Day 4492

We've been under severe storm warnings for most of the day, but once again nothing materialized. When the front passed through our part of town, we hardly even got any rain. For some unknown reason these bad storms usually pass either to the north or the south of us. We seem to be in an odd sweet spot right in the middle. There definitely was some bad weather in the area with multiple reports of tornados on the ground. I hope we can keep avoiding these things. We've been lucky for a long time.

I made rental car reservations for my trip to the observatory. It's a little early, but with rental car shortages everywhere it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm still a little apprehensive about this trip. I don't have the stamina I once had. I'm sure everything will be fine though. I'm definitely not the only old guy out there.

I completed my full six mile route today. Once again, I wasn't terribly fast, but I made it. I got rained on a bit, but luckily I was very near a shelter. This shower only lasted five minutes, so I was quickly on my way again. I've mentioned several times that there weren't any wildflowers this year. I was wrong. The same flowers are blooming that bloom every Spring. They're just later this year. The frequent rain we've been having lately has caused everything to turn green in a hurry. It's too bad we don't get a little rain every month. We seem to get our yearly rainfall all at once. By July the park will be dry and brown again.

I got the star tracker out again this afternoon. There have been several software and firmware updates since I last used this thing and I didn't want to get too far behind. I made the firmware updates successfully, although I never like to update firmware. There are too many tales of people bricking their cameras or computers by inadvertently doing something wrong. My main worry is a power outage during an update. I still haven't mastered the Polaris tracker, but I definitely don't want to brick it before I get a few decent pictures.

I feel sorry for the star tracker employees. I think they live in one of the cities that the Chinese have locked down. I certainly haven't heard much from them lately. I'm really glad they managed to get my tracker in the mail before everything started heading south. Deliveries are months behind schedule now and many people in certain countries still haven't received their orders. Dealing with Chinese companies directly is definitely different. There is a custom camera cage I'd like to order from another Chinese company, but I can't figure out how to use their website. I've seen a lot of websites, but this is definitely something new. Maybe I should ask the star tracker guys how it works.

I wish I had more energy. When Janet was ready to take Dawn on her afternoon walk, I had just returned from my six mile walk and was too tired to come along. If I had joined them, I would have gotten 20,000 steps again. Oh, well. I probably needed a nap more than 20,000 steps. Hopefully, our bad weather is over now. I'm really tired of rain.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4491

Today was very busy. At least it was busy for me. After the usual sunrise walk with Dawn and my weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and berries, I finished my article for SpaceFlight Magazine. I also sorted through over a thousand pictures to find a selection to send to the magazine to accompany the article. I was fairly pleased with the results. The pictures looked great and I was able to write something to the magazine's requested length. One more article about life on the space coast is complete.

It looks like I'll be going out to Mcdonald Observatory after all. I finally got a confirmation of my reservation at the Astronomers Lodge today and after a bit of soul searching, I decided that I really should go out and volunteer again. Sure, I've got a lot of aches and pains and it definitely is a long drive, but it's only going to be worse next year. I tire easily and my feet hurt, but I'm still healthy. Who knows how long this will last. I guess I feel the same way about my trips to the observatory as I do about my daily walks. To stay at your best mentally and physically, you've got to keep moving. I can do this.

If inflationary pressures continue to get worse, the limiting factor for my travels might end up being the expense. My stay at the Astronomers Lodge will be more expensive this year. Their prices went up almost the same amount as my hotel in Titusville. I don't even want to think about what the rent car is going to cost. The price of rental cars has gotten ridiculous. For the moment I can justify the expense. I'd rather spend the money doing something I enjoy than watch it disappear in some future stock market crash.

Since today was Monday, Janet and I went up to the kennel and visited the rescue Dalmatians again. Visiting the dogs takes a lot longer now since there are so many of them. I had thought that some of the new dogs would have gotten adopted by now, but they are all still there. Everyone was in good spirits. Rocket is still scared, but his skin condition is getting better. Dorothy is going to take the crown away from Charlie as the kennel's resident wild child. She has so much energy and really loves to play. I think she would do great at agility. Jo Jo has become the group's gentle giant. He's big and strong, but is extremely well behaved. Willie and Julip and both tiny and very sweet. They both love attention and like being petted. Candy still needs to learn some manners, but she is very young and has received absolutely no training or socialization. We are working on this. I think we've almost taught her to sit. Oliver is still a goofy clown and Charlie is still the most fun to play with. Despite his many issues, Charlie is the smartest dog at the kennel. 

We had fun with the dogs today but it didn't leave me with a lot of time to walk when we got home. For a while I though we'd get rain this afternoon, but all we got was a lot of wind. I did manage to get in a short walk before dinner time and ended up completing about three miles. I doubt if I could have walked much further even if I had all day. My feet still hurt.

I seldom say anything about the watches, but today's watch used to belong to Alice Cooper. At least that's what I was told.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4490

It was hard to get up this morning. I'm still feeling tired from my trip. You can't keep a dog waiting though. I dragged myself out of bed and off we went on our morning walk. It was a nice morning, but really windy. I think the wind blew in more pollen because both Janet and I had allergy problems this morning.

We always have a big breakfast on Sunday morning and then after doing a few chores around the house, we left again for Dawn's Sunday outing. We took my car this time because Janet's car was in the shop for a recall repair. She had a loaner car, but they don't allow pets in rentals and loaners anymore. The way Dalmatians shed you could never convince anyone that a dog had not been in the car. Dawn is always nervous about new things, but she did pretty well in a different car. It probably helped that Janet sat in the back with her. There was plenty of room. The seats were down and Dawn had her favorite blanket. I'm glad this worked because I may need to take Dawn and Janet to training class this week. The Audi dealer is way behind schedule and who knows when the recall repairs will be completed.

The wind was blowing harder when we started our walk but it kept things cooler. Dawn enjoyed her second walk, but we got a big surprise when we went for ice cream afterwards. The place should have been open for several hours, but evidently employees arrived late and they weren't ready to serve yet. We were told to come back in an hour. So much for ice cream this week. We definitely weren't messing with getting Dawn back in a car again today.

I worked on my article for SpaceFlight Magazine for a bit and then I took my afternoon walk. I don't even call it a long walk anymore, because I haven't been going that far lately. I'm trying to give my foot some time to recover and it seems to be helping. For the past several days I've only been walking two miles. I still had a respectable total though because of the two short one mile walks with Dawn.

The catkins are falling from our Oak trees again. These small cylindrical flower clusters form every spring just as the tree's leaves start to turn green. They make a huge mess. I have to sweep the porch every day because it is completely covered with catkins. If it's a windy day they blow inside when you open the front door. The catkins can completely clog the pumps on the roof as well, so I'm hoping that all the wind we've been having lately is blowing the mess off the roof. I'd much rather have this stuff on the front porch than the roof. I really don't want to climb up there again to unclog the pumps. It's just getting too hard.

With all my aches and pains I'm really having second thoughts about taking a long road trip again. I don't know if I have another road trip in me. Especially all the way out to West Texas. Maybe a few trips to Kennedy Space Center each year is all the traveling I need. The way prices have gone up, I don't know if I could afford much more anyway. At any rate, I'll need to decide soon because the Dark Sky Festival is at the end of the month. This might not even be an issue because I don't even have a place to stay yet. Nobody has bothered to reply to my enquiry about reservations at the Astronomer's Lodge.

It's weird how much can change in a year. Janet sees an apocalyptic future. I won't go quite that far, but things do look pretty dismal. Workers aren't showing up to make ice cream. Restaurants don't have bread to make french toast. Prices for absolutely everything have gone through the roof. I'm glad I grew up and spent most of my working years in much better times.

Apollo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4489

Life has returned to normal. I unpacked my bags, put everything back in its proper place, and did my laundry from the trip. Other than that, today was just like any other Saturday. I got to sleep in a little late this morning, but when I woke up, Dawn was ready to walk. It was a very nice day, but the air feels different here. My allergies typically go away when I'm in Florida and come back as soon as I return. I'm sure it has something to do with the different vegetation we have here, although I'm still not certain what causes these lengthy seasonal allergies. At least the differences in the two states pretty much confirms that that I do have allergies and am not in denial about having a persistent cold or Covid.

I didn't have a big grocery list today, but I did need to get gas for my car. You may wonder why I get gas so frequently if I don't drive much. Just another compulsion. I always like the gas gauge to be on full. Gas seems to have come down in price a little and fresh fruit seemed reasonable as well. I think the strawberries and blueberries are just cheaper because they are back in season though. The price of fruit might not have anything to do with inflation.

I continued writing my article for SpaceFlight Magazine today and am making good progress. If I keep working tomorrow, I should be able to submit everything to the magazine on Monday. It will probably take me longer to edit the pictures than to write the article. I took a lot more pictures than usual this time. When I am taking launch pictures, I'll take a continuous rapid burst of images until the camera image buffer runs out. Somehow I forgot to turn off the burst setting while I was setting up my gear, so every time I took a test picture I ended up taking a dozen pictures instead. At any rate, there is a lot of stuff on the SD card to sort through.

I didn't feel like taking a long walk today. Maybe I overdid it yesterday. My feet were bothering me and it was kind of hot in the afternoon anyway. I just took a short walk around the neighborhood to make sure I got my daily minimum of 10,000 steps. The walk with Dawn this morning was pleasant. By mid-afternoon it was already way too hot.

I still haven't heard anything from the new manager at the Astronomer's Lodge. I wrote about reservations over a week ago and still haven't received a reply. Maybe this is an omen. I still have mixed feelings about making this trip. Driving around in Florida certainly didn't make me eager to take a long road trip. Even though I only drove several hundred miles the entire time I was away, but my shoulders hurt from holding the steering wheel, my but hurt sitting down for long periods of time, and my fingers would go numb if I gripped the steering wheel too tight.  Maybe it was just the car. I think this Chevy Malibu was the worst car I have even rented.

I got take out for dinner this evening and when I got home I discovered that they gave me someone else's meal. You'd think I would have noticed at the restaurant, but I never check to see what is in the bag and seldom even look at my receipt. I just sign the piece of paper and go. When I did look, it turns out that I did pay for what was in the bag. My bill was almost double what it should have been. I guess it was all an honest mistake. The name on the bag did say John. I called the restaurant to let them know that the other John might be angry when he discovered he got my much smaller order. The restaurant offered to refund the difference, but I told them that I was fine with what I got. My mystery meal was much more interesting than what I actually ordered. Maybe I should quit ordering take out and just go to the restaurant and ask if they have anything for John. Janet liked the surprise dinner too. I got the impression that this was the most adventurous thing I'd done in a while.

Livy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4488

It was a beautiful day for a launch. The temperature was 70 degrees with clear skies and no mosquitos. You couldn't ask for more in Florida. It's amazing how routine Space X has managed to make these launches seem. There are rarely any delays or problems these days. Lift off occurred right on schedule. The Falcon 9 booster, which has already flown four time before, landed safely on the drone ship again and the Axiom-1 astronauts are on their way to the space station.

It felt good to be back at Kennedy Space Center. I reconnected with some of the other launch photographers and met a few new NASA media relations contacts. The guy who had his camera set up next to mine was shooting footage for an iMax movie. He had two assistants and $50,000 worth of equipment. My little camera and tripod looked pretty humble by comparison. I did manage to get some good pictures though. Launch photography is weird. You spend several hours setting up your equipment and making sure it all works correctly. Then the launch itself is over in just a few minutes. 

This was the first daytime launch I've seen in quite a while. Night launches are more dramatic. You can see the rockets exhaust a lot longer at night. Often you can see stage separation and watch the second stage ignite. Daytime launches have their advantages as well. One of the biggest advantages is that you can actually get some sleep after the launch.

I wish Southwest Airlines had more flights to and from Orlando. Even though the launch was over before noon, the first flight home didn't leave Orlando until 7:30 PM. That's a long time to wait for a plane. It's a long time to wear a mask as well. I wasn't in any hurry to leave the space center, so I went and had barbecue at the NASA cafeteria. The cafeteria was being remodeled, but they set up tables where you could eat outside. It was a perfect day to have a brisket sandwich at an outdoor table and watch the eagles fly around the Press Site. There was actually an eagle's nest with a young eaglet inside right next to where I parked my car. 

When I did get to the airport is was an absolute zoo. There was a huge line at the TSA checkpoint. For a little while I thought I might be late for my plane, even though I arrived with hours to spare. When I eventually got to my gate I discovered that my flight had been delayed. It wasn't just my flight either. I noticed that there were many delayed or canceled flights at the other gates as well. I think almost half of today's Southwest flights had some sort of delay.

With so much time to spare, it seemed like a good time to take a long walk. I walked up and down the concourse, stopping to read the menus at a variety of different restaurants. Eating is a good way to kill time, but I wasn't really hungry. The Sonny's barbecue I had for lunch really filled me up. I managed to get 20,000 steps today. I'm surprised that I didn't get more. When we were finally ready to board our delayed flight, there was an announcement that we would have to wait a little longer because the pilot hadn't arrived yet.

Dawn wasn't nearly as eager to see me when I returned home as she was to see Janet after her recent trip. I kind of expected this, but it would have been nice to see a wagging tail. I did finally get Dawn to take a cookie from me, but she still seems a little nervous. We're going to have to work on building trust again.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4487

Today was busy. After beakfast this morning I joined the other rocket photographers at the NASA Press Site to set remote cameras at the launch pad. I don't set remote cameras myself, but I like to ride on the bus with to other photographers. This is the only time the press is allowed to get close to the pad, so it's a great opportunity to get pictures. I can't believe that some of these guys continue to set remote cameras after all the tales I've heard about ruined cameras and lenses. 

You usually set remote cameras the day before the launch, so there's always a chance that it will rain overnight. Even with protective enclosures, many cameras have been ruined with water damage. If you get lucky and manage to avoid the rain, there's always a chance that your camera will get ruined by rocket fuel or flying debris. The remote cameras are set very close to the launch pad and are triggered to start shooting by the noise of the launch. There are no guarantees that your camera won't get destroyed. Sometimes I wish I had the nerve to try this, but I don't have any cameras I can afford to lose.

Today there was a certain amount of nervousness among even the more experienced photographers because as the morning progressed, we kept hearing news about a major thunderstorm headed our way. This was the same storm system that caused multiple tornados in Georgia last night, so it was something to be taken seriously. Several guys decided not to place their cameras after all. Somehow we managed to set up cameras at all four remote locations before the rain started. The timing was perfect for people like me, but it was little comfort to the photographers who knew their cameras were already getting wet.

I thought I could make it back to Titusville before the weather got really bad and I almost made it. The deluge started right as I was going over the NASA Causeway Bridge. Not the best place to be in a blinding rainstorm. I made it over the bridge and then cautiously made my way back to the hotel. The rain is over now, but it lasted quite a while. I was stuck in the hotel for most of the afternoon. Actually, this wasn't a bad thing because it gave me a chance to get started on my SpaceFlight Magazine article.

I have a hard time getting 10,000 steps a day when I'm traveling. I end up standing a lot, but that doesn't count to my Fitbit. The Fitbit wants me to be moving and burning calories. I usually walk up and down the little street where the hotel is located after dinner. It's kind of boring and there is nothing to see except for other hotels, but it gets the job done. You' think with all the walking I do that I'd feel really fit. Nope. I still spend most of my time feeling old and tired.

I really hope that the launch takes place as planned tomorrow. The weather forecast actually looks pretty good, but there is still a chance of high winds. With Space X launches you've got to worry about the weather at sea too. Even if the booster makes it safely of the pad, it still needs a place to land on the drone ship waiting out at sea. If Axiom-1 can't launch tomorrow, there are all sorts of scheduling problems. The Artemis-1 rocket on the next pad still needs to complete its wet dress rehearsal and the NASA Crew-4 launch is coming up very soon. Crew-4 needs to stay on schedule because the Crew-3 astronauts are waiting to come home. We'll set how it goes. I'd really hate to miss the launch, but any least I've already got a lot of great pictures.

Tomorrow is launch day. I need to get some sleep because it's going to be a very busy day.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4486

It's been a long day, but I made it to the airport on time, had a smooth flight to Orlando, drove to Cocoa Beach to pick up my press credentials, and then checked into my hotel in Titusville. I wasn't able to get a rent car with GPS this time, but luckily I know my way around the area by now.

I ran into several people I know while I was being credentialed and they suggested that I go to Playlinda Beach this evening to get some good pictures of the Artemis-1 rocket while it was sitting on the pad. It sounded like a good idea to me, especially since I didn't have anything else to do this afternoon. I had to renew my annual pass to get into the Canaveral National Seashore, but they have a special senior rate that is quite reasonable. The National Seashore is beautiful and I always enjoy visiting there. There were several areas near the water that had a clear view of launch pads 39a and 39b. It was amazing how much bigger the SLS rocket was on 39B than the Falcon-9 on the nearby 38A. The Artemis rocket is huge. Hopefully, I will get some better pictures tomorrow, but at least I got something today.

Since I don't go to concerts or sporting events, airports are about the only place where I see a lot of people.  I'm not a big fan of crowds and seeing a cross section of humanity like this is kind of frightening. It makes me appreciate my solitary existence. There's certainly nothing glamorous about flying anymore. It's kind of like taking the bus. Now that everyone has decided that Covid is over, airplanes are full. I enjoyed it more when the airlines blocked off the center seats in early 2020, but those days are over. Flying is a zoo again.

The clerk at the Hertz counter told me that none of their cars have in-dash GPS anymore. Evidently it is no longer a desired feature, since most people use their phones for everything. I ended up using Google Maps on my phone to find where I needed to pick up my credentials. It worked surprisingly well, although you can't really see your phone while you are driving. I still like an in-dash GPS system a lot better. Who would have thought that a GPS in your car would end up being old-school and only appreciated by old farts like me.

Tomorrow looks like a busy day. We get to go out to the launch pad and take some close up pictures of the Falcon-9 rocket. I think that Axiom Space is having a press conference in the afternoon as well. A lot of the space photographers set up remote cameras near the launch pad, but I've never had the nerve to do this myself. I've heard too many tales of cameras getting ruined by everything from rain to rocket exhaust. Some photographers build special enclosures to protect their cameras, but these tend to be heavy and bulky. It's not something you'd want to fly with.

I did pretty well at remembering what to pack, but I really should have brought a pair of shorts. When I was out at Playlinda Beach this afternoon it got pretty hot. It's hard to think of every contingency, especially if you like to travel light. I did bring a raincoat which will come in handy if it rains tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be nice for the launch on Friday though. I'm hoping that the forecast is accurate this time.

I wonder if Dawn will miss me while I'm gone. I suspect not. I bet she's already claimed my spot on the bed.

Paxton is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4485

It's déjà vu all over again. My bags are packed. I've reprinted everything in my manilla itinerary envelope with updated information. As long as there's not another last minute launch postponement I guess I'm ready. Truthfully, I'm never ready to travel. I usually second guess my decision even after I'm on my way. When the trip is over though, I'm almost always glad I went. I've really got to force myself to expand my horizons. It would be easy for me to stay home all the time and do nothing, which is never good.

We set a new high temperature record today. It got up to ninety-six degrees this afternoon. Those are Summer temperatures, so I'm hoping that Spring isn't over yet. It's too soon for Spring to be over. Most of the Spring wildflowers haven't even bloomed yet. Dawn probably wishes she had walked earlier today. She didn't want to walk this morning because the ground was wet. We got a lot of rain last night. At least the temperature was cooler though. By the time we walked after lunch, it was already too hot. We took a short walk so Dawn wouldn't get overheated and then I tried to walk a little further myself.

I didn't make it very far today. It wasn't the foot pain that bothered me, it was the heat. I'm not used to the heat yet. Last Summer when I took my long walks I would soak my clothes in water before I left the house and they would be completely dry again before I returned. It's a shame that there is so little genuinely nice weather here in Texas. It is always too hot, too cold, too wet, or too dry. Maybe I'm being too picky, but I wish our summers could be more like those I remembered when I used to live in Colorado.

I got another notice that my little mobile internet hotspot is going to cease working soon. Evidently this device still uses the phone company's 3G network which is going to be turned off in the near future. I love this little pocket sized hotspot and it has been my companion on every trip I've taken for many years. It wouldn't have been possible to continue my daily blog posts without it. I have been looking for a 5G replacement and there isn't much available. Technology has changed and now a lot of phone companies want you to use a tethered cell phone as a hotspot. The 5G hotspots I've found so far are all larger and much more expensive. It's such a shame that technology has to keep changing. I was completely happy with the technology I was using twenty years ago.

I'm amazed that we didn't have a roof leak last night. The rain was really heavy for several hours. I turned the pumps on before I went to bed, but there was no way they could keep up with this deluge. When I finished last night's post I felt that the storm would pass to the north of us. I was wrong. I think northern counties did get a lot more rain, but a few heavy cells passed directly over us. I'm really glad that thunder and lightning doesn't bother Dawn. She slept through everything. Dot and Dash would have been terrified.

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning. I have to get up really early and am depending on Janet and several alarm clocks to get me up in time. I have a bad habit of lying in bed when I wake up, thinking that I'll get out of bed in "just a few minutes." Usually I immediately fall back to sleep again. Did I mention that I'm not a morning person. That's why I always write these blog posts late at night.

Maybe returning to Kennedy Space Center and seeing another rocket launch will invigorate me and snap me out of my current lethargy. One can always hope.

Angel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4484

Well, I'm still here. I got a message from Space X late last night saying that the Axiom-1 launch had been delayed for two days. I'm really glad they sent me the message last night instead of this morning, because I would have been on my way to Florida. I hastily rescheduled my airline, hotel, and rental car reservations and discovered that prices vary wildly depending on which day you travel. It's a lot less to fly on a Wednesday than on a Monday, but Friday is more expensive than either of those days. I was lucky to be able to reschedule on such short notice. It wasn't entirely smooth sailing though. I had to use a different rental car company because my first choice was completely out of cars on the new dates I selected. I hope there aren't further delays to this launch. A lot of people are traveling again and it's not always easy to make changes.

I guess I was right to be apprehensive when I learned that the Artemis-1 dress rehearsal was having problems. Pads 39A and 39B are close together, so what is happening on one will often impact what is going on at the other. The giant Artemis moon rocket is always going to be first in line down at the space center. I guess the Axiom Space folks will have to wait. Oh, well. I was glad to be able to sleep in longer this morning, but I'm going to have to unpack my suitcase to find today's evening meds.

Since I was home today, it was just another day to visit the rescue Dalmatians at the kennel. There are so many dogs now that it takes us quite a while to see everyone. These dogs always make us laugh. Dorothy and Candy are wild. Julip and Willie are shy. Oliver and Jo Jo are big clumsy goofballs. Rocket is still scared, but he seemed more relaxed than last week. Charlie is just Charlie. We had a good time this afternoon. Several dogs are being looked at, but nobody got adopted this week. I don't know if we'll see Sammy again, but her puppies are all healthy and doing well. Their eyes are open now and they are getting their spots.

I took several short walks today, but didn't feel up to taking my regular long walk. I probably wouldn't have had time anyway since we spent so much time up at the kennel. My shoes feel different now since I've already transferred the custom orthotics to the new Hokas that are currently sitting inside my suitcase. It's not worth the trouble to transfer them back again.

We are under a severe weather warning tonight although I haven't seen or heard anything yet. So far the storm seems to be moving to the north of us. I hope this continues. Tonight's storm is associated with high winds and possible tornadoes. That's the last thing we need. I still worry that one of our remaining large Oak trees will be toppled in a big storm. We've already lost several this way. I always see downed trees in the park after a major storm. Our own trees are about the same age, so you never know.

I got a notice this morning that my application to attend the NASA Crew-4 launch was not accepted. That's just as well because I couldn't have afforded to go to two launches so close together anyway. Crew-4 is scheduled for next week. I just applied to attend both launches in hopes that one of them would come through. All is well. Now I've just got to decide whether to go out to McDonald Observatory at the end of the month. It's not an easy decision.

There's not much on the agenda tomorrow. My bags are packed and even if it rains tonight it's still supposed to be a nice day tomorrow. Maybe I'll sleep in late again.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4483

Another nice Spring day. We walked a little later this morning so I got to sleep in a bit. Dawn enjoyed her early walk and enjoyed getting a little bacon with our Sunday breakfast even more. It was a relaxing morning, but the tranquility didn't last long. After breakfast I was forced to start packing for my trip.

I hate packing, but I try to be methodical about it. First I make sure all my devices are fully charged. Then I transfer the documents I need from the desktop computer to the laptop. Most of these documents have been printed as well, but I like to have a backup. I did a load of laundry because some of the clothes I wanted to take were dirty. I located the cables and plugs I need and put them in a bag. I put my meds, toothpaste, razor, other toiletries in another bag, and then put some orthotics in my new Hoka shoes which I will be taking on the trip. I did this off and on during the day and I'm still not completely done. Should I take a jacket? I usually do but the forecast says it will be very warm in Titusville. I'll definitely take a light raincoat. It always rains at some point during these trips.

We had a nice Sunday outing with Dawn this afternoon. It was warm, but it still felt like Spring instead of Summer. Dawn seems to like getting two walks during the day, but she still doesn't like riding in the car. Each of these walks is a little over a mile. Dawn does pretty well, but I don't think she would want to go much further. As usual, we concluded our Sunday outing with ice cream cones. I wonder if all dogs like ice cream. All of ours certainly did.

I didn't take a long walk today because I still had packing to do. I did take a short little walk later this afternoon just to make sure I got at least 10,000 steps. It's hard to meet my step goals while I'm traveling. Sometimes I'll walk after dinner at the hotel. If I'm early at the airport, I'll walk up and down the concourse until my flight boards. Launch events are usually pretty busy though. There always seems to be some place that I need to be.

I hope the trip goes smoothly. Yesterday a ton of flights to Florida got canceled because of storms in the area. Hopefully that is over now. The Artemis-1 wet dress rehearsal got delayed because of lightning strikes and a problem with fans on the mobile launcher. Since the Axiom-1 rocket is on an adjacent launch pad, I hope this doesn't foul things up. The last thing I want at this point is to add extra days to my trip. Everything is too expensive as it is.

I wish I'd booked a later flight, but I really didn't have much choice. I need to pick up my press credentials at a place I've never been before and I wanted to allow enough time to get lost. I'll have to get up very early but I can always sleep on the plane. I always fear that I won't be able to get a car with GPS at the Orlando rental car lot. Oddly, cars with in-dash GPS are surprisingly hard to find. I can't imagine driving around in a strange city without GPS these days. How did we used to do this?

I'd better go finish packing before it gets too late. I'd really like to go to bed early and get some sleep tonight.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4482

I'm making progress. I finally got the new Hoka shoes. The store that had the style I wanted was a little out of the way, but I made the trip part of this morning's grocery run and all was well. I asked the sales guy why this shoe never went on sale. "Because it's popular," he said. "We don't need to put this one on sale." Honest answer, I guess. I'm sure this is probably how all sales work.

The weather was just about perfect today. The sky was clear. The temperature was in the low 70's. And there wasn't much wind. I would have enjoyed walking further today if it weren't for my persistent foot problems. I did what I could though. A little over 18,000 steps today.

I think my seasonal allergies are finally going away. I don't have as much congestion at night and I can make it through the day without going through a roll of blue Scott shop towels. I hope this isn't some cruel April Fool's joke. I'm really getting tired of watering eyes and a constantly dripping nose.

It's amazing how quickly everything turned green. There are small leaves on most of the trees now and I'm starting to see some wildflowers. The pecan trees are still pretty bare, but they are always a little later than the other trees. With such nice weather, it's kind of a mystery why the wildflowers are so sparse this year. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.

I woke up last night remembering that I never sleep well when I travel. How quickly we forget. I need to start remembering some of the more positive aspects of traveling. There really are a lot of positive aspects, but all I can think about now is how tired I get and how glad I usually am to be back home.

I think I would enjoy rocket launches more if I actually lived in Titusville. It's a nice sleepy little town, filled with retired NASA workers. I don't think this part of Florida gets nearly as many hurricanes as the Panhandle or the Tampa area. There are still alligators though. Dallas is nice, but it's getting way too crowded. People move here because there are still lots of jobs. I moved here because of job opportunities myself, but this isn't nearly as important when you are retired. Sleepy little towns have a certain appeal when you aren't constantly looking for clients.

I could tell that Dawn was getting hot on her afternoon walk. I don't think she's going to enjoy walking as much this Summer. I don't think I'll enjoy walking this Summer either. It doesn't seem like I'm able to regulate my temperature as well as I used to. I'm always either too cold or too hot. It's very rare that the temperature seems just right. Today was one of those rare days.

I need to start packing soon. I like to travel light, so I am always forgetting things. I always remember to take my daily meds with me, but there are lots of other things in the medicine cabinet that I forget. You've got to remember to take things like Q-tips, Neosporin, Visine, bug spray, toothpaste, and much more. I usually take too many coats and not enough toiletries. Sometimes I forget to take enough socks as well.

We had Chinese take-out for dinner again. I don't know why Chinese take-out is so appealing, but it's usually our go-to meal when we don't feel like cooking. Ice cream cones sound appealing for tomorrow. It looks like it's going to be a good day for Dawn's Sunday outing. I just hope it won't be too hot.

Miracle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4481

It's getting harder to get up in the morning. I'm getting plenty of sleep. I'm just not eager to start a new day. Dawn's early walks actually help make the transition from night to day. After 45 minutes outside, everything starts to seem normal again. It's hard to be in a bad mood when you are following behind a happy dog. Dawn loves her morning walks. I've learned to like them as well.

As expected, I didn't go out for breakfast this morning. I thought about it, but I wasn't that hungry. The thought of driving across town to eat more than I was hungry for made a bowl of shredded wheat sound pretty good. 

After I finished breakfast and completed a few morning chores, I called the hotel where I'm supposed to pick up my press credentials and asked if they really had a Starfish Room. They did. It was a small meeting room so they didn't bother to put it on their website. One more needless worry averted. Now I'm going to have to find something else to fret about.

I had to upgrade all the Apple stuff today. Apparently there was another hacker exploit that needed to be patched. This never used to happen. Back in the day, Apple systems seemed totally immune to hackers and malware. I could go years without worrying about my system becoming compromised. I guess that's the price you pay for becoming popular. I dutifully upgraded my phone, watch, and tablet knowing that I'll probably have to do it again in a few weeks.

Janet does her grocery shopping on Friday and grocery day has become Dawn's favorite day of the week. She gets so excited when bags of food arrive at the house and immediately starts barking for me to open the dog gate. The gate stays closed until all the food is in the house and the front door is closed. Then Dawn runs to the kitchen to supervise while everything is put away. A dog's life is pretty simple. It revolves around food and sleep. Throw in a few walks during the day and you've usually got a happy dog.

The older I get, the more I've started to live like a dog. I get lots of sleep, take naps during the day, and spend more time than I should wondering about what to eat for dinner. I also spend a huge chunk of my day walking. I walk a lot more than Dawn, but otherwise our lives are similar. Maybe this is why I react to traveling the same way Dawn does to riding in the car. Traveling gets me outside my comfort zone. It would be so easy for me to do nothing at all, but I'm convinced that new experiences are important.

My upcoming trip to Kennedy Space Center won't be a completely new experience, but every launch is different. I worry more about plane crashes that I used to and traveling seems excessively expensive now. On the other hand, I enjoy feeling part of the little community of rocket photographers and writers at KSC. Even though I don't go to the space center that often, there are still people who remember me. It's a real job too. I have a story to write and a deadline to meet. Is all this important? It's really hard to say.

Tomorrow is my own grocery day. Dawn doesn't get very excited when I return. That's probably because I usually buy things like paper towels, laundry detergent, toilet paper, and bottled water. Fresh meat and produce probably smells much more exciting to a dog. Maybe I'll look for some Hoka shoes when I'm out and about tomorrow. I"ve been thinking about new shoes for way too long.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4480

Dawn got a bath this afternoon. It wasn't a big event, but it will have to do. Today was a slow day. All our dogs have hated getting a bath. They seem to love getting dirty though. Dawn loves to roll in the grass in the back yard. The grass is pretty thin in places, so she is mostly rolling in the dirt. Of course as soon as she's back in the house, she likes to roll on the bed. If you have a dirty dog, you also have a dirty house.

Dawn always feels better after a bath. She just doesn't like the whole process. We always take her to one of those self bathe places. I'm glad that someone came up with this idea since it works a lot better than trying to take your dog in the shower. At least it was a nice warm day. The whole ordeal was over quickly and now we have a clean dog again for a few days.

I printed out all my reservations, maps, and directions for my trip this morning. I always do this when I travel and carry around a yellow manilla envelope with all this information wherever I go. Everything in the envelope is readily available online, but I like having things on paper. 

When I drive I'll often take a road atlas with me. Even though the atlas is out of date, it still makes more sense to me than Google Maps.  I'm about as old school as you can yet, but I do try. I've finally realized that the app on my phone is much more convenient that a paper airline ticket.

It was such a nice day that Dawn got two walks. I continued walking after Janet and Dawn returned home this afternoon, but I didn't make it very far. My feet really bothered me today and by the time I'd walked two miles I realized that it was time to head for home. None of this makes a lot of sense to me. Yesterday I walked much further with relatively little foot pain. Today was terrible.

It's time to get the lawn mower running again. It's an electric mower and I usually have to replace the batteries every couple of years. I kept the battery inside this winter, so hopefully it will take a charge. We'll see. The large batteries are kind of expensive, but I still like the electric mower better than the old gas powered mowers I used to use. I just wish this mower was self propelled. I'm tired of pushing the heavy thing up and down our hilly front yard.

I'm supposed to pick up my press credentials at the Starfish Room in the Cocoa Beach Hilton. I looked up the hotel online and it doesn't have a Starfish room. This kind of stuff drives me crazy. Every time I go to Florida I'm always thinking "What if I get down there and they're not even having a launch?" I have no faith in anything these days. I usually call to double check everything, which probably annoys the people who put all their information on a website just to avoid people like me.

I've taken this week's trash out to the curb and am halfheartedly thinking about going out for breakfast tomorrow morning. I'll probably just stay home and have another bowl of shredded wheat, but I should resume my Friday morning restaurant breakfasts one of these days. It's been a while, but I know I used to enjoy them.

Smiley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4479

Another blustery day. I think today was even windier than yesterday. It rained a bit last night, but the weather wasn't as bad as I expected. Some thunder in the distance woke me up briefly. The power never went out and the roof didn't leak. The ground was wet in the morning and Dawn didn't want to go outside and pee. The little diva doesn't like getting her paws wet.

I didn't do anything of consequence today. I was surprised that the day went so quickly because I can't remember doing anything at all. Our routine was a little different because Dawn didn't want an early walk. We waited until this afternoon when the ground was a little drier and the sun was starting to reappear. My own routine almost never changes. I made the bed, ate breakfast, checked my e-mail, and caught up on today's news. Then I walked. When we took Dawn on her walk after lunch, I didn't realize how windy it was and didn't dress warmly enough. I had to come back to the house with Janet and Dawn to get a warmer coat before continuing on with my long walk. I'm still not walking very fast, but I was able to complete my entire six mile route today. I really need to think of something more interesting to do with my time. These walks may be good exercise, but they are getting boring. I guess I could go over to the other side of the lake, but it is still the same lake. I don't think it would make much difference.

I thought about making reservations at the Astronomer's Lodge for the Dark Sky Festival, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. I'm still not entirely sure I want to make the trip. I always enjoy my time at the observatory, but I really hate the long drive. Maybe I'll wait and see how I feel after my trip to Kennedy Space Center. I'll either feel better about traveling or worse. It's hard to tell at this point since I haven't been anywhere in quite a while.

Even though today was chilly, it's finally starting to feel like Spring. The meadows in the park are turning green and the Dogwood and Redbud trees are all in bloom. Wildflowers are finally starting to appear, although there aren't nearly as many as I've seen in previous years. The Oak trees in our yard are starting to get leaves again. The tree we were thinking of cutting down actually seems healthier than the other trees. I wasn't expecting that. There's a downside to Spring, unfortunately. It won't be long before I have to start mowing the grass again. It might finally be time to find a yard service to take over this chore for me. It's getting harder and harder for me to push the mower.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of March. Where has this year gone? It will be Easter soon and then I'll have another birthday where I'll feel absolutely ancient. At least I'm still relatively healthy. Almost every day on Facebook I read about someone about my age who has passed away. I think I've got a few good years left. Maybe quite a few. The challenge is not to waste them.

Dawn and Janet came back from training class earlier than I expected tonight. The dogs were getting cold and class let out early. I'll be surprised if there are many more cold days like this. Summer is just around the corner and we all know what Texas Summers are like.

Sparky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4478

We had a short power outage last night. The beeping noise one of the battery backups for the computer made when the power went out got Dawn upset and she wouldn't go back to sleep. I turned the noise off but it seemed like Dawn was on high alert for the rest of the night. I had trouble getting back to sleep because she wouldn't sleep and woke up tired this morning. I probably would have woke up tired anyway. That's been happening a lot lately.

The weather changed again overnight. It was still warm, but extremely windy. The wind didn't seem to bother Dawn. She was eager to walk this morning. The walk woke me up, but I was eager to go back to bed when we returned. I made myself stay up, made the bed, and finished my breakfast, but my heart wasn't in it today. I really shouldn't be feeling this tired.

I made my travel arrangements for the Axiom-1 launch after breakfast. I was surprised and a bit disheartened at how much more expensive everything was than when I planned a similar trip about a year ago. Airfare, hotel rates, and rental cars were all significantly more expensive. Why? Are company costs that much higher, or do these guys just think they can get away with it? At any rate, I don't think I can just travel on a whim anymore. Making too many of these trips to Florida could put a serious dent in my budget.

I was determined to do something useful today, so I got the vacuum out and cleaned the carpets. The carpets are worn and need to be replaced. Somehow this seems impossibly hard to me, since so much stuff would need to be moved. The office is full of heavy stuff that would need to be moved out of the way.  It took over twenty years to fill this room up, so clearing it out in a day for the carpet installers wouldn't be easy. The master bedroom isn't as cluttered, but that seems daunting as well. There is a large, heavy king sized bed and I would have to hook up the television and all the home network stuff all over again. I'm beginning to understand why every room in my Dad's house was piled to the ceiling with stuff when he passed away. It's easy to accumulate stuff. A lot harder to make sense of it later.

I tried to walk a little further this afternoon, but was only able to add one additional mile to yesterday's pitiful total. I think the wind did me in today. The wind was so strong when I was down near the lake that it almost blew me off the trail. There was a news story recently that a body had been discovered in the lake on Friday. Yesterday someone discovered a dead dog in the lake. It's sad that this idyllic place is really just a part of a very big city with all of the problems that big cities typically have. Police patrol the park a lot more frequently now. I guess that's a good thing, but this is definitely not West Texas. I miss the empty, wide open spaces but I do worry about falling more than I used to. At least Dallas has good hospitals.

It's supposed to rain later tonight. I dread the thought of rain these days. I don't like to go up on the roof anymore and the longer standing water sits up there, the greater the chance of a leak. I really need to call a roofer and get started on a new roof. I'm just procrastinating now. I guess I know I'm going to be disappointed whoever I choose. I'll be even more disappointed if I do nothing though. 

Now that I've take care of my Florida trip, it's time to decide whether I'm going back to the observatory at the end of April. I probably will, but I dread that long drive. I seem to dread everything these days.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4477

We met Dorothy today. She was a little bundle of energy and loved to play. It was hard to believe Dorothy was an owner surrender because she seemed just about perfect. How can people get rid of a dog like this? On our way home we took her to the vet to be spayed. She was a little nervous riding in the car but that was understandable. This week was full of changes and it was probably all pretty new to her. Like all of our rescue Dalmatians, I think she will make a great pet for some lucky family.

We spent a lot longer at the kennel today because there were so many dogs. For a long time it was just Charlie and Oliver. Now we've added Sammy and her eleven puppies, Dorothy, Willie, Jo Jo, Rocket, Candy, and Julip. Each of these dogs has their own distinct personality. Some are shy and others are wild. It's been fun getting to know all of them. Janet and I need to learn how to do some basic training. Some of the younger dogs could definitely use a little training.

I'm still feeling tired. It wasn't a strenuous day but all I really wanted to do was take a long nap. Actually, my allergies weren't bad today and my feet weren't bothering me a lot. I just felt tired. I've been walking less this week. My long walk has been getting shorter lately. I only walked two miles today. Dawn actually took a longer walk this morning which surprised us. She seems to be getting a lot more confident. This morning she added an extra half mile to her regular one mile loop and was full of energy the entire way. Of course she spent the rest of the day lying on the bed, but it is good to see her more active.

I've been approved to attend the Axiom-1 launch. I just found out today. I'll need to start making travel arrangements tomorrow because the launch is actually pretty soon. Hopefully, the weather will be nice and there won't be any problems. I'm always simultaneously excited and apprehensive about these launch events. I enjoy being back at Kennedy Space Center, but I don't really like traveling. I've already agreed to do a story about this launch for SpaceFlight Magazine, so I guess I'm on the road to becoming a working space journalist again.

April is going to be a busy month because I'm probably going back to McDonald Observatory for their Dark Sky Festival at the end of the month. Flying to Florida is a lot easier than driving to West Texas. It's a very long drive and the roads are filled with heavy trucks. I always dread the stretch through Midland and Odessa on I-30. It's very peaceful once I get to the observatory though. I guess I've got one more road trip in me. 

Today was even hotter than yesterday. It really felt like Summer on my afternoon walk. I'm sure the heat had something to do with why I felt so lethargic today. Maybe I just need to get more sleep. Janet and Dawn like to get up early. Not me. I could sleep till noon.

Doc is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4476

It felt like Summer today. The temperature reached 93 degrees this afternoon. I hope our nice Spring days aren't over yet. Summers in Texas can be brutal. The furnace still comes on for a little while when we get up in the morning, but pretty soon the AC will be running 24/7. I'm not looking forward to those Summer electric bills.

Dawn got two walks today and enjoyed both of them. I could have slept a little longer this morning, but Dawn was eager to go on her sunrise walk. Now that Janet is back, she's always got places to go and things to do. I think Sunday is Dawn's favorite day. Not only does she get her special outing followed by ice cream cones, she also gets a little bacon with our Sunday breakfast. Dawn loves bacon.

Sunday is usually a big walking day for me, but my feet weren't cooperating today. After Dawn's two walks, I didn't feel like going much further. It still seems strange that my foot pain is so unpredictable. Some days are good and other days are terrible. There isn't a lot of rhyme or reason to all this. At any rate, today was a bad day. I didn't even come close to 20,000 steps.

All I really wanted to do today was nap. I did try to fix the toilet again, but that was probably a futile effort. Other household chores will have to wait. I just didn't feel like doing much of anything today. Today's long walk was my shortest in several weeks. It was a nice day and the park was full of people enjoying the weather. I wasn't one of them. I trudged along, got a respectable number of steps, and then went home for another nap.

The big annual sale at REI is almost over and I still haven't been to the store and gotten anything. There is absolutely nothing I need. I guess I do need some new Hoka shoes, but I still can't find the boots I want and these shoes are never on sale anyway. Maybe I"ll go to the last day of the sale tomorrow. Probably not though. Tomorrow we visit the rescue Dalmatians and one event a day is plenty for me. 

Janet and I watched a little bit of the Oscars during dinner, but it seemed ridiculous and we ended up turning it off after about ten minutes. We didn't recognize many of the actors or movies being nominated. It just seemed like a strange, very self indulgent event. I wonder if the Oscars were every very good. It seemed like we used to like to watch this years ago. Things change I guess. We used to like to watch Project Runway and Top Chef too. I don't think I like anything on TV these days.

We got some new pictures of Sammy's puppies today. Their eyes are open now. These are going to be some good looking dogs. They should start getting their spots soon. I wonder how people get the nerve to raise puppies. It seems like a big responsibility. Just keeping a single dog healthy and safe seems like a big responsibility. 

I hope I sleep well tonight. I've been tired all day. Tomorrow we'll meet Dorothy when we visit the kennel. I've seen some videos of her playing with toys. She never stays still. Hope she stays still for long enough for me to get a picture for the website. It's a challenge with a young dog. Sometimes photographing a Dalmatian can make you dizzy.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day