The Weather Changed Fast

When I opened the door for the hounds to have their first trip outside Saturday ... what a rude awakening ... it was freezing.

The strong winds from the southwest had blown the memories of summer completely away and far enough that I could not even remember just how warm it was just 24 hours before. Even Sadie didn't stay outside long for her trip after eating breakfast.

By the time coffee had been consumed, internet reading finished and my two pages of the tv schedule of college football games printed out ... it was time for the first and only walk of the day. It felt warmer then it looked when we first started the walk ... that would soon change.

Of coarse the hounds never care about the temperatures. As long as they are walking in the field working their noses, they don't seem to care if it is grass they are walking on or snow. I am the only one that has to adjust what I wear.

Without saying anything Stella kept up with Sadie and I but was still able to get her running in by hanging back at all of her familiar spots.

I mentioned Friday that Sadie likes chasing two things that fly ... birds and leaves. With the strong 15-20mph winds, the blowing leaves were driving her crazy. There were so many of them airborne she didn't know which one to choose so she would just stand there looking at them.

About the time we turned that first corner ... that 'warmth' we felt was blown away. What felt warmer was now freezing. Cold enough where I wished I had worn a pair of gloves along with a heavier coat besides the "all season" jacket I had on from Lands End.

Sadie planted her nose to the ground and ever looked back and she tracked that worn deer path all the way to the far right corner.

Stella stayed back for just a few minutes before she came running around me and headed to join Sadie. She never knows what Sadie might be getting instead of her.

It surprised me that they both followed me as I made the left turn to follow the back edge of the field.

About the time I thought they were headed for the 'no-fly' zone, once again they turned and came running to follow me home. Were the colder temps making them a little more motivated today to get home?

They stopped and waited for me to catch up to them I guess I wasn't moving fast enough.

Later in the afternoon we came back outside after their lunch and before my first football game to watch. Neither one got much farther than this before they trotted back to the door to be let back inside. You can always tell how cold it is by how close they sleep together. Saturday afternoon they both settled on the couch next to each other and me to sleep during the games.

I would check the temperature on my iPhone during the games. It kept dropping. As I watched the IU / Michigan game, those snow flurries in Ann Arbor, MI turned to heavy snow by the end of the game 3+ hours later. Locally my temps were also dropping. All afternoon walks were canceled.

I was still in denial that winter was here.

It was 26° this morning when we stepped outside. It's still early here so the first walk has not taken place yet. I also have just a little coffee to finish before I put on my Down Coat and gloves today, along with a ski cap to stay warm on the first walk.

Highs in the 50's are forecasted this next week ... I can live with that.

Cold and sunny this morning in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

Hounds Feel The First Frost

I could tell from the start, it was colder than it had been this morning. While I walked through the kitchen to let the hounds outside, the open window told me wearing cargo shorts may not be an option today.

Camera in hand as usual for the first pictures of the, I heard the grass and leaves crunching like potato chips with each step as Sadie headed for the field.

Stella decided she would come back outside later when it was a little warmer.

By 9:30am we were on the first walk of the day and I must admit, it was colder than I expected ... or it might have been the cargo shorts I was wearing. We continued on ...

As with each new day there are new scents for the hounds to explore but this morning they both locked into something and took off running around the first turn before I was even near that point. I had to use the 200mm setting to catch their running pictures.

They flew by that one spot on the right side that has been holding their interest the past couple of weeks and it was obvious they were not going to wait for me to catch up. I was actually expecting some deer activity as I turned the corner.

They stopped just for a few seconds to see if I was coming, then bolted into the field with a lot of activity that I did not catch with the camera. Sadie was moving in all kinds of different directions, many more than what the pictures show.

It was good that both of them got some running in and plenty of nose exercise.

It's funny to think back to when my neighbor bought this field through another neighbor's estate sale. He told me he was thinking of planting corn in the field, while alternating it with soy beans each year ... I am glad that didn't happen. It's really nice to have access to this property just behind the house.

I took this next picture directly into the sun. I wasn't sure how it would turn out but I liked the shadows I was seeing. I'm sure with a polarized lens filter, I could have changed the quality of the picture.

Sadie had her nose to the ground toward the end of the walk all the way through the yard up to the corner of the gravel driveway. With Stella acting about the same way, there must have been a lot of animal activity near the house last night as we slept.

Stella held this pose for a while ... I have no idea what she had picked up on.

That is about all the leaves I have left in the backyard to rake, all the way over to the house. There is about the same amount in the front yard. The mahogany tree is leafless but the sycamore tree by the driveway still has large leaves on the top half of the tree.

I am thinking Monday we will complete rounding up the leaves for 2016.

Nothing out of the ordinary planned for Saturday. Typical day and night of college football, with a walk or two for the hounds slid in between games or at halftimes. With less than two hours until the first games kickoff, the only decisions on the table to be made are ... do I change my cargo shorts to jeans ... and do I make a fast run to the store for some groceries.

It's sunny but chilly here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

A Beautiful Saturday Morning

I stepped outside with my first cup of coffee this morning wearing cargo shorts and a sweatshirt only to see the old thermometer showing 46° ... but the sun was out.

Not a cloud in the sky and it actually felt like what I call "football weather". Looking at the print out tv schedule today, and yellow highlights of the games I want to watch ... not as many as past weekends but some good games that will fill the day and night. Basically that means I won't have to watch a lot of different games at once. Each good game will be on a different time without running into each other.

I had not finished my first cup of coffee yet when I glanced over from my computer desk to see Sadie sitting 'at attention' giving me the stare down to let me know it was time for a walk. Yet, from our first trip outside I knew the field was soaked and wetter than normal, with heavy dew and at 46° my wet feet would be freezing.

I grabbed my last cup of coffee .... THEN IT HIT ME ... A BRAIN FLASH!!!

I have had shoes in my closet for years, in brand new condition because they were made for hiking in the snow. They are The North Face Northortic Pro 2.0

They would keep my feet not only dry but warm. They are extremely light and I had only worn them outside during the winters when we walked in the snow or I shoveled the driveway. Why not give them a try?

So I changed from my old New Balance 'yard shoes' with a mesh outer shell, into these boots that came just above my ankle. I do have some brand new, never used, hiking boots on that closet shelf ... sitting up high to prevent Stella from inspecting them, but I thought these boots would fit the situation with the wet grass.

The hounds didn't mind the wet grass ... they were off in many different directions, almost in a hyper state of mind. Luckily with the dirt piles from moles being more wet than fine powder, neither were interested in having the dirt for a snack.

We had a couple of hawks flying above us but they are hard for me to catch with a picture ... this was the only picture worth posting.

It was a day where Sadie didn't want Stella to get away with something she might like and vise versa.

With all the scents deep into the brush along the fence line in back of the field, Stella recently has been going deep enough into that brush where at times you cannot see her. There is an old fence to keep her out of the field behind the field we walk but is low enough for her to jump if she saw deer.

A little different path on the way home. As we were in the section of field directly behind the house walking back to the house ... both hounds moved to the far left exploring the area we walked through to start the walk.

Even after arriving at home they still had to explore the field near their yard, the north border then the backyard instead of walking with me directly to the house.

In the meantime the North Face boots worked out perfect. They were very light in weight, very comfortable and kept my feet dry. I have no idea why I didn't think of them before today. They are now lined up with my other running shoes I wear for the afternoon walks and will be used every morning if the grass is wet.

My day of football starts in about 10 minutes but we will fit an afternoon walk in later today. The three hounds will assume their normal spots around the living room to sleep while I watch the games. Although Stella does not like it when I am yelling at the referees on tv and will wake up on occasion whining if she hears me ... LOL

A beautiful day here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

A Typical Fall Saturday

The rains didn't show up in force like predicted. It rained a little but not a lot as every thing blew northwest of us.

That did not change the daily routine of the hounds though. We even got a evening walk in without taking the camera last night. Due to the time of day I was a little concerned about deer showing up and didn't have the time to let the hounds chase any deer if some showed up.

With each day, colors are changing. By then end of the month that field will be harvested, the corn in the back field will be picked and all the leaves along my driveway will be yellows and reds. It's hard to believe summer is over ... doesn't feel it lasted long.

The hounds didn't do much first time out this morning. They usually explore the yard a little, and go into the field long enough to dump their tanks and then will be trotting back to the house to nap and for me to drink coffee.

That's a pretty tough life ... lol

After 5 hours of football we were able to get our daily walk in during the halftime of the IU game. It was perfect timing and by the time we returned, they were starting to play again.

Our path this year is not straight. I walk around the flowers, the hounds walk through them but rarely do any get mashed to the ground.

Pretty windy today during the walk and the hound were off in their own separate world.

I am not sure what this is but it's the first time I've seen this kind of tree have that kind of growth.

Stella stayed on our path on the way home but you can see with the overgrowth the path is hard to see. She was taking it pretty easy even in the cooler temps of the 70's.

Slowly but surely she made it home.

I am still very pleased with the new Tamron lens I bought. Back to watching more football as some new games have just started. The Oregon game is not starting until 10:30pm my time, so it will be another late night.

Typical fall Saturday here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.