Day 3643 - Blogiversary

I wonder why strawberry prices have doubled? They look exactly the same and they're still grown somewhere in Mexico. I usually don't even look at the price but a woman near me looked at the berries, told me they were way too expensive and put them back. I looked too. Yup, they actually were too expensive. It used to be that only gasoline changed price regularly. Now everything seems to fluctuate. I went ahead and bought the strawberries because they are an essential ingredient in my morning smoothies. I hope they don't become like peaches and disappear entirely during the winter.

I got most of the photography gear moved back to the storage warehouse this morning. I thought this might make the house look tidy again, but it really didn't change much. At least the house looks better than the storage warehouse. I know I need to do something about all this clutter, but I don't even know where to start. There is a reason why this stuff is being saved, but not a good reason. I still use the photo equipment from time to time, but I never use all the old computers and typewriters I've accumulated. Why is there a windsurfing board in the warehouse? Jeez. I'll never use this. With a bad shoulder, it would be insane to go windsurfing. I doubt that I'll ever use my old band's PA system again either. So much clutter. I just don't have the energy to deal with it.

I barely had the energy to take my walk today. Truthfully, going to the gym was plenty of exercise for one day, but I'm addicted to those steps. I wanted my 20,000 Fitbit steps and the only way to get them was to keep walking. At least it was a nice day. It was warm enough that I could wear shorts again. This won't last long unfortunately. Another cold front is on the way. They say temperatures could get down to freezing by tomorrow night.

McDonald Observatory just announced a new batch of Special Viewing Nights for the winter months. They say the chances of clear skies are higher in the winter, but I don't think I have the nerve to drive to West Texas when the weather could change for the worse overnight. I've seen too many videos of nasty snow storms that sweep across the plains and bring traffic to a crawl. I definitely don't want to find myself on an icy freeway surrounded by eighteen wheelers sliding off the road.

I heard that Hank got adopted this weekend. I'm glad I got a chance to see him again at one of the Santa Paws events. Janet and I will be visiting the dogs tomorrow, but I think Hank has already gone to his forever home. I'm hoping a few more dogs might find a home before Christmas as well. You never know. There are five new dogs in the program now, but they will be spending the holidays at the vet. It's quieter there. A boarding kennel can be pretty hectic during the holiday rush, so we'll get to know the new guys a little better after the first of the year.

I'm going to try to get started on my new article about the Artemis program tomorrow. It all depends on how much time we spend tish the dogs.

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3642

Santa has left the building. Another year of Santa Paws events is complete. I think Dalmatian Rescue did pretty well this year. All our customers are happy and we managed to add an extra event to our schedule this year. I'm always tired after these events, but this is nothing new. I'm almost always tired anyway.

We photographed a lot of animals today. Most were dogs, but we did take Christmas pictures of two cats and one rabbit. There was also one young baby and several families. Whenever we photograph families, they say that the experience is much better than going to a shopping mall Santa. I think our team is great. A lot of people say we do the best Santa photos in town, but I wouldn't want to compete with anyone. We're not a high volume operation like a shopping mall Santa. We don't ask the dogs what they want for Christmas either. It probably helps a lot that we mostly photograph dogs. Children are much more difficult.

Every year we do these events, I think it might be my last year. My knees are getting bad and a day of constant kneeling and getting up and down is punishing. This year I felt a little better than last year though. Maybe my daily five mile walks are helping me stay in shape. I hope so. When I got home today and finished unpacking my equipment, the first thing I did was take a five mile walk.

I used to live in the area of town where we had our event today. So much has changed. I hardly recognized the place. Dallas has grown enormously since I moved here in 1976. I'm glad we moved to the lake. I don't think I could live in a high density, urban environment anymore. The streets were so crowded in my old neighborhood that it took forever to get back on the freeway and head for home. Even the relatively peaceful streets of our lakeside neighborhood seem too crowded for me these days. I'm envious of the remote desolation of Fort Davis. A town with less than 2,000 people and no traffic lights seems perfect.

All the photo equipment is still piled in the hallway. Over the next few days, it will go back to the storage warehouse. Everything worked this year and the new backdrop was a good investment. I think we'll throw it in the washing machine and clean it before storing it away. We've never had that option before. All our other backdrops have a strong doggie smell. I hope that the next time I need this equipment that it all still works. Actually, it probably will. Professional photo gear is designed to be used day in and day out in a studio environment. I basically use mine once a year.

Tomorrow, I'll start thinking about the article I'm going to write about the Artemis program. If I knew the magazine was going to ask for an article, I might have arranged a few interviews while I was in New Orleans. I should be fine though. My brain is still filled with random information about rockets. I just need to start writing things down before I forget everything. Developing a reputation as a space journalist seems like a daunting task. Will I ever get there? Launches and newsworthy events don't happen that often and I don't get invited to all of them. It's good to have a goal though. I think you live longer if you have a goal.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3641

I went looking for a Christmas ham this morning. The hams at the little smokehouse where I got last year's ham were ridiculously expensive and the hams at the supermarket were ridiculously cheap. I couldn't decide what to get, so I got nothing. I'll do what I always do in these situations. I'll let Janet decide. She's much better at this anyway.

SpaceFlight Magazine liked the pictures I sent and told me that they were going to postpone their Artemis articles until January because they wanted to expand their coverage of the program. The editor asked if I'd still like to write an article for the magazine. Sure. I'll get started next week. I'm kind of a compulsive writer, so I would have written something anyway. Now, it looks like my story will get published.

I learned that if I'd asked about a month ago, the magazine could also have gotten me a press pass for next Friday's Starliner launch. A little late now. I'll have to remember this in the future. I don't know why I was so convinced that I'd be selected as a NASA guest for this launch. As it turned out, they wanted me to go to New Orleans instead.

It's just as well I'm not going to Florida next week anyway. I forgot that my property taxes are due this month. December is alway full of expenses. At least I finished my Christmas shopping. It's all done on Amazon.com these days. Shopping online is so much easier than going to a shopping mall. No crowds. No parking hassles. And you don't even have to wrap the packages.

It was a beautiful day for a walk. The sky was clear and the air was brisk and cool. Too bad I didn't have more energy. I was really tired after I finished my requisite five miles. I'm starting to see familiar faces when I walk. There are other people who seem to do this every day as well. Most of the regulars are cyclists or joggers, but there are a few other slow walkers as well. It makes sense that a lot of people utilize this park. Walking outdoors is much more enjoyable than walking on a treadmill.

We're doing our last Santa Paws event of the year tomorrow. Dalmatian Rescue did well at the first two events, so hopefully we'll do just as well tomorrow. Five new Dalmatians entered our program recently, so we've definitely got some additional bills to pay. There photo event help. I have no idea how many pets we'll be photographing tomorrow, but I think I'm ready. The batteries are charged and all the equipment is ready to be loaded into the car. I just need to try and get a good night's sleep.

The wildflowers are gone. Most of the trees are bare. All I could find to photograph today was a lone Western Soapberry tree filled with poisonous fruit. The translucent berries look like clusters of grapes, but please don't eat them.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3640

Life has returned to normal. I was up on the roof, wondering why there was still so much water even though it hasn't rained for several days. I wish I could just ignore this standing water, but I can't. Whenever I'm removing water from the roof, I'm reminded of a quote from an old Dr. Who episode. "Water is patient, Adelaide. Water just waits. Wears down the cliff tops, the mountains. The whole of the world. Water always wins." So true. The roof isn't leaking now, but if water sat there long enough, it would find a way in.

I finished editing the pictures from my trip and sent a few more to SpaceFlight Magazine. No reply or acknowledgment yet. This happens a lot. I never know whether people are too busy to reply or if my mail has gone into someone's junk mail folder. You always get an answer right away if someone wants something from you. If you want something from them, you may have to wait a while.

Our new petcam has been moving around on its own when nobody is looking at it. I looked on the Internet and a surprising number of people were experiencing the same problem. "It's creepy," most of them said. Strangely, the Chinese company that makes the IP camera openly admits that their camera pans and tilts on its own. "Don't worry," a company representative told one worried customer. "Nobody is spying on you. This is normal camera behavior. Our camera goes through a self-test routine periodically to make sure all systems are operating properly." Why am I skeptical? I doubt that this cheap camera is sophisticated enough to have a self-test routine. It's also a Chinese company, just like Huawei and Tik-Tok. The little camera works great, but for the moment we just put a paper bag over it.

Keeping track of my health is a mixed blessing. I'm always wondering about my sleep and heart rate now. My resting heart rate always gets lower when I settle into a routine. The more boring the routine, the lower the heart rate. Whenever I do something new, my resting heart rate goes up. Since a low resting heart rate is good, this would seem to indicate that a boring life is healthy. Exercise, even strenuous exercise does not elevate my resting heart rate. Travel does. I also sleep better after a boring day at home. This is all somewhat counterintuitive. You would think that doing new things would be good for you. Maybe not. Stress is a weird thing. Could it be that what is good for the brain is not necessarily good for the body.

I found a new spot that needs to be patched when I was up on the roof today. I wonder if the remaining silicon is still any good. I forgot to bring the bucket back inside on a night where the temperature got down in the low 30's. If the weather ever gets warm again, I guess I'll find out. I need to use this stuff up.

I don't think I'll go out for breakfast tomorrow. I've lost interest. I keep trying new places and new things that I don't really like. My smoothie is comfort food. I wonder sometimes if trying to be adventurous is even worth the effort. I'm comfortable with my routines and a simple, uneventful life seems to suit me.

Savannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3639

I'm still coming down to Earth. I spent most of the day catching up on things around the house. There was water on the roof that needed to be removed. I got the pumps running, but I'm not going up there until the weather gets warmer. It's time to start getting ready for the next Santa Paws photo event. I began by transferring last Sunday's pictures to my computer and charging up the camera batteries. Actually, we're pretty organized. There is not really that much to do at this point.

I'm trying to think of publications that might be interested in an article about Michoud and the Artemis Program. I've read tons of articles about this subject already. Would another article even be interesting? It might if I had the scoop on something. I don't. I may send out some query letters anyway tomorrow. I did send a few photos of the Artemis Day event to SpaceFlight Magazine. They told me they were interested in publishing them to illustrate a story they are already working on. We'll see if this is really true.

I went to the grocery store to get some fresh fruit so I could have my smoothie for breakfast tomorrow. I picked up something for dinner too. The refrigerator is looking empty. I also talked to someone at McDonald Observatory about writing for their StarDate magazine. Basically, I was not very focused today. I was all over the place.

The weather has gotten much colder. We keep going back and forth like this. One day I'm warm and the next day I'm freezing. I had to wear a winter coat when I took my walk this morning. I guess that's not so strange. It is Winter after all. It's just hard to get used to all these rapid changes. It was 70 degrees when I left for New Orleans.

It doesn't look like I'll be going to see the Starliner launch. I thought I had a good chance to get off the waitlist when the launch got postponed twice. The launch is so near Christmas now that I'm sure quite a few people are dropping out. The NASA folks told me that some attendees have indeed canceled, but they can't add anyone else to the roster because there is no time to complete the security checks. Jeez. I've gone through a ton of security checks already. How many of these things do you really need? Couldn't the government just keep a master file somewhere.

I'm not sure if I accomplished anything at all today, but at least I made an effort. I think that a picture I took of Hank at last Sunday's Santa Paws event has helped find him a home. I need to check on this and see if it is true. Hank does take a good picture. It would be cool if his Christmas picture resulted in an adoption.

I have no idea what I'll be doing tomorrow. I still don't feel like going up on the roof. Maybe I'll get an answer to some of the e-mails I sent out today. If not, I can always take a long nap.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

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

Watch of the Day