Stella Decides It's Warm Enough To Walk

 I did not notice until I downloaded this picture of the field, all of the deer tracks in the corn field. Not a surprise but I am glad all of them were not out running around during the times the hounds and I were outside. Not only did I see a lot of deer tracks in this field across the highway there were many more in the field we walked through for the first time in a week.

We know the temps were going to get back to being bearable but even at 9:15am Stella decided it was still too cold. After we came inside I went back to looking at houses in a town I am keeping private for personal reasons. I can get more into that later on but it might be months from now.

With a demand for lunch much earlier than normal we were able to get back outside with hopes of doing the half mile walk without any shortcuts or interruptions, deer chases or Stella running off. It had warmed up considerably and with the bright sunshine the chances looked good.

Stella took the lead today but both hounds were everywhere chasing new scents their noses were picking up. I could see a lot of new tracks in the snow that were not from our previous walks. The field looked like it had been quit busy with deer, birds, and possible field cats.

Sadie decide something in the wooded area was too good to pass up. I had to change my tone of voice to get her to move and walk back out into the field.

Here are the first sign of deer tracks that going from the woods behind the neighbors house, across the field into the wooded gully where Sadie just stood.

Any ideas? It looks like deer tracks where they were walking so slow they were dragging their feet. Or is it something else?

Stella was feeling warm enough today to move in and out of the wooded area sometimes on her own and other times where I had to do some verbal herding.

Some more of those tracks where the deer were using snow shoes to get across the field. None of those tracks you see are from the hounds.

Near the back of the field we decided to take the "ATV path" ... more deer tracks that had crossed that path. It was a nice day to take a walk ... not too cold, very little wind and snow 5"- 6" deep.

Stella checked to see if Sadie and I were going to follow her lead or were we going off on our own?

I took this picture basically for reference when I take the same photo when it's 80°.

She wasn't cold but you can see she was walking slow enough that she was dragging her feet, barely getting them out of the snow.

Will the deer wonder what these 'new' tracks are when they come out later tonight?

I couldn't tell exactly what these prints were but I am assuming birds were finding some sort of food around the dormant hay.

This was another deer path across the field but closer to the house. Looking in opposite directions.

Here they split as they approached the yard. Those on the left facing the photo, walked by the edge of the yard along the brush and trees on the north side of the house then down across the highway into the corn field.

The single path on the right led to someplace interesting.....

That single deer had walked past the property pole, turning left toward the trees and was stopped by the fence. I saw no signs where it had walked down the bank around my house but I didn't see any signs of it turning around and going back out into the field.

Sadie wanted to make sure it was deer tracks I was seeing.

Maybe I am confused in my old age and those tracks are going back into the field instead of coming into the yard. It is the only way to explain where the deer went after they stopped at the old 75 year old fence.

Stella was warm enough today that she didn't want to come back inside. She eventually did but she was already training me to get back on bloodhound time in preparation for our future daily walks.

The undisturbed drifting snow was about to be walked on and walked through, shattering the smooth surface.

I'll wait for it to get a little warm today, then I will go out and shovel as much of this snow off the driveway to speed up the melting process before this weekend's rain washes it away.

We are all happy the temps are going to increase here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Sadie Excited Stella Isn't

I think you will be able to tell the difference between the photos that were taken in the mid-afternoon compared to those late morning. We had no plans of walking anytime anywhere before mid-afternoon. By that time the temperature had climbed to 15° and with bright sunshine it felt warmer. Stella did not agree.

It was still 6° and a wind chill below zero when Sadie and Stella went out a little after 10am to dump their tanks. Their trip was a little longer trip than yesterday but only by a minute ... but the time I took that picture of Sadie running they were back inside the house within 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

I never had to call either one because it was just that cold.

I needed to go to town for a new bag of dog food if I was going to have enough kibble for their lunch. Since I did not want to shovel my driveway outside the carport, I drove the FJ back and forth mashing down snow deeper than suspected. With that nice ice base at the bottom, I was stuck .. until I went into low 4wheel drive.

So with Sadie's constant begging to go out for a walk by staring me down, I spent my time looking  at houses for sale in Arizona and New Mexico on a different site that listed more houses than the two websites I was using in the past. I found that Trulia's listings to be much more accurate and was showing more houses with the same search parameters.

By 2:30pm I was just as excited as Sadie to get outside and attempt a walk. Our tracks from a couple of day ago were still there but almost buried by either new snow or the wind had blown snow to the point of drifting along our path.

I could tell that Stella may not be up for a walk but Sadie was 100% wired for a half miler.

She pulled stuff out of the snow, she chased birds, ran and chased more birds. She obviously did not agree with the wind chill factor readings.

We weren't 5 minutes into the walk when I saw this. That infamous raised rear paw of Stella's. I never try to force her to walk any further when I see this ... except returning home.

Let's just say her pace was faster walking toward the house than it was away from the house.

Sadie in the mean time was unaware we had called off the walk.

While Stella was barely able to make it through the yard. Once her paws hit that concrete floor, she trotted for the door, nudging at the door nob with her nose. She was very very happy to be back inside with a short howl and a tail wagging.

So I think it is safe to say the arctic conditions are over here in 'the tropics. All inside heat has been turned off and it's still warm inside. All the mini blinds have been opened to let that bright sunshine in and tomorrow we will start the day 20 some degrees warmer than the past 4-5 days.

I'll continue to look at property out west, analyze, think too much, go back and forth on my options and may even fit in a game or two of Mahjong before dinner.

Life is good here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

Brutal Cold Temperatures

Yes, there are other places where it is much more colder than here, their snow is deeper than here but as we stepped outside at 10am I could tell the temperature was brutal. WeatherBug was telling me it was -2° and a wind chill of -15° and we had no plans of staying outside long ... we were outside for 1 minute and 18 seconds.

Within that time Sadie never moved off of 'Winston's Patio' and Stella had peed but was standing still not moving. By the time she started walking toward the house not 20' away she lifted her rear paw and stopped walking because she was freezing. I had my down parka on with a hood, gloves and was warm ... my face was freezing in less than 2 minutes outside.

Notice the small bird tracks.

I had nor have any plans of taking a walk today. Scanning different weather sites it is not going to get higher than 6° but the wind chill will be below zero all day today. Yet, even in weather like this the hounds have to dump their tanks, even Heidi. So the trips outside will be few and far between but within their limits of 'holding it'. In no instance will we be staying outside longer than we did this morning.

Consequently there is not a lot going to happen around here today. But ... the sunshine is brighter than ever, the house is warm inside and that slow drip of water in the bathroom faucet helps keeping the water pipes from freezing. In the 43 years the house has been here, in winters worse than this year there is no history of the water pipes busting. I hope I have not jinxed myself typing that.

I glanced in the direction that Stella was looking and didn't see any kind of human life outside anywhere. I saw no birds, deer, cats or dogs. She must have heard something.

A few seconds later she started the slow walk to the house. You can see her lifting that rear paw.

Then she stopped walking and I was sure that I was going to have to carry her into the house. Sadie didn't care and was more interested in something below the snow. Once I said "lets go" she was more than happy to get back inside.

Late yesterday afternoon we had a visitor ... a cardinal ... the state bird and the nickname of the local high school athletics.

To stay warm I have been looking at real estate and rentals in Arizona and New Mexico. Plus I am counting the days until Saturday when the temps are in the 30's and mid 50's by Sunday. Today's routine will more of the same inside .. reading, 2048 game, more Mahjong, and internet surfing.

The sun is out and bright today here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana at 0°.