Sadie Sneaks Up On A Deer

Just as I unhooked Stella from the retractable leash late yesterday afternoon, I glanced ahead at Sadie and saw a large deer in the far right corner of the field munching grass. Stella went nowhere, but Sadie was sprinting as fast as possible through the tall grass ... tall enough the deer did not notice Sadie was running at her.

By the time the deer was aware what was going on, Sadie was within 4' of her and I actually though she might catch her. What would Sadie do if she did? I don't know what she would do. The deer made a sound and took off down the 'deer highway' into the overgrown gully ... Sadie moved around the far corner area to check out other possible deer scents.

I apologize I didn't have the camera to catch all of the action last night but we have been taking a walk or two in the afternoons and early evening without a camera. I'll plan to go out against tonight at the same time as last night and see if the deer come back. It was a few minutes past 6:30pm.

It was good to read this today, click here ... so it's just not me that feels like they are going insane owning a bloodhound ... LOL.

This morning was different though ... no deer but plenty of sparrows for Sadie to chase. I took a chance at the start of the walk to see what Stella would do. As she was still in the backyard, Sadie and I walked into the field. It was a nice surprise to turn and see her trotting into the field to catch up with us ... I didn't catch her trotting but the first picture shows her just starting the walk.

Before I got to the first turn she brushed past me again just like yesterday and trotted to catch Sadie. I'd call this the 2nd day in a row where she has shown some extra energy.

This is Stella hanging back before she turned to catch up with me at the first turn while I was taking pictures of Sadie chasing sparrows.

The thing was, Sadie ran north to chase the sparrows she saw but most of them were flying around at the back of the field, which is due east.

I let Stella go at her own pace but each time I called her, she would move in our direction. If I didn't call her I have no doubt she would just stay out in this part of the field like the other afternoon. I waited 15 minutes after Sadie and I returned home before I started to look for her. Sadie found her in the area we last saw her ... in back of the field.

I keep wondering when/if they are going to cut the field. It looks like we will have a full day of rain on Friday. Can they cut it, let it dry and bale it by Friday morning? I'm anxious for it to be cut. I will find less ticks on me after every walk than when the grass is short.

As I walked along the back edge of the field, Sadie was off to the races again chasing more sparrows. It's good that she can get some additional exercise during out walks. It also makes me wonder what she would do if I had a bird feeder or bird bath near the house.

She is certainly determined to catch them.

Evidently the farmer planted what I am guessing is soybeans in the back field without me noticing. The field was never plowed that I could tell. I never heard a tractor in that field ... but for it to be weeds, it sure looks to uniform in height. Can anyone tell by the leafs what is planted here? This is a 200mm zoom picture of whatever is growing.

It's good to see that Stella is getting more light running in ... every little bit helps.

Since the field was still wet and much more in the shaded areas of the field we take a path to the north corner of my yard so we can stay in the sunshine and it's a little drier on the hiking boots.

Stella is most liking finding out that black cat that I have only seen one time may have been in the yard near the property line pole.

What I thought would be a day of cutting driveway weeds and buying dog food, it turned out to be the short drive to town for a new bag of dog food being the highlight of the day. For every hour I could not sleep last night I made up for it this afternoon. With temps around a muggy 90° it feels like I didn't miss much outside.

What's strange it feels muggy but shows only 43% humidity. After not doing much all afternoon Sadie was more than ready for that late afternoon walk, she could not wait another minute, deer or no deer.

I let Stella do her own thing but soon after we started the walk she was trotting to catch up to us. It's been so long ago I can't remember the last time she trotted or ran in more than one of the walks we take every day.

By the time we made the first turn she was feeling the heat just as much as I was.

I was taking this picture to show just how hard it is to see the hounds now on the walk.  It was not until I was looking at each photo on the computer did I see the blue bird flying up ahead. With everything green except the hay, the blue stood out enough for even me to see.

By this point in time I knew that Stella was on her own schedule. I figured Sadie would catch up with me eventually and I'd find Stella on the way back. I turned and took off walking to get this one over with. That is how muggy and hot it felt.

Clouds were not in the forecast for today, neither was rain but it felt like rain was near. When we got back I checked the radar and saw four small areas about 50 miles west of us showing the reddish color for severe storms ... then clear skies for as far as you could see.

I glanced all over this area looking through my lens that was zoomed at 200mm and did not see Stella anywhere. I knew she had to be there somewhere but it's just hard to see the hounds on this walk as long as the grass is tall. I wondered later what would happen if they did NOT bale the field this year ... is that even possible? I cannot ever remember a year where they did not cut the field at least once.

As I walked toward home and the land starting going a little downhill I could see Stella off in the distance. She had not moved at all from the area I saw her last.

She did come my way when I called her but only at her speed. She wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere this afternoon. Sadie decided she had enough of the heat and walked right behind me most of the way home. Too close for pictures.

Stella decided she would take her time. Both hounds were back in a deep sleep within minutes after getting back inside the cool air conditioned house. Heidi????  Not even a chance of getting out of bed if that temp is not down to 85° or lower.

I didn't sleep every minute of the afternoon. I read a few pages of my book that is a pretty slow read. Then made a huge mistake but tuning into tv news for the first time in many months but at least that confirmed all the reasons I have for hating politics. I was back to a sports channel within a couple of minutes. I mixed all that exciting activity with some internet surfing and playing the 2048 game.

Sorry there is not much to report here today. I never thought buying another two week supply that's a 40# bag of dog food would be the highlight of the day. It was for the hounds also. They always sprint to the car to see what I have bought before I can bring it into the house. That scent of dog food coming for a new bag always gets them excited ... they think a 3rd meal of the day is a possibility.

It was another beautiful day here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Stella's A Lot More Active Today

I'm not sure what it is but with today being a little halfway over, all of us are on very low energy with siestas even before 1pm. Maybe it was all the activity yesterday on Sadie's birthday that caught up with us. It's going to be very hard to create any kind of suspense and drama in this post.

The first walk of the day started a little after 8am. Once again for the 3rd day in a row Stella stood on "Winston's Patio" and contemplated if she was going or not. I was pretty sure by the way she looked that she would stay behind this morning.

By following her new morning routine, she walked along the side of the house before turning up under the shade, where normally she has been finding her spot to pee ... but this morning she had to do more thinking about her plans for today.

By the time Sadie and I were almost on the first turn, I was pretty sure that Stella would stay behind and we would catch her on the way back over by the neighbor's woods.

It was quite a shock as I turned to do a final check on her before I made the first turn around the corner of the woods ... that I saw Stella not only coming toward us through the tall white flowers ... but she was trotting to catch up!!

The times between her trots seem like months and may only be weeks ... anyway it was good to see just how much energy she had this morning.

She ran as close as she could by my knee and kept on trotting to catch up with Sadie. I could already feel how hot the sun was today ... yet by 1:30pm the AC had not automatically turned on and the house was still cool from last night.

With a surprising rain last night around 1am, plus the normal heavy morning dew, the field was really wet ... I could see a lot of new worn paths from deer moving in the pre-dawn hours. The hounds reacted as if all the scents were brand new.

Stella tried a couple of times to sneak away and head north. Each time I yelled "over here" she would trot in our direction. I guess she is feeling better and is just trying to test me to see if I am paying attention.

Sadie is showing us just how wet the field was this morning. She doesn't care about that either ... she loves to walk and track scent.

For the 3rd time during the half mile walk, Stella trotted at a pretty good pace to catch us. Hopefully this is a sign that she is on her way back to being like her old self and more energized.

Another attempt getting caught veering toward the neighbor's woods, yet she came my direction when called.

Old wire fencing from the 1940s still hangs on three different fence posts but is now embedded in the trees. I mowed the whole yard yesterday an inch higher than the last time. Not all of it needed cut but at least it's all the same height and a lot greener.

Heidi was outside long enough after her lunch that I was able to take a couple of photos of her. She is almost getting fat now and that is quite a switch from the last two years.

I guess Stella is like most of us after a holiday meal ... too much food and it's siesta time. She loves sleeping in the sunshine even if she gets too hot soon afterward and wants to go back inside.

Heidi even found it nice enough outside to soak up some sun. Not scorching hot, low humidity, a little wind, no bugs or mosquitoes ... a perfect day.

Of course Sadie had things to do and places to go ... she never finds time to lay in the sun ... that is wasting her time.

Last might when I thought Spring had arrived early, I raked out the roots of wild bushes that had grown on the left side of the fence post and trees ... down that bank. I planted some grass seed, only to have it go back below freezing by the end of the week.

I planted more seed, only to see enough rain that I could see it running down the bank. I had doubts that any of that grass seed would grow. So I planted the last of the bag I had left and let nature take it's course. So far so good, except for the ridge there in the middle, where I either missed spreading seed or it was washed away.

A few years ago all of that was overgrown brush, ragweed, and small saplings ... now it's the best part of the yard.

With all the hounds deep in sleep and it's not even 2pm, I have doubts that much more will happen today. I am going to grab my book and head outside for some reading along with a tall glass of fresh ice tea. We will get another hound walk in later this afternoon.

Sometimes it's just too fast paced here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.