Day 3617

I didn't really expect that it would be 75 degrees today. Just a few weeks ago I could have sworn that winter had arrived. I doubt that this unseasonably warm weather will last very long, but I was happy for the reprieve. I'll take a beautiful Indian Summer day any time I can get one.

The nice weather certainly didn't inspire me to do anything useful. I fixed my morning smoothie, checked my e-mail, made a few minor updates to an animal rescue website, and took my walk. That was about it for the day.

It wasn't surprising that there were a lot of people out in the park. There were no jackets and wool hats today. Everybody was wearing shorts. I wish days like this were more common in Dallas. I finished my entire walk without freezing or sweating. This is the way is should be. Unfortunately, there is rain in the forecast for later in the week.

The spare bulbs for my Norman strobes arrived this morning. We still can't decide whether to buy a new backdrop for this years Santa Paws photos. I have a ton of Christmas themed muslin backdrops from previous years, but since we get a lot of the same customers year after year, it's always nice to have something new. There used to be an abundance of hand painted muslin photo backdrops available, but that's not the case anymore. More and more photographers just use a green screen and insert a backdrop electronically using compositing software. Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer a real hand painted backdrop. I guess it's time to go to the storage warehouse and see what I have. We've been doing the Santa Paws pictures for a long time and there are a lot of old backdrops to choose from. Janet and I only found one interesting new pattern this year and after looking at it for a while, realized that we already had it. Like I said, nobody makes these things anymore.

I keep hoping to hear something from NASA, Sky and Telescope, or McDonald Observatory. I have lots of travel plans floating around in my head, but so far everything is still in limbo. I guess it's OK that things are moving slowly. It gives me something to think about on my walks. I still don't know where I'd live if I get approved to stay at the observatory this Spring. I'm not sure what I'd write about if I attend the Starliner launch either. Is there a story here? I guess I can't call myself a space journalist unless I can prove that there is.

I still can't figure out where the ants are coming from. These little sweet ants are so small you can barely see them, but there are everywhere. I've been bitten at night while I sleep and I found one inside my sock today. It really doesn't do much good to use bug spray if you don't know where they are coming from. You can't kill ants one at a time.

I hope that the weather stays nice tomorrow. One more dry day and I'll feel a lot more confident that my roof patches have fully cured. A dry day won't make me confident about anything else, but you've got to take what you can get.

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3616

We spent another enjoyable afternoon with the Dalmatians. All the dogs are doing well. Lord is finally gaining some confidence. We've discovered that he enjoys being with Sock and is more likely to try things when they are together. Sock isn't the world's best role model, but it's a start. Both these dogs seem to gain confidence by being together. It was a warm, sunny afternoon and Treasure just wanted to sit outside in the sun with us. She gets the gold star for chilling out today. I hope that whoever adopts Charlie will train him to be an agility dog. Charlie is extremely smart with an enormous amount of energy. We've made more progress training him than with any of the others so far. He definitely needs a task to do and tries to please. I think he would do great at agility. Hank's new diet seems to have solved his health issues. He's been stable for well over a month now with no vomiting or bloody stools. Hank is ready for a home. Ginny is ready too. She just needs to remain quiet for a few more weeks while she recovers from her heartworm treatment. We spent some extra time with Jasmine today. It might be the last time we see her before she goes to her forever home. Such a great group of dogs. They were much more enjoyable than spending the afternoon with a bunch of people.

I'm glad I finished most of my errands and chores over the weekend because there wasn't time for much today. All I did after we returned from the kennel was take my regular walk. It was a very nice day, but darkness comes way too quickly at this time of the year. The sun was already setting when I completed my first three miles. I thought if I kept going that I might be able to see Jupiter and Venus in the evening sky. At mile four both of these planets were shining brightly. A little later I was able to see Saturn as well. I'm still not wild about walking at night, but this was an enjoyable evening.

It was completely dark when I returned home but the sky still wasn't dark enough to see many stars. Light pollution is terrible in Dallas. Basically all you can see are the brighter planets and the moon. City skies really make me miss Fort Davis. I'd probably feel safer wandering around this quiet little town at night too. Dallas was a good place to work because the economy has always been good and there were lots of jobs. My little company did well in Dallas. I'm not so sure this city a great place to retire. Cities don't have a lot of appeal anymore. The best thing about living in a city is access to good medical care and fewer snakes. I wouldn't be bored in the country but I would worry about snakes.

The next time I hear leaf blowers next door I need to ask the neighbor's yard guy if he could fix my front yard. I definitely don't want to haul a big load of dirt in my car. The neighbor's yard has a big divot in it as well, so maybe he could fix both at the same time. Filling the hole that the off course car made isn't a huge priority but it does need to be done. Right now it looks like someone threw a grenade in the yard.

I've got the schedule for Santa Paws pictures now. I just need to find out what's happening with the NASA events. Whether I attend another launch or not, it looks like its going to be a busy December.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3615

A loud crash woke me up last night. Even though I was half asleep, I knew I'd heard this noise before. Either a tree had fallen in the back yard or a drunk driver had driven through our front yard. I looked out the window and all the remaining trees were still standing. As I returned to bed I heard a fire truck approach and stop a few hundred yards past our house. Yep. It was a drunk driver again. This morning I confirmed what I already knew. A car had left the road at high speed, traveled through our neighbor's yard, sailed over our driveway, knocked a big divot out of our yard, bounced into our other neighbor's yard, and the returned to the street where it probably landed on its roof. Believe it or not, this has happened at least six times since we've lived here.

The city has three large strategically placed signs indicating that the road turns to the left but it doesn't seem to make any difference. An hour after the bars close, some people just keep driving straight. These accidents always happen between 2:30 and 3 AM. Luckily our house has escaped damage but the neighbors haven't been so lucky. Once, one of these cars took out the neighbor's fence. Another car knocked over a large Crepe Myrtle tree in the other neighbor's yard. Years ago, a car actually hit this neighbor's house. I wish there was a way to just eliminate drunks and substance abusers. The world would be a better place.

Amazingly, I managed to get everything done today. I returned some of the items we used at the adoption event yesterday to the storage warehouse, filled the car with gas, and did all my grocery shopping with time to spare. There was still plenty of time to go to the gym. After my workout, I decided that it was warm enough to go up on the roof and make a few more repairs.

The big bucket of liquid silicon is finally light enough that I could lift the entire the entire thing to the roof. This made the job a little easier and a lot less messy. There is no need to transfer the silicon to a smaller bucket anymore. I swept a thick blanket of pecan leaves off the roof before I started my repairs and then applied about a gallon of the material. We'll see if this helps. I can't see any bad spots, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any.

The sun was already low in the sky before I started my walk. I wondered if I'd be able to make it home before sunset. I wish we hadn't bothered with the time change. I don't really care when the sun comes up in the morning but I do enjoy a little daylight in the afternoon. I had to cut my walk a little short today because I didn't feel like walking in the dark.

I hate the thought of fixing the front yard again. I can fill the big hole with dirt and put in some new St. Augustine sod, but it will just get destroyed again. It might be next month or it might be five years from now, but this won't be the last time that someone driving home after the bars close fails to notice  that the road is no longer straight.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3614

We took Jasmine with us to Petfair today. It's been a while since we've participated in this annual event, but the rescue program has a lot of dogs now and we wanted to give them a little extra exposure. Jasmine was a good candidate to be an ambassador for Dalmatian Rescue. She loves people, is good with other animals, and is less scared of new situations than some of the other newcomers.

Being at a public event was completely new to Jasmine. She'd never even worn a harness before. It took her a while to get used to wearing the harness before we left the kennel this morning. I don't think she ever got used to riding in the car. I wish we'd known ahead of time that Jasmine gets carsick. She threw up several times before we arrived at the adoption event. As soon as the car stopped, she was fine. I understood what she was going through. As a kid, I used to get carsick all the time. I've thrown up in cars, ships, and planes all over the world. We'll know in the future to give Jasmine Cerenia before she takes a car trip.

Jasmine was a little shy when we first arrived at the event. This was all new to her. It didn't take long for her to discover the smell of hamburgers on the grill however. Every time I would take her on a little walk, she would head straight for the big smoker in the back where they were grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. We bought her a hamburger without any seasonings and she loved it. After a few bites of her burger she decided that rescue events weren't so bad after all.

Despite her problems with motion sickness, Jasmine had a very good day. Someone has been interested in Jasmine for a while and her adoption was finalized today. She will be going to her forever home soon. A lot of people enjoyed saying hello to Jasmine this afternoon. Everybody loved her. Maybe her afternoon as a rescue ambassador will help some of our other dogs find their forever homes as well.

It was a long day for all of us, but it was a good one. I think Jasmine was glad to be back in her comfy bed when we returned to the kennel. She was tired and ready for a nap. I was ready to throw my clothes in the washing machine when we returned home. For some reason Jasmine felt most comfortable throwing up when she was sitting in my lap in the car

Tomorrow should be a busy day as well. I will need to finish all of my Saturday errands before I can start my Sunday errands. I should still be able to find time to go to the gym, but I doubt that it will be a 20,000 step day. I've got my priorities. If it's still nice outside tomorrow, I'm going up on the roof and try to find the last of the torn spots. As always, more rain is on the way.

Alvin is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3613

I didn't feel like going out for breakfast this morning. I stayed home and had a piece of pie. Pie is comfort food. Sometimes you need pie for breakfast. It was actually a good idea that I stayed home this morning. It turned out to be a busy day.

I finally discovered why I wasn't hearing anything from McDonald Observatory. They wrote and told me they never received my application. This was very strange because I actually called back in October after I sent all the application material to make sure they had what they needed. There was no point in arguing about this though. I just sent everything they requested again. This time two different people, one in Austin and another at the observatory, acknowledged receiving the material, so I guess I'm OK. This is essentially starting over, but there's no hurry. If I'm accepted to stay on-site at the mountain, I won't be leaving until late Spring or early Summer anyway.

After the big snafu at the observatory, I decided to go ahead and apply for the second NASA event at the Michoud Assembly Facility. Maybe one of these applications will get lost as well. I might as well just apply for everything that looks halfway interesting. Maybe something will stick. The only complicating factor with the two December NASA events is that they are both scheduled back-to-back with Dalmatian Rescue Santa Photo events. If I get accepted I will need to fly out of town right after completing a busy day of pet photography. I guess this won't kill me. Back in the day, I used to frequently leave on business trips after a busy day at work.

All this being said, I don't enjoy being busy anymore. Doing one thing a day is plenty. Some days just going to the post office is enough. I don't know how people with families and lots of obligations handle the holidays. It would drive me insane. Maybe it's just an age thing. I used to be much busier when I was younger. When I look back, I have no idea how I accomplished all the things that used to seem routine.

Just adding a few extra things to my normal routine today wore me out. It took quite a while to get my application straightened out with the observatory. Then there were November bills to pay. After I went to the post office, there were prescriptions to pick up and I needed to get some things at the grocery store. Finally, Janet and I went to my storage warehouse to look for stuff we needed for tomorrow's adoption event. It was dark before I finished my five mile walk.

We haven't done an off-site adoption event for Dalmatian Rescue in ages. Hopefully, this will go well.  We've got everything we need for our booth now and will go up to the kennel to pick up a dog first thing in the morning. Like so many other things, it's hard to believe that we used to do this all the time.

Honey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3612

Ginny has completed her heartworm treatment. We picked her up at the vet this morning and took her back to the boarding kennel. She rides well in the car now, immediately hopping in the back seat and waiting for me to join her. Ginny is much less fearful now. Maybe she knows that she will have a home soon. I think she will be the next to be adopted.

The kennel was too busy for us to play with the dogs today, but we made sure to say hello to each of them and give them a treat. This is a great group of Dalmatians. It's not surprising that they are finding homes quickly. We spent some time with each of them in their kennel runs before we left. The dogs were so friendly. It was like they were inviting us into their homes for tea.

Not much else happened today. We stopped at CostCo on the way home and then I took my walk. Winter has made a temporary retreat. Today was just what you'd expect a Fall day to be. The sky was clear. The leaves are turning beautiful shades of red and gold. There are already more leaves on the ground than on the trees. On a nice day they crunch under your feet as you walk through them.

I made another attempt at contacting McDonald Observatory today but couldn't reach the person I was looking for. I ended up just leaving a message. I'll quit bothering these people for a while. They're busy. I'm not. I still can't decide whether to try and attend Artemis Day at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Opportunities to tour this facility are rare and it would be quite interesting. On the other hand, I've heard rumors that NASA is starting to frown on people who try to attend all of their events. They don't want the same people attending over and over again. Would it hurt my chances of going to the Starliner launch if I try to go to Artemis Day too? Who knows. It's all out of my hands anyway.

I did find the modeling light bulbs I need for my Norman strobe lights and ordered two of them. Twenty dollars a bulb seems a bit steep for a simple halogen bulb, but what are you going to do. At least I don't need a new flash tube. Those cost several hundred dollars. Here's hoping that nothing breaks during this year's Santa photo season. I hate replacing this stuff.

I'm a little disappointed that I'm not getting any stronger even though I've been walking five miles a day for quite a while now. The walks are still tiring and I always feel like taking a nap when I return home. I have to remember that all the people passing me on the trails are in their twenties. I haven't seen a lot of walkers in their seventies.

This week went quickly. Not a lot was accomplished, but nothing went wrong. The trash has been taken to the curb and I'm trying to decide what to do about breakfast tomorrow. I guess I'll need to go out to eat. No smoothie tomorrow. All the fresh fruit is gone.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3611

It was a little warmer today, but apparently not warm enough to get me motivated. I certainly didn't accomplish much. While I was waiting for the temperature to rise, I wrote a letter to my sister and paid a few bills. I'm in no hurry to take an early walk anymore. I debated whether to call McDonald Observatory again or apply for a second NASA event in December and eventually decided to do neither. Maybe I felt that appearing over eager could jinx things.

When I did get around to taking my walk I was surprised when someone stopped me to ask about Dot and Dash. How could anyone even recognize me when I was bundled up like this? Although it was warmer than yesterday, it was still cold enough to warrant wearing my down coat and heavy boots. I looked like the Michelin Man again. I realized later that I was wearing the same winter outfit I've worn outside for many years. These were my dog walking clothes. I was probably instantly recognizable as soon as someone saw the puffy blue coat and wool hat.

There is a big patch of purple asters I pass every day on my walk. These Fall perennials always seem to be the last wildflowers to bloom. I doubt that they'll last much longer in this cold. The butterflies that congregate around these flowers are already gone. They're probably in Mexico by now. Pretty soon the trees will be bare and I won't see any more wildflowers until Spring. I was never very concerned about what to look at in the park in prior years. I was way too busy walking the dogs.

We've got ants in the kitchen again. I think this happens every winter. These are tiny little sweet ants and they seem to be everywhere. We spray and it doesn't do much good, but eventually the ants disappear. One of the many downsides to winter is that the bugs like to come indoors.

I've been a little concerned that my resting heart rate has been higher lately. Why should this change since I do the same things everyday? I did a Google search and learned that your resting heart rate increases when you are warmer and if you are dehydrated. Maybe this explains it. I'm sleeping under a blanket now and wearing much warmer clothes, which I never used to do during the summer. I'm also not drinking as much water. I drank a ton of water when I took hot summer walks. I also learned that my normal resting heart rate in the low 50's is considered very low unless you are an athlete and that my 'elevated' rate in the low 60's is considered normal. Maybe the only thing I really learned today is that I am still a hypochondriac who hates to see anything change.

I need to remember to buy some spare quartz modeling lights and an extra strobe tube for my strobe lights. The SantaPaws season is rapidly approaching and every year I worry that my aging Norman strobes are going to break. I definitely don't want to buy any more studio lights at this point in my life. Good studio strobes have gotten very expensive. I'm hoping that since I basically just use this equipment to shoot Santa photos once a year now, that it will last as long as I do.

The refrigerator was looking empty so I bought some more Cadence Kitchen dinners. I had the Mexican Style Pulled Pork with pineapple and achiote sauce tonight over rice. So good, but they use too much salt. As always, the best tasting things seem to inevitably be bad for you.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3610

It was so cold today. I felt like staying under a warm blanket all day, but knew that I had to face facts and admit that it was winter. I took my time eating breakfast in hopes that it would get warmer. Maybe the temperature rose a few degrees, but it wasn't enough to notice.

I wasn't surprised that the park was empty today. It was just me and an insane jogger who wasn't even wearing a jacket or a hat. I was warm enough. I looked like the Michelin Man, wearing a puffy outer down coat over a lighter inner down jacket. Add a pair of compression pants under my jeans. a wool hat, and some heavy insulated boots and it was a miracle I could even move.

I finished the entire five miles. There were a few spots where the wind was pretty nasty, but for the most part it was a beautiful winter day. I'm glad I dressed warmly. Anything lighter and I would have froze. When I passed the area where the Pelicans spend the winter, they were all huddled together in a big clump. Maybe this was their way of staying warm. What do I know though. If I was a cold Pelican, the first thing I would do was get out of the water.

There seem to be an abundance of opportunities to attend NASA events in December. After I got rejected to attend the Space X ISS resupply launch, I applied to attend the first Boeing Starliner launch a few weeks later. Now there's an opportunity to tour the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. I'm not a huge fan of New Orleans but it would be cool to see the Artemis moon rocket being assembled. Should I apply for this event too? I'm not even sure if I could afford to do both.

I did try to contact the volunteer director at McDonald Observatory today. I haven't heard anything about my application yet. The director wasn't in, so I sent him an e-mail. It would be nice to know if these thoughts I've been having about spending time on Mount Locke this Spring are real or just a fantasy. Sometimes I think all my travel plans are just a fantasy. It's not like I actually need to do any of this.

We'll see what happens. I might be very busy toward the end of the year, or I could just be sitting here wondering if the roof was going to leak. I wish that getting selected to attend rocket launches wasn't so competitive, but that's just the way it is. When something is desirable, there are usually lot of people who want to take advantage of the opportunity. I suspect that being an on-site volunteer at the observatory is the same way. I know for a fact that there are a ton of amateur astronomers who are way more dedicated than me. A lot of them would probably love to spend time at McDonald Observatory. Hey, I rarely even look through a telescope. The only thing that works in my favor is that I'm a pretty decent writer. Sometimes a story needs to be told.

We have a rare adoption event to attend this weekend. Janet and I still can't decide which dog to take. Some aren't quite ready to be around a crowd yet and others might end up being adopted before the event. With the weather we've been having, it might even be too cold for the dogs to be outside. No sense in fretting yet. If I've learned anything it's that a lot can change in a week.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3609 - Veteran's Day

I knew it was going to get cold today, but I had now idea how dramatic the cold front's arrival would be. It was 70 degrees when I started on my morning walk. The weather report said the wind was going to pick up and the temperature would start dropping around lunchtime. The cold front had other ideas. After I had walked about a mile, the wind abruptly picked up and the temperature started dropping immediately. So many Fall leaves were being blown off the trees that it looked like rain. Within a few minutes I was freezing. This was not a time to be a slave to Fitbit. I immediately turned around and headed for home. By the time I returned, the temperature had already dropped twenty five degrees.

The temperature had dropped even further by the time Janet and I arrived at the Dalmatian Rescue kennels. It was way too cold for the boarding dogs to be outside today, so the indoor play areas were pretty full. The kennel staff found us a long unused hallway with some empty kennel runs where we could play with the Dalmatians. They loved this new experience, and eagerly explored every inch of this new territory. Some of the shy dogs seemed to warm up and relax in this smaller, more intimate environment. Sock even started following us around and seemed very curious about what we were doing. This was a big deal for Sock. Janet and I got at opposite ends of the long hallway and started calling Charlie, who would run back and forth between us. You'd never know that Jasmine was once a shy dog. She was playful, curious, and absolutely normal today. All the dogs did well this afternoon. It is not surprising that they are finding homes so quickly.

I was glad that the kennel was nice and warm, because it is going to be very cold tonight. They say the temperature will drop to the low twenties before morning. Add some significant windchill to that number and you've got a very cold day. At least there wasn't much rain today. I don't think I'll have to worry about ice on the roof. I did have a momentary scare when the power went out for a few moments. Luckily, it came right back on again. It was probably just a momentary power surge as everybody turned on their furnace at the same time when they returned from work.

I definitely hope we don't have a power outage tonight. Being without power in freezing weather is not fun. It happened to us once a few years ago and we had to take the dogs and stay in a hotel for several days. So far, the furnace is working great and keeping us nice and warm. Let's hope things stay this way.

I think we're going to have to put some extra blankets on the bed tonight. I'll probably still take my walk in the morning, as long as it isn't raining or snowing. I've got lots of warm coats and some insulated boots. I didn't dress warm enough today, but I definitely learned my lesson. I'm not a big fan of winter, but I do know how to dress for it.

I'm surprised that I haven't heard from the observatory yet. I thought I'd be making plans for a Spring trip to the Davis Mountains by now. I may have to give them a call later this week.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3608

It's back to normal. I got my 20,000 steps. All the weekend errands are done. No more large restaurant meals for a while. Even the pain in my arms from the shots the doctor gave me is starting to fade. I kind of regret not making another trip up on the roof to look for more bad spots, but since it's supposed to start raining again tomorrow, I don't think there's time enough for repairs to dry properly. I don't have that much silicon left. I want to use it wisely.

The park was really crowded today. I think everybody must know that today might be the last day of Fall. According to the latest weather reports, our next cold front will bring temperatures in the twenties. To a Texan, that's winter.

The gym was much emptier than the park, but the roads were horrible. It was almost like a workday. What are all these people doing? Could they be Christmas shopping already? City congestion makes me realize how much I prefer solitude. I fantasize about the Davis Mountains a lot these days. I wouldn't miss the restaurants and shopping malls a bit. I would be a little nervous about not having good medical care nearby. I'm less than fifteen minutes away from some of the best doctors in the world. Dallas has some pretty impressive veterinary capabilities as well, which was equally important when we had dogs. I guess shifting priorities are normal as you get older. I'm a pragmatic person. I'd hate to have a heart attack or even a bad fall in the middle of nowhere.

I hope we don't get any freezing rain tomorrow night. Snow is rare in Dallas, but freezing rain is common. Icy roads create a traffic nightmare. Ice on power lines causes power outages. More trees fall during ice storms than during wind storms. Ice creates a mess on my roof as well. I think the skies are going to clear before the really cold weather arrives. I hope so. I'll have to be quick removing the water from the roof though. I don't want ice accumulating on the remaining trees or on the roof.

All the activity in the park on a nice day makes me wonder about people. Why would someone want to spend hours outside sitting in a hammock looking at their phone? Why has slacklining become popular? What are all these weird motorized wheels people are riding? I looked up a few brands on the Internet and they are quite expensive. There is a sport for everyone I guess. I'll just stick to walking. It's harder to hurt yourself walking.

I'm looking forward to seeing the Dalmatians tomorrow. I really miss having a dog, but I don't miss all the responsibilities that come with having a pet. I kept thinking that yesterday's trip to Palestine would have been next to impossible with a sick dog. Attending rocket launches or spending several weeks at an observatory wouldn't be easy either. We always put our dogs first. That's the way it should be. It's kind of a novelty to be able to put ourselves first for a change.

I still think I'm not getting enough sleep. Maybe I should just quit looking at Fitbit. I usually think I'm sleeping just fine until I look at the Fitbit log and see how restless I've been. The little tracker even logged some aerobic activity in my sleep last night.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3607

Road Trip. We went to Palestine, Texas today to see Union Pacific's Big Boy 4014 arrive on it's journey through the Southwest. It was definitely worth the four hour trip to see this historic train traveling under its own power. The Big Boy was the largest steam locomotive ever built and the 4014 is the last one running. Union Pacific spent over four years restoring this train. It was pretty impressive. I was amazed at how close we could get to the tracks. As I was taking pictures I realized that if I had tripped I might have fallen into the train. Closer to the depot the police had the tracks pretty well blocked off, but we went to the outskirts of town to get better pictures. We had a good clear view and I could put my camera anywhere I wanted.

There were several other photographers with the same idea. One of them had been following the train for several days, carefully picking different locations to get the best shots. A few of the older photographers were walking encyclopedias about old steam trains. I was definitely an amateur in this group. The train was moving faster than I would have thought. It was all over in a matter of minutes. I managed to get a few decent pictures though. I don't think looking through a viewfinder is as enjoyable as watching the same event without a camera. You always concentrate on getting the shot and in the process you miss a lot of the whole experience.

There were so many railfans watching the train arrive in Palestine that I kept wondering why Union Pacific didn't sell tickets and carry passengers on this historic run. The big steam engine was pulling a long line of restored passenger cars and they were all empty. Union Pacific definitely missed a marketing opportunity here. Anyone dedicated enough to follow this trains journey in a car would almost certainly prefer going along for the ride. The passenger cars were the very best from the railroad's glory days too. It would have been quite an adventure.

It's weird that I'm so apprehensive about traveling. Once I'm underway I always have a good time. Janet is a good traveling companion too. She's always up for going somewhere. Last night I was thinking that it wouldn't be worth making this trip. It was just an old train and my arm still hurt from yesterday's pneumonia shot. Luckily, I woke up in a better mood. It was a beautiful Fall day. Too bad the weather wasn't this nice when we went to McDonald Observatory.

The car did well on the trip. It probably would have made it to Fort Davis or even Kennedy Space Center. My gas mileage certainly leaves something to be desired. It's terrible actually. You just can't expect good mileage from a 500 horse power supercharged V-8. My bad shoulder leaves even more to be desired. It can be very tiring driving long distances with a bad shoulder. These were minor issues though. All in all it was a very enjoyable trip.

We thought about stopping in Corsicana on the way home and picking up a fruitcake from The Collin Street Bakery. Neither of us like fruitcake though, so we kept driving. We arrived back in Dallas around dinnertime and stopped at Knife for burgers. The place was crowded since it was a football weekend at SMU. We had to sit at the bar where you can watch the chefs cook. It was much more interesting than I thought, although sitting here for very long would drive a vegan insane. We watched lots of beef being cooked tonight. I was amazed at how thick the uncooked steaks were. They shrink to about half their size as the fat in the heavily marbled meat melts. Our burgers were delicious, but I don't think I'll be eating much tomorrow. I might have to spend some extra time at the gym as well.

I really need to overcome my fear of traveling. I've enjoyed every journey I've taken this year and there's definitely nothing compelling keeping us in Dallas.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3606

My schedule was a little different today. I skipped breakfast because I had an early morning doctor's appointment. They always want you to fast when blood work is required so I just took a quick shower and headed for my appointment. My health appears to be good, but there are always a few surprises when you take a physical. My doctor wants me to see a dermatologist about a rough patch of skin on my face that I've ignored for years. I've always thought that the small scaly patch was harmless Keratosis, but he wants to make sure it isn't a Basal Cell Carcinoma instead. He also wants me to see an orthopedic specialist about my shoulder. I've done this before, but the doctor said it's time to revisit things. "You might not think your shoulder is getting worse," he told me, "but it is."

He did say I was more than healthy enough to spend time in a remote area like McDonald Observatory. I was more than a little envious when he told me that he'd been to the observatory several times and had even taken his grandchildren on a Special Observing Night. They had perfectly clear skies on the day he went.

I wish I hadn't let the doctor convince me to get a flu shot and my second of two required pneumonia shots. I got one shot in each arm and now I am very sore. Maybe the flu shot wasn't a bad idea. I seldom get them, but always worry about getting sick when we are taking Christmas pictures and I am around a lot of people. The reason I seldom get sick is that I'm seldom around people at all.

When I returned home, I noticed that there was still fresh fruit in the refrigerator, so I made myself a lunch smoothie. This was exactly the same as a breakfast smoothie except that I drank it at noon. I had a choice of taking a long walk today or clearing the water off the roof. I'm a pragmatic person, so I opted for clearing away all the standing water before it rains again. It's amazing how much water remains on the roof after the pumps have done their thing. The good news is that the patches I've made directly over the office appear to be holding. There have been no leaks so far. The bad news is that I'm still finding other areas that need to be repaired.

I took the money I made selling my guitar to the bank and picked up the banner at the printer. This time the printer said they would save the file in case I needed it again. This is what happens when you sit on things too long. The printer lost the file and I lost the banner. All is well now. I can't remember clearly, but I think it cost me less to print this banner now than it did ten years ago.

There was no time for a long walk today, but I did take a short walk through the neighborhood before Janet and I went out for dinner. A lot of houses have been updated. I have a feeling that mine might be one of the only ones that hasn't been touched. I still can't decide whether to drive to Palestine tomorrow to seeing Boy 4014 arrive. It's an amazing looking old steam train, but it's just a train and I don't like to drive. Janet's up for the trip. I'll sleep on the idea and see how I feel in the morning.

I applied for launch credentials at Kennedy Space Center again. I'm not quite ready to give up on this idea of becoming a space journalist yet. Since some of you enjoyed seeing Spot, I've featured him again. What an amazing dog he was.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3605

The dentist quickly agreed that my retainer didn't fit. After he and his assistant made several attempts to adjust the retainer so it would fit better, they eventually gave up and decided to make me a new one. I was surprised that they were able to do this while I was there. I guess there are advantages to having an in-house lab. The new retainer fit much better but it required a bit of customization before it would fit properly. I don't think my teeth are that crooked, but apparently they are crooked enough to make fitting a retainer difficult. I asked the dentist if I was too old for orthodontia and he just laughed. "I have several patients in their eighties who are wearing braces," he said. "Your mouth is fine, " he added. "I wouldn't do anything." Hopefully, my retainer problems are over for a while until I manage to break this new one.

On the way home I stopped by the vintage guitar store to pick up a check. I asked the manager who bought my guitar and he said it was the bass player of a British rock band called Temples. They are on tour now and were playing in Dallas recently. It's not surprising that I've never heard of this group, but they are popular in Europe and have been on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as well as The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I listened to a couple of their songs on YouTube and the band was pretty good. Maybe my faithful fretless P-Bass will be featured in a future Temples music video.

My application to cover the Space X CRS-19 launch didn't get accepted. It's not the end of the world, but I was disappointed. Somehow I thought it would be easier to get launch access at Kennedy Space Center now that I've had a launch article published. Apparently this is not the case. Maybe my desire to get published in print publications is actually working against me. NASA seems more interested in getting a lot of social media coverage these days. I'd rather be in a magazine than on Instagram. Hey, it's not all bad. The next time an opportunity arises I'll apply again. While I'm waiting, I'll have more time to put some travel money aside. I've already been accepted to attend three of these special launch events. I'm almost certain that there'll be a fourth one of these days.

Maybe my roof repairs have finally worked. It rained again last night and the roof still hasn't leaked. I'll need to clear away the standing water soon. The weather keeps getting colder and I definitely don't want the water turning to ice. Maybe I'll go up on the roof tomorrow. It's been such a busy week that I haven't had time yet. I go to the doctor for my annual physical tomorrow. Usually this doesn't take long, but I didn't think my trip to the dentist today would take long either. I was at the dentist for quite a while today.

I didn't get started on my daily walk until late in the afternoon. By the time I returned home it was completely dark. The weather was cold and windy, so there weren't many joggers and cyclists in the park today. There were quite a few people walking their dogs in the dark though. That's what you do when you come home from work and your dog is waiting at the door to go out. I've spent many hours walking dogs in the dark.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3604

Today seemed productive. I didn't really do that much, but nothing went wrong. After breakfast I went to the storage warehouse to see if I might still have a copy of the banner I was thinking of reprinting. Nope. It wasn't there. I sent the file I found yesterday to the printer and told them to reprint the banner.

Next, I went to get a haircut. I was amazed to see that all the stores are already in full Christmas mode. There were Christmas trees and decorations everywhere. A crew was already putting together the little hut where kids come to see Santa. It still seems a little early to me, but what do I know. Maybe it was always this way.

My haircut took a while, but I wasn't in a hurry. When I left the mall I could have sworn there there were even more Christmas trees standing than when I arrived. I didn't stop at the Apple Store today. I have very little interest in computers anymore. I didn't stop at the Tesla Store either. When you're thinking about taking long car trips, an electric car doesn't sound that appealing. I guess it's good that I don't feel like buying things these days. I don't have the money anyway.

I found out this afternoon that the last of my vintage guitars has finally sold. The whole process took over a year but I'm happy with the results. I kept one guitar just in case I feel like playing again. I rarely take it out of its case. Maybe I'll sell that guitar one day as well. I'm a bit surprised that I don't miss anything that I've sold. I spent so long collecting some of this stuff and now that it's gone, it's quickly forgotten. I don't regret the years I spent accumulating things, but it's time to move on.

One of the reasons that I'm in a good mood is that even though it rained a lot recently, there have been no further leaks. I haven't been up on the roof yet either. I'm sure there is still standing water. Maybe my last repair attempts actually worked. Of course, a leak could still appear at any minute. That's the way it works with water. It's always waiting to surprise you. I'll leave the buckets out for another day, just to be safe.

Tomorrow, I go back to the dentist to see if they can fix my retainer. I hope they don't try to tell me that it is just fine the way it is. I'll quit wearing the contraption if that happens. The dentist seems confident that he can adjust the retainer. How? The thing is made of hard plastic and it either fits or it doesn't. I hate to make the long drive for a third time, but I'm kind of curious to see what they're going to do.

I took my walk toward the end of the day because of my hair appointment. The time change really makes a difference. I left the house around 3 PM and by the time I returned home the sun was already starting to set. All in all, I think I liked Daylight Savings Time better. I can always sleep a little later until the sun comes up, but when the day ends early you're stuck. I'd better get used to this. Early sunsets are going to be around for quite a while.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3603

What a wet, dreary day. I kept waiting for the rain to stop, but it never did. Clearly the weather forecast was wrong today. My phone kept saying that it wasn't raining and then I would go outside and see rain falling. I'm typically frozen in place on rainy days. I just sit and wait for the roof to start leaking.

I finally gave up and took some bills to the post office in the rain. I cleaned the car when I got home even though I knew that it was supposed to rain again tomorrow. It was a slow, gentle rain so the pumps on the roof would work for a while and then they would quit. I hate to turn the pumps off on a rainy day, but if the water level gets low and there isn't enough water to prime the pump, the motor can burn up. I fret about little things like this because there isn't anything big to fret about.

I finally got so bored that I decided to take my walk anyway even though it meant getting wet. I put on some waterproof boots, waited until the rain slowed to a drizzle, and then made my usual rounds. I guess I've become a slave to Fitbit. I had very little interest in going out and getting wet, but if I stayed home and did nothing, I would break a 57 day streak for meeting all my fitness goals.

It was actually quite pretty outside. It usually is when I don't have a camera with me. The temperature was a lot warmer than yesterday, so this created a lot of fog on the surface of the lake. If I'd had a camera with the right lens, I could have gotten a great picture of the White Pelicans shrouded in fog. They looked like stately ghosts swimming on the lake.

One of the things on my to-do list today was getting a banner reprinted that I'd done years ago. Usually reprinting anything is a simple matter. You just call up the printer and tell them to reprint the job they have on file. Unbeknownst to me, the printer had experienced a major computer crash a few years ago and lost most of their customer's files. Why didn't I know this already? Probably because I very rarely have anything printed anymore. Did I still have this file on one of my computers? It took me forever to find it, but I still did. It pays to save everything.

One of my doctors called today and asked why I hadn't paid a bill they'd sent me in September. The reason was simple. Either my mail carrier put the bill in the wrong mailbox or I mistook it for junk mail and threw it away. Both things happen frequently. I apologized and said I'd send them a check right away. Maybe I actually received the bill and just forgot about it. I hate the thought that I'm becoming even more forgetful as I grow older, but of course I am. It happens.

The rest of the week is going to be busy by my low standards. I'm getting a haircut tomorrow, going back to the dentist to refit my retainer on Thursday, and going to my regular doctor for my annual physical on Friday. It sure looks like I"m going to be doing some of these things in the rain.

Coach is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3602

I really enjoy the time we spend with the Dalmatians on Mondays. We currently have lots of dogs, so our visit takes most of the afternoon. It is time well spent. The dogs all have distinct personalities now. Some are rambunctious. Others are still shy and timid. Most of the dogs walk well on a leash now. A few have already learned basic commands and will sit, stay, and even lie down. Even the shy dogs have learned to take a treat from your hand. We're making progress.

I wish I knew what makes the shy dogs so fearful. You never really know with a rescue. They probably have a good reason not to trust people. Building trust is one of the reasons we spend so much time with these dogs. They need to learn that life can be good. Happy dogs always have an easier time finding a home. It helps that the kennel staff is so good with these guys. You can tell that they are gaining confidence.

Leftie found his forever home this week and someone is going to adopt Ginny as soon as she finishes her heartworm treatment. It's not surprising that the friendly, affectionate dogs tend to find homes faster than the shy ones. Luckily, shyness is seldom a permanent condition. Many dogs have led a difficult life before they entered the rescue program. It is only natural that they might not immediately trust you. Hopefully our attempts to socialize these guys will help them find the homes they all deserve.

I take a shorter walk on Mondays now. I only walked three miles today but it was nice to get outside. I wonder how long this nice weather will last? It is rare that you can take a walk in the park without feeling either too hot or too cold. Today was one of those days.  We're not getting a lot of Fall color this year, but I need to start taking a good camera with me anyway. There are lots of trees in the park and you never know when you'll see a spectacular splash of red and gold.

It looks like the little circus has finished its run in Dallas. They were starting to take down their tent this morning. I wonder why the performers would choose to spend their life this way. Audiences are small and nobody is getting rich. To each his own I guess. The circus performers would probably wonder why I'm attempting to spend time in a remote part of the Davis Mountains looking at the night sky.

I got a bid to replace the large sliding glass door. Unfortunately, it was not the same type of door and the replacement won't look good with the existing architecture.  Even custom fabricators say they can't duplicate the existing door. Jeez. I need those guys on that "This Old House" show on PBS to come to my house. Ordinary contractors just don't seem well equipped to deal with vintage house problems. So many things in our house just aren't made anymore. Even simple things like cabinet hinges have disappeared over the years. I bought spares for some hard to find items years ago, but when the spare parts start to wear out, you are out of luck.

I'm glad that the dentist was willing to reschedule my appointment so I could visit the dogs today. I'm wondering if it is even worth the effort to replace my retainer. I haven't been wearing one lately and everything seems fine. What do I know though? I seldom question doctors and dentists anymore. I've learned that I get better results by doing what they tell me.

Ginger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3601

Daylight Savings Time is over for another year. I used to dread this day when the dogs were alive. It usually meant that their evening walk took place in darkness. It doesn't really matter anymore. I get up when it's light outside and go to bed after I finish writing the blog. I'm so slow eating breakfast that my morning walk ends up being around midday anyway. I don't know many people who like the time change. I certainly don't. Just pick a time and stick with it. When you get used to a schedule, an arbitrary change just seems silly.

The weather was nice again today. These 20,000 step Sundays are always more enjoyable when I'm not fighting the elements. As usual, I went to the gym right after breakfast. I had a god workout this week. Whatever was dragging me down last week seemed to have disappeared. Since the weather was warm, I decided to attempt some more roof repairs when I returned home. I measured where the leak was using a tape measure and then found the same spot up on the roof. The coating was perfect in this area. I looked for weak spots nearby and eventually found a few. It didn't seem possible that the minuscule tears could cause the leak, but what do I know. When there is a lot of standing water on the roof the water pressure could force a lot of water through these small holes when the silicon coating wasn't firmly attached to the substrate. Maybe this was what was happening. I ripped up the silicon coating around one of these small holes and sure enough there was water underneath.

I applied about a gallon of the silicon material to any place that seemed questionable. Truthfully, I have no idea what I'm doing. The roof shouldn't be leaking, but it is. I have a feeling that all my efforts might be pointless. The silicon dries in a nice waterproof sheet. The thickness of the coating is critical though. If the coating is too thin or too thick, it can tear easily. Sometimes even sweeping the standing water off the roof causes the silicon to tear. Since silicon doesn't really stick to what you apply it to, even a small tear can cause a lot of water to get under the coating. Using common asphalt sealers to patch the small holes won't work either because nothing sticks to silicon. The only thing that can patch silicon is more silicon, but you have to do your work perfectly. It's hopeless.

I didn't even have to wear a jacket when I took my walk this afternoon. The weather was just about perfect. There were lots of joggers and cyclists, along with quite a few picnickers. I could smell barbecue everywhere. Even the little circus was putting on a show this afternoon. I think we all know that this weather won't last long. You've got to take advantage of it when you can.

I need to try to reschedule my dental appointment tomorrow. I don't know how I managed to make a dental appointment on the same day we visit the Dalmatians. I'm sure I just wrote down the date the dentist gave me without really thinking. Usually one day is the same as the next to me. I'm lucky if I even know what day it is.

Wolfgang is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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