Taylor --
I haven't had much time to pop in and comment lately, but I am still reading and staying up to date.
The flooding ordeal you all went through in CO was harrowing -- even just to read about! I can't even imagine how exhausting and stressful that was for everyone involved. What a nightmare. I definitely agree that while it was not how you and Tracy had hoped to spend your time during your trip, it was a blessing that you were both there to help her parents out.
The animal sanctuary looks amazing. I know I would love it. I'm so glad those animals have a lovely home.
You're now (in the story) at one of my favorite spots during Halloween Time -- the Halloween Carnival/Round-Up/Jamboree/Ranch! I
love that place. I absolutely adore the freshly carved pumpkins and how they change throughout the season. I even love the faux pumpkins -- especially the pumpkin people, like the Pirate that Tracy is posing with, and the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans pumpkins!
There is a good hidden Mickey at the Ranch/Round-Up too -- but I think it is there year-round and not just for Halloween and Christmas. I won't divulge where it is, though I will say that when I posted a photo of it in my DLR at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread last year, one of the thread participants said that it looked more like a "hidden Oswald" than a hidden Mickey!

Have you seen it?
You posted photos of some of the things inside the Scare-Dy Crow Shack (like the pumpkins playing cards and the framed posters). The artwork and most of the knick knacks inside the Shack seem to have a decidedly vintage style. They all appear to be old school Halloween things, or made to look that way.
Seeing that the Scare-Dy Crow Shack has those wonderful retro-ish Halloween decorations, I don't know why the DLR Enhancement Team can't somehow come up with similar pieces for Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land. The Halloween decor has been almost totally eradicated from DCA since Candy Corn Acres was laid to rest a few years ago, and I think that a touch of old-fashioned Halloween decor would be fantastic in those spots! Do you agree?
One other thing -- do you remember that I mentioned quite a while back that I noticed some random, conspicuously autumnal trees in certain spots around DLR? They looked so perfectly Fall-like that I almost wondered if the leaves were fake.

Well, the Halloween Carnival is one such place with at least one of those trees, but I began to notice more of them in December. One of them was near the Little Mermaid ride in DCA, of all places (which made little sense). They stick out because they just scream "AUTUMN!" in the middle of a bunch of green trees. It's like
green-green-green-green-green-AUTUMN!!!!-green-green-green-green=green.

It's not like there is a whole row of those trees, but just lone ones in seas of green.
Did you guys spot any of the conspicuously autumnal trees during Halloween Time or the holidays?