Day 4720

This is how people go insane. I had just finished cleaning up the house and the last leak had finally stopped when another storm came though town while we were sleeping. There was a massive amount of rain and the leaks started all over again. I realized that something was wrong when I stepped in water on my way to the bathroom. Not exactly the way I wanted to wake up, but I got out the buckets and towels again and started round two of leak patrol.

I didn't bother going up on the roof today. Trying to sweep the water away in the rain didn't stop the leaks last time and I knew it wouldn't this time either. The pumps weren't working initially, but I did get them to work on my third try after we finished breakfast. I think each pump has to be submerged in a certain amount of standing water before it starts pumping. 

There was a break in the rain around 8 AM, so Dawn got her sunrise walk after all. She wasn't wild about getting her paws wet, but she did her business and completed the walk. Once we got off the wet grass and started walking on roads again Dawn was a happy camper and started enjoying her walk. I know she would have preferred waiting until the sun came out, but that wasn't going to happen today.

After our big weekend breakfast I went out to do my grocery shopping. There was a light drizzle, but it really wasn't all that bad. The stores weren't crowded today at all. I guess everyone was eating Thanksgiving leftovers. I filled the car with gas, found everything on my list and came home again. 

I kept hoping that the rain would stop, but that wasn't in the cards today. This was definitely an all day rain. Since the rain during the day was nothing like last night's downpour, the leaks inside the house gradually began to diminish. Most of the leaks have stopped by now, but there is still the one troublesome leak in the office. The water is leaking through a can light in the ceiling. Since this doesn't seem terribly safe, I am leaving the light off until things dry out. Lord knows how long that is going to take. This is the worst roof leak we have had in years.

It would have been miserable walking in the park today, so I went to the gym instead. It doesn't matter when I go, the same twelve people always seem to be there. I'm beginning to think they live there. I did pretty well on the basketball court today. At least I did well by my low standards. I'm glad I finished my thirty free throws and was off the court before some real basketball players appeared. I would have embarrassed myself if they has seen my pitiful efforts. I was pretty slow on the indoor track as well. I completed my two miles, but I always seems to be a lot faster when I'm walking outdoors.

When I returned from the gym, Dawn was sleeping comfortably on the bed, so I took a nap on the living room couch instead. It hurts my feelings when Dawn leaves the room every time I try to join her on the bed, but it is what it is. Dawn had a hard life at the puppy mill kennel and I don't think she is ever going to trust men.

The weather is looking much better tomorrow. According to the forecast we will have clear skies and mild temperatures. This sounds like a good day for Dawn's Sunday outing. I'll probably go mall walking as well. Mall walking is a nice change of pace from my regular walks.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

4718 - Thanksgiving

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon. It was worth all the calls it took to get a reservation at our favorite restaurant. The elaborate buffet was delicious, the service was great, and it felt almost like pre-Covid times. We'll just have to remember to make our reservation a little earlier next year.

Thanksgiving dinner was definitely the high point of the day. The rest of the day was a mess. We had a tremendous amount of rain last night. It was a relentless pounding rain that lasted for hours. Not surprisingly, all this rain caused leaks. It's been two or three years since our roof leaks have been this bad. I woke up several times during the night to the unmistakable sound of dripping water. I placed buckets under the leaks and went back to bed. By morning even more leaks had appeared. There are leaks in three different rooms now. What a mess. Some carpeted areas got soaked and will take a while to dry out. 

Since one of the two pumps on wasn't working I was forced to go up on the roof in the rain and try to fix things. I got the pumps working again, swept away a mountain of pecan leaves from the neighbor's tree, and came back inside to warm up. I really need more pumps. One pump for the main roof and another for the carport and storage areas really isn't enough. Initially the pumps were throwing circuit breakers, but after I put each pump on a different circuit, everything started working smoothly. Over eight hours later water is still dripping from the ceiling, but the buckets are filling much slower now. Hopefully by morning the leaks will have stopped.

This roof leak debacle has forced me to think seriously about putting on a new roof again. I got out the bids from several roofing companies I've contacted and looked them over this afternoon. This reminded my of how much I dislike roofers. Each bid had at least one serious flaw and seemed to be designed to protect the roofing company rather than help me. I really want an iron clad warranty that the roof isn't going to leak for at least fifteen years. Nobody even comes close to that kind of promise. Most of the companies didn't even have a good plan for eliminating the low spots that cause ponding during heavy rain. I've got to do something though. It's time for a new roof.

Dawn didn't get a walk today. She didn't even want to go outside. We tried to take her on a morning walk during a break in the rain, but Dawn was smarter than we were. As soon as she did her business, she headed straight back to the house. Not a minute too soon either. As soon as we reached the back porch, it started pouring. 

I wasn't nearly as smart as Dawn. After we returned from our Thanksgiving dinner I still insisted on taking a walk. It was still raining but I've gone almost a full year without missing my daily goal and didn't see any reason to stop now. Somehow I managed to get 15,000 steps on a very rainy day. I think most of those steps were when I was up on the roof. Hey, at least my raincoat works. I got the raincoat for my trips to Kennedy Space Center, but I rarely use it. They don't launch rockets in the rain very often.

I've taken this weeks trash out to the curb and emptied the roof leak buckets several times by now. It wasn't the Thanksgiving I expected, but it was still a pleasant one. We had a wonderful dinner, our house is warm, and we've certainly experienced leaks before. Life goes on.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4717

It was a dismal day with a silver lining. We finallly managed to get a reservation for the Thanksgiving Brunch at our favorite restaurant. We'll be eating a little later than we had planned, but it is all good. An early Thanksgiving dinner is just as tasty as a midday meal.

Luckily, we were able to get Dawn walked this morning before the rain started. We just got a little wet as we returned to the house. This rain shower didn't last long. After I finished breakfast the rain stopped and I was able to take my long walk without getting wet. I don't know why I continue to walk outside when my feet are bothering me. It's definitely easier to walk on the indoor track at the gym. I guess I just didn't feel like driving.

The park was fairly empty today. Cyclists don't like to ride on wet, slick roads and most of the joggers probably have better sense than to be out on a day like this. I suspect that most of the people I saw today were addicted to getting their steps just like me. I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. My gym is closed on Thanksgiving and it is supposed to rain all day.

The pumps on the roof aren't working today. That's unfortunate because it probably means I will start hearing the ominous drip, drip, drip of a roof leak in the middle of the night. I wish the pumps were more reliable. Sometimes they get clogged with leaves and other times during a heavy rain one of the pumps shorts out when the end of the extension cord that connects to the pump is under water. I'm tired of dealing with these problems but they're not going away. I'm always going to have a flat roof that holds standing water.

The websites and apps I use seem to have developed a life of their own. Sometimes they work and other times they don't. Part of the problem is probably my older computer and phone. I have no desire to upgrade just because developers are constantly making changes to their products. I'm sure these folks are just trying to stay ahead of the latest malware and hacking attempts, but it's frustrating. Couldn't everyone just leave things alone for a while.

Sometimes I feel like I live in a world that is crumbling around me. There seems to be a new mass shooting on the news every single day. The country is hopelessly divided and we can't seem to agree on anything. It doesn't feel safe to be out after dark anymore. Homeless encampments are everywhere. People are stealing catalytic converters from underneath your car and you risk a road rage incident every time you go to the grocery store. You can't even escape the madness if you stay home and do nothing. I must get twenty-five spam and telemarketing calls on my phone every single day. I don't even answer my land line anymore. It didn't used to be this way. I don't think young people believe me though. It was always this way for them.

I hope we have a relaxing, enjoyable Thanksgiving tomorrow and don't get caught in a bad thunderstorm. The weather forecast doesn't look good. I"m going to try to stay positive though. Thanksgiving should be a happy time.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4687

What a dismal day. It basically rained all day, although we were able to take Dawn on an abbreviated sunrise walk during a break in the clouds. The rain has been heavy enough that I'm worried about the roof leaking, but so far so good. The pumps on the roof are still working and that's probably helping a bit.

There's not a lot to do on a cold rainy day. I ate my breakfast and checked my messages for nonexistent messages from NASA. I was getting ready to go to the gym when we had a short power outage. Power outages freak Dawn out. Maybe it's the beeping noises the battery backup devices make when they kick in. Dawn couldn't find anyplace where she felt safe and ended up huddled in the kitchen. The power came back on in less than ten minutes but that was of little comfort to Dawn. I couldn't get her to come back to the bedroom at all. 

I waited around for her to calm down and tried taking her outside so that she could see that everything was alright. Nothing seemed to work. Dawn tried sitting on several living room chairs, but couldn't find a place where she felt comfortable. I finally ended up leading her back to the bedroom on a leash and sat with her until she started to relax. I don't know what causes this behavior, but it seems to happen every time there's a power outage.

The rain wasn't going to stop, but it was a fairly gentle rain and Dawn eventually fell asleep in the bed. I went to the gym, but I turned off the backup batteries before I left. Hopefully if there was another power outage, there wouldn't be any beeping noises. The fact that I would willingly drive in the rain shows how addicted I've become to getting my daily steps. Rain or shine I need to get at least 10,000 steps.

The gym was surprisingly crowded today. I thought the place would be empty, but what else are you going to do on a rainy day. Probably a lot of people were getting cabin fever sitting at home waiting for the rain to stop. I was absolutely terrible on the basketball court this morning, but I eventually completed thirty free throws and moved on the the running track. I walked two miles, got my steps, and headed home again. I thought the rain might clean up my car, but it wasn't meant to be. Passing spray from other cars just made the car even muddier.

One of the pumps on the roof must be partially clogged. It wasn't operating well today and kept throwing the breaker for the pump circuit. I didn't climb up on the roof to investigate because it was pretty nasty outside. Maybe if it clears up tomorrow I'll go up on the roof and clean out the pump, but I think my roof climbing days are just about over. It's slippery up there and I'm not as nimble as I used to be.

It's not raining right now, but the day isn't over yet. I see another band of storms approaching us on the weather radar and I'm starting to hear thunder. I'm not a big fan of an all day rain. Sure, the yard needed the water, but I definitely don't need the stress of waiting for the next roof leak. Maybe I'll get lucky this time. After this narrow storm band passes, I think it's clear sailing for the rest of the night.

Ellis is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4625

We got more rain overnight, but it was over by morning. Dawn was able to get her sunrise walk and the temperature was nice and cool. I was surprised that the water level in the lake looked normal even though we've had an enormous amount of rain in the past few days. We must have timed things right this morning because we encountered no bicycles and very few runners. We did see a lot of ducks though. I wish every morning was like this. It was a very pleasant walk.

Since the weather was so nice, I decided to take a walk in the park instead of going to the gym. I left the house right after breakfast because I knew how quickly the weather could change if the sun came out. It was heavily overcast and there was a light mist, but even that was nice. It seemed like a treat to be able to walk without immediately getting hot and sweaty. It was surprising how quickly the meadows have turned green again after a few days of rain. There was very little standing water though. The ground was so dry that it probably immediately just absorbed all the water.

I was determined to get something done today. After a light lunch I went to the T-Mobile store and tried to update my non-functional Internet hotspot. The little hotspot quit working about a month ago because it was very old and still used 3G for connectivity. The phone company warned me that the unit was obsolete and would quit working when they pulled the plug on their 3G network. I've been avoiding having yet another expense, but I hate to travel without an Internet hotspot. The hotspot has been great when there are power outages at the house as well. 

The new 5G hotspot is a little bigger than my old companion but it still fits in my pocket. It took a lot longer for the T-Mobile guys to get me hooked up than I though, but everything is working now. It took a long time for them to find my account because they look for a phone number to find your records. The old hotspot has a phone number but I had no idea what it was. I just turn it on and connect whatever device I want to use to the hotspot WiFi. Eventually they found my account by taking out the SIM card and using the SIM card ID to find my account. Oddly the new hotspot uses the same phone number as the old one. The guys told me to write this number down in case I need it in the future.

On the way home I stopped at Home Depot and got a new extension cord so I could get the second pump on the roof working again. I got a heavier gage cord this time because maybe the old cord was too light to handle the pump's amperage. The heavier the cord, the more expensive it is. It's probably directly related to the price of copper. There was a display of electrical wire next to the extension cords and I was amazed at how expensive copper wire has become. I don't know why I was surprised. Everything is a lot more expensive now.

Hopefully I won't need to climb up on the roof again for a while. Both pumps are working now. It's amazing that doing one or two things can use up an entire day. Tomorrow I'll try to check a few more things off my list. The Artemis rocket is waiting for me and I've still got a lot to do.

Mickey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4183

It rained a lot today. That didn't stop us from visiting the Dalmatians though. Millie, formerly known as Aries, has gone to her forever home. The three boys, Cooper, Riggs, and Charlie, were still at the kennel and were ready to play. They all acted like they had cabin fever because the heavy rain was keeping them indoors. We always bring an assortment of toys with us so the dogs won't tear the squeakers out while we are gone. The guys love these "fresh" toys and give them a good workout. We didn't work on training much today, but everybody had a good time.

Traffic is always bad in Dallas, but it is even worse on a rainy day. It seemed to take forever to get to and from the kennel. Luckily, by the time we returned home, the sky was getting lighter and the rain was finally stopping. We waited a little while for the rain to stop completely before taking Dawn on a walk. Dawn must have had cabin fever too, because she was eager to go outside even though the ground was still quite wet. She was adventurous and took a new route today, although we still ended up only walking a mile. One mile seems to be Dawn's limit these days.

I felt tired this afternoon but I continued walking after Dawn and Janet returned to the house. We got back from the kennel later than usual and I didn't want to end up walking in the dark. I was amazed at how high the lake was today. The water was over the banks in several places and there were tons of logs and other debris that had washed up along the shoreline. I wonder how much rain we ended up getting last night? The pumps on the roof ran continually for most of the day and water was still coming out of the hose after about seven hours. I don't even want to know how much standing water is still up there. There are still no signs of any leaks though, so that's encouraging.

I finally put all my gear away from the observatory trip. Everything has been sitting on the floor of the office for weeks. I thought that the office would look a lot neater after everything had been put away, but it really didn't. The place is still a mess. I left the new little telescope out in a place that was easily accessible. I need to learn how to use this thing on the star tracker in case we ever have a clear day. I may have to wait a while. There's still a lot of rain in the forecast.

One of the launch photographers I know sent me some tips for getting credentialed at Kennedy Space Center. I've tried most of these ideas already with little success, but it was a nice gesture. Even though there have been a record number of launches this year, I'm starting to think that this isn't the best time to be planning a trip to Florida. Everyone wants to take a vacation now and all roads lead to Disneyland. Flights between Dallas and Orlando are packed. I keep hearing horror stories about finding a rental car as well. Maybe I'll wait until Fall when kids will finally be back in school. Hurricane season has started as well. On second thought, maybe waiting until Winter would be an even better idea.

Hopefully, I can think of something interesting to do tomorrow. I used to have an endless list of projects I was working on, but very little interests me anymore. I haven't taken the Stratocaster out of its case in more than a year and I don't think the large production printer even works anymore. Playing in a band and having gallery shows are just distant memories. Thank goodness for astronomy. This is probably a transitory interest as well, but for now it seems to keep the old brain from getting rusty.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4176 - Memorial Day

Will this ever end? We had more rain today. This is the wettest Spring I can remember. The plants love it, but I don't think anyone else does. We got a lot of rain today, but still managed to find time to walk. Dawn's walk was completely dry, but I ended up cutting it pretty close on my own walk a little later. As soon as I completed my full six miles and returned to the house, the skies opened up and it started pouring. If I'd been walking just a little slower, I would have got soaked.

The park is a popular place for picnics and barbecues on Memorial Day. I was surprised at how many people stubbornly refused to give up in spite of the bad weather. There were makeshift tents and tarps erected over picnic tables. I saw one huge tarp that roofers often use to cover damaged roofs strung between several trees. The tarp not only covered a picnic table and a barbecue pit, it covered the owner's car as well. Nothing seemed to bother these people. The ground was wet and I could hear thunder in the distance, but the barbecues continued all over the park.

I think I've lost my mojo when it comes to fixing things. I have a waterproof iPhone case with a Gorilla Glass screen protector. One of the corners was loose, so I thought I'd fix it this morning. I carefully took the case apart and cleaned it. I found the problem. There was a broken post on the back of the case, so the corner screw on the front couldn't be tightened. I tried to super glue the broken part back together, but in the process a lot of other small parts started breaking or falling off. I tried to super glue these parts back together as well, but ended up losing one of them. I didn't align the post with the brass nut perfectly, so when I finally did attempt to reassemble the case, the screws on the front wouldn't align with the nuts inside the small posts in the back. I can't believe that I used to be able to fix watches. I was so clumsy that I ended up making a mess of the case. I thought the case company had gone out of business, but I managed to find a replacement on the Internet and ordered it. It must be coming from China, because the shipping charges were almost as much as the case.

The pumps on the roof aren't working very well, but I really don't want to climb up there and inspect them.  The weather is nasty and the roof gets slippery when it's wet. If I can't even fix an iPhone case, I don't want to risk fixing a pump on a slippery roof. Luckily, when I was just a little younger I made some pretty decent repairs to the roof. Even after all this rain, there have been no leaks.

We didn't get to visit the Dalmatians today. The kennel was closed for Memorial Day. The dogs were fine because kennel attendants still check on them several times a day to feed them and take them out to poop. The place just wasn't open to the public. Maybe when we visit next time the two dogs that have already been adopted will have gone to their forever homes.

Dawn has started licking her paws a lot. We don't know if this is a nervous habit or whether she is allergic to something outside. I thought she might have been bitten by fire ants, but there are no welts or sign of a bite on her paws. We found some socks that Dash used to wear when he had an injured paw, but they wouldn't fit on Dawn. Dash had really tiny feet for a Dalmatian. There is a big box of dog stuff at my storage warehouse. Dash had so many types of socks, shoes, and booties when his rear legs began to get weak and I may be able to find something for Dawn that might work. She needs to quit licking because her paws are already starting to get red and irritated.

According to the weather forecast, it is supposed to rain every day for the rest of the week. Not good. I hope the forecast is wrong. Enough is enough. I'm really getting sick of this rain.

Amy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4007

Today was dismal. I woke up to the sounds of thunder and rain pounding on the roof. The temperature was only 39 degrees. Clearly we weren't going on a walk with Dawn this morning. This wasn't a case of waiting an hour for the skies to clear. It looked like it was going to be an all day rain. Dawn didn't want to go outside anyway. We couldn't even get her to go out in the back yard and pee.

I turned on the pumps, which actually worked for a change, and we ate breakfast. There were all sorts of things I could have done today, but it was hard to get motivated. I could have gotten more familiar with my new camera. I could have installed the new electrical wiring monitoring device. I could have explored a new article idea I have for Sky & Telescope. I did none of these things. I decide to stop a toilet from running instead.

I should have known from the start that this would be a thankless experience. I can no longer get the parts I need for the aging French toilet and have been forced to clean and repair the existing parts in the flush mechanism instead. Unlike American toilets that use a simple float mechanism to stop the flow of water when the tank is full, this Rube Goldberg device uses a complex system of tiny rubber membranes to accomplish the same thing. When the membranes being to leak, the toilet runs. I've cleaned and reassembled these part so many times, but each time it gets a little harder to achieve a perfect seal. I think I made things a little better today, but I still hear an annoying drip, drip, drip sound. I get so tired of fixing broken things, but there is really no alternative.

The rain started to subside around mid-afternoon and I was getting cabin fever, so I decided to take a walk. I dressed warmly because it was still very cold. I should have worn a raincoat. Although the weather radar showed that the rain was moving away from us, there was still a fine, wind driven mist down by the lake. Even though it wasn't raining hard, it didn't take long to get wet. I just kept walking. I was wearing two warm coats and the inner coat didn't appear to be getting wet. Needless to say, I didn't encounter many other people on my walk. It was cold and nasty outside but I enjoyed the solitude. Long, quiet walks are a good time to think. By the time I returned home I had walked over five miles. 

I've got an idea for a second Sky & Telescope article and I'm going to start writing an initial draft tomorrow. What have I got to lose? If the rain clears up, I'll definitely have to go up on the roof. We got a lot of rain today and even with the pumps running most of the day, there will still be a lot of standing water. I might write my one contact at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as well to see if I can get myself invited to the Perseverance rover landing in February.

It was a miserable day, but oddly a cold walk in the rain helped to get me motivated. Who knows how long this will last. I might not even want to get out of bed in the morning. I noticed today that some of my very old blog posts have reappeared on Facebook. When were these posts reinstated and why is everything earlier than 2015 OK now? The newer blog posts are still gone. I've given up trying to figure Facebook out. My blog should never have been banned for violating community standards in the first place. Oh, well. I think robot algorithms control the whole thing anyway. 

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3912

I've been wondering why our local gaggle of geese always hangs out on the East side of the lake now. They used to be all over the place. Today I found my answer. There's a guy who's been feeding them. The two Muscovy ducks were waiting for him as he unloaded a large 40 pound bag of Duck Feed Pellets from the back of his truck. The geese saw him too and were rapidly walking single file down a hill to greet him. Maybe this is why we saw the chicken in this section of the park as well. These birds are eating well.

While we were walking this morning we encountered a very large moth that appeared to be injured. It looked normal, but it clearly couldn't fly. We moved the moth off the road where we had found it to a nearby patch of grass. Maybe the moth will recover, but I kind of doubt it. One thing you notice when you are observing nature is that it can be very cruel. Not all the animals make it. Some get killed by pesticides. Some are eaten by other animals. Some are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Butterflies and moths don't live a long time anyway. Their average lifespan is about a month.

We knew it was going to rain today, but we timed our morning walk well and didn't get wet. The heavy rains didn't arrive until later in the afternoon. Needless to say, I didn't take an afternoon walk. There really isn't much to do on a rainy day. I usually just fret about the roof leaking. So far everything seems fine. Both pumps are working correctly and there are no signs of a leak. There is no point in even thinking about removing the water from the roof. It's supposed to continue raining until tomorrow afternoon.

Texas is definitely a big state. I'm still wondering whether we are going to be dealing with any more 100 degree days here in Dallas, while it got down to 35 degrees at McDonald Observatory last night. I think today's rain is going to cool things down considerably, but we're still a long ways from 35 degrees. Occasionally when I am fantasizing about other places to live, it's always hard to think of a better place than Dallas. They are already having blizzards in Wyoming. The entire West Coast seems to be on fire. And it's going to take a long time for the people in Southern Louisiana to recover from Hurricane Laura. We have the occasional tornado warning, but the place seems pretty peaceful compared to other parts of the country.

I wonder if the telemarketing calls will decrease after the election? We're getting a huge number of junk calls now. I don't answer any of them but they are still irritating. How do you eliminate these things? I use Nomorobo and another AT&T service designed to eliminate spam and the calls still get through. Most of our mail is junk too. It just seems like someone is spending an enormous amount of effort to reach people who aren't interested anyway.

It's still raining. I need to remember to turn off the pumps before I go to bed tonight. If I forget, it usually quits raining while I'm asleep and the pumps overheat. I've already burned out quite a few pumps and I'm getting more forgetful by the day. The only advice I'd ever offer young people is to never buy a house with a flat roof. A flat roof is nothing by trouble.

Maybe it will be a nice day tomorrow. One can always hope.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3902

We got a lot of rain today. It started raining before we woke up this morning and continued through midmorning. There was no early walk this morning. Dawn wouldn't even go outside to pee. The rain was so heavy that I began worrying about roof leaks again. It didn't help that the pumps weren't working. I had to wait until the rain subsided a bit before I could go outside and discover that the circuit breaker for the pump circuit had been tripped. I got one of the pumps working and disconnected the other one so the breaker wouldn't trip again.

We ate breakfast and waited for the rain to stop. We were finally able to walk Dawn around 10:30 AM. The rain had cooled things down considerably. It was only 75 degrees when we left the house. There was a nice breeze as well. Unfortunately, this didn't last very long. As soon as the clouds began to dissipate and the sun came out you could feel the temperature immediately start to rise. Before we returned home it was already oppressively humid and you could tell it was going to be a hot day.

The first order of business after we returned home was getting the water off the roof. I knew if I waited, it would be too hot later in the day. When the pumps aren't working correctly there is a huge amount of water on the roof. A lot of the water was stained a dark brown by the pecans falling from a neighbor's tree. Squirrels eat the pecans and then the shells rot.  It's a mess. I've always thought that chemicals in the pecan shells cause the roof coating to deteriorate. I've always had the most problems with leaks during this time of the year. While I was up on the roof, I replaced one of the pump hoses. These things don't last long in the summer heat.

There must have been a power surge or a very brief outage last night. The breaker for the security light in the back yard had also been tripped. Oddly, I didn't notice anything strange inside the house. Only the outdoor circuits seem to have been affected.

There were several rocket launches today and I watched them on the computer between household chores. Space X was supposed to do a short hop with it's latest Starship prototype in Boca Chica and then launch a Falcon 9 down at Cape Canaveral later in the day. The SN6 hop never happened, but it was interesting to watch. Boca Chica is only about a mile from the Mexican border. After the pad had been cleared and the launch site had been secured there were two illegals who walked right past the rocket carrying a bucket. After passing near the pad, they pulled some clothes out of the bucket, changed outfits, put on facemasks, and disappeared into some nearby brush. The announcer for the launch coverage seemed startled and said "I wonder if these guys realize that 250,000 people are watching them." I have no idea what happened to the guys. They probably have jobs in Brownsville by now.

By the time I took my afternoon walk, the temperature was over 100 degrees again. It's weird to have temperature swings of over thirty degrees in a single day. That's Texas for you. I guess I shouldn't complain. We don't have to worry about hurricanes and we haven't had a tornado in a long time. I think we're going to try for another pre-dawn start to our walk tomorrow. By the time we returned home today, it was way too hot. Maybe the weather will improve in September. It would be nice if everything else improved as well.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3869

All day rain. We really needed the rain, but it presented all the usual frustrations. It didn't take me long to realize that the pumps weren't working this morning. When I went up on the roof to investigate, I discovered that a tree limb had fallen and knocked over one of the pumps. This must have tripped a circuit breaker that shut off the other pump as well. It was a simple fix to get things running again, but I did get wet.

Luckily, we had already walked Dawn before I had to deal with the pump problem. We're getting better about using weather radar apps to avoid getting wet on our morning walks. Staying dry this morning involved getting a very early start. It was pretty dark when we left the house but as the sky lightened we were treated to a beautiful sunrise and a brief rainbow. We had to cut things a little short this morning, but we were still able to cover four miles.

There is even less to do on a rainy day than a dry day during a pandemic. As I slowly drank my morning smoothie, I kept flipping channels on the kitchen TV. I didn't feel like watching endless congressional hearings and I didn't feel like watching reporters standing in front of hospitals talking about the virus either. I used to watch the BBC in the mornings, but inexplicably my cable provider took it away. My plan never changes, but the channels come and go. No wonder so many people watch those home improvement shows or Christmas movies in July on the Hallmark Channel. Everything else has become hopelessly politicized.

Once I turned on my computer I watched the roll out of the Atlas V-541 with the Mars Perseverance rover attached to the top. Whenever I see these shots from Kennedy Space Center my first reaction is "Hey, I've been there." Since the launch takes place at Launch Complex 41, everything looked very familiar. This is where I was for the ESA Solar Orbiter launch earlier this year. I watched that roll out from the same little hill where the cameras were this morning.

It never did stop raining but late in the day I decided to take another walk anyway. There was a very light drizzle, but it cooled things down and was actually kind of pleasant. The park was finally completely empty again. Even though I got wet, I enjoyed this walk. I listened to bird sounds and looked for new flowers to photograph. I enjoy the sound of silence. There's just not enough of it these days.

Who knows what I'll end up doing tomorrow. It will probably involve eating, walking, and sleeping. These are strange times. I've completely internalized the whole notion of social distancing. Six feet apart isn't nearly far enough. I don't know why we are arguing about masks. We just need to stay completely away from each other. If everyone would turn off their phones and take a vow of silence for 30 days the virus would probably just go away. A lot of our political problems would go away as well. It's the compulsion to talk to each other that makes social distancing so difficult. I wonder what would happen if everyone could just stay alone with their thoughts for a month? No TV. No Internet. No Happy Hour. No Zoom meetings. Just your thoughts. Hey, that's my solution.

Queenie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3847

I should have brought my good camera when we went to the kennel today. We were greeted by a new dog we hadn't met before. Lucky was a foster who returned to the kennel. She initially went to her foster home before I had a chance to photograph her for the website. Fosters are either temporary or they turn into adoptions and Lucky wasn't destined to be a foster fail. She will still need to find her forever home, but she's going to be perfect for somebody. I'll do her portrait next week.

Lucky seemed quiet and reserved compared to Hank and Charlie. The two boys were full of energy today. They both love to play catch but still need to work on releasing the ball so you can throw it again. Charlie will sit, stay, lie down, and come on command. Hank will automatically sit before receiving a treat now. He's been harder to train since he's deaf, but we are making progress.

Dawn didn't get much of a walk this morning. We noticed that a storm was approaching on the weather radar, so we quickly took a short walk and returned home a few minutes before the downpour started. I'm glad we timed things right today, because the rain was quite heavy. At least the pumps are working again. I think I discovered what the problem was yesterday. The two pumps are in different areas on the roof and if one runs dry before the other, it can overheat and trip a breaker. I watched things more carefully today. Actually the rain was so heavy that there was little danger of either pump running dry.

The rain eventually stopped and I took another walk later in the afternoon to get some more steps. The morning's rain had basically turned to steam. It was incredibly humid outside. I don't know why I continue walking. Probably just because I can't think of anything better to do.

I think It's going to rain again tomorrow. The combination of terrible weather and equally terrible news on TV is starting to take its toll. This summer seems like an episode of Black Mirror. There are conflicting reports about absolutely everything. It shouldn't be raining this much in July. The virus shouldn't be getting worse in July when everyone was so good about distancing in March and April. I'm still irritated that Florida has turned into such a mess. Will I ever get back to Kennedy Space Center again? Will I even have the nerve to fly again? I've gotten used to the idea of our old house falling apart. Now it appears like the entire world is falling apart.

I was initially surprised when international travel ground to a halt. Now it appears that state-to-state travel is being restricted as well. At least we live in a big state. There's plenty to do here in Texas. I'd hate to be locked in a little state like Connecticut. I need to reexamine things and find some activities that are satisfying and enjoyable to do while the world crumbles around you. Reading seems an obvious choice. I used to be a voracious reader, but it's hard for me to pick up a book these days. Oddly, I find it easier to write than to read. I seem to have lost my interest in music as well. At least there are dogs. Dogs are always enjoyable.

Cisco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3846

It was so hot and humid this morning that we had to cut our walk with Dawn in half. Dawn was still tired when we got home and I had to change my clothes. It's definitely going to be a long summer. I thought the day might improve, but it actually got worse. By the time I took my afternoon walk, it was stifling outside. At least I managed to complete my 20,000 steps before the weather changed again. Around mid-afternoon a sudden storm appeared out of nowhere and drenched us with rain.

I turned on the pumps and they worked fine for about an hour and then one of the pumps shorted out. I went up on the roof in the rain to see if any of the electrical connections had become submerged. Yep. I moved an extension cord out of the water, reset the circuit breaker and the pumps started working again. About thirty minutes later the lights in the kitchen went out. The pumps had tripped another circuit breaker. Something is definitely wrong with the pumps. I disconnected the pumps so I wouldn't start a fire and I guess I'll have to deal with this later. It might be quite a while later. There is more rain in the forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday.

I skipped going to the gym for the second Sunday in a row. The way things are trending in Dallas, I wouldn't be surprised if my gym decides to close again. This is the third day in a row we have had more than a thousand new Covid-19 cases a day. When we only had ten or twenty cases a day everyone was staying inside. Now, despite a dramatic resurgence, everyone has gone back to normal mode. Some blame the resurgence on Memorial Day. Others blame the people who don't wear masks or the protests in the streets that were taking place a few weeks ago. Very few people appear to be blaming themselves.

I think we have given our adversaries a blueprint for taking us out whenever they want. When we stay united, we are a badass country that will nuke you back into the stone age. If you can manage to turn us against ourselves though, you won't have to go to war at all. You can just sit back and watch while we destroy ourselves. Who would have thought that a tiny little virus combined with an avalanche of conspiracy theories could render all our missiles and aircraft carriers useless. I still think the virus was created in China for a specific purpose, but that's just my own conspiracy theory.  Just watch China be the first to come up with a vaccine and we all rush out to take it and die. Relax. That's a  conspiracy theory too.

I have a dental appointment next week. Why are dentist's offices still open? Aren't dental procedures right up near the top of the danger list? I guess I'll go ahead and keep the appointment. My dentist is extremely careful and there is only one patient in the office at a time. I wouldn't want to be a dental hygenist though. They're bound to get coughed on sooner or later.

I guess we'll go visit the Dalmatians tomorrow. It is Monday tomorrow, isn't it? It's getting to be so hard to tell the days apart. Even our walks are starting to seem like Ground Hog Day. We see the same people walking the same dogs or riding the same bicycles over and over again. They probably are saying the same thing about us. Everything is so predictable that Janet and I have started wondering about the "Hello Guy." There is this one cyclist who says Hello very loudly to every single person he passes. We used to see him every morning and he's been gone for several weeks now. I wonder if he got the virus.

Isabella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3805 - Memorial Day

Another all day rain. This one was a soaker. We thought we could squeeze in a shorter walk this morning, but we were wrong. The storm moved faster than we did and by the time we returned home we were all very wet. Oh, well. We tried. I think Dawn would have preferred to sleep in late.

I must have done a decent job on roof repairs because even though we have had a ton of rain this Spring, there is still no evidence that the leak has returned. I left the pumps running all day today. They can't keep up with the rain, but over time they do help reduce the amount of standing water on the roof. It's clear that I will be up on the roof again soon. I've just got to wait for the rain to stop.

The wet weather didn't stop us from visiting the Dalmatian kennel. Today, in addition to playing with all the dogs, we photographed Murphy, our new arrival. Murphy is an owner surrender. Like most owner surrenders, I can't imagine why anyone would even consider giving this dog up. Murphy was extremely friendly and had obviously had some obedience training. He knew how to sit, stay, and lie down. He also seemed very adept at catching treats in the air. I don't think Murphy will be with us for very long. He's an amazing dog and should find his forever home very soon.

There were no Memorial Day picnics in the park today. There wasn't even much traffic on the roads. A hard rain really puts a damper on things. There is more rain in the forecast for tomorrow, but I hope the forecast is wrong. I'm sick of this wet weather. Pandemic confinement is bad enough on a good day, but wet weather makes it seem even worse. As long as I can take a long walk, I'm fine. Sitting in the house watching TV while rain pounds on the roof gets old quickly though. I'm totally over listening to "experts" disagree with each other about the virus. It's refreshing to occasionally hear a thoughtful person admit to the world that actually nobody has any answers.

The weather isn't looking good for Wednesday's Demo-2 launch. Maybe NASA's new media restrictions just saved me from making an expensive trip to Florida to view a launch that ended up getting scrubbed. This has happened to me before. Sometimes it is possible to stay an extra day or two, but other times you end up going home without seeing anything. Hopefully, everything will go according to schedule. Whatever happens, I'm sure I'll be streaming the event on my computer.

I'll add Murphy to the Dalmatian Rescue website tomorrow. Hopefully the skies will clear so we can take a decent walk without getting wet. Maybe I can think of something else to do as well. It's hard to believe that it's almost June. Half the year is already gone and the world is still on hold. I'm certainly on hold myself. There are no observatory trips to plan. I have no idea when Kennedy Space Center will open again. I haven't heard from the Air Force yet either. I'm a self-motivated person by nature but it's hard to get excited by anything when the world feels like a giant jigsaw puzzle that has just been dropped on the floor. I'm not smart enough or patience enough to put all the pieces back together. You probably aren't either.

Ranger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3796

Today was dismal. You know how I feel about an all day rain. We were lucky to be able to take Dawn for a short walk before the rain started in earnest, but even on this little excursion we managed to get wet. Dawn isn't scared of storms, but she definitely doesn't like to get wet. Neither do I. I definitely got wet today. I had to go up on the roof during the rain to restart one of the pumps. Water had caused a short in an extension cord and thrown a circuit breaker. I managed to get everything fixed, but the pumps couldn't keep up with all the water. It was a very heavy rain.

I should have skipped grocery shopping this morning, but I needed more fresh fruit. I had to go to two different stores to find strawberries. All the berries destined for Sam's Club must has been delivered to Kroger instead. There was a huge display and the berries were even on sale. There seems to be an abundance of food, but distribution is all messed up. You never know what you are going to find at a store on any particular day.

The chiggers have arrived. I got my first bites of the season yesterday. I must have gotten bitten when I stepped off the path on our walk the other day to photograph some Texas Thistle for my blog photo. It doesn't take much. Now I am itching like crazy. I'm pretty good at avoiding poison ivy, but I seem unable to escape chiggers and mosquitos. We've got to check Dawn for ticks every day as well. The bugs are back for the Summer.

I'm making progress on my quest to return to Kennedy Space Center. I contacted my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine and the magazine agreed to sponsor me, providing the information I needed to apply for clearance from the military. I'll fill out the government forms over the weekend and send them to the Air Force next week. I don't know how long the approval process takes, but I hope to be able to cover the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover launch later this Summer.

I am completely baffled that so many people want to stay in lockdown mode until a cure for Covid-19 is found. Don't these people read history? There may never be a cure. It took over 100 years to eradicate polio and several early attempts at a vaccine were disastrous. To this day there has never been a successful vaccine for any virus in the coronavirus family. We all get our flu shots, but some years this vaccine is only marginally effective. The common flu keeps mutating and a new vaccine must be developed every year. Remember, vaccines don't actually cure anything. They just accelerate the process of building herd immunity in a population.

There have been other pandemics in my lifetime, but I don't remember a reaction like the one I'm seeing now. This is irrational panic. The Hong Kong flu killed well over a million people in 1969 and few people even remember it. I don't and I was there. The Hong Kong flu was a major global pandemic that caused huge disruptions in Europe, but nothing was shut down anywhere. Corpses were stored in subway tunnels in Berlin. Half the workforce in France was bedridden while the rest of us were preoccupied with Woodstock, Vietnam, and going to the moon. A vaccine was eventually developed but it didn't eradicate the disease. It remains in circulation today as a strain of the seasonal flu. Quick cures for viruses just don't exist.

I hope the rain stops tomorrow. I'm tired of shepherding balky pumps and nervously looking for leaks. The "service required" light came on in my car again. I'm tired of that too. Give me a break. I'm not even driving the car these days.

Liberty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3794

When a solitary person like myself starts getting cabin fever, things must be getting bad. I guess I spend more time shopping and going to restaurants than I realized because I'm really getting the urge to buy something I don't need. I look forward to our long walks with Dawn every morning, but my reaction when we return home is usually "Now what?"

It's a shame I won't be able to go to Kennedy Space Center for the Crew Dragon launch. This would be the time when I would be making reservations and actively planning for the trip. I've got some new lenses I'd like to try at the launch. There was a magazine interested in having me do a story. Watching the launch on NASA TV just isn't going to be the same.

It's probably going to rain tomorrow since I went up on the roof this afternoon and cleared away the remaining water from the last rain. One of the pumps doesn't seem to be working well anymore. I don't know what to do other than buy a new pump. I've burned through quite a few pumps over the years. The first pumps were made of metal and were tough as nails. I had one that lasted for over fifteen years. The quality seems to gradually deteriorate on each new generation of pumps. I'm sure these new ones are made in China.

Many stores are open again in Dallas. Janet got some new running shoes today. She asked whether I wanted to come along but I was having a bad allergy day and didn't want to sneeze in the store. I do need new shoes though. Shoes don't last that long when you are walking 20,000 steps a day.

How long can the coronavirus continue to be the only topic of conversation nationwide? I think people are already starting to experience disease fatigue. The longer society is disrupted, the more people will start demanding a return to normal. Clearly a plague isn't normal, but neither is locking down an entire country. This can't be sustained indefinitely. I may be wrong, but I predict that if a cure isn't developed in a reasonable amount of time, we will simply stop talking about the dead. As a society we have a remarkable ability to sweep almost anything under the rug.

It's a shame that a health crisis is being politicized, but eventually everything is politicized in this country. The election in November is going to be all about the virus. Pick a side. If you think there is nothing more important than human life, you may change your mind if you are dead broke and without a job in November. If you think it is absolutely essential for society to return to normal, you may change your mind if a loved one becomes sick.

Almost every day I see well known local restaurants announce that they are shutting their doors for good. It's sad to see how unfair the lockdown had been. Home Depot and Lowes have never done better. Their business is thriving. Local businesses a block aways from these stores are dead. They will never return. Who decided which businesses would get to stay open? Clearly safety wasn't the primary factor. Every time I've been to Home Depot lately, the store has been packed. Stores that were designated as "essential" are actually doing more business now than they were before the pandemic. This just seems all wrong to me. I don't like seeing politicians picking winners and losers.

I've taken the week's trash to the curb and there is no more fresh fruit in the refrigerator. This always marks the end of the week for me. Tomorrow I will make myself an omelette and watch politicians argue with each other on TV while I drink my morning coffee. We'll take Dawn on a nice long walk and then I'll wish I had another computer to fix. It's going to be a long, long summer.

Lady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3676

Another dismal day. I think it rained more today than it did yesterday. I wasn't that hungry, but I went out for breakfast anyway because I thought it would make the day go faster. Rainy days have a tendency to be long days. I wanted something cold but I didn't feel like cereal, so lox and bagels sounded good. This used to be my go to breakfast when I traveled a lot, but it's been a while. Lox and bagels turned out to be a good choice. It brought back memories and made me forget about the rain for a while.

After picking up something for dinner at the grocery store, I came back home and got the pumps working. I'm not sure the pumps on the roof even help that much, but seeing water exit through the garden hoses attached to the pumps makes me feel better. If the rain ever stops, I'll need to go up on the roof and finish the job.

A few days ago Janet got some solar powered pathway lights at the dollar store and to my surprise they actually worked. A dollar for a solar powered light is a pretty good price. Nothing lasts long at the dollar store, so I went back today and got some more of these lights. Like the rubber snakes I once found here to keep birds from pooping on my car, I knew I would never see these things again. During a break in the rain, I placed the lights along the gravel path leading to the alley. I don't expect them to last very long, but for now they are working and actually look pretty good. So much for landscaping on a rainy day.

During the next break in the rain, I decided to take my walk. This worked for a while, but it was a long walk on a rainy day. Before I returned home I was pretty wet. I was really on my own today. Even the joggers and dog walkers opted to stay dry this time. I don't know why it has become such a big deal to keep moving. Probably just because there is little else to do and it is easier than going to the gym.

When I woke up last night I noticed that I was seeing ghost images of the little LED lights on the network router through my left eye. I only saw a single point of light from each bulb with my right eye. My eye doctor warmed me this would happen when cataracts started to develop. I sometimes saw ghost images when I looked up at the moon, but this was more pronounced. When daylight returned, my vision seemed more or less normal, but double images are still not good. For several years my eye doctor has told me that I was developing cataracts. At some point I will need to deal with it. The doctor says I've got five years at best. Cataract surgery is pretty safe and is usually successful, but I'm not looking forward to the day when I need to make this decision. I depend on my eyes and hate to mess with them. I'm also seeing signs of keratosis on the skin under this eye. I guess I need to deal with this too. Jeez. I hate growing old.

I think the weather is going to clear up tomorrow. I certainly hope so. The sooner I get the water off the roof, the less I have to worry about leaks.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day