Hounds Took A Day Off

The words wouldn't come on Tuesday when it came time to write a blog post. I had a few pictures but not the normal large number of them to choose from. I thought I'd wait and see if anything came to me by late afternoon. By that time Sadie, Stella and Heidi declared Tuesday was a 'day off', so no blog post yesterday.

That didn't mean I got anything done. The hounds slept, ate twice, took two walks and then an early evening break outside just roam in the yard or field. I had a very good afternoon siesta.

This morning they started a new routine or a new direction. Like last summer Sadie and Stella took an immediate left walking through the yard to the north side of the field for their morning trip, instead of straight back behind the house.

We could feel the warmth a little this morning. The sky looked fantastic as we started the walk and it was hard to imagine that we were looking at a 75% of rain by 1pm. It was the same on Monday but that did not amount to anything more than a light rain. They didn't even have to stop the baseball game in Cincinnati when 'our' storm move into their area.

These past few weeks, maybe a month, I have had Stella smell the rolled up 6' leash I carry in my pocket. I don't have any idea of that makes a difference to her but I cannot remember the last time I had to use it. She has been coming when I call her. If she lags behind she will trot a little on the path to catch up.

Sadie is just Sadie ... same routine on the walk every day. She is serious and is only doing it for one reason ... to track scents.

The dark spot on her lower front leg is a place that she likes to lick. She has been doing it for years and it doesn't matter if the brand of dog food is changed nor if the seasons change. Her vet checkups have had perfect results, so maybe it's just a habit.

I have to admit I am a little concerned about Stella's lack of running. She use to love running in the field. I'd have to go back through past blog posts or past photos to find out exactly when she stopped her running at full speed in the field. She might trot a little when she needs to catch up but no full speed running. Also, she has not tried to get Sadie to wrestle with her nor playing like they did last summer.

Since her facial expression rarely changes, unless she is being fed kibble or there is food of mine that she thinks is hers. Therefore it's hard to tell if she is feeling good, normal or bad. I have felt around her hips, shoulders and stomach. I have not felt anything abnormal nor has she let out any sounds of pain or shown signs of discomfort.

I wonder if it is just being a year older and her joints are starting to bother her? I may start giving her a joint supplement and see if that makes a difference and/or have the vet give her a blood test to see if something is going on inside of her.

Sadie has never been bothered by those sharp thorns when it comes to walking through thick bushes. As a very young puppy she laid open the inside of her ear and it looked like she had been cut by a razor blade. That is how smooth the cut was. That required a few stitches and the scar looks very clean almost 9 years later.

She was focused on deer scent today. I wonder if Stella would run full speed if deer suddenly appeared?

I was letting Stella do anything she wanted on the walk today. She could go anywhere at her pace. Every time she would catch back up with Sadie and I, then would continue her slow walking.

While Sadie had moved up along the edge of the field in back, Stella was taking her time slowly walking toward me ... that is until she heard that gunshot from the farm behind those trees.

She has always been 'gun shy' when there have been gunshots in the area. She didn't sprint out of control and take off but before I could get my camera up and focused she was walking right beside me. For most of the walk from that point forward she didn't get more than 6" away from me.

Sadie??  Doesn't bother her.

As I stepped off the path to get a side view of Stella for a picture, there was another gunshot. You can see her reaction by the way her ears are folded. By this time she is in a slow trot along the path.

Before she finished her walk home, she needed to take one final look toward the neighbor's wooded area behind their house ... I had a feeling she was 'looking' for that big blonde cat we saw the other day.

Checking the Intellicast radar I see our first storm is over by Effingham, IL. The forecast says we should expect strong thunderstorms in the afternoon with high winds. That is typical Spring weather here in 'the topics'.

With the world of sports kind of calming down to just one sport to follow, there is now enough time to attack the 'to do' list. It seems like it's a feeling I get every April but not until college basketball's Final Four is over, where I am motivated enough to get started again on annual house maintenance that needs to get done.

I'll work around the weather in the spring and then around the hottest temps in the summer. I had a list of 15 things to do a few years ago but I don't have that many different jobs to do this year. There are a couple that will take a week or so to complete. The time I pulled every weed by hand that was in my driveway made it and the fence line look really good ... I'll have to be pretty bored to do that project again.

That blue sky with sunshine has turned to overcast skies and there is now a feel of rain ... the hounds are telling me it's time for their lunch here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

The Hounds Move Back To Old Routine

Yesterday didn't consist of much. I escaped from the house for over an hour to replenish my food supply. I looked at some different dog food without buying any ... and that meant Stella was left at the house with Sadie and Kong balls stuffed with treats.

She had been on what I call a 'hot streak' recently when I have left, by not having the separation anxiety where she would be destructive. By the way Sadie was panting when I got back and her dog bed moved to a different location on the floor, I suspect they had a long period of wrestling. Heidi stays in the living room while I am gone, for her own protection against possible rough bloodhound playing.

It was good to see Stella roaming and slowly inspecting the field yesterday afternoon. It was nice enough to sit outside in sunshine while the hounds, including Heidi, moved about the backyard. We did take a walk but without the camera this time. It was strange to see them walking close to me most of the way.

It was around 8pm when I glanced outside to see this. Another beautiful sunset here in 'the tropics'. Spring is one of my favorite times to live where I do. Since I like hot weather, there is really only about 3 months out of the year of bad weather for me.

Once the hounds woke me up this morning, it felt like it was later than the normal time of morning. They were about an hour early and of course wanting to eat breakfast more than they wanted to go outside. Still they go outside before eating breakfast for a very very short trip before they are back at the door wanting in because they know I've been pouring out dog food.

As it looks, a nice day is on the way. Temps in the low 30's and heavy dew, with a predicted high of the mid 60's. It looks like from the reflection from the sunshine I will be mowing part of the back yard and all of the front yard.

"The routine" came back today. Both hounds had deviated recently where they would just stand in the yard staring at me and wanting their walk at 7:30 or 8 in the morning. They use to slowly roam the field exploring while I was inside making my coffee. Today that routine returned. By the time I came back outside Stella had already completed her loop in the field to the north side of the yard. Notice that she always glances back to the neighbor's yard where she visited the drainage ditch a few weeks ago.

Once I said "come on" she came trotting to the house. Within minutes inside both bloodhounds were laying next to Heidi sound to sleep until the first walk of the day. From the amount of dew, it may not be dry in the field until after noon.

It's good to see everything so green. The old dead vines and stems in the field have disappeared, replaced by growing green grass. During the walks I can see a lot of new growth instead of a lot of weeds. It will grow until July when they make their first cut of hay. I hope as it gets warmer this spring that Heidi returns to participate in the daily walk. Something tells me that won't happen.

For people that blog on Blogger, a few days ago I mentioned I started loading all of my photos first, before a word is written. I am finding it much easier to write the post that way and it's faster. Very little format adjustments if any, to get the paragraphs spaced after the photos.

My other blog on Wordpress with just a few photos per post and only a sentence or two of content is working out well. I can post there multiple times per day if I want or just a photo and a thought. I can confirm for whatever reason, the same exact photos on each blog look different on the different blog platforms. Photos on Wordpress are much clearer and a sharper quality. I have that blog listed on my sidebar.

You can't beat the weather right now in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

How Do Hounds Think?

I know the title is a little strange but you have to wonder what goes inside their heads when out of nowhere, they change their routines or do something surprising for the first time. There have been some of these changes recently and one of them in the past 10 hours.

I realize there is a difference between hounds and people. They are animals we are humans, no matter how pet owners treat theirs. Yes, they like me but what are their reasons. Is it just because I am their "doorman" and food source?

You have to wonder based on their responses, even Heidi's, since I now feed them twice per day. It's still the same with Winston being the one that decides when the herd wakes up first thing in the morning. The change is Heidi. Whereas before she never got up on the first trip outside that takes place in the dark now with the time change. In fact she rarely got up until her lunch time when I was feeding the hounds once per day.

After a week or so of feeding them twice per day and as soon as they come back inside after that first trip in the dark ... Heidi is now going out with the other three hounds first thing in the morning, even when it's cold outside. By the time I get their food bowls filled with their morning portion ... all four hounds are at the door EXCITED to come in.

The basset's are wagging their tails, Sadie is hopping up and down with mini barks and Stella is quietly moving herself in position to be the first one inside. Since they all sprint to their respective food bowls, I've had to place all the bowls up high and out of the way and then set them down in order. This prevents them from stealing food from the others ... yes, they have tried that.

The surprise was last night and again this morning ... with two new routine changes.

For 7 years and 3 months, Sadie has slept on the floor starting with her mexican wool blankets and then taking Heidi's new dog bed that I bought her the day I picked her up from the foster mom in 2011.

Until last night ... this is where today's blog title comes into play.

A little after midnight, as I am turning stuff off and locking the doors, the hounds will head to their sleeping spots in the bedroom. I keep them in there so I can shut the door and keep them out of trouble. I have tried to let them sleep wherever they choose and keep the bedroom door open, but they failed that test. They like to roam at night and get into stuff ... preferably their dog food.

Anyway, so they are walking into the bedroom while I finish shutting off lights, locking doors etc. For the first time in 7 years and 3 months or the amount of time I've had Sadie since she was a 12 week old puppy ... she is not on the dog bed in the corner of the room ... Winston is. Sadie has jumped up on the bed on the opposite of where I sleep, curled up sleeping ... or acting like she is sleeping. She stayed their all night. She has never done that. What made her do it?

The second surprise happened this morning. It was another routine changer at least for today.

Usually after they eat breakfast, I am on the computer with a cup of coffee, Stella since her arrival on August 30 lays right next to my desk chair and sleeps, Sadie sleeps on her living room blanket, Heidi takes the big chair in the living room with her mexican wool blanket and Winston normally lays in his spot in the bedroom.

Not today ... as I am reading through my normal list of blogs and websites I notice it is extremely quiet ... tooooo quiet. That usually means the bloodhounds are into something they shouldn't be, or they have found something new they might be chewing on or at least checking it out.

I sneak quietly away from my desk to find out what they are doing. Heidi and Winston are in their normal places ... then the shocker ... once again, Sadie is on the bed curled up sleeping using the spare pillow, in the same spot she slept in last night. Stella has joined her, laying right next to her.

What made them do that for the first time ever? It's not that cold yet. There was no food involved.

Just like I have mentioned before ... another strange thing ... when the bloodhounds play inside, Stella lays on the floor and is in the defensive mode, outside it's just the opposite where you see in the photos that Sadie lays on the ground and is usually in the defensive mode.

After a good two hour nap this morning, Stella comes to the desk to rescue me and let me know they all want to go outside. Even Heidi takes another trip with the herd outside.

The bloodhounds take off for their daily recon mission in the field, plus dump their tanks. They seemed pretty energetic this morning ... it must be Monday.

Since this post has been talking about new changes ... here is another. This morning Winston decides he wants to join the fun and attempts to wrestle with the bloodhounds. He can't jump up like he use to but he tried, not quite reaching far enough to nip their jaws.

Even here in the tropics of southern Indiana you can occasionally catch a nice sunset. I was almost too late for the one last night.

Winston is sure I said something about food or him getting food or eating.

More later ... enjoy your day!