The Hounds Love Hot Weather

After some lunch the hounds decided it felt nice enough to spend a little time outside this afternoon. By 12:30pm, the old thermometer in carport was a tad above 85°. There are ten acres to roam and a yard to lay in ... but Stella decided he could move me from "her" spot by laying partially on my feet. I did move but only to take the photo.

Heidi came outside on what I like to call 'on her own' .. no calling her name, no begging and no food bribery. She just walked outside with the other hounds ... sniffed around and found a comfortable spot. In the 4 years I've had her I have never see her lay there.

It didn't take Stella long to be lights out under the hot sun.

Sadie as usual didn't lay down, wasn't interested in laying down and had the usual look on her face of "what's next". She has been that way for 8 years next month.

By this time Heidi decided the gravel was too hot and moved to a grassy area. Stella moved to the cooler gravel and fell into such a deep sleep she stretched out while I baked my face and head under the sun to start the summer tan.

Sadie was about to lay down but Heidi caught her attention so her nap was called off. By this time I can feel that it's getting hotter and I can also tell that Sadie wants to go inside.

For her 3rd move, Stella decided that grass wasn't a bad idea afterall ...so she found a good spot, thought about it a little, heard a long line of Harley's drive past and then laid down to continue her Sunday afternoon napping.

It was too hot for the hounds after an hour in the sun ... they thought they loved hot weather but forgot just how hot it can get here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana. I hope it's like this all summer, I love hot hot hot weather.

While it was shaded and cool inside, they took their normal siestas, while I watched a little bit of the Reds/Cardinal game, some of the IU/Iowa game, the end of the F1 race and all of the IndyCar race in Long Beach Calif.

With 8 laps to go Sadie was anxious to get in the afternoon walk. We watched the end of the race before leaving. The bloodhounds were out the door just like that, Heidi stayed on the big chair in the living room not showing much enthusiasm. Once I connected the leash to her collar, she sprinted to the door, and out into the field. I took off the leash and tossed it back into the yard.

As you can tell they are anxious to get started.

Heidi started to lead just like this morning but it wasn't long after a lot of stops like the one in the 2nd photo, she fell pretty far behind and was walking too slow for me to follow. Still she didn't want to be left behind.

Of coarse while I am trying to keep up with Heidi, the bloodhounds went way out in front and Sadie kept wondering what was wrong with us. This IS the daily walk isn't it ... and not a crawl??

They let us catch up to them and then took off on their own path. They didn't drift far away though this afternoon .. stayed pretty close.

A farmer's day is never done. He has been going at it since 7am and by the time I took this photo it was close to a 11-1/2 hour day.

Once we turned the corner to head home, Heidi figured out the faster she set the pace the faster she could get back into that chair for a nap. She led most of the way and anytime a bloodhound would overtake her, she would move to get the lead back again.

The heat must have zapped them today because all three were walking pretty slow back to the house. They were so close that it was not possible to fit them in the photo using my 55-200mm lens until I let them get a few feet ahead of me.

As I walked into the yard and leaned over to pick up the retractable leash I had tossed, there were 4 ticks out in the open crawling on my legs. Easy to take off since they had not attached themselves yet. They are out in force so far this spring ... warm winter???  I take off 4-5 after every walk these past few days.

None of them were embedded in the hounds but crawling on their hair ... each of the hounds have one and I have moved out into an insurmountable lead for 2016. Yet, I'd rather take them off me than them.

It feels like a summer night here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana ... minus the humidity.

Heidi Is The Leader Of The Sunday Morning Walk

I woke up before dawn this morning. While Sadie snored from her bed in the corner of the room, the birds were so loud that I couldn't go back to sleep.

Finally a little after 7am Heidi was up to start the day with her daily body shake first thing every morning and that is what wakes the bloodhounds up. So the day was on. They had that look in their eye that they knew it was their breakfast time.

They hit their yard but didn't move into the field because something loud was coming from that direction. They were aware of something but didn't know what it was. It was a tractor in the field behind the one we walk in, moving slowly, discing his field.

Since they were not going in the field, we all returned to the house. Like I said in last nights post, the plan is to take Heidi on both walks during the day. I am assuming she is healthy enough to do that with her perfect blood work results just last month. As soon as I attached the leash to her collar while she was outside, she headed for the field knowing we were walking.

After about 50' I took the leash off of her and she immediately ran in front of me, leading the walk, just like the old days. Sadie and Stella went off on their own track while Heidi walked at her own slow pace, stopping to sniff spots too frequently.

She reminded me of Winston, lagging way behind, sniffing certain spots more than walking. The bloodhounds and I waited for her to catch up with her trotting some and walking some. Then Sadie and Stella took off to their deer bed spots.

 
As soon as I let her walk in front of me she took off up the path. It was GREAT to see her running in the field again, since yesterday was her first time walking since October 7th of last year.

When you are the leader of the walk you can do anything you want ... she found a spot she liked ... I'll find out later if she is allergic to grass because after this walk her skin should be red sometime today .. IF she is allergic to grass.

She got up long enough for the photo and then rolled back down. If I hadn't moved I think she could have stayed there most of the day.

While Sadie and Stella inspected the deer area ... Heidi decided to run forward ... it was like she knew she was the leader once again on the daily dog walk.

Stella of course stopped at her three favorite spots, got way behind as Sadie, Heidi and I continued to walk ... I did not even have to yell her name before she came running to catch us.

Here you can see where the farmer was discing his field early this morning getting ready to plant possibly this week before the rains show up.

You can barely see Stella in the center of the photos about the bush line.

In the meantime Heidi was on her own exploration. I can't tell you how good it is to see her back in the field enjoying herself. She even got into the trotting mode a few times.

From the past seven months it was like she was a new hound by the way she was acting. Is it because the change to warmer weather?

Leading Stella to the finish line while Sadie hung back to walk with me.

So she is off the leash much sooner than I expected. She has been leash free for years, really all the time except for the first two weeks after I brought her home. I was wrong I didn't bring her home in 2011 but June 28, 2012.

It looks like it's going to be another great day here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.