Beach Hounds

The weather was sunny and beautiful on Saturday so the hounds and I thought we would take advantage of it by going to the Erie Peninsula.

If you have read many of my posts, you know that we like it best if the hounds can go off leash. Honey Dew and Sampson are very obedient and come back to me when called.

Of course one of the mandates is that dogs be leashed on the Peninsula even in the off-season...but no one said that I actually had to hold the leash, just be in control of the dogs, and as the beach was deserted I thought I would risk if for a a little while.

Sampson and HoneyDew posing for the camera before I let them run and explore.

So many sounds, sights and best of all new smells to explore! Which way to go first?

Evidently this scent was interesting...I was really hoping the hounds would not pick up a dead fish anywhere! Or worse, roll in one!

A moment before I snapped this photo, Sampson was facing me with strings of drool hanging from his mouth and sand particles clinging to it, evidently he didn't want you to see that cause he whipped right around and started shaking it off only to wrap it up around his nose! Too funny!

I love how the waves come in and make little pools. The sun and breeze was invigorating. I think we walked for about two hours along the beaches and part of the walking/bike path.

Just hanging out and enjoying the view.

There was room enough for me on the bench too, and I did share it for awhile with Sampson half on my lap.

Smile for the camera!

Honey Dew was more interested in bird watching then my attempts with the camera.

This is one of my favorite pictures! I brought the smooth rocks and fresh water clam shell home with me so that I could remember a great day shared with my two best pals. I am sure that you recognize the paw prints but can you guess what the long swish marks are?

"Basset Happy Ears and Happy Feet"

Early Spring Riverwalk-DOT Post

 Finally the snow has melted and we are able to get out of the house for some nice walkies! It is so good to smell the ground again. It is still chilly but we are anxious to sniff out any p-mail we can find!

 Just look at my younger brother... he is so excited to be out and about he has drool wrapped up around his nose. Can't take him anywhere... but as long as he keeps his distance, no one will know we are related. You know just in case I run into any good looking golden retreivers...

Arrroooweee the river sure is high! Momma dog does not let us go near there. She yells "leave it" and "come" , you don't have to tell me twice. That is scary out there.

Arrrooooweee what have we here! If we were in a contest right now, someone sure would have won the award for 'fetch it'. A little extreme though don't you think?

Birds are out!

All kinds of 'em. This one is a bit shy!

It didn't want to play with us, no matter how many times we barked and howled at it, it kept going the other way!

Momma says the buds are pretty... if she says so...

I would rather look for rabbits, or deer, or bear.

Sampson's such a show off... telling me to hurry up and calling me slow poke!

But as you can see I am right behind him... he just has longer legs then me.

Whew what a great walk, that tired me out!

Time to take our basset bums back to the car for some snackies and a nice nap!

Happy DOT's Everyone!

HoneyDew "Don't Disturb" Basset

Birds of Prey...and other "guests".

So one day a couple of weeks ago, my flock of chickens had a guest. I am not sure whether he was invited or not, but none of the chickens had their feathers ruffled and knowing my hens, well let's just say their gift of hospitality sometimes exceeds their sense!

Can you identify what hawk this is? I was thinking a Cooper hawk or immature Red Tail. As you can see the chickens aren't all that worried as there isn't anyway for the hawk to get in.

Spotted this owl along the road on my way home...sure is a beauty.

Kerry and I saw this Eagle near Lake Wilhelm.

I think they are impressive one and all.

Wonderful Sunday...

Kerry and I woke up early on Sunday morning and took the dogs to the bike trail for an early morning snuffle before the dew was even off the ground.

We came across another old gent out for his morning stroll...

we got his attention rather quickly and although we introduced ourselves,

he was rather "snappish" and preferred to continue on his way without our company!

I also met this little lady sunning herself. She was camoflaged obviously well as both dogs and Kerry walked right past without ever seeing her!

After our stroll we returned home to have tea and toast on the front porch.

Where we were treated to a special song by this catbird who is nesting in a nearby forcythia bush.

I have been spotting a pair of Bluebirds in our yard for the last few weeks, but could not tell where they were nesting. I saw them again, and determined right after breakfast I would see if I could find their nesting location and get a couple of pictures of them. As I was bracing my camera against an old tree (that had been left in the side yard to nail bird houses to no less) to steady the zoom to photograph the male blue bird in a nearby oak tree, imagine my great suprise when the female flew out of one of the holes next to my ear!

So I did find the nesting site by accident! In the below picture you can see the female grooming herself in the Oak tree as the male lifted off just as I clicked the picture. He looks like a blurry blue batman but the color of his feathers sure come through!

Here the female is coming back to the nest while I am trying to stay perfectly still behind our garage.

I don't think I have hidden very well as she is keeping her eye on me!

I decided to leave her in peace and go do some knitting on the front porch. and I figured that was enough bird watching for the day anyway. Time to get my tea cozy finished like the one that I had made for my mother.

Who knew that dogs would be so interested in knitting? Do you know what it is like to knit with multiple sets of eyes watching you all the while? In fact, I kind of have the feeling that there are more then just the two sets of eyes that I can see on the porch!

HoneyDew must feel it to, because she looks away from me to see who else is here...

There it is! A Robin in the lilac beside the porch!

What? Don't see her?

I told her I was sure I could learn a thing or two about knitting from her since she could knit her whole summer home, that is Extreme Knitting at it's best!

Here is my finished knitted product. I adapted the neck on this one after seeing it fit on my mom's Brown Betty, that the pattern was a little too high about the neck.

I love relaxing Sundays! Tea anyone?

At the feeder...

Two days ago the feeder was full and then yesterday it was half full.
You might imagine that I had quite a few feathered visitors, but this was not the case. And while I could not get a photo of him in the act (he was too fast for me everytime he heard the front door open), this is who has been cleaning me out...


We call him Mr. Chipmunk and he has a hole in our front yard that he pokes his head out of and runs back to when he gets his little cheeks full.

We did have a couple of our feathered friends stop by for what little Mr. Chipmunk left...

We do have a cat...

"Am I going to hunt Mr. Chipmunk? Ah no, I was just seeing what you were upto, um, it's cold out here! Can we go back in now?"