Day 3942

Dawn seems really sensitive to temperature. It was a little warmer this morning and she didn't seem to have as much energy. We turned around early on our morning walk and only walked three miles today. I don't think anything is wrong. Dawn seemed fine for the rest of the day while we were at home.

I continued my correspondence with the Sky & Telescope editor today. This editor seems much more detail oriented than my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine. I answered a ton of questions this afternoon about little details that apparently weren't clear when reading the article. The good news is that the magazine seems to really like the article and is eager to publish it. At some point during the day, several people at McDonald Observatory got involved in the discussions because the magazine wants to use some pictures taken through one of the large telescopes by my astronomer friend. It still appears that my article will be published in the February 2021 issue. It's strange how slow this whole process works. I'm pretty sure I was already talking about Sky & Telescope a year ago at this time on the blog.

I finally got my reservation confirmation from the ranch I will be staying at while I am visiting McDonald Observatory for the astrophotography workshop. It looks like the accommodations will be fairly spartan. There was a little message at the bottom of my confirmation letter saying that my room does not have: TV, telephone, mini fridge, microwave, shampoo or conditioner. I can ride horses if I want though.

It doesn't look like I will be taking a star tracker with me to the observatory. I found one I liked, but it can't be delivered in time. Not surprisingly, the tracker is made in China. I got a quick reply to my questions from a Chinese representative of the company, but even though they have a warehouse in the United States, it still apparently takes them too long to process and ship my order. Just as well. This trip is complicated enough as it is. I'll worry about star trackers at a later date.

I wish I was rich so I could just charter a plane to Marfa. I never look forward to the long drive to West Texas. Texas is a really big state. I always rent a car because I'm afraid that mine will break down along the way. No worries about Covid on this trip. The only worry is staying awake and alert on the long drive. When I was young, an 800 mile drive was no big deal. I used to drive long distances frequently. It's a little different now. You get tired a lot more quickly as you get older.

I need to decide what to do about my storage warehouse before my contract runs out. There's nothing really valuable in the warehouse anymore, but it's so much trouble to actually clear the place out. Storage warehouses never let you use their dumpster, so even throwing things away is problematic. A lot of the stuff I store is fairly heavy. I just hate dealing with this, but I can't ignore things indefinitely. Maybe I'll start paying month-to-month now instead of a year at a time to force me to deal with the situation. I need an assistant to take care of things like this. I wouldn't trust them though. It's a dilemma.

Another weekend has arrived. It's time to go grocery shopping again. Janet seems to thing something bad is going to happen and that we should stock up on canned goods again. I hope she's wrong, but I've got a list of things to look for. I don't think we've used up all the canned goods we bought back in March, but luckily we both like soup and tuna fish.

Maverick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3941

Now that I am retired, I often wonder how I used to get so much done during my working career. I've really slowed down. All I basically did today was carry on an e-mail correspondence with three different people and it just about wore me out. Things are definitely starting to happen. I am getting messages about the astrophotography workshop from McDonald Observatory, messages about the upcoming Crew 1 launch from Kennedy Space Center, and messages from my editor about the Sky and Telescope article. For a while today, I actually started feeling like a working journalist.

I definitely didn't feel like a working roofer today. I postponed making repairs with the silicon coating again. I've done this a lot lately. I had used up so much time eating breakfast, walking Dawn, and answering e-mail messages that there wasn't much time left for dirty, messy work. It was hot this afternoon too. Basically I just didn't feel like climbing up on the roof. There's still plenty of time. The weather looks good for the next week.

Dawn continues to do well. We are back to our old walking schedule now with no adverse effects. Dawn still spends a lot of her day just lying on the bed, but I don't think there's anything wrong. She's basically just a lazy dog. She and I should be soul mates. I wouldn't mind spending a lot of my time just lying on the bed as well.

I did some research on star trackers this afternoon. I'm debating getting a tracker for my trip to the observatory. They dramatically improve pictures of the Milky Way and there are actually quite a few to choose from. These little gadgets are fairly expensive though. It's hard to justify getting something like this when I know it will rarely get used. There is way too much light pollution in Dallas to take pictures of the stars at all.

We passed another downed tree during our walk in the park this morning. Every time I see something like this, I think one of the Oak trees in our back yard is going to be next. Coincidentally, I passed some tree trimmers in the neighborhood on my afternoon walk. I thought about asking them to stop by my house after they finished and give me a bid for taking down the tree that got damaged last Summer. The workers were all up in the neighbor's tree however and I didn't want to bother them, so I just kept walking. Another missed opportunity.

It doesn't seem like a week has passed since I hauled last week's trash out to the curb. For that matter, it doesn't seem like a year since I had my last eye exam. Time goes by so quickly now. I guess that's a big reason why I don't want to pass up opportunities to do things I enjoy. There just isn't that much time left. Almost every week I read about someone I went to high school with who has passed away. Jeez. Van Halen died the other day. I didn't even know he was sick. I need to make a resolution not to waste a single day. Maybe I'll do that later after I waste a few more days doing nothing. Like I said, Dawn and I should be soul mates.

Madison is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3940

It's going to be a very busy month. I'm still planning my trip back to McDonald Observatory for the astrophotography workshop and I found out today that I have been cleared by NASA to attend the upcoming Space X Crew 1 launch. I was quite surprised to receive media accreditation for this important launch because Kennedy Space Center is still restricting media access because of Covid. Maybe persistence pays off. I'm still near the bottom rungs of the ladder, but I'd like to think that I'm slowly rising among the ranks of space journalists. At any rate, my magazine seems excited that I am welcome again at Kennedy Space Center and is planning to do a feature on the Crew 1 launch.

To be honest, I'm still a little apprehensive about flying as well as making that long drive out to West Texas again, but life goes on. I simply can't spend the rest of my life doing nothing but taking long walks in the park. Both the astrophotography workshop and the opportunity to witness another manned launch are events I've been wanting to do for a long time. I'll look for some really good masks and be as careful as I can.

Our beautiful Fall weather continues and Dawn definitely seems to approve. We took another four mile walk this morning and Dawn did great. She did better than me actually. On the final stretch as we were returning to the house, Dawn had so much energy that I gave the leash to Janet and they both pulled well ahead of me, arriving home almost five minutes earlier than me. I really slow down toward the end of our walks these days, mostly because my feet start to hurt. I've really got to find some better shoes.

By all indications, Dawn is back to normal again. She is certainly acting normally. Hopefully, this will continue and Dawn will remain stable after she had completed taking all her medication. I would like to think that this seizure is a rare event and if it ever reoccurs in the future we can just repeat the treatment that we are using now. Janet and I are both hoping to avoid complex MRI and CT scans when there is no practical medical solution anyway. 

In theory you can do brain surgery on a dog, but it is risky and not very common. There are no guaranties that the dog's life will be any better afterwards. Sometimes I think we went too far with extreme medical intervention with our other dogs. I'm still not sure that spinal surgery helped Dot all that much and we never should have attempted liver surgery with Gretta. She never made it out of the hospital.

I may be forced to try taking Allegra soon if my allergies don't clear up. With two long distance trips on deck, I just can't risk sneezing constantly. Sneezing and a runny nose are awkward at best and might even be alarming to someone else when you re wearing a mask. I could explain again and again that I am just suffering from seasonal allergies but nobody would believe me. I am so tired of this pandemic. I've always has seasonal allergies. They've gradually gotten worse as I've grown older and I doubt that there is anything I can do about them. I will test some antihistamines later this week, but I already know how they make me feel. It might be better than sneezing in public though.

I still haven't started my roof repairs. I did write a letter to my sister though and took it to the post office. One day at a time. I always try to accomplish something.  Today was actually pretty good. I think I accomplished several things. So did Dawn. We are both moving forward.

Hersey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3939

Another busy day. Dawn was in good spirits this morning. I was surprised at how much energy she had. We walked four miles and she kept wanting me to pick up the pace. Now that her Prednisone dose has been reduced, Dawn seems a lot more like her old self. I really hope she remains stable when she has completed her meds. A healthy dog is usually a happy dog.

After breakfast I found a place to stay reasonably near the observatory and made reservations for my trip. I'll be staying at Prude Ranch, a 100 year old working cattle ranch that now hosts visitors in several guest houses on the property. I've passed the ranch several times on my way to the observatory and always wondered what it would be like to stay there. The people I talked with today were extremely nice and made me feel welcome. This is a lot better alternative than driving all the way back to Fort Davis every night after the astrophotography workshop sessions have concluded. 

I got my flu shot this morning. It still seems weird to go to the doctor with all the Covid safety protocols they have in place. The nurse who gave me the shot said that it was a good thing I came in today. There is evidently a lot more interest in flu shots this season than in previous years. Janet and I both got our senior shots today. By the end of the day the supply that came in yesterday was already gone.

Our forehead thermometer never gives me the same readings as the one at the doctor's office. How do you calibrate these things? I suspect that you can't. It's kind of silly taking my temperature every day if the readings aren't even right. There's one thermometer at the house that I know is accurate. It's been up a dog's butt quite a few times though. Not going to use that one.

I wish I had a better way of dealing with my seasonal allergies. They were pretty bad today. I can't take antihistamines. Even newer antihistamines like Zyrtec and Allegra leave me feeling worse than doing nothing at all. As a consequence, my nose is starting to look like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Masks and constant sneezing aren't a good combination. I hope I can shake these allergies before I begin my trip. In a post-Covid world, sneezing a lot is not a good look.

One of the Space X rockets that has been delayed quite a few times finally got off the ground today. Several of my Florida photographer friends got some beautiful pictures. I wonder if today's successful launch had anything to do with Elon Musk flying out to Cape Canaveral to personally inspect things. He spends most of his time in Boca Chica these days. A lot is happening down there. Pretty soon the first Starship prototype that actually looks more like a rocket than a flying grain silo is going to fly. I still watch the Boca Chica live feed almost every day. It's amazing how much is going on down there.

I keep putting off making roof repairs because working with the silicon coating is so messy. This is the perfect time to do it though. The weather is cool and there is a long stretch of sunny days ahead. Maybe I can force myself to do this loathsome chore tomorrow.

Cassie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3938

It was a busy Monday. We started the day with a walk, but Dawn didn't feel like walking today. We only made it about three blocks before she decided she didn't want to go any further. The weather was cool and Dawn seemed fine when we woke up this morning. She actually seemed fine when we got back home. In an abundance of caution, we're not going to push her though. She's still taking a lot of meds and we're not sure what's going on. If Dawn is trying to tell us something, we'd better listen.

Since it's Monday again, we made sure to go up and visit Charlie at the kennel. He's still the only Dalmatian currently in the rescue program and as always, he was very glad to see us. Charlie is a sweet dog, but he is not good with other dogs and is very unpredictable. We're still hoping that he will find his forever home soon, but the right person hasn't appeared yet. Sometimes you've just got to be patient.

I'm trying to be patient with the rest of my life. For almost a year there has been a special astrophotography workshop out at McDonald Observatory that I've been wanting to attend. When I was out at the observatory last March, the event was already sold out. Then the pandemic came along and the event was canceled. The observatory tried to reschedule the event several times and kept having to push back the date. I figured that some of the original participants would be forced to drop out as the date kept changing, so I asked a friend at the observatory to put me on a wait list. I got a notice today that two people had dropped out and I could go if I wanted to. 

The Astronomer's Lodge is still closed, but I thought it would be easy to find a hotel in the area. Not so fast. Indian Lodge is completely booked thru mid December. The Hotel Limpia was completely full as well. I called a few other places and just got a voicemail message. This is my project for tomorrow. There's bound to be someplace in the vicinity of the observatory where I could stay. Hopefully, I can make this work. The astrophotography workshop seems safe and well worth the effort to attend. There will only be ten people attending and the entire two day event is conducted outdoors. Since I would be driving to West Texas, there are no crowded planes to worry about. I wasn't expecting problems finding a place to stay, but I guess America has a bad case of cabin fever and people are taking car trips like never before. It would be a shame if I had to cancel just because I couldn't find a place to stay. 

Nothing is easy these days. I got a call from my doctor's office today saying that the senior citizen strength flu shots had arrived and I'd better make an appointment quickly before they ran out again. I asked whether I could just get the shot at a pharmacy instead and was informed that senior flu shots are in very shot supply and that many pharmacies were just adding something to regular flu shots to make them stronger. "Don't take one of those," my nurse told me. 

So I guess I've got two things to do tomorrow. I've got to find a place to stay in West Texas and I've got to go get a flu shot. Hopefully Dawn will be in good spirits and feel like walking again. I can't wait for her to get back to normal again. I wish everything would get back to normal again. I got a letter from my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine today apologizing for not sending my author copies of the October issue last month. "As you no doubt realize, the situation is rather hectic for us in the UK at the moment!," he said. It's easy for me to forget that Dallas is actually pretty normal compared to many other places. The entire world has been turned upside down.

Lightning is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3937

Dawn had her best day since she got sick. She was alert, full of energy, and was able to walk four miles this morning. It probably helped that the weather was absolutely beautiful. There was a nice breeze and the temperature was in the 60's. We took our time and Dawn stopped to smell everything. I think she was very happy to be feeling better again.

We have started the process of gradually decreasing her meds. That probably helps as well. Steroids like Prednisone do a great job of reducing inflammation, but they have a lot of side effects. Any time that I've had to take steroids, I've been really glad when I finished my treatment.

Dawn even seems to be overcoming some of the fear she has of me at times. She comes when I call most of the time and seems much more relaxed. I've been feeding and walking her for several weeks in an effort to get her to associate me with positive events. It's a slow process, but it seems to be working. Dawn's overall mood is better than we've seen in a long time. Maybe this all has something to do with what is going on in her brain. It could be that she was feeling strange long before she got the high fever and had a seizure. Hopefully, she will remain stable when she is finished with her meds. We should know in a week or two.

Even though it was a beautiful day, my allergies were terrible. I was blowing my nose constantly on our walk this morning. I've been going through quite a few blue shop towels lately, but this is still better than taking antihistamines. After breakfast this morning, I went up on the roof and made a careful search for damaged areas in the silicon coating. I found two small spots that need to be recoated, but I didn't do the repairs today. The weather looks good for at least the next week, so I"m hoping that one of these days will be free of allergies. I still don't know what makes some days worse than others. The air quality reading on my weather app was good today, but my allergies were still terrible. Maybe I need to look for another app that is specific to allergens in the air. I looked on the weather.com website and it said that the ragweed pollen count was high in Dallas today. Maybe that was what was bothering me.

It's kind of sad that I've given up on travel. It seems like the right thing to do though. Every time I'm out and about I see convincing evidence that the virus is going to be around for a while. This isn't really about Democrats vs Republicans. It's mostly about family and friends who seems to think you can only be infected by strangers. Since today was a nice day, I saw lots of large gatherings in the park. I know several friends who have attended or are planning large weddings. What are these people thinking? Statistics show that this is exactly how the virus spreads. I take precautions and feel like I would be safe enough out at McDonald Observatory or Kennedy Space Center. It's getting there that is the problem. I have no faith at all in the people I might be sitting next to on Southwest Airlines.

This weekend has really gone quickly. I'm not really looking forward to another week of walks with a runny nose or watching more dismal news on the television while I drink my morning smoothie. It is what is is though. I probably should just go ahead and fix the roof. There isn't much else to do.

Jersey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3936

I didn't see any coyotes today, but the rest of the White Pelicans seem to have arrived for the Winter. There were way too many to count today. I wonder whether these birds arrive at night. I never see them flying in, but there always seem to be additional birds when I arrive at Pelican Bay on my daily walks.

Dawn continues to take much shorter walks, so I am faced with making up the extra steps I need on my own. The park was busy today. There were people playing rugby and baseball on city maintained fields. There were lots of families having large picnics and barbecues. I passed a young couple having their wedding pictures taken. It really just seemed like a normal Fall day. A lot of people are still wearing masks, but it appears that Dallas has collectively decided that the virus is over.

One of the many changes I have noticed is that there are a lot of Airstream trailers in the neighborhood now. I counted four Airstream Internationals today. There are big, expensive trailers and seeing so many is probably a good sign that it's going to take a long time for air travel to recover. More and more people are taking car trips now. They say that National Parks have become overcrowded this summer. I thought about getting an RV when I first began contemplating spending a lot of time out at McDonald Observatory. That didn't last long. The bathrooms in an RV or travel trailer leave a lot to be desired. I like to take long showers and dealing with grey and black water tanks is disgusting. Even in a post-Covid world, I still think a nice hotel is much better.

Grocery shopping went smoothly today. I found most of the things on my list, but I have been noticing that there just aren't as many items on the shelves these days. There is plenty of food, but just not as much variety. It still feels like the entire supply chain is messed up. I wonder how long it is going to take for the world to return to normal. Maybe it never will. Sadly, we might just redefine what normal is.

My seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance. Occasionally a cold front will bring a few days of relief, but it's pretty bad this Fall. I forget how long this typically lasts, but I've had enough. It's awkward having to blow your nose all the time when you are wearing a mask. I don't do well with antihistamines either. Those heavy duty blue shop towels are a lot better than Kleenex. I make sure to stuff my pockets with a few shop towels before I go anywhere. Seasonal allergies are probably one more reason I shouldn't attempt to fly anywhere in the near future. 

I went out and picked up a pizza for dinner tonight. I continue to be amazed at how full the restaurants are. Texas must have returned to full occupancy because a lot of the restaurants I passed on the way to the pizza place appeared to be full. Shopping malls and big box retailers seem to be full as well. It's weird. You turn on the television and you see one world. Then you drive around town and see a completely different world. 

Dawn seems a lot better now. Around the house she seem perfectly normal. She still won't take long walks though. It's kind of hard to tell whether she is becoming tired more easily or has just discovered that she's in charge now. Now that she has learned that we will turn around and head home again whenever she sits down in the road, it might have gone to her head. Dalmatians are high energy dogs, but they can also be very lazy.

Hobbs is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3935

Every day there seems to be a new reason to take the virus seriously. I've pretty much decided that I'm not going to travel anywhere until this whole thing blows over. Unfortunately, that may be a long time. If the president and NFL football players can get sick while being closely monitored inside their special protective bubbles, what's going to protect me? I still think the best thing I've got going for me is that I have very little desire to interact with other people. They say now that the most common way the virus is transmitted is thru family gatherings. Weddings, funerals, birthday parties, and backyard barbecues are much more dangerous than a trip to the grocery store. This makes sense to me. People tend to be comfortable around their own friends and family and let their guard down. I see huge family picnics almost every day in the park.

Semi isolation does get boring though. Eating and taking long walks have their limits. Today I decided to get productive and mowed the grass in both the front and back yards. I also unclogged the shower drain, which I wasn't planning to do. If the shower backs up while you are taking a shower, you've got no choice though.

Dawn still doesn't feel like taking long walks. She's eager to go outside in the mornings, but tires a lot more easily than she used to. We're not sure if her lack of energy is related to the meds she's currently taking or the underlying condition that caused the high fever and apparent seizure. At least the fever is gone and she's eating normally again. All we can do right now is continue to monitor Dawn carefully and wait.

I watched another Space X launch get scrubbed tonight with two seconds remaining on the clock. This is really weird. Every launch attempt at Kennedy Space Center in recent weeks has been canceled or scrubbed. The Cygnus resupply mission did successfully launch from Wallops Island this evening, but that mission has been delayed recently as well. Maybe this is just the 2020 curse. It does seem like a lot of failures in a row though.

The Moon and Mars look spectacular tonight. I went outside a few minutes ago to look at the conjunction and immediately smelled smoke. Whenever the temperature drops below seventy degrees in Texas, people start lighting fires in their fireplaces. Just about everybody has a fireplace in our neighborhood, so sometimes the smell of smoke gets oppressive. This probably sounds like needless whining to people out West who are dealing with real wildfires, but I still don't understand the fascination with fireplaces. We've never had a fireplace. I don't miss them at all.

When I was taking my solo walk this afternoon I saw several coyotes peeking out of the bushes near one of the trails. It looked like they were just waiting for a little dog to come by. There were lots of little dogs being walked this afternoon. I thought about warning them, but somebody honked their car horn and scared the coyotes away. It's rare to see coyotes in the middle of the day. I see them occasionally around sunrise, but this siting was kind of strange.

It's time to make my grocery list again. Janet did her shopping today and said that a lot of items are still in short supply. It does seem like the whole supply chain is kind of broken now. Really common items have just disappeared from the shelves. What a weird year it's been. You really have to wonder what is going to happen next.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3934

Our long family walks may be over. Dawn still enjoys her morning walks. She just doesn't feel like going very far. This morning we turned around at about the same point we did yesterday. I'm glad Dawn knows how to tell us when she has reached her limit. At least she's able to get some exercise this way. Other than not having quite as much energy, she seems to be doing fine. There is no fever and as far as we can tell, no signs of discomfort. Dawn's appetite is better than ever, but a lot of that is because of the Prednisone. I'll be glad when she has finished her meds and we can see if we've made any real progress.

The Delta IV Heavy isn't making any progress at all. I stayed up late and watched the launch on my computer last night. It didn't happen. For the second time in less than a month the launch was scrubbed in the final seconds of the count. Considering that this rocket was originally supposed to launch back in June, it has had an extraordinary streak of bad luck. Articles are starting to be written now about how the launch pad is so old that it is falling into disrepair. I doubt that ULA will be spending a lot of money to upgrade things though since there are only two launches left at Cape Canaveral before the rocket is officially retired. All this kind of makes you realize how far ahead of everyone else Space X is now.

The weather was perfect for making roof repairs or mowing the grass, but I couldn't get motivated to do anything. This year has just sucked the energy out of me. Some days I don't even feel like taking a shower.   I still take long walks where I often daydream about better times. I count the ducks and pelicans and still try to identify mystery trees. I got over 20,000 steps today. Not bad for a weekday without a trip to the gym.

When I got back from my long walk, Janet thought Dawn might like a short afternoon walk, so I just continued walking. We took Dawn down to the shoreline where there were lots of things to smell. We didn't go far, but Dawn really seemed to enjoy herself. That's our goal now. We just want to make Dawn's days as enjoyable as we can, since we don't really know how long she has left.

Janet said her doctor is taking part in a vaccine clinical trial. I don't think I'd have the nerve to do this. I assume that at some point the participants will be told whether that got the vaccine or a placebo. What if you got the vaccine but it wasn't very good? Could you still take another type of vaccine later? It still seems so weird to me that are moving full speed ahead without a lot of knowledge. Why is it considered unsafe to eat in a restaurant when you can fly on a crowded plane? Isn't anybody even curious whey so few people are getting the virus in Africa? Why are infections rising again in Europe? Aren't these the guys who were supposed to be doing everything right? Statistics are constantly being revised and a lot of them were never correct in the first place. It's all very frustrating.

All I really want is the ability to travel freely again without worrying about catching a deadly disease from a stranger or finding myself in the middle of a riot in a strange city on the way back to my hotel. It's an unsettling dystopian world we live in now. Maybe all those zombie movies were just getting us ready for what's to come.

Tori is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3933

They've raised the rent on my storage warehouse again. These annual increases are so predictasble and relentless that it's infuriating. It's almost like they are begging you to move to a different location. I've already done this once, but it's a lot of trouble. I could probably save a lot of money by moving back to my old warehouse as a new customer. Like I said, it's a lot of trouble though. I wish I could just wave a magic wand and make some of this stuff go away. 

I don't want to have a yard sale because I hate dealing with strangers. I don't want to sell on eBay because a lot of the stuff is heavy and difficult to ship. I did make an effort two or three years ago to sell a few things. I was successful at selling most of the guitars. I repaired some of my vintage synthesizers, but there was no market for them. After three years about half of my train collection has sold. The old computers are basically worthless, but it's a lot of trouble to take them all apart and remove the hard drives. Stuff just accumulates and then you forget what it is or why you bought it in the first place. I've still got stuff from my Dad's estate in the warehouse. There are probably a few things from my grandparent's estate. There's a lesson in this somewhere, but I didn't learn it soon enough. The millennials who spend their money on experiences instead of stuff are probably the smart ones.

Dawn walks a little further every day. We're still going very short distances though. I'm not sure she'll ever get back to where she was before. We're not going to push her. When Dawn starts to slow down or look tired, we immediately turn around and go home. Dawn does seem to be improving. Tomorrow we start gradually reducing her Prednisone dose. The real test will come when she has finished all her meds.

The temperature was still nice when we took our short morning walk with Dawn, but warmer weather has definitely returned. It was actually pretty hot when I took my longer afternoon walk. I wish the weather was more predictable, but I guess I wish everything was more predictable. When I was walking this afternoon I saw the mother Muscovy duck again. There were only three ducklings with her this time. Where did the other three go? Nature can be pretty cruel. I'm not sure I even want to know what happened to the ducklings.

It looks like the Delta IV Heavy launch is finally going to happen tonight. The weather looks good and the countdown is going smoothly. I'd still like to see one of these giant rockets before they are retired and become obsolete. These days they are only used to launch billion dollar school bus sized spy satellites for the CIA. Nobody really knows what these satellites do, but watching them head into orbit is pretty impressive. I'll try to stay awake tonight and watch tonight's launch on my computer. The next time one of these monsters launches from Cape Canaveral sometime in 2022, I hope I can see it in person.

As I approach 4000 days on my blog quest, I'm really starting to wonder if it's worth the effort to go any further. I'm running out of things to say. A lot of days are so uneventful that I wonder why anyone reads this at all. Maybe I'll get a second wind and start doing interesting things again when Covid finally dies out and life returns to normal. Actually I don't even care if life returns to normal. I'd just like to travel normally again.

Thelma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3932

Dawn must wonder about us sometimes. When we were walking this morning she abruptly sat down and then started eratically kicking with one of her rear legs. We thought she was having another seizure and slowly and carefully guided her back home. When we were back at the house we discovered she had a burr stuck in one of her paw pads. As soon as we removed the burr, everything was fine. I don't know why I didn't think to look at Dawn's paws immediately. Dot and Dash were always getting burrs and thorns stuck in their paws. They would also step on bees and get stung. We were so worried about seizures that we failed to recognize the obvious. Sorry Dawn. We're old and do the best we can.

Our beautiful fall weather continues. Dawn isn't walking far these days, but I've returned to taking long walks by myself. Today I took a camera with me and took pictures of birds. There are at least ten American White Pelicans at the lake now along with quite a few Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets. I found the missing Muscovy Ducks as well. I don't even like birds that much, but they are much easier to find and photograph than the other critters that inhabit the park. We have bobcats, river otters, foxes, mink,   coyotes and more but it's rare to see some of these guys. A lot of the animals hide when you have a dog with you.

The Delta IV Heavy launch got scrubbed again. They must be trying to set a record for canceled launches. I guess they're going to try again tomorrow. I'm so glad I didn't try to attend this launch. The weather has been terrible and the rocket has had one problem after another. I would like to see this rocket before it is officially retired but I probably will have to wait until 2022. The way things are going, I might have to wait until 2022 to do much of anything.

Our furnace came on for the first time last night. Every Winter I'm always a little apprehensive about whether the furnace will start. This year it did just fine. Since it's Texas, the air conditioner also came on later in the day. There was something for everyone today. I was even able to leave the windows open for a while today. I love Fall weather. It just doesn't last long enough.

I didn't watch tonight's debate. Why bother. When I turn on the television while I'm eating breakfast tomorrow, that's all I'll hear about. I'm already hearing about it on Facebook. Over and over again. I doubt that either man did themselves any favors. This is what you get when you nominate two old fools for president. I wouldn't be surprised if Kanye West gained a few votes tonight. 

I hope our nice weather continues. I really need to use this time to complete my repairs on the roof. Maybe tomorrow. There are other chores around the house that need attention as well. It's just hard to get motivated. It's a lot easier to take long walks and snap a few pictures of birds.

Sweet Pea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3931

What a beautiful day. A cold front arrived last night and brought some cool dry air and clear skies with it. My allergies were much better today. Dawn felt better as well. Today we completed a short loop that I used to take with Dot and Dash when they were getting older. It's still way too early to draw any conclusions about Dawn's condition. We'll need to wait until she's finished with the Prednisone she's curently taking to reduce inflamation. So far, she hasn't had any further seizures. This is a good sign. If this continues when she's completed all her meds, it's an even better sign.

Dawn was feeling normal enough today that we felt it was safe to leave her for a few hours while we visited Charlie up at the kennel. Poor Charlie. Clyde found his forever home so quickly that Charlie is once again the only Dalmatian at the kennel. Charlie has adjusted well to kennel life, but he deserves a forever home just like the other dogs. Charlie was never a calm dog, but he's much more relaxed with us now. Once he has worked off his pent up energy, he will even sit with us and let us pet him. Charlie always has something in his mouth. He is constantly chewing.

I did a lot of walking today. After we returned from the kennel, I took a four mile walk by myself. Even during the warmest part of the day, the temperature never got above the mid 70's. It was nice to be able to walk without being drenched in sweat with a dripping nose. Weather fronts are kind of amazing. It felt like all of yesterday's air was completely replaced by a new supply of clean, fresh air without all the pollen that has been bothering me for weeks. The weather was so cool and nice that we took Dawn on another short walk just before supper. We took her on a new route where there were lots of things to smell and she loved it.

The Delta IV Heavy launch got postponed again. I've lost count of how many times this mission has been scrubbed. This particular rocket doesn't fly very often and maybe that is part of the problem. There have been lots of small mechanical problems with the equipment at the pad. Today's problem had nothing to do with the rocket though. There were thunderstorms in the area and several lightning strikes hit very near the pad. The weather must have been pretty bad because two different launches got scrubbed in a single day. I only mention all this because it makes my decision to skip the launch and stay here in Dallas seem better every day. I'm always pleased when doing nothing turns out to be the wise choice.

I need to take a telescope outside and look at Mars as it is nearing opposition. For a short time it will be even brighter than Jupiter as it makes it's closest approach to Earth on October 13. I've been watching Mars in the morning sky all Summer when we took out pre-dawn walks. Now the planet is in the evening sky and is much brighter. I doubt that I'll be able to see much detail with my small telescope but these close approaches only occur every two years. Just like looking for the comet a few months ago, it would be silly to miss the opportunity.

I have no idea what I'll be doing tomorrow, but you probably already knew that. I won't be going to Florida but I will check the ULA website to see if the Delta IV Heavy makes it off the ground on its next attempt tomorrow evening. Like the Mars opposition, there won't be another Delta IV Heavy launch until two years from now. Maybe by then Covid will just be a bad memory and we can all travel freely again. 

Spanky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3930

Dawn may have brain damage, but I still think she's a very smart dog. When we walk in the morning, she tells us exactly how far she wants to go. When she's decided she's gone far enough, she just sits down. I'll ask her if she's ready to go home and she'll immediately get up, turn around and head for the house. She did this yesterday and she did the same thing today. We went about 400 yards further today, so maybe she's feeling a little better.

The meds appear to be working. Dawn's temperature is back to normal now and she is eating normally again. She is still quiet and doesn't have a lot of energy. I'm almost certain that even though the fever is gone she still isn't feeling normally. The meds probably sedate her a bit and whatever caused the problem in the first place is still there. I've been reading a lot about brain lesions and if this is the problem it would explain a lot. There have always been a lot of little things that just didn't make sense about Dawn's behavior. I'm mostly just thinking about what happens in a human brain, but any sort of physical abnormality can cause a lot of changes. I'm still hoping that her problems are minor and that life will return to normal in a few weeks. For the moment, all we can do is wait and see.

Dawn's walks are so short now that I've returned to taking long walks by myself to get my exercise. Today I kept thinking that I really should just return to the gym. Janet has been going to her gym for over a month and has had no problems. My seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance and at some point a continual runny nose and itchy eyes is going to seem a lot worse than the threat of Covid. My allergies were especially bad today. My the time I returned home I was miserable. I used up all the tissues I took with me before I'd even finished my first mile.

It's too bad I have this fear of catching the virus on a plane. The multiple delays that have taken place with the Delta IV Heavy have pushed three launches very close together. If there aren't further delays caused by weather, all three rockets may launch within hours of each other. This is quite rare. Delays aren't rare at all however, so everything could change again tomorrow. If all three launches do end up taking place together it would tempt me again to make the trip to Florida. A lot would depend on how Dawn was feeling once her meds wear off. Flying with seasonal allergies is probably not a great idea either. I might get kicked off the plane for sneezing a lot.

I read an ad about running shoes today that sounded just about perfect for my difficult to fit feet. I was just about ready to go out and buy a pair until I started reading the online reviews. Customers generally weren't happy. I should have learned by now not to believe advertising. I'm an advertising writer. I've spent decades perfecting the art of making things seem better than they actually are. Sadly, I'm still looking for the perfect shoe. The Nike Air Max shoes I bought recently are already starting to wear out and my feet still hurt after long walks.

This weekend certainly wasn't what I expected. A sudden illness can change everything. Hopefully Dawn will continue to improve. We knew that she wasn't a young dog when we adopted her, but she definitely deserves a few more happy, pain free years. I guess we all do.

Sophie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3929

Dawn was very subdued today, but is feeling much better than yesterday. Her temperature is down and she is starting to eat again. We took a very short walk just to the end of the street and back because we didn't want to push our luck. Ths fact that the medication she's taking appears to be working indicates that she probably did have a seizure. Hopefully, Dawn's condition will continue to improve and she will remain stable after she has finished her meds. Seizures are strange and unpredictable. Dawn could have another seizure tomorrow or several years could go by before we experience something like this again. 

I'm still not sure that Dawn even had a seizure, but it is the most logical explanation for her condition. We've had a lot of experience with seizure dogs and Dawn didn't react the same way that Dot and Dash did when they had seizures. On the other hand, she was treated as if she'd had a seizure resulting from some type of brain lesion and the treatment seems to be working. We probably won't learn a lot more unless we proceed with MRI or CT scans. Sometimes this advanced imaging doesn't even tell you anything definitive. When we began to suspect that Dot was having vestibular seizures we made sure that she had an MRI. All we learned for sure was that dogs have very tiny brains. I thought that Dot's brain would have taken up a lot more space in her skull.

When a vet says your pet may have brain lesions, I think they are just trying to be nice and avoid saying the word tumor. A brain lesion and a brain tumor are basically the same thing. Pretty soon you are talking about cancer and the surgery, radiation and chemotherapy options that accompany it. We need to figure out what is going on, but I am in no rush to do anything. The first step is to see if Dawn remains stable after she has finished her meds.

I took my walk today without Dawn. I've done a lot of walking over the years and walking with a dog is always more enjoyable. You never really question why you are walking, because it is usually obvious that the dog enjoys the walk. When you start to experience what the dog is experiencing, you become much more aware of your surroundings. When I am walking by myself, it is usually just an effort to stay in shape. When I am walking with dogs, it is often more about sharing the dog's enjoyment.

The launch I was thinking of attending in Florida has already been postponed two more times. It is a good thing I never made the trip. Even if there were no Covid restrictions and Dawn wasn't sick, I would still just be sitting in a hotel room wondering if it was worth the effort to extend my trip a few more days. After the latest delay was announced this morning, there is still no firm launch date. Maybe I'd better wait for a more reliable rocket before I make my next trip to Florida.

I did my grocery shopping today and was able to find almost everything on my list. I usually get the same things week after week and I've noticed that prices have really gone up since the pandemic started. The price increases haven't been dramatic, but they have been steady. Is this just the normal supply and demand equation at work, or are manufacturers trying to see what they can get aways with? It really doesn't seem that prices should have gone up than much since last March, but what do I know.

I went to get take-out from our favorite Chinese restaurant this evening and the place was full. I was surprised. I guess they have ended restaurant restrictions in Texas. It's strange. When you turn on the TV you'd think we're all headed for disaster. When you just walk around town, you'd think that the pandemic was over. Time will tell, I guess.

Suki is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3928

Dawn is sick. She was fine yesterday, but she woke up this morning very lethargic and didn't want to eat her breakfast. We initially thought she had an upset stomach and might have eaten something bad in the yard. When we went on our morning walk she walked about a block and then refused to go any further. We went back home and she immediately went back to the bedroom. When she still refused to eat anything at lunchtime, we began to get worried. She felt a little warm, so we took her temperature and were shocked when it was 105 degrees. This was serious. We called the vet and made an appointment. When we described our situation, they told us to come in immediately.

Dawn is still under observation. Her blood work looks good, but the vet initially thought that she might have had some sort of seizure. If she did have a seizure overnight, it wasn't like anything we've experienced before. We've had dogs who have had both epileptic and vestibular seizures and Dawn wasn't acting like this at all. She occasionally had a mild tremor in her body that appeared like she was having hiccups. She had some rapid eye movement as well. The thing that scares me is the last time we took a dog to the vet with a 105 degree fever, we discovered two days later that she had abdominal cancer and required immediate surgery.

Each of our dogs has had to deal with very serious health issues at some point during their life. After dealing with cancer, epilepsy, neurological and spinal cord problems, torn cruciate ligaments, and attacks by other dogs, we were worn out. The sadness that comes from dealing with serious and often incurable health issues was one of the reasons that we didn't think we'd get another dog after Dot and Dash passed away.

Dawn is such a sweet dog with such a troubled past that we were really hoping that we could offer her a happy, trouble free life where she could forget her former life. Hopefully we still can. The vet thinks she might have a neurological problem and wants to get an MRI done of her brain as soon as we get her fever under control. We've taken one of our dogs to see a neurosurgeon before. If there is a problem in the brain or spinal cord, it often doesn't end well. 

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Hopefully, we can bring Dawn home later tonight and the vet will be able to figure out exactly what is going on. In the best of worlds, we'll all wake up tomorrow morning and everything will be fine. Dawn has always had some muscle atrophy on the top of her head that you usually don't see until a dog become very old. I've always thought this was strange. Up until this morning she has seemed perfectly healthy though. She routinely gets a clean bill of health when we take her to the vet. This is 2020 though so anything could happen.

Well, it's two hours later now. We just returned from the vet with Dawn and a big bag of meds. They managed to get her fever down, but still don't really know what caused it. The vet suspects that Dawn had a mild seizure last night and might have brain lesions. This is just a guess though. We'd need to do an MRI to know for sure. Other things could have caused a sudden high fever as well. It could be a viral infection. It could be a wide variety of things at this point. From past experience I know that a conclusive diagnosis can be quite difficult. Dawn is eating again though. That's a good sign. Oops. Janet said she just threw up. That's not a good sign.

I'm glad I didn't go to Florida. I'd feel even worse if I was far away. We'll see how Dawn feels in the morning. She's resting calmly now. This is all very familiar territory that I was hoping to avoid for a while.

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3927

Well, I'm still here in Dallas. The weather has deteriorated a bit further in Titusville, but to be honest that wasn't the reason I scrapped my trip. Sadly, I'm still not comfortable flying and it's a long drive to Florida. A recent CDC report says that at least 1600 flights this year have had someone on board with coronavirus. This means that over 10,000 people have been exposed to the virus just by flying. It doesn't exactly fill you with confidence. The airlines try to convince you that they are completely safe by touting their advanced air filtration systems. I find this hard to believe. It's not about the air. It's the fact that you are packed in like sardines with a bunch of total strangers. That six foot rule doesn't mean much when you are actually touching your fellow passengers.

I have a lot of sympathy for restaurant and small business owners, but it's hard to have much sympathy for the airlines. They are all crying poor now, but most of them were making record profits just a few years ago. Where did all that money they made from eliminating legroom, charging extra for baggage, and getting rid of food service go? Fares didn't go down when the airlines were rich either. They just kept going up. The airlines must have a strong lobby in congress. I just don't understand why if it's unsafe to go to church or out to dinner, it's still completely safe to sit six inches away from a bunch of strangers on a plane for hours at a time.

If the weather clears up and the launch takes place on schedule, I may regret canceling my trip. I worked so hard to get press accreditation during the pandemic and then when an opportunity presented itself, I just said never mind. Oh, well. There will be plenty of rocket launches in the future. I'm just not sure what the future will look like.

There was no rain this morning, but we walked later in the day anyway. It's nice to have that option when the weather is cooler. Dawn seems to enjoy sleeping in and walking later. We know she's lazy and are beginning to think she may be afraid of the dark. I guess it makes sense that she's be scared of things that go bump in the night. Almost everything else frightens her as well.

I didn't really do much today. I've resumed taking afternoon walks and mindlessly watching Space X construction progress on the Boca Chica live stream. There is so much I need to do around the house, but it all involves fixing things. I've really gotten tired of fixing things. At least the weeks go by quickly. I can't believe it's Thursday already. I've already taken this week's trash to the curb, so the week is officially over for me. I'm still not going out for breakfast on Friday mornings, but I have started looking at lists of best breakfast restaurants on the Internet. Maybe this is a start. On the other hand, looking at a list of best restaurants might be just like thinking about flying. It might be a while before life starts feeling normal again.

I'm sure something will happen tomorrow. It always does. Things that happen on TV don't count though. I'm trying to quit watching TV. Especially the news. I think I'd rather watch ducks in the park

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3926

I've been going back and forth all day about going to Florida. The indulgent side of my brain would like to go, but the practical side thinks the trip is a stupid idea. The weather doesn't look good on launch day, there are still pretty severe Covid restrictions in place at Cape Canaveral, and I don't think the magazine is interested in a story about this particular rocket anyway. On the other side of the coin, I'm eager to try out my newly acquired press credentials. We'll see. I'd better decide soon though. The launch is Saturday. I have a feeling that my practical side is going to win this battle. It almost always does.

We had to delay our walk again because of the weather. The weather is cool enough now that there is no need to start early anymore. We left the house around 11 AM this morning and the temperature was still only 70 degrees. These few weeks of Fall weather are really nice. I wish this pleasant season would last a little longer. We couldn't find the ducklings this morning. The mother Muscovy duck really hides them well. No rabbits today either. It was just a pleasant walk in an empty park. One good thing about rainy days is that it really limits the number of cyclists on the trails.

I got a lot done today. I went to the storage warehouse and retrieved a few things that Janet wanted me to get. I went up on the roof and removed all the standing water as well. Cooler weather makes removing the water more difficult. Nothing evaporates when the temperatures start to fall. There was no need for an afternoon walk today. I got all the exercise I needed pushing the water off the roof. It's disappointing to see that parts of the silicon coating are starting to deteriorate. It's a never ending task to keep the roof sealed properly, but making these repairs is a lot cheaper than a new roof. I'm not even sure a new roof would end my problems because nobody will give me a bid on adding a pitch to the roof without changing the house's appearance. I know this can be done, but it must be more complicated than I imagine.

Even though chores kept me busy today, I still wasted a lot of time checking out airfares, hotel rates, and rental cars. There are a lot fewer flights to Orlando than the last time I went to Kennedy Space Center. I understand why the airlines are doing this, but it's not a good way to build confidence in flying. I wouldn't have any problem flying on an empty plane in a pandemic. A full plane might be a problem. I can't recall flying anywhere where I didn't hear someone on the plane coughing every five minutes. Even if the airline doesn't sell the middle row of seats, you're still not six feet apart. Basically an airliner is just a sardine can filled with people.

I hate that I'm even thinking this way, but that's the world we live in. You shouldn't have to worry about catching a deadly disease just by hopping on a plane. You shouldn't have to worry about getting trapped in a downtown riot when you are driving home late at night. I don't have kids, but you shouldn't have to worry about school shootings either. We've let our world fall apart. I don't know how to fix things. I don't think the politicians do either. 

Sage is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day