Elk Attract Crazy Tourists!

The craze of wildlife brought out the Yellowstone toursit in many people.

Christmas Time

Now that the feeding frenzy of Thanksgiving is over, we can settle into the calm, joyous, and tranquil time of year- the time of year where everyone becomes friendly and warm to one another and we all get together to visit with our friends and family around a warm fire and drink a cup o' Nog. Or not. Typically this time of year brings out the absolute worst in people. People rushing around, being not-to-friendly toward others, and buying, buying, buying. After all, as good Americans, we need to give the economy a good boost, right? Ready or not, Christmas time is here.

Isn't it a weird time of year? Maybe people get all grumpy and irritable during this time because they are out, spending their money on someone other than themselves...So much for the joyful giving spirit.


All grumpiness aside, I love Christmas: the cold weather, neat decorations all over the place, and most importantly, what it stands for. Since Julie and I are away from all of the great Christmas festivities that we have come to expect for the past 29 and 30 years we decided to make up for it here. The day after thanksgiving our neighbors, Julie and myself all headed to a tree farm in Evergreen CO. This place was really cool. Not only was this tree lot set up on the owners land which surround his house, it was all decked out in Christmas decor and could entertain a whole family.

Won't the tree skirt look great mom?

Luckylure Christmas Fun!

Since we won't be heading home, I had a surge of holiday nostalgia and craved the Christmas experiences of my youth. Sadly, there's nothing close to the Apple Hill experience, but we did find LuckyLure in Evergreen, CO. The owner of Luckylure cameos as the lepricon at Bronco games to hype the crowd. For Christmas, he turns his home into a tree farm with tons of places to take silly (yes, Matt, cheesy) pictures. The creek that runs in front of his property is gorgeous and boasts a large wooden fishing rod with a lure on the end- hence- luckylure. We had a blast with our friends Brian and Nelisha, who as you can see are fun loving.

Lilly Peak Trek

Planning to hike up Estes Cone, our plans quickly changed as a sign clearly stated "no dogs allowed". My heart sank a bit as I was anticipating this venture all week long. Fortunately, there was a helpful ranger who suggested hiking up Lilly Peak. He and his late dog frequented this peak often. Best of all, he explained WHY dogs are not allowed in national forests. Oddly, it wasn't to protect the squirrels and other critters, rather the predators. Apparently, predators sense of smell is extremely strong and will track the dander left behind by dogs. This makes them feel that the area has too much competition and the predators leave for the land 'o plenty. (Dad, you would have loved talking with this ranger who was like a walking environmental computer.) On the ridge leading to Lilly Peaks we found a fierce predator! Fortunately, Steve's dream to wrestle a bear materialized.


Buddy poses with his furry friend.

Below are several views from the top of Lilly Peak.

The climb to the top was too technical for Buddy, so Steve and I took turns going to the summit. Steve was able to capture many incredible shots of the scenery.

Sweet California Days

While visiting in CA the last week of October, I was able to snap some shots of the nieces at their harvest festival. Though this is not a Colorado moment, I've decided to share some precious moments.

(Mom, as usual, did an amazing job creating the girls costumes!)

Here's Snow White cleaning the remains of cotton candy off her precious face. (above)

Here Liv is a beautiful prairie girl.

Love how this prairie girl can climb!
Monica gets ready for her big moment only hours away!