Day 726

Where did this weekend go? At the end of the day, I still hadn't gone to the grocery store, vacuumed the house, or done half a dozen other things that I usually do on weekends. I did get all the photo equipment put away from yesterday's Santa Paws event. I did some laundry and printed out this month's invoices to mail tomorrow, but that was about it. From that point, the day literally went to the dogs.

Dot and Dash got their usual Sunday trip to the Wagging Tail Dog Park, but what really ate up our time was deciding to get Santa photos of our own dogs. We took the dogs to another rescue group's Santa photo event, and waited and waited and waited. This group wasn't nearly as well organized as our Dalmatian Rescue team. These guys scheduled the dogs way too close together. They put the printing and order taking folks in the same room with the photographer, so the space was extremely cramped. Their backdrop was all wrong and Santa had the cheesiest looking beard I've ever seen. Of course, our own dogs didn't help matters either. Dot didn't want to have anything to do with Santa and Dash almost knocked over the entire set. I kept wanting to tell these folks how to do Santa pictures the right way, but I think Janet wanted me to keep my mouth shut.

With the Santa picture ordeal out of the way, I tried to get a little of my own work done and then took Dot and Dash on their evening walk. I sure wish this was a three day weekend. I could certainly use an extra day. I still need to go to the grocery store. I also need to do some research on the guy I'm supposed to interview in Houston. I don't want to look like a complete idiot when I arrive at his offices. I need to write some more watch articles too. I'm surprised at how many I've already written, but I'm still not even close to completing my client's year end goal.

Things are so busy that I may even need to eat cereal for breakfast next week. I love my leisurely and often extravagant breakfasts, but I'm not going to miss a deadline just so I can eat French Toast.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 725

We completed our last Santa Paws photo event of the season today. Since we had huge crowds for the first three events, I kind of thought that this one would be the same. Not as many people wanted to see Santa today. We still took a lot of pet photos, but it was nothing like last week's grueling marathon. Maybe the event just seemed easier today because most of the dogs were smaller and well behaved.

With the Christmas props stowed and packed away for another year, it's on to other things. I'm badly in need of a haircut and I haven't even started thinking about my own Christmas shopping. There's still a ton of work to complete and my trip to Houston as well. At least I won't need surgery like last December. The preliminary results from yesterday's CAT Scan look good.

The Dalmatian Rescue group has another casino party tonight, but I won't be spinning the roulette wheel like I usually do. The dogs have been cooped up all day, so I came home and walked Dot and Dash while Janet went on to tend the roulette table. It seems like rescue groups always have something going on in December. It's probably the biggest fund-raising month of the year. I saw an article in the local paper the other day about holiday pet photos and it said that over 20 different rescue groups were offering Santa photos in the Dallas area this weekend. Maybe that's another reason why we didn't have as many people today. The Santa photo business is just getting too competitive.

I think there's some holiday event we're supposed to go to tomorrow, but I can't even remember what it is. Whatever it is, I hope it takes place in the afternoon. It would be nice to sleep in late tomorrow. I have a feeling that things will stay in high gear until the end of the year. That's usually just the way December's are. I can't forget that I've got a blogiversary next week as well. It's still hard to believe that I've been doing this for two solid years without missing a single day.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 724

Well, I was back in the CAT Scan machine again today. I'll have to give my doctors credit where credit is due. So far, they've been pretty successful at warding off the perils of age and heredity. Lately, I've started thinking of these guys as my medical team. They all seem to know each other and often coordinate their treatment efforts. I can't say I enjoy living a clean, healthy lifestyle and taking a mountain of pills every morning, but it seems to be working. Personally, I enjoyed my 20's and 30's a lot better, when I practically lived on beer, wine and bacon. We've all got to pay for our sins sometime though, and my time has come.

I wrote my article about the color orange today. Although I initially though the premise was ridiculous, the article actually turned out pretty well. I had hoped to get more done today, but when there are doctor's appointments on the calendar, my schedule kind of goes out the window. I hadn't really planned on the CAT Scan today, so that took a couple of additional hours out of an already busy day.

Tomorrow will be even busier, since I'll be taking pet pictures at our final Santa Paws photo event. This one should be identical to the three we've done already. The only difference is that this one is further away, so I'll have to get up a bit earlier tomorrow. So far, the events have been very successful. We've raised quite a bit of money to help Dalmatian Rescue.

There was a heavy box at the front door when I got home from my doctor's appointment. I hadn't ordered anything heavy, so I was curious what was inside. Turns out it was this year's edition of Who's Who in America. I've been listed in this book for ages, but I've almost forgotten about it. Thirty years ago it was a big deal to be included in Who's Who in America. I think the book has fallen by the wayside though. It seems kind of like a vanity publication now. Probably a high Klout score matters more than being in Who's Who these days.

Puppies are our Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 723

What a busy day. We started with a very frosty walk through the park. I'm trying to get up a little earlier, so the day isn't half over before I even get started. It hasn't been an easy task though. I'm just not a morning person. Earlier is better though. Even after piddling around making French Toast for breakfast, I got started with my writing chores about an hour earlier than usual.

I saw something that amused me while I was walking the dogs this morning. A bird was making its nest inside the letter O of a sign that spelled out the word house on a building. This was quite literally a bird house. I took a quick picture with my iPhone, but it's times like these that make me wish I always carried a better camera with me at all times.

Writing work has been quite steady this month. Tomorrow, I'm supposed to write an article about how the color orange has become the fashion world's hot new color for 2012. Orange? You're kidding me. Orange still just says Halloween to me. In the packet of background materials I got for the story, there were pictures of models walking down the runway in outfits that looked suspiciously like the orange safety clothing road construction crews wear. Orange is evidently supposed to be the new black. Somehow I don't think a lot of women are going to be getting out their favorite little orange dress to go to holiday cocktail parties.

I actually ended up going to a holiday party myself today. It was an open house at my physical therapist's office. I really went to remind them about the video project they kept telling me they wanted to do several months ago. Of course, they didn't really remember much about the video when I got to the party, but it wasn't a total waste of time. The party was surprisingly festive for something being held at a medical facility. People were using the exercise machines, getting free massages and drinking lots of free beer and wine. I'm surprised they didn't serve bacon. Maybe this is why I like this place so much. No prescription medicine. No unnecessary surgery. Just lots of sensibly exercise.

I've got another doctor's appointment tomorrow. I doubt that this doctor will be serving me beer and wine. Hopefully, this will be my last doctor's appointment for the year. When I finish writing my article about the color orange, I'll start packing for the final Santa Paws photo event that takes place on Saturday. No rest for the weary this year.

Willow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 722

I paid my real estate taxes today. Somehow, even though I successfully presented my case to the county appraisal board this Summer and they reduced my property valuation by 15%, I still ended up paying more than I did last year. I think it is futile to expect lower taxes. Government agencies at all levels have such an insatiable demand for tax revenue that even when rates are lowered, they figure out some way to make up the difference. Since property values have decreased significantly in Dallas County and virtually everybody has already protested their property valuation with the appraisal board, the county simply raised the taxation rate a few percentage points to make up the shortfall. Homeowners are totally on the short end of the stick. Their homes are worth less, but they still end up paying higher property taxes.

Winter is here with a vengeance. The furnace runs almost constantly now and the car has started to make funny noises when I start it up on cold mornings. Winter weather seems to put more wear and tear on everything. Somehow, a lot more things tend to break around our house during the Winter months. Hopefully, we'll get lucky this year. I think the entire rainy day fund went out the window this year when I paid those real estate taxes this afternoon.

I don't think the Dot and Dash like the Winter weather any more than I do. They both seem to spend most of their day curled up under a pile of dog blankets. When we do go outside, I have to put Winter coats on them, before I bundle up under several layers myself. I do have one really warm parka that I used to wear when I lived in Alaska. It's in the storage warehouse though, and it is often easier to just put on several layers of sweaters than drive across town to get yet another coat.

If it wasn't for the bitterly cold weather and the coyotes, I'd love our evening walks this week. The sky is beautiful at this time of year. The days are even shorter now. We tend to take our walks right after sunset and get to watch each evening as darkness overtakes the park. It's hard to take pictures though. I have to take off my gloves every time every time I try to use the iPhone touch screen.

Humphrey is our Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 721

It's amazing that I got anything done today. After taking the dogs to the vet and going to my own doctor's appointments, there really wasn't much time left. I think I'm rapidly approaching Guinness Book of Records territory for blood tests. I've had my blood tested for everything imaginable. At least I don't have to sit in the lobby as long as I used to. One of the benefits of having my doctor as a client is that they whisk me into an exam room fairly quickly these days.

It was below freezing when I walked Dot and Dash this morning, but it felt a lot colder. There was a strong wind and with the wind chill effect, it felt like we were walking toward the South Pole. On days like this, the dogs don't mind wearing their Winter coats. I don't know why it is so hard to find good quality Winter coats for large dogs. The coats I have now are warm and fit perfectly, but they're starting to get worn out. We've looked months for replacement coats, but this brand seems to have gone out of business.

I made my airline reservations today for my upcoming assignment in Houston. I was surprised at how much airfares have gone up since I went to Houston just last Spring. I keep hearing on television that inflation isn't a problem, but somehow the prices of virtually everything I use keep rising relentlessly. I can't think of a single thing, with the possible exception of computers, that has actually gotten cheaper in the last three years. Computers aren't much of a bargain either, since they are usually obsolete in three years.

So far, I'm still on schedule to complete my watch article marathon by the end of the year. I'm starting to get tired though and really need to catch a second wind. Maybe that's what those marathon runners were feeling when I photographed them at the halfway point last weekend. I'll finish. I always finish everything I started. I may quit wearing watches however. Keeping track of the time is starting to seem ridiculous.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 720

It rained again last night. I'm getting so tired of removing water and leaves from the roof. As soon as I've got things looking nice, the wind and rain begins again, and I've got to start over. The roof is so old that there are probably hundreds of tiny cracks where water can seep in after a big rainstorm. When you've got water on a flat roof, gravity always wins. I need an entirely new roof, but I can't really afford one. Even if I could, I'm not sure I could find anyone who would do a good job. Commercial roofers who know how to do flat roofs properly don't like to do residential jobs. Residential roofers who claim to be flat roof experts usually aren't telling the truth. Even some architect friends of mine have had problems finding really good roofing contractors. For now, I'll just continue sweeping the water off.

I got a new assignment to write a magazine article about the oil and gas industry. I'm supposed to do interviews in Houston next week. The magazine wants me to take video of the interviews as well. I guess the latest thing in magazines is to offer a companion iPad app that provides augmented coverage in the form of audio and video files with each issue. The article is fairly long by my standards, but writing it will provide a nice change of pace from the daily marathon of watch articles and website updates I've been doing recently.

I guess the weather forecasts were right. It's really getting cold outside. I wouldn't be surprised if it got down to freezing by morning. There have been strong winds as the cold front moves through and this makes it seem even colder. At least I won't have to worry about ice on the roof. I got as much water off today as my tired bones would allow. Like it or not, I think it's time for the dogs to start wearing their Winter coats. Dalmatians don't have much fur. I keep telling them it's much better to look like a wimp than freeze.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 719

The power is back on. It's nice to have electricity again. It's not so nice to have another leak in the roof however. The rain that started yesterday afternoon continued through the night, and sometime before morning I awoke to hear the sound of dripping water in the living room. I put a bucket under the drip and went back to sleep.

When daylight arrived, I went up on the roof to assess the situation and spent quite a while sweeping water off the roof, even though it was still raining. By the time I was finished, I was already so wet that I figured I wouldn't get any wetter if I walked down to the lake and photographed the White Rock Marathon that was taking place behind my house.

Earlier, during breakfast, I watched the leaders in the race go by on television. Two Kenyans covered five miles in the time it took me to eat my Krispy Kreme donut. By the time I got down to the lake with my camera, the really fast runners were already close to the finish line. There were still plenty of runners however. 25,000 of them to be exact. I've never understood runners. It is raining cats and dogs outside. It is getting colder by the minute. Does that dissuade any of the runners? Not a bit. They all just put big black plastic garbage bags over their heads and continue running 26 miles in the freezing rain.

Just knowing that 25,000 intensely competitive type-a people were running a race behind my house was a bit unnerving to me. That's a lot of competitive people. I'm not a competitive person at all. I work hard and I think I'm good at what I do, but I've never spent much time trying to convince people that I'm better than anyone else. I avoid contests and competitions like the plague. Sure, I understand that there are winners and losers in life, but it's still frustrating to run into someone who thinks that in order for them to win, I have to lose. Hey guys, game over. I still prefer to think I passed the finish line at birth and have always been a winner.

When the rain finally quit toward the end of the day, I went up on the roof again and swept away the remaining water. I rarely get up on the roof twice in one day, but it's supposed to freeze this week, and I'm determined not to have ice on the roof again this year.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 718

It was another marathon day of dog pictures. Some of the dogs were quiet and timid. Others were quite rowdy. Since K-9 University, which specializes in training large, active dogs, was hosting our event today, we had quite a few dogs that wouldn't fit on Santa's lap. Lots of huge Rottweilers and Golden Retrievers. Lots of Labs too. We even got a few good shots of the playful Labrador to the left who insisted on catching a ball during the photo session.

When I downloaded the memory cards after I got home again, I discovered that I'd taken over 1200 images today. I also discovered that our power had gone out. I quickly walked Dot and Dash before it got completely dark outside and noticed that our entire neighborhood was without power.

Luckily, the laptop still has a battery that is half charged, so I'm trying to finish the blog and upload it before the battery dies completely. I think I can upload using my 4G mobile hotspot, but we'll see. I haven't gotten that far yet.

Since the kitchen was out of commission, Janet and I went to a nearby neighborhood restaurant for dinner. About halfway through dinner, the power went out there as well. We were anticipating finishing our meal by candlelight, but just as the entrees arrived, the power came back on again. We thought this meant that everything had been fixed, but when we got home again, our dogs were still waiting for us in the dark. Power had been restored to some of the neighborhood, but not our street. Hopefully, the power company will get things working again soon, because a cold front is on the way and it is expected to get real cold tonight.

I'm definitely going to wait until later to put all the photo equipment away. It's hard enough to get everything put away in its proper place on a sunny day. With a few dim flashlights, it would be next to impossible. As soon as I get this posted, I'm going to have a glass of wine and call it a day. It's a total mystery why the power has been out so long over such a wide area. It's raining outside, but there is no wind or downed trees. Just one of those things, I guess. Hey, I finished today's entry though, and I still have 25% of my laptop battery left.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 717

Another gray Winter day. It wasn't that cold, but it certainly was damp. Seems like I spent half the day cleaning mud off the dogs paws. The dogs like this type of weather because all the smells in the park seem stronger. I've got mixed feelings. Damp shadowless days like this are great for photography, but I haven't properly waterproofed my boots this year. By the time I get home from our walks, my shoes and socks are completely wet.

Now that I've gotten in the habit of taking Instagram pictures everyday, I'm thinking about getting a better small camera to take with me on our walks. There's a lot more to photograph than I initially thought, but the iPhone isn't always the best tool to capture the images I'm looking for.

I spent a considerable amount of time writing today and got a lot done. Now, it's time to start packing all the photo gear for tomorrow's Dalmatian Rescue Santa Paws photo event. This event starts earlier than I'd like, but I don't have much choice in the matter. That's why I pack everything up the night before. Our regular Santa is out of town this week, so we have a new Santa tomorrow. Rumor has it that our new guy is a "professional" Santa. As long as he has a lot of stamina, he'll be fine.

I keep hearing on the radio that a major cold front is headed our way. It should start raining tomorrow afternoon, with sleet and possibly our first snow by Monday. I guess this makes sense. The big White Rock Marathon race in our neighborhood is this Sunday. For as long as I've lived in Dallas, it has virtually always rained for this event. I don't know what motivates those runners. I'd much rather be taking pet pictures than running a marathon in the rain.

Greta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 716

Yay! I got the Christmas tree up today. I'm a notorious last minute shopper, so this is probably the last holiday item on my list until Christmas Eve. Since I don't work at an office anymore, there are no longer mandatory Christmas parties to attend. No Christmas cards to mail either. I gave up doing that several years ago. About the only thing left are the two remaining Santa Paws photo events we're doing for Dalmatian Rescue. I'll be shooting Santa photos this coming Saturday and then the following Saturday as well. After that, it's just a last minute trip to the mall for gifts.

It looks like I will be going to Houston next week to interview an oil company executive for an article I'm writing for one of my clients. I fully expect the schedule to change three or four times before the interview actually takes place. Somehow, I'm never a very high priority for these types of executives. The assignment is a good one though. I'll probably end up shooting video for a company iPad app while I'm there as well.

An important UPS delivery was supposed to arrive today. It's still not here. I hate dealing with UPS and FedEx during the holidays. Somehow the drivers and the tracking websites are never in sync when things get really busy. Last year, there were several packages that the website said had been delivered that just never arrived. Eventually, I discovered that the driver had given the packages to my neighbor instead of putting a note on my door, and then never bothered to tell anyone. FYI for delivery guys: never give anything to my neighbors. There's a good chance I'll never see it again.

The watch article marathon continues. I've been trying to write three articles a day, so I can meet my quota before the end of the year. I think the jury is still out on whether I'm going to burn out on watches before I complete this assignment. I've already stopped wearing a watch on many days. Jeez, who cares what time it is? The only time I care about these days is bedtime.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 715

I feel like I'm competing in a very weird marathon. I've got work stacked up through the end of December that keeps me busy every single day. It's not like the old days where I had five or six high paying jobs every month and had the rest of the time to myself. The world has changed. Now, I have tons of tiny little jobs that pay virtually nothing individually. To make the same income I made ten or fifteen years ago, I have to keep churning this stuff out like a factory.

The continual stream of website updates, quickly written 400 word articles, and down-and-dirty video production is tiring. I no longer have the luxury of really thinking about what I'm doing. For the most part, I put my brain on autopilot, rush full speed ahead, and then correct the inevitable mistakes in the revision stages. Sometimes the final result is surprisingly good, but the effort is seldom fun. For most of my career my work really was fun. Where did that go? A few of my friends still tell me that their work is fun, but I don't believe them because they're all on Prozac.

Five or six years ago when I was still doing gallery shows, I had this vision of myself spending the rest of my life wandering around taking cool looking pictures and then displaying them in galleries and museums. After my first two gallery shows, it became obvious that this experiment was more of a hobby than an avocation. I got lots of complements at the gallery openings, but weeks later at the conclusion of each show, there were very few of the red dots that indicated a sale next to the pictures. At one memorable show, I actually spent more framing the pictures than I made from selling them.

If the market went up 400 points every day, I wouldn't feel so gloomy about the mechanics of earning a living. I could live quite nicely if every day were like today. Unfortunately, when I wake up tomorrow morning, I have a strong feeling that the world will still be broke and living beyond its means. If Angela Merkel sneezes, or Italian bond rates keep climbing, today's gains will evaporate in an instant. Hey, American Airlines went bankrupt today. I used to work on the American Airlines account when it was one of most successful and highly respected airlines in the world. How the mighty have fallen. Probably the only thing left in five years time will be the Apple stores, still selling iPads at full price in vacant shopping malls.

Belle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 714

While the days outside continue to get shorter, my day inside seem to be getting longer and longer. It's hard to put my finger on exactly why it takes me so long to complete my work these days, but I've got my suspicions. I'm convinced that clients are more demanding than they used to be. Many have had to deal with staff cutbacks and don't have assistants like they used to. I become the assistant instead. Social media eats up a lot of time too. Clients continue to ask me how they can use Facebook and Twitter to build their business. I tell them it's easy. Just spent several hours each and every day posting new and interesting information that their customers would like to read. This usually shuts them up fairly quickly.

It's easy to post a picture of your cat, but it can be quite difficult to engage people day after day forever. I could do a lot better job of managing my own social media world, but I don't have the time either. I don't even have a receptionist to dump the social media duties on like most of my clients do. Personally, I was much happier when none of these things existed and you just took people to lunch instead.

How irritating. My iPhone decided to ask me for a new password today. What's was wrong with my old password? I had a nice password that was easy to type and remember on a little screen and now Apple is asking for a complicated combination of characters and numbers using both upper and lower case letters, just like the banks, web hosting companies and brokerage houses do. These passwords are almost impossible to remember. Some places are even demanding that you change your password every few months and don't allow you to reuse an old one for over a year. Enough is enough. When will this madness end.

At least walking the dogs is still simple. We went out a little earlier this evening to avoid the coyotes. The dogs had fun. I had fun. No password required.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 713

Winter is definitely on its way. It almost got down to freezing last night and this morning the dogs needed to wear their cold weather coats for the first time this year. Dot and Dash are never eager to put the coats on, but always seem glad to have them once they're outside with a cold wind blowing at their back.

The cold wasn't the only peril we faced today. On our evening walk, we came face-to-face with a coyote. As the days grow shorter, I see coyotes frequently in the evening. Few of them ever get as close as the one we saw this evening though. We were within ten feet of the coyote when I initially noticed it at the edge of a clump of bushes. Dot and Dash immediately started growling and I quickly changed course and led the dogs down to the shoreline where it was less wooded.

I wish the dogs would simply ignore wild critters, but they seldom do. If they want to get excited about seeing a bunny or a squirrel, that's fine. I think they should just keep their mouths shut when we see a coyote however. Leave the coyotes alone and they'll leave you alone I tell them, but I don't think they get it. I guess I'll just have to walk Dot and Dash a little earlier in the evening. You seldom see coyotes until right around sunset. I've already been bitten by domestic dogs. I certainly don't want to find myself in the middle of a scrap between my dogs and a pack of coyotes.

In between our morning and evening walks, I sat at my computer and wrote. I managed to finish several articles and worked on making arrangements for an upcoming business trip to Houston. It looks like I'm going to be busy through the end of the year. That's good! With any luck, the company may even make a profit this year. You'd think that the company would make a profit every year, but any money that comes in usually disappears very quickly in the form of health insurance premiums, utility bills, and equipment purchases. I envy the dogs sometimes. I don't think they realize how effortless their lives really are.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 712

Once again, our favorite dog park was closed due to bad weather, even though it was a beautiful Fall day with clear blue skies as far as you could see. I'm beginning to think it doesn't matter what the weather is like on government holidays. The city just doesn't want to bother to unlock the gate, especially if the regular staff isn't working that day. Since the good dog park was closed, we went to the poorly maintained dog park in our own neighborhood. This park is virtually always open, primarily because the locks on the gates are all broken.

We certainly didn't stay long. We never do. Within five minutes of our arrival, we witnessed two dog fights and the owners didn't even seem to care. I read in the paper recently that the city is going to spend over a million dollars refurbishing this park in the near future. I don't think it's going to make any difference as long as the same irresponsible people keep using it.

I didn't feel like doing yard work this afternoon, so I stayed inside and got my clogged large-format printer working again while I wrote several new watch articles. I was planing to upload some additional images to iStockphoto and put up a Christmas tree as well, but these items will have to wait. No excuses. I just ran out of time.

With Thanksgiving out of the way, it's time to start thinking about Christmas shopping and maybe make a futile attempt at decorating the house. I used to send out a ton of Christmas cards with hand written messages every year. I stopped doing that several years ago. Nobody seems to send Christmas cards through the mail anymore. There are lots of animated e-mail messages, but that's about it. The only real cards seem to come from insurance agents and car dealers.

Spots is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 711

It was one of those gray Winter days where you keep thinking it might snow. Of course it rarely does snow in Texas, but we still probably spend more time anticipating the white stuff than the rest of the country.

This morning we went up and photographed Holly and Belle, the two newest Dalmatian Rescue dogs. Both of these females had been used as breeding dogs in a puppy mill before we found them. They weren't well socialized and had probably spent most of their lives in a small cage. The bad thing is that situations like this are common. The good thing is that dogs are very resilient, and within a few months, Holly and Belle will be playing with other dogs and trusting their human companions again.

I went up on the roof this afternoon to sweep all the water off before the weather gets colder. I definitely don't want the standing water turning to ice. Ice on a flat roof like ours is a recipe for a leak. Heat from inside the house heats up the lower layer of ice and melts it, while the ice on top stays frozen. You can't just chop away the ice with a shovel, because the tar and grave roof is very fragile and a misplaced shovel blow could create a hole that would let lots of water inside. Getting the water off the roof is difficult at this time of year anyway, because the Red Oak and Pecan trees in the back year are all shedding their leaves. When it rains, the leaves on the roof form little dams which keeps the water from draining. When I get up on the roof to clean things up, it looks like a bunch of miniature Beaver dams.

I'd like to go out and support Small Business Saturday on days like this. I've always liked to buy things and I can think of several deserving small businesses that could use my money. The only problem is that there just isn't much money left over any more. As soon as December rolls around, the real estate taxes on two houses become due again. Yikes! I can't believe how high these taxes have become. Real estate values have plunged in recent years, but cities and municipalities are fighting tooth and nail to hang on to their tax base. I'm still paying taxes on the boom years, even though the boom is definitely over. Sign of the times, I guess.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 710

The day goes by quickly when you get up late. I thought I'd get a lot done today, but by the time the dogs were walked and everyone had finished breakfast, our vacation Friday was half over. While Janet went shopping, I decided to catch up on my writing. I did manage to finish the monthly assignment for my writer's group, but that's as far as I got. No watch articles today. The day wasn't a total loss though. I got the vacuuming done and paid a few more bills.

Black Friday has never been a big deal to me. I can't imagine staying up till midnight, just so I could go to Target or Wal-Mart and fight with other bargain hunters over a few specially priced flat screen TV's. I still prefer to do my buying online and let FedEx deliver the stuff. I actually did make one Black Friday purchase today, but it certainly was no bargain. I've been needing a microphone boom pole for an upcoming job, so I went to the B&H website and ordered a nice Gitzo carbon fiber pole. Hopefully, I won't lose or break this one.

We admitted two new Dalmatians into the rescue program this week. I'm going to try to get up to The Velvet Snout this weekend to photograph the newcomers. We need to get them up on the website soon. There actually haven't been many dogs available to adopt this Fall, but that's a good thing. It means there are a lot fewer Dalmatians languishing in animal shelters than there used to be.

Our own Dalmatians aren't languishing anywhere. They are both fast asleep on their dog beds. It's weird. Dot and Dash seem to enjoy the beds during the day, but when night arrives, they have to be right in the center of our own bed. The new mattress is nice, but it certainly hasn't provided any more room. Two grown dogs take up a lot of the real estate.

Hard to believe it is almost December already. It's almost time to put up the Christmas tree again.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day