Alligators, Babies and Clouds

Cindy and I went to Orlando for James Michael's baptism. We were able to spend time with Dene' and Tyler, Jeff and Barb, and Ashley and John Paul...that was a blessing indeed! Orlando was hot and humid...rained almost everyday but that didn't stop us from enjoying our visit (almost entirely indoors). We didn't see Mickey Mouse but we did pick up 12 new birds for our big year. Florida has a lot of water birds, must have to do with 95 degrees and 95 % humidity.  On one of our birding trips we did see a couple dozen alligators (and heard several of them). Here is the picture blog of our trip.

 

 

James is sleeping again!

 

 

 



Cousins.

 

Although we did have some beer John Paul was only teething.

 

 

Wide awake.

Getting dressed for baptism.

 

 
 

Baptism.

 

 

You can't see it here but James was quite vocal.


 

James having some Grandma Barb cuddle time.


 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two great moms.

 

Rained almost everyday. Welcome to Florida.

 

 

Pied-billed Grebe

 

Great Blue Heron



Little Blue Heron



Anhinga





Anhinga

Common Gallinule

Great Egret and Black-bellied Whistling Duck

 

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

 

 

Wet lands park.

Great Blue Heron

One of many gators.

Big and vocal.

Limpkin

Check out the sad face.

 

Grandma Cindy.

So it begins.



The little guy with the two best parents.

 

 

The Slippery Slope of Ice Cream

According to the rules of the "Big Year" page 12 part 1-b...and I quote "The said birder may have a scoop of ice cream the day of any sighting and identification of a new bird that has not been seen and reported to Cindy the official Big Year keeper of the records. Type and size of scoop is at the discretion of said birder."

Cindy and I have been following this rule...mostly. But it is getting harder and harder. January 1st...Cardinal!  Woohoo ice cream! Robin-black bird-house sparrow-YES-ice cream. We are up to approximately 140 different species as a family. The ice cream is getting a little harder to get.

Now I know that half of you have read only half of the rules and less than half of you follow the rules half as much as you should. Since the "Big Year" is all inclusive and suppose to be enjoyable (try 1 scoop moose tracks with 1 scoop Eddy's coffee ice cream) there will now be a sliding scale on the ice cream rule.

1: If you identify  a new bird you may certainly have ice cream that day.

2: If you see a new bird but can't identify it (even after calling Mom and Sherry) you may have ice cream.

3: If this is a new bird to anyone in the party you are with...all members may have ice cream. (I especially like this rule since I'm taking James out birding in 2 weeks.)

4: If you live in a state where the birding season lasts only 3 months and 1 of those months includes 50,000 motorcycles...you may have ice cream if you "thought" about birding.

5: And if you remember seeing a bird either on purpose or by accident...please...by all means...have some ice cream.

American Goldfinch



Downy Woodpecker

Woohoo...you may now have some ice cream.

Time Keeps On Ticking....

     If you said "Steve Miller Band" give yourself 1 point. If you saw a new bird today you may have some ice cream. More on that later. It has been a long time since I've blogged and if I may say so...Hello Dan...R U? (a little peer pressure to my brother). My last blog was in March and we went to Denver for John Paul's baptism. Since then we went to S.D. to the church camp we attend and spent the week with Ashley Alex and family.  Painted the addition in our house, hung new lights in the kitchen, cut down 1/4 of the big tree in our yard and have tried to go birding every weekend. Ashley and Alex and family came up to Lincoln for a week. Cindy and I had a great trip down to N.M to see Jim and do some birding (we had ice cream). And James Michael Rosser arrived to much answered prayer. So Orlando here we come in 2 weeks! We are so excited for that!

That is the high-lights for the summer that is quickly slipping by...so here are a few pictures.

At the Air and Space Museum. SR71 plane way cool which we had in Okinawa
Japan when I was there.



Fun in the sun.

Jumpers are a good thing.

Three beautiful boys.

Happy Grandparents.

Welcome James!

Another blessing from our Lord.

Birding in Thoreau N.M.

Flycatcher. Rule for the "Big Year" is if you see a new bird you get ice cream for that day.

Beautiful country.

I talked Cindy into climbing onto these rails to take this picture. A train came by
about 2 min after we stepped off.

Michael at the children's museum after hearing about our adventure on the railroad tracks.

I can see NE from here.

Mt Taylor.

This picture doesn't do it justice but our rental car struggled to climb this 11000 foot hill.

An ancient volcano.

Jim. A Bull Rider.. My inspiration.

Jims studio and sculptures.

Jim told us a story about each and every sculpture.

The Cranes. Thank you Lord.

Rocky Mountains.