Day 3638

Today's destination was the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. This unique facility was created in the 1960's to test fire the Saturn V rockets that were being built 40 miles away at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Until you see both of these enormous facilities, you don't really understand the scale of the Apollo program at its peak. To say Stennis Space Center is big is an understatement. It's huge. The Army Corp of Engineers had to acquire five small towns and relocate over 700 people to built the 13,500 acre facility. They needed this much land in order to create a buffer zone that would isolate the entire area from the noise and potential danger of huge exploding rockets.

The rocket test stands were designated as a National Historic Site, but remained unused for many years following the end of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. It took the Artemis program to bring them back to life. The place is buzzing with activity now. The test stands have been completely refurbished in preparation for the Artemis 1 booster that will be arriving before the end of the year from Michoud. The rocket will spend almost a full year here before it is delivered to the Kennedy Space Center for launch.

We also toured the Aerojet Rocketdyne factory at Stennis where the engines for these moon rockets are being assembled. It was the cleanest factory I've ever been at in my life. Even the air is specially filtered to eliminate all dust. We were able to see two of the actual RS-25 engines designated for Artemis 3 which will take astronauts back to the moon. It takes over three years to fully assemble one of these engines. I hope I'm still around to see the results of all this effort.

This trip was an eye opener in many ways. New Orleans feels like you are in a different country. It's a very unique place. I drove across the 24 mile long Lake Pontchartrain Bridge this morning in heavy fog and the sensation was surreal. You couldn't see the water below or much of the bridge ahead of you. It felt like I was driving uphill but this didn't make sense because I was driving over water. It was like I was driving up and up into a thick cloud. If Stairway to Heaven was playing on the radio, the odd sensation would have been complete.

I seemed to have survived eating fried shrimp, beans and rice, and gumbo for three days. I didn't go downtown to eat. I didn't have to. Even the little hole-in-the-wall diner near my East New Orleans hotel had delicious food. There were no tables in this place, so I just ordered a big cup of gumbo and some cornbread like all the other locals and took it back to my room. I doubt that I could eat like this indefinitely. It wouldn't take long to gain twenty pounds.

I'm back in Dallas now. I discovered on my flight that you can text people while you're in the air now.  Who knew? We are living in a world where everyone is always connected. My airline, hotel, and rental car reservations were all made using my phone. The whole reason NASA invited me to Stennis in the first place was that the want people like me to use my phone to tell their story. It's a new world out there. Going to the moon is only a part of it.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3637

The Michoud Assembly Facility is amazing. The building itself is enormous. This is where they built the Saturn V rockets for the Apollo program. It is also where the large orange external fuel tanks for the Space Shuttle were made. Today this historic building is being used to assemble a new generation of rockets that will take the United States back to the moon. Artemis Day is a celebration that the first of these Artemis rockets has finally been completed. It will soon go to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for testing. In a little more than a year from now it will take an unmanned trip around the moon.

When you see the size and complexity of these rockets, you begin to realize why the project is already over budget and behind schedule. The Apollo program basically had an unlimited budget. The object was simply to beat the Russians to the moon at all costs. Things are different now. The NASA folks are trying to do something equally as complicated on a much smaller budget. I hope they succeed. You get the impression that everyone at this factory realizes that the entire program could come to a grinding halt at any moment. The program is expensive and the politicians who approve things like this have been known to change their minds on a dime.

I think NASA invites me to events like this because they know that for space exploration to continue, people need to be enthusiastic about returning to the moon. They're not satisfied with news reports anymore. They want people talking about what they are doing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok, and anywhere else they might reach a new audience. If nobody is interested, the program will die.

Most of the people I met today weren't even born when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. This seems weird to me. I remember the moon landings vividly, but it is just something in a history book to a growing percentage of the population.

I have a feeling that most of these younger folks had an easier time getting to the Michoud Assembly Facility this morning than I did. I got lost several times. Even the GPS in my rental car failed me, taking me to a dead end street on the edge of a bayou. I followed the printed instructions from NASA to the letter and ended up at the wrong Michoud building. This time NASA was wrong. They sent out incorrect direction on how to reach our bus. Luckily someone was able to direct me to the right parking lot before the bus left without me.

Everybody loves to eat in New Orleans. Even the staff cafeteria at Michoud had some delicious creole food. People must live on red beans and rice down here. It's everywhere. It's the same way with Gumbo. Everywhere I've been had a pot of Gumbo cooking. They probably eat this stuff for breakfast. I love the flavors, but I have a feeling I'm going to have heartburn tonight.

Tomorrow we go to Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. It's further away than I thought, but I still think I'll have plenty of time to get back to the airport and catch my flight to Dallas. I hope it doesn't rain. The plan was to be outdoors at Stennis tomorrow and I didn't bring a raincoat. I don't think anyone else did either, so maybe the NASA folks are coming up with a Plan B this evening.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3636

All is well. My flight was on time. I made it to the hotel without getting hopelessly lost. And our second Santa Paws photo shoot went very well. It was a very long day though. We got up early to set up for the Santa Paws event and I just arrived at the hotel a few minutes ago. It's times like these when I wish I didn't feel compelled to do a blog post every day. I'm ready to go to sleep.

We photographed a lot of Dalmatians today since our location was at the Dalmatian Rescue boarding kennel. Some of the rescue dogs got their first picture with Santa. I got to see Ginny again today and she was glad to see me. We also took Christmas pictures of Hank and Treasure. Most of the day was spent photographing other breeds though. We saw everyone from Great Danes to Chihuahuas today.

We have one more Santa Paws event next weekend and then we're done for the year. I enjoyed doing the photography this year. It was just as tiring as always, but it gave me a chance to hang out with some great dogs. I guess I really miss having a dog around.

I don't know why I'm even bothering with going to bed tonight. I've got to get up at 5 AM in order to make it to the Michoud Assembly Facility on time. I still don't know why we're starting so early. I guess I'll find out tomorrow. I hope traffic isn't bad in the morning. I found New Orleans roads confusing even when the traffic was very light this evening. I wouldn't want to be driving around in this town right after a Saints game.

I always think I plan well, but there are always things I never expect. I usually use my T-Mobile hotspot to connect to the Internet when I'm traveling. I couldn't connect to T-Mobile at all this evening. Does New Orleans even have T-Mobile? I also had trouble finding a rental car with GPS. Finally my rental car company ended up borrowing a late model car from another rental car company. I'm glad I insisted on GPS though. I would have been lost without it. East New Orleans is a lot different from the French Quarter.

I'm always surprised at how many people are traveling when I go to the airport. There are thousands of people on the move at any moment in time. Where are all these people going? I didn't expect to see many people late on a Sunday night but the plane was almost full. Planes always seem to be full. I'm sure I'll go to more rocket launches in the future and maybe an observatory or two as well, but I don't think travel will ever seem normal to me.

Willow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3635

One down, two to go. I'm happy to report that our first Santa Paws event of the year went well. The animals were well behaved. The customers were happy. And none of the equipment broke. No dogs vomited or peed on the backdrop either. You really can't ask for more than that. We photographed more cats than I expected. I don't think the cats were expecting to be photographed either. Most of them clearly didn't enjoy sitting on Santa's lap. A few of the dogs enjoyed things a little too much, although nobody was really naughty. Santa was pleased.

I'm a little slower than I was last year. I stayed sitting for most of the day and my knees were thankful. It just isn't as easy to get up and down anymore. I may be falling apart, but the rest of the team has entered the modern age. We can take mobile payments now. We don't burn a CD for customers anymore. When they want all the pictures of their pet, they get their own Flash Drive. I'm amazed at how affordable Flash Drives have become. We couldn't have done this five years ago.

We'll be doing Santa photos at a different location tomorrow. Tomorrow's event is further away, so Janet and I will need to get up even earlier in the morning. It takes about an hour to set everything up and about the same amount of time to put all the equipment away again. Add another hour of driving time each way and it's going to be a long day. Our team of volunteers have become very efficient over the years. Everybody knows what to do and there are very few surprises. When the day is over, I always think that we do the best Santa photos in town.

I should go to bed early tonight but that's not going to happen. I've still got to pack for my NASA trip.   I'd like to think I've got these short trips down to a science, but it's so easy to forget things. Did I remember my passport? Did I remember to take all my meds? Can I even find my hotel? I like to travel light, so I almost always leave an important item of clothing behind. If I think I can live without a warm coat, it's almost guaranteed to be cold when I arrive. I'll do the best I can, but I'm never going to enjoy packing a suitcase.

I wonder how many more years I can do this? I'm a little slower every year, but somehow everything still works out OK. I guess it's good to stay busy, but it doesn't feel natural. Right now it feels more natural to get up at 10 AM and have a trip to the post office as your big event of the day. I'm still a little apprehensive about traveling on the same day we do one of these big photo events. Hey, I can do this. When it's all over, I'll probably be glad I tried to extend myself a little. I know I will enjoy seeing the Artemis moon rocket at the Michoud Assembly Facility. I enjoyed seeing all the dogs today as well. Some even made me laugh. I don't laugh nearly enough. Truth be known, being a pet photographer who likes to follow rocket launches isn't a bad way to spend your time. I think it would be even more fun if I was thirty again.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3634

I think we're ready. The costumes, the set, and all the camera gear has been packed up and is ready to load in the car. The new backdrop looks good and everything appears to work. Tomorrow morning we begin the first of this year's Santa Paws events. These Christmas photos have become a popular fundraiser for Dalmatian Rescue and we will be busy. Hopefully all the dogs will be well behaved and none of the equipment will malfunction. We used to just take pictures of dogs with Santa, but now people bring their children and other pets as well. Hey, why stand in line for a shopping mall Santa when you can have your picture taken with the best dog Santa in town.

I woke up to the sound of hammers pounding nearby. I looked out the window and our neighbor was putting on a new roof. Actually, a lot of people in the neighborhood are putting on a new roof. Probably the insurance settlements from last Summer's big storm finally arrived. Why is it so easy for people with a conventional roof to get insurance to pay for roof damage and it is always so difficult for me. I've had large trees fall on our roof and the insurance agent just shrugged and said he didn't see any damage. Basically, when shingles blow off in a wind storm, insurance comes to the rescue. When standing water slowly causes a leak to develop over time, insurance does nothing.

I went out for breakfast again this morning after staying home on Friday for the past month or so. Why won't restaurants let you order a child's portion of anything on the menu? Better yet, why don't they just make their portions a little smaller. I grew up learning that I needed to finish everything on my plate and the habit of cleaning my plate persists until this day. I'm always too full when I go to a restaurant because I am unable to leave with uneaten food still on my plate. Today's breakfast was good, but it reminded me that it's better to stay home where I can control the portion size.

I haven't started packing for the NASA trip yet, but I did get the laptop ready. I thought by connecting Safari to my iCloud account, I could avoid having to remember a lot of passwords. No such luck. I was able to merge my bookmarks, but none of the website passwords transferred. Maybe there was a reason for this, but it just meant extra work for me. I made sure that the airline, hotel, rental car, and NASA information web sites worked, saved the passwords, and then called it a day. Most of this stuff is already on my phone, but like most things in life, it's always good to have a backup.

After running a few errands, writing a letter to my sister, and getting the photo gear organized, I was surprised to discover that there was still time for a walk. I knew I would be returning in the dark again, but I've become a slave to Fitbit and needed the steps. I also need my sleep tonight, so I'm going to try to go to bed early. Lots of luck with that. I never seem to get to bed early.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3633

I am terrible at multitasking. Getting ready for my NASA trip and the Santa Paws photo shoots at the same time is wearing me out. There really isn't even that much to do. I just can't seem to do two things at once. I guess I'm making progress though. My travel arrangements have been made. I'm starting to get my camera gear organized. And amazingly, the new photo backdrop arrived from China this evening, right on schedule. I never even heard the DHL driver arrive, but he sent me an e-mail two minutes after he delivered the package. Those Germans are pretty efficient.

Every time I travel I try to think of an easy way to get the same things on my laptop that I have on my  desktop computer. This is impossible of course because the desktop computer has a humongous hard drive and the laptop has a relatively small one. I'm always forced to make a list of important information that I might need while traveling and copy it over to the laptop one file at a time. I really don't want all the e-mail I've ever received or all the photos I've ever taken to reside on the laptop, but it can be a pain to sort through the maze on information on my main computer. I usually just end up writing down a few important things on a piece of paper and putting it in my suitcase.

I need to go out and buy batteries and a roll of blue painter's tape tomorrow. I do this every year before we begin the Santa Paws events. I still have plenty of batteries from previous years that I've never even used, but I'm never sure if they are any good. Fresh new batteries make me feel more secure. I've got plenty of Duct Tape, but it is sticky and can make a mess. Painter's tape is much better for taping down power cords to keep them out of the way. I take a spare camera just in case my main camera malfunctions, a spare power pack for the strobe lights, spare bulbs for the modeling lights, lots of batteries, and extra memory cards for the cameras. What I really need is a spare photographer.

Spaceflight Magazine contacted me and said my proposal for an article sounded interesting. It was so interesting in fact that the magazine has been working on the same idea for several months now. Timing is everything. All is not lost however. They asked if I would be taking pictures while I was at the Michoud Assembly Facility and said they might publish them with the article that was already being prepared if I could get them to the magazine in time. I'll give it a try.

There were lots of things I should have done today, but I insisted on taking my five mile walk first. When I returned from the walk, I was too tired to do the other things. This happens almost every day. I'm not sure if I'll have time to walk tomorrow. All the gear bags for the photo shoot need to be packed and I need to start packing my suitcase as well. Did I mention that I'm terrible at multitasking?

It took forever to add my blog post to Facebook last night. For a long time Facebook refused to load a preview picture with the link. This happens sometime and it drives me nuts. I want everything to be consistent. I hope things go smoothly tonight. I've still got to take this week's trash out to the curb and there there's another old Perry Mason episode to watch before I go to bed.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3632

I got detailed instructions for the Artemis Day event today. The instructions covered what to wear, when to arrive, and how to find the place. Among the detailed instructions was a disconcerting note that said "Your GPS may try to route you onto Chef Highway or Almonaster Blvd. These routes should be avoided." Jeez. I depend on GPS. If I'm told to ignore it, I'm lost. I also learned that it will probably rain when I'm in New Orleans. Should I take a raincoat? Do I even have a raincoat?  I got the impression that umbrellas aren't allowed in the building. Evidently food will be available at the Michoud Assembly Facility, but you must bring cash. No credit cards accepted. The instructions were much more detailed and complicated than the ones I received before going to Vandenberg Air Force Base and Kennedy Space Center. I'm a little apprehensive, but this should be interesting.

I couldn't remember whether I took my evening meds last night. I never forget my morning meds, but  sometimes I forget what I'm doing in the evening. I guess my morning routine is much more regimented. There's a difference between forgetting to take a pill and forgetting whether you took a pill. I figured that it's better to skip a day than to take a double dose by mistake. No harm was done but it is frustrating to have these memory lapses. I still don't know if I took the pills last night. Don't worry. I'll remember tonight.

I took my walk a little earlier today. I like seeing the stars start to appear as the sky grows darker, but I think that I'd rather have my dinner at a decent time. I wish I could think of a more compelling reason for taking these walks. I'm sure that walking is good for my health, but I mostly do this just to make the days seem shorter. With no work deadlines and few strong desires, uneventful days can seem really long.

The photo backdrop has almost completed its long journey from China. It is in the DFW area now and I think it will be delivered tomorrow. DHL doesn't seem to have a "signature required" policy like UPS and FedEx. I don't know whether I need to stay around and wait for the package or not. I hate signature required packages. You wait around all day and then the package isn't delivered until 8 PM.

I hope your favorite charity did well during yesterday's Giving Day. I'm still not sure how these Giving Days work. Does everybody get matching money, or are only some groups eligible? I think Dalmatian Rescue did well. I hope we got the matching money. We certainly could use it. There are more dogs in the program right now than we've had in a long time. I just heard that six more Dalmatians will be coming to us soon as well.

Our first Santa Paws photo shoot is this Saturday. It's time to start charging batteries and checking the cameras. Maybe if I get more sleep for the rest of the week, I'll have lots of energy on Saturday. Sure. That's going to happen. Maybe I'll win the lottery too. I have a feeling I'd better get used to being perpetually tired.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3631

I finally got the Christmas tree up today. It doesn't seem possible that the year is almost over again. Where did the time go? Jeez. I still have things on my to-do list from last Summer. I try to keep up, but it's getting harder and harder every year. One of these years the tree is just going to seem like too much trouble. I've already stopped buying a pumpkin for the front porch on Halloween.

All the dog things we brought home for Ginny went back to the storage warehouse this morning. I returned with a big load of photo gear for the upcoming Santa Paws events. I doubt that I retrieved everything I need, but it's a start. We've been doing these holiday photos for so long that we've almost got it down to a science. I still forget things though. At least I've got a few more days to remember. I felt optimistic and didn't bring home any of the old muslin backdrops. I still think the new backdrop we ordered will arrive on time.

It took a lot longer than I thought to add the new petcam we bought to the network. The price was right on this thing, but the instructions were almost nonexistent. I knew the camera would probably work because when I looked at the comments on the website, people either loved it or hated it. Usually when you get such a polarized response it just means the device is difficult to install. I almost gave up, but eventually I did something right and the little camera sprang into life. Hopefully the petcam will keep working until the next time we foster a dog.

The hotel I booked in New Orleans called me this morning and told me that my credit card had been declined. WTF? I know this card is good. After sitting on hold for what seemed like forever, the issue finally got resolved. Apparently, the credit card company didn't think someone like me would really travel to New Orleans and just declined the charges in an abundance of caution. Why didn't they ask me first? Janet says I make my life difficult by still using the land line for contact information. She says credit card companies will send you a text that you can confirm on the spot if they have questions about a purchase. Who knew? I think they called the land line I had on file and nomorobo thought they were a telemarketer and kept hanging up on them. Life is way too complicated these days. The technology we use to make our lives easier often ends up making it harder instead.

By the end of the day, I felt like I finally had my ducks in a row. I added apps for the airline, the hotel, and the rental car company to my phone. I sorted through the photo gear to see if I had forgotten anything. I showed Janet how to use the new petcam, and I made sure the Christmas tree lights worked. Not bad for a Tuesday.

By the time I finished my walk, it was dark again. It really doesn't take much to completely use up my day. I used to accomplish so much more in a day, but for the life of me I don't know how. Even though I didn't accomplish much, I felt really busy today.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3630

We took Ginny back to the kennel today. She should go to her forever home this week. It was hard to say goodbye. Ginny is a very sweet dog who really seemed to enjoy her Thanksgiving vacation. She followed me everywhere during her stay with us and I know she was disappointed with me today. I could tell by the look she was giving me. I hope her happiness quickly returns when her new family takes her home with them.

I finally got organized and made my travel plans for the upcoming NASA trip. I've been putting this off because I couldn't make the arrangements I wanted. There are no hotels near the Michoud Assembly Facility and I'll be taking a night flight to New Orleans because we have a Santa Paws event the same day that I'm leaving town. I'm not looking forward to driving at night in a strange city. It can't be helped though. I definitely need a rental car with GPS.

I always really enjoy these special NASA events, but getting there is like pulling teeth for me. I'm not a natural traveler. I wonder if this will ever change? Once I'm airborne, I'm fine. It's just the planning that drives me crazy. I don't like airports. I don't like packing bags. I'm kind of nervous about Uber drivers. My idea of fun is taking a nap with a dog in my own house. Doing something adventurous seems crazy to me. The only reason I keep doing these things is that when it is all over, I'm usually glad I made the effort. Nothing ventured, nothing gained is not an easy truth, but it is true.

By the time we returned from taking Ginny to the kennel it was getting late. I still took my walk though. It was really dark when I got home today. These long walks are a source of stability. I like doing the same things day after day. Sometimes I think about the future on these walks, but I never think about the past. I don't even remember the past very well. I think this is on purpose. There are enough problems with the future. You just can't worry about the past.

I guess it's time to put up a Christmas tree. We didn't do anything while Ginny was here because we didn't know how she'd react to having a tree in the house. Some of our dogs have completely ignored the tree, while others have liked to sneak off with ornaments. Ginny did like to walk off with small pillows and rolls of toilet paper, so it's just as well that she didn't have the temptation of a tree.

It's hard to believe it is December already. I haven't heard anything about attending the Starliner launch in Florida so I assume that I never got off the wait list. It's just as well. The month is already too busy as it is. We're got two Santa Paws photo shoots this weekend and then I go to New Orleans. There's another Santa Paws event the following weekend and then Janet leaves to visit her relatives. I think the photo backdrop is going to arrive on time though. It has cleared customs in Hong Kong and is on its way.

Greta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3629

Another active Sunday. I managed to put 22,000 steps under my belt today. It didn't hurt that it was a clear, sunny Fall day. Janet and I took turns being away from the house, so someone was always home with Ginny. When I returned from the gym this morning she gave me one of those Dalmatian smiles. This was the first time we'd seen Ginny smile. I think she likes me.

Some days it's hard to take my five mile walk after I've been to the gym, but today I seemed to have more energy than usual. I even managed to clear the water off the roof as well. When I was walking, I saw my first Kestrel of the season. You never see these birds in the summer, but the American Kestrel is a frequent visitor to the park during the winter months. These small falcons always seem to be looking for food. I also saw a formation of White Pelicans returning to their winter home on Pelican Bay. They approached at a high altitude and then descended in a concentric circle. They almost looked like little airplanes on final approach.

I've decided that I like walking toward the end of the day. As the shadows grow longer and twilight approaches, everything changes quickly. If I start my walk at 4 PM, I can go from full sunlight to darkness in less than two hours. Sunsets are always beautiful on the lake on a clear day. As I approached home in late twilight, I was able to see Venus and Jupiter again. Venus was higher in the sky while Jupiter had moved lower. I was surprised at how much their positions had changed since the last time I saw them.

I was also surprised at how well my roof repairs have held up. We have had a significant amount of rain since I made the repairs and so far there have been no leaks. When I cleared the remaining standing water away this afternoon, everything looked pretty solid. I think my technique in applying the silicon material has improved. This stuff is very expensive and I used to apply a thin coat to cover a wider area. That was a bad idea. You need a thick coat to be effective. It's almost best if you just pour the stuff on the roof and let is flow, rather than try to spread it thinly using a paint roller. I'm learning. I have about a gallon to the silicon material left. I'll try to use if wisely the next time we have a really warm day.

We got another pet monitor to replace the one that broke recently. This probably means that we will be fostering more dogs in the future. Ginny needs to return to the kennel tomorrow afternoon. We've really enjoyed having her as a house guest, but she needs to go to her forever home soon. I used to think that it would be impossible for me to foster dogs because I would want to keep them all. Ginny is near perfect, but I am glad she has already found a good home. I don't know what has caused me to become a little less possessive but it's probably a good thing. Maybe we helped prepare Ginny for the journey she has ahead. On the other hand, maybe we just spoiled her. Either way, it was a very pleasant week. I'm going to miss this girl.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3628

I'll never get used to Texas weather. It was so warm today that our air conditioner came on again. It was actually a very nice day; just a little unexpected. I should have taken advantage of the situation because warm weather like this won't last long. Another cold front is probably already on the way.

I got my grocery shopping done right after breakfast so I could be home again when Janet needed to leave. Ginny did well when we were away for Thanksgiving dinner, but we hate to leave her penned up. This is her vacation and we'd like it to be enjoyable. By all indications, Ginny is having a very good time. She is totally relaxed now and like many female Dalmatians is showing us her bossy side. She reminds us a lot of Dot. She is very gentle and well behaved, but isn't shy about letting you know when it's time to get up, when it's time to go to bed, and when it's time for dinner.

I should have made my travel arrangements today, but I never got around to it. I didn't go up on the roof either. Basically all I did was fill the car with gas, get a few groceries, and take my walk when Janet got back home again. Looking after Ginny gave me a good excuse to sit around the house and be lazy. Ginny is definitely a good dog to take a nap with.

The park was packed with people this afternoon. I guess everybody knew that a seventy-five degree day on the last day of November shouldn't be wasted. It's weird that even Mom's pushing strollers are faster than me in the park, but I'm still pretty speedy at my gym. It's all relative I guess. Twenty-five year olds move faster than seventy-five year olds.

The Pelicans were gone today. This happens from time to time. I wonder where they go? They never seem to do anything individually. It's all or nothing with these birds. They probably just get bored swimming around Pelican Bay all day. They'll probably all be back tomorrow. All this group activity makes the one Pelican who stayed behind last Summer seem even stranger.

I still haven't fixed the big divot in the front yard made by the speeding car a few weeks ago. My neighbor hasn't fixed her yard damage either. I wonder how long it would take for nature to just fix the problem naturally? The missing grass would eventually fill in. Erosion would round out the sharp gouge. In five years everything would probably look fine again. I probably can't get away with ignoring this for five years though.

It's back to the gym tomorrow. I'd better get the water off the roof too. There's no point in tempting fate. If I keep up my part of the bargain, maybe we can avoid further roof leaks for another year or two.

Belle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3627

Lots of rain today. It was such a dismal, wet day that I decided to take my walk at the gym. This was a first. Driving in the rain to walk on an indoor track isn't something you'd expect of me. Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Walking five miles on an indoor oval track is much better than getting cold and wet in the park. I may do this again. There is no sensation  of distance when you are walking on an indoor track. The only sensation is of time. To my surprise, I completed my walk faster than I do in the park. This was probably because there were no hills to climb. I also passed people on the track, which almost never happens in the park. People in the park are young and fit. People at my gym are taking physical therapy or recovering from heart attacks. I often think I'm one of the younger members.

I had to pick up something for dinner on my way home from the gym and the store was almost empty. I guess everyone was eating leftovers today. Since it was a cold, rainy day I thought we'd have chili for dinner. Eating chili almost guarantees that I'll have heartburn later this evening, but it still seems like the perfect meal for a wet winter day.

I guess it's a good sign that there are still no roof leaks. We've had a ton of rain lately. The pumps on the roof have been working pretty well, but they don't even come close to removing all the water. At best, the pumps can turn four inches of standing water into one or two inches. To remove the rest I have to get up on the roof and sweep the water over the edge of the roof with a big push broom. When it eventually stops raining, that's what I'll be doing.

Ginny has discovered squirrels. We may have to start taking her out to pee on a leash again. A dog that is recovering from heartworm treatment shouldn't be running around the back yard trying to catch squirrels. All our dogs have liked to chase squirrels. Dot even caught a few. It doesn't help matters that there are a ton of squirrels in the park. They could care less where the park ends and our yard starts. I've seen up to a dozen of them in the yard at the same time.

I didn't do any Black Friday shopping today. Instead, I deleted hundreds of Black Friday messages from my e-mail inbox. The ads and e-mail spam are relentless. From now until Christmas, retailers are determined to sell me something. These guys should know that I'm not really their target audience anymore. I don't need much. Unless someone's going to offer me a Mercedes Sprinter van for half price, I'm not interested.

Fitbit says that I am sleeping better since Ginny has arrived.  This is a bit counterintuitive, but it makes sense to me. Having a warm dog next to you is comforting. I didn't sleep well when Dot and Dash were sick, but they needed lots of attention. When our dogs were young, we all slept well. Ginny certainly has no trouble sleeping. She is sleeping next to me right now.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3626 - Thanksgiving

It was a nice relaxing day. We stopped cooking on Thanksgiving years ago and just go out to a nice restaurant. It's a no dishes, no stress holiday for us. I think we finally found the best Thanksgiving buffet in Dallas and we've been returning to the same place for the past four years.

Eating out on Thanksgiving is more popular than you might think. We see young couples, families of all sizes, retired people, and today there was a large family gathering of at least thirty people. The food is delicious. I just had a bagel and a cup of coffee this morning so I'd have room to try everything that looked good. Janet and I eat healthy all year long. This is probably the one time where we overindulge. We start with a salad plate of interesting salads, move on to a seafood plate, and then have a big plate of traditional Thanksgiving fare. You've got to have sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top at Thanksgiving. I finally decided that you don't have to eat turkey though. In recent years I'll have prime rib instead. There's something old fashioned about prime rib. It reminds me of going to Lawry's when I was younger.

We checked on Ginny using the iCam app while we were out. She was fine. She actually did better than Dot or Dash tended to do when left alone. As soon as we left the house, Ginny immediately went to her Kuranda bed and went to sleep. She was glad to see us when we got home though. I think she smelled that we had a treat for her almost immediately. We gave her a little bit of turkey and prime rib and she loved it. Ginny is such a sweet dog. It will be sad to see her leave, but I know she is going to a great home.

It was a lot warmer last Thanksgiving. This year it was pretty cold and nasty. It rained a lot last night and I got the pumps on the roof running as soon as I got up. I should have just taken a nap when we returned from dinner, but I decided to walk it off instead. This was probably a mistake because the light mist was still enough to get me quite wet after the first three miles. There was nobody in the park except for a few dedicated runners. It was very cold so I was wearing two coats. After an hour the outer coat was soaking wet and felt twice as heavy. My shoes were wet as well. I decided to cut the walk short so I could come home and warm up again. I guess the walk did me a little good. I don't feel as lethargic as I usually do after a huge meal.

Our backdrop for the Santa Paws events is coming from Singapore. We'll see how long it takes to get here. I think it shipped today. I have a feeling that it will arrive before our first event. DHL is usually pretty fast. I used to have to ship things internationally and was often amazed at how quickly air freight arrived. Hey, if it doesn't get here on time, I've still got plenty of backdrops from prior years.

Tomorrow, I'll make my travel arrangements for the NASA event at Michoud Assembly Facility. It's going to be a busy December. I definitely won't be going out to breakfast tomorrow. I'm so full I may not eat breakfast at all.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3625

As Ginny continues to become more relaxed, she is acting more and more like every Dalmatian I have ever known. She is a velcro dog who follows me everywhere. I have to be careful not to trip over her because she is always nearby. If she wants something, she will nudge me with her snout or if I'm at my desk will slap me with a paw. Usually what she wants is food. If I'm up, she always heads straight to the kitchen. She loves to take naps and already has a favorite blanket. As luck would have it, I'm fond of naps too. Ginny is always right beside me on the bed. If this girl didn't already have a good home after she finishes recovering from her heartworm treatment, it would be very hard to take her back to the kennel.

We wanted to make sure that Ginny was comfortable being alone in the house, so we set up a camera to watch her in a safe gated area while we walked around the block. She wasn't frantic at all. She sat in her Kuranda bed looking at the door for a few minutes and then curled up and went to sleep. We repeated this exercise twice and she was fine both times. When we returned, she got off her bed and began following me around again. I'm glad she used the Kuranda bed. When we're here, she doesn't go near it and prefers the comfort of our large king-sized bed. Like I said, she appears to be a very normal Dalmatian.

When we were doing our little test, I was disappointed to discover that our Baby Monitor doesn't work anymore. I don't know when it broke. We haven't used it since Dash died. Luckily, there was an alternate way to keep an eye on Ginny. I still have the iCam app on my phone. Even though this app is very old, it still works. You can use any computer or another phone to sent the pictures and then you receive them on your iPhone. I wrote the Withings company to see if they could fix the broken Baby Monitor but I doubt there is much they can do. Like many things in our house, this handy monitor is too old.

I wrote the editor of Spaceflight Magazine to see if they'd be interested in an article about the Artemis Program and then signed up for a rental car loyalty program. Now that I'm visiting observatories and getting invited to NASA events, I'm renting more cars than I ever thought I would a few years ago. Maybe if this continues, I'll get a free rental one of these days.

I probably spent more time napping with Ginny than anything else today. I did take my five mile walk though when Janet returned from her errands. Walking is when I think and plan things. I'm not sure how much good this does since my mind wanders and much of what I'm thinking about evaporates as soon as I return home. Even though I'm not a disciplined planner, I do think I'm making progress. I've been to Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, and McDonald Observatory this year. Oh, and I managed to see the Big Boy steam engine in operation too. Hopefully, by this time next year I'll be able to add more interesting things to this list.

No fruit smoothie for me tomorrow morning. Thanksgiving dinner is almost an all day event and I need to save room for some holiday indulgence.

Spots is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3624

There's a dog in the house again. So far, Ginny seems to be enjoying her vacation. We picked her up at the kennel this afternoon and the place was already filling up with holiday boarding customers. She definitely rides better in the car than Hank or Jasmine. We made it home without any vomiting or frantic barking. It didn't take Ginny long at all to relax and make herself at home. She's definitely a Dalmatian. Within an hour she was taking a nap on our bed. She's a counter surfer too and took a great interest in the way I was fixing my dinner this evening.

I think a few days of peace and quiet will be good for Ginny. When the kennel is crowded, she barks a lot. This is pretty normal. When one dog starts barking they all start barking. We haven't heard a peep out of her at the house. She's curious and follows us around like glue but she is very gentle and well behaved. Ginny has already found her forever home but she can't join her new family until she finishes her heartworm treatment because they have other dogs. She needs to remain quiet for a while longer as the remaining worms continue to die. It won't be long though. In just two more weeks she'll be ready to run and play with her new friends. I hope she enjoys her new life. The family who adopted her certainly got a wonderful dog.

I took my walk today before we went to the kennel. What happened to our nice weather? It was still warm but very humid and overcast with a few light showers. I got wet but it was OK. I'm used to walking in the rain. The roof got wet as well, but I think the repairs I made the other day had plenty of time to dry. We'll see if there are any problems. I think more rain is expected later in the week.

I need to start making my travel plans for the trip to the Michoud Assembly Facility and Stennis Space Center soon. I'm not wild about arriving in New Orleans at night, but that's the way it's got to be. I'll try to find a hotel near the NASA facility. As long as I get a rental car with GPS navigation, I'll be fine. I still wish this event didn't start at 7 AM, but what are you going to do? I'm not going to complain. I feel lucky that I got selected to attend this special event.

I think our new photo backdrop is going to ship tomorrow. I'm real curious where this is coming from. I'm pretty sure these backdrops are printed on demand in China when you order them, but there is no address for the company on their website. The website is well designed and the shopping cart storefront works well. Customer service is responsive too, even though you can tell that English is clearly a second language. They must ship the backdrops by air freight. They promised to meet a very tight deadline that some companies here in the states couldn't deliver on. I hope this works out. Just having a lightweight backdrop that you can throw in the washing machine if a dog pees on it is a game changer.

It's too bad Ginny can't take a walk with me tomorrow morning. She'd enjoy it. You've got to be real careful when dogs are recovering from the heartworm medication though. They need to stay very quiet until all the worms are out of their system. One squirrel could ruin everything.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3623

Whenever I go to the eye doctor, I'm always tempted to get out of the chair when nobody's looking and go take a closer look at the eye chart. It would be easy to just memorize the bottom line of letters so I would have a perfect score. That bottom line of tiny letters always looks fuzzy to me, but it is the only one the doctor is interested in. I can read the larger letters just fine.

The doctor told me basically the same thing he told me last year. My distance vision is still 20/20. My close up vision is slowly deteriorating. And I am developing cataracts. Apparently cataracts are extremely common as we age. I won't need to do anything about mine for at least another five years, but according to the doctor they aren't going away. They say that researchers have discovered a compound that can safely remove cataracts without surgery. They've only tried the eye drops on mice so far, but maybe they'll be available five years from now. I'd definitely prefer eye drops to surgery.

The worst thing about these annual eye exams is driving home with your eyes dilated. I wore dark sunglasses but the road was still pretty bright. Luckily the effect wore off pretty quickly this year. Within a few hours after I returned home, I was able to take my walk in the park. I think I'm good for another year.

I went to the storage warehouse and picked up some kiddie gates, a large crate, a dog bed, and Dot's food and water bowls for our Thanksgiving guest. Janet picked up some food at the vet. We'll be keeping Ginny at our house during the Thanksgiving holiday. Treasure gets a holiday vacation with another volunteer as well. Some of the dogs will stay at the kennel, but hopefully this will help keep things from becoming too crowded. Ginny is still recovering from her heartworm treatment and needs to stay quiet. Kennels are definitely not very quiet during the holiday rush. There's a lot of barking going on. I think our house is the perfect alternative for a dog who needs her rest. Very little happens here.

I found out today that my background check has been completed and that I have been approved to stay on Mount Locke for an extended period of time. The public affairs director at the observatory said that they would be looking forward to seeing me next year. This is good news. I've got a lot of planning to do. The first obstacle to overcome is finding a place to stay. I could always rent an RV for my initial visit, but I'd rather stay at the astronomer's lodge or some type of permanent housing at the observatory. Almost 100 people live on-site. Some of them are temporary. Maybe I could make arrangements to rent somebody's place while they weren't there. This can all be worked out. I doubt that I will be returning to the Davis Mountains until next Spring anyway.

I need to write Spaceflight Magazine and see whether they'd be interested in an article about my upcoming trip to the Michoud Assembly Facility. It's not a launch, but it still could be very interesting. The first of the Space Launch System rockets that will return the United States to the moon is nearing completion at Michoud now. If I can follow this rocket on it's journey through testing and launch, it would make a good story. The launch is still over a year away though. We'll see what I discover in New Orleans. There's always a story somewhere.

I hope that Ginny enjoys her stay at our house. I'm a little nervous and a little excited. They say Ginny sometimes tears up her bed. Hey, it happens. We've got an indestructible Kuranda bed for her, so she should be fine. There's a lot on my plate for a guy who does nothing. A NASA adventure, an interesting volunteer opportunity at a distant observatory, and a dog around the house for a while. It's going to keep me busy.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3622

It was a typical busy Sunday. I got my 20,000 steps with a few extra to spare. It was a nice day so I went to the gym early to give myself time to make some more roof repairs when I returned. Sometimes I wonder if going to the gym on Sunday does me any good at all. I've noticed that walking for an hour and a half burns more calories than an hour and a half at the gym. I guess a little variety doesn't hurt. My workout at the gym is certainly different than a long walk.

It took a while to find additional worn spots on the roof. I'm gradually getting them all repaired. I didn't apply a lot of silicon today, but hopefully the strategic small repairs I made will help. I don't think I will ever have faith in this roof, but if I can keep it from leaking until I can find a reasonable bid from a reputable roofer, that's good enough for me. It looks like I have a little less than a gallon of the silicon material left. I'll save the rest for emergencies. Hopefully, there won't be any.

I sent my acceptance letter to NASA today, so I will definitely be attending the Artemis Day event at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. I've seen pictures of this enormous rocket factory and it will be interesting to see the next moon rockets being assembled. The first one is almost ready to be shipped to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for live fire tests. Hopefully, I will find a way to see it again when it eventually launches from pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center sometime in 2021.

Our road is open again. I was amazed at how much the construction crews were able to accomplish in a single day. All the beams that will support the roadway on the first half of the bridge are in place now. It looks like there will be no support columns between the Northbound and Southbound lanes anymore. The long steel beams span the entire length of the bridge. There must have been a huge crane to lift these beams in place but I didn't see it. I was asleep. Most of the work must have taken place last night.

It looks like we will be keeping one of the rescue dogs over the Thanksgiving holiday. Boarding kennels are typically booked to capacity over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays so we are trying to find temporary short-term fosters for some of the Dalmatian Rescue dogs. Hopefully, this new experience will be good for the dogs. I'll have to go pick up kiddie gates, dog beds, water and food bowls, and other paraphernalia from the storage warehouse tomorrow.

I'm kind of dreading my appointment with the eye doctor. My doctor is kind of old school and doesn't have an Optomap camera to take pictures of the retina. He still dilates my eyes which I hate. It takes me about six hours for the effects of the eye drops to wear off. They give you a pair of paper sun glasses but they don't help much. I never enjoy driving home after an eye exam.

McDonald Observatory has scheduled a Special Viewing Night for the 82" Otto Struve Telescope on December 16. It's tempting. That's when the Starliner launch is supposed to happen at Kennedy Space Center too. What are my chances of getting off the wait list and invited to the launch? Honestly, chances are slim but it could easily happen. It also snows in West Texas in December. There's that too. I'll probably just fret and end up doing nothing.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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