Day 4218

I almost forgot that we visit the Dalmatians on Mondays. The days just blur together now. Sometimes I have to stop and think for a minute to remember what day it is. We missed seeing the new puppies. Both of them have already gone to their forever homes. The rescue group usually has a waiting list for puppies, so they seldom stay at the kennel long. Charlie and Cooper were still waiting for us. They were both a little subdued today. I think it was the summer heat. We played a little, but the dogs were much more interested in the treats we brought. We were curious whether Charlie was still interested in the toy possum, so we put all the toys in a pile and Charlie immediately went for the possum and started carrying it around like a baby.

The day started normally enough. We took Dawn on her sunrise walk and then I fixed my morning smoothie. I'm not a morning person, but it's so nice outside before the sun comes up that I might try to become one. Dawn loves the morning walk. Today she led us in a new direction. We always let her choose where to walk, mostly because we are curious to see what she'll do. The more confident she becomes, the more she tries new things. Dawn definitely knows the way home and always keeps her walks to approximately one mile. She's a very smart dog.

I was afraid that it was going to be too hot for my long walk when we returned from the kennel, but there were storms in the area that kept the temperature down. Even though there were some very ominous clouds on the horizon, I stayed dry for the entire walk. I don't know what I'd do without the weather radar app on my phone. It adds an element of certainty to an uncertain life. The radar indicated that the storm would pass to the East of me, and sure enough it did.

Three of the resident geese seem to have disappeared and I haven't seen the Muscovy ducks in weeks. I wonder where these birds go? Just when I think they've left the area completely, I'll see them again. I saw a coyote walking very near the road today. The animal seemed to have no fear of people. Usually the coyotes stay hidden during the day, but this one acted more like a dog. I actually thought it was a lost dog for a while until I got closer. There are lots of coyotes in the park now and I am always a little wary of them.

I need to find a project that doesn't involve fixing things around the house. You'd think this would be easy, since a wide variety of things have occupied my interest for months at a time in the past. I don't collect things anymore. I'm no longer interested in songwriting or making fine art prints. I don't even read much anymore, although all four walls of my office are lined with books I've read in the past. It's weird how interests come and go. I'm still interested in astronomy and rockets, but that doesn't do me a lot of good in Dallas. I think the long walks are just a phase, but I have no idea what comes next.

I've noticed that Dawn is more relaxed around me now. Maybe that's what's next. Will I have a dog friend soon? We've still got a long way to go, but Dawn doesn't automatically run away when I approach her now. She's even started following me out to the kitchen occasionally. I need to be careful not to make any sudden moves, but that's pretty easy. I never make any sudden moves.

Winston is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4197

We like to bring the rescue dogs a new toy to play with when we visit on Monday. Today we brought a stuffed possum with us. We thought that Charlie would destroy this toy and get the squeaker out in less than five minutes, but he surprised us. He carried the toy around gently the way a mother dog might move a puppy. He didn't thrash the toy around or make it squeak at all. He seemed a little confused, but it sure looked like he had found a friend. We'd never seen Charlie act this way before. Dogs tend to be predictable, but they are often full of surprises. When we put the toy possum away, Charlie immediately reverted to his old self and begain to play rough with all his other toys. Cooper had no interest in befriending the little possum. He was determined to get the squeaker out.

I knew it was going to rain today, so we walked Dawn as soon as we got up and then I took my long walk right after breakfast. It wasn't terribly hot this morning, but it was incredibly humid. I had to change clothes when I returned home because I was drenching wet. I wish Spring had lasted a little longer. There isn't a lot to like about a Texas Summer. 

It didn't start raining until we were driving home from the kennel. The rain didn't last long but it looked like it had been intense in our neighborhood. When we went in the house I was extremely disappointed to discover that we had a roof leak again.  It's been almost two years since there has been a leak. I was actually beginning to believe that I had solved the problem. Why did the roof leak today? We've had a lot heavier rain earlier in the Spring. This leak was right over Dawn's food bowl, so I don't think she was very happy about it either.

I really had no choice. I climbed up on the roof and spent the next two hours sweeping all the standing water away. The roof was a mess. I hadn't been up there in a while, having convinced myself that the hot weather must have evaporated any standing water. There was a lot of water from today's rain, but since there was algae developing in some of the puddles, it was apparent that there had been water on the roof for quite some time.

I'm really getting too old to remove standing water from the roof every time it rains. It's hard work pushing hundreds of pounds of water over the edge of the roof with a big broom. It's slippery up there as well. By the time I finished removing all the water my heart was pounding. I'm going to be really pissed if it rains again later tonight. I don't want to go up there again. 

I hate to spend a ton of money putting on a new roof and still have problems with standing water afterwards. I've gotten multiple bids from different roofing companies to replace the roof and they all say that since the house has settled, there will still be standing water in the low spots after they are finished. It's discouraging. I guess you could completely remove the roof and start over, but that doesn't seem like a good solution since we are still living in the house. The only times I get really depressed is when I'm up on the roof. It seems hopeless up there.

The only thing good about today's rain is that it is supposed to be a lot cooler tomorrow. One forecast says we will get more rain tonight. The other says we are in the clear. I guess we'll see what happens. I'll leave a bucket out in the kitchen just in case.

Barley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day