On January 20 there was a total lunar eclipse.  It went down in history as a super blood wolf moon according to those in the know.  I just know it was a sight to behold.

The forecast a few days prior to the event was for a cloudy evening.  That changed and the night was clear.  Some wispy cloud came over but it was gone by the time the eclipse began at about 8:33pm mountain time.

I was supposed to be in bed early because I had the early shift at work but who can sleep when there is a spectacular celestial event happening outside the bedroom window. 

I managed to get some photos at 10-15 minute intervals until the moon was totally covered and red/orange in color.  What a beautiful sight.  I didn't stay up to watch the second half but was ecstatic to be able to witness the first.

 

The dishes had to wait. I glanced out my Dad's kitchen window, through the evergreen branches, and caught a glimpse of two moose in the field behind his place. I grabbed my camera, took a quick look, and determined that it was two bull moose that I was looking at.

It took about 5 minutes to get outside to find a good vantage point for a few pictures. Okay, more than a few; 67 to be exact.

This was the second time in two months that I saw two bull moose together. The first was on Weed Creek where it flows under Highway 39. There was an oversized load in front of me so traffic was slow. I glanced to the north and saw two huge bulls sparring on top of the ice. They pushed back and forth, sliding from one bank to the other. There was no opportunity to stop so the only image I have is in my head. 

This was a prime opportunity to watch so I found a spot where they couldn't see me. It wasn't long before the tussle began. I was a good distance away from the two but I could hear the clash of their antlers. After about ten minutes they went their separate ways and the show was over. That meant back to the dishes for me.

This opportunity was quite the treat! There have been more and more wildlife sightings of late in that area. I've seen a fox run through his yard, huge flocks of waxwings in the same field where the moose were and deer grazing across the road.

You just never know when nature will surprise you!

Wow! 8 days into 2019 and I went snowshoeing on 5 of them. I took the longer snowshoes out and broke trail on the pond so I could extend the hike a bit. It's now 3.8km instead of 3.45km. It also gives me a different perspective. In the summer I'm looking through the trees toward the pond and now I'm on the pond looking toward the trees.

I love going early in the morning or after a new snowfall so I can see all the animal action from overnight. Last night was an unlucky night for a few mice and a lucky night for their predators. I saw one spot where a bird swooped down and grabbed a mouse; leaving wing imprints in the snow from the dive. There were two spots where coyotes caught mice that were tunneling through the snow. 
 
The moose were out and left a pile of 'gifts' right on the path that I created on the pond. They had an entire pond to do their business and chose to do it right where I walk. That made me laugh.

How did you do with your outdoor time in the past 8 days? Did you get out just for the fun of it? Did you go out for just 10-15 minutes of fresh air?  Tell someone what you did. It might inspire them enough to go with you on the next outing.  If you didn't get out for fun, try to set aside 10-15 minutes to get started with some 'you' time outside this coming week.

Baby steps. That's all it takes. If you are not spending as much time outside as you would like but are hoping to increase the outdoor time in 2019, start with a small goal. It could be a couple times a week that you go for a walk around the block. 

The following week try to add an additional day for a jaunt around the block or add another block. If you use a step counter, set a goal of so many steps per outing and try to increase that number. It doesn't have to be by much. Just take a few more steps each time you go out.

Set a different goal for yourself on each outing. Go for a color walk and take note of how many different colors you see in nature. Yes, even in winter there is more than white. There are red rose hips and green moss. There are yellow and orange lichens on trees. 

Go for a texture walk and discover how many different textures there are in nature in your neighborhood. Look for the different textures of bark on trees, the different patterns in snow after the wind has blown it around. Look for animal tracks and make note of how many different types you see or how many different birds are around you.

Give camping or kayaking a try.

It doesn't take much to get out more. You just have to decide on a goal and just do it.