My Netbook

I bought a Netbook yesterday from Best Buy, so I can keep up with the postings from Yellowstone. There is supposed to be Wireless access in Mammoth, so I can blog from my room. You may ask, why a Netbook? I know when you look at the Ram and storage compared to full size notebooks, it seems small. However, I compared it to Lindsay's current laptop and it's the same. And, it's far greater than the PC I'm using now!!! I wanted something small. I also got an external hard drive that I can load all the photos on, so they are safe on their own.

I didn't think I was going to like the keyboards on the netbooks, but they are all different. You just have to try them out. The mouse pads are also feel different. Just in case, I also got a wireless mouse.

I know, this isn't Yellowstone material, but I just wanted to let you know what I'd be using as a computer while in the park. I haven't upgraded my phone in forever, I don't have an Ipad, or a Kindle or a Droid, or any of that other high tech stuff. This is a big step for me!!!

I'm just so excited

I leave in less than a month. Holy Mackerel, it's only 2 1/2 weeks away. I've been collecting stuff up like crazy! I got a case of hand and foot warmers from Costco. Those come highly recommended, not only for me, but for my camera's battery. Apparently battery's die when they get cold. The extra batteries are supposed to be kept tucked somewhere warm next to your body. I got a spot all picked out.......
Besides my camera that I mentioned in the last posting, I've also ordered Smartwool socks & baselayers from Sierra Trading Post -http://www.sierratradingpost.com/. I discovered that I didn't have the right kind of baselayers (long underwear-cold weather jargon) for the kind of cold I'm going to be in. I've had a hard time getting out of the habit of buying cotton since I left Hawaii. You need synthetic or wool so that when you perspire, you don't get cold when you cool down. Aren't you glad I explained that? Well, at least I said perspire and not sweat.

Today, my spotting scope came from Cabela's. http://www.cabelas.com/ they had the best price and selection for what I was looking for. This is so I can observe the Grizzlie's claws and watch him tear into his dinner without disturbing him.......
I've also been putting together my Cross country ski gear. I've managed to do that quite cheaply between EBAY and the local thrift store.
Hey!!! I ordered my snowshoes!!!! EBAY!!!
Last weekend, the kids and I were up skiing at Mt. Hood- Timberline & Ski Bowl, and there were hoards of snowshoers. I guess it's the fastest growing sport. I'm hoping to burn some serious calories doing this, even if only in the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces in the morning hours, if I don't have time to run out and do some glassing for wildlife. Glassing: that's incessantly looking through your binoculars for some speck of wildlife.
I got a headlamp, just in case I'm out after dark....I promise, I won't go alone in the woods.
Oh, and Chris gave me his can of Bear Spray!!! Hey!!! It has a holster, just like a real gun!! Oh boy!!! However, I think I still may go for the Magnum size, just so I'll feel really protected in case I need to use it. (I'll probably pee my pants if I ever had to ) note here: Make plenty of noise, and most likely the bears will be no where in sight. You're supppsed to have conversations or sing while in the woods, but for some reason, during these times, I have trouble coming up with the right song.........
I posted earlier about my pic of the Herons, but I still had so much to still say!!!
Hey, there are about 11 Bald Eagles a couple miles from here out in a field that Chris showed me. I may take my camera and scope out there. apparently, if you can photograph birds in flight you can get about anything. I have to up my learning curve so I can get all those fantastic shots in Yellowstone when I get there.
I can hardly wait!!!

A Passion has begun

Some of you may know, that I am heading to Yellowstone to work and "do research" from March-June for 3 months. I have become a student of the Yellowstone.net forums, trying to learn all I can to be prepared. After taking a survey of all the photographers that responded to inquiries about cameras, I selected a Canon 400 Xti. I bought it as a package, and I got a 28-105mm & 75-300 mm lenses with it. I was influenced by price as well as usability.

I headed out to my nearest duck pond, here in Albany, Oregon - to hopefully shoot some Canada Geese that usually frequent there for practice. As I pulled up, I noticed only 2 pairs on the water, but the surprise was to follow.

A Great Blue Heron lifted out a tree that is in the middle of the pond, circled the area and then landed back in the tree. I was so excited that I might get his picture!!!!

As I was focusing in on him, and trying to get a shot, all at once, 5, yes count em FIVE of the buggars took off out of the tree. I settled in to wait for them to return. They came back, one at a time, but only 2 of them settled back into the tree. I noticed quite a large nest in the tree, and concluded that they are nesting there. The light was fading and since it was my first attempt with the camera, I was anxious to get home and see what I'd gotten with my new camera and my inexperience. Sadly, I had used auto focus, on the sport setting and my pics were blurry.

Yesterday, I headed over there again, and this time, NOW THERE ARE 6!!! I got 4 of them in perfect profile, near the nest,with 2 more hiding down below them in the tree. I used the P setting and took off the auto focus. I shot this with the highest ISO I could -1600 (since I see that's what some used in the pics I've liked.....) f 7.1 and I used the 75-300mm lens
(ok, so maybe I didn't set that up right in type, but you get the idea, if you want to pass on some tips...)
here's the photo, only minimally cropped. I'm not happy with how small they look, it looks better on my computer!!! hey if you double click on the image, it enlarges it and you can see it really good!!!

Look closely, you can see the 4 clearly, the nest, and then 2 more herons hiding in the branches below.