The black forest is no longer black. It is a pure, crisp, cold white. Our snowfall is sticking and it has turned my backyard into a winter wonderland.  There are summer people, and there are winter people. I am a winter people.

Thursday morning we woke up to a completely new world. Everything was dressed in a thick, beautiful white coat. Even the sky was white, not blue, not grey, white. As I drove Dane to school, the sun brightened the sky to a more brilliant white. No rays broke through, just light. I grabbed my camera from the front seat and snapped a picture before he ran into his classroom. The light was just beautiful, and instead of going right back home I drove a little deeper into the forest for more pictures.

Our little town has two roads in. The first is a fairly big 2-lane road. The second is a tiny, barely paved lane that winds through the trees. So tiny you can’t see the sky above you, the tree tops stretch across, touch each other and become intertwined. It’s like driving through a tree tunnel. I hate driving this road, oncoming traffic always seems to be coming head-on. I love driving this road because at the very end are my best friends. Our neighbors Scottish (or Highland) cows.

I parked just off the tiny lane, and walked through the snow to the far field. Even four fields away, the cows all turned, one by one to watch my approach. The bull gave out one low bellow (or is that hello?) when I got close. Despite the triple wire electric fencing, this close to the cows I was a little wary of their big horns. I stopped a good distance away and took my camera out.

Usually when I put  my camera to my eye, kids and animals alike look away.  Move away. Hide behind chairs, trees and barns. Not today. Today they almost posed for me. Looking at me. I took a few shots, excited to have such cooperative subjects, and then my heart started beating faster. I felt like a snack. I started thinking that maybe they were my new best friends, but maybe I wasn’t theirs.

I slowly retraced my steps back to my van, stopping only once for another shot of the cows in the distance. Maybe next time I won’t be such a scaredy cat and I can take more photo’s of these adorable cows.

Dane and his hand-made hat… crocheted by Dane

Walking towards my new best friends

I think he likes me!

…or maybe not?

He definitely likes me!

… I don’t know? Do they like me?

They are staring at me.

The next village over, I can see it through the trees!

Our local “burg”

I would sit on the bench, and just enjoy the peace, but it is really cold.

This sign just makes me happy.

The local hotel

The path home… the snow is not making it through the trees quite yet.