Thought some of you out there might enjoy seeing a few photos from one of Benita's favorite hobbies...birding. As most people know this time of year many birds migrate to warmer weather. What you may not know is that every year right here in our area is one of the best locations in the U.S. to observe the migration of tens of thousands of hawks, eagles, falcons, and other birds of prey. Birds migrating from Canada refuse to cross over Lake Erie as they travel from the North. So when they reach the north shore they funnel along the shore until they reach the Detroit river. Lake Erie Metropark is found here at the mouth of the river where the birds decide to venture across the water looking for the next warm air thermal over land to give them lift.

These thermals do not form over the water and thus the raptors refuse to cross over the broad expanse of lake water and thus find this narrow place to cross.

It is amazing to watch the whole process. Benita was so excited on Friday because she had her camera(just a normal Sony digital...not a camera with a foot long photo lense like some birders own) The turkey vultures were coming over low enough to actually get a few shots. The groups ranged from 30 or 40 to other groups that were 160 to 200. The pictures aren't the best but they show some groups 'streaming' and others 'kettleing'. They will swirl into a kettle and ride up the warm thermals like escalator. Then they peel off a few at a time and glide or stream to the next thermal they find to give them another lift. In this way, the migrants can glide for miles without burning up energy.

On Friday there were over 4,000 turkey vultures counted in just that one day! The season average is 24,000. You think that sounds like a lot???the broad-winged hawk season average is 227,500! They are smaller than turkey vultures so it is doubtful that our camera will ever be able to get a picture of them.

Hope your not totally bored....but birding is really very exciting. To think God created so many various birds with such amazing abilities...and if He takes care of each of them, how much more does He care for you and me.....the ones He created in His own image.

What a mighty, loving God we serve.

Family History

Yesterday I led the funeral for my Aunt Helen. She was my Dad's oldest sister and she died at the age of 81. Although funerals are not fun times they do provide opportunities to see relatives either you have not seen in many years or meet for the first time. I experienced both of these situations this week.
One relative I saw for the first time in many years was my Great Aunt's daughter, Shirley Henry, from Chattanooga Tennessee. Her Mother , Elsie, was the sister to my Grandmother (Alice Henley Garner). I never met my Grandmother or Grandfather on my Dad's side of the family because they both died when my Dad was just a young boy. My dad and his two brothers and two sisters were raised by their Aunt Neomi and Aunt Elsie.
I asked Shirley many questions about my Dad's side of the family and discovered some information I never knew. For instance my Grandmother was the youngest of eleven children. I also learned the names (or initials )of most of my Great Aunts and Uncles. A.Z. was the oldest boy then came Elsie and Neomi(I always thought her name was Naomi). Then there was Arthur, Howard, and Bessy. Shirley could not remember the rest but told me she would look them up and send them to me. Also two nicknames came up but she was not sure if the nicknames went with the ones listed or the others. The nicknames were Pinky and Toot!
I also learned what I had thought was true, that being my grandmother died from complications of childbirth. I also learned that she lost a set of twins before later giving birth to her last child.
Shirley told me my Grandfather died just a couple of years later of TB at the Pine Bluff Sanitarium. He like many of my other relatives during that time worked for the Railroad.
I now have a picture of my Grandparents that I do not ever remember seeing before and I posted it on this blog.
Family is a wonderful gift that God has given us. I am thankful for the family God has allowed me to have, even the ones I never got to meet here in this world.

On the Road Again

On Friday Benita and I will be traveling. Benita will be going to western Michigan for a family reunion then on to Chicago for a stay with her sisters. I will be driving down to Dayton, Ohio, for the Players Championship Scrabble tournament. The tournament is 5 days long and I will get to play 31 games with players with a similar rating. If you are interested there will be live updates during the tournament at http://www.pc07.org/ .
While I am there I will also get to attend a Dayton Dragon minor league baseball game and a Cinn. Reds Baseball game. I need a little break from my hometown Tigers!

great weekend

Well it has been a great weekend so far. Wonderful day yesterday at the Ross-Warman family reunion first of all. Great weather , good food, and blessed time together with family. The Green family , Sandra and Rick were great hosts and we cannot thank them enough for hosting it at their beautiful home. Also congratulations to Justin on his recent graduation from high school.
Also had a blessed time with our church family today and more fellowship at Kenny Akers graduation party.
I hope to post the pictures we took at the reunion here. My favorite picture is he one where we all made a FUNNY face. That was not hard for several of us!ha
Lord Bless

Thanks for your kind words

Well, talked to Jared tonight after they returned from Cancun Mexico. Sounded like they had a wonderful time but also sounded tired after the long flight and layover in Fort Lauderdale. Thought I would post the only picture we received from the trip. I now have all the video that Bob Stepp took of the wedding and I am trying to figure out a way to embed some of it onto this blog. I will have to ask some of my computer geek friends at church tomorrow if it can be done. If it can be done they will know.Bob also took 599 pictures (with the help of his wife and daughter-in-law) that we have viewed several times. He also put together a slide show that I would like to put on the blog. Thanks for all the kind words from the ones of you that have told us you have viewed the website. Also thanks for your interest in our family's lives . Lord Bless

Should be getting all the pictures Bob Stepp took later this week but til then thought I would put a few more of ours on.

Florida 2007

Well we just returned from our 10 day trip to Clearwater Florida. We had a great time and Jared and Melisa's wedding was wonderful. Hundreds of pictures were taken, but I thought I would post a few of the ones that we took. Lord Bless, Mike