Winter Walk-off, In Under the Wire

So it wasn't one of my brightest undertakings, although in the early hours of dawn, 

it seemed like a fine idea. 

There are two ways to get to the man-made run-off pond just behind the house. There is the roundabout way through the small village of Huttonville and the more direct route across an open field.

I decided for my Winter-Walk-off to take the short cut and cross the field, the problem being that this open grassy area has been officially classed as a "natural wetland".

Can you see what's coming?

The youngest among my traveling companions was up for any adventure.

But the most finicky amongst us, who is every bit as prissy as he looks, wasn't buying into my Winter Walk-off idea at all. 

He started to dawdle behind the pack and then sat down and refused to budge another inch. 

His twinkle toes were getting damp!

Distracted by all the flora and fauna, I did not notice at first, that Rusty had remained behind. Then I looked up and caught site of him pouting way back in the middle of the open field. 

In the end, the only thing that motivated him to come to my call was his fear of being alone in a strange place. (He is also a bit of a coward.)

I was surprised to see that there was still a thin sheet of ice on the pond.

As you can see, everything is still pretty brown here despite the unusually mild weather.

In fact, I was hard pressed to find any green at all.

Still, there is magic to be found, even in winter.

P.S. With a light towel drying and a quick brushing, Rusty recovered quite nicely from trauma Winter Walk-off . 

Every year, Les of A Tidewater Gardener hosts a meme called Winter Walk-off. To participate you must leave the house and on your own two feet share what can be seen within walking (or biking) distance of your home. 
I greatly admire Les's blog and so of course, I wanted to join in. To see some other Winter Walk-offs and some really creative photography be sure to visit Les's blog and click the links.