The Snow Has Come And Gone

It started snowing harder around 3pm Friday but it didn't look like we were going to get much more than an inch. I was wrong about how much snow we would get. I thought it might be a good time to get the 2nd walk in but after a few steps outside and that freezing strong wind hitting me in the face, I cancelled it.

Stella didn't mind the decision since she was on her way back to the house before I made the official call. Radar was showing the snow storm was not going to last much longer. After that it will be just a week of freezing cold weather.

The hounds thought a ride to town might be possible since they couldn't go on the walk. I was done driving for the day, so it was back inside.

We waited another couple of hours and tested the temps again but it was too cold for me. Stella was checking to see if I was walking back to the house. Once she saw that I was, she headed for the door.

With the high winds rattling the storm windows I suspected a lot of the snow was going to be drifted. Heidi was not going to wake up to go outside but the bloodhounds always like to go out one last time before they officially call it a night ... even though they have spent sleeping through prime time tv.

The camera flash worked well and my hands were surprisingly steady enough to have some clear photos in the dark at 11:45pm.

Looks to be around 4" in most place. It should be a nice Saturday morning walk and plenty of snow in the field to walk through.

Sadie is always smelling something ... this is the top of the driveway right in front of the carport. There were no tracks at all in the snow until the hounds came out.

As you can see, I needed some sort of change on the blog so for the first time ever I have a blog with two columns.

The wind is howling tonight in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

The Bloodhounds Battle High Winds

If I had known it would not be raining this morning I might have delayed my final phase or raking leaves yesterday. It was suppose to be raining along with high winds but it was only windy this morning. The winds were strong enough that all the leaves in the yard would have blown away toward the north. That made no difference to the hounds though ... weather never changes what they do when they are in the field walking. It was an nice warm 64° this morning ... a nice change after freezing yesterday.

I could hear the wind howling late last night but this was the only tree limb in the driveway this morning. It will start the 2018 Burn Pile. It's another full day and night of college football as we pass the halfway point of November. All three hounds and I started off with waffles after the walk. Even Heidi woke up for that ... they get plain waffles and I get all the good stuff spread on mine.

Even after hours of high winds the yard was still staying pretty clean. The wind would be coming from left to right or the SW.

It felt so strange being warm enough to be only wearing a sweatshirt. No jacket, gloves or ski cap. It will be 48° by 5pm as the winds shift from the SW to the NW bringing in a lot of cold air. By that time we will be deep into the afternoon of watching college football ... the change will not affect us that much.

I believe I have everything finished in preparation for winter right around the corner. I still need to get into my 'moon crater' crawl space and look around. I have 3 vents that need to be closed, based on what I have been reading. Anyone know which is best, crawl space vents open in the winter or closed? House maintenance websites seem to differ in their opinion as well as changing their philosophy the past ten  years.

I guess those waffles must have killed their hunger pains. Yesterday at this time they were yelling for lunch .. today they are all passed out on the floor sleeping. Probably too many carbs.

As yo can see not much going on this morning. Hard to find things to write about since we have completed the leaf project for the year and still waiting for the Z4 parts to arrive on Monday. I do have an Amazon order that is suppose to arrive today. Do UPS drivers ever get a day off? Maybe the package will end up being delivered by the local post office, that has happened in the past.

Since I am speechless this morning, I will leave you with the rest of the photos to look at.

It's windy here today in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

The Bloodhounds Fight High Winds

 

Drastic changes in weather here and it will not end until later this afternoon. Freezing cold yesterday but 64° this morning. By 5pm these 25-30 mph winds will blow in the cold to 48°. Still that does not matter to the bloodhounds, they walk, they search and identify scent even in the high winds.

Here Comes The Heat

It did not take long this morning before that 'sticky' humid feeling showed up. We are out of those great days of weather into the high 80's ... that will still be great to me but Stella may not think so.

We had another late start of the day so our first walk didn't happen until after 10am. Can hounds tell time? I'm not sure but Sadie was willing to wait until I had my normal two cups of coffee before she came and stared at me while I sat at my computer.

Instead of heading left on her walk, Stella moved up behind me and followed Sadie along the edge of the woods ... with a little trot to her step today. Both of them were long gone by the time I made that first turn. Evidently they had something they needed to get to before I got there.

You can bet that I will never try to taste it but I wonder if deer scat taste to the hounds like ice cream tastes to me? I know, weird question but one I thought of while I walked toward them to 'herd' them into a different direction. You have to wonder because they love it.

It was funny that as soon as I moved them in the right direction to continue our walk, they took off trotting right past the rolls of hay and way in front of me. I thought they might test me by heading to the no fly zone but they stood and waited for me to make the final turn home.

I felt the way Stella looked ... it was already feeling hotter than the past week or so, humidity was here and the AC will be back to running full steam by noon.

From the time we woke up, the winds have been really strong today from the south. The only problem having the windows open is those winds are blowing warm air and not the cool breezes we have enjoyed the past week or so.

In the meantime Heidi will continue her record breaking sleeping during the daylight hours. She will not be sitting outside today like yesterday ... too hot.

This will give you some idea about the strong winds.

As Stella walked back in the yard to end the first walk of the day, her plan was to have some water, then sleep until lunch is served. She has a pretty stress free life just like any other bloodhound.

By 1pm the winds were still whipping around at 15mph from the south, it was hotter with Stella and Heidi only staying outside long enough to dump their tanks. Sadie was begging to go for a walk but it was too soon after her lunch and hotter than I wanted to be in.

The AC system kicked on early afternoon and have been keeping the inside of the house nice and cool. I jumped from book to book but couldn't find the words that interested me. The internet had nothing to offer and I wasn't in the mood to sleep the afternoon away. My DVR had automatically taped some shows I have set up so I watched those. Those one hour shows are really reduced when you can fast forward through the commercials.

I'll try more Reds baseball tonight but I can't see much more happening besides that. Maybe a movie.

I was going to wait until after 7pm before we walked again but Sadie was not into waiting any longer.  We headed out around 5:30 and within 100' Stella had decided it was too hot with her tongue almost dragging the ground. Sadie on the other hand was in heaven and was running all over the field. Nothing bothers her.

A pretty slow day today here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Hounds Cruise Through Another Week

Wednesday afternoon didn't bring much more activity than earlier. Heidi finally climbed out of bed, ate her meal and came outside for some afternoon sunshine. She just does not like the weather to be below 70°.

The bloodhounds didn't do much but walk around, sniff the area and then sat and stared at me wondering what was next on the agenda.

I am finding that Stella and Sadie constantly fight for my attention. The bloodhounds seem to crave more attention than the basset hounds. They don't follow me literally everywhere but when I am away from my desk doing something they seem to be in the way and right there.

For instance most hounds I believe are afraid of vacuums ... not these two, They followed me and stood next to me every square inch of the house while I vacuumed. While doing laundry, the bassets slept in the sunshine seeping through the windows but the bloodhounds were right in the middle of different stacks of sorted clothes waiting to be washed. Their noses never stop working.

When the refrigerator door opens, usually all four hounds will wake from their deep sleep to see if any food can be had. Heidi may not get up all day but when there is any kind of dog food or human food involved she is right there ... you can't tell that by her ribs showing.

This morning it was still dark outside but Winston was up and ready to start the day. He paces and whines until that wakes me up. I let all of them outside. There isn't a better alarm clock than Winston ... the problem is I don't have an alarm clock and no need for an alarm clock.

Heidi use to sleep until noon and would rarely go out with the other hounds in that early morning darkness to dump their tanks. That has all changed now that breakfast is served as soon as they returned inside. She is up with the other hounds now because she knows she will be fed when she gets back inside. Plus, all of them don't stay out and wander in the field on that first trip like they use to.

By the time I get the bowls filled with their quantity of food, all four hounds are standing at the door with tails wagging, waiting to get back inside to eat their breakfast.

After my first cup of coffee, Sadie stands by my desk chair telling me it was time to go outside again. Lately Stella and Sadie will go outside while Winston and Heidi continue to sleep. Stella does her normal route, Sadie stands and watches her ... then when Stella steps in that north yard she sprints at her and the playing begins.

There wasn't a lot of sprinting this morning but a lot of head and chest bumping ... they stopped just as fast as they started, returned to the house and were immediately asleep.

I posted earlier about my thoughts on dog food, along with an article ... but even eating good premium dog food Sadie still enjoys a good stick to chew on. She rarely eats them but breaks them off into 1"-2" pieces and spits them out.

The 20mph winds last night blew most of the leaves out of the yard and driveway ... that's always a good thing. Cooler temps are here in the tropics of southern Indiana ... I'm already looking forward to the spring and summer.