Day 4728

Santa has left the building. We are done with Santa Paws for another year. Today I set a new record for number of dogs photographed in a single day. Over a 100 dogs had their picture taken with Santa and I wound up with over 1600 exposures on my camera. We had to be very efficient today and the kennel staff we worked with were great. They were so efficient and had all the dogs staged and ready to go for us.

None of us really thought that this type of event would work, but we were pleasantly surprised. We saved a lot of time by not having the dog's owners present. All the dogs were already at the kennel and boarding for the day, so we didn't have to wait for anyone who was running late or got lost on their way to their appointment. We usually have a big box of costumes that people could sort through and find something for their dog. We abandoned that today and just photographed the dogs without any Christmas apparel. If an owner really wanted their dog to wear something, they supplied it themselves. 

We didn't take as many photos of each dog either. Typically we spend about twenty minutes with each dog or group and take a huge amount of pictures. Today's customers still got about 25 pictures to choose from and I think everyone was happy. The big change today was that we didn't make prints on the spot. This saved a huge amount of time. We just burned a flash drive with all the pictures for each customer and they could print whatever they wanted later.

It's hard to believe that we used to do five or six of these events every year. We even did photo events for Easter and Mother's Day. We're all getting older and two events wore us out. I kind of liked the way we did things this year. We did one invitation only low volume event for Dalmatian Rescue volunteers and people who have adopted dogs from us and then a second high volume event partnering with a local boarding facility. We pre-screened the dogs at the first event and the kennel pre-screened the dogs at today's event. There were no walk-ins with aggressive or psychotic dogs. One really bad dog at an event like this can screw up everything.

I'll unpack everything and put it away tomorrow. All I want to do now is finish this blog post and go to bed. Dinner tonight was a left over slice of pizza from lunch. Dawn was really good about being left alone in the house for so long. We got up extra early to give her a walk before we left and then gave her another short walk after we returned home. I got home first this afternoon and Dawn actually seemed glad to see me. I don't know how I managed to get home a half hour ahead of Janet because she left the event first. I guess I picked the better road today.

Tomorrow I'll do my grocery shopping, take the photo gear back to the storage warehouse, and return to my regular uneventful schedule. I may be a bit biased, but I think we have the best Santa photos in town. People always seem to love the pictures they get. Who knows how long we can keep this up, but hopefully we'll be around next year. I have Santa Paws photos in my files from 2010, so we've been doing these events for over twelve years now.  I think we've helped a lot of dogs along the way.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4727

One down, one to go. Our first Santa Paws event for 2022 went smoothly. We did things a little differently this year. Instead of setting up the backdrop in a boarding kennel or veterinary clinic, we were inside a nice home where we used the homes Christmas tree and fireplace as a backdrop. This was an invitation only event for volunteers and people who had adopted a dog from Dalmatian Rescue, so it was much less stressful than our typical Christmas photoshoots. Santa was happy because he got to watch football on a big screen TV while we were taking pictures and I was happy because I didn't have to set up the backdrop.

Not surprisingly, most of the dogs we photographed today were Dalmatians. Many of the dogs were Dalmatian Rescue alumni and a few of them have been featured as Dog of the Day on this blog at some point in the past. The dogs were well behaved and fun to be around. There was no pooping in the house and no Christmas trees were destroyed.

Since we photographed very few little dogs today, I didn't have to get down on my knees. I sat on a comfortable ottoman in the living room and took pictures while Santa was watching the Big 12 Championship Game between TCU and Kansas State. There wasn't a madhouse of barking dogs because we scheduled things so that there was only one set of dogs inside the house at any given time. We probably didn't make as much money doing things this way, but I hope we can do this again. The whole atmosphere was very relaxed and the event was easier on everyone.

Tomorrow will be the exact opposite of today. We will be doing Santa Paws pictures for a large boarding kennel that they will provide for their customers. The dogs owners will not be there for the event, but we will be photographing a huge number of dogs. I have heard that there might be as many as 100 dogs at tomorrow's event. The kennel will be bringing in extra staff to coordinate things, but there is still only one Santa and one photographer. I imagine that we will both be very tired tomorrow.

We didn't take Dawn with us today because it would have been very stressful for her. I doubt that she'll ever have any Santa pictures of her own. Dawn did get her morning walk before we left though. It wasn't that cold this morning, but it was dark. Dawn had her green LED collar, Janet and I had warning lights on our jackets, and off we went. By the time we returned it was almost sunrise. I don't think Dawn minded being alone in the house at all. She's very comfortable on our big bed. Occasionally we check in on her using the wifi petcam and she's usually just sleeping.

I even managed to get my steps today. I didn't start walking until I'd taken Dawn out to pee after I returned home. The sun was low in the sky, but I managed to get home again before dark. After walking in the park after dark earlier this month, I decided that I wasn't going to do that again. The park is kind of spooky after dark. 

I didn't have time to do my grocery shopping today and won't have time tomorrow either. I guess Monday will be grocery day this week. i'm going to try to get to bed earlier tonight because we have a longer drive to our location tomorrow morning. Hopefully Dawn will still be able to get her morning walk. I'll be glad when this year's Santa Paws events are over. It's a great fund raiser for our rescue dogs, but it's tiring for me. I'm still not sure if my equipment or my old bones are going to give out first.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4726

I would have preferred to sleep in this morning, but Dawn and Janet were ready to walk. Did it rain last night? The ground was very wet even though I don't remember it raining. There was a light mist in the air and my coat was damp by the time we returned home. Dawn had a good walk though. We took our lights this morning because we got started early, but we didn't need heavy coats. It was surprisingly warm today.

After breakfast I installed the latest firmware on the star tracker and tested everything to make sure it still worked. This took about an hour. I must have upgraded the firmware on this tracker at least a dozen times by now. There have been quite a few changes to the software app that controls the tracker as well. After many hours of testing, I've still only used this thing out in the field once. I guess it was a good purchase though. It has kept me occupied for many hours and I suspect that I've learned a lot along the way. One thing I've learned is that I'm not quite as interested in astronomy as I thought I was. The night sky is fascinating, but I'd really rather stay inside at night.

I changed my eye doctor appointment because it turned out to be on the same day I need to take Janet to and from dental surgery. When they asked when I'd like to reschedule, I felt like saying how about several years from now. I know my eye doctor is going to want to do cataract surgery and I'm not ready yet. Somehow it really bothers me that I won't be able to quickly change focus between near and far objects anymore. The artificial lens is just a simple fixed focus lens usually optimized for distance viewing.

It was fairly warm by the time I took my long walk, but it was not a nice day. It's been grey and gloomy all day. There were lots of people with cameras and binoculars when I passed the eagle's nest. I thought it was funny that the three Muscovy ducks were wandering through all the gawkers and being totally ignored. I'm sure the ducks thought the people were there to feed them and they looked pissed. "Hey, what about us," they seemed to be saying.

Construction continues on the world's most elaborate stone gates. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where the city approved these five gates. I'm still not sure what their purpose is, but there had to be a less expensive way to accomplish the park department's goals.

I think I've got my equipment ready for the first Santa Paws photo shoot tomorrow morning. I always take an extra camera body and a spare strobe light and power supply in case something breaks. Likely the only thing that is going to break is me. I'm getting too old for this. Dogs are small and I'm down on my knees a lot trying to get the best angle. I'm sure I've already mentioned that my knees are terrible. Last year I brought a cane to one of the photo shoots, but it didn't help much. Oh, well. This event is a good fund raiser for the dogs. I don't really do enough to help the rescue Dalmatians.

I can postpone my weekly grocery shopping, but I'm not sure how I'm going to get my steps tomorrow. Santa Paws days are long. Did I manage to get 10,000 steps last year? I don't even remember. 

Gretta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4725

Another cold and largely uneventful day. We slept in this morning so we didn't need flashlights and lighted collars on our early walk today. I would have preferred warmer weather, but it was actually a pretty nice day.

The leaks have stopped, but I think I'm going to be nervous about rain for the rest of the winter. The trouble with cold weather is that standing water on the roof never evaporates. I'm reluctant to continue climbing up on the roof to sweep the water away as well. The older I get, the clumsier I get. I really don't want to fall off the roof.

My one errand of the day was a trip to the bank. Something spooked Dawn just before I left, and I had trouble getting her back to the bedroom. This is her safe space. One of our earlier Dalmatians jumped through the living room window and cut himself badly trying to get a squirrel. A dog waiting for your return at the front door can always get out as well. I just don't like to take chances. Dawn is always gated in the bedroom before I leave the house. I lured her back to the bedroom with a few treats and was on my way.

Later, when I took my long walk, Dawn had no interest in leaving the bedroom. These walks are getting boring, but I generally still prefer them to going to the gym. Lots of people are looking for the eagles now that the location of the nest is known. I've been seeing them at least once a week lately. I still need to remember to take a better camera with me. You never know when they are going to be nearby.

Everyone is putting up their Christmas lights this week. White seems to be the popular color this year. I see very few colored lights. One family down the street from us went all out this year. They hired a crane to hang lights on their three story house. We've never put lights on the house. We're lucky just to get the tree up.

I didn't upgrade the star tracker after all today. It just seemed like too much trouble. I decided to watch Good Night Oppy on Amazon Prime instead. This documentary about the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers was quite good. I remember watching the landings on my computer. It definitely doesn't feel like eighteen years ago. I've met several people who work at the Jet Propulsion Lab. They all loved their work. The tradition of passing peanuts around for luck before a launch is real. When I was out at Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2015 to watch the SMAP launch, a group of JPL scientists who were nearby passed me a jar of peanuts and explained the tradition to me. The peanuts didn't work well that time because the satellite's radar unit stopped transmitting about three months after launch.

This week has gone quickly. I've already taken this week's trash out to the curb. We'll be doing Santa Paws  pictures this weekend, so I need to make sure my cameras and strobe lights are ready tomorrow. Hopefully nothing breaks and we have good weather for the events.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4724

It's hard to get used to this weather. It was a beautiful day but was very cold. I guess I'd better get used to this. It's Winter now. We bundled up and took Dawn on another early walk in the dark. Mars was very bright in the early morning sky. The planet is nearing opposition now and won't be this bright again until 2033. Dawn wasn't very interest in the sky, but was very serious about smelling things this morning. I was just glad to return to a warm house.

After breakfast I wrote a letter to my sister because I knew I would be passing the post office later in the morning on the way to pick up a prescription. I don't like to drive anymore and try to combine errands whenever I can. After all these years I have never left letters in our mailbox for the postman to pick up. Somehow I have no faith that these letters would get delivered. I always have to drop the letter in a slot at the post office myself.

I don't understand drug prices at all. I still get a much better deal using GoodRx than using my Medicare Part D plan. Today's choice was $17 on GoodRx vs $65 on my supplemental insurance. Lord knows how much this prescription would cost if I was just paying retail. When I asked the pharmacist how this all works, she didn't know either. She said she'll always give me the lowest price available though.

I waited for it to warm up before I took my long walk. Maybe it got a little warmer but it still felt very cold when I left the house. I tried a different coat when I walked today. I'd almost forgotten that I have several goose down jackets. This one was a little warmer but the hood didn't fit as snugly. I continue to be amazed when I see men running on the trails wearing shorts and no shirt in this kind of weather. I dress like I'm on an expedition to the South Pole.

I saw one of the eagles again today. This time it was in flight. The pair of eagles is definitely here for the Winter. The nest continues to get bigger. Maybe there will be eaglets in the nest next Spring. I need to start taking a camera with me. I have a little compact camera with a long telephoto lens. The lens retracts when it is not in use and the camera is pretty easy to carry while walking. Right now all I bring with me on my walks is my phone and the nest is too far away to get a good picture.

I tried to contact a contractor who was too busy for me last Fall. There are so many problems with the house that I really need to do something. I keep hoping to find someone like those people you see on that This Old House program on PBS. Craftsmen like this are hard to find though. It's easy to find someone to remodel your kitchen or bathroom. A lot harder to find someone to do quality restoration work on mid-fifties architecture.

Dawn didn't go to her dog training class this evening. It was just too cold. Dawn didn't seem to mind napping on the bed instead. She's a smart dog. I noticed today that there is new firmware available for the star tracker. That will give me something to do tomorrow. One of these days I might actually go outside at night and use the thing. Maybe I'll wait till Spring though. I really don't like this cold weather.

Belle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4723

I think we got a one day reprieve before Winter arrives. It was really nice today. It got up to eighty degrees with clear skies this afternoon and I was able to take my long walk wearing shorts and a t-shirt. That's about to end. A cold front just rolled through town and the temperature is already falling rapidly. Tomorow morning it is supposed to be twenty-eight degrees. I know Texas weather is unpredictable, but this is ridiculous.

We walked very early this morning and had to wear our lights again. I kind of thought that walking in the dark was over after the time change, but I forgot that the days are still getting shorter. I was a little wary when we entered the park this morning. I noticed that the were a lot of feathers but no bird in our front yard. This is usually a sign that coyotes or bobcats are nearby. We didn't see any critters this morning, but I wouldn't be surprised of something was watching us. Bobcats and coyotes are not uncommon in the park.

I took my long walk right after breakfast because I knew that Dawn had a vet appointment later in the day. It was really a pleasant day for a walk. It's hard to beat seventy degrees and a light breeze. I saw one of the Bald Eagles again today. I can't really tell the difference between the male and female eagle, but I just assume that if the eagle is in the nest it is Nora and if it is sitting at the top of a nearby tree it is Nick. The word seems to have gotten out that the eagles are back. I"m seeing a lot more people with binoculars and cameras every time I pass by the nest.

There is still a lot of work taking place on the five new stone gates the park department is building. There must have been some leftover money in their budget because these gates are very elaborate. I still have no idea what their purpose is although I'm assuming they will be used to regulate traffic. Maybe this is useful, but there isn't a lot of traffic in this section of the park anyway. 

After a quick lunch we took Dawn to the vet to get her flu shot. I didn't realize that this vaccine needs a booster in three weeks. All vaccines seem to require a booster these days. The shot was uneventful, but the vet said that Dawn was showing early signs of gingivitis and that we needed to do a better job of cleaning her teeth. This is easier said than done because Dawn hates getting her teeth cleaned. None of our dogs have enjoyed having their teeth brushed, but Dawn seems the most determined to avoid having anyone near her mouth. Brushing her teeth is a challenge.

We took Dawn to get a bath after her vet appointment. The groomer told us that canine flu was going around and tried to convince us that herbal remedies were the way to prevent it. When we mentioned that Dawn had just gotten her flu shot, she kind of rolled her eyes at us. She obviously didn't believe in vaccines. We didn't mention that we had both recently gotten a Covid booster. It is pointless getting into an argument about vaccines.

Dawn doesn't like getting a bath but she always seems to feel better afterwards. We've noticed that she doesn't lick her coat after a bath. She was probably itchy before her bath. It's Fall and there are a lot of allergens in the air. At any rate, Dawn's coat looks nice and white again and she smells good. This probably won't last long.

I'm not looking forward to sub-freezing temperatures tomorrow morning. I guess the cold weather had to arrive sometime. It's almost December. At least our furnace is working well and the roof leaks have stopped.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4722

I went to the storage warehouse today to get the gear we need for this years Santa Paws photos. Most of this equipment has seen better days, but I guess it will last one more year. I think Dalmatian Rescue has been doing this event for over ten years now. It seems like a long time. When I was going to my storage unit, I passed a guy who told me he hoped I had a good lock. He said his unit had just been broken into. I found this hard to believe since all the storage units are inside and monitored by cameras. That's the world we live in these day unfortunately. Janet said it would be a blessing if my unit got robbed. It was hard to argue with her. Most of the stuff in storage there is junk. I just have a hard time getting rid of things.

When I woke up this morning all the leaks had stopped. I emptied the last bucket and put it away. Finally life was back to normal. Three hours later I heard dripping water again. WTF? Is this ever going to end? I put a bucket back under the leak. After about four hours this recurring leak stopped again. I think I'll leave the bucket in place overnight just to play it safe. Janet thinks I should have already hired a roofer by now. I just can't find one that I like or trust. Once burned, twice shy I guess. I've replaced two roofs on this house already using companies recommended by people I respect. Neither of these roofs lasted very well. I hate to do this again, even though it is necessary. Residential roofers typically don't do a good job on flat roofs and commercial and industrial roofers think this job is too small for them.

At least the weather was nice today. We had a pleasant sunrise walk with Dawn this morning and then I went out walking again after breakfast. It's hard to dress for these walks. I'm always cold when I get started and hot by the time I return home. It's surprising how quickly the temperature rises when the sun is out. It was in the low thirties when we got up this morning and almost sixty by the time I finished my long walk. I saw one of the Bald Eagles again today. Nick and Nora appear to be here for the Winter.

My inbox was inundated with Cyber Monday ads today. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are really just the same thing. I deleted most of these messages without even looking at them. Even though I find electronic and camera gear tempting, I don't need anything. I'm not buying more gear this year. If I had stopped buying things I don't need years ago I probably wouldn't have any use for my storage warehouse. 

There is a bad strain of canine flu going around, so we're taking Dawn in for a flu shot tomorrow. You'd think a nurse could just give the shot and we would be on our way. Nope. We had to schedule a full vet appointment to get the shot. This of course make the shot a lot more expensive. Oh, well. It's too bad they don't have doggie Medicare. Dawn is an old dog.

It's time to put the Christmas tree up. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. It seemed like last year the lights weren't working well. That probably means that they won't be working well this year either. We'll see how it goes.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4721

It was a nice Fall day. The skies were blue, the temperature was mild, and most of my water problems are behind me. There is still water dripping from the can light in the office ceiling, but the drips are very slow now. What was once a steady stream is now only about two drips per minute. Probably by tomorrow morning I can remove the last remaining bucket.

Dawn was eager to walk this morning. She doesn't like it when we sleep in on weekends and did her best to make sure we hadn't forgotten about her. It was nice to see the sun again. The meadow behind our house was still wet and spongy from all the rain, but the roads have dried out. We had a nice walk at a fairly brisk pace and then returned home for another weekend breakfast.

I think all I really do on Sunday is walk. It would have been a nice day for walking in the park, but I went to the mall anyway. It's nice to have a change of pace and I enjoy looking in the shop windows before the stores open. There are very few middle aged mall walkers. There are old people like me and young couples with children. This seems to be a popular place to bring young children. There were tons of kids today.

It's easy to see that the Christmas season is the most important time of the year for retailers. The stores are opening an hour earlier now and most of them have all new merchandise in the windows. I see clothes I like in many of the windows but have no interest in buying anything. There is no reason for me to dress up anymore. I actually kind of miss the days when I had to wear a suit and ties for client meetings. Once, in the early days of my business I had a retail menswear client and agreed to be paid in clothes. I still have an abundance of nice clothes. All these years later I still have a few things that I've never even worn.

As soon as I returned from the mall, Dawn was waiting to go on her Sunday outing. She gets really excited about visiting new places, but still is scared while she's in the car. You'd think our Sunday routine would be old hat for her by now. Apparently not. She's always happy when we reach our destination, but the journey still seems terrifying to her. 

It's surprising how much our ice cream cones vary from week to week. Sometimes the ice cream is hard. Other times it is soft like a Dairy Queen cone. The size varies too. It just depends on who is serving that day. I wish they were more consistent about giving Dawn a free pup cone. She seems to know that these little cones are just for her. No pup cones today, but Dawn got plenty of ice cream. The ice cream always calms her down.

I should have done some chores today but didn't feel like it. I took a nap instead and as usual Dawn left the room as soon as I got on the bed. Janet says to ignore this behavior, but I still feel bad knowing that Dawn is uncomfortable when Janet is gone. She is definitely a one person dog.

It's almost time to pay property taxes again. Hopefully this is the last big expense of the year. I didn't do a great job budgeting this year. I probably did a little too much traveling as well. At any rate, I hope next year is more predictable. We shouldn't have as many appliance repairs. I think everything broke this year.

It's back to shredded wheat and fruit tomorrow. I need to think about putting up the Christmas tree as well. Christmas will be here before you know it.

Spots is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4720

This is how people go insane. I had just finished cleaning up the house and the last leak had finally stopped when another storm came though town while we were sleeping. There was a massive amount of rain and the leaks started all over again. I realized that something was wrong when I stepped in water on my way to the bathroom. Not exactly the way I wanted to wake up, but I got out the buckets and towels again and started round two of leak patrol.

I didn't bother going up on the roof today. Trying to sweep the water away in the rain didn't stop the leaks last time and I knew it wouldn't this time either. The pumps weren't working initially, but I did get them to work on my third try after we finished breakfast. I think each pump has to be submerged in a certain amount of standing water before it starts pumping. 

There was a break in the rain around 8 AM, so Dawn got her sunrise walk after all. She wasn't wild about getting her paws wet, but she did her business and completed the walk. Once we got off the wet grass and started walking on roads again Dawn was a happy camper and started enjoying her walk. I know she would have preferred waiting until the sun came out, but that wasn't going to happen today.

After our big weekend breakfast I went out to do my grocery shopping. There was a light drizzle, but it really wasn't all that bad. The stores weren't crowded today at all. I guess everyone was eating Thanksgiving leftovers. I filled the car with gas, found everything on my list and came home again. 

I kept hoping that the rain would stop, but that wasn't in the cards today. This was definitely an all day rain. Since the rain during the day was nothing like last night's downpour, the leaks inside the house gradually began to diminish. Most of the leaks have stopped by now, but there is still the one troublesome leak in the office. The water is leaking through a can light in the ceiling. Since this doesn't seem terribly safe, I am leaving the light off until things dry out. Lord knows how long that is going to take. This is the worst roof leak we have had in years.

It would have been miserable walking in the park today, so I went to the gym instead. It doesn't matter when I go, the same twelve people always seem to be there. I'm beginning to think they live there. I did pretty well on the basketball court today. At least I did well by my low standards. I'm glad I finished my thirty free throws and was off the court before some real basketball players appeared. I would have embarrassed myself if they has seen my pitiful efforts. I was pretty slow on the indoor track as well. I completed my two miles, but I always seems to be a lot faster when I'm walking outdoors.

When I returned from the gym, Dawn was sleeping comfortably on the bed, so I took a nap on the living room couch instead. It hurts my feelings when Dawn leaves the room every time I try to join her on the bed, but it is what it is. Dawn had a hard life at the puppy mill kennel and I don't think she is ever going to trust men.

The weather is looking much better tomorrow. According to the forecast we will have clear skies and mild temperatures. This sounds like a good day for Dawn's Sunday outing. I'll probably go mall walking as well. Mall walking is a nice change of pace from my regular walks.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4719

Most of the leaks have stopped, but there's one stubborn one still dripping away in the office. The cadence of drips is much slower now. Maybe things will be back to normal by morning. When everything dries out I will need to bleach away the brown stains in the ceiling and start pretending the house is fine again. I still can't find a good carpenter and my list of potential roofing companies leaves a lot to be desired. A new house sounds appealing, but we already live in the best part of town to have a dog and Dallas real estate is still way too expensive. For better or worse, this is home until we get carted away to assisted living.

I still feel full from our big Thanksgiving meal. It would have been a good day for a long nap, but I got up and went through my regular routine instead. We took Dawn on her sunrise walk, I ate my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, and checked my messages before going on my long walk. It wasn't raining today, but it didn't feel dry either. There was a light mist in the air for most of the day. It kind of felt like walking through fog.

I was very slow today. I didn't feel unusually tired, but my walk seemed to take forever. There must be better way to use my time. My doctor did explain why my Fitbit continues to say that my fitness level is low, even though I spend an inordinate amount of time walking and staying active. Evidently one of the medications I take slows down my heart rate, so I never achieve the elevated levels Fitbit is looking for. This made me feel a little better. I think I'm in pretty good shape and couldn't figure out why the Fitbit wasn't agreeing with me.

I picked up a prescription at the pharmacy this afternoon. I'm still getting better rates using GoodRx than my Medicare Part-D plan provides. The prescription drug plan isn't cheap, so I keep wondering what I'm paying for. The pharmacist answered that question today. She said that they were getting bought by another company that didn't honor GoodRx prices. "You'd better keep that Part-D plan," she said.

It's Black Friday today. Everyone in the world wants me to buy something. My inbox was filled with special deals for everything from astronomy gear to wool socks. Some of the deals were tempting, but I really didn't need anything. I didn't buy anything either. I guess this is progress. A few years ago I would have almost certainly bought something I really didn't need just to get the Black Friday price.

It's time to make a grocery list again. Unlike most people we don't have a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge. I need to remember to pick up the camera gear I will need for our upcoming Santa Paws photo shoots while I'm out tomorrow. The two day event will be here before you know it. I guess it's time to put up a Christmas tree too. Where did this year go?

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

4718 - Thanksgiving

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon. It was worth all the calls it took to get a reservation at our favorite restaurant. The elaborate buffet was delicious, the service was great, and it felt almost like pre-Covid times. We'll just have to remember to make our reservation a little earlier next year.

Thanksgiving dinner was definitely the high point of the day. The rest of the day was a mess. We had a tremendous amount of rain last night. It was a relentless pounding rain that lasted for hours. Not surprisingly, all this rain caused leaks. It's been two or three years since our roof leaks have been this bad. I woke up several times during the night to the unmistakable sound of dripping water. I placed buckets under the leaks and went back to bed. By morning even more leaks had appeared. There are leaks in three different rooms now. What a mess. Some carpeted areas got soaked and will take a while to dry out. 

Since one of the two pumps on wasn't working I was forced to go up on the roof in the rain and try to fix things. I got the pumps working again, swept away a mountain of pecan leaves from the neighbor's tree, and came back inside to warm up. I really need more pumps. One pump for the main roof and another for the carport and storage areas really isn't enough. Initially the pumps were throwing circuit breakers, but after I put each pump on a different circuit, everything started working smoothly. Over eight hours later water is still dripping from the ceiling, but the buckets are filling much slower now. Hopefully by morning the leaks will have stopped.

This roof leak debacle has forced me to think seriously about putting on a new roof again. I got out the bids from several roofing companies I've contacted and looked them over this afternoon. This reminded my of how much I dislike roofers. Each bid had at least one serious flaw and seemed to be designed to protect the roofing company rather than help me. I really want an iron clad warranty that the roof isn't going to leak for at least fifteen years. Nobody even comes close to that kind of promise. Most of the companies didn't even have a good plan for eliminating the low spots that cause ponding during heavy rain. I've got to do something though. It's time for a new roof.

Dawn didn't get a walk today. She didn't even want to go outside. We tried to take her on a morning walk during a break in the rain, but Dawn was smarter than we were. As soon as she did her business, she headed straight back to the house. Not a minute too soon either. As soon as we reached the back porch, it started pouring. 

I wasn't nearly as smart as Dawn. After we returned from our Thanksgiving dinner I still insisted on taking a walk. It was still raining but I've gone almost a full year without missing my daily goal and didn't see any reason to stop now. Somehow I managed to get 15,000 steps on a very rainy day. I think most of those steps were when I was up on the roof. Hey, at least my raincoat works. I got the raincoat for my trips to Kennedy Space Center, but I rarely use it. They don't launch rockets in the rain very often.

I've taken this weeks trash out to the curb and emptied the roof leak buckets several times by now. It wasn't the Thanksgiving I expected, but it was still a pleasant one. We had a wonderful dinner, our house is warm, and we've certainly experienced leaks before. Life goes on.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4717

It was a dismal day with a silver lining. We finallly managed to get a reservation for the Thanksgiving Brunch at our favorite restaurant. We'll be eating a little later than we had planned, but it is all good. An early Thanksgiving dinner is just as tasty as a midday meal.

Luckily, we were able to get Dawn walked this morning before the rain started. We just got a little wet as we returned to the house. This rain shower didn't last long. After I finished breakfast the rain stopped and I was able to take my long walk without getting wet. I don't know why I continue to walk outside when my feet are bothering me. It's definitely easier to walk on the indoor track at the gym. I guess I just didn't feel like driving.

The park was fairly empty today. Cyclists don't like to ride on wet, slick roads and most of the joggers probably have better sense than to be out on a day like this. I suspect that most of the people I saw today were addicted to getting their steps just like me. I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. My gym is closed on Thanksgiving and it is supposed to rain all day.

The pumps on the roof aren't working today. That's unfortunate because it probably means I will start hearing the ominous drip, drip, drip of a roof leak in the middle of the night. I wish the pumps were more reliable. Sometimes they get clogged with leaves and other times during a heavy rain one of the pumps shorts out when the end of the extension cord that connects to the pump is under water. I'm tired of dealing with these problems but they're not going away. I'm always going to have a flat roof that holds standing water.

The websites and apps I use seem to have developed a life of their own. Sometimes they work and other times they don't. Part of the problem is probably my older computer and phone. I have no desire to upgrade just because developers are constantly making changes to their products. I'm sure these folks are just trying to stay ahead of the latest malware and hacking attempts, but it's frustrating. Couldn't everyone just leave things alone for a while.

Sometimes I feel like I live in a world that is crumbling around me. There seems to be a new mass shooting on the news every single day. The country is hopelessly divided and we can't seem to agree on anything. It doesn't feel safe to be out after dark anymore. Homeless encampments are everywhere. People are stealing catalytic converters from underneath your car and you risk a road rage incident every time you go to the grocery store. You can't even escape the madness if you stay home and do nothing. I must get twenty-five spam and telemarketing calls on my phone every single day. I don't even answer my land line anymore. It didn't used to be this way. I don't think young people believe me though. It was always this way for them.

I hope we have a relaxing, enjoyable Thanksgiving tomorrow and don't get caught in a bad thunderstorm. The weather forecast doesn't look good. I"m going to try to stay positive though. Thanksgiving should be a happy time.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4716

Another physical exam is in the books. The doctor agreed that I appear to be in pretty good health. Hopefully today's blood test results won't prove him wrong. I've been debating for weeks about whether to get another Covid booster. I told the doctor that if I haven't gotten Covid by now, I probably wasn't going to get it. I've flown on lots of completely full planes and attended crowded events at the space center during the past several years and never caught Covid. 

When the whole pandemic started I was out at a McDonald Observatory star party where hundreds of strangers came up to look through my telescope. Little kids would cough on me as I attempted to explain what they were looking at. "Hey, I'm good," I told myself. The doctor told me that he felt exactly the same way until he finally caught Covid himself last month. He now feels like everyone in the world is eventually going to catch the disease.

I got the shot. I got a flu shot in one arm and the Covid booster in the other. Piece of cake I thought for most of the day, since I initially felt nothing. Now the arm with the flu shot is starting to hurt. I think I remember the same thing happening last year. At any rate, I'm done fretting about this for the moment. I've done what I could.

On November 22 I always used to go down to Dealey Plaza and listen to all the conspiracy theories about a second gunman on the grassy knoll. The place was a circus with lots of old timers who witnessed the event first hand hawking weird little self published books and pamphlets espousing their own personal theories. Most of these people are dead now. I don't think many people come down to Dealey Plaza anymore. For most younger people, November 22 is just something in a history book. Some of them don't even know who Kennedy was. I still remember the day vividly. I was going to high school in Alaska at the time. Someone came into my English class and told the teacher what had just happened. We were all stunned. Since there was no Internet or satellite broadcasts at the time, we didn't see video tapes of what had occurred until several weeks later.

Other than today's physical exam, it was just a normal day. I even ate my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit when I returned from the doctor's office. I took another long walk in the park because I was too lazy to get in the car and go to the gym. I could do this walk in my sleep by now. Every day is exactly the same. I usually do pretty well for the first several miles and then my feet start to hurt. By the time I return home I'm wondering what I was thinking to attempt such a long walk. My doctor thinks walking is great exercise though and encourages me to keep it up.

I tried one more time to see if there had been any Thanksgiving cancellations at our favorite restaurant. No luck. They aren't even answering their phone anymore. Oh, well. We've still got a place to go that has decent reviews. I hope the weather isn't terrible. Now there are thunderstorms in the Thanksgiving forecast.

Chelsey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4715

I'm not a big fan of Winter. I always feel cold no matter what the temperature is in the house. Life goes on though. We got up early and took Dawn on her sunrise walk. The colder it gets, the fewer joggers and cyclists we see. Dawn is still eager for her morning walks though. It's definitely not too cold outside for her. I guess this makes it all worthwhile. I like seeing a happy dog.

It's back to eating shredded wheat and fruit while channel surfing cable news. I usually end up watching the financial channels because even on a bad day the markets show more promise than current events. The world is kind of a depressing place these days.

When I was flying back from Florida the guy sitting next to me on the plane was watching a weird movie involving hidden treasure, lost sailing ships, and falling out of cargo planes. The movie seemed ridiculous but looked very expensive to produce. Who would make a movie like this? The only clue I had was that Mark Wahlberg was in it. I recognized him. It took about three minutes on Google to discover that the movie was called Uncharted and was based on a popular video game. I guess all this proves is that I have no idea what is going on in the world these days and that you can find anything on Google. I wouldn't recommend the movie.

I thought about going to the gym this morning but didn't really feel like driving. I bundled up in a warm coat and took my long walk instead. Nothing exciting to report today. I didn't see the bald eagles, but did see the resident geese and Muscovy ducks. Many of the trees have already lost their leaves. We don't get a lot of Fall color here, but some of the Oaks are developing a nice golden hue. The only construction that is still going on in the park are five stone gates.  I have no idea what these gates are for.

I paid some November bills today and discovered that my travel has caught up with me. Yikes. With three recent trips to Florida along with dryer and furnace repairs, this was going to be an expensive month. It's too bad there is no demand for my services these days. I'm still a pretty good web designer, but the young ad agency types will do just about anything to avoid hiring their grandfather. Lets face it. My time has come and gone. I had a good run though. No regrets.

I need to remember that I'm having my semi-annual physical exam tomorrow. Time flies. It feels like I just had one of these exams a few weeks ago. Since I will need new blood work, I can't eat breakfast tomorrow morning. I don't like these fasting exams, but I'll just have a larger lunch. After this is over, there's only one more exam for the year. I've still got to see the eye doctor in December. I'm pretty sure he will want to do cataract surgery, but we'll deal with that when the day comes. Maybe I can avoid the surgery for one more year.

I continue to see better pictures of the Artemis launch than I took myself. Disappointing. My pictures weren't bad but there is plenty of room for improvement. It's really hard to master this strange art when I attend so few launches. Some of the good photographers go to all of them. I guess I need to save my money and start planning another trip.

Ranger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4714

It was below freezing when we woke up this morning. I think this was our first hard freeze of the year. Luckily I remembered to set the outdoor faucets on drip before I went to bed last night. Temperatures in the twenties are probably nothing to Northerners, but it seemed pretty cold to me this morning. Dawn doesn't seem to mind the cold at all. She seemed happy on our sunrise walk. I was just happy to get back inside where the furnace is still working fine.

After another big weekend breakfast I went mall walking again. It was much nicer to be walking indoors on a day like this. The Christmas season is in full swing at Northpark. The pumpkins are gone and have been replaced by Christmas trees. There are small trees, large trees, and everything in between. There is a house where you can visit with Santa and a large display depicting the twelve days of Christmas. Most of the store windows have Christmas displays now. It's pretty clear that this mall is doing everything they can to get people to buy lots and lots of stuff.

Mall walking is more popular than I initially thought. There are lots of people circling around the large mall before the stores open. When new products drop at certain stores like Nike and Swatch, lines begin to form hours before the stores open. There was evidently a new sneaker that a lot of people wanted at the Nike store today. There was a long line of young men standing outside the store a full hour before it opened. This seemed very strange to me until I read something about how sneakers are considered an investment by some and that there is a very active resale market. Rare sneakers can dramatically increase in value and collectors always seem to know when a desirable model is going to drop. I guess the same thing goes for certain Swatch watches. This is one more aspect of modern life that makes no sense to me whatsoever. These are not high quality shoes. It's all about fashion and status to a small subset of the population.

When I returned from the mall, Janet and Dawn were ready for our Sunday outing. Luckily the temperature had gotten quite a bit warmer between sunrise and noon. We had another nice one mile walk and then we went for ice cream cones. Dawn got lucky today and received a free pup cone in addition to our regular order. After taking three different walks today, I was ready for a nap after we returned to the house.

This afternoon Janet and I went over to my storage warehouse to look for the backdrop we were planning to use for this years Santa Paws pictures. It's discouraging for me to go to the storage unit now. It's filled with stuff I will never use again but I still can't bring myself to get rid of. Basically the storage warehouse is just a convenient place to postpone making decisions. Eventually we found the backdrop, along with a bunch of stuff that Janet either wanted to give away or throw away. She has her own storage warehouse, but mine is much larger. I need to get a grip on this stuff, but it's kind of overwhelming. It's easier to just pay the rent and deal with it later.

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is this Thursday. I've just about given up on getting a reservation at our favorite restaurant, but our second choice isn't all that bad. I guess we'll just go with that. We never eat Thanksgiving dinner at home anymore. There's no point in cooking a big meal for just two people. 

I hope our current cold spell is temporary. It's much less enjoyable to walk in the park when it's below freezing.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4713

Another cold day. I think today was even colder than yesterday. The cold didn't stop us though. We took our sunrise walk with Dawn, returned home, ate a big breakfast, and got ready for another day. I didn't have a big grocery list today, but shopping still took me a while. 

The stores were really crowded this morning. I guess everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving. For once the shelves were fully stocked. There seemed to be an abundance of everything. Prices were still high, but it was nice to have a feeling of normalcy again. I don't like seeing empty shelves.

I didn't even think seriously about walking in the park today. Our sunrise walk with Dawn convinced me that it was too cold and windy. I went to the gym, feeling thankful for the car's heated seats and steering wheel. When I arrived, I couldn't shoot baskets because there was a game in progress on the court. I got my steps on the indoor track, making fairly decent time. There were more people on the floor today than a typical Saturday. Probably most of them decided like I did that it was just too cold to do anything outside.

The pick up game on the court concluded as I reached the two mile mark on the track, so I got to shoot some baskets anyway. I was terrible today. I guess I should shoot baskets before I walk. It usually takes me about fifteen minutes to reach my goal. Today it took over thirty. Eventually I completed thirty free throws and headed home. I wanted to take a nap, but Dawn looked peaceful on the bed and I didn't want to disturb her. I've been tired ever since I returned from Florida. I'm not sick; just tired.

I started the car and warmed up the engine after dinner tonight to make sure it will start tomorrow. It is supposed to get below freezing tonight. I'll go mall walking in the morning and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. Dawn seems to like the cooler weather, so a cold day tomorrow isn't going to stop her. I'm sure I'll get used to the colder weather. I'm just not there yet.

I've dozed off twice writing this post. I wish I'd gotten more done today, but some days are like this. Maybe I'll have more energy tomorrow. I've got a doctor's appointment for a physical exam on Tuesday and I'm still trying to decide whether to get a flu shot and Covid booster. I don't think I need either, but I'm sure my doctor will try to insist on both. I still think too many meds and you begin to lose your natural immunity to things.  I'm not a fool though. I already take meds to control blood pressure, cholesterol, and a few other things. I didn't initially think I needed this stuff either. I'll probably end up listening to the doctor and then being mad at myself for not following my instincts. I still think the best way to avoid Covid is to just stay away from other people.

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4712

I think it's Winter now. It felt very cold when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk and then it got even colder as the day progressed. I've got plenty of sweaters and warm coats, but it does take a little longer to get dressed in the morning. At least we don't live up North. I can't believe the amount of snow they are getting in Buffalo.

I don't think I accomplished much today. After walking Dawn, I made the bed, ate my breakfast, and waited around the house for it to get warmer before taking my walk. That never happened. In fact the longer I waited, the colder it got. Eventually I put on two coats, got my warmest hat, and went walking. There aren't nearly as many cyclists and joggers on a cold day. People were still walking dogs though. A change in the weather doesn't stop a dog from needing to pee. The ducks and geese must have been hungry today. The group that stays near Sunset Bay were following people around waiting for a handout. I didn't have anything to give them and the geese weren't very happy about that. 

It's time to set out bulky trash again, so I reluctantly hauled a bunch of branches and logs the tree guy left behind out to the curb. These got left behind because I asked hime to cut down another small tree when he was here. This tree wasn't in his bid, which only included removing the larger tree that had fallen on the roof. He agreed to cut down the little dead tree for free, but refused to haul away the debris. It didn't make sense to me, but I wasn't in the mood to argue. Some of the logs seemed very heavy. I'm definitely not getting any stronger. I got the job done though. Ten years ago this task would have been a lot easier.

The house still feels cold, even though the furnace is running normally. This happens every winter because our house isn't insulated very well. We have way too much single pane glass. On a cold day you don't want to stand too close to the windows. The furnace is doing its best though. I bet the gas bill is going to be high next month.

Returning from a trip is always a bit of a let down. I enjoy being part of the space community when I'm down at Kennedy Space Center. These are good people. I'd probably be out there chasing rockets with them if I lived down there. I enjoy being a temporary part of the astronomy community when I'm out at McDonald Observatory too. Oddly I don't feel part of any community here in Dallas, although it is clearly a large city with plenty to do. Sometimes I wonder why I moved here in the first place, but the answer is very simple. There were and still are plenty of good, high paying jobs.

This week has gone quickly. It's hard to believe that it's already the weekend again. Next week is Thanksgiving and we still can't get reservations at our favorite restaurant. I guess there were no cancelations. I'd better start putting my grocery list together. I hope the car starts tomorrow morning. I forgot to warm it up this evening. I probably need to get the battery replaced while it is still under warranty. 

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day