Henry & Walter Back To Normal

Maybe it was the weather because we woke up to 61°, windows open and a cold breeze through the house. Most likely the little "flu bug" the older ones had has passed. For the first time in days Henry ate all of his breakfast and had his tail high and wagging when he finished. Walter tried to jump up as high as possible to get on my lap as I sat in my desk chair. He never makes up on my lap but he likes to start his day with a standing stretch. Watson was just normal after growing over night. He cannot figure out why his legs are getting so long. Once in the yard they were all quite active.

Even though it is early and few people outside in their yards, I still have to tether Henry because if I don't he will wander off quickly. Just like any good basset hound would do. They are here one minute and gone out of sight within seconds. Watson will do the same once he is older. That is why getting some kind of fence installed soon is a must. Invisible fence is scheduled for August 1st, my preference. I am still considering a regular fence to keep the neighbors out of the yard, if you can believe that. LOL

As soon as Watson jumped off the patio deck he had his nose to the ground checking out any overnight traffic by other animals. I might have to mount one of those field cameras to that post you see and find out what I am competing with. He is starting to get that lanky bloodhound trot. He will be so clumsy soon as fast as he is growing. 

I was hoping to get a better photo of him running but he was too fast and out of camera range by the time I tried getting a second photo.

When Walter doesn't stop at the door and look around I know he is serious about getting out into the yard. He must have known the rain had stopped because he rain to the far corner of the yard with a couple of stops on the way to check out the puppy.

I plan on having the fence straight out from that edge of the house to keep them out of the side yard and out of my view on the patio. It will then go over pretty close to the edge of my property then up to the back of the yard with it going all the way across the backyard. I will have them go down as far as where the built on shed is and once again keep them out of the side yard. It will be easier to mow with the fenced in shed area. I have a few ideas on design and will check them out tomorrow morning at the store or possibly later this afternoon.

This was what they were interested in this morning, a fallen twig from the heavy rains yesterday. By the time I walked out there to get the twig and bring it to the back yard, Watson was already heading next door. I caught and grabbed him at their old fence.

Neighbors on each side of me grew up in those houses and are taking care of their mothers. Their mom and dads moved into those houses when they were built in the late 1950s. Both would prefer I don't build a fence as all the backyards on our side of the street are fenceless. I am not sure what they have done in the past but since I have moved here they like to cut through the yard when visiting each other. 

The neighbors on the left like the dogs, don't mind it when they walk over to their backyard and of course when they are outside, all three dogs go running to them for attention. One is 87 years old and small. My main concern is Henry is going to knock her over some day because he still likes jumping up on people when he meets them. There is nothing good when an older lady is knocked down even when the yard is soft ground. 

Watson shows no signs of jumping up on people. He actually goes to the sit position when someone approaches him to pet him. Yet when fully grown he is going to be close to or a little over 100 pounds. He likes to lean into you when getting petted.

When I have mentioned the invisible fence in the past the older daughter doesn't not even acknowledge my concern but says she wishes I would not put up a fence. The mom has dementia and has asked numerous times if she can still walk into my yard to see the dogs if I install a fence.

I am just not used to having neighbors walk through my yard to get to the other's house. I know it's convenient and they may have been doing it for many years but it's not something I like seeing. I do know I would never think of walking through either of their yards to get to the houses on the other side of them. Very friendly people but maybe a little too friendly. I want to be able to let the hounds and the dog outside to enjoy the day without wondering who else is in the yard. They all need freedom to roam their yard with their noses to the ground (even Walter) without being tethered.

Dog Watch fence company tells me their invisible fence can handle a bloodhound and they have bloodhounds as clients. Walter really doesn't need a fence. He will go out front with me when I water the grass by the street but always stays in the front yard while I am there, then follows me to the back when I am finished putting up the hose. He in fact has caught and let Watson to the backyard after seeing him head around the corner to the side yard. Henry will wonder enough that he has his own Apple AirTag.

With all the rain yesterday I didn't water my grass out by the road this morning but planned to this afternoon. A day of sunshine dried that area out pretty good. I could see the clover and grass growing before my eyes with all the sunshine after the heavy rains yesterday.

Later in the afternoon Watson decided to show me how he sneaks away gradually. He ignored me calling his name. Those bloodhound traits are starting to show at such a young age of a few days shy of 10 weeks.

It was good to see Henry back to his old self. He had been dragging for a few days even if some of the photos did not show it.

I can already tell that Watson has a great nose. He has found everything that I have hid from him in his training. He can also smell food a mile away, loves it when the grill is fired up and will sit and wag his tail to beg instead of trying to jump up on me.

Some day I might have to take that ball away because it will be very small inside his adult mouth.

Just because it was a beautiful day doesn't mean that Walter will go all the way outside to enjoy it.

I didn't do much today. Stuck around until 11:09am exactly so I could go online at my assigned time and choose my seats for IU football season tickets. There really isn't a bad view in that stadium. It will be a nice drive every few Saturday to see the game live for the first time in a lot of years. I use to like to sit home and watch on tv along with all the other games but that changed the last two years when living in Sierra Vista. I watched IU games but not many other than those. I was out hiking in the afternoons during the fall.

So a pretty quiet Friday with more Reds baseball tonight on tv with ice tea nearby and a bag of sunflower seeds.

Perfect weather today in "the tropics" of Southern Indiana.