Hounds Are Happy It's Friday

First of all thank you to all the readers that are veterans of the US military. They make or have made a lot of sacrifices to fill those positions.

Well it's been quite a week to say the least. I am happy to be back to just looking at news headlines and not reading their articles while I move my focus back to sports, hounds, blogs, and a little house maintenance to prepare for winter.

I am sitting here wondering just how long can a blog post be, with it not being too long. I wrote a post yesterday afternoon with about 15 pictures, saved it with plans to add to it and then post it around 6:30pm. But the afternoon changed and I forgot about the post until this morning.

This morning started out as always. Yet it was about 10° warmer this morning but that didn't mean the hounds stayed outside any longer. They know how important coffee is to my start of the day so they didn't stay outside very long.

Once I saw the temps rise above 50°, we headed out for a walk. They didn't wait on me either ... they were off as soon as their feet touched the field.

They had already dictated they were going on their own pace and I was fine with that. I was enjoying the clear skies without a cloud anywhere, no humidity of coarse and the temperature felt about right.

With Stella staying pretty far behind Sadie and I ... it was quite a surprise to see her running to catch up with us. I'm not sure what her reasons were but she sprinted fast enough that my camera could not keep up to catch all of her sprinting.

Sadie took another look in back to see if Stella was coming or not. As soon as she saw that Stella had stopped again, Stella took off for the right corner of the field.

Then again ... Stella came running to catch up with us. I'm glad that every day is different with her.

During our afternoon walk yesterday I caught this.

Earlier while at the computer on Thursday morning, I heard the warning beeping sound of a truck backing up. I went out to the large window to see what it might be. Due to yesterday's fog I could barely see a State Patrol car blocking highway traffic but could not see what was backing up due to the thick fog.

It looks like this might have been some of the equipment on the move. It would have been too long to make a left 90° turn but with the dirt road going the opposite direction to the old bridge across the highway, something that long can make some 3-5 point turns to back in that road to make the left hand turn.

This is an AT&T tower that has been there for around 15 years and it will be interesting to see if they are going higher or just adding more equipment to the tower. It's strange that I my house is that close to a tower but when I had AT&T a couple of years ago I could only get 3 bars max for signal strength. Even a couple of weeks ago I was told by AT&T they could not offer any wireless internet in my package.

This is what I saw this morning so there wasn't much change. Maybe it is waiting for the next phase of either repair or installation of new equipment.

Once I mentioned getting some 'food' to the hounds when we got home, they both were pretty motivated to get home.

Yet, there were enough places to stop and identify before moving on.

I'll implement some of the post I wrote yesterday afternoon and take a chance that I have not make this blog too long. At least for those readers that just scroll through to look at the pictures (nothing wrong with that), they will have more to look at.

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Heidi made a rare appearance outside to walk around instead of just long enough to pee. Her skin is actually getting better with the places where she has bare skin or little hair, is becoming softer. More hair is trying to grow back on all of her legs and paws. It's been a while since that has happened.

She will be getting a bath today (Friday) and her nails cut.

Lunch had been served with the normal routine of going outside right after being fed. Something that was done when house training Sadie when she was a puppy. Heidi and Stella were brought home when they were older dogs, so I am not sure if that was their routine when they were puppies.

I was going to let the bloodhounds wander the field and keep an eye on them but I saw 'the stare' ... the one that Sadie gives me when it's time or she wants to go for a walk ... which is all the time.

Once she saw me walking toward the field with my camera in hand she came running to escort me on the start of the walk as she always does. She will actually try to grab my left hand with her mouth as she is hopping up and down in excitement.

I tried to keep the walk moving and Stella came with a little coaxing. I am sure if I had not said anything Stella would have stayed back for most of the walk.

Around that first turn and we were headed to the right corner of the field.

Today I decided I'd join them in the area of that right corner where there are a lot of signs of deer activity. While the hounds stayed and did what they normally do, adding protein of some kind to their diet, I walked toward the gully.

You can see the tall brush that has been mashed. I know nothing about deer so I am just assuming they might spend time here sleeping, not sure.

I have taken pictures before trying to show just how steep and deep this gully is but I'm not succeeding to many times.

On the way back, Stella gave me a look that she had seen the neighbor. He was out on his riding mower sweeping up leaves in his yard. Their clothes were out drying in the sunshine so I thought she might take off again since she seems attracted to their clothes line.

Thursday afternoon turned out great with temps getting up near 60°.

College basketball starts officially tonight with regular games on tv instead of the exhibition games. Football of coarse continues through the first few weeks of January for colleges. I think I have my own little NFL boycott going on as I have been watching it a LOT less than I have in past years.

Another great Friday so far here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

Hounds Love The Fog

I started to type this and realized from the clock in the upper right corner of my monitor, it was not even 10am. The hounds and I are still adjusting to the time change ... no big deal.

One thing I am not adjusting to is colder temps and knowing that winter is just around the corner.

It was quite a surprise this morning as I opened the door to let the hounds outside and freezing coolness hit me. I'm not a fan of that type of weather. The fog made it a nice morning though, a different feel to the day ... the hounds didn't notice.
 

They were ready to walk around 7:30am, I wasn't ... nothing starts until coffee is consumed in my world. I did not drink coffee until I was 40 years old but in the early 1990's living in the Seattle area, the addiction started. Small espresso stands scattered throughout my town of 10,000, even with a couple of drive-thru businesses.

With Sadie not adjusting to the time change at all, she was giving me the stare down to 'go walk' by 8:30am ... we started it a little after 9am. This fog and the temperature at 37° ... but didn't feel that cold.

Stella tried eating some wet leaves, then a pile of wet dirt and later some grass to add to her early morning snacks.

With their speed I became aware that deer might be on the horizon. Would they be in the woods waiting to jump out? Would they be in the far right corner not knowing that the hounds were on their way to that area.

Stella took off left and I thought she was gone. She stood and stared, looking north and I was sure that she was going to take off on a sprint toward potential deer. While I was trying to capture her pose, with the fog the lens would not focus ... luckily Stella turned around and headed back to toward Sadie and the normal path.

I decided that I'd let Stella have open range so to speak. I would let her come and go as she wanted unless .... she headed to the 'no fly zone'. That never happened, although she stayed behind so far that she could not be seen in the fog, nor could the camera lens focus due to the fog.

As usual Stella came sprinting to catch up with Sadie and I and both headed home at their normal slow pace.

Stella had one last spot to check before she came inside. Sadie and I had already returned inside the house and by the time I had hung up my coach, Stella was at the door to be let inside.

I mentioned yesterday that we would probably walk without the camera and maybe take the retractable leash but that did not happen. Here are some pictures of our afternoon on Wednesday ... another great day.

The process that started weeks ago on the highway, was started by the highway crew of grinding out the cracks in the highway in preparation for the filing those with tar what was pictured yesterday. Here is part of that right in front of my driveway. Luckily it was dried very very fast, with a truck trailing the crew and giving it time to dry. They did this for at least 12 miles of highway, maybe more.

The sun was bright for our afternoon walk but that sunshine did not equate to warm temperatures. I guess fall is here and the winter is hiding right around the corner here in 'the tropics'.

It's good to see Sadie's trim waistline and I hope she can maintain that even through the winter.

Well it is good that you can watch tv without the political ads during each commercial break. It's interesting to see the news commentary change since the election results. I guess the large crowds at the Trump campaign speeches, the larger ratio of Trump/Pence signs in yards compared to Clinton signs ended up being a pretty accurate indicator for what was going to happen.

I'm not a historian, and maybe some readers are ... if so, I am sure they also remember demonstrations in the streets after Nixon was elected, Viet Nam era, then against Reagan and 'the nukes' ... a few more demonstrations that I don't remember in detail. So, nothing really new, just more coverage on tv and also of coarse the internet and social media.

I may post again later this afternoon or early evening to get back on a schedule of blogging at the end of the day instead of trying to post photos and write about a 24 hour period from one mid-day to the mid-day the following day. We will see how that works.

Not much planned today, at least nothing that is blog worthy.

We are cold today here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.

The Hounds Survive Election Night

When I left you yesterday I thought the excitement of the day would be finishing the Leaf Project 2016. What little did I know eh?

With calm winds, if any at all, I got an early start on finishing my leaf project for this fall. By 12:15pm I was finished, body a little sore  ... plus some help by the two bloodhounds.

I didn't get photos of their help because every time I stopped to get my camera, they would get up and follow me. Where where they getting up from? Stella loves to lay IN THE LEAVES that I raked in a row across the yard. The Sadie decided that was a good idea so she would lay next to Stella.

This shows the finished product but even with trees above with no leaves, there will be some large leaves blow into this clean are from the tall sycamore tree by the driveway.

This is all the leaves I have left.

I've stated before I am not into politics but a sports junkie ... yet, last night I was mesmerized watching the election results. In fact I had to force myself to go to bed even after they declared a winner ... I was up until 4am watching the post election analysis.

After a short few hours of sleep, I fed the hounds breakfast at their normal time, and by 9:15am ... we were outside in 50° weather getting our first pictures of the day.

A normal start of the day for them and me. Yet I was pretty tired from staying up that late.

 Stella did not stay long and sprinted back to the house on her own ... they went back to sleep almost immediately.

While watching even more political analysis this morning I saw a line of traffic stopped out the window. I heard some equipment and glanced outside to see the highway department sealing the cracks in the highway before those cold winter temperatures arrive.

I wanted to make sure that not only the highway workers moved down the highway out of view but also that line of traffic, so when the hounds went outside for the walk there would be nothing new and nothing interesting for them to take off to investigate ... toward the highway.

Even after two cups of coffee I still must have been a little asleep. Although I was wearing a thin down coat over a sweatshirt ... I saw I was wearing cargo shorts and had forgot to change into my hiking boots to keep my feet try. I survived.

A new pile of powered dirt .. is a mole doing this? Luckily it's in the field and not my back yard.

All three hounds didn't have any more interest in the election than they do watching sports. Stella spent the night in the "big chair" and ottoman sleeping. Heidi laid curled up next to me in the middle of the couch sleeping with Stella on the far left side of the couch also sleeping until 4am.

With the cooler temps I was glad to see that Stella moved and followed us instead of me having to talk her into leaving her spot of natural protein.

Sadie was running all of the place, enjoying her exploration.

Stella got a little running in and her normal nose activity. She was more obedient than she normally is and that was a nice surprise at 51°.

Another new pile of powered dirt that Stella loves eating ... as does Sadie at times.

Both hounds heading home.

Stella sniffs her way through the end of the walk to the house. Not a bad walk for all of us after being up until 4am.

The afternoon walk will most likely be without a camera and taking my retractable leash to use for Stella ONLY IF she decides to go into a very stubborn mode. Sometimes I only have to hold it up and show it to her to get her to come running ... lol

On September 7 I switched immediately to a Vegan Diet after more reading. Since that date I have lost 17 pounds, 5mm of fat off the sides of my waist, size 34 jeans are fitting loose after going from a 36 waist. The urges for candy, soda, fast foods, etc are almost zero and when they do show up it's been easy for me to get through them.

Even though many in the USA are unhappy today ... all is good here in 'the tropics' of southern Indiana.