DavietheDog: Tis the season of dirt,pollen, tent catepillars and mosquitoes!

And people wonder why I love winter?? Okay I really don't mind dirt, in fact I love playing in it. Since we went from winter to summer in three days we were behind in yard cleanup and garden prep. Slowly we are catching up. It has actually been perfect weather for yard work, not to hot with the odd shower so you have an excuse to come inside for a break. And up until today there were very few mosquitoes. They seem to be here now. And of course I decide to clean out and set up the back fountain with them buzzing in my ears!

The pollen was horrendous this year because everything turned green at once. I am so glad I have no allergies because it is a miserable year for those who do. For those of you who do not live in a forested area imagine this. It is 23 degrees and a wind comes up and this yellow cloud come rolling through. Anything outside is covered in a layer of yellow. And it feels like fine grit when you walk on it on the deck. The rains came and washed everything down which was nice. However the the rainiest day was of course the Saturday of the first out door agility trial of the season. But Mother nature was nice she smiled on us Sunday.

So the pollen goes and the tent caterpillars arrive. They haven't reached us yet and I am hoping they stay away. There are very few poplars in out area so I am hoping they detour us. I've had enough of them walking through some areas of poplar in the bush. To be on the safe side I am putting tangle foot on the apple trees just in case. Imagine this you are mowing your backyard and there is a black mass moving from poplars they have just stripped through your lawn towards your house. A friend of mine mulched caterpillars as well as her grass this morning. Yuck!

And now the mosquitoes are here. But we have no ticks, no tornadoes, no poisonous snakes and not many other creepy crawly things. and the caterpillars cycle should be finished this year, we hope.

I have started tracking/trailing with Emmi. She is amazing, and definitely a nose to the ground girl. A much different style than Maggie. Maggie air scented and only put her nose down if the trail was faint. We have been setting track on gravel and longer grass. Nice mowed areas were too easy for her. The "Hound Master" has told me to move to more gravel and hard surface, she needs a challenge. I will start wearing the GoPro so I can analyze her better. It is hard to catch the slight changes in what they are doing while remembering everything else. Now to find some sheep for Davie!