In winter, the weather is certainly cold, but not bone-chilling. The Pfalz has very low elevation, so there is no snow here. I am from Minnesota, so I am used to much colder temperatures and lots of snow! The main difference here is humidity. The town where I live lies right on the Rhein river, so the air is almost always quite wet.
I don't see many animals in my area. The farms around here most often grow grapes and other fruit in the summer. Many of the farms with animals are a little further north. A handful of houses keep chickens, and although I usually can't see them behind people's backyard fences, I most certainly can hear them! The animal friends I most reliably see in the wild are birds. I was surprised to find that I rarely see squirrels here. I have lived in Germany for about four months and I have only seen one squirrel!
