Day 4832

Another cold morning. We had to wear our winter coats when we took Dawn on her morning walk. The walks are shorter now, but Dawn still loves them. Her entire day is better when she gets a chance to smell things in the park. So far her recovery is going well. We've already eliminated two of her meds and will start reducing the remaining Rimadyl tablets tonight. She's pretty steady on her feet now, but we still have to help her on and off the bed.

We had our traditional big weekend breakfast and then I did my weekly grocery shopping. This week it was time to fill my car with gas. I do this about every two weeks. As little as I drive, you'd think I could go a lot longer between fill ups, but my car gets terrible gas mileage. Truthfully I don't need a 5 liter supercharged V8 to go to the post office.

Grocery stores are still a mess. I guess that's the new normal. Selections aren't nearly as good as they used to be and prices have gone through the roof. To keep prices lower stores are increasingly stocking the shelves with their own house brands. These brands are less expensive but you get what you pay for. For the most part these house brands are noticeably inferior. I do my low end shopping at Sam's Club and my high end shopping at Central Market. These two stores are world's apart although both have their own house brands. Central Market's house HEB brands are much better than Sam's Member's Mark brands, but Sam's is still the place to buy bottled water, detergent, coffee pods, garbage bags, and other items that don't go on the dinner table. 

Janet had to be away from the house this afternoon, so we thought we'd see how Dawn would do on her own. We were pretty sure that Dawn would stay on the bed while we were gone, but dogs are never entirely predictable. I left the house to go on my long walk before Janet left, but the house was empty when I returned. Sure enough, Dawn was still lying on the bed. She made no attempt to get up and greet me, but that wasn't unusual. She never does. When she saw that I wasn't Janet, she just sighed, put her head down and went back to sleep.

I was a little worried when she wouldn't eat her dinner tonight. I even tried bring her bowl back to the bedroom and she still had no interest. It turned out nothing was wrong at all. As soon as Janet came home Dawn gobbled everything down and then went outside to pee. The little diva was just upset that her weekend schedule had been disrupted. Dawn is constantly at Janet's side when she is home and she just doesn't like being alone with me. I think she's getting better.  When she was really sick she seemed to tolerate me being nearby a lot better. I'm sure this was just an illusion. She probably just had trouble moving away.

We're not sure Dawn is ready to ride in the car again, but if all goes well we might try to take her on a shorter Sunday outing tomorrow. She'll still need help getting in and out of the car, but she does love her walks. We'll see how it goes. I'll go mall walking in the morning and when I return to the house that's usually a sign to Dawn that she's going on her outing soon. Last week she was real disappointed when we didn't go anywhere. Hopefully we can keep Dawn a happy dog tomorrow.

Nick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4419

Everyone seems to be playing Wordle and sharing the results as a cryptic series of colored squares. What is this all about? Fads like this are a mystery to me. Maybe I just don't understand games. Or sharing. At any rate, I doubt you'll see me playing this game. I don't even do crossword puzzles. I do like words though and even enjoy arranging them in sentences. I kind of wish I'd set my blogging goal at 4000 Days though, instead of 5000 Days. I'm running out of things to say.

Today was a typical Saturday. I did my grocery shopping, filled the car with gas, and picked up a prescription at the pharmacy. I also needed to get some more printer ink and an accordion file for the 2022 receipts. I don't even know why I save these receipts anymore. My accountant has no use for them and I rarely ever look at them again. Old habits die hard though. I start a new accordion file every year and take the previous year to the storage warehouse.

Prices at the pump and grocery store do keep rising, but I've stopped keeping track of the increases. It is what it is. I'm set in my ways and I doubt that price increases are going to get me scrambling for bargains. I think true bargains are rare. Stores do try to dump inventory at times to get rid of stuff that has been sitting on the shelf too long and there are always inferior products, but you always get what you pay for. I really need to start doing my shopping on a weekday. Weekends are just too crowed now. Where did all these people come from? Too many people are moving to Dallas. If I could make a habit of shopping at 10:30 on a Tuesday morning, or maybe 2:30 in the afternoon, I think I could save myself a lot of trouble. I need to watch what people are doing and then do the opposite. I probably will never do anything as sensible as this though. I am a creature of habit.

Almost every day on my walk someone asks me where the eagles are. Dallas has become obsessed with these two eagles. There have always been a fair amount of birders in the park, but their numbers seem to have doubled recently. Some people drive quite a ways to see the eagles. They must be disappointed that the birds are so elusive.  I walk every day near where the birds live and I've only managed to see them a few times. What is the fascination with these eagles? I still think the American White Pelicans are the most spectacular birds in the park. There are tons of them though, and nobody seems interested.

There is a gully alongside one of the roads leading into the park that I've walked down as long as I have lived here. Water runoff makes the gully grow a little deeper every year and I like to imagine that this is how the Grand Canyon started. Years ago when the gully was still shallow, Spot like to sit in the water at the bottom on hot Summer days.  Today, something much bigger was at the bottom of the gully. A pickup truck had gone off the road and wedged itself in sideways in the deepest part of the trench. There were two tow trucks trying to figure out how to extricate the truck, but it was wedged in tight on it's side. It almost looked like a helicopter has dropped the truck into the hole. This was the second weird accident I've seen in the park recently. Most of these little roads have a 5 MPH speed limit. What were these people thinking?

Dawn will get her Sunday outing a little later tomorrow because Janet has plans in the morning. Maybe this is for the best though. Afternoons have been really nice lately. The mornings are still really cold. I'm so glad we aren't getting mountains of snow like people in the Northeast. It's good to be in Texas.

Spirit is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3608

It's back to normal. I got my 20,000 steps. All the weekend errands are done. No more large restaurant meals for a while. Even the pain in my arms from the shots the doctor gave me is starting to fade. I kind of regret not making another trip up on the roof to look for more bad spots, but since it's supposed to start raining again tomorrow, I don't think there's time enough for repairs to dry properly. I don't have that much silicon left. I want to use it wisely.

The park was really crowded today. I think everybody must know that today might be the last day of Fall. According to the latest weather reports, our next cold front will bring temperatures in the twenties. To a Texan, that's winter.

The gym was much emptier than the park, but the roads were horrible. It was almost like a workday. What are all these people doing? Could they be Christmas shopping already? City congestion makes me realize how much I prefer solitude. I fantasize about the Davis Mountains a lot these days. I wouldn't miss the restaurants and shopping malls a bit. I would be a little nervous about not having good medical care nearby. I'm less than fifteen minutes away from some of the best doctors in the world. Dallas has some pretty impressive veterinary capabilities as well, which was equally important when we had dogs. I guess shifting priorities are normal as you get older. I'm a pragmatic person. I'd hate to have a heart attack or even a bad fall in the middle of nowhere.

I hope we don't get any freezing rain tomorrow night. Snow is rare in Dallas, but freezing rain is common. Icy roads create a traffic nightmare. Ice on power lines causes power outages. More trees fall during ice storms than during wind storms. Ice creates a mess on my roof as well. I think the skies are going to clear before the really cold weather arrives. I hope so. I'll have to be quick removing the water from the roof though. I don't want ice accumulating on the remaining trees or on the roof.

All the activity in the park on a nice day makes me wonder about people. Why would someone want to spend hours outside sitting in a hammock looking at their phone? Why has slacklining become popular? What are all these weird motorized wheels people are riding? I looked up a few brands on the Internet and they are quite expensive. There is a sport for everyone I guess. I'll just stick to walking. It's harder to hurt yourself walking.

I'm looking forward to seeing the Dalmatians tomorrow. I really miss having a dog, but I don't miss all the responsibilities that come with having a pet. I kept thinking that yesterday's trip to Palestine would have been next to impossible with a sick dog. Attending rocket launches or spending several weeks at an observatory wouldn't be easy either. We always put our dogs first. That's the way it should be. It's kind of a novelty to be able to put ourselves first for a change.

I still think I'm not getting enough sleep. Maybe I should just quit looking at Fitbit. I usually think I'm sleeping just fine until I look at the Fitbit log and see how restless I've been. The little tracker even logged some aerobic activity in my sleep last night.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3586

I met six new Dalmatians today. These new dogs were rescued from the same elderly breeder as the previous six that entered the rescue program. They are all wonderful dogs. It's been a while since we've had such a wide selection available for adoption at the same time. Like the previous group we rescued, these dogs are still a little nervous about their new surroundings. I don't think it will take long for them to relax. Their brothers and sisters will let them know that everything is fine.

In less than a month, the first six of these new rescues have undergone an amazing transformation. They are relaxed and playful now. They are all gaining weight and the ones who arrived with skin conditions are already looking much better. We introduced today's newcomers to some of the initial batch of six and it was clear that they already knew each other. Even the extremely shy ones perked up when they saw a familiar face. All these guys are dog friendly too. They grew up together and  are very used to being around other dogs.

Several people came to look at dogs while I was at the kennel today. It is almost certain that some of our newcomers will find their forever homes very soon. It is a good thing that there have been a lot of adoptions this year. It is very expensive to care for this many dogs. Heartworm treatments, dental care, spay and neuter procedures, prescription medicine, x-rays, food, and boarding expenses add up fast. I think most of the money we made at the golf tournament is already gone.

Before I left for the kennel, I filled the car with gas and ran a few errands. I didn't have time for my normal walk this morning, but I was able to walk three miles. The weather is still beautiful. It is rare to have temperatures in the sixties and seventies with clear blue skies in Dallas. I'd better enjoy things while I can. Fall doesn't last long here in Texas. I think the little circus in the park got lucky this year. Last year at this time they were underwater. This year they're enjoying some of the best weather we've had all year.

I'll check and see how well the roof is drying tomorrow. I'm going to have to make my repairs soon while the weather is good. I'd like to let things dry as long as I can and then apply the coating about three days before the next expected rain. The only trouble with this plan is that weather forecasts are often wrong. Maybe I ought to make the repairs tomorrow. If the weather still looks good in the morning, I think I'll wait until Monday. I'd rather go to the gym tomorrow than spill liquid silicon all over myself.

I haven't completely finished trimming the trees in the back yard, but my shoulder needs a rest. Yesterday was punishing. I could barely lift my camera this afternoon. The trees can wait a day or two as long as I don't miss the October bulky trash pickup day. Tomorrow looks like a good day to go to the gym, take a long nap, and get the new Dalmatian pictures edited and up on the website.

Diva is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2907

Another year of Santa Paws has come and gone. Today was a big success and I'm pretty sure that we photographed even more dogs than we did last week. We had a several very large dogs today, one cat, a very well behaved baby, and a chinchilla. I don't think I've ever seen a chinchilla before. They have large ears and look like someone tried to breed a rabbit with a rat.

We photographed quite a few Dalmatians today. Dalmatians are very photogenic, but they have lots of energy. Every year I always have at least one photo of a Dalmatian flying through the air trying to escape from Santa's arms. A nervous Husky was the only dog who peed on the backdrop this year and nobody knocked anything over. I operate the strobes on low power now and move the lights in a little closer to get the same exposure. By babying the equipment this way, maybe I can squeeze one more year out of it.

I was pleased at how well things went this year. We've been doing these Christmas pet pictures for almost a decade now and there are few disaster anymore. We've definitely learned how to photograph dogs. I'm not as nimble as I used to be but I feel foolish even mentioning my somewhat minor aches and pains. Our leader had knee replacement surgery last week and it didn't seem to slow her down a bit. Every year I wonder how much longer we can continue doing this. Judging by how well things went today, I think we'll be back next year.

I feel bad about leaving Dash at home so long when we do these photo shoots, but there is no other alternative. Janet and I are both needed at these events and Dash hates riding in the car. He seemed fine at home today. There were no vestibular events and every time we checked him on the baby monitor, he was just sleeping on the bed. It was a very long day, but Dash still got a walk just before sunset. It was amazing he got a walk at all today. Janet left for home earlier than I did, but we both got caught in a horrible traffic jam on the freeway. There was an accident and it took over an hour to inch our way past the wreck.

The photo equipment is still piled up in the hallway, but I'm going to get organized tomorrow and take it all back to the storage warehouse. I don't do many photo shoots anymore and there's a good chance that this stuff won't be needed again until next year. As soon as I get all the clutter cleared away, it will be time to put up the Christmas tree.

I doubt if I'll make it to the gym this week. I might not even make it to the grocery store. There's so much to do that I don't even know where to begin. Maybe Dash will let us sleep in tomorrow morning. That would be nice. I think I'll sleep well tonight. I'm very tired.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2900

One down, one to go. Today's photo shoot went well. The dogs were friendly. The owners were happy. And all the equipment worked. It's always a good day when nobody pees on the backdrop and Santa doesn't get bit. I can't even remember how many years we've been doing this, but some people keep coming back year after year. I've watched their dogs grow from puppies to senior citizens. We didn't have any exotic animals today, but we did photograph one cat. In recent years, people have started bringing their children to these events for Christmas pictures. Everyone says we are so much easier to deal with than the Santa at the mall. Some children were chatty and gave Santa a long list of what they wanted for Christmas. Others seemed terrified. I'm no psychologist, but the kids with dogs in their family seemed the most relaxed. Having a dog makes everything better.

I had the usual aches and pains from kneeling most of the day, but actually this year seemed easier than last year. Maybe I've reached some sort of a plateau where my body has stopped falling apart for a while. At least I didn't slow the others down today. We were booked solid for the entire day and it was important to keep things moving along. Thankfully, our host built a pause in today's schedule to give our team time to eat lunch. Sometimes this doesn't happen and it can make for a very long day.

I may have gotten a new web design job as a result of today's event. At least I've got a meeting scheduled next week to talk about things. Lately, I'm a little apprehensive about taking on new work. I definitely still need the money, but I'm growing tired of the deadlines and responsibility. I think this means that I'm finally coming to grips with retirement. The day is coming when I will just say "no thank you" to new assignments. I'm not there yet, but I am becoming more gracious about letting someone else get a new account. It's too bad the the stable world of my parents is gone forever. When my Dad retired, he was able to depend on a nice pension for the rest of his life. Defined pension plans have gone the way of the dinosaurs. All we've got now is a stock market that could crash at any moment.

Janet was able to leave the photo shoot a little early, so Dash still got his evening walk. It was pretty late when I got home, but I still went up on the roof anyway and patched the hole I made yesterday before it got dark. The weather forecast is changing and the last thing I wanted was for the roof to get wet before I finished what I started. My patch looks good, so I think I'm going to be OK. Once the roofers discover that I've started buying my own elastomer material, they'll probably never come back. I don't know what else to do though. I really need to get this done.

Tomorrow is going to seem like Saturday. Janet and I still have our weekend errands and grocery shopping to do. I probably won't make it to the gym, but that's OK. I had my workout today. There's probably no point in taking the photo equipment back to the storage warehouse. We've got another Santa Paws event next Saturday.

I'm hoping to sleep in late tomorrow morning. Dash may have other ideas though. It's always easier to do what Dash wants. Maybe this is why our photo shoots go so well. Santa and I have learned to do what the dogs want.

Greta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2713 - Memorial Day

Last night I thought we were near the end. When I took Dot outside to pee one last time around midnight, she threw up and then almost immediately stumbled and fell to her side. I initially thought she might have had a stroke, but it was just a bad fall. I'll never know for sure, but I think it was our fault that she threw up. We were worried that she hadn't eaten enough yesterday, so we fed her some more of the Dogsure supplement just before bedtime. This was probably a mistake. Dot drank a fair amount of water after she took her evening pills. With the addition of the Dogsure, she probably had too much liquid in her stomach. What she threw up was mostly liquid anyway.

After this incident, Dot seemed weak, but slept peacefully for the rest of the night. It all seems so complicated. If Dot eats too little, she will starve. If she eats too much, or too late at night, she will throw up. Dot needs to stay hydrated, but she can't always drink from her water bowl normally. When she has trouble drinking, we will feed her water with a syringe. Sometimes this triggers a normal drinking response and she will go to her bowl afterwards and drink even more water. Too much water is probably better than too little water, but it would be nice to get this just right.

I'm always worried that Dot isn't eating enough. Today she eventually ate almost a cup of dry food, about six ounces of sliced turkey, half an Italian meatball, and two slices of bacon. No wonder she has an upset stomach at night sometimes. I'd probably have a stomach ache if I ate the same thing. Dot doesn't always eat the right things, but you really don't want to withhold food from a dog that isn't eating enough. If she's eating anything at all, it's a good thing.

Last night Dot seemed so weak that I though I might have to make the dreaded euthanasia appointment. Right now I feel that Dot has eaten enough today and am happy that she is resting calmly. Later this evening, who knows what I'll be thinking. The time between 11 PM and 2 AM is always the worst.

Since today was a holiday, I had time to run a few errands while Janet was at home with the dogs. I went to Home Depot and bought a heavier rope to hang rugs up to dry after I wash them. I used to throw these rugs in the dryer after we cleaned them, but the rubber backing really made a mess of things. I also went to the REI Memorial Day Sale. I didn't find anything I needed and walked away empty handed. Buying things is losing its allure. All I really want now is sleep.

I'm dreading giving Dot her evening pills. For the past three days everything has gone fine until about an hour after her evening meds. This is when she becomes restless and occasionally throws up. Dot takes exactly the same pills two other times during the day and there is no bad reaction at these times. I don't know what makes the evenings such a problem. We'll hope for the best tonight. Dot needs a good night's sleep and so do I.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2616

Dot threw up last night, which put me back on high alert again. There are so many things which can go wrong at this point that it's hard to keep them all straight. Dot has trouble chewing now and might have swallowed some food that she hadn't chewed properly. I'm always worried that the cancer might have spread and she's starting to lose her appetite. She probably threw up for no reason at all. Dog do that a lot. The worst thing about throwing up right after we've all gone to bed is that she threw up her evening meds. You never know how much the body has absorbed, so you can't give her a second dose. As a result, Dot probably didn't get any blood pressure medication last night.

Today was just a typical day of weekend errands, but it seemed busier than usual. Janet had an event to go to, so it was harder to keep track of what both dogs were doing at any given moment. Dot seemed to be having a little trouble with the heat. She doesn't do well in warm weather and the temperature reached over 80 degrees this afternoon. Maybe the slightly labored breathing and the meal she threw up last night are connected somehow. Lots of laundry today. I was talking with a client on the phone when Dot decided to poop in the house again. I think this was the third time today. She wasn't on a protected surface this time and there wasn't much I could do. Just something else to clean up after the call was completed.

Dash has to go back to the cancer center for a recheck on Monday. Nobody mentioned this to me when he was released from the hospital. We just happened to notice an obscure sentence mentioning a recheck when we were reading his discharge summary this morning. I called to confirm and sure enough, he needs to go back for a few follow up tests. I'm dreading this. Dash is a terrible passenger in the car. Whenever I'm taking him home from a vet appointment, I'm hoping that he'll miraculously stay healthy for the rest of his life and I'll never have to transport him in a car again. Traveling with Dash is nerve wracking to say the least.

I wish the dogs weren't so restless in the evenings. Dash gets nervous when Janet isn't around at night and paces around at the front door waiting. This activity gets Dot agitated and she wants to get up too. I think I've taken Dot outside ten times this evening and she still hasn't peed. I'm still cleaning up poop though. Evidently, she kept dropping little plops throughout the house after I got her up to clean up her blankets.

I hope tomorrow's photo shoot goes smoothly. After the pre-light check yesterday, I thought this thing was going to be a piece of cake. Now I'm hearing that there will be lots of costume and hairstyle changes. There have already been changes to the set as well. This could take a very long time. I need to remember to be courteous and not say anything snarky. It sounds like everybody wants to improvise and improvisation is definitely not my cup of tea. At least Janet will be home with the dogs tomorrow and I won't have to worry about that.

It's almost time to give the dogs their evening meds. I hate to wake them up, since they've finally calmed down after a long evening of restlessness and are both sleeping peacefully. I guess it wouldn't hurt to let them sleep another hour. This is the first quiet time I've had all day.

Lady Gogh is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1958

We went on a home tour this afternoon. Every year a local school PTA sponsors a tour of mid-century modern homes in the neighborhood and it's always fun to compare our house with similar houses that have been kept in much better condition. Seeing these cool houses used to be inspiring. Now it's a little depressing. Our house will never look this way. It seemed pretty obvious that none of the homeowners on today's tour had dogs. Well, they didn't have large dogs anyway. The hardwood floors were scratch free. The windows weren't caked with dog slobber. And the furniture wasn't coated with dog hair. Several of the homes had dangerous open stairwells where there weren't any risers between the treads to keep a smaller dog from falling through the opening. I sure have changed. I used to measure a home purely on design esthetics. Now, my prime concern is whether it is convenient and safe for dogs. Practical or not, it was fun seeing these immaculately preserved examples of 1950's architecture. With an unlimited pile of money and a year's worth of rehab work, our house could look just the same.

I never did make it to the gym today, but I did get the grass mowed in the front yard. It's kind of an unwritten rule that when all your neighbors mow their grass, you have to mow yours too. It's been so wet this Spring that the grass has been growing unusually fast. I thought I could wait to mow until next week, but the fast growing grass makes the yard stand out like a sore thumb. On close inspection, a lot of the greenery in the front yard turned out to be Chickweed and Henbit, but I'm not particular anymore. As long as it still looks green after its mowed, I'm fine.

The weather was nice today, but it doesn't look like it's going to last. I'm already tracking a bad storm on the weather radar that looks like it's going to arrive here about 11 PM. Tornadoes have already touched down west of Fort Worth and large hail has been reported in several places. I hope the storm dissipates before it arrives in Dallas. I'm really tired of the volatile and exceptional wet weather we've been having this Spring. I'm sure in July I'm be begging for rain again, but right now, enough is enough.

We finally found a sock that will stay on Dash's leg. We've got a whole pile of baby and dog socks that didn't work, but he managed to keep the latest pair we bought on his feet for his entire evening walk. It's not a big breakthrough in the whole scheme of things, but it does make life a little easier. I still keep thinking that it shouldn't take this long for his foot to get back to normal, but since three different vets have told me that Dash's limp could persist for up to two weeks, I guess I'll take their word for it. He does seem a little better today though. That's a good sign.

It looks like I've got a ton of work to do next week, but it's hard for me to focus on it. All I can think about is my upcoming dental surgery. I'll sure be glad when that's over with.

Brady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1936

I got up several hours before dawn to watch this morning's lunar eclipse. I left the house quietly, so I wouldn't wake Janet and the dogs and went out to the street where I cold get a good view. Apparently, watching eclipses wasn't a high priority in the neighborhood. All the houses were still dark and the roads were empty. It was quite peaceful.

As the dawn approached, I could hear birds begin to sing as the moon shrunk to a smaller and smaller crescent. This was supposed to be a Blood Moon, but I couldn't see the red glow at totality. Since the moon was near the horizon, it just gradually disappeared as it sunk into the low lying haze and ground fog. I went back to bed for a while after the moon disappeared and then started the day all over again when the dogs woke up and wanted their breakfast.

Janet takes Dot on a short walk now while I walk Dash. Dot made it all the way to the end of our street this morning. She was feeling good. The constant tremor in her rear legs is largely gone now. She is learning to stand normally and her paws seldom knuckle under anymore. We have reached the point now where she feels better than she did before the surgery. The main challenge now is to build back the muscle mass she lost both before and after the surgery. Her rear legs are very weak, but each week they become stronger. Surgery is always risky and sometimes you don't make the right decision. I think in this case, the surgery really helped.

Since Dot still sits down really hard if we aren't there to steady her and is prone to stumble at the least little obstacle, Janet and I still divide our time watching her. I ran my errands in the morning, so she could run hers in the afternoon. It would have been nice if the dogs felt like sleeping, because I picked up the Interstellar DVD while I was getting groceries. I thought I might get a chance to watch it this afternoon, but that turned out not to be the case. Dot didn't want to sleep. She wanted to bark and continually move from one dog bed to another. Every time I created a safe enclosure so she couldn't hurt herself, she wanted to go somewhere else. She didn't want to be penned at all and wasn't shy about letting me know. When Dot starts barking, Dash chimes in and starts barking too. It was a lot more peaceful when I was watching the eclipse by myself at 6 AM. The only way I was able to keep any semblance of sanity this afternoon was to divide the dog's dinners into small portions and feed it to them at two hour intervals.

I never was able to watch my movie, but I did manage to get some work done. It was a shame to stay inside on a beautiful day like today but I didn't seem to have much choice. I certainly can't blame Dot for being restless. I'm sure she would have rather chased squirrels in the back yard and barked at cars going up and down the alley. If Dot understood the cause and effect between exercise and being able to do the things she loves, maybe our sessions in the underwater treadmill would go smoother. We're getting there though and have really made an enormous amount of progress since February.

I should make an effort to go to the gym tomorrow. I need to spend as much time on my own physical therapy as I am on Dot's. It's kind of pitiful in a way. An old guy with a dislocated shoulder probably isn't the best choice to help an old dog with bad legs get back in shape. Maybe by Summer I'll be able to move my arm freely again and Dot can return to her walks in the park.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1929

I woke up early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. So much for sleeping in on Saturday. There was little point in sleeping in anyway, since I had a ton of errands to run in the morning before Janet had to leave to run her own ton of errands in the afternoon. Dash had to go to the vet this morning for a minor checkup. Sometimes I feel like he is getting shortchanged since we are spending so much time caring for Dot. I do what I can though. Dash got a nice long walk this morning before I had to take Dot's special hammock out of the car so I could put the seats back down and make a flat area in the back for Dash to ride. Transporting the dogs was easier with the Defender, since there were only two seats anyway and the back was always flat. Now, the car is back the way it used to be, but I will have to reinstall the hammock before Dot's next physical therapy session. It's a good thing Dash is fairly healthy now.

With Dash's vet visit completed, I went to the bank, mailed some letters, got gas for the car, and did my grocery shopping. Since it was a nice day, I had planned to wash the car and mow the grass, but I ran out of time. Janet had her own errands to run, so after lunch, I took over watching Dot and spent the rest of the day around the house. Oh, well. I didn't really want to mow the grass anyway.

There was still plenty to do inside. I spend quite a while adding 30 new dogs and cats to an animal rescue website and when I was finished with that, I wrote another article. There's still one more article to write before I get caught up again, so maybe I'll do that one tomorrow. I could have vacuumed all the messy rugs that are scattered around the house to keep Dot from slipping, but the dogs were both sleeping peacefully and the noise of the vacuum cleaner would have started a whole new round of barking. When I'm alone with the dogs, I keep the house very quiet. No TV. No radio. And no music. Dot is still supposed to be getting a lot of bed rest and Dash sleeps on the bed when everything is quiet anyway, so this enforced solitude works pretty well as long as I have work to do on the computer.

Dot celebrated another small milestone today. She has been eager for a walk for quite some time, so we finally decided to take her on a short walk halfway up our street and back. Dot was so happy to get out of the yard. Neighbors must have wondered what we were doing, because Dot had a leash on both the front and the back. The front leash guided her forward and the rear leash, attached to her harness, was there to prevent her from slipping. It was a bit difficult to keep Dot walking slow, but she actually did quite well. She made the entire short journey using her own legs. I didn't have to hold her up at all. There were a couple of times when I could sense she was starting to slip, but for the most part, her feet moved naturally and normally. Considering how paralyzed Dot's legs were when we started this journey, I continue to be amazed at her progress. I'm not sure that we'll ever be able to let Dot walk off leash again, since there are so many temptations in our neighborhood for naturally active Dalmatians. All Dot has to do is slip or fall the wrong way while she was chasing after a cat and she could instantly undo months of hard work.

It looks like the lawn mower battery survived the Winter. Amazingly, it recharged properly this morning, so I'm all set to mow again whenever I can't think of anything better to do. Mowing the yard seems to get harder and harder with each passing year. If I mow the grass tomorrow, I probably won't even think about going to the gym.

Doc is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1922

Weekends were always busy. Now, they're becoming impossible. When you try to add a week's worth of postponed activities to your normal weekend errand list, not everything gets done. Janet and I both had lots to do today and neither of us got everything finished. I guess this is the new normal, just like the mismatched rugs covering the floors, the dog beds in every room, and the metal playpen in the living room.

Dot is sleeping much better now. Since we've discontinued the prednisolone, she doesn't have to go outside to pee in the middle of the night anymore. I need to help her when she wakes up and wants to circle around and change positions, but I can almost do this in my sleep. I still had to get up early, so I could walk Dash, mail some bills and go to the bank before Janet had to take her car in for service, but all-in-all, I think everyone got a good night's sleep.

The pet store was nice enough to let us return the crate we got for Dot immediately after surgery. As soon as she got strong enough to protest, she refused to sleep in it. It was a nice, sturdy crate, but if Dot refuses to use it, it is just something else to trip over in the bedroom. Now that we have the circular pen in the living room, we probably don't need a crate anyway. Janet bought some sort of a hammock thing while she was out today that she says is a safe way to transport Dot in the car. I'll read the instructions and install it tomorrow and see if it works. About half the things we get for Dot's rehabilitation work and the other half don't. At least the pet stores have been pretty good about taking back the things that didn't work.

I don't know how much more of this rain I can take. It rained again today. Our yard is as soggy as a wet sponge. The park is a mud pit. And if you don't pick up the dog poop immediately, you can never find it the next day. I got a new pair of waterproof boots, but I continue to wear the old leaky pair and throw my wet socks in the wash as soon as I get home. This doesn't make any logical sense, but I hate to ruin a new pair of shoes before I even get them broken in. At least Dot's incision has healed nicely and I don't need to worry about it getting wet in the rain anymore.

Maybe I'll get more done tomorrow. I certainly hope so. There is still some shopping that needs to get finished, there is lots of water on the roof, I never made it to the post office, and I haven't been to the gym in a long time. I've noticed that the grass is starting to grow in the front yard too. This means that mowing the grass will soon be on my weekend chore list as well. I wonder if the lawn mower battery survived the Winter? Maybe next week I'll find out.

As you can probably tell, I'm totally burned out. Dot's amazing ability to bounce back makes it all worthwhile though. After all she's been through this year, I never would have dreamed that she would have responded so well to the risky surgery. Nobody, not even her surgeon and neurologist, can believe Dot is fourteen years old. She is definitely the Energizer Bunny of Dalmatians. I wish I had Dot's energy. Unfortunately, everybody can believe I'm in my mid-sixties. I might as well wear a sign that says "Grumpy Old Man."

Big Boy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1907

It was nice to get out for a while this morning. The snow is gone and the weather is warming up. It seemed like a perfect day to get a haircut, enjoy a delicious breakfast and do a little shopping. None of these things took that long, but they were important. With a full belly, some new jeans for Spring, and a decent haircut, I felt ready for anything.

Dot woke up feeling great this morning. I think that her acupuncture session yesterday evening really helped her. She's walking faster now and doesn't crisscross her legs as much. Today, for the first time, I noticed that she's learned to redistribute her weight when she starts to slip to one side. I'm still providing support for her rear legs using the Help 'Em Up Harness, but I can tell that each passing day, she is doing more of the work herself. The challenge is to encourage her to walk without leaving her unsupervised or letting her walk on her own. Dot is an obedient dog and if I constantly told her to lie down or stay in her crate, I think she'd become discouraged and wouldn't even try after a while. I let her sleep as long as she wants, but when she's active, we do a lot of physical therapy.

I forgot to take the trash out to the curb last night and by the time I woke up this morning, the truck has already come and gone. There's just too much to remember these days. I forgot my morning meds as well. You guys need to remind me about this stuff. I don't know what to do about the trash. Since the can is almost full already, we'll never make it until next Thursday. It sure was nicer when the city picked up trash twice a week. Older neighbors say that a long time ago the trucks came three times a week. Probably the next step will be for the city to eliminate trash service altogether.

Dot was indignant today when I put her in her crate so I could take a shower and get a little house cleaning done. She hadn't been in the crate more than thirty minutes when I started to hear loud persistent parking. Dot was mad. She's perfectly willing to take a long nap, if she gets to pick the place. So far, I haven't been able to convince her to take her naps in my office. I'm glad that Dot is more active, but I'm still trying to figure out how to stay active myself. Being a good dog nurse is almost a full time job.

If the weather stays nice this weekend, I'll wash the car, get the water off the roof, and clean up the back yard a bit. I need to start looking for a soft dog crate that I can put in the back of my car. The sooner I can start transporting Dot in the car, the sooner we can begin her water therapy again. There's going to be so much to do this Spring, but on a sunny, warm day like today, anything seems possible. Let's hope there are a lot of sunny days in the weeks ahead.

Anne is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1880

I've noticed that I get a lot better response to these posts when there's some sort of point to the day. You guys like an adventure. I've been an advertising writer for long enough that it would be pretty easy to make each day seem like a voyage of discovery. What would this prove though? If you like embellishment, you've already got Brian Williams? I'm comfortable when nothing happens. Much of life is uneventful and that's OK. When I was younger I would have been embarrassed to share a succession of uneventful days with you. Now I hope you enjoy your uneventful moments just as much as I do. As far as I'm concerned, the occasional challenge builds character. Constant challenge just wears you down.

Today was a pleasant non-event. I enjoyed seeing the ghostly disc of the sun through thick fog as we walked the dogs this morning. I took some pictures, but thought you'd prefer seeing flowers blooming in February. There was a small patch of Pink Thrift in full bloom along the trail this morning. I think these are the first flowers of the year.

I ran my usual Saturday errands, filling the car with gas and buying bulk items at Sam's Club. I stopped at a pet store and got the dogs some more biscuits and treats. I did my stretching exercises, although it's hard to tell if my shoulder is improving much. Since it was warm enough to wear shorts this afternoon, I got out the hose and washed the car. Washing the car is much more satisfying than cleaning the house. In less than an hour I can have a shiny, clean car. I could spend days working on the house and it still wouldn't look very different.

I must have seen a dozen hammocks strung between trees near the lake this afternoon. When did it become cool to spend your weekend lying in a hammock? I never used to see hammocks in the park and now they are everywhere. Some people read books in these hammocks. Others seem to string them up just to watch the sunset. Seems like a lot of trouble to me. If I'm outdoors, I'd rather keep moving.

Janet brought home ribs from Backcountry Barbecue for dinner. I love ribs and brisket. When you've got a big rack of ribs in front of you, along with some beans, home made potato salad, and cornbread, you don't need much more excitement. After tonight's dinner, it seems like a trip to the gym tomorrow is almost mandatory.

Stortz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1782

Well, it's that time of year again. We set the clocks back tonight and for the rest of the Winter, I'll be taking the dogs on their evening walk in the dark. I wish we had Daylight Saving Time all year long. If it's dark when I wake up, I just sleep in a little longer. It's harder to compensate at the end of the day. I always take the dogs on their final walk of the day, after I feed them dinner. I've learned from experience that they're more likely to poop that way. I can't feed them their dinner too early, so immediately after the time change, I'm faced with the prospect of walking the dogs in the dark.

Fall is my favorite season, but it doesn't last nearly long enough. It was 39 degrees outside when we woke up this morning. This is cold to me. I have already turned on the furnace for the Winter, and with shorter, cooler days on the way, it's time to get out the Winter coats as well. I don't think I'd make a good Northerner. If 39 degrees makes me nervous, you can just imagine how 39 degrees below would make me feel. I've actually experienced Winters this cold, since I went to high school in Alaska, but that was enough. I'm a fan of warm weather and lots of sunlight now.

I ended up going to the gym today instead of Sunday, since Janet and I have several charity events to attend tomorrow. I wonder how this gym makes any money, since it is never very full. Although I enjoy having the place to myself, it has to be bad for business. This is a very large facility and there were only five other people working out this afternoon. I seldom tell people how great this gym is, because the last thing I want is new members. I would hate to see it go out of business though. Where would I go? In my world, a crowded gym is even worse than cold Winters.

Today was busy, since I tried to cram two days worth of errands into a single afternoon. Everything got done though. The car has a full tank of gas. The refrigerator is full again. There are clean sheets on the bed. And the dogs got two very nice walks. I even found time to unclog the large format printer and test the new wireless microphones. I was surprised at how well the digital mics worked. There was no discernible hiss or hum that I could detect. Hopefully, these new additions will improve the quality of the few remaining videos I still produce.

We had no trick or treaters last night. None at all. This was fine by me, but some of the neighbors seemed disappointed that the children have disappeared. Times have changed. Now parents drive their kids across town to designated affluent areas with lots of candy. You either love or hate living on one of these streets. I'm glad our street isn't very popular.

Jeda is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1740

I'm beginning to feel like I'm locked in a perpetual battle with the aging process. It's not just me that's aging; it's everything. I lost two of my favorite cars to this battle this year. I just couldn't keep them running any longer. I'm losing ground on the house as well. Even though the place is extremely well built, it is almost 65 years old and nature is taking its toll. When I was up on the roof today, I saw signs of carpenter ants again. The foundation is shifting a bit, even though there are concrete piers that go all the way to the bedrock. Lord knows how long the plumbing will last. The two inch cast iron drains are no match for today's larger washing machines and dishwashers. It's amazing how quickly nature wins if you don't keep making constant repairs.

There are small victories of course. I am so happy that the dogs are healthy again. They both could have easily died this year. I can't make them any younger though, so I know this is a temporary victory. When I took over my Dad's affairs toward the end of his life, it was frightening to see how quickly things can go downhill. I need to do a better job of appreciating each additional day that I am granted. None of us really know how many we will have. The dogs do a great job of living one day at a time. I should do better myself.

I tried to make the most of today by downloading and installing IOS 8 on my phone, removing a small mountain of cracked pecan shells from the roof, mowing the grass, and making sure that the dogs had two nice walks. It was surprisingly warm today for so late in the year. I guess since we've already had some very pleasant Fall days, I expect them all to be that way. It might have been too hot for me, but I think the dogs enjoyed the warmth. They spent quite a while sunbathing out in the back yard this afternoon.

I set the DVR to record the latest episode of Dr. Who before walking the dogs this evening. There will be no mini-revue tonight because I haven't even watched the show yet. Perhaps this will give me something to do while I am preparing the bed for Dot a few hours from now. Although she hasn't had an accident recently, I still can't bring myself to declare victory over the incontinence. Better safe than soiled is my new motto.

I saw more Christmas trees when I was doing my shopping this afternoon. They were artificial trees, of course, but there's still something wrong with seeing Christmas stuff for sale in September. When I was walking the dogs, I notice several yard signs announcing the annual DADA Fall Gallery Walk. I used to never miss this art walk. The fact that I am more interested in going to the gym than going on gallery tours probably tells you all you need to know about my changing priorities. Yep. I'm going to the gym again tomorrow, and after I burn off a few calories, I'll go to the store and buy some tasty sausages.

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1726

We started the day with a gentle breeze and ended with a thunderstorm. In between were all the usual errands and chores you'd normally expect on a Saturday. Even though I'm not a big fan of rainy days, I was glad to see the storm arrive. The yard was starting to look really dry. The dogs and I got lucky on our evening walk and managed to return to the house about five minutes before the deluge started. As soon as the thunder and lightning began, Dot and Dash retreated to their safe haven under my desk. I was sure that all the commotion would make Dot pee, but it didn't. She actually had a very good day with no accidents at all.

We started Dot on the Incurin medication this morning, but it was pure coincidence that her incontinence wasn't much of a problem today. The vet said that it would take up to two week before we would start to see results from the medication. It wouldn't be realistic to see results on the very first day. Dot was just having one of her good days. It could all change tomorrow.

I went to the neighborhood health food store to pick up some more Stevia for my morning coffee. While I was there, I asked when they were going to have another cholesterol screening. As you probably know, I'm addicted to having my blood tested and would never turn down a low cost cholesterol screening. The store owner told me that they weren't doing the screenings anymore because the Phlebotomist who drew your blood during these tests died of a heart attack last month. This was a young, seemingly healthy guy who was well aware of the risk factors for heart disease. I was shocked. No wonder my general practitioner is so concerned about heart attacks. My Dad had a heart attack. Several of my friends in the advertising world have already had heart attacks. Lately, it seems like every few months I learn of another acquaintance who has just had a heart attack. We are all worried about terrorists these days, but we will probably just die of a heart attack.

I got the Epson 4880 working again this afternoon. I don't know why I spend so much time and money keeping this large format printer functional. I'll probably never have a gallery show again. I won't be doing store window posters for local retail clients either. I feel the same way about my video editing equipment. I hate to give up on these things, even though they are rapidly becoming analog artifacts from a distant past. It's kind of sad to me that all you need is a phone these days. I was much happier when it was essential to have 500 pounds of cranky, difficult to use equipment. The printer and the tape decks will eventually wind up in the storage warehouse with the 4x5 Sinar view camera, a relic from the day when I would spend 30 minutes composing a single image in the camera and then another two hours processing the large sheets of film in the darkroom.

It's time to hit the gym again. It feels like my shoulder has recovered enough from last week's torture to go through my workout again. I feel the same way about my dislocated shoulder as I do about Dot's incontinence. I'm not sure if these things will ever really get better. You can't let a little pee or pain stop you though. I think Dot understands better than I do that you've just got to make the best of things and keep moving forward.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day