What works one month each year, stands about 36 inches tall and has names like Frosty, Garland, Twinkle and Leroy the Redneck?
Just turn to Debbie Coyle for an answer. She and her husband, Bill, keep 17 reindeer on their ranch, 13 miles east of Kiowa. This time of year, they take the show on the road, starring in a variety of holiday happenings around the state.
“Mine are Santa’s backup reindeer,” says Coyle.
You’ll find them at Echter’s Garden Center, West 52nd Avenue and Garrison Steet, Arvada, 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 26.
Children love to pet the docile creatures, says Coyle, but some adults don’t believe the animals are real reindeer.
The Coyles have a tiny menagerie on their property, from guide dogs to peacocks to the caribou. Many of the animals have been rescued, but Bill traded for the reindeer about 15 years ago. The couple’s main income is their tree and sod farm.
The family’s reindeer will be at several other locations, including:
Littleton, Friday; Tagawa Garden Center, Centennial, Friday-Saturday; Highlands Ranch, Dec. 1; Windsor and Strasberg, Dec. 2; Brighton and Parker, Dec. 9. For more specific locations and times, call Debbie Coyle at 303-621-9662.
