Well, you know that with the beautiful weather I had to do it . . .  take  Chipley for a “cowdog” drive in the mountains. We ended up in the Wolffork Valley where we saw the guy in the picture above. I got out of the car and walked up to the fence and started taking his photo. Chipley was near me going nuts. The cow never moved a muscle . . . . He moved an ear, but basically, he just stood perfect still and let me take his photo.

And Chip was so excited about being this close to a cow and seeing it hold perfectly still that he talked about it all the way home. (You know I’m kidding, right?) I came away from the valley thinking about how beautiful these animals can be. They also are vulnerable in a sense because they are out in the open fields where anyone can stop, and like me, take their photos. Isn’t he beautiful? You could ask Chip but I can tell you that he thinks they are terrific!

I have to consider this often: if I were to move back to the city, I would not have views like this one at my finger tips or rather, at the end of my camera lens.

Cocoa is ready to go on a walk and not wanting to sit with me on this very slanted rock. We were at Black Mountain this past weekend and hiked a trail that is always fun in the winter because it is fairly kept up and safe. She’s talking to me in this photo and definitely saying, “Let me down and let’s GO!”

Here’s a photo of Black Mountain Lake. It’s located below the state park that is closed during the winter and is a beautiful location for walks and picnics.

The sign says, “Hike your own hike.” I hope this is what I will be able to do at some point this weekend even with a little rain in the picture.

Normally Sliding Rock, Brevard, North Carolina, would be full of activity, but this is not the way it is in the winter. Swimmers or “sliders” climb to the top of this slick rock located deep within the Pisgah National Forest and fly along its surface for a splash landing in the spring fed pool below.

Cocoa remembered earlier visits to the park and wanted to give it a try, but I told her, “No swimming this time of the year.”