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.

Sadie's Hit With Excitement Today

You would have never expected 'high energy' after looking back at Stella as we started our morning walk. By the time she finished scratching and sprinting, yes sprinting, past me to catch Sadie ... Sadie was already on a scent of some sort. She was really excited, to the point I had to be on the lookout for what she had found.

She took off on a full out run as soon as she stepped one foot in the field. I glanced for deer, cats, birds, really anything that would cause her to charge through the thick thorn bushes and down into the gully.

What was interesting, I didn't see anything ... but she apparently did.

While Stella was more interested in indulging in her morning natural protein with some deer flavor add, Sadie was running back and forth along the edge of the field and bushes. A couple of times she ran into the thick bushes and backed herself out.

By her actions I assumed it was a smaller animal that had been through this area and not deer. Who knows, it could have been the big blonde cat we saw yesterday over by the neighbor's wooded area.

I had to double back today to get Stella to move in our direction. By the time I walked up to her she was in the process of eating good old dirt ... wet mud. Like any hound breed, once they raise their mouth from whatever they are eating .... sometimes residue is hanging in their drool on both sides of their mouths.

I was hoping to catch those leaves hanging in midair on each side of her mouth but she took off running about the time I clicked the shudder.

When I thought both hounds were heading to the far right corner, Sadie made an immediate left and took off sprinting again. She was running at max speed ... Stella headed the opposite direction. I had two hounds that were locked in on scents in opposite directions. Once I saw Stella head down into the gully and disappear from my view that is the direction I chose.

As I kept an eye on Sadie while I was trotting toward Stella's direction ... Sadie was so excited in what she had found she couldn't slow down. In this area I am pretty sure we are talking deer traffic and a lot of them.

She can smell them, maybe even hear them, but I doubt that she can see them. I saw nothing on the horizon when I looked in the same direction as Sadie was.

She heads back to retrace her steps, maybe to find some answers.

Then turned immediately back in the opposite direction because they have to be there somewhere. As they say, "she was beside herself". {I know the period should go inside the quote mark but to me it punctuation looks better after the quote mark}  :)

Since the pictures of Sadie above were taken so quickly in sequence, I was able to get over to Stella as she had moved back into view, just barely. By the time I was halfway to her she also turned in the opposite direction heading down into the gully out of my view. I thought she was gone so I started running faster while yelling her name.

Luckily about the time I got within 30' from where she disappeared, she popped back into view and started her slow stroll toward me with a look on her face as if she was questioning what was I yelling for ... in her head, everything was good.

Not a second after I took that picture of Stella ... Sadie rammed into the back of my knee. It's her way to let me know that she is back and that she didn't run away. She has been doing that since was a 3 month old puppy.

She and Stella trotted along the edge of the back field and turned to join me as I headed home.

Since the theme of the morning seemed to be 'run as far ahead of him as possible' ... they both took off running along the path and were almost in the backyard by the time I caught up with them.

Makes you wonder what all the excitement was about.

It could have been that we started our day extremely late today. That is what happens when you stay up until 4am playing music while saying "just one more". It was not just one album I was listening too but a wide range of songs from U2, Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Pearl Jam, Neil Young ... and other's on and on.

It wasn't until late afternoon when I finally decided what kind of food I'd have to carry me through two Final Four games tonight and the championship games on Monday night. In between that would be MLB baseball games on Sunday and Monday afternoons.

The possible problem was by the time I made the decision and pulled out of the driveway I had about an hour and half before the game started. With traffic my 25 mile round trip would be close to tip off time by the time I got back.

The hounds are always happy when I come back with a trunk full of groceries. They think all food is theirs so they have to inspect every bag I carry from the car to the kitchen. Once I start eating in front of the tv, Sadie assumes her normal position under the coffee table waiting for any possible drops to the floor or a quick underhand serving of something.

Heidi and Stella will sit to the right of my waiting for that first tortilla chip.

Well I am off for a quick hound walk during halftime of the game. It's been beautiful weather today here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.