The temperatures were borderline on whether to leave all the windows open or close all of them and turn on the AC. Not quite hot enough outside but the house retains heat from the sunshine up until 11pm. We chose to leave the windows open with a few fans turned on low. After their first walk of the day and then lunch ... all three hounds have done nothing more than sleep, sleep and more sleep ... with the windows open.
I knew last night when I heard an ATV close to the house that they had migrated to my area of the field, near the house. I glanced out the window and saw they had it hung up some way. It wasn't muddy but I knew by the way they were riding and the number of trips following my path up to my yard ... that the field might be trashed this morning.
Stella wasn't interest in tracking tire scent, neither was Sadie but there were enough ATV tracks for them to go anywhere they wanted. The two ATVs had been racing all over the field. It wasn't the one I took a picture of. These were single seaters and both kids were not wearing helmets. A lot of times this morning it was hard to see the path I had worn doing the 2-3 walks per day.
As I looked around the field noticing some of the tall wild flowers that had butterflies yesterday afternoon had been ran over and mashed to the ground, Stella came up RUNNING behind me. Great to see and shocking to see.
I dug back through her picture file this afternoon and found out the last time she had been running full speed like this morning was January 23rd, 2017. A little over 7 months. She use to love to run but for some reason last winter wouldn't or couldn't. Like I said last week, it was her hips that were bothering her.
As we approach the first corner of our walk you can see the wear and tear the ATV did last night ... just an example why I have never been an ATV fan either here or out west. I can't say I was happy about the field damage but it's not my field either.
I could tell they have been following my path because their tire marks had all but erased most of the way I walk every day. Sadie and Stella ... more interested in tracking deer scent.
For the 2nd time of the walk, Stella took off running but I didn't have my camera ready for any action like that and missed most of her run. A few seconds after this picture they both turned right and sprinted for the far right corner ... just like old times for Stella.
You can barely see that my path is to the far right, heading straight back to the field with a slight turn ... all of these other worn areas are from last nights ATV activity. Two of them going as fast as possible ... no helmets.
Once Sadie realized that I was not stopping to take photos of anything and I was walking toward the rolls of hay, she sprinted all the way from the far right corner of the field to catch up with me.
Then she noticed that Stella did not follow her, she stood there for a minute or two waiting ... but Stella had other plans.
I figured on our way back I'd have to make the extra long walk to go get her but she glanced at us and could tell Sadie and I were not slowing down our pace.
Slowly Stella is taking a long short cut to meet us in the middle of the field, on the path.
She was almost to the path and not 2' away from me, when she hopped a little in the air and took off sprinting after Sadie. Sadie was chasing something and after 7 months of not running, Stella finally felt good enough to take off for a run.
I was surprised but happy just how fast she was galloping.
She still had not caught Sadie but she was running out of room to run. The woods was just ahead.
If you look closely above Sadie's head you can she that she was chasing a butterfly from the middle of the field to the woods. Her ears are up because of a sudden stop as she looks up at the butterfly. Stella was closing in at a very fast pace.
As Stella slams on her brakes so she doesn't run into Sadie ... Sadie tries one last attempt at jumping up at the butterfly but can't reach it as it gained altitude.
Who only flew higher. You can still see the butterfly hovering bove Sadie's head.
This is the butterfly she was chasing. Once Sadie lost interest and Stella followed Sadie back to the path to head home ... the butterfly flew back near me to finish her morning meal.
It's funny just how fast the hounds can change their focus to something else.
They did this most of the way home.
Stella trotted into the yard, another good sign she is feeling better. I continue to apply K9 Klear Up cream to those two callused hip bones. She wore those into "elephant skin" by sitting on carpet, turning on her hip bones to scratch.
I can't say what changed but she has been scratching a lot less lately, in fact, hardly at all.
We were about to go out for walk #2 late this afternoon but as I opened the door I heard the ATV's again near the yard. The grandkids must be from out of town and visiting before school starts. Even though some of the local schools around here have started school.
I posted a final post on my old blog yesterday giving long time readers one last chance to see the notice to contact me so I could tell them we moved. I deleted that post this morning after having most of the remaining long time readers contact me for this blog site. So I guess you can say it's now 'official', that the blog has moved to this one.
We might try to go outside and enjoy a little of this weather but if the ATV's keep their same path as last night and this afternoon I am going to have to keep the hounds inside. I don't want take the chance that Stella decides to show Sadie and I how she use to run with the ATV's at the place she came from.
Where's Heidi ???
She has set the all-time record for sleeping in one day. Her bath and manicure was rescheduled for tomorrow at her request.
A busy day in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana today.