Hiding in the Woods on a Snowy Day

With the threat of yet more snow we headed out Saturday morning to check on HWNSNBP's mother.  I took my camera with me foolishly thinking I might get some pictures of the cows in the snow on our way there.  What was I thinking?  Why would the cows be out in the snow?  I had seen the deer in our yard navigating uncomfortably through the knee-high snow here and certainly cows would be ever so more encumbered by it.  Come to think of it, it would probably be downright painful for them with their udders dragging through the crusty snow.  Ouch.  

On our way back it had started snowing and though not heavy, it gave everything a hazy appearance so I thought for sure there would be no opportunity for any pictures of anything.  

Then as we neared our road I looked out into the wooded area alongside the brook and saw it.  "Go back, go back."  I said to HWNSNBP.   He questioned what I saw and I told him there was a big bird in the woods so he turned around and told me to make sure it was still there as we road past in the opposite direction to make the approach again.  It was still there.   Like an old man in a gray coat it stood there, it's back towards the tree and out of the prevailing wind.  

The brook was maybe 20 yards from this spot and our car was at least twice that distance to the road, but there he stood on one leg thinking that he was camouflaged against that tree.  As we pulled away and rounded the corner going uphill along the brook and looking down on that area, you could not find him.  Yet, against the white snow his silhouette was a shape out of place.  And I think of him standing there in solitude probably thinking, as we all are lately, "when will this snow stop?".