Vail Valley Daily Photo:  Gooood Morning! Exceptional mornings like this are the Rule rather than the Exception in Summer Vail.  Crisp and crystal clear is the statistical norm around here.  We were suprised this Memorial Day weekend to be greated by the expected sunshine filtered by a heavy overcast of smoke from several fires in south western Colorado and Northern Arizona. Fire season has come early to the western US due to our abnormally dry winter.  It may be an interesting summer season! PHOTO:  Nilsson Images   05/27/2012

Eagle Colorado Cruiser Crawl Saturday, May 5, 2012 We are in full-swing with the spring season here in the Vail Valley.  Is your bike all tuned up and ready to ride?  This Saturday presents the perfect opportunity to pull out your cruiser bike for a great event in Eagle, the 2012 Cruiser Crawl! A simple $5.00 donation will enter you for a chance to win a cruiser bike!  Donations will help to fund a new sign for downtown Eagle.  There will be tons of contests and prizes for things like “best bike” and “best hat” so have some fun, dress up, and enjoy the evening in Eagle, CO.   05/02/2012

      Vail, CO Daily Photo - Do You See the Cat? I took this photo just because I have a wierd attraction to windows in barns.  When I took this out of the camera for processing I noticed something I didn't see when I snaped the shot.  Do you see the cat? The ski season is drawing to an early close this year.  While we were kept alive throughout most of the season by "just in time" snow storms and a valiant performance by the snow making crews, we are starting to admit defeat and closing some south facing slopes and the lifts that service them due to major muddage.  There is still some very nice skiing on Vail and Beaver Creek Mountains and the mountains will stay open through April 15 but......   The Eagle Ranch Golf course opens tomorrow!! Photo: NilssonImages.com   03/22/2012

The year-end real estate sales statistics are in for Eagle County, Colorado.  The following report from Land Title Guarantee shows the sales data in comparison to the last four years: Land Title’s 2011 Year End Market Analysis  HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT: -  1,357 total number of real estate transactions in 2011, 9% above 2010 and 45% above 2009.  The most transactions ever recorded in Eagle County was in 2005 with 4,023. -  43 Transactions (4%) over $4 million accounting for 28% of the total residential dollar volume. -  Total dollar volume for 2011, $1,158,048,856, down 23% from 2010, which was $1,497,172,233. While the dollar volume was down from 2010, there was a sales increase of 29% over 2009.  Eagle County’s -  The overall average sales price in 2011 was $857,858.  The average sa... 02/03/2012

Vail, Colorado Daily Photo - Christmas Day Hay Barn - Just about 10 miles up Brush Creek, a little past Adam's Rib Ranch, but not quite all the way to Sylvan Lake, sits this rustic hay barn.  I have the opportunity to dirve by this old barn once or twice a year.  Every time I do I wonder about the human drama it has witnessed for about 100 years or so.  It never seems to change - nor does it ever stay the same.  For instance, the log farm house up on the hill behind the barn....it's not there any more.  Must have burned down over the summer. Photo: www.NilssonImages.com   12/30/2011

Vail, Coloraod Daily Photo - A View of Things in the Vail Valley -  While the snow cover is thinner in the Vail Valley than we are used to this time of year, reports from skiers coming off the mountain on this Christmas Eve are very favorable! Variety of open slopes is somewhat limited but what is open is in wonderful condition, thanks to Vail Resort's top flight Mountain Maintenance team.  Unfortunately, with no new snow in the forecast, these pro's are going to have their skills tested before the high Christmas Season crowds go home. And crowds there are!  Early sales tax receipts reports show that there are lots and lots of folks in town and they are spending a lot of money this year - maybe the thinner conditions on the mountain are manifesting themselves positively in the shops an... 12/24/2011

  Vail, Colorado Daily Photo - Silent Night  Castle Peak is an imposing feature that lords over the entire lower Eagle Valley and is prominent enough to be home to every television/radio/telephone tower between the top of Vail Pass and Glenwood Canyon.  It looks like a medieval castle during the daytime and even more so on a clear moonlit night.  I wish I knew the name of the conical peak to the left in this photo.  It's obviously the cone of an ancient volcano that must have been quite a site in it's day.  The entire lower Eagle Valley shows evidence of much volcanic activity. Photo: Nilsson Images     12/19/2011

Do you have plans this Saturday? If not, plan to head to Eagle, CO for Christmas on Broadway! It’s Dickens Christmas at it’s finest with horse-drawn carriage rides, carolers dressed in their finest, tree-lighting, parade and more! Bundle up and get ready to put yourself in the Holiday Spirit! 12/01/2011

Vail Valley Daily Photo:  Back Roads - Many thousands of visitors come to the Vail Valley in both winter and summer. I'd venture to guess that 99% of these visitors only get to know the environs of Vail Village or Beaver Creek. There is a lot more to experience here if you just kick back and drink in the back roads.       11/21/2011

Vail Valley Daily Photo: A Study in the Realtionship Between Time, Man, and Nature I guess this photo of a settler's cabin just outside Eagle could also be intitled "When you plant a house in a Cottonwood grove, you have Cottonwoods".  Every time I drive by this item of local history I am reminded of the summer I planted a few Blue Spruce trees a little too close to my house.....had to move them at no little effort about 10 years later.   Although in this case the builder of this cabin likely didn't plant these Cottonwoods too close to his house - they just came up where nature intended - I like to think of Wilber's wife saying to him around 1875:  "Now don't you think you should plant those new trees a little farther out from the house....?"  Same thing my wife told me and she was rig... 11/20/2011

 It’s that time of year again, the World Famous Chicken Noodle Soup & Bazaar in Eagle, CO at the Brush Creek Pavilion.  This is a great opportunity to stock up on holiday presents and fill your belly with warm, home made Chicken Noodle Soup and fresh baked desserts.  If you’ve never attended this event, make this year your first!  With 27 vendors you’re sure to find some great gifts.  And the soup is wonderful!  Home made noodles too!    11/10/2011

Vail Valley Daily Photo: Remembering Last Summer.  Sometimes you are just walking along minding your own business and you run across a scene that is poignant with visions of what must have gone on there.  This was one of those scenes - tucked down in a quiet corner of a cottonwood grove along Brush Creek. And there the scene sits, waiting for the return of summer - the snow capped peaks in the distance reminding us of good times in the winter to come. 10/30/2011

When I first challenged myself to provide one photograph a day of the Vail Valley to the Blogosphere, I thought I had a difficult task ahead of me.  As it turns out, this is going to be easy!  Last night, while walking my dogs in Eagle Ranch, the sky suddenly exploded in color yielding this nice shot taken with my IPhone.  Daily shot opportunities abound.   10/29/2011

Have you picked your pumpkins yet?  If not, this Saturday, October 15, is the perfect time to head on out to the Eagle Ranch Pumpkin Patch 2011! Between 10am-2pm this Saturday at the Eagle Ranch Pavilion, there will be an Art Show, Haunted House, Face Painting, Arts & Crafts, Pumpkin Carving Contest and more! Bring the whole family to join in the fun.  As a fundraiser for the Sunshine Mountain Preschool, there will be a Bumpy Castle!  Pumpkins ranging in price from $5-$8, you’ll be sure to find a few to take home with you.   10/13/2011

The real estate market in Eagle County remains strong, Foreclosures are actually down in the area. With over 75 single family homes currently listed (many are new const and not yet completed) there are sure to be some values out there. Now it's more important than ever to use the services of an agent who specializes in the neighborhood and has superior market knowledge. By knowing the market, you can make sure you don't pay too much. By using an agent with experience, you can maximize your chances fo getting the home you want at the price you want with the terms you want. You'll want some one with a proven track record of results. Avoid the pitfalls. Ask any perspective agent you are thinking about using these questions: Are you experienced? Craig and Missy Capan have over 15 years of r... 05/15/2008