The Wonder and Beauty...

As a way to celebrate the beauty and wonder of the new year we went snowshoeing. We went to Lair o' the Bear. It is a special park for us because Larr helped plan the hiking trails and began carving them out back when he worked for Open Space during the summers. Ellie was at a sleep over so it was just three of us. As you can see here, it was amazing. It was one of those wonderful Colorado days where the sun shines, warming you up, and the snow glistens. It was fascinating watching the bubbles in the nearly frozen water move under the clear or nearly clear sections of ice. The sound was peaceful. I also fell in love with some of the trees. One tree that grows near the river produces tiny pine cone like features. I took many of these home, sharing them with the children we encountered while snowshoeing. Doing things together like this helps me forget about other stresses. What made it all the more fun was that we were using snowshoes that were made in the factory Larr's company used to own. Even though it was just the three of us, it felt like there were more of the family with us. I can't wait to go again.