Some of you may remember our snowmobiling fun last year. It was our first time, it was at sunset, and it was also when I gave myself a black eye. You don't remember? You can refresh your memory by clicking here. This time we were seasoned. And we weren't going to the top of the peaks to catch the sunset. I was pretty confident I could get out of this unscathed. And thankfully, I was correct. The only thing I might have changed about the whole thing was the girl that was handing out our snowsuits erred on the side of too big for each and every one of us. Like 3 sizes too big. I could have fit both kids in my suit! And that left me a bit chilly at times as too much wind could get in through the gaps in the neck. But all in all - a fantastic afternoon spent with family. I can't wait to do it again when the girls are old enough to drive their own sleds (only 3 years for MadHatter as you only need to be 15!).
In all of my years coming to Breckenridge (nearly 25!), I have never seen a Moose. I have seen videos taken by people that have seen the Moose around town or in their yards. I have seen the hoof prints telling me that the Moose had been there. And I know all of the ways to protect myself should a Moose suddenly show up while I am out snowshoeing. But never had I gotten even a glimpse of a Moose. And then all of a sudden I saw them everywhere!
Christmas Eve. Grampa suddenly states, "Moose" quite loudly, and we all scramble to catch a glimpse as two huge bulls walking from the side of the house to the backyard. We follow as they pass, and one even stops to look in the window, not inches from our faces, before heading to the back for some breakfast.
Seeing as there is glass between me and my phone camera, I dare to open the back office door with strict instructions to keep it open, so I can duck back inside if the Moose so much as takes a step in my direction. He is now about 10 feet from me, and he is HUGE. Like 6 feet to the shoulders huge. And those antlers must spread 6-7 feet (though one of the bulls is missing one). I am mesmerized...
First glimpse and he is in the side/backyard...
He keeps moving past the window in the office...
Until they are both out back by the swing...
This guy then moves to the hot tub area. Which is when I open the door to get a better view and take a video. I am literally feet away.
We posted the video and pictures, and my SIL, scheduled to arrive in about 48 hours, was so sad she missed it. She said all she wanted for her birthday was to see one (her birthday is the 26th).
And then, lo and behold, they appeared like magic on the afternoon of her birthday. Different guy this time - bigger with and even bigger rack. This time we didn't get as close, and neither did he. Still very impressive...
And a couple of days later, this little lady made herself comfortable on our woodpile, and then just wandering around the yard. The fox is a bit more skittish and fast, so getting a photo was tough unless she was lying around...
And I thought we were done. But no! One morning on the gondola coming home from a morning of skiing, I casually mentioned that since we were going over the forest preserve, we should look out for Moose. And almost instantly, MadHatter screams "Moose" and points behind us. The picture isn't so clear, because I had to get it out of a zipped pocket and we were moving away from the Cow (female this time) a rapid speed, but at least we all got to see it...
After 25 years of not seeing any real wildlife, save a squirrel or a bunny or two, this was undoubtedly a treat. But now I am hooked and want to see them each and every visit. Wonder if we can arrange that...
Christmas afternoon and MadHatter and I were getting a bit claustrophobic. We decided the way to cure that was get outside and do some snowshoeing around the neighborhood. Luckily for us, the neighborhood is part of the Nordic Center's trails so we have free and easy access. Since it was a leisurely stroll, I let MadHatter lead the way and stop whenever she wanted (which was a lot). Mostly she stopped because she saw a cute tree, or wanted to figure out where we were or needed to eat some snow. Once she stopped to pose just like the man in the pictures on the trees telling us that we were on the right path (the wrong path is the cross country ski trail). Mostly we just had fun being silly and getting out in the fresh air.
Getting a selfie with us is a feat...
MadHatter declared this the cutest tree in the forest.
A few days later, the temperatures and visibility dropped below zero Fahrenheit so we decided that skiing was just not an option. MadHatter just didn't want to be out in the cold so I took a solo snowshoe, this time through the back yard and down around the city. I could move a bit faster than I can when I have people with me, but it doesn't mean I didn't stop to enjoy the beauty that surrounded me. And snap a few pictures...
The backyard swing.
Visibility is so poor you can hardly make out the ski slopes.
Three trees, growing up together.
About all that was visible of me that day in the cold.
The cookies and carrots (2 for each reindeer) and eggnog and stockings were all lined up just so on the fireplace...
The tree was lit and the presents wrapped...
And in the morning there were two very impatient (I mean worse than toddlers impatient) little girls ready to tear into their gifts. So we made them wait :)
And when they finally got to open them, the paper was flying in all directions.
I suppose you could say it was a very Merry Christmas all around.
Digging to the bottom of their Santa sacks to see if they had missed anything.
(c) 2017-2025 - All content and images used on this site are owned or licensed by van Maanen Photography or its affiliates for use on this site. Content may not be copied, reproduced, transmitted, distributed, downloaded or transferred in any form or by any means without prior written consent, and without express attribution to van Maanen Photography.
