Day 4109

I think one of the worst habits I ever acquired was meticulously recording every transaction I make in Quickbooks. I have a category for everything and even divide grocery shopping into numerous sub-categories. It takes an enormous amount of time to enter everything correctly and I'm getting tired of it. I really should have just made two categories: stuff I really need and stuff I don't really need. Today I entered three months worth of receipts and am finally caught up for 2021. My accountant tells me that I've made Quickbooks Pro ridiculously overcomplicated and he doesn't even look at most of the entries. Old habits are hard to break though, and just like my daily blog entries, I continue to categorize everything.

Nesting season has arrived and I'm seeing pairs of duck in places where they never usually go. They leave the lake at this time of year and you see them in fields and meadows throughout the park. I even see pairs of ducks in people's yards. You'd think the ducks would be more careful about where they choose to nest. The coyotes get a lot of the eggs and sometimes the ducks as well. It won't be long before we start seeing baby ducks though, and some of them always survive.

They say that if you spend an hour a day studying something, you will become an expert within three years. I try to spend a little time each day learning more about astrophotography. Today, while I was doing my Google searches I stumbled across a very desirable star tracker that was actually in stock and ready to ship. Anything related to astronomy has been almost impossible to find since the pandemic started. I guess people have more time on their hands and interest in the hobby has exploded. A lot of things are on back-order for months now. When I saw the iOptron tracker, I felt it was a sign and that I needed to act quickly. The tracker is on order and I should be able to take it with me when I go out to McDonald Observatory in May. I'll never be able to use this thing in Dallas, but when people start doing things in person again, I may join a local astronomy club that owns a nice dark sky site in southern Oklahoma. On the other hand, the tracker may end up in the storage warehouse with a lot of other passing fancies.

Janet and I made reservations to see Dallas Blooms at the arboretum next week. We always mean to go to this event but for some reason something always comes up and we end up being too busy. They say this event is one of the 14 best places to see spring flowers in the world. I don't know where the other 13 places are, but we really enjoyed going to the arboretum around Christmas and we've heard that Dallas Blooms is spectacular. There are 500,000 tulips for starters, along with 100's of varieties of flowering plants and trees. Hopefully, it won't rain.

We must have gotten some rain last night, because the yard was wet in the morning. We totally avoided the severe weather though. There was bad weather to the North and to the South of us, but all we got was a little rain. I didn't even hear any thunder last night. The only thing that woke me up was the sound of Dawn snoring.

Dawn continued to walk well today. She's been doing well on her daily walks all week. I did pretty well today too. I kept up a decent pace for five miles and didn't have a lot of foot pain. I still have no idea why the foot pain varies so much from day to day. I'm very consistent about the way I walk. You'd think the way my foot feels would be consistent as well. It's a mystery. I"m just glad there are good days as well as bad days.

The trash has been taken to the curb, the refrigerator is almost empty, and I feel like the week is just about over. I don't know why my week always starts on Friday, but it's been that way for a long, long time. Hey, when you don't work in an office, you make your own rules.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4108

I got a chair mat this morning. When I got home I discovered it was too small. Jeez. I thought these things were all the same size. I guess I'll live with the smaller size though. It's too much trouble to take the thing back. I also got the 12 month accordion folder I needed for receipts. How could a cardboard folder be worth $22? They say we don't have inflation, but I don't believe it. Everything seems a lot more expensive than it used to be.

My train dealer friend told me that he finally sold another of my trains. This was the first sale in about six months. Business hasn't been good during the pandemic. I was happy to see the sale, but I'm not expecting much in the future. The best items in my collection are already gone. I hope business picks up for my friend. I've decided that this is a good time to be retired. I would have had a hard time keeping my own business going during the past year. 

We're under another severe weather alert. This is the time of year when we get a lot of bad weather. I'm watching a storm head our way on the weather radar and hoping that the power doesn't go out. Isn't there somewhere that doesn't have any bad weather at all? We have tornados to worry about. Other parts of the country have hurricanes, wildfires, dust storms, or too much snow. I'd really prefer not to worry about bad weather at all.

The Purple Martins have returned to the park. I'm kind of glad that we don't live near these birds. They are considered very desirable, but they are also very loud and you could hardly call the sound they make a song. It's more like a loud, angry squawk. I'd rather have the Pelicans live nearby. I've never heard them make any sound at all. Pelicans poop a lot though, so maybe this wouldn't be a good idea after all. I guess our resident possums aren't so bad after all.

I was hoping for three consecutive nights of restful sleep, but it wasn't meant to be. I woke up at 4:30 AM and couldn't get back to sleep. Maybe I'm taking too many naps. When I was working, I seldom had problems sleeping. When you are really tired, sleep is almost inevitable. I wish it were easier to keep a dream journal. When I first wake up I'm always aware that I've been dreaming. The dreams fade quickly though. Many of my dreams involve being lost in mundane situations. I'm looking for my car in a parking garage. I'm trying to find my room in a hotel. Sometimes I'm in an ad agency but I can't find my office. There are other dreams where I'm living in a house I have never seen before. If I could remember these things clearly, I might know what they mean. Occasionally, I have had a dream that felt so real that I've wondered if it was something that I actually experienced. Vivid dreams and a poor memory make a strange combination.

I'm mesmerized by the weather radar. It looks like the storm where tornados were spotted is going to the south of us. It will be close, but I think the storm will miss us. Dealing with weather makes you realize that much of life is governed by luck. It helps to be careful, but you've got to be lucky as well. Every time you go to get groceries you could get hit by a drunk driver. Your house might be a tornado target. I'm convinced that a lot of the people who got Covid just had bad luck.

So far, I feel like I've been lucky in life. I hope my luck continues and I never become paralyzed by fear. I'm on the home stretch now, but there is still lots to be done. Right now, I'm optimistic. Reaching Day 5000 seems like a piece of cake.

Chelsey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4107

Another beautiful Spring day. In theory, I should get a lot accomplished on days like this, but I seldom do. Things are moving along slowly though. My 2020 taxes have been submitted, so I don't have to deal with that for another year. The Kickstarter project I backed has funded, so it looks like the product will go into production. If all goes well, I should get my hands on one of the first available versions sometime this Fall. One of the tree trimmers I called finally returned my call, so it looks like I'll be getting a bid on removing the Oak tree in the back yard. Janet wants to remove the tree more than I do, but I would hate to have it fall on the neighbor's cars and have everybody tell me "I told you so." The tree will probably be gone before the Kickstarter project ships.

Dawn did well on her walk today. There was no hesitation or freezing at all. I still have no idea what influences her behavior. She did get excited by another dog and tugged on the leash hard enough to make my hip hurt when I walked. I have so many aching joints now that I have to walk slow and steady. Sometimes I feel like that slow walking Duane Toddleberry character created by Tim Conway on the old Carol Burnett show. It's hard to believe now that I was ever nimble and agile.

I haven't heard anything from the Air Force yet about getting my credentials reinstated for 2021. We were supposed to hear something by the middle of March, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised that things are running late. Everything seems to be running late this year. It's just as well that I won't be tempted by launches in Florida for a while. My trip out to McDonald Observatory later this Spring is all I can afford anyway.

I need to get a new plastic mat to put under my office chair. I've worn a hole in my existing mat and the wheels of my chair get stuck in it all the time. It's irritating. I used to see these mats everywhere, but now I can't find them. I probably haven't looked very hard. That will be my task for tomorrow. I also need an accordion folder for my 2021 receipts. I usually get one of these every January, but it's March already. I'm slipping. Looks like a trip to Office Depot might be in order.

It must have rained a lot last night because the water level in the lake looked a lot higher today. If there's more water in the lake, there's probably more water on the roof as well. I really should get up there and sweep the standing water away, but it is supposed to rain again tomorrow night, so maybe I'll wait. The way my hip feels right now, I probably couldn't make it up on the roof anyway. It sucks getting old. All these things that used to be easy aren't all that easy anymore.

Something weird is happening with our mail. Instead of getting a single batch of mail once a day, we are getting several deliveries during the day. Today we got three deliveries, each with a few letters and flyers. Is the mail actually getting delivered more often, or is our mail just getting misplaced in neighbor's boxes. Maybe neighbors are just returning misplaced mail. I really don't trust mail deliveries anymore. We used to have the same mailman for decades. Now there seems to be a new delivery person every week. 

I've slept well for two nights in a row. What changed? Probably nothing. My nights are probably just as random as my days. I hope this trend continues though. It really makes a difference.

Ariel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4106

Charlie and Cooper were both glad to see us today. These two have boundless energy and race around throwing their toys in the air until they are completely worn out. Both dogs will bring rope toys to you because they want to play tug. They won't release the toys however until you throw another toy for them to chase. Charlie becomes so fixated on killing the squeaker in these toys that you have to be careful not to let your hands get too near his mouth. The mouth is constantly moving. These energetic males are the complete opposite of Dawn. We haven't seen Dawn play with a toy yet.

It was a rainy day, but we were able to give Dawn two short walks between the storms. I have a feeling that Dawn is a lot easier to walk than Charlie or Cooper. They are both smart dogs and do listen to commands, but they are so strong. I'm not sure I could even walk Cooper at all with my bad shoulder. They would be great companions for an active family though. I hope they find their forever homes soon.

It wasn't dry enough to take my long walk today, but I was able to squeeze in a little walk after Dawn's afternoon walk. I walked just long enough to get ten thousand steps on the Fitbit and close all three activity circles on the Apple Watch. My foot didn't bother me today. Probably because I didn't really go very far. Maybe my foot is trying to tell me something. 10,000 steps might be enough. I do like long walks though. We'll have to see how I feel tomorrow.

I'm so glad that Dawn isn't scared of storms like Dot and Dash were. There's been lots of thunder and lightning today, but it hasn't bothered her at all. She can certainly hear the thunder. Dawn hears everything.   She can hear people walking down the alley behind our house long before she can see them. Her new favorite thing is to stand in the yard and bark at these people, especially if they are walking a dog. Dawn must have spent a lot of time outdoors in her former life. When the weather is nice she likes being outside more than being in the house. I didn't think anything could compete with the big bed in the bedroom, but sunning herself on the grass runs a close second. I really need to plant some new grass for Dawn. The grass we have now is fairly pitiful. Maybe today's rain will help everything in the back yard turn green again.

I called my accountant to review my taxes along with two different tree companies to get bids on removing the damaged Oak tree and all I got was voice mail. It's really hard to get a live person on the phone anymore. Nobody seems to have a receptionist these days. Nine times out of ten you will just get a voicemail message if you call a business. Voice calls have definitely gone out of style. Maybe you have to leave text messages for businesses too. You certainly have to leave a text message for personal calls. The world have definitely left me behind. I still write letters and I still prefer voice calls.

The pumps on the roof aren't working very well today. This is frustrating with so much rain, but I'm definitely not climbing up there to inspect things right now. I'll have to trust that my repairs keep working. So far, so good. There haven't been any problems with leaks for over a year. I still wish I could find someone to put a slope on the roof, but it is a complicated, oddly shaped roof and nobody seems up to the job. If I was convinced that the roof would never leak again and we got rid of the old, damaged trees in the back yard, I might install solar panels. It would be nice not to worry about power outages again. This is all fantasy talk unfortunately. It will probably never happen.

I finally got a good night's sleep last night. Hopefully, I will be able to do the same this evening. A good night's sleep can make even a dismal, rainy day seem a little better.

Brooke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4105

I think I accidentally threw away an important part of my video kit while I was attempting to clean up the office a few weeks ago. I threw away some empty boxes but neglected to check and see if they were really empty. I was pretty sure the boxes were all empty because I knew what used to be in them and they all felt really light. Now, I remember that I kept this component in one of the boxes. The component was really light too. All this makes me mad because there is nobody to blame but myself. It just goes to show that you should never throw anything away. It's always possible that the missing component is in the storage warehouse, but that doesn't help much. I have no idea what is in the storage warehouse anymore.

I vacuumed the house today and I couldn't figure out why the vacuum wasn't picking up much dust. It turns out that Janet had already vacuumed the house a few days ago and I didn't even notice. Oh, well. The house is even cleaner now. It won't stay that way long though. If you have a Dalmatian there is always an enormous amount of dog hair. I don't know how these dogs manage to keep such a nice looking coat because they are constantly shedding.

The weather continues to be almost perfect. Dawn is enjoying spending more time outdoors. She took two short walks today, but we still can't get her to take a longer one. I continue to take my long daily walk although my feet are screaming at me to quit. I don't know if it would prove anything to go to the gym instead of taking these daily walks. If I did more upper body exercises, it would be my shoulders and wrists screaming at me to quit. I walked a lot slower today, but I did manage to complete five miles.

I watched a few more instructional videos about my new camera this afternoon. I'm finding that I learn a lot more watching YouTube videos that reading the instruction manual. Instruction manuals for Japanese cameras have always left a lot to be desired. One of these days I'm going to have to actually take some pictures with this camera. I've basically just been using my phone for photography all winter. I'm planning on taking the new camera to the astrophotography workshop, so I'd better become proficient in using all the fancy new features. I thought I knew everything there was to know about cameras, but that was before they all turned into computers. I think this new camera is a lot smarter than I am.

I promised Janet I'd get some bids for taking down the damaged Oak tree in the back yard. I should have done this months ago, but I hate to lose these old trees. This tree does need to come down, because it probably won't survive another really bad storm. It's such a hassle though. The tree is near power lines and has branches that extend over the neighbor's yard. Oh, well. It needs to be done. Dealing with an old house is discouraging. It always seems like a losing battle. I remember how nice things looked forty years ago. I probably looked better forty years ago myself.

I'm not sure if Spring Break is over yet, but we'll probably go visit the rescue Dalmatians again tomorrow. I think we've skipped two weeks now and Charlie probably misses us.  

Big Boy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4104 - Vernal Equinox

It definitely felt like the first day of Spring. The weather was beautiful and that meant the park was incredibly crowded. It seemed weird to see so many people out and about when the commentators on television are still talking about social distancing and Covid spikes. People aren't listening anymore. I think they've had enough. It also seems weird that only a little more than twelve percent of the population has been vaccinated when every single person I know has had at least one shot. Even younger people seem to be getting vaccinated now. Apparently it is still hard to get an appointment in some parts of the country, but the whole process is relatively easy in Dallas. I'm still glad I live in Texas.

My grocery list was longer than usual this week, but I managed to find everything. When I was getting blueberries, the ink was smudged on all the bar code labels and I had to learn to enter the information by hand in my handy shopping app. I kept getting the SKU wrong because there is one number way to the left of all the other numbers. The produce guy finally showed me how to enter the information correctly. I bought some LED bulbs for a burned out lamp in the bedroom, forgetting that we already had plenty of spare bulbs at home. I also bought some more Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, forgetting that I'd already gotten some two weeks ago. I'm not really a very good shopper.

We slept in late this morning, but I'm still not getting enough sleep. I need to get to bed earlier. It's taking me longer and longer to write the blog each night, even though I have less and less to say. Sometimes I seriously wonder if I'm going to be able to complete my 5000 day goal. I keep plodding along one day at a time, but a little voice in my head keeps telling me that this strange journey doesn't even matter anymore. I'm certainly not writing for an audience. I think only about ten of you are regular readers.

Dawn seems to like being outside more than our other dogs. We leave the back door open for her on these nice Spring days, but that's not going to last long. It won't be long until the air conditioner starts running continually and all the windows and doors will be sealed shut again. It's a shame that Spring doesn't last longer in Texas. It's easy to forget how nice it can be when the temperature is reasonable.

I keep bookmarking articles and videos about astrophotography. I'm learning a lot, but still feel like a beginner. It's amazing to me how many people around the world have chosen this complicated activity as their hobby. There must be thousands and thousands of them. I took a telescope out occasionally over the years to look at the planets and the moon, but never really got serious about astronomy until I started spending time out at McDonald Observatory. It's fascinating to look at the sky at night and realize how truly insignificant we really are. It's a shame that so much of the night sky is invisible to Dallas residents. Maybe all the light pollution is for the best though. I don't feel safe going out at night in this city anyway. Somebody seems to get shot every night.

My feet weren't my friend today. By the time I finished my long walk, every bone in my body seemed to ache. I'm not very fast. On a good day it takes me about 19 minutes to walk a mile. On a bad day it can take me up to 24 minutes. People pass me all the time. I don't really care. Most of these people are in their 30's and 40's. Let's see how fast they move when they're 72.

Baxter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4103

Today I found out that the electrician I've used for many years has died. I'm getting older. Many of the best service people I've used over the years have passed away. Nobody seems to replace these people. Their skills and expertise just seems to disappear forever. It's kind of sad to see a generation of people who could fix everything be replaced by a new crop of folks who can only replace disposable components. Looks like I'm going to have to find a new electrician. I just hope that nothing breaks for a while.

I have so many unanswered questions that I'm beginning to feel like I'm invisible. I write people, fully expecting a prompt reply and then I never hear anything back. I still don't know whether my press credentials have been approved by the Air Force. I never received a confirmation about my stay in West Texas in May. I've been waiting for months for author copies of some of my articles. Questions about my new camera have gone unanswered and the dehumidifier company hated my continual questions so much that they wrote me a check for the machine instead of fixing it and told me to throw it away.

I got Dawn to go down to the park with me this morning while Janet was away. We didn't go very far, but it was a start. After she peed in a field immediately behind our house, she quickly turned and immediately headed for home. I didn't try to make her walk further. I want her to learn to trust me, so this will be a very slow process. Janet wants me to work with her every day, even if I don't make much progress. Right now, Dawn won't even eat when Janet is away. This makes it very hard for Janet to make any travel plans. It's all very weird. I'm used to being the one who takes care of the dogs during the day because I'm always here. If Dawn could just learn to trust me, she would have so much more fun.

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring. It's certainly starting to look like Spring has arrived. Wildflower season is still a few weeks away, but I see a few new blooms every day. The trees are definitely looking greener. I've even started seeing turtles sunning themselves on logs at the lake. Pretty soon I'll start seeing baby ducks again. I enjoy seeing this seasonal rebirth. It's especially nice this year after the big freeze where everything appeared to have died. It's amazing how predictable this cycle of life is. I've seen wildflowers reappear in exactly the same spot year after year. There are winter animals and summer animals and they never seem to get the seasons mixed up. I guess there is that one Pelican that always refused to fly north with the others in the Spring. I wonder what the Pelican will do this year?

My foot still hurts when I walk, but there are plenty of reasons to keep walking. I don't want to wind up like my electrician. He was younger than I am when he died. I really should start going back to the gym. I'm fully vaccinated now, but I'm still a bit reluctant to spend time around a bunch of sweaty people. My gym reopened their pool recently, so they're clearly not worried about much anymore. I don't know why they're still closed on Sundays though. Janet has been going to her gym for weeks now. Maybe I'm just lazy.

It's time to make a grocery list again. It's amazing how quickly these weeks go by. It will be Summer soon and I will be wishing for cooler weather again. Hopefully 2021 will be a little more interesting than 2020. I applied with NASA to attend the Space X Crew-2 launch today. Who knows if I'll get approved, but eventually things will start clicking together.

Pringles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4102

I trimmed all the dead leaves off the hedge at the back of the yard. There isn't much hedge left. This year's big freeze really did a number on our backyard plants. I have a feeling that some of them just aren't going to recover. At least the hedge trimmer works well. I probably should have bought one of these a long time ago.

Today was slow and the highlight of my day was watching the Artemis-1 live fire test. The test went well and it looks like the rocket will be heading to Kennedy Space Center soon. The eight minute test was surprisingly interesting, considering that the rocket was bolted to a test stand and didn't go anywhere. The cloud of steam the rocket produced was so large that it showed up on weather radar. Stennis Space Center was created during the Apollo era and is pretty impressive. I'm glad I got a chance to tour the place before Covid hit. I'm sure it would be much harder to get access to the facilities now.

Dawn is eating normally again and didn't show any hesitation on her daily walk. Who knows what happened yesterday. We'll probably never know. She probably ate some disgusting dead animal in the yard. There are lots of feral cats in the area and we frequently find dead birds and mice in the yard. I've never seen Dawn eat anything bad, but dogs can be sneaky. Dot killed a squirrel once and Dash was obsessed with eating cicadas. The one good thing about all the feral cats is that we seldom find rats in the yard anymore.

I really need to find a new place to walk. I have a high tolerance for boredom and even I'm starting to get bored. I've memorized every inch of my journey now. I keep walking the same familiar paths because the distance is just about right. Even with my painful foot, I know I can complete the walk. On a good day, the foot doesn't even hurt very much. I watch the trees start to bud and keep track of where the resident ducks and geese are located. The ducks move around quite a bit. There are several old buildings in the park that were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps that the city is restoring now. Every day there is a little more progress and I've been impressed at how faithfully the crews have been recreating the 1930's era buildings. There's a lot of stone masonry involved that you seldom see anymore.

I'm still debating whether to get a star tracker for my trip back to the observatory. I keep looking at these things online, but I can't decide. The device would definitely improve my pictures of the night sky, but it is awkward and bulky to carry around. I like to travel light and I know I would never use this thing in Dallas. I really need to stop getting things I only use a few times a year. I have a bad habit of doing this. Even the hedge trimmer I used today probably won't get used again for a long, long time.

Janet and I were just about to put our winter coats away for another season, but today we needed them again. How did it get so cold overnight? I kept waiting for things to warm up, but I still ended up wearing a down ski jacket on my long walk. It probably would have felt warmer if it wasn't so windy. It's hard to decide what to wear at this time of year. When the sun goes behind a cloud, I'm cold and when the wind stops and the sun comes out, I'm hot.

When I took the trash out to the curb tonight, I looked up and saw the Moon, Mars and the Pleiades very close together in the sky. I went back in the house and got my binoculars. When I looked again I saw a satellite cross through my field of view. That was my five minutes of astronomy for the night. Now, I'm ready for bed.

Nick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4101

We had quite a storm last night. A strong wind and the sound of thunder woke me up and I had trouble getting back to sleep. I checked my phone to make sure that we weren't under a tornado watch and then I checked on Dawn. For a dog that is scared of everything, she is remarkably unaffected by storms. Severe weather doesn't seem to bother her at all. Eventually I dozed off and when I woke up this morning, the sound of thunder had been replaced with the sounds of the bulky trash trucks picking up all the junk that had been piled at the curb.

It was too wet to use the hedge trimmers I bought yesterday. I made sure that the pumps on the roof were working and then slowly drank my morning smoothie as I looked for something interesting to watch on TV. Dawn wouldn't eat her breakfast this morning which kind of worried me. Whenever a Dalmatian won't eat, something has to be wrong. I remembered hearing her stomach rumble when I woke up in the middle of the night, so I suspect that she got into something bad in the yard. Janet and I decided to wait and see if her appetite returned for dinner before becoming too alarmed.

The sky looked unusually dusty this morning, but the wind was blowing so hard that all the dust disappeared by mid afternoon. When I went on my long walk, I almost got blown over a few times. With the wind in my face, today's walk was quite a workout. I saw five large trees that had gotten blown over in the park and was extremely thankful that none of our own trees were damaged. Over the years we have lost about half of our mature Oak and Elm trees to storm damage. The trees are old and nearing the end of their natural life. Sadly, I think the rest of them need to be removed to insure that they won't fall on the house during a future storm. Violent storms are just a fact of life in Texas. Luckily, the worst of last night's storm went to the North of us.

I've got to think of something interesting to augment my daily walks. The walks eat up a lot of time, but they aren't like the many projects that used to occupy me for months at a time. I've lost interest in so many things. When I look around the office, it feels like a stranger put a lot of the stuff here. I'm no longer interested in making large Giclée prints or having gallery shows. I don't think my large production printer even works anymore. It's been decades since I've played in a band. I don't even write songs or play musical instruments these days. I don't collect things either. In fact, the last several years have been devoted to getting rid of many of my collections. I don't even find these waning interests strange. It's been this way my entire life. I don't expect my current interest in space and astronomy to last forever, but I'm sure I'll always be interested in something. I wonder what comes next.

Luckily, Dawn's appetite returned in time for dinner. She was eager to eat the same things she refused to touch for breakfast. Who knows what was wrong earlier today, but I suspect that it was an upset stomach. Dawn seemed kind of moody today as well. She gets that way when Janet is gone for any length of time. It's a shame that Dawn has decided to be a one person dog, especially since I spend a lot more time around the house than Janet does. We're working on becoming friends, but it is a very slow process.

I guess I'll watch the Artemis-1 static fire on NASA TV tomorrow. At one point I was planning to go down to Stennis Space Center to watch this in person, but I'm glad I never pursued it. With Covid restrictions still in place, I probably wouldn't have been approved anyway. Maybe by the time this gigantic rocket makes its way down to Kennedy Space Center things will be back to normal. This is one launch I'd really like to see. Until then, I'll continue walking, keep learning more about astrophotography, and keep trying to win Dawn's favor with cheese.

Alison is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4100

It's been two full weeks since Janet and I received our second dose of the vaccine. In theory, we should have acquired immunity to the virus by now. Do we really have immunity? I don't think anyone knows for sure. I do feel safer now, but not a lot has changed. Until a lot more people get vaccinated, we're still going to be dealing with masks, dire warnings from Dr. Fauci, and a tendency to avoid people who cough and sneeze. I guess I'll feel more comfortable about traveling now, but I never really stopped traveling. I went out to McDonald Observatory last October for an astrophotography workshop and then to Florida in November for the Space X Crew-1 launch. At any rate, I'm ready to put this weird chapter in my life behind me. I'm going to miss the airlines flying with the middle seats empty. That was nice while it lasted.

I changed the sheets on the bed today and finished washing the bedding that Dawn got dirty the other day. When did changing a fitted sheet on a low platform bed become an athletic event? This used to be an easy, somewhat routine minor chore. Now, the combination of a bad shoulder and weak unstable knees have turned changing the sheets into a nightmare. When old people get down on the floor, you have to think carefully about how you are going to get up again. Stand up chores like mowing the grass seem much easier by comparison. I guess I shouldn't complain. I'm still moving.

The bulky trash trucks didn't come today, so we raked a few more leaves and I cut down some small trees that actually died last year. I went to Home Depot and got a hedge trimmer to cut the dead growth off a hedge that runs along the back of our yard. I think this hedge will come back later this Spring, but the dead growth definitely needs to be removed.  Next up is replacing the grass. The dead grass has nothing to do with the big freeze. We always have a lot of dead grass in the Spring. I think Dawn will appreciate the new turf and it should keep her from rolling in the dirt so often.

I saw some Periwinkles blooming on my walk today. One by one, the Spring wildflowers are starting to appear. The Redbud and Dogwood trees are in full flower now. It won't be long before the Bluebonnets start to appear and in less than a month the meadows behind our house should be covered in colorful flowers. This spectacle doesn't last long, but I always enjoy it.

I was glad to see the Muscovy Ducks again on today's walk. The last time I saw them, they were being chased by a large dog that had gotten loose from its owner. The dog almost caught the female duck and all three ducks disappeared for several weeks. All is well now, but two of the ten geese I see everyday have disappeared. The two missing geese disappeared during the big freeze. I wonder if they died? I ponder things like this while I walk the familiar trails. Keeping track of animals and looking for flowers keeps me from getting bored. 

Dawn took a normal walk today. She didn't hesitate at all. Maybe I overthink her behavior. Janet and I wonder if she has brain damage after a vet raised this possibility, but it's entirely possible that she's just another stubborn Dalmatian. It would be nice if she enjoyed her walk everyday, but I certainly don't enjoy things everyday. Why should she?

They say we'll be getting our stimulus money tomorrow. I won't be buying Bitcoin or Gamestock shares with mine. It will just gradually disappear paying routine bills. I can't even remember what the last two stimulus checks got used for, but they're gone now. I'll take the money, but I think a lot of this stimulus has been wasted. We should have kept it simple and just helped the restaurant owners, out of work musicians, bartenders, flight attendants, gym instructors, and others who actually lost their jobs during the pandemic. 

Ruthie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4099

What a weird day. We were getting ready to go visit the rescue Dalmatians when Janet discovered that she had a flat tire. Neither of us could remember how to change a tire, so we called AAA. A guy came out to the house and put on the strange little skinny tire that a lot of cars have nowdays so Janet could go to a garage and get the flat fixed. On the way to the garage, all the warning lights lit up on her dash and she had to have the car towed to the dealership. This all took a long time, so we didn't go visit the Dalmatians at all today.

It was a nice day, but I knew that Dawn wouldn't walk with me if Janet wasn't around. I left the back door open so she could go in and out and sun herself in the backyard when she felt like it. Unfortunately, what she really felt like doing was rolling in the dirt. When my back was turned, she managed to get absolutely filthy. She also came back inside and hopped on the bed. I had to get her cleaned up, but I knew it wasn't going to be an easy task. When Janet isn't around Dawn becomes very wary of me. I got some wet towels and gently began to clean her off. Not surprisingly, this frightened Dawn and she began to whine and cry. It's sad to see how easily Dawn can get herself in a panic. I managed to get Dawn reasonably clean, but I still have to wash the bedding. I don't know why Dawn is so fearful, but I don't think it is going to change. I'm learning to live with her weird ways.

I called Janet and asked if I could come pick her up, but she said that the dealership was going to look at her car soon and she was going to stay until it was finished. I didn't understand why all the warning lights came on at once, but apparently they just needed to be reset. I left Dawn to chill out in the bedroom and went on my long walk. It was a windy day, but very warm. I think the temperature got up to eighty degrees today.

I hope that we don't get any more freezing weather because the trees are definitely starting to bud. Every day I walk, the park looks a little more green. Our own trees are starting to bud as well, so I think that everything with the exception of a few shrubs survived the freeze. The yard could definitely use some sprucing up though. The house could use even more. I don't know if I have the energy to do anything substantial, but I'll give it a try. 

By the time Janet returned with her car it was almost dinnertime. We took Dawn on a short walk and called it a day. Dawn is starting to freeze on her short walks now. We got her going again and completed our short one mile loop, but it is frustrating to realize that we haven't really solved anything. Janet did manage to get Dawn clean again though. She doesn't seem to mind Janet cleaning her with wet rags. We should have just hosed her down, but that would have brought on a major panic attack. 

Very little was accomplished today, but there's always tomorrow. I need to make one more sweep of the yard and see if there is anything else that I can take to the curb for the bulky trash trucks. The trucks might actually come tomorrow. At least the washing machine is working well again. I'd better go wash the bedspread while I've got a chance.

Carmine is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4098

I thought I'd slept in longer than usual this morning and then I realized that the time had changed. Why do we do this every year. I don't care if we go with standard time or daylight saving time. Let's just pick one and stick with it. Dogs don't understand time changes at all. They keep wanting to be fed at their usual time.

Our phones and computers update automatically, but there are still a lot of clocks in the house to change. I was changing the time on a wall clock in the office this morning when I accidentally dropped and broke it. What a shame. This clock has been faithfully reminding me that I'm always late for many, many years.

The nasty weather that all the news media kept warning us about never materialized. I don't think it even rained last night. I'm beginning to think that the media just likes to alarm people. Maybe it's good for ratings. Everything seems to be a crisis these days, even if it doesn't feel like a crisis in real life. At any rate, I was glad that there were no tornados nearby when I woke up this morning. Tornado warnings still get my attention.

When Janet and I were out walking today I got a message on my watch saying that we'd had a power outage at the house. Hmm. Who sent me this message and why? I finally figured out that the message was generated by the new little gizmo that monitors our electric lines. We tried looking at the petcam in the bedroom to see if the power was really out. The petcam still worked and everything seemed fine. When we returned home, the power was on and there were no signs that there had been an outage. Did the power  really fail or did the little line monitor fail? I guess I'll never really know.

My assorted aches and pains seem to be getting worse. A few days ago I tripped on a rock while I was walking and stumbled around trying to regain my balance. I never actually fell, but now my hip hurts when I walk. I'm getting clumsy as I grow older. I never would have tripped on that rock when I was younger and I wouldn't have dropped the office clock either. It might be time to end my trips up on the roof. Tripping on a rock is one thing. Falling off the roof would be a lot more serious.

I find myself spending a lot of time on Facebook astrophotography groups lately. Who would have thought that there were so many people interested in this strange and difficult to master hobby. Some of these people's photographs are amazingly good. They look like they were taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. I don't think I will ever get this good. I just don't have the patience. I like astronomy but I also like to go to bed early. This doesn't bode well for any future endeavors. I have a feeling that a couple of trips out to McDonald Observatory every year will be enough for me. The rest of the time I'll just watch old Perry Mason episodes on TV at night.

Dawn froze in place briefly on her short walk today. We got her going again, but this was troubling. She's been doing so well lately. I'd really hate to see her become fearful of walking. She likes to sit out in the sun in the yard, so you'd think that she would like walking as well. She always seems eager to walk when we get out her leash and harness. Occasionally, something makes her fearful though and we still don't know what it is.

I'm torn between wanting something interesting to happen next week and wanting things to remain calm and uneventful. I'll probably get uneventful and that's OK with me.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4097

I think Dallas has decided that the pandemic is over. Every week the roads and stores become more and more crowded. People are definitely eating out and restaurants seem to be operating at full capacity. Most businesses still require masks, but you see a lot more people without them now. It's hard to tell what's going on. You hear one thing on the news and see another thing in the streets.

There seems to be two parallel worlds now. I still see a lot of people wearing masks when they are walking alone outdoors in the park. Some folks still wear them when they are driving alone in their cars as well. On the other hand, I'm seeing a lot more large groups socializing together without masks now. People are planning weddings again. There are several event venues for rent in the park and I frequently see the party planning trucks out front, hauling in tables and chairs for another reception. I guess this is all to be expected. It is weird that everyone seems to have their own reality though. I wonder if this will ever change. I suspect that I will always be a bit more cautious around other people now. Why not. I was fairly cautious around other people before all this happened. Strangers have always been an unknown quantity. I've always worried about drunk drivers and crazy people wandering around on the streets. Now there is the added worry that someone might kill you by sneezing. 

I finished my shopping quickly today. I didn't need to get gas because I didn't go anywhere this week. This left plenty of time for a long walk. I was hoping to repeat yesterday's success, but it wasn't meant to be. I tried to walk faster, but my pace was considerably slower today. Did my feet hurt because I overdid things yesterday? I don't think so, but who knows. I was able to complete five miles, but I think I enjoyed the very slow walk that Janet and I took with Dawn a lot more. 

We've moved all our bags of leaves out to the curb now. All the other neighbors appear to have done the same thing. I think the city is going to have to add some extra trucks for this month's bulky trash day. There are a lot of Live Oak trees in our neighborhood, and the fact that the freeze caused all the Live Oaks to lose their leaves increased the number of bagged leaves considerably. Our yard is looking a lot better now. All we need is some new grass for Dawn.

The Kickstarter project I backed appears to have reached it's funding goal. Now we wait. Will this product deliver everything it promised? Will it even be produced? When will I receive it? You never know about these things. There appears to be a growing amount of skepticism about the ambitious product, but I'm still hopeful. I hope I haven't wasted my money, but I can recall wasting money on products that were actually sitting on store shelves. You wouldn't think a somewhat cynical ad guy could be fooled so easily, but we all can be fooled if we want to believe.

Dawn is still eating a lot of grass on her walks. Does this mean anything? She's still got a good appetite and her poop looks normal. Maybe I worry too much. The grass does look green and fresh. Maybe she just likes the taste. I wish dogs could talk so they could tell you if they were having problems. A talking dog would probably just gripe a lot and quickly become just as irritating as I am though. I guess barking is better.

I picked up some Chinese take-out for dinner and I've already got heartburn. I guess I'll never learn.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4096

The washing machine is working again. The repair technician arrived right on time with a brown box containing the expensive new circuit board. The board must have been located in an inaccessible place because he had to practically disassemble the entire machine to install it. I wonder where appliance repairmen get their training? This guy seemed very familiar with my machine even though it was never a popular brand and hasn't been manufactured for quite some time. I was pleased when the technician put the washing machine back together and turned it on to test it. It worked. There was always a chance that the new motor controller board wouldn't solve the problem. The motor itself might have been faulty. All is good now until the next thing breaks on this machine. Replacing the aging machine piece by piece is still easier than trying to squeeze a new machine into our tiny utility room.

The washing machine wasn't the only thing that I got working again today. Part of my new company website has been non-functional ever since I redesigned it several months ago. It always looked nice on my desktop computer, but never really worked when I looked at it on my phone. I finally found a tech support person who could help me this afternoon and was able to repair the broken code. The solution was fairly obvious in retrospect. I felt a bit foolish for not being able to figure this out myself. Apparently, one of the many hazards of growing older is the inability to understand complex problems on your own. I used to be a lot better at website design when I did this stuff every day.

I got my reservations confirmed at the Prude Ranch for my trip out to McDonald Observatory, so it appears that I'm good to go. The astrophotography workshop isn't being held until mid-May, but it never hurts to plan ahead. Oddly, there is a big regional star party out at the ranch a few weeks before my arrival. If the two events had been closer together it might have been fun to attend both. Never mind. I just read the Covid rules for the WesTex Star Party. They are pretty restrictive. Since only ten people will be attending the astrophotography workshop, dealing with Covid restrictions at the observatory will be a lot easier. I'm already familiar with McDonald observatory rules anyway. I was out there last October.

I think I've figured out why my Apple Watch activity stats have been so dismal this month. It all has to do with how the watch measures things. Really the only things it is able to measure are the speed you are walking and your heart rate. Everything else is extrapolated using some sort of algorithm. Today, I was feeling pretty good so I thought I'd see what would happen if I just walked a little faster. Speed is apparently a lot more important to the algorithm than heart rate. I managed to cut four minutes per mile off my recent times and it made a huge difference. My activity scores look just like they used to. Oddly, my feet didn't hurt any more walking fast than walking slow. I was a lot more tired when I returned home though. I think I'll go back to walking slow tomorrow.

I wish Dawn didn't frighten so easily. Predictably, the repair technician scared her again, even though he was working in the other end of the house. The guy was only here about an hour, but it took Dawn the rest of the day to chill out again. She still enjoyed her walk, but ate more grass than usual. She always eats grass when she's nervous.

I keep reading that we might have hazardous weather this weekend. There are two storms headed our way. The first one is supposed to bring massive amounts of snow to Colorado. The second one might bring tornados to Texas. I hope the forecasts are wrong. We've already had enough bad weather for one year. I'm ready for a nice warm Spring.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4095

I made reservations to go out to McDonald Observatory in May. It's a long drive but it will be worth it when I get there. Ostensibly this trip is to learn more about astrophotography, but the real reason is I just like the place. The combination of dark skies, clean air, and wide open spaces is hard to beat. It looks like I will be staying at the Prude Ranch again. The Astronomer's Lodge is still closed because of Covid. I'd much rather stay on the mountain so I don't have to drive at night, but the Prude Ranch is pretty close.

I'm not sure what I'll do if I get approved to attend one of the April launches out at Kennedy Space Center. It's doubtful that I could afford two trips this close together. Oh, well. We'll see what happens. I probably won't get approved anyway. Florida may be open, but NASA isn't. They still have a lot of Covid restrictions in place. It might be better to wait until the Fall to return to Kennedy Space Center anyway. I think the more interesting launches will take place later in the year.

I"d been thinking about getting a star tracker before my next trip to the observatory, but everyone is out of stock. Telescopes, eyepieces, mounts, and almost anything related to astronomy are impossible to find these days. They say that Covid lockdowns caused a huge upsurge in interest in backyard astronomy. This is probably true of other solitary hobbies like backpacking and fishing as well. I have a feeling that we'll be learning about the unintended consequences of the pandemic for years to come.

Dawn expects her shorter daily walks now. She's usually waiting by the back door as soon as we finish lunch. It's amazing what a transformation there's been. As soon as we started doing things her way, all the freezing in place and weird behavior stopped. She's a smart little dog. We haven't done very well training her, but she's done an excellent job training us.

My foot felt better today. I wish I could figure out why the pain comes and goes. This couldn't be random, but it sure seems that way. If I knew what was causing the problem, I could change my behavior. Today's walk was exactly the same as yesterdays. Same route. Same shoes. Same everything. It sure didn't feel the same though. Yesterday I limped home. Today I was fine. I have no idea what will happen tomorrow.

I do know what I'd like to happen tomorrow. I'd like to get the washing machine running again. Hopefully, the part I need arrived today and the repairman will be out in the morning. I probably spend way too much time doing laundry, but it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I won't feel comfortable until I can do a load of laundry every day again.

They say that you should never kill dandelions in the Spring because they are the only food that bees have until the other flowers start to grow. I'm not sure if this is true, but it sounds good. I guess I'm a sceptic. What to bees do for food during the winter when there are no flowers at all. At any rate, the bees shouldn't have long to wait. The Redbud and Dogwood trees in the park are starting to bloom. This means that wildflower season is only a few weeks away.

This week has gone quickly. This week's trash is already out by the curb and tomorrow we'll haul the bags of leaves out for next week's bulky trash pickup. By next Tuesday Janet and I should have acquired immunity to Covid. Does this mean that the world has returned to normal. I doubt it. Appliances will continue to break. We'll probably have masks in our cars forever. Dawn will continue to treat me like a kennel attendant and I'll continue inching along toward my 5000 day goal.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4094

The washing machine is still not working. The technician says that the motor is not communicating with the motor controller logic board. I asked if there might just be a lose wire. Nope. I need a new logic board. Will this solve my problem? Maybe. Once the machine can talk to the motor we'll be able to see if there is anything wrong with the motor itself. Life was a lot simpler when major appliances were simple mechanical beasts. Now, everything is basically a computer. The part is supposed to arrive on Friday and I hope it works. I definitely don't want to go to the laundromat again.

Dawn didn't bark at the repair technician, but I could tell she was scared. She retreated to the bedroom as soon as she heard the knock on the door and didn't come out until long after the technician had left. It doesn't take much to frighten Dawn. I wish I could explain to her that being without a washing machine for an extended length of time is a lot more frightening than having a repair technician in the house.

I learned that there will be another astrophotography workshop out at McDonald Observatory in May. This will be an advanced workshop that picks up where the first one I attended left off. Do I go? I probably will, but it's hard to decide. I love the dark skies of the Davis Mountains, but I hate the long drive out there. Driving is surprisingly tiring when you've got a bad shoulder. Travel can get expensive too. I guess I should continue to do things while I still can though. One of these days in the not too distant future, it will be too late.

It still bothers me that my Fitbit says I'm not as active as I was last year. How can this be? I feel like I'm more active than I ever was. It probably just takes more effort to do things that used to be easy. I've definitely slowed down, but I'm moving as fast as I can. It's discouraging to see overweight people pass me in the park, but what can you do? Arthritis is real and I still don't believe in strong pain medication unless it is absolutely necessary. I'm going to keep moving, but in a few years my nickname will probably be turtle.

Bulky trash pick up is next week, so we've only got a few more days to clean up the yard and get everything out to the curb before the trucks arrive. The freeze really made a mess of things. I haven't seen so much dead vegetation in years. Hopefully a lot of the plants and vegetation will come back when things get warmer. It took years for most of these shrubs to grow and I just don't have the energy to replace them all at this point. We will get new grass though. Dawn loves to lie in the grass and sun herself on nice days. The dog deserves some decent grass.

I hope I have more energy tomorrow. I've felt lethargic all day. It's hard to get motivated when your feet hurt and you are constantly blowing your nose. This is no time to nap though. I need to get familiar with my new camera if I'm going to take it out to the observatory in May. I need to decide whether I can still afford to go to a launch in Florida this Spring. I've applied to go to the Starliner and Crew-2 launches, but haven't heard whether I've been accepted. The yard needs a lot of work and I haven't been up on the roof in weeks. There's an abundance of things to do, but I still just want to take a long nap.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4093

It was not an auspicious day. Right after breakfast I did a load of laundry and halfway through the wash cycle the washing machine broke. The drum was full of soapy water and just quit turning. I watched the timer count down to zero, but nothine else was working at all. I had to fish all the wet clothes out of the water, put them in a big plastic tub and take them to the laundromat. I called an appliance repair shop I've used in the past, but they can't get a technician out until tomorrow. I asked for the same repair guy who had come out to the house before, but he didn't work there anymore. This always happens. It's almost impossible to get the same plumber, HVAC tech, or appliance repairman. These guys move around a lot. I suspect this is because their employers don't pay them enough. At any rate, I'll meet someone new tomorrow. I hope he's good.

Laundromats are strange places. It's easy to forget that lots of people still don't have washer/dryers in their homes. They fill their cars with large piles of laundry and come to the laundromat. I used to use a laundromat when I was young and lived in an apartment building. Often it was just easier to go to a laundromat than to try to use the small and inadequate laundry room provided by the building. Maybe a lot of the people I saw today live in these types of apartments. Maybe they live in rent houses where the landlord doesn't provide washer/dryer hookups. Laundromats are always pretty full and they are universally depressing.

As I was getting ready to put my load of clothes in one of the laundromat dryers, I remembered that there was nothing wrong with our dryer at home. I put the wet clothes back in the plastic tub and returned home.  While the clothes were drying I got the electric lawn mower working and cut back all the dead Asian Jasmine in the back yard. This was a harder job than I anticipated because I haven't trimmed the ground cover for several years and it has become very overgrown. Actually, I think you are supposed to cut back Asian Jasmine at the end of every winter. The landscape people used to do this when they took care of the yard. I think trimming these bushes encourages new growth. There are lots of other decorative plants that look like they got killed by the freeze. I'm going to leave them alone for a while and hope that they start to grow again.

I don't think I'll have long to wait. When I took my long walk today, I noticed that there were Daffodils and Grape Hyacinth blooming in the park. These are usually the first flowers to bloom every Spring, but it won't be long before the fields behind our house are covered in wildflowers. I enjoy photographing wildflowers because they don't move or fly away. At various times I've tried to learn the names of the hundreds of different wildflowers I see in the park. I've probably forgotten more names than I can currently identify.

Today wasn't a good day for my feet. Both feet hurt today. I'm walking slower now, which makes my Fitbit and Apple Watch think that I'm not getting as much exercise as I should. This is frustrating to me because these slow painful walks are much more strenuous and tiring than the old days when I wasn't even aware of my feet. My Fitbit doesn't seem to know what I'm going through. It keeps urging me to go faster.

I hope the repairman can fix the washing machine tomorrow. Sometimes you get lucky and they have the part you need on the truck. Other times they have to order parts from a warehouse and you can end up waiting days or even weeks to get up and running again. I wish major appliances were more reliable. We have a microwave that has worked flawlessly for 30 years. Our television has never broken. I can't say the same for the washing machine. I think this will be the fourth service call for this machine.

Val is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day