Day 4046

Another rainy day. Even Dawn got bored today. By the time the rain finally stopped around 4 PM, she was eager for a walk. Cabin fever didn't make her walk any longer, but she enjoyed all the new smells in the wet ground. When she reached her one mile limit and headed back toward the house with Janet, I continued walking. A long walk was about all I was going to accomplish today and I wanted to accomplish something. I was able to walk four miles before I noticed that it was getting dark. Even though the days are slowly getting longer, the sun still sets pretty early. By the time I returned home it was completely dark.

There wasn't much to do today. I decided to inventory a bunch of old camera gear and discovered a lot of things I'd completely forgotten about. Why did I buy this stuff? Did I ever use it? The answers to these questions are lost in the mists of time. On thing is certain. I've spent as long, long time photographing things.

I'm getting tired of watching static fire tests on the Boca Chica live feed. The SN9 Starship has had multiple static fires this week. The rocket sits there for hours doing nothing and then the actual test lasts about one second. Space X must be learning something because they keep doing these tests over and over again. Next week SN9 will do another high altitude hop. That will be worth watching.

I'm seeing more and more people posting pictures on Facebook when they get vaccinated. Is this the thing to do now? They even have stickers that say they got vaccinated, just like those stickers you get when you vote. Most of these people I see are younger than me and have nothing to do with the health care industry. I wonder how they got the vaccine? I thought this first round of shots was only for first responders and old people. I'm still in no hurry. I'm happy to let these eager beavers be the guinea pigs.

We had a short power outage today, but the new detector I installed that is supposed to monitor our household wiring and power lines didn't detect anything. Hmm. This gadget probably doesn't work any better than the noisy dehumidifier that keeps rattling in the bathroom. One of my watch winders quit working today as well. I guess that's not a big deal, since I don't wear mechanical watches anymore anyway. A lot of new stuff just isn't made very well. When I was cataloging camera gear this afternoon, I kept noticing that the older something was, the better it appeared to be made.

I decided to go paperless with a few more bills today. I'm getting tired of wondering whether something got lost in the mail. Pretty soon everything will be paperless. I never thought I'd get to this point, but our mail service isn't what it used to be. Most of the mail we get these days is junk anyway. Maybe my goal is to just be able to throw all the mail away without even looking at it.

The trash has been taken out to the curb and Dawn is waiting for her late night snack. This day is done. I don't expect anything exciting to happen tomorrow, but you never know.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4045

It's dental week at our house. Yesterday, Dawn got her teeth cleaned and today I did the same. My proceedure was a lot simpler than Dawn's. There was no anesthesia involved and I was in and out in less than an hour. I think it took me longer to drive back and forth to the dentist's office than it did to get my teeth cleaned. My dental hygienist always seems pleased with how I care for my teeth. I do try. I think I'm doing penance for all those years when I wouldn't see a dentist for decades at a time. Now I get new x-rays once a year and have my teeth cleaned every six months.

I'm always surprised that my dental hygienist wants to talk. How can you talk with a bunch of dental implements in your mouth? There's an art to having a conversation during a dental cleaning. There are lots of long silences. We mostly talk about dogs, but I did learn that dentists and hygienists aren't on the vaccine list yet. This surprised me. My doctor and most nurses I know have already been vaccinated. You'd think that dentists would be at the top of the list since they are right in your face when they are working on your teeth.

Dawn didn't get a walk today. It was a cold, rainy day and she was much happier just taking a long nap on the bed. I insisted on getting my steps and kept checking the weather radar until a found a little gap in the weather pattern that would allow me to walk a few miles. I'm not very good at gauging these intervals anymore. I did pretty well for the first three miles, but on the last mile back home I got soaked. Oh, well. It wasn't much of a walk, but I got 10,000 steps and closed all three activity rings on my Apple watch.

There's a new episode of The Expanse every Wednesday, so this gave me something to do after I returned from the dentist's office. Episode Eight wasn't that good, but I watched it anyway. By next week I will have totally forgotten what happened. This type of episodic television isn't very memorable. There is always a cliffhanger at the end of the show and nothing gets resolved. I could probably watch the same episode over and over again and never realize that I'd seen it before.

I've been reading a lot of articles on beginning astrophotography and I'm starting to realize that the premise of my own article isn't that unique. I'm going to have to rethink the article I'm planning to send to Sky & Telescope or it will never get published. No magazine is going to publish something that they have already published several times before. I'm not sure I even have anything interesting to share, since everything I know about astrophotography is based on a few clear nights in West Texas last October. Nothing ventured, nothing gained though. I know that I need to write about any interesting experiences I have since I really don't do that much. You can't let a good experience go to waste. We'll see what I can come up with. I'll start reworking my outline next week.

I hope the weather clears up tomorrow. I tend to get cabin fever on rainy days, but don't like to drive in the rain. Since I don't like watching television either, it leaves me with very little to do. I'm glad I got a short walk in this afternoon after my dental appointment. The rest of the day was spent doing laundry and paying online bills. Exciting stuff. I'm still researching telescopes and astrophotography gear, but there's definitely no hurry to buy anything. I might not see the stars again for months.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4044

Dawn has clean, white teeth again. She had quite a bit of tartar build-up and really needed a cleaning. Dawn of course had other ideas. She always goes into panic mode when we take her to the vet. She was so upset this morning that she had an irregular heart beat when they tried to sedate her. The vet took things slowly and gave her a mild sedative and waited for her to calm down before giving her anesthesia for the cleaning procedure. 

We were afraid that she might need some teeth extracted because she'd spent so many years biting at the bars of her crate when she was used as a breeding dog. Her front teeth have been worn down, but luckily what remains is still strong and she has no cavities. No teeth needed to be removed today and her gums are in good condition too. Dawn didn't enjoy her day at the vet, but we feel better knowing that her teeth are healthy and in good condition.

The forecast called for rain today, but predictably it was wrong again. I was able to take my long walk after all. I haven't gone anywhere new for a while and continue to follow the same well-worn paths. I feel like I should name the ducks I see along the way because most of them have become quite familiar by now. Apparently ducks are no more adventurous than I am. My walks may be boring, but I still occasionally see something new and I'm definitely getting more exercise than I'd get staring at this computer for an additional two hours every day.

The replacement dehumidifier has started rattling again and it's driving me nuts. I know the manufacturer sent me a refurbished model even though I can't get them to admit it. The customer support folks won't even answer my questions now. This is a bit baffling to me, since they were so responsive when I was initially trying to get a warranty replacement. It kind of feels like they have a policy that if the manufacturer sends you a replacement, they can never talk to you again.

As I continue to learn more about astrophotography, I'm becoming increasingly tempted to buy a tracking mount. This is the only way I'll be able to take longer exposures of the stars. There is no need to rush things though. A tracker would be a total waste of money until I can start visiting dark sky sites again. Even the best tracking mount wouldn't help me much out in my back yard. I keep hoping that eventually Covid will be over and I can pick up where I left off at the astrophotography workshop last October. It would be nice to start visiting Kennedy Space Center again too. When is this all going to happen? I have no earthly idea.

I keep getting messages from my doctor encouraging me to get vaccinated at one of those mega-sites where you have to stand in line all day. Don't think I'm going to do that. I'd rather just stay away from other people for a while longer. Apparently my doctor's office gets a small supply of the vaccine every month, but so far it's being used on patients who are in a lot worse shape than I am. I'm in the 1B priority group, but so are millions of other people. I'm sure I'll get a call one of these days telling me that it's my turn. Take your time guys. I still have lingering fears that this vaccine will turn out to be a horrible mistake like Thalidomide and other drugs where the side effects weren't discovered until years later.

Dawn is unusually quiet tonight. I don't think the drugs have worn off yet. When she came home, she immediately drank a ton of water and then threw up on the bed. We're still washing all the bedding. Hopefully, life will be back to normal in the morning. 

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4043

We got a new supposedly indestructible toy for Charlie today. In less than five minutes he had broken the squeaker and was shaking the thing so vigorously that I thought he would knock himself silly. Charlie was just having fun, but if I was a squirrel, I wouldn't get anywhere near this dog. Clyde is gradually overcoming his shyness and Cooper seemed much calmer than he did last week. Everyone is making progress and they were all glad to see us. We'll be back again next week. Visiting the kennel Dalmatians has become a permanent part of our routine.

Dawn is making progress as well. She is eager to take her shorter walks now and doesn't balk or freeze at all. Now that she has become confident that we're not going to try to lead her somewhere where she doesn't want to go, she's a happy camper again. Like most of our previous Dalmatians, Dawn is gradually training us instead of us training her.

I continue to walk about six miles every day. I can't say that the walks are always fun, but they are the only real exercise I get. I'd like to walk ten miles every day, but I don't think my feet are up to it. The new shoes help a lot, but I still feel like an arthritic old man when I return home. I had been planning on going back to the gym again, but now that Covid is resurgent, I think I'll wait a while. I've managed to stay healthy all year. There is no reason to start tempting fate now. The pandemic will eventually be over and I have a high tolerance for doing nothing anyway.

I missed my chance to get rid of the leaves in the yard before big trash day. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and the bulky trash trucks will arrive on our street in a day or two. I was hoping that our recent windy days would blow some of the leaves away, but all the wind did was blow more leaves into the yard. The leaves never used to be a problem before all the neighbors started putting up tall security fences. Now, they just stay in the yard forever until we haul them away.

I continue to bookmark interesting astronomy and telescope sites, making imaginary lists of equipment I need to buy and places I'd like to visit. Oddly, I seldom go out in the backyard and look at the stars. I always seem to have an excuse. It's too cold. It's too wet. You can't really see anything in Dallas anyway. I should make an effort just to stay in practice, but I suspect I have become spoiled. Once you've seen the stars from the dark skies in West Texas, looking up at the sky in a large city hardly seems worth the effort.

I hope I don't buy a bunch of gear that I never end up using. I already did that with audio equipment, but I never returned to songwriting. Once I lose interest in something, it's very hard to rekindle. I think my interest in astronomy is real. I had a telescope in junior high and high school and even thought of becoming an astronomer. Math put an end to that. There was some math involved in becoming an architect, but it was nothing compared to being a physics or astronomy major. Let's face it. I was never very good at math.

I learned something new today. I can't open pictures taken with new iPhones. The new photos are saved using the HEIC image format which isn't recognized by anything on my older phones and computers. I finally found a website that allowed me to convert a photo that was sent to me today but it was a pain to use. I'm glad I am retired or I would have to upgrade everything. Why does Apple continue to do this? I continue to get further and further behind. Adobe and Microsoft have gone to subscription services for all their software and now I can't even see iPhone pictures. Maybe my sister was right in becoming a Luddite.

Dovey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4042

I signed up for the vaccine on a few websites today. I thought this whole vaccination effort would be more organized, but this is apparently how you do it. All the pharmacies, hospitals, and other locations that have been designated as distribution centers have websites saying that they'll have the vaccine soon. None of them appear to have it now. You just leave your e-mail address on the websites and I guess they'll get back to you. I was just going to wait until I could get the shot at my doctor's office, but if Janet and I can get vaccinated earlier, we'll feel a lot better about traveling.

I'm sure there are side effects to the vaccine but I'm not going to worry about them. I've already been vaccinated for almost everything and there were side effects to all those other vaccines too. Most vaccines leave me with a sore arm for a few days and that's it. I'm old enough to remember kids who had polio. You really want to eliminate these kind of problems if you've got a chance. If we all end up growing a third ear a few years from now, well it won't be the first time that humanity screwed up.

Dawn seems to be walking fine now. She's not very adventurous and only wants to walk for one mile on very familiar routes, but she does seem to be enjoying herself. What was going through her head when she used to take much longer walks with us? We thought she was enjoying herself then too. This is a fairly dramatic change and there doesn't appear to be any physical reason for it. We've had Dalmatians for many, many years and they've all loved to walk. Maybe something happened when Dawn had her seizure several months ago. Maybe she's finally become confident enough to let us know how she really feels. I have a feeling that we may never know what has caused this strange change in behavior.

After we took Dawn back to the house, Janet and I continued walking along the old route where we used to take Dawn. It was a beautiful day, but it didn't seem the same without a dog. We both kept thinking that Dawn was missing out on an enjoyable afternoon. Dawn probably thought we were missing out on an enjoyable nap.

I feel like I've lost my momentum. I'd made some good contacts at Kennedy Space Center and had made three trips out to McDonald Observatory. Stories were getting published and I felt like I was on my way. Then Covid ruined everything. NASA became much more restrictive with press credentials. My main contact at the Air Force retired and I'm going to have to start all over again getting credentialed through them. West Texas became a virus hot spot and the observatory shut down. There's absolutely nothing I'm interested in writing about in Dallas. I get up in the morning and I walk. That's about it.

We'll go visit the Dalmatians at the kennel tomorrow. On Tuesday Dawn has an appointment to have her teeth cleaned and then on Wednesday I have my own dental appointment. I think that the SN9 Starship prototype is supposed to fly next week as well. It should be a fairly busy week. I don't think there will be time to get the leaves raked before the next big trash day. We'll save that for next month.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4041

Today seemed busier than usual, even though very little actually happened. I got my grocery shopping done right after breakfast. I found everything on my list and was in and out of the store fairly quickly. This week there was plenty of fresh fruit.

Our shortened walks with Dawn continue to be a success. As long as she can choose a familiar path and doesn't have to walk over a mile, she's a happy camper. It doesn't seem to matter whether I walk her or Janet does, but she definitely listens to Janet better.

When Dawn returns to the house, I just continue walking. I guess this is my new schedule for a while. I ended up walking six miles today. The weather was great. The sky was clear and yesterday's wind was completely gone. My new shoes have really helped eliminate my foot pain. Most of the aches and pains now can just be attributed to old age. I wish the new shoes were a little more durable. They are already showing some wear. I have hiking boots that I've worn my entire adult life. Running shoes seldom last more than a year. I guess that's fair. A durable shoe that is painful isn't of much use at all.

Today was the big day for the Artemis-1 static fire at Stennis Space Center. Maybe it was just as well that I didn't attend this test. The planned eight minute hot fire was aborted after just one minute due to a still undisclosed problem with one of the engines. I watched the news conference later in the day where everyone was trying to put a positive spin on things, but you could hardly call this test a success. The rocket has been sitting on the test stand for over a year now. You'd think that would have been plenty of time to work out all the bugs in this rocket. During this amount of time, Space X has already flown three Starship prototypes and is getting ready to launch a fourth next week. I have a feeling that by the time Artemis finally makes it to the moon, Space X will already be there waiting for them.

I got gas for the first time in a month today. I started driving less when Covid restrictions started last Spring. Now that I've fully adapted to this new normal, there just isn't anyplace to go. I don't go to the bank or post office anymore. All these transactions are handled online now. I don't go to the pharmacy as often because I've switched all my prescriptions to 90 day renewals. Almost all my shopping is done online as well. About the only people I need to see physically anymore are my doctors and appointments aren't that frequent. No wonder I'm eager for another launch opportunity or a trip back to the observatory.

Janet has already signed up for the vaccine at two different locations. I guess I'm going to have to do the same. I was just planning to wait until I could take the shot in my doctor's office, but that might be a while. It's not going to be good if Janet is vaccinated and I'm not. My doctor sent out a letter telling patients to get vaccinated at their first opportunity as well. Oh, well. One more unpleasant thing to add to my to-do list.

I picked up some ribs for dinner at my favorite barbecue place. The ribs and brisket are great. The location of this place, not so much. Got harassed by a homeless person while taking my order out to the car again. City life just isn't what It used to be. 

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4040

I went along on Dawn's walk today. She seemed confident and happy. She trusts Janet and she seems to know that she doesn't have to walk too far anymore. We took turns holding the leash and it didn't seem to matter as long as Dawn was leading the way and could go wherever she wanted. One mile seems her limit now and she definitely knows the way home. Is there a lesson in this? I'm not sure, but it's clear that our fitness goals are not the same as Dawn's.

Maybe something happened after Dawn had the seizure. Maybe she's finally become confident enough to let us know what she really thinks. Either way, it's fine. Dawn is not a young dog and if she only wants to walk a mile, there's nothing wrong with that.

I'll continue taking long walks, mostly because I can't think of anything better to do. Walking is a great way to daydream and think. I find myself thinking about cars and astronomy a lot. When Covid fades from the scene, there are a lot of dark sky sites I'd like to visit. I almost never find myself thinking about politics and current events. I don't even care. My little world has always been a private one. Walking in the woods and watching ducks suits me just fine.

Today's walk was incredibly windy. The wind almost blew me over when I was walking by the shoreline. I always worry that another tree is going to blow over in the yard when we have strong winds. This is always when it seems to happen. Luckily, everything was still standing when I returned home. Today I saw three vultures eating a dead possum by the side of the road. They would take turns with one vulture tearing into the carcass at a time. There are three Muscovy ducks that I see almost every day. A small female joined the two males several months ago and now appears to be the leader of the group. She swims ahead of the two males and leads the way when they are on land as well. Ducks and geese always seem to have a leader. I wonder who gets to be the leader in those giant v-shaped formations I often see flying overhead?

I need to find a new way to occupy my time. Following rocket launches is getting harder and harder because of Covid restrictions. McDonald Observatory has closed again too. I doubt that they are going to be needing volunteer help for quite a while. I don't write songs anymore and I can't imagine building a website just for fun. So many things I used to enjoy just seem stupid now. It's probably not a good sign that my favorite activity now is taking long naps.

It's time to make a grocery list again. These weeks go by incredibly quickly. It seems like I was just making a list yesterday. The last time I went to the store, a lot of shelves were empty again. I hope people haven't resumed hoarding stuff. When other people start hoarding, you start hoarding as well and it quickly gets out of hand. It took us months to use up all the stuff we got last April.

I wish Dawn would start trusting me. Maybe that's too much to ask. There are people I know who still don't trust me.

Betty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4039

Whenever I tackle a project that I've been avoiding for a long time, I usually realize why I kept putting things off. Today I cleaned the deterrgent dispenser in the washing machine. This is a long sliding drawer with slots for detergent, bleach, and fabric softener. Over time it becomes caked with a nasty black scum. You'd think that if you kept pouring soap into this thing, it would stay clean. Nope. I don't know why it gets nasty like this, but it's a bear to remove from the washing machine and clean. Today, when I removed the dispenser I noticed a crack in one of the machine's exterior panels. The cracked panel had been hidden by the dispenser and was probably caused when an appliance repairman didn't reassemble the machine properly. I can't really blame the repairman. Modern equipment isn't built to be disassembled. I've taken apart enough things to realize that it is almost impossible to reassemble something to factory tolerances.

Eventually I got the part cleaned and reassembled, but I was smart enough not to start another project. I turned on the computer and paid some bills online. This was much easier. When I saw an option to go paperless on the bill payment websites I clicked on it. The only way I'm going to get rid of all these paper documents in the office is to stop getting new ones.

I had to go to the pharmacy and pick up a prescription as well. If I don't pick these up promptly, the pharmacy keeps calling me every day. I never run out of meds now. For some reason all my prescriptions get filled way ahead of time. I've told the doctors to just wait until I run out, but everything is on automatic pilot these days. It's easier to just save all the pills until I need then than it is to get anything changed.

Janet is making progress with Dawn. They walked a little further today and Dawn didn't balk or freeze at all. Janet said Dawn seemed to enjoy her walk, even though they didn't go nearly as far as we used to. It will be interesting to see how Dawn reacts when I rejoin them. We'll continue solo walks for a few more days and then see if we can all walk together again. It shouldn't make any difference, but we don't really know what Dawn is thinking.

In an effort to keep things interesting, I walked someplace new today. In this section of the park the Double-crested Cormorants roosted in trees and there were lots of small Bufflehead and Ruddy ducks. I wasn't that far from my usual path but the lake and the wildlife looked completely different. I ended up walking about six miles and that was plenty. I still don't think I'm getting as much exercise as I was when I went to the gym, but I'm not ready to return yet.

While I was at the pharmacy to get my meds, I picked up some fried chicken and a kale salad for dinner. You might not think these two things go together, but this is how I eat. I like smoked meats and fried chicken, but I do eat a lot of green vegetables. I don't walk fast, but I do keep moving. All in all, I think I'm doing a pretty decent job of staying healthy without punishing myself.

This week has gone quickly. I've taken the trash out to the curb, looked up at the grey, light polluted sky and wondered what I'm doing in Dallas. Next week I'll do the same thing.

Kasey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4038

Janet walked Dawn by herself again today. She said that Dawn was more enthusiastic this time and didn't freeze at all. They still only walked about a mile, but I guess this is progress. We'll continue this routine for a few more days and then I'll start walking Dawn again and see if it makes any difference. It will be very disappointing if it turns out that I'm part of the problem, but I'd like to know.

I thought I would have heard something from the dehumidifier company by now, but so far nobody has replied to the letters I've sent. This is disappointing as well. There is something wrong with the replacement unit the company sent and they are basically the last resource I have. I've already discovered that there are no repair shops in town who will work on these things.

I wish I wasn't losing interest in walking because I need the exercise and can't think of a better way to stay active. My Fitbit says that I'm not doing as well as I was this time last year. I have a feeling that this is because I stopped going to the gym. I didn't go that often, but my workouts were fairly strenuous compared to walking in the park. I guess I could walk faster. Nope. I actually can't walk any faster.

I wait for the mail every day, but I don't think I'm ever going to get my author copies of SpaceFlight Magazine. Everything in London is so chaotic right now with all the severe virus lockdowns that I think sending out these magazines is the last thing on anyone's mind. Nevertheless, I would still like to receive the magazines someday. It's still hard to believe that my articles have been published until I can hold the magazine in my hand.

Janet was gone a lot this afternoon and I had to put Dawn on a leash to get her to go outside and pee. She would also not eat the dinner I fixed until I left the room and went back to the office. Maybe I'm wrong, but it feels like she has reverted back to being a kennel dog and I am the kennel attendant. Could it be that she experimented with freedom for a while when she joined our family and then decided that she felt more comfortable in a kennel environment with strict rules? I have no idea. It does feel like the bedroom has become her kennel run though. This is where she feels safe and comfortable.

I watched the Boca Chica live feed for a while today. The SN9 Starship prototype had three static fire tests in a single day. Clearly they are getting ready to fly this thing. I don't think anyone has done three back to back static fires before. Elon must be getting confident. Meanwhile, the Artemis-1 rocket has been waiting for over a year for it's static fire test. I still wish I was going to Stennis Space Center for this, but NASA had other plans.

I watched the latest episode of The Expanse later this afternoon. I have to admit that watching the show was a little more interesting when watching a static fire test, but episodic television is pretty predictable as well. It's something to do though and gets my mind off obsessing about dehumidifiers and wondering about Dawn.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4037

I tried to catch up on some correspondence today. I doubt that I accomplished much, but at least I tried. I wrote my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine and told him that I won't be attending any space related events this Spring because of Covid. I'm sure he'll understand because he lives near London and people in the UK are under even more severe restrictions than we are. 

I wrote the dehumidifier manufacturer and describled the problems I'm having with the replacement they sent in great detail. I sent pictures as well. I don't know what this will accomplish but it's frustrating that I'm having just as many problems with the replacement unit as I was with the dehumidifier they replaced. I took care of a few other odds and ends as well, but mostly I was just avoiding starting anything new.

We experimented with Dawn today. Since Dawn is sometimes scared of me, Janet walked her by herself to see if that made a difference. Nope. Dawn walked about a mile, which is exactly the same distance she's been walking when we all walk together. Dawn just doesn't want to walk anymore. This is baffling to us, since she used to love her walks. We still don't know if the issue is physical or mental. All our other dogs loved their walks. Dot and Dash loved to walk even when they got old and could barely move. We didn't learn anything during Dawn's recent vet exam. Other than having too much protein in her urine, she seems to be quite healthy.

Maybe I'm trying to read too much into this. I didn't really enjoy my walk today either. It was a beautiful day, but I felt like I was on a forced march. The park is quite large, but I've practically memorized all the paths by now. There isn't much point in going somewhere else to walk. This is the largest, most interesting area for walking within fifty miles. Driving to go walking seems counterproductive too. One of the main reasons I started doing this was to avoid using the car.

I wonder why I've been spending so much time looking at telescopes lately. If I got a better telescope, there's nothing to see. I went outside last night and could barely see Orion. The light pollution in Dallas is really that bad. I still like gadgets and gear though, so I guess this telescope quest is a good way to daydream. There are a lot of interesting dark sky sites within driving distance, but there is little point in making travel plans until Covid is over. One of the main reasons that infections got so bad in rural West Texas was the surge of bored city people visiting Big Bend National Park. Staying put and doing nothing is really the best plan until I get vaccinated. I've abandoned my plans to go out to JPL in February for the Mars Perseverance landing. It just isn't worth the risk.

Maybe there will be a new episode of The Expanse to watch tomorrow. The Season 5 isn't over yet, but I'm not sure how frequently new episodes are released. One a week seems reasonable, but that's probably because I'm used to watching old fashioned episodic television. There are thousands to movies to stream these days but very few things capture my interest. I'm really surprised that I'm even watching this show.

I wish Dawn could talk and would tell us why she has lost interest in walking. There's got to be a simple answer for this. I lose interest in things all the time for no real reason. Who knows. Maybe dogs do the same thing.

Suzie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4036

We went and photographed Cooper, the newest Dalmatian in the rescue program, this afternoon. Cooper is a handsome dog, but was a little nervous around us, so the kennel attendants kept him on a leash. Maybe a good picture will help him find a home. Clyde seems to be adjusting well to kennel life, and Charlie was just Charlie. We spend most of our time at the kennel with Charlie because he really seems to enjoy the time we spend with him. Hopefully, all three of these boys will find their forever homes soon.

The weather was much better today but that didn't seem to impress Dawn much. She wasn't in the mood for walking at all. She likes to smell things in the meadow behind our house, but after five or ten minutes she's ready to go home again. Her world seems to be getting smaller. She just wants to spend her time inside these days. It wasn't always this way and we can't figure out what caused the change.

I picked up some prescriptions at the pharmacy after we returned from the kennel and looked for one of those frames that holds a leaf bag open at Home Depot. I couldn't find anything, but remember having something like this in the past. It's much easier raking leaves when you aren't always struggling with the bag. I guess this means that we are going to try raking the leaves ourselves again this year. We have a ton of leaves, but we also have a lot of time. There was no need to start today. The leaves were still wet from yesterdays rain and snow.

I didn't get started on my long walk until later this afternoon. It was just as well that I waited because it was much warmer than it was this morning. It's kind of amazing to see the wild temperature swings you can get on a sunny day. It was below freezing when I woke up and almost sixty when I took my walk. My new shoes really help on these walks, but they aren't so new anymore. They are already starting to show some wear.

I guess I need to tell my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine that I won't be going to either the Artemis-1 static fire or the Perseverance rover landing at JPL. You can blame Covid for that. It's kind of discouraging that I was just getting established covering these events when Covid restrictions changed everything. It is much harder to get press accreditation these days. I didn't even bother to apply for accreditation out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. California doesn't want visitors these days and even if your visit is considered essential, you have to quarantine on arrival. I think I'll wait.

The vaccine is slowly making its way to Texas, but I think I'll wait until my own doctor gets a supply before I get the shot. I think you can already make an appointment at one of the mass distribution centers, but the last thing I want to do is sit in a car for six hours waiting to arrive at the tents where they vaccinate people. I hate being in a long line off cars. I'm always afraid that my car will stall out or overheat idling for so long. It still seems like the best solution is to just stay away from other people. That's pretty easy for me to do.

We made an appointment to get Dawn's teeth cleaned. She doesn't like going to the vet, but she's got some significant plaque build up on her teeth. It's time. Maybe the vet will have some suggestions about her recent behavior. The refusal to walk really seems to be more of a mental issue than a physical one. Dawn has a few minor medical issues but basically appears to be very healthy.

I have no idea what I'll be doing tomorrow. I wish I hadn't already watched all the new episodes of The Expanse. A little science fiction seems a lot more appealing than going up on the roof or raking leaves.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4035

Snow day. It didn't snow for long and the snow didn't stick. There were a few large flakes though. It's been a while. We learned pretty quickly that Dawn doesn't like snow. There were lots of pictures on Facebook of Dalmatians running around playfully in the snow, but Dawn refused to go outside. Eventually she went out for a few seconds to pee, but she immediately raced back inside again. It was actually her kind of day. She got to sit on the bed with Janet for most of the day while Janet watched movies.

I ended up watching movies too. There wasn't much else to do. I binge watched Season 5 of The Expanse. The season must not be finished yet, because there were only five episodes. I take back what I said yesterday. The show actually did become more interesting the longer I watched.

As the day progressed the snow changed to rain and then the rain subsided to a dismal light mist. I was determined to get my steps, so I bundled up in my warmest coats and went walking. My outer coat got a little damp, but I stayed warm. I walked my usual five miles and it was good to be outside. My feet didn't hurt today, but my shoulder did. It must be the weather. Arthritis does that sort of thing. I hope the shoulder pain goes away. I really hate taking pain meds.

The house has felt cold all winter, although the thermostat says the temperature is exactly the same as it was last year. I tend to wear sweaters around the house during the day and always put a blanket on the bed at night. I don't remember doing this in the past, even though we have definitely had colder winters. I wonder if old people become more sensitive to cold? That's a pleasant thought. Next winter I'll probably have the temperature up to 80 degrees and still be shivering.

I live in fear of the furnace going out during the winter. So far, so good. I used to live in fear of roof leaks, but my repairs have held up admirably. I know there's water on the roof right now, but I'm going to wait until the weather clears up to go inspect things. I wasn't always this confident, but I'm still superstitious. I can't leave the water up there too long, because it's just inviting problems. I guess there's no hurry. The way my shoulder feels today, I couldn't make it up on the roof anyway.

Hopefully I can get the outline for my next Sky & Telescope article off to my editor tomorrow. I'll have plenty of time to complete things no matter what the weather's like. There are no more episodes of The Expanse to watch. I squandered the entire new season today. 

I wonder if Dawn will be more enthusiastic about walking tomorrow? I kind of doubt it. She was certainly happy enough doing nothing today. We'll see how it goes. It's supposed to be a lot warmer tomorrow afternoon. If Dawn won't walk, I certainly will. I've convinced myself that I've got to keep moving. Whether this is true or not doesn't even matter. Walking provides a structure to my day and gives me something to do.

What am I going to do tomorrow? My fruit smoothie and several cups of coffee will take care of the morning, but then what? I've finished updating my website after procrastinating about this for several years. Just about the only thing left is cleaning up the office. Heaven forbid.

Murphy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4034

Another uneventful Saturday. I had a hard time finding fruit at the grocery store this morning. I don't think that people are panic buying strawberries. I just hit the store at the wrong time. I ended up finding everything I needed, but I had to go to several different stores. Janet shops multiple stores every week. I don't know how she had the patience.

Walking Dawn was a strange adventure this morning. She was enthusiastic leaving the house and we ended up walking several miles before she realized that she was lost and panicked. When she froze this time it was very hard to get her moving again. I thought that I would have to go get the car again, except this time we were not in a place that was accessible to cars. We finally got Dawn moving again by having Janet sit in the grass about twenty yards ahead of her. It seemed to take forever, but eventually Dawn would run toward Janet. We had to repeat this process about four times before Dawn got to an area of the park that she was familiar with. She seemed to remember that the road home involved a left turn and tried to go up every road to our left. When we refused to head up these roads, which actually headed in the wrong direction, Dawn would freeze again. As soon as Dawn knew where she was, she headed confidently back to the house.

All this weird behavior is new and she never behaved like this before she had that seizure. Dawn doesn't have a fever and acts completely normally at home, but something is wrong. When you combine extreme stubbornness with extreme fear, you've got a mess. I guess we could get an MRI of Dawn's brain, but we did that with Dot once and the results were very inconclusive. All we really learned was that dogs have very small brains.

Since Dawn didn't walk far this morning, I had to take another long walk by myself. I'm learning that my new shoes work great on pavement but aren't so good on rough ground. By the time I returned home today, I had some very sore feet. I guess I could go back to wearing heavy hiking boots, but I've gotten used to having something light on my feet. The easy solution would be to just walk a little less. I really don't have many problems until I start walking over five miles.

I started watching Season 5 of The Expanse this afternoon. Somehow the show doesn't seem nearly as exciting as it did when I first discovered it. Maybe the world has changed. Maybe I have changed. I suspect that I'm just not very interested in watching TV anymore. I doubt that I'll even finish watching the other episodes in this new season.

It is supposed to snow tomorrow. One forecast says there is a 100% chance of snow. Another says we will get a wintery mix of rain and snow. Either way, I'm glad I finished running all my errands today and have no need to be out on the roads tomorrow. I'm curious what Dawn thinks about snow. Some of our dogs have loved it and others have hated it. I'm not a big fan of snow myself. I'm not a fan of anything wet on the roof.

Mack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4033

Dawn seems to be responding well to rest and Rimadyl. She isn't limping anymore and isn't having the problems getting up and down that she was a few days ago. We took her in a field behind the house for a few minutes, but didn't attempt to walk her. If one day of rest is good, two or three days is probably even better.

I continued walking by myself. The skies were clear, but it was still pretty chilly. I follow the same paths that we walk with Dawn, but the distance seem longer and a bit more tiring without a dog. This doesn't really make sense, but it's how my body feels. Maybe I'm walking a bit faster without Dawn. Just like yesterday, there were lots of interesting birds I could have photographed, but I didn't have a camera with me. When I got home I discovered that you can't watch Amazon Prime movies using Safari. You have to use Firefox instead. You'd think that Apple and Amazon would be more compatible, but maybe not. Apple probably wants you to watch their movies instead. Facebook doesn't work very well with Safari either. It's kind of a nuisance. All these companies are optimizing their applications and systems for use on phones. They seem to have forgotten that a few old geezers like me still like to use older computers and never bother to upgrade their operating system.

I eventually did figure out how to watch Amazon Prime movies on Firefox, but by then I'd lost interest in watching Season 5 of The Expanse. I've forgotten what the first four seasons were about anyway. I guess I'll wait until I'm really, really bored to watch this show. I'm not quite there yet.

I'm still finding mistakes in my company website update. It's embarrassing. I made a few more tweaks today when I discovered that the site didn't look like I expected when I looked at it on a laptop. Life was so much easier when everyone looked at websites on CRT screens that were all more or less the same size.   Now you've got to design sites that look good on a huge variety of different smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. I don't know why I'm concerned. Even fewer people visit my company website than read this blog.

I didn't sent my outline to Sky & Telescope today after all. When I looked at the outline this morning, I realized that I forgot a few important elements. I'll rework things and send it to my editor sometime next week. The magazine has already told me that there is no hurry on this. This probably means that it will take me another year to get something published again.

I wonder if the world will ever feel normal again? I'm tired of feeling like I'm living in a Steven King novel. I still watch the business channels, but I've pretty much abandoned watching the news. We watched an old black and white rerun of the Andy Griffith Show during dinner this evening and the world seemed so much more peaceful back then. I'm glad that this world was my childhood instead of the world we live in now.

Jordan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4032

We had a scare today. Dawn was limping and was having a lot of trouble lying down on the bed. She kept circling and circling but wouldn't put weight on her right rear leg. When I tried to gently move the leg, she flinched. All this made me think that Dawn had a torn cruciate ligament. Other dogs of ours have had a torn ACL and it's pretty serious. There is a surgical treatment called Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy which is as complicated as it sounds. The TPLO surgery is usually very effective on younger dogs, but it takes a long time to recover. It's pretty expensive too. We took Dawn to the vet for an examination and waited nervously for the results. Later this evening we got some good news. Dawn's ACL is fine and she seems to have a soft tissue injury that might have been caused by a pulled muscle. The remedy is lots of rest and some Rimadyl for a while. Dawn is probably happy with this diagnosis. She'd rather just nap on the bed anyway.

We didn't attempt to walk Dawn at all today for obvious reasons. She was actually at the vet for quite a while. I took one long walk by myself and completed a little more than five miles. It seemed pretty cold outside but their was no rain. I really need to start taking a camera with me again but I hate the extra weight. I've always got the phone, but this isn't good for close ups of birds and animals. The phone is good for flowers, but there aren't many flowers in January.

I took down the Christmas tree today and put the decorations away. I also went to the storage warehouse and got one of the steps we've used in the past to help our older dogs get on the bed. Dawn doesn't know how to use the step yet, but she'll learn when it becomes necessary. I hope her problems are temporary and can be cured by rest. A pulled muscle or sprain might explain her recent reluctance to walk as well. We'll see how she responds in the next few days.

I didn't get approved to attend the Artemis-1 static fire later this month at Stennis Space Center. It's just as well because I wasn't planning to go anyway because of Covid worries. Nevertheless, I was still disappointed that my application for press accreditation for this event wasn't accepted. It's an uphill battle to get press accreditation for NASA events. The magazine I write for isn't large and it's easy to get overlooked. I guess I shouldn't fret about this. I'm not going anywhere this Spring anyway. Maybe when I get vaccinated I'll feel better about traveling. With this new, more contagious strain of the virus popping up everywhere, it just seems foolish to get on a plane. I need to be patient. Eventually this pandemic will be over and there'll be plenty of opportunities to cover launch events later.

I finished the outline for my next Sky & Telescope article this afternoon. It seems like it would be an interesting article to me, but what do I know. I'll send the outline to my editor tomorrow and hope that he tells me to proceed with a finished draft. I'd really like to get the go-ahead on this, because who knows when I'll get a launch opportunity again. Covid restrictions have really put a damper on my writing plans. I'm not even going to attempt to go out to JPL next month. I'd much rather stay healthy.

I almost forgot it was Thursday today, but Janet reminded me to take the trash out to the curb. All these days seem the same to me now. There are no big plans for tomorrow. I'll drink my smoothie, take my walk, and maybe start watching Season 5 of The Expanse. The new dehumidifier is running quieter now. Maybe it just needed a break in period. Hopefully, Dawn will be feeling better tomorrow. I don't know what she needs, but we'll try lots of rest for starters.

Misty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4031

Today was dismal. It was supposed to rain all day, but for the most part it was just dark and overcast. When we tried to walk Dawn, she wanted to turn around before we even finished our first mile. She always starts out very enthusiastic, but as soon as she spots a way home, she's done. We keep wondering if she has arthritis or if something else is wrong, but she always makes the journey home just fine. All she seems to want to do these days is lie on the bed.

After we returned home with Dawn, I continued walking. I was pretty sure I would get wet, but there was nothing to lose. Wet or dry, I had very little to do today. Although I got a little damp, the rain never really amounted to much today. I ended up walking about six miles.

I had trouble getting motivated today. I didn't take down the Christmas tree and I didn't start my next astronomy article either. I certainly didn't begin raking the leaves. You never want to rake leaves when they are wet. I ended up watching the Space X Starship static fire test in Boca Chica, but I couldn't bring myself to watch any of the news channels. It was just too discouraging. 

I think there's a new season of The Expanse available now on Amazon Prime. I think this would be season five. Maybe I'll watch that tomorrow. I always liked this show and the previous seasons seemed to get me through dismal days before. Unless I'm really motivated to start my astronomy article tomorrow, a little science fiction seems to be in order.

Janet was gone this afternoon and I had a hard time getting Dawn off the bed. I had to take her outside to go pee on a leash. She does fine on a leash, but she won't come when I call whenever Janet is gone. Sometimes she won't even leave the bedroom to eat her dinner. When I fixed her dinner this evening, she wouldn't leave the bedroom to eat until I went back to the office and ignored her. I heard her eating, but I didn't leave my desk because I didn't want to scare her. As soon as she finished her meal, I heard her go to the front door and wait for Janet to return. As soon as Janet came home, everything was fine again. It's kind of sad. I'm always here and Janet is gone a lot. I'm sure Dawn would prefer the opposite.

I'm going to have to disable some more things on my Apple Watch. After I upgraded the system, it's become way too intrusive. The watch is reminding me to go to bed now and asking me if I want a wake up alarm. I disabled the feature that calls 911 if you fall, but there are apparently more things I need to disable as well. A watch that tells the time, tracks my walks, and provides a decent weather forecast is all I need. Actually, I don't need any of this. I'm pretty content not wearing a watch at all.

I hope I'm more motivated tomorrow. It really is time for the Christmas tree to come down. I'm sure there's water on the roof as well. I should be getting to know my new camera and sending queries and proposals to magazines. I'm doing nothing instead. January is never a great time for me, but I should be able to do better than this.

Nellie 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

Watch of the Day