A Strange Visitor???

As we stepped outside after the hound's lunch ... it really felt warm. I took this picture just to make sure I saw what I was feeling. It also proves to you that are scattered all over the USA, Canada and Mexico ... I'm not crazy .. it's 40° 18 hours after a snow storm. The NFL Playoff game didn't start until 1pm so I had some time to take more pictures, let the hounds out to wander ... but they did not wander for long until they were back at the door wanting inside. It was such nice weather I wanted to stay out longer ... then I saw them. Paw prints of something.

Heidi did not spend much time trying to decide what she wanted to do. That didn't mean she was going to walk out into the snow ... just under the overhang on the dry mulch. She has not been in any of that snow since it showed up on Friday. Of course since she is allowed to dump her tanks on the mulch, I have no problems using my old 25 or 30 year old 'pooper scooper' to pick it up and throw it out into the woods.

This looks like a typical January day. I clicked a 'tag' on this blog last night "Bloodhounds Love the Snow" and found out that it was just 3 days away from exactly a year when it snowed here last year and a lot more. Sadie and Stella ended up playing rough in the snow and did some running. The snow energized them, not so much anymore.

Stella stood and thought about it. Was it time for her afternoon walk? Or was it time to go back inside and sleep for a couple of hours?

I was starting to walk down to the mailbox in case something had been delivered the past few days when I saw something a little disturbing. Let me explain. These paw prints went all the way down the driveway before curling to the right into the yard. BUT.... they did not show up going back to the house in the middle of the front yard nor anywhere in the yard.

Stella has NEVER been that far down the driveway nor has she ever been close to the highway or the mailbox. So could those paw prints be hers? If so, she was doing it during that early morning trip when I let them outside while I pour their morning kibble. IF that was her I cannot let her outside on her own, after 3 years of doing it because I cannot afford to let her go that direction any time ... whether I am outside or not.

They look like her paws ... but could it have been another large dog roaming the neighborhood during the night or before I let Stella and Heidi outside in the morning? It has been YEARS since I have seen any loose dogs running around this neighborhood and they were not large dogs. Two of my three neighbors do not have dogs. The brick home across the highway has a St.Bernard but I've never seen him outside their yard and never near the highway. He will bark at me sometimes when I go to the mailbox but that's all I ever see or hear from him.

So I'll have to try to fake Stella out Monday morning as I let her out, turn like I am leaving to pour out dog food but sneak out of the house to see where she is going. The problem is, 95% of the time she doesn't go anywhere and stands at the door waiting to get back inside. We will see what happens.

Yes, a few dents in that 44 year old aluminum siding when the house was owned by other people.

I took more pictures of those paw prints as I went to the mailbox. Is it a stray Cougar??? Don't laugh, we have them in the area sometimes. Yet, I am pretty sure these are from Stella.

Or could those be Heidi's ????

Time to go in ... Stella will always put her nose to the door knob to go back inside. We all know though, she can't open doors with round door knobs don't we?  :)

Not only one of my favorite healthy breakfasts but one with color ... it was the colors that made me post this. Bacon, three eggs, baby spinach and cut up Roma tomatoes.

During one of the commercials of the football game I was looking outside the north window noticing how fast the snow was melting. Then .... I saw more of those paw prints. So I took my camera outside and followed them from the north yard down across the front yard heading for the driveway. I did not see any paw prints where they went from the driveway into the yard.

At least my car stayed clean this weekend. I might have to make a trip to the recycling center on Monday ... I'll wait as long as possible for the highway to dry completely before I go.

IT WAS CONFIRMED AT 3:07PM EASTERN TIME THE MYSTERIOUS PAW PRINTS ARE STELLA'S !!!! 

This was my chance to watch and follow her. I think we have a 100% confirmation these prints and those in the yard and driveway are Stella's. It's the house rules for the all the hounds EXCEPT Heidi, not to go into the front yard. It's been that way for 20 years of hounds ... Stella is now officially on "Double Secret Probation" .. (a Animal House movie reference for those that can't figure that out)

In the meantime the snow continues to melt at a rapid rate without the sun shinning ... the highway looks dry enough to me that I can make that trip to the recycling center Monday morning after our walk.

Still 40° today here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.