The BIG UH-OH!! .. or ... RUN FOR IT!!!!

Thank you!!! So happy you enjoyed it!!

Hi Philip … yes, around here they get VERY nervous right about now!!!!

LOL!!!!!! Thanks so so much, dear!!!! I must have spent at least an hour crawling all over the mountain stalking this guy and his lady friends. Have some shots that would have been fabulous … but oh well. I did manage to salvage this one.

Hiii Cheryl!!! Thanks, hon!!!!

LOL!!!!!! Well, as tame-ish as he was … he might be sitting on somebody’s table in a couple weeks … poor guy indeed!!!! thanks, Poopsie!!!!!

HAHAHHAAAA!!! Oh, Rosemary, I like your “Run Dude Run!!!” SOO much better!!! I was thinking “Run Forrest Run” but didn’t want the copyright police to come after me again, LOL!!!!! Thanks so much!!!!

LOL!!!!! Thanks, Dennis!!

LOL … as well he SHOULD be!!!!

LOL!!!! Well, I’m sure there’s a lesson in there … about vanity and pride, I’ll bet??? But I’m with you … turkeys are all well and good, but there’s little comparison between them and a good peacock!!!! But you know what?? The turkey doens’t know that!!!! LOL!!! Maybe THAT’s the lesson!!!!!

LOL!!! hiiiiii Sean!!! Thank you!! Hey, I haven’t asked in awhile .. how are you feeling??? Doing great I hope???

LOL!!!! Thanks, hon!!!! But oh, not THAT amazing!!!! But frustrating … these guys REALLY know how to hid in the brush!!!

LOL!!!! Well, as to the hot dogs, another of the many titles that rolled around in my head was “Got Beef??” But again, the copyright police have nabbed me once … best not to ruffle their feathers _{yes, pun intended} too often!!!! Thanks for visiting!!!!

LOL!!!! I don’t think so … I think this area is called the Madera Canyon … tho I may have that wrong … I got everything else wrong when I was out there, lol!!!! But it looked pretty wild and freeeeee to my East Coast eyes when I was there!!!! He had his harem of about a dozen or so lady friends and a bunch of young toms with him … so he was definitely struttin’ his stuff.

thanks, Rany … he and his crew were oddly close to a number of people .. I’ve got one fun shot of him passing by in a very stately manner beside a couple of people with cameras and surprised looks on their faces, lol!!!! But he was also cagy .. most of my shots are of weeds with turkey parts in the background, lol!!!!!

Thanks, hon!!! Even tho I took this in April, out there these earthy colors predominate so it still has a fall-ish feel to it.

You know, it’s funny but I’d never noticed the problem until I got the D300 in June. Then I was appalled at the lack of crispness in the images. Put up a journal and started asking questions and someone mentioned the sweet spot in that lens and you know, as long as I keep it on aperture priority or manual and keep the ap at the right spots, I’m good to go. The problem with what I was doing on this particular day, which was way before I even realized I had a problem, was I was working on shutter priority to try and get all the herky-jerky head and neck movements photographable. These guys do NOT hold still. But I was in relatively low light. So, for novice little me, it was a bit of a lose-lose. But even taking shots of regular ordinary birds that day … in BRIGHT light … the shots didn’t turn out. As long as I keep the thing in its sweet spot, it’s okay. And tho this is a nice little lens, it’s not one of the really high end jobbers. The one I have is at around $600 US right now.

BWAHAHAHAH!!!! Oh you have me laughing, now!!!! Tooo funny!!!! But heavens, you’re assuming I actually remember exactly what it was I did to this thing!!!! I seriously nearly dumped it more than once … but I liked its bones, so kept at it … tinkering away over 6 months!!!! thanks sooo much, dearie!!!!!

Thanks so much Pam!!! But yes you would have if you’d seen it as it came out of the camera. It need time to “cook” if you’ll pardon the terrible pun, lol!!!!

LOL!!!! I honestly can’t tell you at this point how Robyn and I started that!!! LOL!!!! We’ve been doing it for ages!!!!! So happy you enjoyed this one!!!! As for looking for work??? You got da money, I got da skillzz!!!

Thanks, Paul!!!! He’s probably fine … talk about free range .. he’s got whole mountains to hide in!!!!!!!

Oh, Richie … lord, hon … oh .. eaugh … LOL!!!! WHAT a description .. and soooooooo appropriate!!!!!! I’ll never look at a turkey the same way again!!!!! Tooooooooo funny!!!

yep yep!!!!! Getting there, sweetie!!!!! I can taste the turkey and stuffin’ already!!!! MMMMMMM!!! OOP … hope my little buddy up there didn’t hear me type that, lol!!!!!!

Yeah, isn’t that funny about the sweet spot?? Between 8 and 11 .. and now I find myself shooting on those with the 18-200, too, but I need to get scientific and see if it really matters on that one. But it’s a great little lens for the money … long as we’re using it right, lol!!!!

Thank you so much … I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine. He’s got a LOT of territory to hide in!!!!! Mountains full!!!!!

Hiii Kate!!!!! I’m sure he’s just fine … he’s waaaaaaay out there in the boondocks!!! Believe me!!!!

LOL!!! Luda, he’s a wild turkey … as in .. he lives in the mountains in Arizona!!!!! And he looks like he’s lived thru more than one Thanksgiving … I’m sure he’ll be okay!!!!

LOL!!!!! I’m sure he will!!!!!!!

LOL!!!! Yes, Dave .. bless his feathered little heart … let’s hope!!!! I don’t know what all his wives and children would do without him strutting around, lol!!!!! The thing really was a hoot to watch!!!!!! Soooo careful not to scare him away … but soooo wanting a decent shot!!!! And yes, if I do say so myself, I do an EXCELLENT gobble-gobble call!!!!!!

DID YOU?? Did I see it last night?? You know how late I was on last night … I was quite bleary by the time I signed off … did I comment??? Maybe it was subconscious … i saw it ... forgot … and finally got mine loaded up?? BWAHAHAH!!! God I’m a mess … well .. put yours back UP!!! i wanna seeeee while I’m still awake!!!!!!

Hi Tim!!!!! Thank you!!!

thank you, sweetie!!!! Yep … it’s nearly time!!!!!!

Hi John!!!!!! Thank you … oh, sweetie … if you could see the zillions of shots that did NOT turn out … you’d laugh your socks off at me!!!!!

HAHAH!!!!! You’re soooooo meeee!!!!!!

Hiii Joseph!!!!!!! Well, it soon will be, lol!!!!!!!

LOL!!!! Thanks so much, Steve!!!!

Hi Steve!!!!! Thank you!!!!! Their plumage really is extraordinary!!!!! And I do hope you’re right about hunting season … bless his heart!!!

thanks, Bela .. he and his harem gave us quite a show!!!

Hi sweetie!!!! So glad you enjoyed my little buddy. I’ll hop over and visit … want to see your turkeys too!!!

Thanks, David!!!!!

LOL!!!!! LOVE that … “high tailing” for sure!!!!!!! Thanks!!!

Hi Anna!!!! Thank you!!!

Thanks, Elaine!!!

thank you!!!

_Laughing HIIII Arvy … I can’t tell if you’re sympathetic to the poor birdie or not … but I think you are!!!! But oooo we dooo love our roasted turkey at Thanksgiving!!!!

Vadim thank you!!!!!!

LOL!!!! hiiiii Marita!!!!!!! Well, I hear ya … and that does sound delicious!!! Ahhhh tradition!!!!

Thanks, dearie!!!!! Of all the zillion shots … at least one turned out, lol!!! They are sneaky little critters!!!!

Hiii Lori!!!!!! Thank you!!!!

Thank you, thank you so so much!!!!! I’m sooooo thrilled!!!!!!!

David thank you so much!!!!! YAY!!!!

Hello, hello Rod!!!! Thank you!!! You’d have laughed to see me crawling around among those grasses and rocks trying to keep my head down yet STILL get a decent pic!!! Either every shot was as a reed of grass strategically placed or woefully fuzzy. SO frustrating!!!! But there was this one … lol … and I’m honored that you enjoyed it!!!!! Gentle hugzzz!!!

Hi Maggie!!!! i saw your note earlier today. At one point when I was out with the dogs and saw a GLORIOUS woodpecker … ran back into the house, grabbed the camera, grabbed the 70-300 lens and ran back outside .. (of course the bird was gone, lol) ... but i gave the lens a bit of a workout anyhow. I did THINK I had the kinks worked out at ap f/8 to ap f/11 … but i wasn’t wild about what I was seeing in camera today. Need to upload them and then really see. I’m so so glad you’re having good luck with it!!!

Thanks, Tara!!!

OH!!! You know, I thought that was what you meant, but there was so much back and forth on this picture about the 70-300 my tiny brain went there instead!!! You know, the 18-200 does a lovely job for me wherever I set it … on both cameras. It doesn’t seem to be as fickle as the other … I’m so so so pleased you are still enjoying it … especially as I had the effrontery to recommend the thing before I even had one, lol!!!!!! And don’t worry, I’m easily confused!!! It’s my usual condition!!!!

Hi Shaun!!!! Thank you!!!! The countryside and colors are so different in Arizona compared to what I’m used to on the east coast!!!

Thank you!!!

Thank you .. .he really WAS!!!

Thanks, Lori … and OH .. how he DID strut!!!! LOL!!!