A Quiet Holiday Monday

Since retirement I rarely look at a calendar anymore while I use the 'Reminders' program that came with my Apple phone and synchronizes to my computers. At times I also forget what day it is but I knew today was Monday but I did not know why the traffic on the highway in front of the house was so light. I found out it's a holiday with a lot of government workers having the day off. Farmers don't have days off, especially this time of year.

Stella wasn't sure what to make of the sound from the combine. She wasn't going to run toward the road but was a little curious what that weird sound was coming down the highway. She will also show interest in loud motorcycles and pickup trucks that pass by ... as if they are part of her past in some way.

The morning walk started as they all do. Heidi in a deep sleep after her breakfast kibble and Stella adding some wet green grass to her diet. As you can see the ragweed is dying out fast only to leave those small brown burs that like to stick to my clothing and in Stella's hair if we get too close on the walks.

It will be interesting to see how much the leaves turn colors this week. By Wednesday the high temp of the day will be in the 60's and by next weekend or sooner the high temp of the day will be in the 50's. As I write this my AC system is running at 100% power ... hard to believe it will be that cold later this week.

The photos don't capture it but Stella likes to walk in front of me but only if she can walk as slow as possible. If I lag behind giving her room, she will slow her walk down even more. If I walk around her to get in front there are times she will walk on my heels. So we go back and forth trading who is in front for a lot of the walk.

I had to be very quick to get this photo of her behind me before she was moving right past me.

The mosquitoes continue to be thick on these walks. I am hoping they disappear with the high temps this Tuesday night while we sleep.

She glanced down in the gully that is overgrown but a place the deer use to run to. I am not sure they visit that area after last summer (2017) when there was a lot of ATV traffic up and down the hills through the woods. I see no signs of deer passing through with worn down grass/weeds.

She started to head to the 'far right corner' of the field but stopped, stared and then looked at me for permission. When I told her 'over here' she turned and got back on our path and walked toward the back of the field.

I did not watch any NFL games yesterday nor did I tune into the MLB Playoffs. My lack of interest surprises me. I spent a lot of time sitting outside reading in the bright sunshine and watching the neighbor mow his yard with his huge riding mower. There just isn't that much going on lately around here. I also like watching traffic. (strange)

Walking fast enough to blur her photo.

Although Stella walks at a slow pace, the total time for the walk doesn't change much from the morning walks to the afternoon walks. Now that my brain has calibrated itself, why would the total time change with Sadie gone because we both walked or did the walk in whatever time it would take Stella. It just seems slower now with her taking her time moving through the field. Obviously from her looks, she doesn't understand the urgency of completing the walk before the mosquitoes haul me away.

This is from a small 2" diameter sapling that I cut down about 4 years ago.

A sure sign that fall is here and the leaves will be changing color.

I walked over to check out what Stella was staring at and saw nothing in that area below her nose and eyes. She stood in that pose long enough for me to take the photo, walk over to her and away from her. I would love to know what goes through that bloodhound's thought process.

She trotted toward the house, fast enough that it was hard for me to get these two photos taken.

Last night there was a huge visible cobweb right in front of the shed door, near the lower edge of the carport ceiling. This morning I could barely see what was left of the spiderweb and this victim was moving as fast as possible to get away from being tangled up inside it.

I had a few things I wanted to get done today. Of course when you are retired anything can change in an instant, consequently I did nothing I thought I would while drinking my morning coffee. Instead I spent time outside, went to the library to turn in two books and bring three more back with me to read.

This question is for all the plant experts ... why isn't this mum blooming ??? The yellow one I bought just as it is .. in full bloom but the two crimson mums I bought have not. When I look at them at the business I bought them out, within view of the house, all of their mums are in full bloom. I need help just like the two mums do.

Stella had a good lunch when I returned from the library. It was Heidi's non-stop barking when I got home that let me know I was late and she needed to be fed now!!!

The spider from the photo above taken earlier in the morning was still moving trying to escape. You can see how big the spiderweb is.

I could see Stella's nostrils working overtime trying to capture some scent.

Very rare to see her nose pointed to the sky ... that is too much effort for her.

Her right eye is looking good after the two growths were removed. With a face like that and a laidback personality how did three different owners give her up within her first six years of life?

She has been living here three years already ... time flies.

I have a driveway bank and seven acres of field behind my house for Heidi to dump her tanks ... but she loves the front yard the most. She never goes to the field. Sometimes she will move in back but mostly in the front yard.

She is headed that way now.

She then follows up by taking a lap around the house to inspect the area before coming back inside to sleep all afternoon.

Oh, Stella sleeps just as much as Heidi does between her meals and the two walks we take per day.

Here are some highlights of our early evening walk a few minutes ago.

I know you probably get tired of hearing me say it but it really is another beautiful day here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Surprise!! Sadie Gets Her Walk

Glancing outside about an hour before the predicted time that the rains would stop, I saw it had stopped ... Sadie, Stella and I didn't hesitate going outside. Cabin fever will do that to you. I wanted to take a stroll around the yard and check for any damage or downed tree limbs.  Sadie had other plans. She had not even got into the driveway when she stopped, turned and gave me the look to "let's walk".

While Stella was checking out a very small piece of the rip rap I had put in a few spots on the bank in the yard, Sadie was more interested in getting into the field.

I was walking behind the old fence in back through the area where overgrown brush burned out and was planted with grass seed a few years ago. I noticed this tree just off the yard and in an area between my fence in the rear side yard and the field.

I don't believe I have seen any tree do that if it was near the yard. I was planning on burning off this overgrown area last summer, when I caught some of the field on fired down by the highway.

After that I decided I would not burn any of the upper part of this area because I didn't have enough water hose to reach it, thus I'd have nothing to control the fire if it moved into the field.

You can see the new green growth, so I am hoping all of the grass seed I have planted the past two weeks has not been washed away and will start sprouting soon.

This is just to the left of the tree pictured above. You can barely see the sign frame that I take a picture of every morning from my carport step. So this is on the northeast corner of my property. My survey from 2000 say this is not my property past the fence and the neighbor's survey from 2014 says it is my property. Who knows?

Sadie had enough of looking at the yard, she wanted 'her' walk to take place. A few steps into the field showed me what I expected, a lot of water. The higher we climb the wetter the ground will be. Can anyone explain why?

I continued walking, hearing the 'squishing' sound of the water coming up over the sides of my boots, just above my sole. The more steps I took showed me we could continue and possibly get the whole walk in without turning around early. Sadie figure the walk was on no matter what ... so did Stella.

Is it my eyes or imagination? ... but it looks like the chewed tree limb is reducing it's diameter with a slightly new design. The edges are not as smooth as they once were. The stuff must taste good.

After Stella's performance the other morning I wanted her to stay fairly close to Sadie this morning. I didn't have to call her much and she walked along with us with no problems and no leash ... I didn't bring it because I wasn't planning to take the walk when I came outside.

I could tell by the way the brush was mashed down just how hard the rain was along with the strong winds last night.

I am not quite to the back of the field on our path when the water level rises. Even as I stepped around this puddle into the higher grass, I still had to walk in visible water.

Stella is never thrilled when she gets her feet wet. She walked slowly, one step at a time as her paws became soaked. She was almost in slow motion as Sadie waited for her up ahead.

Nothing bothers Sadie on a walk, rain hail sleet or snow. She waited for Stella to catch up.

Once she had made sure the back of the field was 'clear' she took off running for the center of the field, while Stella walk right beside me. Stella was so close the 18mm lens setting could not pick her up in the view finder. Also for some strange reason, my focus setting changed back to a 'all focus' instead of the 'single point' that I use. It normally does that if I take out the battery to charge it but not between using the camera on different days.

You may notice how the field angles downward toward my backyard. The underground water moves toward my backyard, veering left and over the bank just in front of my burn pile. I believe it is also the cause of the ground swell I get along the back side of my house. I have a lot of work to do this spring and summer to fix that.

The sun is trying it's hardest to move through two days of overcast skies. As I write this I can see it getting brighter outside. Sunshine for the rest of the week sounds good to me but I am not thrilled about the potential for snow on Saturday, even if it's 1"-3".

I might want to get back to the house but that doesn't make Stella walk any faster. It doesn't matter what Sadie does either on this last part of the walk because Stella will do what she wants to do on her own time. This next picture makes her look skinny. I am hoping the recent change of dog food with higher fat and more protein puts the lost weight back on.

She also doesn't seem as energetic as she was this time last year. Pictures from a year ago show her and Sadie running in the field together. I can't remember the last time Stella was on a full out sprint in the field, not counting her escape the other day down into the wooded gully.

We might be getting close to the yard but that doesn't mean there isn't something she can find to eat. At least they baled the field a second time last fall so it's been nice to walk through this winter without the taller grass.

Those dishes and vacuuming are still waiting for me, I'm pretty lazy today. I think I'll play some mahjong and make a few more trips outside.

Another uneventful day here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana today.