Hot and Muggy Early

Stella continues her new routine ... walking north, scouting the middle of the field and then gradually walk over to our path trotting around the first corner. I'm fine with that as long as I don't have to walk her direction to get her. I could feel the heat last night at 11pm with the bedroom windows open, trying to sleep. This morning as we started our walk after 9:30am, the humidity was already thick.

Sadie did her normal start, following the deer path. I started my normal walk by thinking what would I be doing today. I've decided I need to make a grocery run at Walmart.

I didn't sleep well last night, tossing and turning. My guess it took me almost 2 hours to get to sleep, sometime after midnight. I felt tired this morning before coffee. Breakfast was three soft eggs and coffee.

I'm not sure what is going on with my camera. I am not getting the 'sharp' focus like I should be. I hope my lens is working properly since I really don't want to buy a new lens. I might try the old Nikon 70-200mm this afternoon as a test. Although that lens is broke and will not focus higher than 70mm.

Slowly but surely Stella is making her way toward us. I did not adjust this photo ... notice how the house is crooked? The 2nd picture shows the trees are straight though so maybe I am getting some last second shakes at the time I press the shutter.

She followed the wide path made by the ATV ... at least she is headed in the right direction.

It's good to see her trotting every day.

Both hounds sprinting to deer scat. I was told by Dennis last night that it has molasses in it, it tastes sweet to the hounds. No wonder they are addicted to it ... it's like candy to them, just like I guessed a few months ago.

I continue to walk as always. Stella and Sadie have found their 'morning treat'.

I never saw the truck and trailer, I didn't hear a truck and trailer ... but sometime after 4pm last night they moved the rolls of hay. What was strange I didn't see any truck or trailer tire tracks through the field back to Jim's driveway. I wonder if they will be mowing the field soon? They did last year the last week of September.

At first I thought this was a creepy crawler but as I looked at the picture it was a dead bloom ... but then I see a smaller creepy crawler in the picture.

This roll of hay was busted they day they wrapped it. They would have lost that on the highway going back to their farm, which I think is a good 10-15 miles north of us. They moved it into the wooded area of the field. I wonder if anything will use that hay for winter food. Do deer eat hay?  I don't know.

I've made the final turn of the walk and the hounds are more than content ... they did not come when I called them. I had to walk over and pull Stella by the collar back to the path ... she was very very stubborn today.

It was slow but they finally headed home.

I updated the iPhone to OS11. I am not sure what all of the improvements are but I swear they did something to the camera and also the quality of the photos. I took this next photo with the iPhone yesterday.

Taken after I mowed the yard. This has been a good ball cap. I wonder how many other people wear a SacState ball cap east of the California state line?

The hurricane this week wiped out the electric grid in Puerto Rico. They estimate that no on will have  power for the next two to three months. The worst hurricane ever for them. Also on top of a terrible economy the past 11 years. That country is almost destroyed now.

With all the hurricanes it will be interesting to see how much my house insurance increases in May 2018.

Last night after talking to Dennis in Alamogordo NM, I looked at his house that he wants to sell for what he owes. But as I looked around the town again at house for sale ... I no longer want to live there ... too much sand, not enough grass.

Another great day here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Feeling Better Equals More Activity

Stella tried to yesterday but succeeded today ... she headed out on the walk her way. Instead of walking straight out into the field with Sadie and I, she walks along the house north, up the slight hill and heads for the property line pole. She looked at me once when I yelled her name but continued on her way. I had a feeling she would curl toward us and join Sadie and I. She did.


I've noticed for some time that some of my pictures of the house and others that have poles, towers or trees lean to the right. I have to crop and adjust them to get the picture straight. Is that like me not feeling my ball cap is on my head crooked?

It's early as I write this, 9:36am. I'll post it later tonight with more afternoon photos and activity. I feel so much better today with a full 8 hours of sleep without numerous times of getting up in the night. My tooth is also not sore right now ... I see myself getting the dishes done, the yard mowed and the leaves in the driveway blown to the hill.

Sadie always follows the worn path of the deer on the first part of the walk. She will do that all the way to the first corner.

The rain on Tuesday morning (~5am) made not only the yard looking better but the field of weeds and wild flowers. It's greener, taller, softer ground yet not tall enough to really mow and bale.

We are going to have 4 straight days with highs of 90° and by next Thursday those cool temps of 76° will return. I look forward to them and hope they stay the couple of months. I don't like winter but I'm tired of running the AC all the time.

For the 2nd day in a row I am giving myself a mental note ... fix only one cup of coffee because I seem to be drinking only a cup and a half lately.

She decided to walk on the large path made by the ATV and with some voice commands she joined Sadie and I on the walk.

While I was trying to get this flower into focus I didn't see Stella taking off, again in her own direction.

As I turned the corner I saw only Sadie ... where had Stella gone?

I barely notice her out in the middle of the field ... that's fine, a good spot for her because I have to walk less of a distance on the way back to pick her up.

As I turn to walk in front of the hay bales, neither hound moves ...

As I walked I felt so much better than I have in recent days. So it's been those sleepless nights that have made me feel non motivated during the days.

By 11:15am I had washed the dishes and mowed every inch of the yard and culvert. I decided wet grass and cooler temps was better than dry grass and 90°. The dish washing went smooth, and was fairly fast. I didn't really have that much, it looked worse. As far as the grass, it was still hot, major sweat but no periods of feeling light headed. My Garmin told me I spent 50 minutes, it was a good workout.

I lowered the mower a notch. I like to cut it lower in the fall so it gets more sun during the fall growing season and winters. I think it had been 2-3 weeks since I mowed it last so it was just right as far as length goes. A lot of leaves got semi-mulched. I'll not start raking them until they get overbearing in the yard.

By 11:30am, the temps were 84° but "feels like" 92. The hounds took their short lunch break and I put the mower back in the shed. I saw the neighbor sitting on his porch so I yelled "What happen to those LSU Tigers" since he is from Louisiana and Ole' Miss kicked their ass last Saturday in college football.

He replied ... "I don't know, I don't follow football" ... How can anyone that lives/works in West Louisiana and East Texas not follow football ????

With it being so hot I don't think the hounds and I will take a walk until after 7pm tonight. I am writing this as I am sitting here trying to cool off inside, the hounds are asleep. Dishes are put up, nothing else going on.

At 4pm it was 90° and 'feels like' 95° but in the past those high temps haven't felt that hot on a hound walk. With my last load of laundry in the dryer I decided to head out, take some photos and finished a day that turned out to be greater than I thought it would .... GOT A LOT DONE TODAY !!!

Stella started to repeat her path from this morning but turned and came when I called her name. It was so hot I didn't want to leave the hounds outside any longer than our normal 12-13 minute walk.

I guess after 7 months, this is her new normal. She is still thin but shows no signs of being sick, tired or in pain. I have increased the amount of kibble I feed her. Maybe I need to even increase it again.

By the time we got to the first turn ... it was HOT !!!! But we continued on. I kept thinking about all the stuff I got done today just because I felt better with my tooth (slight pain) and 8 hours of solid sleep. I guess I need to keep going to bed during the week before midnight.

Another picture I would have put on Facebook with Sadie sprinting by Sadie with her ears upright.

So today, did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. Had the yard mowed before 11:15am. I gave myself a hair cut with the #4 blade, took a shower and shaved ... then did two small loads of laundry.

It's been one of the best days I've had in a while.

As I walked past Stella I yelled "over here" and it was so hot I think that she paid attention to me. She slowly started walking to meet Sadie and I on the path home.

You can tell when it's really hot by Stella's tongue hanging outside of her mouth.

The 10-day forecast shows only 6 more days of extreme heat and then a sudden 15° drop into the 70's as our highs, a week from tomorrow.

These last 3 photos I changed the setting to "Dynamic AF". I can't remember what that means or what kind of pictures it is for.

I updated my iPhone and iPad Mini with the new OS 11 last night and today ... I don't know much about the new features but I like the differences in appearance of notes, email and some of the apps.

Reading the "Sweet Setup" yesterday, the guy being interviewed had his 27" Apple monitor sitting on top of 2 books. I did that with two books I was no longer interested in reading and it puts my iMac at the perfect height.

Pavement from the bridge going into town has been scrubbed bare for new asphalt. I am assuming they will lay new asphalt before the Apple Festival the first weekend of October and will finish the new intersection downtown at the same time. That will be a nice improvement.

With no college football nor NFL game tonight, I'll watch the Reds and maybe do some reading.

Things are back to being good here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Hound Photos Of Their Day

I thought I'd list nothing but photos on this post ... similar to what I did last winter on my Wordpress blog.

The rain finally came but not much. I guess the lawn may have got what it needed. The ground is not even soft or saturated with water after a day and night of off and on light rain. The weekend starts our hot weather (mid 80's) for the next week.

Stella did a lot of fast trotting today. I had to keep using "come on" to keep her with us. She had her best walk off a leash in quite a white. I didn't let either hound hang back.

About the time I finished the walk today I wondered why there is no erosion on the steep hills in Gary Hasler's yard. He has as many as I do only bigger and steeper ... no signs of erosion.

The field is starting it's 'fall colors' ... all is good here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.