Hounds And Walter Enjoy Spring Weather

Even with the occasional severe storms that have blown through the month of April I cannot complain about the weather. It's been fantastic. It was getting really hot last week until the rains came bringing a cold front with it. So this week the hounds and Walter have experiences 40s at night and highs in the low 70s. Watson and Henry have been taking their walks in the morning in 50°-60° weather. Watson has a new problem I will discuss below.

The rains have been spaced out evenly to where there is time to let the grass dry completely before mowing it. Sometimes that might take a day and a half to dry out and I am mowing twice per week. The backyard grass is growing so fast that by the time I cut it, it is almost 5" tall and I cut it down to 3". This is  the 2023 plan for preventing standing water next winter. Outside the fence I adjust the mower to cut the grass shorter and with all the rain plus sunshine, the front yard is almost all green now.

You can see how tall the grass is based on Henry's belly. I wanted to see what would happen before I poured more money into the backyard ... so it's only natural rain and the seed and fertilizer I applied last summer and fall. Any bare spots are zoysia grass which will not fill in and green until it gets consistently warmer.

I have to admit I am pretty happy with the amount of grass that has grown back based on how the yard looked in February and March. From the photos I have taken when there was standing water I know where I will add more topsoil this summer or fall. 

Why has the pot been moved to that location??? For some reason Henry has decided he likes to dig right at the corner of the fence which is blocked by landscaping bricks. Plus it should add some color to the yard once I plant some magnolias ... unless Watson decides to do what he did as a 8 week old puppy and eat them, one bloom at a time. Never a dull moment with a bloodhound puppy that will be 2 years old next week.

Those low areas of brown will be filled in with some Scotts topsoil, not the brand that I bought before. Two summers ago I bought almost 100 bags to fill the bare spots,  60 of those went out front by the street when I was changing a stone parking area into grass, the full width of the yard. That clay is so hard I could not even till it up nor rake it up the other day.

This is the strange story of the spring so far. I buy the cheap $2.34 per bag of topsoil like I did the last two summers but this year it's much much different. Instead of nice pure dark black dirt ... this is what came out of the bag ... almost like mulch, with wood sticks mixed in. Same brand name as I have always used but much different. The photo below was taken this afternoon before I watered it. Have you ever bought topsoil like that?

Henry also likes to dig up where I have filled in his holes with the new topsoil. He doesn't understand my lectures afterward nor does he pay attention to the word "no". Luckily he only digs in the same four spots, two out in the yard and two over on the right side of the patio if you are looking out the door.

I had to let Walter know it was not a grill night tonight. He gets pretty excited when I fire up the pellet grill to grill some chicken or steaks. Walter has been outside more this past week than he has in the past 6 months. Today he went out front to meet his friend the mailman. Matt asked me the second day I lived here in May 2021 "can I see your bulldog" ... he had seen Walter in the front yard when we were moving in the house. They have been best friends every since.

I guess I could go back in my file of photos and post a comparison of this area just last month.

This was March 3rd, as Walter is trying to decide if it is worth getting his paws wet or can he hold it until later. That paver to the left of center has been pulled up and filled with topsoil. It was covering a hole from last year. 

February 13th I wasn't sure if any grass would grow back. My yard up north was never like this in the winter time and that is what confuses me. Compare this to the photos posted above and that grass looks pretty good right now.

We haven't been doing much besides enjoying the great weather. Oh ... Watson.

I walk Watson with a "loose" leash, at his own pace as he gives his nose a workout. If he hears another dog barking from inside a house he will stand and stare, I don't try to move him unless a car or truck is passing bay. But ... a couple of months ago when we first started walking he was sitting next to me in the street as I talked to my neighbor when a car slowly, very slowly passed by on the outside lane ... Watson lunged for the car like he was going to chase it.

Every since that time when I see a car or truck getting near us on our walk I will do a quick tug on the leash and he will sit beside me ... the past two weeks he has decided he will still try to lunge at the car, van or truck and is now barking at it.

I can pull as hard as I can to keep the leash short, with the choke collar going as tight as possible (not my intention) and he is not phased by it. He is so strong now that I can barely hang on and dig my heals into the street to stop him. It reminds me of the night that Samson lunged at me and just how tall he is.

THEN ... after the car passes ... he turns and jumps on me !!!!!!

I have called and left phone messages with three different dog trainers in this area and not one has called me back. I get the clue when a vet does not return my messages as they are saying they are not taking new clients in their own indirect way. Is it the same for dog trainers???? I have to get this jumping on people issue fixed. 

Otherwise ... another great week in "the tropics" of Southern Indiana.