A Walk on the Wild Side ...

After a couple of good melting days, we got another sprinkling of fresh snow last night. It was so pretty, with every branch and twig highlighted with beautiful white ... I just had to get out in it.

 

My nandina berries were frosted, just so...

 

and the deciduous holly berries were a sight to behold!

There were no vehicle tracks marring the county road, so I thought no one had traveled it ...

 

until I began noticing signs of others who had come before me.This one I recognized ...

 

and this one ...

 

and this one ...

but I wonder who this belonged to? Hmmm, anyone?

There were tracks all along the way, sometimes with several kinds together in some spots. The gravel road must have been a popular gathering place early this morning.

As I climbed the steep hill, off to my right a group of calves that we've recently weaned were checking out the fresh snow, too.

I went to the highest point, where I took a photo earlier in the fall, looking down toward our house in the valley.

Even the weeds were dressed for the weather, including the foxtails...

and the Queen Anne's lace buds...

and especially the cedars.

As I came back down the long, steep hill, I could see that someone (you can guess who!) was checking on those calves (now on my left), making sure none of them are sick. This is not the best weather for livestock. Those dark blue-gray hills in the far distance are part of the Caney Mountain Refuge.

Those are persimmons left on that tree -- wonder why they hung on so long? And why did some hungry critter not eat them?

As I got down toward the bottom of the hill, I climbed through the fence and went down to the lake, thinking I'd see some ducks. The lake is often covered with several kinds of waterfowl. But the entire surface was frozen...no ducks today. Wonder where they are staying during this icy stretch of time?

The going down was lots easier than the going up. This fall has been such a pretty season, in all its wardrobe changes. I wonder what Winter, now only a week away, has in store for us????