Signs of the season

The weather caught us all on the hop this week. On Saturday we were sunning ourselves in the garden by Monday the garden was under 20cm of snow. Three days later it was sunbathing again. 

Even by our standards this was an earlier burst of winter than usual. Flowers, bushes and trees collapsed under the weight of the heavy, wet snow unless shaken free. Before long the snow ploughs were out and it was possible to get about even with summer tyres.

A common sight at this time of year is tractors with trailers leading a long column of crawling traffic. This is the modern version of the Alm Abtrieb, the bringing of cattle from the high alpine summer pastures back to the valleys before they go into the stalls for the winter. Once this was done on foot, the cattle dressed in crowns of wild flowers and carrying enormous bells but now that is more commonly done for the tourists and today most cattle ride down with a trail of frustrated drivers behind them. Here in Embach the sound of cowbells can be heard day and night.

Beside the roads, ladders lean at crazy angles against trees while the precious rowan berries are harvested. The poisonous  red berries make the best Vogelbeer Schnapps and there will be much distilling going on in the farms following this year’s bumper crop.

Up here, we often catch the early morning sun while beneath us, in the valleys, they awake under a thick blanket of cloud. Early morning views of the mists below and the sun beaming between the mountains are especially lovely.

Above:The view towards the Tennengebirge from Embach Urbar

Below: Early morning here on Embach's "Sonnseite"