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Florida IV – Disney’s Animal Kingdom

At the Animal Kingdom, the first thing we did was go on an African Safari – by which Disney meant that we would be driven on a bus through a rather well designed zoo with some very well fed and healthy looking animals.

The park also has a tremendous gorilla area that we enjoyed.

Gorilla at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando

I guess its true that everybody loves a parade, because if it were just me, Disney would have parades every day at every park. Well, they do and, get this, each park does it differently!

Florida III – Disney’s Epcot Center

We enjoyed Epcot Center most of the Disney parks we visited. We really enjoyed the feeling of being able to step from one country to another. There are little corners tucked into each country that just quietly say “This is us.” It was cool riding around inside the big bucky ball that has been the signature of this park since its beginning in 1982. (OK, its not really a bucky ball because Spaceship Earth is made out of triangles, and bucky balls are made from pentagons and hexagons, but still!) These photos show some of the other great things.

Florida II – Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Jay and Kay and the Happiest Place on Earth

In Orlando, we understood that we had to visit Disney theme parks. So we did! Day Two was The Magic Kingdom. This is before we got drawn into the magic when we were still thinking of managing people and expectations,. This is getting started, what we saw in little corners and finally, how empty the entrance was in the afternoon.

Then there were a few attractions: I liked the Paddle Wheeler and the view as we were cruising the circular lagoon. May-be I just liked sitting down.

There were a couple rides that I enjoyed like “Small, Small World” and “Pirates of the Caribbean”

And then, the parade …

Florida

We went to Ft. Lauderdale. We drove up north and found ourselves in Orlando.

What could we do in Orlando? Well, in Orlando they are glad to offer a few suggestions. We ended up, like lots of other people, trapped – yes, trapped – in universal fantasies that movies are made of.

You might call this “Day One” or “Orlando by Universal.” Looking at the web site, Universal seems to have reorganized since we were there.

We first went to the Harry Potter area.

Then we stood in line for the slowest roller coaster in the world. Don’t think it wasn’t fun, we went through a restaurant on the roller coaster and decided to go back there for lunch. Note the Dr, Suess characters.

Dee and Kay took the log ride, Ripsaw Falls, and Steve took pictures. By then the day had gotten hot and long and the line looked too forbidding. Steve was afraid his camera would get soaked. And anyway, he didn’t want to go. From the pictures, it’s clear that the riders get wet and they don’t mind. It also looks like good fun.

A Blessing

Our friends at Mercy Trails Ranch (nearest town is Raymer, Colorado) were moving to Oregon and needed folks to watch their horses and cows while they were out west looking for their new home. Steve was able to spend a couple nights and had the chance to soak up the solitude of an east Colorado high plains ranch. By the end of that time Steve was glad to have the dogs to talk to. In fact, he was starting to believe that the dogs were talking back!

It was good to think about how the place had played a big part in the lives of friends and family.

Hiking the Back of the Great Sand Dunes

It’s less than 15 miles from Crestone, CO to the Great Sand Dunes National Park – on the map. It takes a little over an hour to drive there because its more miles by car. It seemed reasonable to see how close we could get to the north side of the dunes by car and then walk around that area a little bit. It’s rugged. It’s not hospitable. And, even after driving to get close, its a long walk, we did not walk to the Sand Dunes.

Baca Grande

We spent some time just before the Fourth of July at a great spot just south of Crestone, CO, historically known as the Luis Maria Baca Grant #4. Good times with great people in a great place.

Steve

Cayla and JT

Deer

Sunset across the valley

Dell and Kay

BJ, CD and Dee

I don’t know how Drew managed to avoid being in these shots.

Birthday Party

Its almost a tradition.

Someone in the family will notice that its been almost a year since there was a party to honor someone else in the family. Then there will be a big flurry of activity to put a party together. Then, depending on the the honoree, there might be gifts.

Its not so much of a tradition, but it is almost expected, that there will be pictures. As the honorees get older that often becomes more difficult. With this honoree – not so much.

Ice, Ice Baby!

I was early for an appointment so I went around the corner for a cup of coffee. I felt that it was way too cold to wait outside. What I saw at the coffee shop justified my decision to get inside. Water pipes in an apartment above the coffee shop had frozen and burst. I’m certain it was miserable for the residents, but it made an amazing sight.