Walking in the snow

We drove over to Hinterzarten on Saturday afternoon and walked from there to Titisee - about 6km, over the hill between the two towns. It's a walk we take a couple of times a year, takes just over an hour. Slightly longer when everything is covered in 60cm+ of snow. But it's just beautiful. The weather wasn't actually that great. It was bright and sunny here when we left, but was overcast by the time we got to Hinterzarten. Temperature was about -5°C, but it didn't feel that cold really - and walking warms you up :-)


Icicles on a house in Hinterzarten.


I liked the shape of this tree with the snow on top.


Otto in the snow. I love it when the snow is crisp and white like this.


Looking back along the path through the woods.


This fence is at the highest point along the path - again, I just like the shape of it in the snow.


Titisee in the snow. The year before last the lake froze so hard you could walk from one end to the other straight across the middle. There are all kinds of warning signs up saying you're not allowed on the ice, but everybody just ignored them and went out skating and walking. It's not been cold enough for long enough this year for it to freeze that hard.


View from the car window driving home. I should have made Otto stop the car so I could take some better pictures of the view across the snow covered valleys.

Henceforth and evermore to be known as Loopy Applebuns

A friend sent me this in an e-mail today...

THIS IS PRETTY FUNNY--TRY IT!!!

This only takes a minute. Please don't be a bore and
ruin it. Send it on to everyone you know, including
the person that sent it to you. Sometimes when you
have a stressful day or week, you need some silliness
to break up the day. And, if we are honest, we have a
lot more stressful days than not. Here is your dose
of humor... Follow the instructions to find your new name.

Once you have your new name, put it in the Subject box
and forward it to friends and family and co-workers.
Don't forget to forward it back to the person who sent
it to you, so they know you participated. And don't go
all 'adult' .. my niece's senior manager is now known
far and wide as Dorky Gizzardsniffer.

The following in an excerpt from a children's book,
"Captain Underpants And the Perilous Plot of Professor
Poopypants" by Dave Pilkey. The evil Professor
forces everyone to assume new names......

Use the third letter of your first name to determine
your new first name:

a = poopsie b = lumpy c = buttercup
d = gadget e = crusty f = greasy
g = fluffy h = cheeseball i = chim-chim
j = stinky k = flunky l = bootie
m = pinky n = zippy o = goober
p = doofus q = slimy r = loopy
s = snotty t = tootie u = dorkey
v = squeezit w = oprah x = skipper
y = dinky z = zsa-zsa

Use the second letter of your last name to determine
the first half of your new last name:
a = apple b = toilet c = giggle
d = burger e = girdle f = barf
g = lizard h = waffle i = cootie

j = monkey k = potty l = liver
m = banana n = rhino o = bubble
p = hamster q = toad r = gizzard
s = pizza t = gerbil u = chicken
v = pickle w = chuckle x = tofu
y = gorilla z = stinker

Use the fourth letter of your last name to determine
the second half of your new last name:
a = head b = mouth c = face
d = nose e = tush f = breath
g = pants h = shorts i = lips
j = honker k = butt l = brain
m = tushie n = biscuits o = hiney
p = chunks q = toes r = buns
s = fanny t = sniffer u = sprinkles
v = kisser w = squirt x = humperdinck
y = brains z = juice

Thus, for example, George W. Bush's new name is Goober
Chickenshorts. William Jefferson Clinton is Bootie
Liverbiscuits.

Now when you send this on...use your new name as the
subject. And rememberthat children laugh an average of
146 times a day; adults laugh an average of 4 times a
day.