Most everyone knows what it's called. It's when the motivation is not there to do anything. Some of my warning signs were things like , the sports car doesn't get out from under the car cover on sunny days, taking photos decreases from close to a hundred per day to five to six. Some days even a daily hound walk doesn't happen with all kinds of different justification.
You would think that eating habits would change and take over but that's hard to do when you are not hungry for anything, no interest for a strom at your favorite place in Bloomington, no urges to do anything besides hanging inside, keeping cool and really no thoughts about anything. Hibernate.
For me those times are nothing new ... it's been a life long issue. Today though I can feel some things changing for the better ... maybe it really was just the weather ... or maybe not. Anyway it's nice to get back to normal, so to speak.
The yews that were planted just a few years ago, in hard clay type of dirt have grown beyond my expectations and those of the owner of the landscape business just down the road. He didn't think they would last due to the soil.
The front of them will be trimmed back even with the landscape edging. This group will be shortened to remain the same height as the ones across the porch and just below the living room windows. It will happen either today or tomorrow.
When we took our first trip outside this morning it felt 15° cooler, a lot less humidity, yet still an August summer morning. You can never escape the mugginess in 'the tropics'. Seeing the heat index was only 91° at 11am, I decided it was time for a long overdue morning hound walk. You can see from the field overgrowth you can't see our path anymore, but it's there.
Where did all that nice tall grass go?
I think you can probably tell its more weeds than before when they cut the hay in June. I can't remember it being this bad in past years but I'll have to take a look back in the blog to confirm that. I doubt that they will, but I'd love to have them cut this field again this fall for a 2nd time. They have before but didn't last year.
The hounds were ready to go for their first morning walk in weeks if not a month. We have been taking them in the early evening but even at 8pm the index was still around 100° most of the time. This past week or so they have not gone more than a few feet into the field to dump their tanks and then headed back to the house to enjoy the AC where lately, never stops running.
I've gone back to reading book that I have read a few times. It reminds me what these hounds are really doing and not what I think they are doing. My nose and their noses are not nearly the same nor do they have the same purpose.
I've mentioned the book before, it's called Inside of A Dog, by Alexandra Horowitz ... "what dogs see, smell and know". It explains a lot about what these two and even Heidi does during just a routine hound walk.
It also gives a different perspective on why they eat what they do ... even when you don't want them to.
Making the infamous 1st turn. Not a lot of stopping so far today, it's almost like they are on some sort of mission with predetermine spots to sniff.
Stella tried to veer to the left a few times but always came back in our direction when called.
A lot of different things growing in the field right now, since they baled it in June.
Stella is back in her favorite corner and having her favorite natural food supplement.
Sadie and I kept on walking, knowing Stella would eventually catch up to us.
From the way the fields of corn and soy beans look, the farmers should have a 'bumper crop' this year and that will be good for their accounting bottom line.
Stella is doing one last check of the edge of the field before she starts running back toward us.
She started following the path that Sadie and I had been walking. She was running so fast that the camera could not catch all of her run.
With the high temperatures she has not been running at all on the evening walks. By the halfway point lately her and Sadie were dragging their feet behind me to finish the walks. It was too hot.
That pile of hay the farmer left in June is always a stopping point for both hounds.
I am not sure what that green plant is in the bottom half of the photo but it is all over the field right now.
Both hounds at a good pace in this morning's walk. Neither one is showing signs of being tired. That 10° drop in the index is huge for them.
I think I count 4 butterflies on the orange flowers. Can someone tell me what those are called?
This photo was taken right at the edge of the field and my backyard. Those leaves have taken over most of the field behind the house.
You can see my weed pulling by hand project last summer in the driveway, just made them grow back twice as much this year. I think most of that is crabgrass.
I mentioned some low points at the start of this post ... mental low points. I forgot to add all the things Stella has been up to. While mowing the yard the other day I thought I had "baby proofed" the house pretty good for them to stay inside to enjoy the AC temps while I battled potential heat stroke outside.
To my dismay I came inside to find my ankle brace laying between Stella's paws while she chewed away. The interesting thing is, with the 'new' hole she put in the brace, it fits better and does not cut into the back of my ankle. I may not have to replace it.
That is not all she has been doing. One of her old issues must be coming to the top since she is getting more and more comfortable with her home of 1 year on August 30th.
She is showing me that she is a great "counter surfer" ... in the past few weeks her collection has been: my sandwich, from the fruit bowl - mangos, pears, apples, THE WHOLE BUNDLE OF BANANAS .. there was one left by the time I caught her. All the fruit eaten was done while I sat at my desk on the computer ... so she doesn't even hide her addiction anymore.
Her separation anxiety has improved though.
How's Heidi ??? Like I have mentioned before in the winter months, her threshold seems to be 70° before she stays outside to wander and I think that also holds true in the hot summer months. She stays inside and sleeps most of the time ... in three different spots she likes.
I also have come to the conclusion that heat and humidity irritate her skin more than anything. So she has had the best summer I can remember as far as normal color skin. Hair continues to grow back on all her paws and legs. She had an epsom salt soak yesterday and her skin is nice and soft today ... supple. All of this while eating kibble with chicken and rice.
So that's our update. Sorry for the absence and hopefully we can get back to daily blogging, no matter how slow it might be here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.
I think I'm going to head out for a drive in the Z4 with the top down.
