center, you really need to be able to access both locations. Most people think the space center is one big location, but the NASA side and the Air Force side are two separate entities. It's totally different watching a launch on the Air Force side, but the view is still good. I'll try to send in the renewal forms tomorrow and then I'll wonder for months if they got lost. I always seem to get credentialed, but it really seems to take a while.

This week has gone quickly. It's already time to make a grocery list again. Sometimes it seems like I spend my life repeating the same things over and over again. No wonder Dawn always seems to know what is going to happen next. We are very predictable around here.

Sophie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4188

The roads and stores didn't seem as crowded today. I wonder where everybody went? Even the park was strangely empty. Maybe all the news stories are right. The lockdown is over and the country has gone on vacation. A vacation actually does sound like a good idea, but Janet and I can't decide where to go.

Today certainly was no vacation. After I finished grocery shopping and running errands, I mowed the grass and cleaned up the yard a bit. I've grown to hate mowing the grass. My electric mower isn't self propelled and it seems to get heavier every year. The yard does look a lot better though. Somehow my Fitbit interprets mowing the grass as cycling. This isn't even close. It is exercise though. I don't think I ever did anything this strenuous at the gym.

I didn't feel like getting up this morning and neither did Dawn. I thought we were going to bond for a while and then Dawn realized that Janet had gone running and she was alone in the house with me. She groaned, hopped off the bed and went out to her dog bed in the kitchen. As soon as I made the bed and went to fix myself some coffee, Dawn reclaimed the bed and went back to sleep. We go back and forth like this all day. When I'm in the bedroom, Dawn is in the kitchen. When I'm in the kitchen, Dawn is in the bedroom.

I heard thunder early this morning, but it never rained at our house. I was hoping that having rain in the vicinity would cool things down, but that didn't happen. It was hot and humid today. It wasn't a great day to do yard work, but it didn't make sense to put things off any longer. The grass would have been even harder to mow next week. I may cut down the remaining dead Photinia trees tomorrow. That's another chore I've put off long enough.

I seriously thought about going to the gym today, but I was already hot and sweaty after our short walk with Dawn, so I convinced myself that continuing on a longer walk couldn't possibly be any worse. I was wrong. I managed to complete my six miles, but I was very slow. I had an excuse though. I had already mowed the grass and was tired before we even started our walks. Hopefully all this pointless activity will keep me fit and healthy. I can't think of any other reason to punish myself like this.

I was briefly glad that I didn't go out to the observatory for the June photography night. I would have been driving back home today and that long drive can seem even worse than mowing the grass. It's weird when even the fun things in your life can fill you with a sense of dread. I love spending time in West Texas and down at Kennedy Space Center. It's getting there that's the problem. I kind of envy the people who live in these places. They just roll out of bed in the morning and they are already there.

I went out and got Chinese take-out for dinner tonight. About once a month this is what we're hungry for. Some of the staff at the restaurant were wearing masks and others weren't. This is probably how the pandemic will end. It will be slow and awkward and nobody will do everything at the same time. I feel stupid now when I go into a store wearing a mask and none of the staff have one on. Let's all get on the same page people. 

With any luck Dawn will get her special outing tomorrow. It's a simple thing, but it's nice to do something that all three of us enjoy.    

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4167

I'm a terrible shopper. When I went to the grocery store, Janet wanted me to get her some cream cheese and showed me the tub it came in. All I remembered was the tub and came home with a tub of sour cream instead. I actually saw cream cheese on the shelf next to the sour cream, but it came in a little foil wrapped brick. That couldn't possibly be right. I was looking for something in a little plastic tub.

Our rainy weather continues. There were plenty of dry periods between the showers today. I had no trouble finding time to walk, but it's still pretty wet outside. It's actually raining right now. We had been planning on doing some yard work last week so we could throw away the debris on bulky trash day. The trash pickup got delayed, but we never found a dry enough day to trim the bushes and get rid of the rest of the dead Asian Jasmine. Oh, well. There's always next month.

I updated my company website today and then decided that the update didn't make any sense and didn't bother to upload it. Somehow this wasted effort still seemed more productive than editing more Milky Way pictures. I think I'm burned out on astrophotography for a while. Maybe there's gold hidden away in the images I took out at the observatory last week, but it's been very hard mining it. I'll wait a while before  I resume this activity. I should have learned from last time. After my first astrophotography workshop I didn't even look at the pictures for almost a month. I think the wait allowed what I'd learned to slowly seep into my brain, because when I finally opened the files, everything clicked together fairly quickly.

I thought I'd get wet on my long walk today, but the occasional drizzle kept me cool instead. It's been really humid lately and if the sun was out I would have been miserable. It was a nice day for a walk, but there was no spring in my step today. I was really slow. My feet bothered me a little, but that wasn't the real problem. I was just tired. I shouldn't have been tired. I actually got more sleep than usual. I guess I'm just getting old. For every good day there are usually three bad days. 

I still think I need to stay active. Without ongoing activity and a certain amount of effort I probably wouldn't even be able to get out of bed. I hate to think what the aches and pains are going to be like five years from now. We'll see. I wonder how long I can keep walking six miles a day?

Dawn had a good day. Even though the ground is still soggy, she seems to have overcome her fear of getting her paws wet and is walking well. She was very enthusiastic about her little one mile loop this afternoon. Her appetite has definitely returned. For a while we were worried about a hesitancy to eat, but she devours her meals now. Dawn is fine. I think we just worry too much.

I went out and got a pizza for dinner. Even though pizza is absolutely the worst offender in the heartburn department, I still enjoy a slice now and then. All my favorite foods like spaghetti and chili give me heartburn. It's a shame. I try to eat sensibly, but I'd hate to be limited to a bland diet for the rest of my life. Spice is nice. For now, there's always Pepcid, but it's probably not a good idea to take too much famotidine either. 

I hope it's not raining tomorrow. Dawn missed her ice cream outing last Sunday because of rain. It would be a shame to miss this again. Hard to believe that it's been raining almost continually for an entire week, but that's the way it is in May. Pretty soon I'll be complaining about how hot and dry it is.

Rosco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4149

I'm making progress. I've now got a dual boot laptop that will run the old software I depend on and the new astrophotography software I need. I was a little apprehensive about adding a partition with a new operating system to the laptop's hard drive, because if something went wrong I could lose important applications that I no longer have the install disks for. Things don't always go as planned when I do stuff like this, but I followed the instructions carefully and everything went perfectly. I'm surprised that I've never done this before. Usually if I need a different operating system I just use an external hard drive. Now I just need to add the astronomy software to the new partition and I'm ready for the workshop.

There was another Starlink launch at Kennedy Space Center this morning. There are so many of these things now that I'm losing track of them. A few of my Florida friends seem to go to every single one of these launches. I'm a little envious, but I don't know if I'd have the stamina to drive out to the Space Center and set up cameras day after day. A few launches a year is fine by me. The dedicated photographers are the one who get accredited though. Only one of the regulars routinely comes from out of state. His son is an airline pilot though and he gets free airfare. It's hard to compete with these guys. 

A popular small telescope that is perpetually out of stock suddenly became available on one of the astronomy equipment websites today. Should I order this? Probably not. It's tempting, but it wouldn't arrive in time for the workshop and there is no time to learn to use it anyway. I need to learn that equipment isn't always the answer. My time would be better spent learning how to get the most out of the stuff I already have.

Dawn got a bath today. She wasn't happy about the bath, but Janet likes a clean dog. I keep telling Dawn that dirty dogs are fine with me, but she doesn't appear to get the message. Dawn and I should be best buddies because I think like a dog. Dirt is fine. Eating, sleeping, and long walks are my life. I'm not wild about people walking down the alley either. Sometimes I think that Dawn is warming up to me. I'm probably fooling myself though. Dawn isn't frightened of me at all. She just doesn't like me.

The park was pretty empty today. Life must be returning to normal because there is a real difference between weekend and weekday activity now. During the worst of the pandemic, every day was the same. There were days when I couldn't tell the difference between Tuesday and Sunday because nobody was working. I'm not seeing as many people wearing masks outdoors in the park either. Little by little, a sense of normalcy is returning.

I made an appointment to get a haircut before my trip. I always do this before I travel. Luckily, I've still got hair to cut. My age is showing though. I often feel tired when I return from my walks. These walks shouldn't bother me at all because I'm not exactly setting the world on fire. I walk pretty slow. "All in good time" should be my new motto. Hey, I did get my laptop properly configured today. Tomorrow, I'll do something else. Don't let me buy that telescope though. I don't need it. I should start saving for a trip to Florida instead.

Crosby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4094

The washing machine is still not working. The technician says that the motor is not communicating with the motor controller logic board. I asked if there might just be a lose wire. Nope. I need a new logic board. Will this solve my problem? Maybe. Once the machine can talk to the motor we'll be able to see if there is anything wrong with the motor itself. Life was a lot simpler when major appliances were simple mechanical beasts. Now, everything is basically a computer. The part is supposed to arrive on Friday and I hope it works. I definitely don't want to go to the laundromat again.

Dawn didn't bark at the repair technician, but I could tell she was scared. She retreated to the bedroom as soon as she heard the knock on the door and didn't come out until long after the technician had left. It doesn't take much to frighten Dawn. I wish I could explain to her that being without a washing machine for an extended length of time is a lot more frightening than having a repair technician in the house.

I learned that there will be another astrophotography workshop out at McDonald Observatory in May. This will be an advanced workshop that picks up where the first one I attended left off. Do I go? I probably will, but it's hard to decide. I love the dark skies of the Davis Mountains, but I hate the long drive out there. Driving is surprisingly tiring when you've got a bad shoulder. Travel can get expensive too. I guess I should continue to do things while I still can though. One of these days in the not too distant future, it will be too late.

It still bothers me that my Fitbit says I'm not as active as I was last year. How can this be? I feel like I'm more active than I ever was. It probably just takes more effort to do things that used to be easy. I've definitely slowed down, but I'm moving as fast as I can. It's discouraging to see overweight people pass me in the park, but what can you do? Arthritis is real and I still don't believe in strong pain medication unless it is absolutely necessary. I'm going to keep moving, but in a few years my nickname will probably be turtle.

Bulky trash pick up is next week, so we've only got a few more days to clean up the yard and get everything out to the curb before the trucks arrive. The freeze really made a mess of things. I haven't seen so much dead vegetation in years. Hopefully a lot of the plants and vegetation will come back when things get warmer. It took years for most of these shrubs to grow and I just don't have the energy to replace them all at this point. We will get new grass though. Dawn loves to lie in the grass and sun herself on nice days. The dog deserves some decent grass.

I hope I have more energy tomorrow. I've felt lethargic all day. It's hard to get motivated when your feet hurt and you are constantly blowing your nose. This is no time to nap though. I need to get familiar with my new camera if I'm going to take it out to the observatory in May. I need to decide whether I can still afford to go to a launch in Florida this Spring. I've applied to go to the Starliner and Crew-2 launches, but haven't heard whether I've been accepted. The yard needs a lot of work and I haven't been up on the roof in weeks. There's an abundance of things to do, but I still just want to take a long nap.

Ely 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 3971

I got a haircut today, so I guess I'm ready for my trip to Florida. My stylist recently started her own company, so we talked about the joys and pitfalls of owning a business. I hope she does well. I'm glad that I'm not trying to start a company in the middle of a pandemic. Finding a good N-95 mask and worrying about whether my customers were going to give me a deadly disease wasn't even on my radar when I started my own company.

My grocery list was small today and I found everything I needed. The stores were busy today. I don't know why they even bother to put all those stickers on the floor telling people where to stand. Everyone completely ignores them. If it wasn't for all the masks, you'd never know there was a pandemic at all. I guess I wish the unnatural quiet of April and May had lasted a little longer. I liked the empty roads and uncrowded stores. I didn't like the hoarding though. Hopefully, we won't run out of toilet paper again.

We're finally starting to see a little Fall color around town. I'm beginning to notice a lot of reds and yellows among the trees during our walks in the park. We don't have many Maple trees around here, but there is some colorful foliage. Red Oaks actually do turn red in the Fall. Many of the Sumac trees are turning bright red as well. Dogwoods and Crepe Myrtles can be colorful too. Who knows. Maybe the trees will put on a show this year after all.

It's a shame that I don't have as much energy as I used to. I continue to get my 20,000 steps on most days, but that's about it. There were a number of chores that needed my attention today, but I just couldn't bring myself to tackle them. Mowing the grass and washing the car will have to wait. So will vacuuming the house. Grocery shopping and a haircut were all I accomplished today. Maybe I'll be more industrious tomorrow. The weather tells me that it's time to work in the yard, but my body tells me that it's time to take a nap.

Dawn still seems nervous around me when Janet isn't in the house. She must have had a terrible life with the two men who used her as a breeding dog. Dawn just isn't as comfortable around men as she is with women. I have a feeling that it is always going to be this way. Dawn isn't a young dog and her well established view of the world will be hard to change. This is still kind of new to me. All our other dogs instantly identified with my lazy doglike ways.

It's too bad my gym is closed on Sundays now. I"m finally ready to go back, but it's hard to find the time on a weekday. It's not like I'm super busy or anything. It's just hard to find the time because I'm so slow at everything these days. I doubt that I'll get any faster, but I'm definitely going to keep moving. Sedentary people my age begin to go downhill very quickly.

I'm watching tropical storm ETA carefully now. There's a good chance that it could mess up my trip to Florida. Current projections show the storm crossing back over Florida just about the time I'm due to arrive. If the launch gets delayed, I hope they decide something before I leave for Orlando. The last thing I want is to be landing right in the middle of this thing. There's really nothing I can do except to continue watching the weather reports. Hey, it's 2020 so almost anything could happen.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3825

I'm beginning to feel like Forest Gump. I find myself spending more and more of my time walking. I've gone from three miles a day, to five miles, and now eight miles. Occasionally, I'll walk ten miles a day. Walking is a great way to kill time. You can let your mind wander without the distraction of cable TV reminding you that the world is coming unglued or your computer reminding you that you have definitely become a non-essential worker. I don't try to solve problems when I walk. I don't brood or get angry. I just observe things. I wonder about cloud formations and the color of the sky. I notice the changes in vegetation that take place over time. I listen to bird sounds and try to identify them. I try not to think about people at all.

Some people plan elaborate hiking vacations. I seem content to walk the same neighborhood trails over and over again. For some reason I have no desire to walk to the bottom of the Grand Canyon or hike the Appalachian Trail. I don't think I'm looking for adventure at all. Walking is just a peaceful, solitary way to kill time.

One of the nice things about dogs is that they generally like to walk even more than I do. Janet likes walking as well. I wonder how far I've traveled over the years? I didn't even start counting until I got a Fitbit several years ago. Fitbit says I've already earned my "Africa" badge by walking the 5000 mile length of the continent. Add thirty years of walking Dalmatians to that total and I imagine that I've covered a lot of territory.

There is nothing wrong with doing repetitive things. There's always something new if you keep your eyes open. We saw the Monk Parakeets on our walk this morning. These bright green South American parrots have been spotted around our lake for many years but nobody knows how they got here. They are not migrating birds and they are definitely not native to the area. I think there are several dozen birds in the local colony. I've seen them several times now.

Now that the Spring rains are over, I'm already starting to see the water level in the lake start to drop. The lake is actually quite shallow. If we have a dry Summer, a few parts of the lake will dry up completely. The native prairie areas are still green, but these will dry and turn yellow as the Summer progresses. All these things are interesting and I don't have to travel anywhere to see the changes.

I guess writing the blog is another repetitive thing that I've been doing for years. I didn't think that I'd have anything to write about today, since I certainly didn't do much. There's always something to write about though. You can look outward, or you can look inward. I prefer to look inward. I wish more people would try this. There is a lot to be said for keeping quiet and minding your own business.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3797

The weather was much better today. We got up early to avoid the crowds, but apparently we didn't get up early enough. Even before 8 AM, the park was already filled with runners and cyclists. This must be the city's new exercise destination now that the gyms are closed. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. It was a Sunday morning on a very nice day.

It's pretty clear that the quarantine is over in Dallas. Traffic is back to normal and people aren't shy about gathering together in the park. When I returned later in the day for my afternoon walk, the place was packed. There were large barbecues, clusters of hammocks strung between trees, and a flotilla of kayaks on the water. Most of the large gatherings consisted of young people. Maybe they are starting to develop herd immunity.

There are still a lot of people wearing masks in the park. I suspect that some of these people will continue wearing masks forever. They will become a fashion statement or a badge of identity. There definitely aren't many who know how to wear a mask correctly. I see a lot of noses poking out on top of these masks. People take them off to talk to other people or even to sneeze. Basically, you wear a mask to show other people that you are a team player. Medically, most of the disposable earloop masks are of dubious value.

I was back on the roof this afternoon removing the standing water from yesterday's rain. Both pumps are working again, but there is still a lot of residual water after it rains. Removing the water with a big push broom is actually good exercise. I'm usually tired after I finish the job. I'm always careful, but I hope I never stumble and fall. That's the first question my doctor asked at my physical last week. "Did you have any bad falls last year," he said.  I guess I've arrived at the "I've fallen and I can't get up" stage of life. I felt like telling the doctor that I was much more careful than he was. At least I don't ride bicycles.

Dawn likes our bed so much that she gets upset when I change the sheets. I told her that everything was going to be OK and that she would be pleased when I was finished. After everything was clean, there was still dog hair on her blanket. I've noticed that the vacuum cleaner canister fills up twice as fast now that we have Dawn. Dalmatians shed constantly. You just get used to the dog hair after a while.

I had another 20,000 step day, but I didn't do anything of consequence. 20,000 step days are so common now that maybe it's time to up the ante and try for 25,000 steps a day. I'm hoping that walking will keep me in shape, but I need something to occupy my mind as well. I'll complete my application for launch access to Kennedy Space Center and send it to the Air Force tomorrow. Maybe I'll start editing my McDonald Observatory pictures and send a batch to Sky and Telescope. They haven't actually requested the pictures yet, but have indicated that they will use them when the article eventually appears. I'll be glad when they give me a publication date. Right now I don't know whether the article I wrote will appear a few months from now or next year.

The chigger bites still itch, but I've got some nice looking fresh fruit for tomorrow morning's smoothie. Life goes on.

Susie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3706

Dawn got her first walk in the park today. She loved it. Before Dawn entered the rescue program, she had been used for breeding. We think she is about six years old and Lord knows how many litters of puppies she's had. She hasn't really had a chance to be a normal dog. You can tell she's trying to make up for lost time. It's been a joy to have this gentle girl around the house. Her wounds are healing nicely and every day she discovers something new.

Today was beautiful. The sky was clear and the temperature was around seventy five degrees. It was definitely not your typical Winter day. It wasn't surprising that the park was full of people today. Dawn encountered lots of other dogs on our walk and wasn't reactive to any of them. She just minded her own business and continued exploring new smells. This was really encouraging. Despite her recent attack, she appears willing to forget the past and move forward with her life. A person could learn a lot from this dog.

I stayed pretty active today. As far as I can remember, this was my first 25,000 step day. According to my watch, I set a personal best for exercise and activity. I might do this more often if every day was as nice as this. I had a good workout at the gym, came home and walked Dawn with Janet, then mowed the grass and took my regular five mile walk. You might wonder why I'd be mowing the grass in February. It wasn't really grass. Just a lot of Winter weeds. Weeds are a year round problem here in Texas.

I wish I had more silicon material because this would have been a great day to spread the stuff everywhere. It's still Winter and there are a lot more cold, wet days to come. I hope that I fixed the worst areas yesterday, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I probably should go to the roofing supply store and buy another bucket of this stuff in case we get a nice day like this again.

There were lots of small sailboats on the lake today. I think one of the sailing clubs was having a regatta. When we first moved here, I thought of getting a small sailboat. I'm glad I didn't. I doubt that I would have used it much. I rarely even use my kayak. It's nice living near the water, but I don't have a strong desire to be out on the water. I've seen too many large snakes swimming in the lake and I tend to believe the people who say the water is polluted. No thank you to water sports. I'll just stay on the shore and photograph pelicans.

Monday is our day to visit the kennel dogs but I'm not sure what we'll be doing tomorrow. Maybe Janet can go to the kennel while I stay home with Dawn. If Janet wants to stay home and have me go to the kennel, that would be fine too. We just don't want to leave Dawn for a long time before her stitches are removed. She could still make a mess of things if she started to scratch at the stitches and try to pull them out.

I've got a title for my Solar Orbiter article now. That's as far as I've gotten. No apologies. Did you really expect me to write on a day like this?

Joshua is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3671

There was an indoor triathlon underway when I went to the gym this morning. The cycling segment took place on stationary bicycles set up on the basketball court. The swimming segment took place in the indoor pool. Finally, the running segment took place on treadmills. Somehow, this didn't seem like a real triathlon at all. Contestants only spent ten minutes in the pool and twenty minutes on treadmills. Most of the people I see at the gym do a much more strenuous workout than this anyway. I think the contestants did get a special t-shirt though. Unfortunately, I didn't get to shoot baskets today since the court was filled with stationary bicycles. I spent my hoop time on the rowing machine instead.

I looked for winter coats at REI on my way to the gym. I wasn't impressed. Most of the coats looked like they were made of plastic. These high tech materials were supposed to keep you warmer than down, but they didn't look like they'd last more than a single season. I wish the old Eddie Bauer coat I wore while we were living in Alaska wasn't so heavy. That very old monster of a coat still keeps me warmer than anything I've purchased recently. I guess I could take this coat to the Davis Mountains, but it would double the amount of luggage I need to take.

Luckily, I didn't need a heavy coat on my walk today. It was only 34 degrees when I woke up, but the sun was out and it warmed up rapidly. I got my 20,000 steps, but I wasn't winning any races. Even young mothers pushing baby strollers were passing me today. The park is really popular on weekends. During the week the place can still feel like a nature preserve. On a weekend when the sun is out, it feels more like going to the state fair.

Although I managed to keep moving, I certainly didn't accomplish much today. My one household chore was changing the sheets on the bed. There is so much that needs to be done around the house but none of it is appealing. There is nothing pleasant about painting or repairing sheetrock. We haven't even finished raking all the leaves. I guess it will all get done eventually. Maybe not the sliding glass door though. I can't find anybody to fix that thing.

This week has gone quickly. It's almost time to visit the Dalmatians again. We need to take Larry to the vet while we're up at the kennel. It's just a routine exam, but it will be interesting to see how he rides in the car. Hopefully, all the dogs are doing well. I really enjoy seeing these guys.

I'm debating whether to take a better camera with me to Florida. It's a battle between my desire to up my photography game and my aversion to taking a lot of luggage. I usually take a little pocket camera with a long optical zoom. It's great for website pictures, but not so great for magazines. If I take a DSLR, I have to take multiple lenses and all the sudden I'm taking twice as much luggage. I'd rather take no camera at all, but I am a photographer. A camera is expected.

Suzie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3669

The weather could have been better, but it was still a very good day. Selena went to her forever home this morning. I think Selena hit the jackpot. The couple who adopted her were wonderful. They were very patient and understood the challenges of building a shy dog's confidence. Selena liked their dog too. She even hopped into their car on her own for the journey back to Houston. A few hours later, Janet and I were happy to hear that Selena and her new family had safely arrived at her new home without getting getting caught in the severe storms that were traveling through Texas today. We were also happy to hear that Lake will be going to his new home tomorrow. There are still a lot of dogs in the rescue program, but Dalmatian Rescue has been doing a great job of finding them good homes.

When we returned home from the kennel, I discovered that I will be going to the Solar Orbiter launch after all. NASA has taken me off the waitlist and given me social media credentials. I wasn't expecting this. These events for social media influencers have become so popular that very few people cancel after they have been accepted. When you are waitlisted, it is usually the end of the line. I actually though I had a better chance of getting traditional media accreditation through SpaceFlight Magazine. That still could happen, but it doesn't really matter now. I will be going to the launch.

All day we've been hearing that severe weather was on the way. There were prediction of extremely high winds, large hail, and a possibility of tornados. One reason we met the couple who adopted Selena so early this morning was so they would have plenty of time to get back to Houston before the storms hit. I'm sure somebody experienced storm damage today, but luckily we were spared. We got a lot of rain, but that was about it. There were no high winds and all the trees are still standing. The storm has already moved to the East and the rain has almost stopped. The weird weather isn't over though. Another cold front is on the way and we have a chance of snow by morning.

Since the weather wasn't as bad as it was predicted to be, I was still able to take a walk today. The walk was shorter than usual and I got a little wet, but I did walk several miles, got my 10,000 steps, and closed all three activity rings on my Apple watch. When I got home I managed to get the pumps working as well, so there shouldn't be a huge amount of water on the roof tomorrow morning.

I always expect the worst when severe weather is in the forecast. I guess today proves that when there is rain, there is often a rainbow as well. It looks like I am going to have a very busy Spring. I have two very interesting trips to plan and one by one all the rescue Dalmatians are finding homes. It would be uncharacteristic of me to say that life is good, but occasionally even I feel this way.

Murphy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3572

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

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

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

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

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

Lightning is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3558

Two days before my billing cycle ends AT&T tells me that I've used up my data plan for the month and as a courtesy they've added $20 to my bill so that I'll still have data access on my phone for the next two days. Jeez. Couldn't they have given me the option of just going without a data plan for two days. I never would have missed it. I seldom use my data plan anyway. The only reason I ran out last month was that I used my phone as a WiFi hotspot for my laptop while we were in Fort Davis.

I called customer service to complain, but the guy I talked to had no interest in refunding my $20. He tried to sell me an iPhone 11 instead. I have no problem with the electric company, the gas company, and the city water department. The phone company always irritates me though. Everything they do seems like a rip off. What are you going to do? Even a budding Luddite like me needs a phone.

Maybe my data plan ran out today because I kept having problems with the app that lets me bypass the checkout lanes at the grocery store. Everything I tried to scan in the produce section kept giving me an error message saying "must use cashier for this item." I finally gave up and used the cashier for everything.

I keep reading about the new Land Rover Defender, hoping that I'll like it better. I've been waiting for this thing to arrive for a long time and I'm so disappointed. It doesn't look like an indestructible off road vehicle at all. The design looks like something you'd take to the grocery store or use to pick up the kids after school. I have no doubt that the new design is more reliable than my old Defender. That thing broke down all the time, but it was part of the charm. Why does everything need to be computerized these days. If I wanted a computerized car, I'd just go buy a Tesla.

When I'm sleeping I'm always wandering around lost in my dreams. When I wake up, I'm taking long walks in the park. Sometimes it feels like I'm spending all my time walking. There is definitely a Forest Gump quality to all this. It's too bad that all the walking I do in my dreams doesn't count as exercise. It probably barely counts as sleep. They say that REM sleep isn't as beneficial as deep sleep.  I spend a lot of time dreaming, but according to Mr. Fitbit, I don't get much deep sleep at all.

I didn't accomplish anything today, but I did keep moving. Tomorrow I'll move even more. Sunday's have become my 20,000 step day. Years ago, the band used to practice on Sunday. Then there was a time when I would use Sundays to build up my photography portfolio. Now I just walk. Priorities change when you've got nothing to prove.

Rowe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3557

Every once in a while I go to a restaurant that I thought was terrible just to see if it got any better. Today I went to a place that I remembered as being dirty with rude waiters. The place was very clean and everyone was extremely friendly. I ordered the one thing on the menu that I used to like and it was terrible. What was going on here? Did this place get bought by someone else? It was all very disorienting.

It rained a lot last night, but the rain didn't cool things down. It was still hot and muggy. I knew I would need to go up on the roof and clear the standing water away, but I decided to get my morning walk out of the way first. By the time I returned, I was too tired to go up on the roof and took a nap instead. I kept trying to postpone this task by taking some mail to the post office and updating my phone to IOS 13. Eventually, I turned on both pumps and water came gushing out of the attached hoses. Damn. There was a lot of water up there. I had to deal with it.

I hate going up on the roof these days. It seems like I've been clearing away water forever. Every time it rains, the damaged areas get a little worse. There really isn't a good solution. Since the house is old and has settled, there would still be standing water even with a new roof. To reengineer the roof so it still looked the same but had just enough of a pitch to reliably drain water away is ridiculously expensive. I guess I'll just keep patching things. I'll probably have to go buy a five gallon can of the silicon coating material myself since the roofer still hasn't brought me the coating he promised. Residential roofers don't know how to do a flat roof and commercial roofers aren't interested in doing small jobs like this. They'd rather do a shopping center instead. It's all very tiring. I've gotten bids on a new roof, but nothing seems realistic. This is why I hate rain. If it would just quit raining, I wouldn't have a problem.

Every time I update my phone I get all these messages asking if various apps can connect to Bluetooth or operate in the background. My instinct is always to say no to everything and then the apps quit working. I think I've got everything I use working again, but I keep wishing that people would quit constantly updating everything. I was happy with the way my computer and phone worked five years ago. I really don't care about Dark Mode or a host of new Emojis. As long as I can check the weather and take pictures on my walks, I'm good.

With my five mile walk, a trip to the post office and grocery store, and a lot of manual labor on the roof, I got in quite a few steps today. It will be interesting to see what my regular doctor thinks when I go in for my annual physical soon. I feel healthier than I did last year. I also feel older. Maybe I'm just treading water. Janet and I both think it's important to keep moving. It's amazing how sedentary some people our age have become. It would be nice if I actually liked exercising like Janet does, but I can't complain. Staying active keeps me from wondering about my purpose in life. You don't need a purpose when you are walking. You just walk.

The backyard security light stayed on twice as long as it usually does last night. It was a lot cooler yesterday. Maybe the problem with the photoelectric sensor is temperature related. Maybe the rain washed away some of the spider webs. Who knows. If we still had dogs, I would have replaced this light by now. Some things just don't seem to matter as much anymore.

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3510

24,000 steps today. Part of this total was spent up on the roof unclogging the pumps and clearing the water away. July was dry, but so far August has been pretty wet. I was surprised at how much higher the lake was this morning. Just two decent rains and the water level had risen over a foot. As always, the rain is a giant nuisance for me, but we certainly needed it. The grass in the back yard is already looking greener.

After all this activity I am pretty tired. I don't think I could have done this two months ago though. Walking is good for you. I'm starting to feel stronger and my legs definitely feel firmer. My average resting heart rate has decreased as well. I wish I enjoyed exercising since it occupies a lot of my day now. Walking is not really a joyful experience but it's not depressing either. All in all, it's probably a much better way to spend time than sitting at the computer.

I went back and got strawberries today. A shipment must have just arrived because the berries looked really fresh. The fruit always seems to look better on Sunday. Of course if I switched shopping days, the fruit would look better on Saturday. At any rate, I'm all set for another week of smoothies.

AT&T was supposed to come out and bury the new fiber optic cable this morning, but nobody showed up. Am I surprised? Not really. Since there is no easy way to check on scheduling, I will have to call the irritating offshore customer service line again and spend a long time on the phone with someone who doesn't have a clue about what is going on. Maybe I'll just do nothing. Everything works fine with the cable laying on top of the ground.

I'm starting to think about renting a car for the trip to McDonald Observatory. This isn't really rational thinking because I've already got a perfectly nice car that has just been serviced. I just got new tires too. The problem is that I don't really trust the car. Things have gone wrong for no reason at all when I least expected it. I hate surprises. Memories never fade either. Once on a road trip I threw a rod in rural Oklahoma and had to have an earlier car towed all the way back to Fort Smith, Arkansas. It was there over a month getting the engine completely rebuilt. When the repairs were finally finished I had to drive up from Dallas during an ice storm to retrieve it. Of course rental cars aren't free from problems. When I went out to Vandenberg Air Force Base to watch a launch a few years ago somebody hit the rental car and it took months to get all the insurance issues resolved.

There's a new Dalmatian up at the boarding kennels so Janet and I are going up for a visit tomorrow. I'll take some pictures of this liver spotted boy for the website and we'll spend time playing with all the dogs. Visiting the dogs on Mondays has become a regular part of our week. Truthfully, these visits are just as important as my daily walks.

I can't figure out what is wrong with the security light. It comes on every evening around sunset, but shuts off again around 10 PM. This doesn't make sense because the photo cell is obviously working. The light will come back on again tomorrow evening. The bulb is fine too. I could turn it on again right now by going out and flipping the breaker switch. It isn't worth the trouble to go outside and do this but I'm still wondering about this very odd behavior.

It looks like another hot and humid day tomorrow. At least the rain is over for a while. I'm done with Summer. Bring on the cooler weather.

Pebbles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day