The Hounds Love Their Daily Walks

I don't think there is a day that goes by, unless it's pouring rain, that my 7-1/2 year old Sadie doesn't jump up and down and try to grab my hand to start the walk. Instead of just taking off to start her smelling expedition, she will at times succeed in grabbing my hand with her mouth, drool and all, to help me get started on the daily walk(s).

Stella on the other hand is in one of two positions. She is either way out in front along the line of bushes or she is walking behind me in slow-motion. You have to realize that if Stella is not in the field working her nose ... she does everything in slow motion, even to the point of dragging her paws when she walks.

So yesterday afternoon was no different for them. It was a little for me because I fell in love with those 70° temps on Saturday and never wanted them to leave. Still, yesterday wasn't that bad ... in the 50's.

Stella was more attentive on this walk. She came to me or at least headed in the right direction when I called her name. The leash was NOT taken even though I had told her it was a possibility the day before. The ground became more saturated the higher we walked. There is a slight incline to the back of the field. As I have said before, a lot of that field angles down and towards my backyard.

As you can see from the photos, they are not much different than others you have seen. We take the exact same path every day and have for the 19 years I have lived here ... just different hounds. The path is worn, mashed down hay, or weeds but never to the point of making the path bare dirt. I can actually see the path from the Google Satellite maps.

Although they work their noses in that field for 20-30 minutes, there are always those scents to check on at the end of the walk before they decide to stroll back into the house.

As soon as we got back from the early afternoon walk ... it was time for hound maintenance. Heidi had her 20 minute Epsom Salt soak, shampoo, toenails trimmed and ears cleaned. It's nice that she likes all of that so there is not wrestling or chasing her involved ... like with Sadie. Stella doesn't mind the ears and nail trim and I have no doubt that she would climb into the tub for a bath if I wanted her to. Sadie will hide anytime there is water or nail clippers involved.

Heidi stretches in the sunshine after getting towel  dried after her bath. She helped the drying process by doing a few sprints throughout the house before coming outside.

Taking care of Heidi and Stella didn't take long, besides the 20 minutes for Heidi to soak. I walked toward Sadie who was in the "big" chair in the living room. Before she could jump over the side of the chair to escape, I lifted her front paw with hopes of getting at least one paw done and the others when I could. She sat there and let me cut all four paws.

Bloodhound toenails have to be the closest thing to bear claws that there is. Even with the largest size clippers, it's hard cutting through them.

With a few other domestic efforts completed that concluded a great day here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

What A Great Weekend

When I first saw the weather forecast a week in advance, it's hard to picture temperatures in the 60's just 5 days away as you sit inside your house freezing. I was suspicious on Friday when the temps rose to 58° but not the predicted 60's. Yet when letting the hounds outside first thing Saturday morning ... some warm air hit me, even early in the morning. The wind had been howling most of the night bringing warmer air from the Southwest.


By 9am ... ALL of us were outside, including Heidi. Yes, she did her normal refusal of going outside on her own when I asked her. Like a week ago when the weather was nice, I picked up her and carried her outside. Once her feet hit the yard, her tail started wagging and her nose went to the ground ... she spent a lot of time sniffing around and she looked happy.

 

While I was in the front yard picking up all the fallen tree branches, Stella had decided it was time to stretch her boundaries in the field in back. When she didn't come when I called her, I decided it was time to bring out the tether again ... so she could roam the field without wondering off and I could get my yard work finished. She is looking back at me to see if I am watching her before she makes her escape into new territory. Way out of bounds for her.

She didn't leave though when I was in the backyard picking up branches to add to my new burn pile in April. Once I started washing the vehicles, I attached the tether because she was wondering off. While I was getting my first yard work completed in 2016 ... the hounds did nothing but lay and watch.

In this photo she is on "semi-probation". She didn't go in the field though ... she laid in the backyard trying to show me she didn't need tethered.

By the time I finished picking up tree branches, it was warm enough to peel off the sweatshirt. While mixing the soap and water to wash the Mini Cooper S, it was getting hot outside. I went from jeans to shorts as the temps had moved from 62° to 71°. The hounds never moved while I washed not only the Mini Cooper S but also the FJ. Sadie was the only one to get out of the sun later on. She was thirsty enough to try drinking the water from the leak of my water hose. Could it really be 73° in late February? I was more than happy to enjoy the spring like weather. All the windows in the house were opened to bring in some fresh air.

The hounds stayed outside from 9am - 1:30pm. Once Heidi found her spot in the sun, she never moved.

I needed coffee and could go either direction 12 miles to the store. I chose to load up all the hounds into the FJ as a test for them (mostly Stella) and a way to dry off the FJ since I was going to let it air dry anyway. All of them love to ride, all of them jump into their locations without any help. The test for Stella was going to be what takes place as I leave her to go inside the store for some quick shopping. Although Heidi got a little car sick on the way, about the 10 mile mark. She didn't look good.

From Stella's howls as I walked away ... she wasn't happy as I went towards the store.

My shopping was fast ... coffee, pizza and yogurt. As I walked to the FJ Stella had moved from the back to the drivers seat to keep an eye out for me. I could tell she had tried looking out the front window since the rear view mirror was turned at a weird angle. Plus there were hound tongue prints on the different windows. I could tell by things on the console she had been climbing everywhere. I would have loved to had a camera hooked up to see what she did. No damage but I could tell she didn't just sit there waiting for me to come back. Yet, she didn't hesitate to move to the back as I opened the door to get in.

We headed back to enjoy an afternoon of sunshine and 73° weather here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

At times I think of selling my 2006 Mini Cooper S. In fact I had a couple test drive it last summer and was sure they were going to buy it by the way they talked. She contacted me the next morning to let me know they were buying a newer one and a different model. I don't drive it much anymore but after washing it I find it always hard to think about selling it.

The temps are cooler this morning but it's still sunny and a jacket is not needed. It is suppose to snow this Thursday, so as you can tell Indiana weather is always changing and at times from one end of the spectrum to the other end. Within 6 days it will have gone from 73° to low 30's and snow.

No complaints though, it's been a really mild winter this year in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Stella Thought Spring Had Arrived

With it sunny and 48° with no snow, Stella thought spring had arrived and it was time for taking a short nap outside.

While she slept, Sadie found more interesting things to do.

It was a great day here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana ... April will be here before we know it.

Weather Breaks Mean Hound Walk

It took a while but finally the temperatures moved out of the upper teens and low 20's to something more bearable. It took another day for the ground to absorb the melted snow. We found out yesterday afternoon it was solid enough to take a walk. The hounds loved it, as they had some serious 'cabin fever'.

There was plenty of other action before that afternoon walk though and at the time I didn't care for it ... because it caused me to lose my favorite baseball cap. It's the one I wear whenever outside doing yard work and at times when I am running errands around this rural area.

Sadie tried to warn me ... but I didn't pick up on what she was telling me. She came to sit next to me at my computer desk and had this look in her eyes that there was something going on that should not be going on ... she turned her head toward Stella. Both of them had been laying on the floor chewing different bones. I thought that was what Stella was doing. When I checked ten minutes later I found out what Sadie was trying to tell me ... Stella was chewing up and eating my favorite baseball cap.

Anyway after the initial shock was over, everything was okay ... I figured Stella was telling me it was time to buy a new ballcap to wear when I do yard work in this year. I am not really sure how old the one was that she chewed up.

With the snow melted and the first walk in a few days, the hounds were pretty excited with all the new scents and with the amount of deer tracks I was seeing the deer activity had been heavy. There was one close call yesterday with Stella. By the time I got the camera pointed in that direct she was already running towards me knowing she was in trouble. I had turned just in time to see her inside the wooded area and was on her way of running down into the very deep gully. She came running when I yelled her name.

The sun was trying to break through the overcast toward the end of our walk. Plus this shows a pretty nice "skyline" view of the neighborhood. The place is so quiet you don't know if people are still living there or have gone south for the winter.

Heidi for some reason protested any offers to go outside yesterday after her initial trip in the morning. With the change back to Earthborn Holistic Dog Food, the Primitive blend ... her skin has really looked good and has shown no signs of redness as the day progresses.

Stella spent most of the walk lagging behind ... I think it's because she likes to run to catch up to us. That's good exercise for her.

I didn't notice until I was editing this photo that a neighbor had put on a new red metal roof. I evidently don't get out much because I don't ever remember seeing that replacement taking place. Back in the 60's I remember visiting that house to meet and talk to my great grandfather. 

You can see that the hounds tracked scent all the way home. I also think you can see that the collar I bought for Stella a few weeks ago shows up well when the two hounds are together ... it's easy now to tell them apart.

Some of you know I've been thinking again about blogging. I am going to leave this blog open but I will be posting less frequently. Over the years there have been so good online friendships developed and due to the distance from 'the tropics' this blog is one way to stay in touch. Plus everyone likes to check in on the hounds to see what they are up to. I would prefer to set the blog up by invitation only but I found out yesterday from further reading that each person would need to log in with a Google account, which I assume that means you would need a gmail address to log in to read the blog. Most of the readers that I would invite don't have gmail accounts.

Honestly I'd like to block a few readers but that is not possible with Blogger like it is with Wordpress.

So, the blogging will continue but on a less frequent basis. Life is pretty boring here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana, especially in the winter months. It's hard to find things to write about during those times, as well as the warmer times of the year.

It's time to head out ... Sadie is giving me her stare telling me it's time to go out and check things since the sun is up.