Snow & Warm Weather Same Day

If you had been outside with the hounds and I just after 12 noon yesterday, you would have found it unbelievable what we saw an hour before sundown. With the temps near 50° it was good to see the 5-day forecast was right on track for warmer temps by Thursday and the thoughts of Spring could be right around the corner.

With the warm weather, we fit in 3 different hound walks yesterday with the last two without the camera and Stella on the 25' retractable leash. I could feel the warmth of the sun but as we walked further the wind that was blowing was extremely cold ... what was happening?

Sitting on the couch later, watching tv and catching up on all the millions of dollars spent on NFL free agent players yesterday, I glanced out the window and saw blizzard like snow, blowing sideways and coming down hard. It was just 50° a few hours ago !!! Those big flakes were sticking to the ground also ... strange stuff.

So this morning the hounds and I finally started the walk a little later than normal after realizing it wasn't going to get any warmer than it was, 24°. As you see there is snow barely covering the yard and field. Yet the bright sunshine made all the difference in the world on the walk.

These recent freezing temps have led me back to Realtor dot com, looking at houses in Southern Arizona instead of New Mexico. I don't want to be cold anytime of year ... is that possible anymore?  I had been looking at houses out west hard starting around January 20th. I even called a realtor "out there" and had a local agent stop by my house to take a look. I had a few favorites 'saved' but in the past two weeks two of my top three have sold.

So this morning over a couple of cups of coffee I took another look at the small towns I had looked at before. An even trade for what I would get for my house (not much) is not possible out west even in very small towns, without buying a 'fixer upper'. Those results have been the same for the past 8 years where I have looked at housing off and on.

Some say I am crazy wanting to sell a house I own and move to a different house in a different location that would come with some kind of mortgage. Other people remind me that it would be worth the mortgage payment in exchange of better weather. One tells me as long as I can afford a mortgage then there is nothing wrong having a mortgage after you have retired.

Although it wasn't the houses that was interesting this morning though ... something had already been walking down our path leaving prints of some kind barely visible. I kept trying to see if they were deer hoofs or something else. It looked more like a dog paw in size but nothing was distinct enough to tell me what it was.

The seemed too close apart for deer tracks.

Sadie and Stella were behind me and the prints on the path. Evidently the freezing weather created a lot of deer traffic earlier this morning before dawn.

As usual I was letting Stella do her own thing but was a little concerned that soon after I took the picture of her, I glanced back in her direction and she was out of sight. She has done that before but seems to show up within 30 minutes after Sadie and I finish our walk or while Sadie and I are finishing our walk. I was hoping she would show up today before we got back to the house.

The snow brings out the paths the deer take down into the gully. During the summer those paths will be evident by mashed down brush.

The idea of moving has always been a hard one for me to figure out. I've been here 20 years, moving in about this same time in March. It was much warmer the day we moved in and the week after seemed like summer based on the photos I glanced through the other day. With the inability to make a decision, I take that as ... I should stay here until I know something more definite.

But when that Apple iPhone weather app shows me at 24° and a few western towns I have listed in the 60's and 70's it seems like a pretty easy decision.

Walking back I thought I saw some kind of movement up ahead but it's always hard to tell because I don't wear my glasses on the walks. I was happy to see Stella heading across the field to the other woods ... I was pretty sure she was tracking those same prints I had seen veer from the path in that direction.

Luckily with little wind ... it was just cold but not freezing.

The photo doesn't show it but Stella is moving at a fast pace with her head down and heading toward the woods behind the neighbors house. I thought I'd yell her name and see what she would do.

She was faster than my camera shutter as she stopped and looked right at me, then turned around and started walking toward our path. These photos are taken at 200mm zoom so we are still pretty far apart.

Once on the path she strolled toward me to nudge my knee with her nose letting me know she was ready to head home. I wonder what her new routine will be a few weeks from now?

I can't explain my sudden urge to blog two days in a row. I have no idea if it will continue, we will see.

A reader told me this morning by commenting on yesterday's post, that he could read my blog but could not see my blog images on his computer, tablet or phone. Anyone else have trouble like that? For him, every image has that triangle with an error symbol. I have no idea why the blog shows up like that so I'll do some google searching and see what I come up with.

If any of you know why that happens, leave a comment so we can see if he or I can fix it.

Maybe I am hesitant to sell my house because I would have to keep it 'immaculate' for showing prospective buyers instead of the 'lived in' look?

Tom .... I've decided on this post to leave the images in the smaller size that Google Blogger compresses them and see if that makes a difference to you.

Bright and sunny there in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana ... just a little cold is all.

The Hounds Are Never Surprised By Weather

Like many experienced last night all over the USA, the hot temps blew out with high winds and all that was left this morning were temps in the 20's and some light snow. That 62° was really nice yesterday. Yet we knew what was in the forecast, plus it really is January ... not March. Weather never bothers nor surprises the hounds, they just love to take their walks.

It was good to see that Stella was out in front of Sadie and I this morning, instead of staying behind while we took the walk. She took no time to run ahead of us and then charge into the wooded area. I yelled her name about the time she was heading down into the gully. She stopped, turned to look at me and to my surprise, started walking back to the field.

I could hear the icy raindrops hitting the leaves, the trees and my parka. Stella did not mind, nor did Sadie. I could feel the wind blowing pretty strong out of the N/NW and it was cold.

The snow was light enough to only cover my driveway, our walking path and the highway. While we walked slowly, the hounds exploring, I could hear the highway department snow plows going back and forth on the highway spraying what they use in Indiana for ice control ... a mixture of salt and sand with a little calcium chloride mixed in.

Whereas last winter we had an unknown animal feeding itself with chewing bark off of the fallen tree, this year there was a new path by ATV traffic down into the gully from the opposite side.

There is something about any amount of snow that energize the hounds. They were so excited to be outside on the walk, they were running into each other. It felt much warmer than the wind chill temp was on my iPhone.

Sadie and Stella sprinting around the first turn with no intention of waiting for me to catch them. This 200mm lens was used to get this close to them. As they ran, I could hear surface ice breaking as I walk. It had rained most of yesterday's afternoon and last night. It was still very warm around 8pm when the hounds took me outside. By 1am it had dropped 20° and was heading even colder.

In some spots like this ice, there was standing water barely hidden below the thin cover of ice and snow.

Luckily the paths were highlighted with snow ... easy to follow, even for Stella.

They both know the deer go this way.

Sometimes Stella has to put a lot of thought into her identification phase, trying to determine what it was, when it was and trying to match current info with her memory database.

Gives you some idea what type of day it is although the tower is a little blurry due to operator error.

The forecast has been very accurate so far the past 20 hours ... but also has 1"-3" of snow starting this afternoon.

Stella has a lot of interest while looking north ... Once I told her "go home", she turned and started following the path in the direction of the house. I have never seen her run all the way home from the middle of the field. She is just running to get further away from me to give her time to look around the field a little longer.

Yes, they followed that white path without veering out into the field.

By the time I caught up to them, they had just a few more things to check out before we arrived home.

The snow pointed out a deer path that comes from the woods behind the neighbor's house across the field to the woods behind our house. I have always seen the worn thin path but the light snow shows it a little bit better.

What was it? I glanced to the right ... no one was outside. No cars moving on the driveway. There wasn't even a car or truck on the highway ... still they were both very very interested in something in that direction. I forget how much more powerful their ears are in picking up sounds that I don't hear.

This has to be where the field cat walks at night.

The were done walking as they trotted side by side toward the carport. Winter always shows the backyard is not as flat as I think it is. It has changed quite a bit over the 20 years I've lived here.

I made an unexpected trip to Bloomington yesterday. I had been feeling an urge for a pizza plus there were some 'game worn' IU football jerseys available to buy. By the time I returned home, the hounds were barking with excitement and it was raining hard.

Heidi did get outside multiple times yesterday before and after my trip, but when it is snowing there is no chance she will go outside anymore than the minimum times, where she knows she has to go.

Stopped by the local library this morning but with the icy conditions on the highway, it was closed. There was not a lot of traffic in the two miles to town but my 4x4 setting had no problems with ice, slush and light snow. A jersey I bought yesterday had to be mailed today. I guessed correctly in weather like this that there would be no lines at the post office.

Right before I posted this it started snowing. The hounds went out, including Heidi, after their lunch but none of them stayed too long.

It's feeling like a Chinese Buffet lunch or dinner today ...

Cold but not bad, a little snow and a warmer than normal winter is on the way here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Where's The Snow?

Wunderground had today's forecast big on snow in this area. Then as I looked closer it was saying ~<1" ...

Yet when we stepped outside this morning it felt cold enough to snow and luckily there was no wind to make it feel colder.

So far I have not noticed the time change, for me or the hounds. Setting their time for lunch last spring at the time change was a good move. It is basically stays the same for them year round.

I have had a few readers ask me if Heidi is okay or where's Heidi ... It's below her 70° threshold so she has moved back into her normal winter hibernation spot ... my my Marmot sleeping bag. It looks like she has taken ownership of that bag.

Of course nothing bothers Sadie. It doesn't matter what the weather is, all she wants is her walk. Lately she is becoming more and more demanding, if that is possible. She is willing to sit for longer periods of time, giving me 'her stare' until we go.

I could tell by the pace that Stella was doing to start the walk, that she would not be coming with us today. She was walking in slow motion while Sadie had already moved ahead of us.

I was beginning to wonder if I would be walking alone today when I saw that both of them were lagging behind my pace. My pace is not fast but that did not matter to them. Today was added protein day. I hate that habit but they are hounds and all dogs eat gross stuff at times.

Before I knew it, Sadie had charged up near me on the run and then curled back to some points of interest. She always likes to run up and hit my knee or leg with her nose just to let me know that she is back.

I set my lens at 50mm so I could take the a picture of what I actually see when I looked backed at Stella. She is right of center in the picture, if you have a hard time finding her. This gives you an idea how far out in front Sadie and I are.

Sadie was her normal excited self during the walk. It felt like a Monday to me and by the time we got to this point of the walk I had seen one single small snow flake dropping from the sky. Just one.

At first I thought Stella was going to make a run for it to catch up to us. It looked like it for a couple of her steps but she stopped when she found something. I knew then she would not be coming with us today. I was guessing we would see her over by the neighbors' woods on our way back. It's good for her to do her own thing as long as she is not near the highway (100')

The air was crisp, not as cold as you would think at 35°, but it kind of felt like it could snow. It will be interesting to see how today's forecast will play out. The hounds and I both need our food replenished, so no matter what the weather is going to be, I am going out to grocery shop and buy dog food.

As I near the back edge of the field Sadie has not moved to far from the spot pictured above. I catch her through my zoomed lens chomping down on something. I hate to think what it might be.

Once again within a minute of taking that picture, she came running up around me, slowing down from her full out sprint.

I think I am seeing a little weight loss for her and that's a good thing. At her age and breed I have to watch her weight as she gets older. The vet told me she was in great shape for an 'almost 9 year old'. He remembers checking her when she was 6 weeks old. I didn't bring her home until she was 12 weeks old.

As I made the final turn on the path to return home I glanced along the horizon. Since I don't wear my glasses while walk due to them getting in the way as I look through the camera viewfinder so I have to squint to see if I can find Stella. A lens at 200mm always helps me find her.

She was right where I expected she would be, around the woods behind the neighbor's house. Luckily she was more towards the field instead of the highway.

When I called her name she raised her head and started walking toward Sadie and I. Today Sadie did not have to run after her. She continued to walk and made it all the way to us, without me having to use a leash. That's pretty good for her.

That did not mean she would walk with Sadie and I back to the house. Don't be fooled by her. There were still things she wanted to check out and may have missed the first time when she started her walk.

Once again I set the lens at 50mm to give you a better idea how far away she is as Sadie and I get close to the house.

This was taken from the corner of the house. Sadie and I both went inside. I was pretty sure based on past experience that she would come to the door wanting in within the next ten minutes.

Sadie made one last look to see where Stella was.

I hear the splashing of wet pavement from passing traffic on the highway. Winds have shifted from the east, which is very rare to get winds from that direction. My iPhone weather app tells me it 'feels like' 27° and that crazy snow icon is stretched across the rest of the day.

One of my blog readers that I found through my Wordpress blog, has a Basset Hound and a Pyrenees. Her Basset Hound did not have skin issues like Heidi but her Pyrenees did. She told me that after a week of feeding Rachael Ray's Basic 6 kibble, her skin cleared up. She also added some coconut oil 2x per week.

So that is the food I am going to buy for Heidi today. I haven't tried that food yet and the way I see Heidi' has nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying it. I was looking through pictures of her taken this time last year and she looks exactly the same. Although her skin issues have stabilized these past couple of years you can still see slight changes of irritation based on what season it is.

Stella's coat has become very soft after 16 days on the SportMix kibble I bought. It is manufactured by Earthborn and is sold just a half mile from my house at the hardware store. I'll buy a 40# bag today for Sadie and Stella. Sadie has the softest coat of all of them and has never had skin issues.

Other than the shopping run, nothing else planned but staying inside and keeping warm. I have a couple of new books I want to start and one older one I want to finish.

Very light snow is falling now here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana as I post this.