OK, maybe I cheated just a little...

We went to an Indian Flute Festival last weekend and there was a man there who had the falcon. He raises and trains them so I was able to get a little closer than normal.

Still on vacation

Parker has decided to stay a little while longer, twice now, so he has been getting to see several things he has never seen before. We took a little hike into "the interior" a few days ago and this is him and our other cohorts scanning the distant rocks.

Because of the type of hike this is I tried to trim down to the lightest pack I could (right around 30 pounds)  which meant leaving the D300 and the D80 behind. I carried in my underwater camera (without the underwater housing) since it is a small and light point and shoot. The fact it is a point and shoot shows but I wanted to post something since I haven't been out shooting with my "real" camera lately.

Parker is wanting to get back soon to post some of his photos but even he didn't carry a camera on this trip. Everybody else's packs only weighed about 10 pounds. I guess I'm hiking with a bunch of wussies! LOL

Orca

Been quite busy lately and haven't taken any new pictures to speak of, at least none good enough to post here. However while looking for another picture I came across this picture of a Killer Whale (Orca) I took a couple of years ago.

Love to get one of these in my sights now that I have the Sigma 120 400...

I'm back!

I'm glad to be back home after 14 days on this trip. We have covered a lot of ground in those days, after I landed in LAX, my friend pick me up at the airport around 7:30 am. then our journey start from there to Yellowstone, Utah, and Arizona. On those 14 days I think I have walked about 20-30 miles to the locations to photograph, and 10 of those days we slept in car, and in the caves or out of open field. Now, I think I'm too old for this hardcore photography.

Fortunately, we have good weather on those days, and I have filled all of my CF cards about 48 GB. Hopefully I got some good pictures in those cards, I just need some time to work on it in the next few months. LOL

Sorry Paul, I forgot to mentioned these photos are from this trip.

What I said & What he heard...

What I said was "I'll be right back, keep an eye out for bears and don't touch my sandwich".

What he heard was "Bla bla bla bla, bla bla bla bla bla bla bla SANDWICH!"

Here's looking at you kid

Taken with the Tamron 18-250mm at 250mm.

A good reason not to ride a motorcycle

Parker and I were coming back from a hike the other day and were stopped on the road to allow a life flight helicopter to grab a passenger and take off again. The passenger was a motorcyclist who didn't make it around a curve in the road. He was by himself and apparently looking at something other than the road and ended up in the ditch.

I've owned three motorcylces in my life, all when I was younger and I was run over on all three of them. I finally decided I should give up the two wheels and stick to four.

Rainforest Green...

Took this picture out in the trees behind my house, I was looking for the forest but there were too many trees in the way for me to see it. The area where I live is classed as a "Temperate Rainforest". That's a polite way of saying it's cold and rains most of the time... LOL

The one advantage of being here on the other hand is that the tourists all bug out soon as the real rain begins and we have this big beautiful West Coast to ourselves for 8 or 9 months a year.

My Random Hawaii (I need a vacation!)

Everytime I think of vacation the best place on earth comes to mind, Hawaii!! These are from Maui. Hopefully Paul won't get too bored since he has seen these before.

I really do need a vacation!!

On Vacation (again)

I have been absolutely swamped with work and my extraccuricular activites the last two weeks so I haven't been posting as many photos, or taking that many for that matter, as I would like. With that said, Parker arrived here on Monday for an extended stay so you won't be seeing any photos from him for at least a week, maybe two. He hasn't decided how long he's going to stay yet but if I keep taking him hiking he may want to go home just to get some rest!

Random Hawaii Picture

Beyond the fog

What lies beyond the fog? I can't help but think that this what was going on in my friend's mind as he stood looking out from the foggy shoreline back in 2003. My friend is gone now and I am the one left wondering, what lies beyond the fog?

OBSERVATION TOWER

The Tower at Jed Johnson Lake was built in 1941. I agree with Ron that it looks like a Scottish Castle.

A most interesting hike to get there one must climb a gentle approach to reach the base. When I made the hike in early spring there were a couple of springs running that added interest to the venture.

When built the structure had a full roof over it. I spoke to a some relatives in their 80's who told me they used to go up in the Tower and the view was great! One who was a Boy Scout told me that they used to have campouts in a camp about half way up the trail. I found traces of this camp some 65yrs later.

When asked about the Loch Ness was told by the Boy Scout that one time Nessie might have been seen, but wasn't sure because the Bootleggers son had brought a quart of a fine tasting clear liquid that he called "Shine" to the campout. As far as he was concerned the Buffalo might have grown wings and Flyed! ( True Story!)

Woolly Bear Caterpillar

The folklore connected with woolly bears says that the width of the orange-brown band is known to predict the winter to come: if it is narrower than the black bands, it will be a severe winter. If it is broader than the black bands, the winter will be mild. Some claim that the woolly bear’s forecast is up to 80% accurate.

This is taken quite seriously in parts of the US. In fact, a woolly bear festival takes place every year in Vermilion, Ohio, reputed to be the largest one-day festival of that state. Festivities include a parade, woolly bear races, and an official analysis of the woolly bear’s forecast for the winter.

Took this picture hand held with the Sigma 120-400 from about 5 feet away at 400mm.

A day at the beach

They don't fly far enough south for me! I think I would go just a "little" farther southwest, out over the ocean to a really nice island I know!

Heading South

Hmm... I wonder how these guys can afford to head South every winter for 6 months at a time? Sure wouldn't mind figuring out how I could do this! LOL

Smooth as Glass

Another shot using the Sigma 10-20mm. I love this lens!

Tranquility

Another Quatse lake picture. Each and every day, 365 days a year for the past 20 years I drive up to the lake as part of my job as the water and sewer systems operator for the little town where I live. The lake is behind a locked gate and I always have the place to myself. What a priviledge, and I get paid to do it! No two days are the same and you just never know what you'll see.

WORLDS APART

Don't know why, But I like this Pic!

Trusty deckhand

Sunny my trusty deckhand keeping an eye on things as we make our way around Quatsino Sound.

Took this shot with the Sigma 10-20, only way to get this much of my cramped little wheel house in the picture.