Hounds Love The Fog

I started to type this and realized from the clock in the upper right corner of my monitor, it was not even 10am. The hounds and I are still adjusting to the time change ... no big deal.

One thing I am not adjusting to is colder temps and knowing that winter is just around the corner.

It was quite a surprise this morning as I opened the door to let the hounds outside and freezing coolness hit me. I'm not a fan of that type of weather. The fog made it a nice morning though, a different feel to the day ... the hounds didn't notice.
 

They were ready to walk around 7:30am, I wasn't ... nothing starts until coffee is consumed in my world. I did not drink coffee until I was 40 years old but in the early 1990's living in the Seattle area, the addiction started. Small espresso stands scattered throughout my town of 10,000, even with a couple of drive-thru businesses.

With Sadie not adjusting to the time change at all, she was giving me the stare down to 'go walk' by 8:30am ... we started it a little after 9am. This fog and the temperature at 37° ... but didn't feel that cold.

Stella tried eating some wet leaves, then a pile of wet dirt and later some grass to add to her early morning snacks.

With their speed I became aware that deer might be on the horizon. Would they be in the woods waiting to jump out? Would they be in the far right corner not knowing that the hounds were on their way to that area.

Stella took off left and I thought she was gone. She stood and stared, looking north and I was sure that she was going to take off on a sprint toward potential deer. While I was trying to capture her pose, with the fog the lens would not focus ... luckily Stella turned around and headed back to toward Sadie and the normal path.

I decided that I'd let Stella have open range so to speak. I would let her come and go as she wanted unless .... she headed to the 'no fly zone'. That never happened, although she stayed behind so far that she could not be seen in the fog, nor could the camera lens focus due to the fog.

As usual Stella came sprinting to catch up with Sadie and I and both headed home at their normal slow pace.

Stella had one last spot to check before she came inside. Sadie and I had already returned inside the house and by the time I had hung up my coach, Stella was at the door to be let inside.

I mentioned yesterday that we would probably walk without the camera and maybe take the retractable leash but that did not happen. Here are some pictures of our afternoon on Wednesday ... another great day.

The process that started weeks ago on the highway, was started by the highway crew of grinding out the cracks in the highway in preparation for the filing those with tar what was pictured yesterday. Here is part of that right in front of my driveway. Luckily it was dried very very fast, with a truck trailing the crew and giving it time to dry. They did this for at least 12 miles of highway, maybe more.

The sun was bright for our afternoon walk but that sunshine did not equate to warm temperatures. I guess fall is here and the winter is hiding right around the corner here in 'the tropics'.

It's good to see Sadie's trim waistline and I hope she can maintain that even through the winter.

Well it is good that you can watch tv without the political ads during each commercial break. It's interesting to see the news commentary change since the election results. I guess the large crowds at the Trump campaign speeches, the larger ratio of Trump/Pence signs in yards compared to Clinton signs ended up being a pretty accurate indicator for what was going to happen.

I'm not a historian, and maybe some readers are ... if so, I am sure they also remember demonstrations in the streets after Nixon was elected, Viet Nam era, then against Reagan and 'the nukes' ... a few more demonstrations that I don't remember in detail. So, nothing really new, just more coverage on tv and also of coarse the internet and social media.

I may post again later this afternoon or early evening to get back on a schedule of blogging at the end of the day instead of trying to post photos and write about a 24 hour period from one mid-day to the mid-day the following day. We will see how that works.

Not much planned today, at least nothing that is blog worthy.

We are cold today here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

A Football Sunday

We woke up Sunday morning to some heavy fog and allergies that have been out of control the past few days.

It only took a few hours before the sunshine started to break it's way though the fog and clouds. We are headed back to the mid to high 80's this week in 'the tropics'.

I'm not sure if it was the fog, but Stella didn't get off the carport floor and Sadie never moved from "Winston's Patio" ... stared out into space, glanced and at me ... then headed back to the door to be let in, without me saying a word. After all I've been the full-time doorman since April 2014, they decide the plans for the day.

I can only assume this change in seasons this past week is the cause for me going crazy with my nose being plugged, itching and setting all-time sneezing records ... it might be the reason that Heidi and Stella have been scratching more.

A little later we went back outside to sit and enjoy the morning. As a test I mounted the Nikon 55-200mm lens to check something out that I was curious about. Interesting that any distance past 135mm would not auto focus, as before.

Sadie was sure someone had been in our 'burn pile' last night. I didn't have an answer for her when she looked back over to me.

Then they did what they do best. Put their noses to the ground, explore the yard for any new traffic but only after they made a trip to the field to dump their tanks. I wonder why Heidi can't use the field like the bloodhounds do?

I was pretty sure that I was going to have to go get Stella. She likes to head north outside of her boundary. With that ditch running along the field and my neighbor's yard, leading to the highway, I cannot afford for her to find a scent she likes well enough to lead her in that direction.

Here is is coming back after I called her. She wasn't thrilled about having their excursion cut short.

She continued along the line of the yard, up in the area that I cleared in April 2015 and planted grass. That has been one of the best things I've done since living here.

This fence is on the north side of the yard, with the old wire fence running north and south. Every year I burn that area so there is fresh growth for the spring and summer. These are taken a few days after I cleared out that overbearing, wild Giant Ragweed.

We might have just enough time to take a hound walk before the first NFL game at 1pm. After that it's weekend football routine, just like Saturday.

I did take the Z4 out for a nice 42 mile loop. I start driving up and down hills surrounded by trees before I turn west where it's flat and nothing but fields of corn and soy beans for as far as you can see. It was beautiful this morning with no humidity, cool air and the engine purring like a kitten ... nice and quiet.

I returned to find that Stella stayed with Sadie and Heidi like always, shut off in the bedroom. NO DAMAGE by her. She is on a streak of almost 3 straight months of letting me leave the house from 1 - 5 hours, without tearing up the house trying to get out. She is getting better.

We had time to do our daily walk before the first NFL game. The hounds were sound asleep by kickoff.

A lot of new scents after a rain.

I'm not sure what Sadie had found and didn't see this look until after I downloaded the photo. Nothing jumped out, fly away or snap at her.

All of those purple colors from last week are disappearing fast as the purple mist dies out.

The hounds don't realized that we are on a "pre-game" walk, which means their pace needs to be a little faster than normal.

Stella of coarse has her own speed, especially where the deer sleep.

At least they came my direction when I said "come on".

Stella tried to sneak away to the 'no fly zone' but was caught once again.

The colors of purple are turning brown.

Another reminder to them that it's football Sunday.

Stella wanting me to know ... she doesn't want to go in the house but wants to stay outside to roam the field.

All is well though ... they were fed, walked, given fresh water and they slept ... another routine day for them.

Hot weather is coming back here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.