Wind, elk, animal tracks, and real estate

Given my little tale to come, I should have entitled this post something like, "the crimson blood dripped on pure white snow", but that would be dramatizing. And in this crazy over hyped media nutty circus world, not gonna do it.

Coyote tracks and those spots are tree bark, not blood

First, no return of the mountain lion, at least no tracks around. It's weeks now, so maybe he's moved on to greener pastures, so to speak. We've had a couple of inches here and there of snow so by the time I got out to snowshoe my tracks were mostly covered as you can see . Now those are coyote tracks (I've become an pseudo expert) in my tracks on the bottom part of my wide circle through the woods. Followed the tracks a long way enjoying the camaraderie and suddenly there were drops, vivid red drops every few feet but not in the pawprints. Kept with me all the way to our back gate. So what the heck, - carrying a kill that suddenly started to bleed, or a body/leg injury? Don't know, and I guess it will remain a mystery.

And we went cross country skiing again, and it was miserable in 40 mile an hour winds. However if you were this gentleman, you were golden. This is kite skiing, my friends, and a perfect activity in the blustery wind. Apparently some people even skip the lifts and kite ski up the mountain.. Whoa, a little much for me.

Elk sighting again. We see lots of evidence of animals but the actual animal is a little sparse.

Mark reports the mountain has been very very quiet, fun skiing for locals. And nope, I haven't made it up yet. Soon perhaps. Or it may have to wait until we have company, which is March. See how cleverly the anxious downhill skier puts this off...

a minute section of all the wood we still have 

Local breaking news.- long, long time resort Harmel's is up for sale. 13.5 million if you're interested. It goes way back in our family's history, not that any of us ever stayed there. It was down the road from "our" place Spring Creek Resort. I had to like it by the way since Mark's family had already been going there for years. I do not believe we would have stayed married if I hadn't happily embraced that which was. And life will change even though try as we will to hold it at bay.