Nature Ride

This morning John and I set out for a Jeep ride around the woods.  As he gets out the Jeep and gets the heater warming up I find my boots, jacket and camera.  He comes back and in and says "really you have to take your camera?"  Yep I do!!

He just start on the trail and we see Miss Little Deer standing on the trail.  She's confused at a White Jeep coming towards her in the woods so she just stares at us as we get closer.

I swear she is not frozen or stuffed, she really does move.

I love how she is lit from behind and has a soft glow around her head and neck.

She did wander off the trail and then I seen this huge bird in a tree.  John had to back up cuz he didn't see it.  It is Mrs Partridge, she's all puffed up, there are two in this photo but there were like 7 puffed up balls of feathers total.  

Then I spotted this gal before John.... that is a first usually I can't even see them when he is pointing them out.  

The brush was so thick my camera kept hunting for a focus point and it wasn't ever the deer so I had to switch the lens into manual focusing.  Now I know what hunters mean when they say the brush was to thick to get a good shot at him.  

She had two ladies with her

Can you see all 3 of them in here?

That was it for our nature ride, I was happy with the pictures I got and put my camera away. 

We pull out onto the rode for John to shut the gate and this view is right in front of me.  

I grabbed the camera and took a shot..... remember my lens was in manual focus?   CRAP, crap, crap

Crap again

I got it switched out when the two landed back in the trees.  I thought my photo moment was done.

We drove up to them and the one flew off but Mister Confident stayed to pose.  I was shooting through the Jeep windshield and we got this close, I had my zoom lens on but we are seriously close, I didn't crop these photos at all.

He would stare down at us making eye contact with my camera.

Here I cropped up on this one so you can see how fierce he looks, this is shot through the windshield.

Then I got out of the Jeep and started making movements to shake Mister C out of the tree.  Me and an Eagle with about 20 feet between us.

I shook him out

But he came back in another tree.

I walked right up under the tree he was in and when he stared down at me and wiggled his toes

Yes these toes.......... 

I decided he won and I ran back to the Jeep for protection. 

But I couldn't stop taking his picture

Finally we had to leave....... this forced us.

And forced Mister C out of his tree, what an incredible bird and just think John thought it's crazy for me to bring my camera.

We had sock viewing today at my brother Dan's and he has cute little alpaca's.  They were all inside when we got there all huddled up staying warm but when we left they were out taking a walk.

I really do think they are cute but I don't want to pet them or get close to them.