Bringing the cows down

It’s not atypical (in Appenzell) to find your Saturday drive held up by a herd of cattle commuting down valley. So was the case on our recent weekend excursion to the world famous dairy lands of Switzerland. Fortunately, I had some camera gear on hand, and grabbed a couple shots of this colorful family partaking in the annual ritual.

Swiss cows generally feed in the higher elevation pastures during the summer months, then get moved down valley to the lower elevation grass come August/September. But not without some ceremony! Early next month I’ll be visiting this area again to photograph the regional festival which includes a contest among farmers for the title of “most beautiful cow.” And you thought the Miss America competition seemed silly… Stay tuned.