The Ice Dancers

I don't know how many more AOG (Alternative Olympic Games) pictures I can get...but...after the pooping debacle and the poor sportsmanship of yesterday...I thought I needed to post something FAR more artistic.

Herbert and Hattie Heron filled the bill. The couple are what Floridians label as "snowbirds." Six months in Florida...six months in Ontario, Canada. Near the big lake...Lake Superior. So...with no snow and ice in Canada in the summer, and never any snow and ice in Florida...training can be difficult.

Unbelievably, their coach is a fiery little snowy egret named Dot...after the great American skater Dorothy Hamill. She even sports the same cute pixie haircut.

I said she was fiery...but it never comes out...because this beautiful couple is so experienced...so controlled...so methodical...that they hardly need any coaching at all.

Last night, I had talked myself out of driving an hour south of here to the Venice Rookery. But...I woke up at 6:15, so I decided to go. Got there about 20 minutes after sunrise.

There weren't as many birds as in years past, but there was still a lot of action. The place always gives me mixed feelings. I love to watch the birds...BUT I NEED MORE LENS! Lisa...if you're reading this...I NEED MORE LENS!!! My 70-300 lens is nice...but...alas...I felt like a boy among men. Oh well.

Take a flying ice leap to my FLICKR PAGE to see the rest of my day. HERON WARNING: With probably 5-6 nests that you can see...there's always a good chance that you'll see some mating going on. The one shot is on my other page. Oh-la-la.

Makes me wonder what Coach Dot would do with those two.