Day 4906

I finished my article this morning, edited some pictures, and sent the package off to SpaceFlight Magazine. The pictures were almost identical to other rocket pictures I've taken. The article was pretty similar to other articles as well. It kind of made me wonder why I continue to do this. I guess I chase rockets for fun. What is fun though? I don't really know.

Today wasn't just warm, it was hot. The temperature got up to over ninety degrees. I guess it isn't Spring anymore. Summer has arrived. It was still nice outside when we took Dawn on her early morning walk, but I should have taken my long walk right after breakfast. By the time I got around to leaving the house, it was already too hot. I'm always slow to change my routines, but it's about time to go back to using the treadmill at the gym instead of walking outside.

I still haven't fixed the screen door, but I did update the Dalmatian Rescue website this afternoon. I do so little web design and maintenance anymore that I'm starting to forget things. The applications I use are becoming out of date as well. Luckily I still remember enough to get things done. It seems strange now that I used to have lots of clients and did this every single day. There are times when I miss the structure imposed by work.

The friend who is selling my model train collection sold a few more things today. Sales have slowed down to a trickle, but it's still a nice surprise when something sells. Why did I collect these things in the first place? It's a mystery. I wish I could find someone to sell my watches. I've really lost interest in watches over the years and only wear the Apple Watch anymore. There is nothing wrong with collecting things, but it can become an obsession. There is always something new and you never seem to have enough. I collect absolutely nothing these days. Too bad it took me thirty years to arrive at this point.

I'm still resisting the urge to climb up on the roof and inspect things after yesterday's big rain. If I keep climbing up on the roof it will have defeated the whole purpose of getting a new roof. The roof doesn't leak any more, so I should just leave thing alone. I wonder how many days it will be before curiosity gets the better of me. Realistically, I'll still need to go up on the roof from time to time. We have lots of trees and branches occasionally fall on the roof that need to be removed. I'm not going to make visits to the roof a regular occurrence though. Those days are over.

Dawn did well at training class tonight. She seems to love this class even though she hates riding in the car. I probably need to find some sort of class as well. At this point Dawn is probably learning more than I am.

Amy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4883

I got surprised by the weather again today. There was an unexpected thunderstorm on my long walk and I ended up sitting under a picnic shelter in the park for almost an hour waiting for the storm to pass. At least I didn't get wet. You could kind of pick your weather today. It was cool and partly cloudy when we took Dawn on her early walk. For a couple of hours there were dark clouds and lots of rain. Later in the day it cleared off and it was hot and muggy. You never know what to expect at this time of year.

After breakfast this morning I sent my article about the Viasat-3 launch off to SpaceFlight Magazine. I also edited a selection of pictures to accompany the article. My editor responded favorably a few hours later, so this launch visit is officially over. There are several other interesting launches coming up soon, but I don't know when I'll be back at Kennedy Space Center. I'm feeling poor right now.

The roofing company called today to set a date for the roof installation. They want to begin work next week. After making sure we could change the date in case of bad weather, I agreed to the timetable. I'm not looking forward to this and will be glad when the new roof is completed so I can forget about this again. Since the roof hasn't leaked during the past two heavy rains, I'm beginning to wonder whether this is a big waste of money. I guess it is necessary. I've had problems with this roof for a long, long time. I don't think I really have a choice.

I ran into a couple of people I hadn't seen in a long time on my walk today. They told me that a mutual friend had died recently. This seems to happen far too often as I grow older. Sometimes my Facebook timeline seems like an obituary page. I'm still feeling pretty healthy, but it is sobering to realize that quite a few high school classmates and coworkers from the ad agency days are already gone. Not much you can do about growing older, but I'm definitely going to keep walking.

My second Kickstarter project appears to be getting ready to ship. I got a letter today wanting to confirm my shipping address and asking whether I wanted to pay for expedited shipping. This project is a new kind of self leveling camera tripod. In theory it will make it easier to align and use my star tracker. I had an option of getting a small travel version of the tripod or a larger heavy duty model. The smaller tripod would have been more useful since I always carry a tripod with me on launch trips, but of course I got the big heavy duty model that I will probably never use. I'm well prepared for astrophotography now. It's too bad I'm scared to go outside at night in Dallas.

Janet was gone for much of the day and Dawn seemed disgusted that she had to spend the day with me. This dog would be so much happier if she could just come to terms with the fact that she and I are going to be spending a lot of time together. Other than my infrequent launch trips, I just don't have that much desire to leave the house.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4880

I finished my SpaceFlight Magazine article today. I won't send it in until Monday though. Maybe I can think of some improvements over the weekend. This wasn't the best article I've ever written, but it wasn't the best trip to Kennedy Space Center either. I think the story would have been a little more interesting if I had actually seen the launch.

It seemed unusually hot today for early May. By mid-afternoon the temperature was over 90 degrees. It was still nice outside when we took Dawn on her early morning walk, but even then I could tell that I wouldn't be needing a coat. Dawn didn't seem particularly eager to walk this morning. There was nothing wrong. She just seemed lazy. I could certainly relate. I haven't been all that eager to go on my long walks lately either.

After finishing breakfast I worked on my article for a while before getting ready for my long walk. It's hard to believe now that I used to write copiously every single day. Although I was trained as an architect, I spent most of my career as an advertising copywriter. Writing is actually a fairly pleasant way to spend the day. It certainly seemed less stressful than the time I spent as a commercial photographer.

Today felt more like Summer than Spring. I was hot on my walk, even though I only wore a t-shirt and shorts. If anything drives me back to the gym, it will be the temperature. The small indoor track at the gym looks a lot more appealing when it is 100 degrees outside. Today I passed a group of photographers with their cameras all pointed at an apparently empty field. I think they were birders looking for Scissor Tailed Flycatchers. I often see these birds in this particular field and have photographed them many times. It seems strange to photograph something as a group, but I guess that's exactly what I do when I go down to Kennedy Space Center. Are rocket photographers any different than bird photographers? Probably not.

I'm surprised that the roofers haven't called to schedule a start date for the roof replacement. I haven't called them because I'm still not sure when I'd like to start. I've looked at the long range weather and there seems to be rain in the forecast every single week. I'm convinced that once the work begins, it will start raining and the only thing protecting us will be a big blue tarp over the roof. The roof replacement is supposed to take three days, but that means it will probably take a week. I'm dreading this. Loud noises scare Dawn and I know the roofers trucks will end up blocking the driveway when I need to get out. We do need a new roof though. Maybe by mid-Summer this whole experience will be in the rear view mirror.

This week really went quickly. It's already time to make a grocery list again. I think I'll get the lawnmower batteries replaced tomorrow. Replacing the 24 volt batteries is certainly cheaper than buying a new mower.   I've replaced these batteries several times already, but I still prefer an electric mower to a gas powered one. Strangely, I don't feel the same way about electric cars. I have very little interest in buying an electric car. Taking a road trip in an electric car still seems like a giant hassle.

I wonder how many stores I will have to visit tomorrow? Grocery shopping seems more complicated than it used to be. Truthfully, everything seems more complicated than it used to be.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4773

We moved the rescue Dalmatians to their new kennel this morning. The dogs have been in limbo at a temporary facility for several months while the rescue group looked for a replacement for Waggin Tails, which unfortunately shut down. The new place is very nice and we hope the dogs will be happy there until they find their forever homes.

We picked up the dogs at the rescue group's veterinary clinic, where they all had just received a bath. Landry, our newest rescue, rode with Janet and I to the new kennel. He is a handsome two year old male, and like many of our rescue dogs, it was hard to believe he was an owner surrender. Who could give up a dog like this? Landry was well behaved in the car and seemed a little scared. His nervousness was certainly understandable. The poor guy has been through a lot of changes in the last month or so. His life is going to take a turn for the better though. We're going to find him a great home with someone who realizes that having a dog is a lifelong commitment.

The new kennel is further away than the old kennel, but is is very clean and well managed. Everyone who helped with moving the dogs this morning liked the place and we think the dogs will like it too. Janet and I will be able to visit the dogs as well. We might not be able to visit quite as often because the kennel is quite a bit further from our house, but regular visits are important. Playing with the dogs and working on basic training will help socialize them and hopefully ensure a successful adoption.

Our winter weather continues to be full of surprises. It was quite warm today, which makes for pleasant walks. We walked Dawn in the dark again this morning because Janet had an early class at the gym. Dawn could care less whether it is dark or light outside. All she is interested in are the smells. She loves to smell things in the park. There are tons of critters who call the place home and Dawn is curious about all of them. We saw some bunnies this morning. We're seeing a lot more bunnies this year, which probably means there are fewer coyotes in the area.

I proofread my SpaceFlight article several times and selected several pictures to accompany it before sending everything off to my editor in London. I was fairly pleased with the article and hope the magazine likes it as well. Most of my pictures turned out well, but the camera I set up to take an automated launch sequence malfunctioned, so I didn't get good photos of the rocket leaving the pad. Everything else turned out excellent though. It might be a while before my next article. These trips are becoming a lot more expensive and I don't think I can afford to go to Kennedy Space Center more than a couple of times a year.     I still love to chase rockets though, so I'll find a way to get down there for important launches.

I did a lot better on my long walk today than I did yesterday. I completed my full six miles and got over 20,000 steps. The nice weather helped me maintain a pretty good pace today. The temperature was about 68 degrees and there was no wind. For me, this is just about perfect. I'm wondering if the eagles have moved on. I haven't seen Nick and Nora for over a month now. Another Muscovy Duck joined the small group that lives near Sunset Bay. I wonder where this one came from? Unlike the mallards, geese, and white pelicans which tend to travel in large groups, these Muscovy Ducks are loners. Maybe that's why they seem interesting to me.

Dawn got another ribbon at training class tonight. She's a smart dog and has won more ribbons than Dash by now. Janet says she really enjoys the class too. All in all it was a good day. Life is good as long as I keep the TV turned off and don't have to hear about current events. I prefer my own little world.

Dovey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4704

Another slow day. I ate, I walked, I did all the usual things. The carpenter who was supposed to come over and give me an estimate couldn't make it and said he'd stop by tomorrow. I signed up for another patient portal so I could view the lab results from Tuesday's exam. Medical websites seem a lot more concerned about security than banks. Thats always seemed strange to me. Doctors never share information either. I've bookmarked half a dozen patient portals and they all have basically the same information. 

When I took my long walk today, I saw the bald eagles again. When I returned home I searched the Internet for news about whether the Artemis rocket survived the hurricane. I didn't learn much. For a significant part of the day I thought it was Friday. It was that kind of day.

Something scared Dawn this morning and she wouldn't come back to the bedroom. The power didn't go out and I didn't hear anything, but Dawn was definitely alarmed. I delayed my walk until she calmed down a bit. I wonder what was bothering her? She's very alert and is a good little watchdog. I kept looking for the source of the problem but couldn't find anything. Dawn certainly wasn't talking. Eventually I noticed that she was asleep on the bed again and I took my walk.

Janet and I spent some time today looking for a new photo backdrop for this year's Santa Paws pictures. We couldn't find anything as nice as the backdrops we've used before. Maybe we'll just use a previous backdrop for this years pictures. Since we've been doing these Christmas pictures since 2012, I've got quite a collection of backdrops by now.

The November issue of SpaceFlight with my first Artemis article came in the mail today. The article and pictures looked good. I'd already seen the issue in PDF form, but I still like a real magazine you can see and touch. I keep telling my accountant that these articles constitute a real business for me, but his answer is always "show me the money." For practical purposes, there isn't any. You're not going to get rich writing about astronomy and space. I still feel like a journalist though. I get to hang out with other journalists at Kennedy Space Center and I've amassed quite a collection of press credentials by now. As hobbies go, this certainly beats collecting model trains.

I hope that the carpentry work I need isn't too expensive. The repairs need to be made, but I've still got another trip to Florida to pay for. It's a shame that old web designers aren't in demand. One or two websites a month would make a big difference in my income. The kids working at ad agencies don't want to hire someone older than their grandfather though. I've come to the conclusion that it's better to just accept this graciously. I manage to stay busy and I'm not broke. It's probably better that I don't have young clients driving me crazy.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4697

I spent several hours trying to find a better hotel for my next trip to Titusville. No luck at all. Everything is completely booked. Even the place where I'm currently staying is completely booked now. I'll be OK, but I hate it when the reviews start with "smells like pee." I guess I'm a little surprised that the Artemis-1 launch is still such an attraction. After two failures, the chance of a third failure is still fairly high. Maybe others are going back for the same reason I am. If I stayed home this time it would almost guarantee that there would be a flawless, trouble free launch. I guess I still want to see this thing, even if the launch now takes place at midnight.

I don't know why I thought it was Friday for most of the day. I guess I'm just ready for this week to be over. The day started like any other weekday. We walked Dawn in the dark. I ate my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, checked my messages, and then contemplated taking another long walk in the park. 

Before leaving on my walk, I made some final edits on my Falcon Heavy article and selected a few pictures to accompany it. I summited the article and a few hours later received a thumbs up from my editor. I'm disappointed that I didn't have better pictures, but the article itself was pretty good. I hope the magazine will be interested in another article about Artemis. I'm not sure though. SpaceFlight devoted much of their November issue to the Artemis-1 mission and the rocket didn't even launch. Hey, I've still got my credentials though. I might as well see this thing through to the end.

I had a nice walk this morning even though I got rained on a bit. The weather will be much worse tomorrow. There are tornado warnings with a chance of quarter sized hail. There's only a 10% chance of a tornado in our location, but any chance at all is always unsettling. I'm really glad I got the tree removed from the roof before the bad weather starts. Any significant wind could have caused the large branch to fall and break something. I don't think any rain is expected until tomorrow afternoon, so we'll still be able to take Dawn on her early morning walk.

I finally found a carpenter to fix the rotted fascia on the side of our house. I found the guy on the Internet. I guess that's just how you do things these days. This guy had good reviews, but I still prefer a recommendation from friends. Since most of my friends are closer to going into assisted living than they are to remodeling their houses these days, we don't trade home improvement recommendations very often. I certainly don't know who to recommend anymore. Most of the people I've used in the past have either retired or died.

My Fitbit isn't recording my steps correctly anymore. This is irritating since I've become addicted to counting steps. I checked on the user group and saw that several other people were having the same problem. I suspect that my iPhone has become too old for Fitbit to bother with. This has happened to me before with other apps and software. When companies update software and apps so they are compatible with new hardware, older stuff like I use often gets left in the dust. One more reason to get a new phone I guess.

I hope the weather reports are wrong about tomorrow's storms. I really hate dealing with bad weather.

Wolfgang is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4638 - Labor Day

I wouldn't say summer is over yet, but I don't think we'll see many more hundred degree days. It's very pleasant when we take our sunrise walks with Dawn now. It was only 71 degrees when we left the house this morning. It warmed up as the day progressed, but it was still nice enough to take a walk in the park instead of going to the gym this morning.

It was pleasant walking outdoors for a change. The park is green again. A week of rainy days has made a huge difference. The ducks and geese are still here, but the construction workers are gone. I think the fancy new trail they've been building all summer is finally finished. There must have been a really strong wind accompanying yesterday's storm.  I saw a lot of downed trees. I'm glad our own trees withstood the storm. The last thing I need right now are more tree problems.

I mowed the grass in the back yard this afternoon and the yard looks a lot better. The batteries on the electric mower really need to be replaced. I was barely able to get the back yard mowed before the batteries died. I used to be able to mow both the front and back on a single charge. There seems to be a never ending list of batteries to replace. I've got to find new batteries for a power drill and circular saw as well. In the future I think I'll just buy power tools with a cord that plugs into the wall. Batteries that constantly need to be recharged or replaced have become a huge nuisance.

I got started on my article about Artemis-1, but I didn't get very far. I still can't decide whether to take a "practice makes perfect" point of view, or a slightly more pessimistic "billion dollar boondoggle" angle. Personally I think this rocket is a huge waste of money when Space X already has a better idea, but what do I know. Obsolete or not, I'd still like to see this thing fly.

I updated the star tracker again. I guess that's what you do with this thing. I've lost track of how many updates and firmware installations I've already done. The good news is that the tracker still works after today's update. The bad news is that I doubt that I'll be using it to photograph stars anytime soon. Lord knows when I'll get out to the observatory again. My memory of the terrible drive out there is starting to fade, so maybe I'll start planning something for the Spring.

I feel perpetually tired these days. A walk in the park and mowing half the yard shouldn't have worn me out, but it did. I just don't have the energy that I used to. I should finish mowing the grass tomorrow, but we'll have to see. Right now a nap sound much more appealing.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4618

I got a notice today that I'm approved for an Artemis photo opportunity that takes place more than a full week ahead of the launch. Wish they could have scheduled this closer to the launch. There is no way I can spend this much time in Titusville. It looks like I may not be able to get close to the pad at all. They are scheduling remote camera placement much earlier than usual for this launch. There's a chance to take sunrise pictures at the launch pad that I'm going to miss as well. Oh, well. At least I'm on the approved list. I wish I could take part in more of the pre-launch activities but I really can't complain. I did get invited.

It's going to take a lot more rain before things start to turn green around here. It already feels like last week's showers never even happened. The park, as well as our yard, still look brown and dry. Luckily, the temperatures are still nice for our sunrise walks with Dawn. It was in the high 70's when we left the house this morning. Tuesday mornings are a lot busier than Mondays. There are cycling clubs that ride around the lake on Tuesday and Thursday as well as a lot more runners. I'm glad that Dawn still enjoys these early walks because they are basically the only exercise she gets in this hot weather.

I still am getting my exercise at the gym. I basically do the same things day after day. I spend twenty minutes on the basketball court, forty-five minutes on the indoor track, and another twenty minutes working with free weights. I could definitely spend more time here because I seldom have any place to go.  This short routine seems plenty though and is enough to keep my Fitbit happy.

There's more I could be doing at home as well, but I'm doing my best to avoid even thinking about it. Periodically I think about calling a roofer, but I've had such bad experiences with roofing companies that it's easy to put this off a little longer. I need to find a carpenter as well to replace some rotted wood trim. There are three carpenters in my contact list. I remember that one of them was really good and the other two were terrible. Unfortunately I can't remember which guy was the good one. It probably doesn't even matter. It's been so long since I've hired a carpenter that all three of these guys have probably retired by now.

I finally got my author copies for the last Spaceflight article I wrote. I keep thinking that I ought to submit articles to more magazines but I really don't have that many experiences to share. I enjoy writing about my visits to Kennedy Space Center and I'd probably enjoy writing about a visit to another observatory. Sky and Telescope doesn't seem interested in another article of this type though. I used to write articles about Spot and Petey for a little magazine called Dalmatian Quarterly.  Unfortunately that magazine went out of business a long time ago. Truthfully, I'm not much of a journalist. Everything I write is basically just about me.

One of these days I'll have something interesting to write about on the blog again. Don't hold your breath though. This entire summer has felt like Ground Hog Day. Every day is exactly the same. Maybe tomorrow I'll get around to testing the star tracker again. There is new software available now and what else do I have to do. I guess I could always take a nap with Dawn. Taking a nap with your dog always sounds good.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4491

Today was very busy. At least it was busy for me. After the usual sunrise walk with Dawn and my weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and berries, I finished my article for SpaceFlight Magazine. I also sorted through over a thousand pictures to find a selection to send to the magazine to accompany the article. I was fairly pleased with the results. The pictures looked great and I was able to write something to the magazine's requested length. One more article about life on the space coast is complete.

It looks like I'll be going out to Mcdonald Observatory after all. I finally got a confirmation of my reservation at the Astronomers Lodge today and after a bit of soul searching, I decided that I really should go out and volunteer again. Sure, I've got a lot of aches and pains and it definitely is a long drive, but it's only going to be worse next year. I tire easily and my feet hurt, but I'm still healthy. Who knows how long this will last. I guess I feel the same way about my trips to the observatory as I do about my daily walks. To stay at your best mentally and physically, you've got to keep moving. I can do this.

If inflationary pressures continue to get worse, the limiting factor for my travels might end up being the expense. My stay at the Astronomers Lodge will be more expensive this year. Their prices went up almost the same amount as my hotel in Titusville. I don't even want to think about what the rent car is going to cost. The price of rental cars has gotten ridiculous. For the moment I can justify the expense. I'd rather spend the money doing something I enjoy than watch it disappear in some future stock market crash.

Since today was Monday, Janet and I went up to the kennel and visited the rescue Dalmatians again. Visiting the dogs takes a lot longer now since there are so many of them. I had thought that some of the new dogs would have gotten adopted by now, but they are all still there. Everyone was in good spirits. Rocket is still scared, but his skin condition is getting better. Dorothy is going to take the crown away from Charlie as the kennel's resident wild child. She has so much energy and really loves to play. I think she would do great at agility. Jo Jo has become the group's gentle giant. He's big and strong, but is extremely well behaved. Willie and Julip and both tiny and very sweet. They both love attention and like being petted. Candy still needs to learn some manners, but she is very young and has received absolutely no training or socialization. We are working on this. I think we've almost taught her to sit. Oliver is still a goofy clown and Charlie is still the most fun to play with. Despite his many issues, Charlie is the smartest dog at the kennel. 

We had fun with the dogs today but it didn't leave me with a lot of time to walk when we got home. For a while I though we'd get rain this afternoon, but all we got was a lot of wind. I did manage to get in a short walk before dinner time and ended up completing about three miles. I doubt if I could have walked much further even if I had all day. My feet still hurt.

I seldom say anything about the watches, but today's watch used to belong to Alice Cooper. At least that's what I was told.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4145

Another rainy day. Dawn doesn't like getting wet and didn't even want to leave the house today. At one point we thought we'd found a little dry patch where she could take her short one mile loop, but we were barely out of the back yard when the wind blew and some water from a tree fell on her. That was all it took. Back to the house we went. The rain didn't stop me of course. I waited until the rain slowed to a drizzle and was determined to get at least a minimum of 10,000 steps.

It seems like a rainy Spring, but actually this completely normal. It always rains a lot in the Spring. By Summer, we are wondering where all the rain went, because it is hot and dry for months at a time. It would be nice if we had a nice even amount of rain throughout the year, but that's not the way it works in Texas.

I got a little wet this afternoon, but I managed to walk four miles. There weren't many other people on the trails, but the ducks seemed to love the weather. I should have dressed a little warmer today. Usually I get warmer as I walk. Today I got colder. I should have known better. I had to turn the furnace on again this morning. Every time I turn the furnace on in April, I think "well, this is it for the year." Texas weather always proves me wrong.

One of the presenters at the astrophotography workshop wrote today and asked the participants to download WhatsApp so it would be easier for him to contact the group. I'm alway reluctant to install any Facebook app on my phone because Facebook is relentless about wanting to grab all the information about you it can. Instagram and WhatsApp won't even work unless you give them access to your contact list. I went ahead and added the app to my phone because I didn't want to be obstinate and get started on the wrong foot. I can always delete it later. I don't know why there is an obsession to use tools like this. Isn't e-mail enough? A few years ago, some NASA folks wanted me to download Slack for the same reason. I've never had any use for Slack since.

I wrote a letter to my sister today, but I didn't mail it because I didn't want to drive to the post office in the rain. This was actually kind of silly, since it's going to be raining even harder tomorrow and I'll have to go out and get groceries anyway. Oh, well. I'll add a stop at the post office to my errand list and wash the car later. I should be happy for all the rain we're getting. The yard is getting green again and some of the plants I thought had died in the freeze are starting to come back. Even some of the Asian Jasmine is starting to grow again. It's going to take a while before it looks like it did before the freeze, but green is good.

I keep trying to think of a follow up to my Sky & Telescope article.  My upcoming trip will be the second time I have returned to the observatory since the initial article I wrote last March. You'd think I could come up with something. I can't use the travel angle anymore since I've already used that. I'm limited in what I can write about astrophotography as well, because I actually don't know that much. I have to remember that I'm going out there to learn, not to teach. I hate to let an opportunity go to waste though. Maybe I can come up with something that the editors will like.

The lens I ordered hasn't even shipped yet. Not this again. Why has shipping become so difficult lately? Janet says Amazon Prime isn't delivering the next day anymore. The post office is hopeless. With my luck the lens will probably arrive the day after I leave for the observatory. My bad for wanting a world that runs like clockwork. I should have learned by now that what I'm going to get is a dystopian mess.

Bea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4030

I don't think anyone is going back to work after the holidays. Things are usually quiet on a Tuesday, but the roads were crowded, the stores seemed full, and the park looked like it was Sunday afternoon. Granted, it was a nice day, but I've never seen so many people in the park on a Tuesday. 

We're still trying to figure out why Dawn has lost interest in walking. Today we drove her to a new section of the park and started walking on unfamiliar trails. Dawn seemed very excited for a while. She was walking briskly and smelling everything. Then we inadvertently crossed a trail she knew and everything changed. She didn't want to explore anymore. She let us know in no uncertain terms that she wanted to follow the old trail back home.

Oh, well. We tried. We walked back to the house along the familiar trail and Dawn was happy again sitting on the bed. Unfortunately, we then had to walk back to the park to get the car. So much for this new plan. At least the car was only several miles away. Janet got in the car to run some errands and I continued walking. I got plenty of exercise today. This is one good thing about being retired. You don't really need a plan for anything. The goal is usually just to get from sunrise to sunset.

The Christmas tree comes down tomorrow. We left it up a little longer than usual this year, but why not. The tree looks nice and there is nothing else festive on the horizon. With Christmas in the rear view mirror, all we've got to look forward to in January is raking the leaves. We used to hire a lawn service to do this, but they've become very expensive. I think everyone becomes more frugal when they retire. My parents were and so were my grandparents. Living in retirement is like having a full tank of gas, but no gas stations. You really don't want to run out of gas.

I got a letter from my accountant saying that it was time to start gathering my tax materials together. How did this happen? It seems like I just finished last year's taxes. At least I made a little money writing for magazines last year so I can deduct my travel expenses. I thought I'd be traveling a lot this year writing about astronomy and space, but Covid has thrown a wet blanket over my plans. Basically, I'm superstitious. I've managed to stay healthy so far, but I don't want to push my luck. I wanted to go out to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Perseverance landing in February and I've been thinking about visiting Mount Wilson as well. That's not going to happen. California has become a Covid disaster area. You'd have to be crazy to want to travel to Los Angeles right now.

I guess I should start writing my next astronomy article before I forget everything I learned at the astrophotography workshop. My editor at Sky & Telescope said to send an outline first. I can do that. Actually, writing an outline is a good way to procrastinate. Usually, I just start writing and make a lot of revisions, but outlines are OK too. Occasionally, advertising clients would want an outline first. I definitely know how to do them. I just don't know how to follow them.

I still haven't heard from my contact at the dehumidifier company. Maybe they fired him for giving away too many dehumidifiers. I'd really like to know how to stop the rattling noise. I've got the unit placed in a bathroom next to the office and the noise is driving me nuts. It's too bad I threw away the the old dehumidifier on last month's bulky trash day. It didn't work well, but it was very quiet.

Will Dawn walk tomorrow? That seems to be the question of the day lately. We've been trying to build Dawn's confidence ever since she joined our family. I think she's finally confident enough now to let us know she's a very lazy dog.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3946

I voted today. There was a line, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the lines I've been seeing on TV. The whole process took me about thirty minutes from start to finish. The line moved smoothly and everyone was very polite. I think all sides were well represented at my polling place. Behind me in line was a nervous looking guy wearing a N-95 mask with a clear plastic visor on top of it. Ahead of me in line was a couple wearing Duck Dynasty t-shirts. I don't really understand the controversy about voting in person. My experience this afternoon seemed easier, safer, and much less chaotic than going to the grocery store.

I'm officially a Sky & Telescope contributor now. I signed a contract with the magazine this afternoon. Working with this magazine is very different than other magazines I've written for. They are very detail oriented. They also pay pretty well, which was a welcome surprise. I'm used to getting paid in author copies of the publication. I don't know if I will ever become a prolific author of articles about astronomy and space travel, but this is a good start.

The weather was cold enough this morning to require long pants on our morning walk. This is the first time this season that I haven't worn shorts. Dawn loved the cooler weather. She not only seemed strong on today's walk, she actually seemed frisky. All our Dalmatians have preferred cold weather. We have sweaters for really cold days, but usually the dogs think wearing a sweater is ridiculous. 

About half the Pelicans have returned to Pelican Bay. I have no idea where they went yesterday. I also have no idea where the other half who didn't return are today. I don't know why Janet and I spend so much time trying to guess what the ducks and pelicans will do next. We have very little knowledge about the habits of waterfowl. The birds are interesting though. I'd rather speculate about ducks than the people we encounter in the park.

My seasonal allergies were so bad this morning that I took an Allegra-D for the first time this season. The pill appeared to do nothing. I woke up with a stuffy nose that was making me breathe through my mouth. As soon as I got dressed, the stuffy nose turned into a runny nose. I went through quite a few of those blue Scott shop towels on our morning walk. I don't even use Kleenex anymore. It just isn't strong enough. My congestion cleared up a bit later in the day, but I still don't know if there was a change in air quality or it just took a long time for the Allegra to kick in. I guess I'll take some antihistamines with me on my trip. I don't like how they make me feel, but I don't like a constant runny nose either.

The Delta IV Heavy launch got delayed again. Maybe if the NROL-44 mission keeps getting delayed it will eventually take place at the same time as the Space X Crew 1 mission that I've already been approved to attend. It is doubtful that this will happen, but it would be nice to be able to see both launches with a single trip to Florida. The Crew 1 mission keeps getting delayed as well. So far, these delays are fine by me. The later the launches are scheduled, the more likely it will be that hurricane season will be over. Colder weather means fewer bugs as well.

I hope the air is clear tomorrow. These seasonal allergies are driving me nuts. Dogs get allergies too, but mostly it shows up as skin irritation. I don't know if itchy skin would be worse than a runny nose. Luckily, Dawn doesn't seem to have any allergy problems.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

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Day 3742

If we all die it will be because of a basic lack of common sense instead of the coronavirus. I really wonder about people. We are not running out of food. If we all just started shopping normally again, there wouldn't be shortages of anything. You don't have to stay indoors either. Just stay away from other people. I could be wrong, but I still think outdoor air and lots of exercise is good for you. And couldn't the people we elected just quit fighting for a while? Is it really that hard to pass a bill that would give hospitals and first responders what they need without trying to pack it with a long wish list of pet projects? Democrats and Republicans are equally guilty of this. I don't understand why quarantined senators and representatives aren't allowed to vote. Do you really have to physically be on the floor of the senate to vote? This is silly. It is just political gamesmanship with one side trying to gain an advantage over the other. There ought to be a way to test for antibodies, so people who have developed an immunity to the virus can get back to work. A complete shutdown just isn't sustainable for very long. The deaths ought to be put in context too. I suspect that a lot more people are still dying from auto accidents and gunshot wounds than from the virus here in the United States.

I went to the audio repair shop to pick up my Sequential Circuits synthesizers this morning. The employees were all wondering how long they could stay in business without musicians. Live music venues throughout Texas are all closed. There are no concerts either. Working musicians aren't thinking about repairing their equipment these days. They are more likely to be thinking about pawning something.

The head electrician who owns the company came over to look at my switch today. He said a lot of his younger employees didn't want to go into people's homes anymore because they had young children at home. I guess that's understandable. I have no desire to go into other people's homes these days either. The electrician did figure out what was wrong with my switch and said he could order a part to fix it. You can always depend on the old guys to actually fix things.

The baby owl has been gone from its nest for several days now. I'm thinking now that I may have seen the owl on the day it finally decided to fly. It was tentatively flexing its wings when I was photographing it. I suspect that both baby owls are still in the area. I hope they stick around. Since owls have taken up residence in our neighborhood, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of mice and rats we see in the yard.

I finished my article about McDonald Observatory and sent it to the editor at Sky and Telescope. Now I wait. Unfortunately, I'll probably have to wait a long time. This magazine is not terrible responsive. I often wait weeks, wondering whether my e-mail has wound up in someone's spam folder. Since this has happened before, it is a concern. I think my article turned out pretty well. I hope the editors agree.

Dawn got another long walk today. Luckily, walking your dog is still acceptable under the new citywide lockdown. I see more people in the park lately, but social distancing isn't a problem. Most of the people we saw today were several hundred yards away.

Ariel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3738

The Crane Flies are back. I hate these things. They are like spiders with wings and every Spring thousands of them seem to gather by the back door, just waiting to get inside. I'm finding Crane Flies in every room of the house. They're slow and easy to catch, but they are a big nuisance. I've even found them inside the refrigerator.

The electrician came over today to fix the light switch in Janet's bathroom. As luck would have it, the switch wasn't made anymore and the replacement that the electrician thought would work wasn't compatible with the house wiring. Simple things always seem to turn into complicated things with this house. The electrician got the bathroom light and the exhaust fan working again, but a third switch on the receptacle that controls some exterior lighting is still inactive. I told the electrician to come back if he could figure out how to control all three circuits with a modern switch. It isn't critical though. The light works again and that was all that really mattered. Apparently, there are backflow problems with my house wiring. I'm not sure what that means at the moment, but it's one more thing to learn about.

Dawn was scared of the electrician. She didn't bark or anything. She just sat in the center of the bed and shivered. It's sad to see her frightened of anything new. It's understandable though. Dogs remember things and I'm sure she's had some very bad experiences in her life. At least she trusts Janet and I now. It's going to be a long, slow learning process to get her to trust the rest of the world.

I asked the electrician how he was coping with the virus and his reaction was about the same as mine. If everything you know is delivered by a media you don't entirely trust, how can you know what is true? I'm definitely keeping my distance from people, but I would be doing that anyway. The weird thing is that nothing has changed in my life. Nobody has sent me home from work. I have no children or older parents to worry about. If I don't show symptoms in another week or so, it's a pretty safe bet that I didn't catch anything from star party guests at the observatory. It's unlikely that any of these people were infected anyway, but anything is possible.

I got a notice that NASA was taking applications for media accreditation for the first Crew Dragon flight to the ISS in mid-May. Will the virus have subsided by then, or will things be even worse? It's impossible to tell at the moment. I think I'll apply anyway. A lot can happen in two months. I'll have to ask the British magazine that has been publishing my articles to send me to Kennedy Space Center, but I have a feeling that this won't be a problem. The real problem will be whether I have the nerve to get on a plane again after the pandemic runs its course.

I finished the first draft of my Sky and Telescope article today. I'll still need to do some editing, but I'm pleased so far. It's been so long since I initially proposed the McDonald Observatory article that I'm not sure the magazine is still interested. It doesn't hurt to be optimistic though. I think the article is pretty good.

I took the trash out to the curb, but it doesn't look like I'll be going out to breakfast tomorrow. All the restaurants in town are closed.

Pringles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3737

It's going to be a very long Spring. They say that new cases of the coronavirus won't begin to peak for another 45 days. Even if infections begin to decrease after that point, it's going to be mid-Summer before life returns to normal. I hope the experts are wrong. I'm not really prepared for toilet paper riots at the grocery store.

So far, nothing has changed for me. The only time I left the house was for my long walk. Janet and I walk Dawn three miles every day and then I continue walking another two miles by myself. Janet has started jogging, since she can't go to the gym anymore. We may be bored, but we're going to be in good shape.

I started writing my Sky and Telescope article today. The first draft is almost done, but the article will need considerable editing before I'm ready to submit it to the magazine. So far, so good. I've got some human interest stories about life at the observatory. There are descriptions of the astronomical targets I viewed through the 36-inch Dall-Kirkham telescope. There are side trips to the Tull Spectrograph and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. I think this will be interesting to other amateur astronomers, but what do I know. I hope the article gets published. Sky and Telescope actually pays for articles.

The house continues to deteriorate. A light fixture in Janet's bathroom quit working today. I can't decide whether to problem is in the wiring or in the switch that controls the light. I just finished paying the electrician for his last visit to the house, but it looks like I'm going to have to call him again. The problem isn't a bad bulb and I'm not all that good with wiring. I took the fixture apart and couldn't find any loose or burned wiring. Anything beyond that and I'm likely to electrocute myself.

My taxes are done. Once again I owe money. It doesn't seem fair that I'm paying more now than I was when I was working. It makes a big difference when you have nothing to deduct. I sure wish I had converted my IRA to a Roth IRA a long time ago. The mandatory distributions all count as earned income. It would have made a lot more sense to pay the taxes upfront when I was making a good income rather than now when I am living on a fixed income.

Dawn becomes more relaxed with every passing day. It is clear that she calls our place home now. Sudden movements still spook her, but that's understandable. After the way she was attacked, I don't think she will ever be completely comfortable approaching strange dogs again. She's certainly got a personality. I've never seen a Dalmatian smile quite as often as Dawn does.

I certainly hope the medical experts are right. Shutting down the entire country is pretty drastic. I've been around a long time and have never seen anything like this. Our collective reaction to 9/11 wasn't nearly this severe. I guess this is a perfect storm. What we have is a fear of financial ruin combined with a fear of dying. That pretty much covers all the bases. A lot of senior citizens are going to lose their savings. A lot of younger people are going to lose their jobs. Some people are going to lose their lives. Any way you look at it, this pandemic is not good.

Luckily, we're not running out of toilet paper and there's enough food in the freezer to last for quite a while. I'm going to take things one day at a time.  What else can you do.

Nick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3709

Another rainy day. I kept the pumps running and for most of the day I thought my repairs were working. Late in the day the leak returned unfortunately. I'm back to square one. This is not a good situation since we're right in the middle of the rainy season. The roofer who is experienced with the silicon material is still not responding and the other roofers just want to start over and put on a new roof. For now, all I can do is put a big bucket under the leak and wait for the rain to stop.

At least I stayed busy today. I edited the pictures I took at the Solar Orbiter launch and sent the best ones to the magazine. A few hours later the editor wrote me back and said he might be interested in my story after all. This was a surprise. They already had another correspondent writing about the launch, but it was nice that they wanted to take a look at my article. I kind of doubt that they will run two articles about the same launch, but who knows. They did like my pictures though.

Although it was a dismal, wet day, it didn't rain for the entire day. There was a dry enough period around mid-day that we were able to give Dawn another walk in the park. She seems to love walking, so we took her on a longer walk this time. It's been so long since I've walked a young, healthy Dalmatian that I've forgotten how fast and strong they are. Dawn walks well on a leash, but she definitely wanted me to pick up the pace.

Although it is definitely still Winter, I'm starting to see the first signs of Spring. There are Grape Hyacinths blooming in the meadow behind our house now. There are only a few now, but in a few weeks the meadow will be a sea of purple. Grape Hyacinths are usually the very first of the Spring wildflowers. Daffodils come next, followed in late March and early April by an avalanche of colorful blooms. Spring can't come soon enough. I'm tired of this dreary weather and I've got to do something about this roof leak.

It looks like this dismal weather is going to continue tomorrow. It's actually raining harder now. Dawn is curled up on the bed watching TV with Janet. I'm listening to the drip, drip, drip of water hitting the bucket in the kitchen. It's discouraging that my repairs didn't work. I have no idea where this leak is coming from. Eventually, this rain will stop. Maybe someday I'll even get this problem under control.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over this. It seems like I've been dealing with a leaking roof forever. Tomorrow morning I'll make my smoothie and try to think of something useful to do until the rain stops. Right now taking a long nap with Dawn sounds pretty good.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3708

I woke up in plenty of time, but failed to see the moon pass in front of Mars this morning. The sky was overcast and it was starting to rain. I kind of expected this but I had to give it a try. I turned on the roof pumps and went back to bed.

It rained pretty hard for several hours, but so far there have been no additional leaks. It's far too early to say whether my recent repairs were successful. If a leak is small, it can take several days for the water to find its way inside. I discovered that Dawn doesn't like rain any more than I do. It's hard to get her to go outside and pee in the morning when the yard is wet. This morning, some water fell on her from the trees when the wind blew and it sent her racing for the back door.

After breakfast Dawn and I took a long nap while Janet was at the gym. It seemed like the right thing to do. The house was warm and there was no point in getting wet. I've learned that when a dog feels like napping, it's often best to join them. There's always time to be productive later.

I actually was fairly productive today. I finished my article about the Solar Orbiter launch. It wasn't the best article I've ever written, but it was far from the worst. Maybe I can still find a publication that is interested in publishing it. I've sent query letters to a few magazines, but interest in these types of things fades quickly. We'll see. It's too bad that SpaceFlight Magazine only wanted pictures this time. They're still my best hope for stories about rockets.

Dawn loves a walk. When the rain eventually stopped, we got out her harness and leash. As soon as she saw these things, she immediately started smiling and wagging her tail. She was ready. Dawn is wearing Dot's old harness and it fits her perfectly. It's nice to know that a simple thing like a walk in the park can give a dog such pleasure. I have a feeling that Dawn never got taken on many walks before. Those days are over.

I've got to keep moving, so I put on an extra coat and headed out again after we returned home with Dawn. We didn't want to walk her too far, since her injuries are still healing. There's nothing wrong with me, so an extended walk still sounded better than staring at the ceiling and waiting for the roof to leak. I needed my steps as well. I do wish that we could just fast forward to Spring. I'm really tired of all this rain.

It looks like the weather is going to be even worse tomorrow. I hope the forecast is wrong because cabin fever is real. Even though I spend most of my time around the house anyway, I always feel trapped on a rainy day. Blue sky improves my mood enormously. At least I've got a dog to curl up with on a rainy day. Dawn has her priorities straight. According to Dawn, on a rainy day you just don't get out of bed.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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