A Snail's Pace Today

If this morning is any indication for the rest of Friday, we are in for a long long day. That's not a bad thing and may not even been any worse than a normal day in retirement but today just feels different. Is it the weather, baseball, dog food, or a brain that can't make a decision?
It's one of those deals where you feel hungry but have no idea what you would like to eat. I mean not even close to finding anything of interest. Or you feel like going somewhere but can't make up your mind where to go. Although the day was just a couple of hours old before the first hound walk of the day, I could tell things were working so much slower than normal ... except my fast computer and internet connection.

Everything and everyone may seem slow around here so far ... except Sadie. She has never had a slow day in her life since she was born June 2008. This morning was no different. She has moved up the time to start the walks lately to a little past 9am and today was no different.

As soon as I told her "go get the rabbits", she took of running up the path with her nose to the ground.  Maybe it's just the words "go get" is what sets her off because bloodhounds are not bred to hunt or catch rabbits. They are bred for search and rescue, along with flushing deer out of the woods or finding the deer that has been shot. We are neither hunters nor SAR, so her tracking instincts are for her own pleasure.

The focus of both hounds this morning seemed to be about a foot inside the brush that is getting thicker by the day. With that growth is the increase of razor sharp thorns, that mean nothing to a bloodhound that has locked into something interesting.

I gave Stella some 'semi' freedom. She basically went her own pace, trotted one time to catch Stella and I never said "over here" but a couple of times throughout the whole walk. I did have to backtrack to walk over to her twice, to get her moving. I don't leave her behind anymore because I cannot afford to have her make a mistake following that drainage ditch to the highway.

It is interesting how her coat has changed since last year. For the first 12 months her color was a lot like Sadie, a light tan. Her tail was course with the bloodhound 'black and tan' from one of her parents. Over the winter I noticed her coat was becoming a little more course like her tail and also the color was changing by becoming more dark like the 'black and tan' on her tail.

I spied this bird out in the middle of the field and zoomed in on it with a 200mm setting. I was almost sure that Sadie would see it and take off after it because that is her favorite aerobic activity ... chasing all and any kind of birds of any size. For that reason bird baths and bird feeders are nowhere in the yard. The bird was sitting as quiet as a statue so we would not notice.

Yet, with a bloodhound nose that can hear things 4x more than the human ear and a nose that is already setting at 200x more powerful ... Sadie smelled the bird that was sitting so quietly, like a statue. Sadie didn't move a muscle, just analyzed ... then turned and continued her walk.

Stella was lagging way behind us and just like Sadie was about a foot into the heavy thick brush. I was totally ignored and there was no way she was leaving unless I walked back to where she was and give her a nudge to come on.

It didn't matter that I was standing right next to her calmly saying "come on Stella" over and over. It didn't matter that I had time to hold my camera, focus it precisely to where I wanted it ... I had all the time in the world to do whatever I wanted ... because she was not moving ... nor acting like she is hearing a word I am saying.

I can't remember any of my past basset hounds being as stubborn as a bloodhound. The AKC writeup says they are but their stubbornness is nothing compared to a bloodhound. After the nudge, Stella took off trotting to catch up with Sadie. I wasn't going to head toward the far right corner today, so all I had to say was "over here" and both hounds veered left and headed toward the back of the field.

It was slow moving this morning. This walk felt like it was taking forever, just like me trying to make decisions. It looked and felt like rain with nothing on the forecast for days. A nice aroma from some sort of flowers and a constant noise from a tractor at the farm behind us, but still to wet to work this cornfield to the right of us.

Sadie was the first to find some fresh natural protein and was willing to share it. But if that stuff is anything like peanut butter, then Stella will push herself into a position to hog all of it and not share with anyone. Had Stella lost track of where I was? There was nothing to see in the direction she was looking.

For the 2nd time I walked over to both Sadie and Stella and explained to them the benefits of moving on and continuing the walk. They both moved with me along side and then trotted out in front of me.

As it happens every year with spring rains alternating with sunshine, the field is growing fast and it will not be long before I am back to the point of seeing nothing more than a tip of a tail and maybe the tops of their backs when we walk.

Stella would sure like to check out that drainage ditch or the middle of the field between my house and the neighbors. She will always try to escape but will turn my direction if I yell "over here".

She is not going to speed up just because I want to get home. She will continue her own pace, then follow her own routine once inside. Her next big thing of the day will be having lunch. I am considering buying some dog food for her that has the highest protein and fat percentages I can find, with hopes that helps her to gain her weight back.

They eventually make it back to the house to finish the first of three walks today.

After trying all of the different dog foods, grain free and back to rice for Heidi, nothing happened for her until this past February when I switched to the current food I feed all three hounds. She had regained her 13 pounds lost in June 2015. I don't know what caused her recovery.

Will it take that long for Stella? That's the million dollar question.

Sadie will search right up to the concrete carport floor, she never slows down once she is outside.

I read where Jon Katz's dog tested positive for 4 different tick related infections in upper state New York. You can read about that here. I went to look at Stella's vet receipt from a few weeks ago and confirmed she tested negative for those 4 same infections. I wonder if he every used Nexgard for his two herding dogs? I've had great results for the 2nd year in a row with that product.

I have a lot of plans today, some that know me would say they are nothing but dreams. LOL Some may happen, some may not. With the day slowed down, that will give me more hours to give myself a haircut (been doing it for years) with clippers, give Stella a bath, vacuum the house and maybe a little grocery shopping.

All achievable ... then again it will depend just how well I can make a decision. With the Reds playing on tv in San Francisco, there will not be any sleeping until almost 1am for the next few days. Is that late night last night watching them win, the cause for slowness today. My weird dreams during sleep continue.

Another week has passed here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana ... the rain is gone, sunshine is on the way. The pace is hard but someone has to do it.

What A Siesta That Was !!

It started like a normal afternoon, only to be swarmed over by a long three hour siesta.

I didn't plan on sleeping the afternoon away but I did. I still have time to enjoy a few hours of sunshine. Just a few because my nightly Reds baseball on tv starts at 7:40pm. There is something relaxing watching baseball or at least have in on in the background.

Right after the hounds had their lunch kibble we all went outside. They did their normal wandering, dumping their tanks if needed. I grabbed the weed eater and took off down the back side of the house and over to the 'new' bank where I am trying to grow grass.

Once the Black & Decker 20v Lithium battery went dead, it was time to come back inside grab my book for some reading and head back outside. Once the gnats won the war I went back inside and played a few games of Mahjong.

I can usually tell when I might be tired from my fast paced lifestyle. When I finish Mahjong games in 4 minutes or longer, instead of 3 minutes or less, that tells me I either didn't sleep well or my mind is a little slow today.  My goal is to get the games I have left over 3 minutes to under 3 minutes.

While reading my book I realized those two cups of coffee and two eggs had reached the end of their nutritious path through my system. I was hungry but didn't know what for. I've been eating really good food lately and not speeding off to the nearest fast food joint for my meals.

I pushed the hunger pains away and continued to read. Later, by the third game of Mahjong I figured why not? Why wait for dinner just to have a large plate of pasta? With my busy schedule I can still fit in a large meal in the early afternoon time period.

With that carbo load and no physical activity to follow, It wasn't long where I was staggering toward the bedroom, letting the hounds know I was headed for a siesta. Stella followed me, Heidi stayed in her prime spot on the couch and Sadie of course was sitting by the open screen door checking out all the birds that had landed on her fence.

I don't remember the exact time it started but I ended up becoming conscious again around three hours later. Sadie was hopping up and down, somewhere between barking and moaning ... telling me she either couldn't wait much longer to go outside or we had been robbed. I chose that she had to go outside.

Not only did she sprint for the field but she didn't stop there. She wanted a walk after spending all afternoon trying to break into the locked lid dog food container. While I was sleeping she had slid out four barbells weighing 15# and 25# each, only used now to block the dog food container in the closet floor instead of staying in shape.

I guess I could shut the closet door to prevent that access to all that kibble locked in it's safe zone but when you downsize and have no other place to store your carpet shampoo rug doctor machine, the high pressure hose machine and my camping equipment ... it's just a little crowed to close that door.

Stella hung around for most of our afternoon walk. When she did wander off on her own she was always within sight and trotted to catch up to Sadie. That is really a good sign.

With the outdoor temps at 78°, Sadie had not paced herself and the heat caught up with her by the end of the walk ... nothing like dragging your tongue back to the house, panting.

That was a sure sign that I needed to brew up a new batch of ice tea. As I glanced at the indoor room thermometer near my computer and saw 77°, I remembered those times this winter when that same thermometer would say 55° before turning the heat on. I laughed at the new temps and wondered how long it would be this summer before I would turn on the A/C.

Just as I stepped inside the carport with the hounds right on my heels, the sunshine caught the field just right where I could see the new growth, with bright green rows showing up in all that brown.

(there I go again, writing the content above the photo I am talking about)

While making the ice tea I thought about a Z4 drive. The perfect time for it in an hour or so when it was a little cooler. But I really wasn't in the mood to drive anywhere. I am pretty hooked on baseball right now, so I'll be on the couch next to a stretched out sleeping Stella and a curled up sleeping Heidi watching the game until it gets uninteresting.

Another good sign that Stella is feeling better ... she is chewing the heck out of her large NylaBone.

There is always tomorrow to get to work on that 'to do' list, I just have to find where I hid it.

I guess I should have taken a chance on Friday and joined the hounds in eating their attractive beef looking chews from NetGard. They have been tickless for days now after their walks and all those small creatures are finding me. At least they are smaller in size this spring but nothing like feeling that something is crawling on your before you realize what is on you.

It's time to grab a large glass of ice tea and head back outside so the hounds can roam the field while I watch and battle the gnats for an hour before the ballgame.

It's been another successful retirement day here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

Stella Helps In The Kitchen

From the sky and feel, rain was almost certain this morning. A quick look at Wunderground proved otherwise. It's the return of high humidity that gave it the feel.

Nothing more than a 25% chance of rain for the next 7 days. Once again the hounds started their day off the same as recently. Neither stays out long ... Stella heads left and Sadie goes straight out into the field to dump their tanks. Quick return inside to sleep until an early walk or lunch is served.

For two different breeds that are noted for wandering off or taking off running at a strong scent ... I am pretty lucky that all three of them can wander around the yard and field without a leash or tether. Heidi had the reputation as "a runner" when I bought her from GABR and no bloodhound owner recommends leaving a bloodhound leash free ... ever.

You are now witnessing Heidi's normal path to finding that perfect spot for dumping. Unless it's raining, then she heads behind the yews next to the house.

It felt nice enough late morning to head out for a walk. The field was not as wet as it had been the past few days. My shoes were wet but not squeaky saturated like before. I didn't get the camera clicked fast enough in this next photo ... for the first time that I can remember, there were pure white butterflies next to these while flowers. They flew away while the camera focusing.

Stella started out the leader of the walk this morning but she gets distracted easily ... there are just too many scents for her to inspect and she drops behind pretty quickly.

As well as Sadie. But that is their job, their habit and excitement ... scent tracking.

Could it be rain is on the way? A lot of wind today with overcast sky.

Not sure what it was but Sadie decided she had to roll on top of it before Stella could eat it. Nothing was visible on Sadie as she jumped up and took off running.

And run she did ... took off around our first corner and never stopped until she was in the back of the field.

Stella was somewhat shocked by Sadie's response and wondered if Sadie might be getting something that belonged to her.

By the time Stella and I got to the back of the field, Sadie was finished with whatever she found and was waiting for us.

It felt like rain with heavy air, a strong wind ... the hounds decided it was time to head back home.

Stella kept trying to wander off and disappear ... but I called her each time I caught her and she would slowly head our direction.

Since we left Heidi outside while we did the walk, when I got back to the yard I asked Sadie "where's Heidi" ... she put her nose to the ground and was headed around the corner of the house until I called her. She was right though ... Heidi was around that corner ... just further down in the front yard.

It's interesting that she will never walk across the lawn directly back to us but will head across the lawn to the lower part of the yard to walk up the driveway. Nothing is fast with her ... her pace is consistently slow.

It was around 11:43 am and Stella was howling to let me know that she wanted lunch served early today. That might because her breakfast was a little earlier than normal ... or it might be and probably is just because she loves to eat all the time. She has gained weight over the past year that I have had her,  a year next week.

You may have noticed you have not read the word "tick" in many months. Back in April they were so bad that I added a "tick counter" in the upper left corner of the blog but once the count for me went over 100, I took the counter down ... headed to the vet for some NexGard and that worked fantastic. I only had to use one dose for the summer.

I rarely have the ticks on me after a walk, where I use to have 4-5 on me after each walk. The hounds stopped having them once the NexGard was used and yes that is the correct spelling. Another thing that has not been as bad as the past are mosquitoes nor the biting flies. So spending time outside reading a book has been enjoyable this past week of cool weather.

My book reading has blocked out all of the "noise" of terrible news reporting and politics. The tv is only turned on for a ballgame or movie ... such a relief. We have taken drives around the local area with the windows down. I don't believe Sadie or Stella are interested anymore in local trips, since they lay down and sleep most of the trip. Although they are really excited when they can go in the FJ. Heidi maintains "shotgun" and will lay down to sleep, depending how long the drive is.

I decided after the hounds were fed lunch that a short drive in the Z4 was a good idea. Powerful and quiet at the same time ... a smooth ride.

Not much went on during the afternoon. I had some baked chicken breasts on my George Foreman grill for an early dinner. Obviously Stella decided I need help in cleaning the small drip pan sitting under the front edge of the grill.

With the hounds acting like they wanted to go outside, I grabbed my ice tea and camera and headed for "Winston's Patio", which fits just my chair on those 6 red blocks by the corner of the house. Sadie was giving me that look of "lets go for a walk" ... but I could feel that things had changed in the heat index from this morning. Too hot for a walk.

I had not checked for the official temperature but you can see from the ragweed blowing, we had some pretty strong winds from the SW. Later I found the temperature at 5pm to be 87° and an index of 101° ... those cool temps a few days ago were nice while they lasted.

This same spot seems to change color first every year.

Facing the wind, Stella decided no walk was needed, she just wanted to kickback and enjoy the strong breeze. Clouds were moving fast in the sky. I found out later there was tornado activity again on the NW side of Indianapolis just like last week. This activity was a little further NW from the area last week.

After Sadie did her new morning loop through the field, she was ready to go back inside. But she had a scare right before she got to me.

Something landed on her back and she jumped about 3' into the air turning at the same time. After twisting and turning she couldn't reach what had landed on her back and she was freaking out. At first I thought it was a huge horse fly ... then I thought it was a butterfly ...

Only to find out it was a small leaf. I didn't get any of the action shots because I was laughing too hard to take photos.

In the meantime, while I was taking the leaf off of Sadie's back ... Stella was wanting to go back inside where the air conditioning was back on and the house was much cooler.

Then she disappeared while I had my back turned. I didn't see her in the field and doubted she would have headed that way. Maybe something got her interest in the front yard but that would be very rare for that to happen. She was right where I thought she was ... standing at the door waiting to be let back inside.

Not much planned tonight, maybe I'll pull a movie off the self .. otherwise it was another successful day here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.