Merry Christmas From Your Friendly Neighborhood Trailblazer!

Hello Y'all....

Not much new to post.  After the craziness of the end of the semester, finals, etc....we almost immediately left and drove over five hours to visit the in-laws for a few days.  After that, we went to visit my side of the family (but they live close by, so it was just for the day). 

Thus, there's been little time to think about blogging.

However, one good thing happened....we finally got some snow.

This made my daughter (and me) happy.  It was nice to have some of the white stuff around for Christmas. 

My daughter and I took some time to play outside quite a bit recently.

Then, on Christmas Eve, I built a little fire.....lit up the grill....and enjoyed the cool whether with a few dark, malty libations while cooking some grass-fed Porterhouse steaks for the wife and kid.

Very enjoyable.

No real wildlife-related pics or videos from this year....and even looked back through my files from last year and really could find only this little clip of a very nice buck taken on Christmas of 2011. 

Not one of Ol' St. Nick's....but with a rack like that, it looks "Reindeer-ish" at first glance.  :)

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to everyone!!

See you on the other end of the trail!

Merry Christmas!

Some photos from Christmas last year, while visiting in-laws in Minnesota.

They live in a rural setting, so (of course) I couldn't help but bring a camera with!

The snow had been deep along their back lot-line, which butts-up against some light agriculture and wooded buffers.  Shin-deep snow, almost knee-deep...you can sort of see this in the picture of me and the faithful pooch below.

Also....not only was the snow pretty deep (which, as you know, isn't conducive to wildlife traffic), I could only find a lightly-used game trail that appeared to be a little old.  I scoped around for a better spot, but didn't find much.  So I put the camera up there and hoped for the best.

The dog and I checked the camera every day.  Unfortunately, for about 4 days straight, we got skunked (aside from a squirrel or two).

Finally, however, early Christmas morning, a pair of white-tailed deer trudged their way past.

That day, the kid and I went outside to play.  She was only 2 at the time, and with the deep snow, she couldn't even take two steps without doing a face-plant.  So...we adopted a different strategy.  We played in the driveway and the road.  I realize allowing your child to play in the road sounds like a 'terrible father' moment...but it was a little traversed road in a rural suburb.  Plus, I was right next to her and we stayed along the shoulder.

Anyways...while we're playing, I happen to look down at the snow that had gotten packed down along the roadside and saw tracks.  White-tailed deer and a Canid.  Could have been a domestic dog, but also very reminiscent of Coyote.  Then another set of tracks...then another.  I followed them for a while and realized what an idiot I had been.  Critters don't like pushing through deep snow any better than the rest of us, which I knew.  But I also thought they'd be alittle more reluctant to choose a road as their corridor...especially with all of the wooded buffers around to hide in.

That night I moved the camera and strapped it to their mailbox.  And, of course, my hypothesis on me being an idiot was supported.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all that!

I wish you and yours the best in the coming year!

See you at the other end of the trail.