The Bloodhounds Track Scent & I Ramble

Even on the days we start our day later than normal, I am still up at the normal time first thing in the morning to let the three hounds outside while I pour out their breakfast kibble. Today was one of those days I headed back to bed as they ate breakfast. I knew the reason that I could not sleep last night, forcing myself to try to sleep a little after 3:30am. So the photo shoot didn't start today until after 12 noon.

It was 'warm' but not to Heidi. She stood and analyzed things for a few minutes, then ran back inside for an afternoon nap. Instead of making the immediate right just outside the door, lately she has been using the Z4 as a guide leading her to the driveway. At this point she will decide if she is going to the backyard or the front yard, if at all.

Since we started so late, both Sadie and Stella were 'high energy'. While I tried to consume two cups of strong coffee to get the blood flowing and my pulse rate somewhere above a flat line, they wrestled inside. About the time I was on cup number two, Sadie tossed one of her Kong balls to me letting me know since she didn't have her walk at the normal time, I could make it up to her by playing a little indoor fetch.

Once I let Heidi walk back inside, I grabbed a light jacket and my camera for our first walk of the day. Sadie and Stella were more than excited that they were finally going to get to be outside in warmer weather and the field of scents awaited them.

This is Sadie sprinting to get started.

This is Stella trying to catch up.

The bloodhounds focused on tracking scent this morning instead of ingesting natural protein. I didn't have to do many verbal commands, nor did I have to spend time herding them in my direction. There was plenty of different smells in that field to keep them more than busy this morning.

I read a post this morning over at 5C's Que Pasa, that all of us might take note and run through our mental checklist when it comes to electronics and the different battery chargers we have for about everything we own. They had a very close call in their RV on their way to spend the winter in Mexico. It was definitely a reminder to me to check how I do things, especially when I am leaving the hounds at home alone while I am out shopping, visiting friends, etc.

Some of you may have noticed I have been back in the playing mode with my blog. I changed the background Sunday from a darker gray to the same crimson color that is on my blog. By today I decided I didn't like that and changed the background back to a lighter gray than was here before. I think I like that better.

Long time readers will know in the 'old days' of this blog I use to change my mind all the time about which RV to buy, whether to sell the house and every thing I owned to travel like those bloggers I read about on the left sidebar. I use to drive ZippyPinHead crazy with my 'whiplash' decisions. At least now, changing my mind about blog template designs is much cheaper to satisfy my addiction of bouncing from one decision to the next.

I see those sounds I hear inside my house but can never see from the windows, is the ATV making his rounds. You can see the fresh tire prints coming from the 'no fly zone'.

So speaking of decisions, I mentioned yesterday I was thinking of re-starting my old Wordpress blog. It was something I started actually a couple of years ago where I would write just an intro paragraph of content and then list photos below it. Yet over those couple of years I've deleted it, then went back to it. (whiplash).

Sometime last summer I moved this blog to the Wordpress platform, really just started my daily writing there while leaving 6 years worth of posts and photos here. I'll not go into the long story of what happened in the summer and fall ... but I will announce that yesterday I started that blog with one paragraph and some photos. For you that would prefer just photos without my rambling you can bookmark this site or follow by email. If you have a Wordpress account you can click the 'follow' button in the lower right of your screen.

I am still working on the template design. As always photos posted there will be the same ones most of the time that you see here. I know, it seems like double work and totally going against the reasons I discussed last summer of getting down to one blog.

Since I started blogging again after my short three weeks of disappearing in September 2017, I've started this blog, started a new Facebook account that I use mostly to follow and read different groups that I'm interested in, and started an Instagram account so I could follow some old bloggers that went from blogging to posting on Instagram.

I always liked following Glen at ToSimplify and The Blonde Coyote's fabulous photography that she has turned into a book. Once they moved their operation from blogging to Instagram I had no other way to follow their travels and adventures over there.

What was the reason I was wide awake until 3:30am ???  I couldn't resist having 'just one cup' of coffee after 7pm. I did it again when I told myself the last time this happened, never do that again. Also that delicious Dutch Apple Pie from Marie Callender's is causing a lot of indigestion. My system is not use to that much sugar I guess, so last night was pretty rough.

The thing is, I only cut the pie into six pieces, having only one piece on Saturday night when it was finished and then only two pieces on Sunday. I would hate to think I have to add that to my list of foods that I cannot eat anymore ... a list that seems to be getting longer as I get older.

Some time this winter I hope to glance up at those nests and see some eagles sitting in them. In 19 years that has only happened twice that I can remember.

Speaking of indigestion ... I am back looking at my diet choices again. A couple of years ago I tried the Paleo Diet with great results. Within two weeks my idigestion was totally gone. Yet, with a family history of cardiac disease I didn't feel comfortable having meat 4-5 dinners per week plus the other fat. So I did a complete 180° (whiplash) and went to a Vegan Diet.

I then had problems with different kinds of beans, a major source of my protein. I also found certain raw fruits had too much acid, thus causing me heartburn. Besides that discomfort, I was also starting to feel lethargic at times. Basically trading that meat, fish and chicken protein to beans and more carbohydrates made me feel bad instead of better.

That different range of diets led me to pull off an old book from my shelf called "Eat Right For Your Type" by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo. As with anything else on the internet all reviews ranged from fantastic to terrible, healthy or a disaster waiting to happen.

So what do I do when I have time on my hands, questions in my head and needing to look at the options ... I make a spreadsheet. I love spreadsheets, as I have noted here before but there has also been a nice change on those in the past few months. When Microsoft announced they were not going to continue to support their 2011 Microsoft Office for Mac, I decided I would take another look at Apple's Numbers program that came free with my computer. There was no way I was going to pay another $120 or more for the newer Office program with what very little I do on basic spreadsheets.

Once I figured out how to link cells in Numbers from other spreadsheets that are tabbed within that master spreadsheet then it was a definite time to make the change. I can say the more I use it, the more I like it, even better than I liked Excel. It was a click of an icon to convert .xls to .numbers

Long story short ---- I transposed information from that book on what foods I should eat based on my blood type. I then 'grayed out' all the foods that I knew gave me indigestion. Once I started eating only those foods suggested in the book and were not grayed out I started feeling fantastic. But ... with a Type O positive, it says I am a 'meat eater' and to stay away from grains.  LOL

I'll use that spreadsheet again, and basically make my own diet that includes foods that do not cause indigestion, different meats in moderation and water for drinking.

Stella was all over the field today as we walked. Both hounds were on their own as I walked my normal pace, stopping on occasion to take a photo or to look at the surrounding scenery or sky.

When Sadie's tailed is curled up like this, with her head down, paw up ... she is locked in on the scent.

Along with warmer weather this week I expected my Z4 parts to arrive any hour now. Once that happens the repair will commence. Six new parts need to be installed underneath the car. Some of them have plastic fasteners, some with metal screws. Using the printouts of the detailed parts description, location along with hardware it should be fairly easy. I know in my case as always, "Murphy" will be looking around the corner just to make it not as easy as I think it will be.

Stella got a little jogging in this morning or really this afternoon, as it was after 12 noon.

They might be a large breed of dog, even Heidi with her short legs holding 45# ... but they are all an easy hound to live with and take care of. All they want is food, sleep and few walks during the day.

Sadie has to be running pretty fast for her ears to flop in the wind.

About the time that Stella thought the walk was over, Sadie had found something in their yard. By the way she acted it had to be just a feet away. After close inspection of the tree, Sadie took off sprinting down the edge of the yard toward the burn pile. I glanced in that direction and luckily saw nothing.

Sadie in the meantime did her tracking from the couch. Any rabbits outside now will be their next spring after the temps get back into the 70's. Until that time she will spend the majority of her time right here ... nice and warm.

I had a lot of photos today, more than normal. As I went though them to choose which ones were going to the blogged about, there were too many good ones to pass up. It takes a little longer to edit them here on Blogger after I post them but it's well worth it.

I hope you didn't mind my rambling today. I have to put all these thoughts somewhere or I'd go insane thinking about them.

It's warmer today in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana with 60° a possibility by the weekend.

The Hounds Have A Full Day Of Activity

We started our day under overcast skies. It felt like rain was on the way but after checking the radar and Wunderground any storms that we might have were iffy. Stella didn't hesitate in getting a little jogging in this morning a little faster than she has been trotting. Both bloodhounds had total freedom this morning. As long as the grass is short in the field, it's easy to keep track of them.

By the time I finished the walk I knew I was going to get started cutting up and moving those Sycamore tree limbs the utility crew cut down yesterday. I wasn't told that they cut the limbs for free but I have to move what falls to the ground. One guy was stacking them in a pile as they were cut ... it wasn't a bad deal at all since they cut more than I thought they would so I saved a little money by getting the tree trimmed more than I had expected.

This morning I added some anti-inflammatory tablets to Stella's kibble and will give her two more tablets in a few hours when it's 12 hours since the dose this morning. I am out of the detail writing naming meds or supplements after Heidi's experience. I'll just leave it that Stella is going something to help her rear hips and legs.

Again this morning Stella ran past me and tried to catch Sadie. No deer was seen on the horizon today but it was in the 60's early this morning and the hounds just felt like running. Heidi did her exercise on the couch wondering when the AC would kick on automatically. She rolled over on her back looking at me when I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk. She knows how to pace herself.

I did write a post with pictures from the tree cutting crew yesterday. I have that schedule to post sometime tomorrow. I have also noted the date we started Stella on the anti-flams so I can tell how long it takes if she shows any improvements. Through all of her weight loss this past winter one thing that has never decreased is her appetite.

Contrary to what my pictures show, there is more colors than the color green around our area ... but not much.

I mentioned the word 'breakfast' on the way back. Stella thought she was getting fed again but I meant I was going to fix my breakfast when we got back, not hers.

Sadie tracked one scent most of the walk and spent most of her time in the far right hand corner. With her that far away I was able to capture some of the morning butterflies with my camera.

Stella met us once again on the return path. She had spent most of her time out in the middle of the lower portion of the field but came trotting when she saw Sadie and I walk past.

Blue skies were showing up from the Southwest ... that was a good sign.

The only white flower I saw the whole walk. It's about 12" away from the edge of the yard.

I had a large pile of tree limbs to cut into shorter pieces and move to my burn pile. I used a pair of loppers and only had to saw a couple of limbs down to size.

It was not as hard as it may look. I was done with everything in less than an hour. Sadie and Stella stayed in the area to supervise. Since we had just walked they had no urge to leave so they stayed in the backyard eating all the fresh dirt pushed up by the yard moles. They must think it's easier for me to mow the yard if those hills of dirt are gone.

The burn pile that I started in the spring is behind and under the new tree limbs. It's straight ahead and mashed down. That is all tree limbs from today and the ones I cut in April on the bank of the driveway. The large green leaves of the Sycamore tree cover the whole pile.

Since these limbs were pretty green I might have to wait for my 'pyro hobby' until next spring, so they will dry out. I have my largest pile of tree limbs that I can remember. If I add the ones I will collect next winter after high winds and storms ... I could be looking at my biggest fire ever. That's exciting. I'll really have to pay close attention to what is going one, otherwise I will have a fire big enough the catch the woods on fire. You can see how high my flames have been by the bare tree limbs of the tree in the center.

Tom made a comment on my post last night about the FJ transaction, that the blue spare tire cover might grow on me. So after the tree moving exercise I put the tire cover back on. I am still not sure I like it. It's too much blue with that in back. Maybe I'll get use to it.

Tell me which one you like ... just out of curiosity ... the one above with the cover or the one below without the cover? I like without the cover.

I brought the hounds out to check my work as usual and the new car cover. I expected at least Stella would initiate the polished blue cover with some fresh bloodhound drool, but she had other plans.

Plus they had been fed between the jobs of moving the tree limbs and putting the cover on. They couldn't wait. I had gone inside for some water and to get the tire cover ... but Heidi started barking for lunch and wouldn't let up. So I stopped what I was doing and fed the hounds.

Sadie didn't care about the tire cover ... she wanted back inside where it was cool.

 Stella didn't care about the tire cover ... she flopped down or fell down again to take a short nap.

Heidi didn't care about the tire cover ... she walked a lap around the house and headed straight to the door when she was finished.

I've replenished my food supply, including extra coffee and the ice tea bags. I'll never run out of coffee again nor coffee filters. A fresh 3qt pitcher of ice tea was made this afternoon. It's refreshing to drink as I watch my Reds team take an early lead every game and then end up losing 2 out of 3 games. Losses have been at a higher rate since the MLB All-Star game ... they have won only 3.

I forgot to tell you about the little test I did yesterday for those that are interested in data usage depending which browser you use. I used Safari for 20 minutes. That is all it took for me to read through my sports pages, the weather, read all updated blogs and my Feedly feed. I used 48Mb, which was bout the same average per minute that I got last week with Safari used for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I then used Google Chrome with its data saver app but missed the 20 minute mark and didn't look up until 22 minutes had past, 2 minutes longer than Safari. I also went back to the exact same websites I did with Safari ... Google Chrome only used 12Mb in that 22 minute period.

Google Chrome wins ... 12Mb compared to Safari's 48Mb in 20 minutes.

The highlight of the day was a yell from the neighbors backyard as I had walked over in that general area to put Stella on the leash. Sadie and I did the whole walk but Stella spent her afternoon walk in the same place as this morning, in the middle of the field.

By the time the hounds explored Gary's freshly mowed backyard while we talked, I ended up taking a bag each of small red potatoes, green beans, huge zucchini squash, and tomatoes ... all from their garden. Gary was also upset about all the mole traffic in his yard, which is manicured compared to mine. He did confirm my thinking was right ... there is nothing we can do to stop them living this close to a field.

I'm sure there was a little more rambling I was going to do but can't remember what it was. It will be another night of baseball with the tv sound turned off while I read a book as the game plays on. If there is some sort of action, I turn up the sound and watch until the 3rd out of the inning.

It might rain in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana tomorrow or the next day, maybe both.