We all had a great time at the seminar. The Mayan Ranch was the perfect host and the ranch staff did everything possible to make sure we all had a great time. The ranch food was excellent and all of the extras provided made each of the meals memorable. One of the best extras was a cowboy singer with guitar giving a serenade at the Saturday night steak barbeque and at the Sunday morning cowboy breakfast. During our Mexican feast dinner we were entertained by mariachi music. After dinner we had Texas style dancing lessons followed by dancing with continued coaching as needed.

Our speakers were truly outstanding. Each of the talks were well developed and presented giving the audience up-to-date information on the topics discussed. In addition they all joined the rest of us in enjoyment of the ranch activities which gave everyone the chance for many very interesting informal discussions.

The photos below are all linked to larger images. Click on any photo to see the larger version.

Friday:

1. Horses being prepared for the Friday afternoon trail ride.
2. Andy Sanford and Miriam Puente dancing Texas style with Andy throwing in some Cajun flair.
3. Dr. and Mrs. Vice enjoy watching the dancing.
4. Ed and Olga Kelly join in the dancing.
5. Miriam Puente and Olga Kelly having a great time with the dancing.

Saturday:

1. Liz Wilson Presents her first talk, "The One Person Bird: Prevention and Rehabilitation".
2. Liz Wilson in an informal discussion during a break.
3. Andy Sanford presents the AFA Award of Excellence to River City Bird Club for success in the development of the RCBC Girl Scout Bird Adventure Program. RCBC president Gary Rogers accepts the award on behalf of the club.
4. During the presentations on Saturday there was a silent auction and a raffle conducted in the back of the room. Participants could check on the items of interest to them during breaks and lunch. This beautiful painting of an Eclectus was one of the silent auction items.

1. Speaker Panel discusses questions raised by the audience. Speakers shown are (left to right) Dr. Vice (Moderator), Dr. Phalen (behind), Dr. Styles, Dr. Echols, Liz Wilson (foreground), Dr. Speer (behind).
2. Shows part of the audience from the front behind the speaker panel (Dr. Styles in the foreground facing toward the audience).
3. View of speaker panel toward the left side of the room. Speakers shown are (left to right): Dr. Styles facing audience, Dr. Phalen seated, Dr. Vice standing.

1. Dr. Phalen presenting "You Be the Vet". Dr. Phalen is shown wearing a seminar tee shirt.
2. Dr. Phalen challenges the audience to figure out the diagnosis for an avian patient with given symptoms, "What would you do next?"
3. Dr. Speer presenting his talk "Top Ten Mistakes Made by Breeders".
4. Dr. Speer emphasizes a point with Dr. Phalen looking on from the front row of the audience.

Saturday Night:

1. Cowboy singer serenades the diners.
2. Ranch hands prepare the large 16 Oz. t-bone steaks.
3. Seminar participants select their food at the serving line.
4. Seminar participants enjoy their steaks.
5. Seminar participants enjoying their dinners. Note the cowboy singer on the left and the horses in their pasture in the background. It was a great meal in a wonderful environment and we all enjoyed sharing our avian experiences.

Sunday:

1. Participants line up for a wonderful cowboy breakfast prepared over an open fire at a beautiful site down by the Medina River. We all rode down there on a large flat hay wagon drawn slowly by a pickup truck. As we passed through the fields we could see large numbers of deer running out to see us (the driver was throwing feed out of his window) and we could see wild turkeys back in the trees and brush. Near the breakfast site there was a roosting tree used by vultures. We hoped that they were not looking for us.
2. Participants picking up breakfast items from near the fire. Andy Sanford is on the left. In the center Dr. Vice gets his coffee poured by a ranch hand. At the right Michelle Michalek adds some items to her plate.
3. Ranch hand serving breakfast items to hungry participants in the serving line.
4. Ranch hand checking breakfast staying hot on the fire. Note the cowboy singer with guitar serenading in the background.

1. Participants enjoy their breakfast in the beautiful riverside setting.
2. Participants relax after finishing breakfast. At left is Ed Kelly, past president of RCBC. In the center is Laurey Rowley, treasurer of RCBC. At the right facing the camera is Michelle Michalek, Secretary of RCBC. Note the cowboy singer in the background with his guitar.
3. Michelle Michalek poses with our Cowboy Breakfast Singer.
4. Everyone boards the the wagon for the ride back to the horse corral.

1. Lunch was served in the pavilion near the ranch office and swimming pool. The bar in the pavilion was open during lunch for participants to pick up their favorite liquid refreshments.
2. Lunch is set up buffet style and participants begin to help themselves to the Italian Feast. The ranch office and dining room can be seen in the background up the hill.