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Jordan Day 1

 It's been almost three years since we had payed for our trip to Jordan and Israel.  THREE FUCKING YEARS! We finally went and had a great time.   The trip lasted almost a month and we started our adventure in Amman, Jordan.  We arrived a day early so we could acclimate to the time change (nine hour difference).   We had purchased some Briggs and Riley high end luggage in hopes to carry them on the plane due to all of the recent horror stories of lost and or delayed baggage.  No such luck!  We were forced to check our bags at the gate in Denver.  If we had known our bags would have to be checked, we would have brought a lot more clothes and a much bigger suitcase.  We only brought six days of clothes (with an extra abundance of underwear and socks).   The planes were on time and we arrived in Amman a bit tired and eager to get going.   Our first hotel was the House Boutique Hotel which was really comfortable.  The hotel had a roof top pool and most importantly, a roof top bar. A lit
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Denver Zoo (New Lens Test)

 Michelle got tired of me asking if I could use her Fuji 100-400mm lens.  Really?  It's her damn fault for talking me into buying the new Fuji XT-4 in the first place... bitch. I found it on sale at Mike's Camera and with the rebate and free stuff they provided, it was hard to pass it up. Since fall is upon us, bird watching is pretty much out as they have mostly migrated to warmer climates.  Well, that is except for the ones at the Denver Zoo.  Camera, new lens and COVID Masks in hand, we headed out to the zoo. Well, as you can see, there are more than just birds there. The Fuji Lens blows my old Leica (Panasonic) 100-400mm out of the water.  BIG TIME.  The Fuji is sharp in the entire focal range.  A bit more pricier but the image quality speaks for itself.

California, Arizona & Back Again

 Well, Israel is a bust this year too... Time to visit the family via a road trip. We figure it will take two days of driving to reach California.  Of course we will make planned stops along the way. First stop, Antelope Valley State Park in Utah.  Only a hour drive from Salt Lake City. From Top to Bottom: Buffalo Wide Angle Shot of the Lake Infrared Photo of the Plains Infrared Photo of the Lake We spent a lot of time there shooting the buffalos (with cameras) but we were loosing light fast.  Major flying insect invasion.  Sounded like rain when driving. Next stop, Bonneville Salt Flats, UT Not much to say here other than it is fun as fuck to drive at 110 mph here. Back in the car and headed out to the Bay Area.  We decided to stay in Suisun City for the first two nights so we could visit with mom before heading out to the Wine Country. The Hampton Inn in Suisun City (infrared photo) After we visited with mom, we headed out to our next adventure, Safari West in Sonoma, CA.  Our lodgin

Rocky Mountain Arsenal and National Wildlife Refuge - Part Deux

 Yes, I bought a new camera.  The new and improved Fuji XT-4.  The XT-4 is FAR superior than it's predecessor (XT-3) in all aspects.   You can blame Michelle for converting me to Fuji. Now, I must say, I didn't' blatantly spend money on this camera without having a plan. I sold my Nikon Z6 and associated lenses which more than paid for the Fuji.  I can honestly say that I feel good about buying the new camera.  The only regret that I have is that I didn't ask for more money on the Fuji "kit lenses" that Michelle and I had (27mm).  Fuji has NO stock on any of their lenses and I could have made a killing on the lens.  They both sold within minutes of posting them on eBay.  Dammit! So, you may be asking yourself what the fuck that this has to do with the RMANWR?  A test drive on the new camera.  Michelle was kind enough to let me "borrow" her Fuji 100-400mm lens.  Possession is 9/10 of the law.  It is now my possession.   The Fuji 100-400mm is far super

Thank You For The Smoke (California)! Wyoming Sucked

Another attempt at Astrophotography gone up in smoke.   Thank you California for the ruining our Wyoming weekend.  Don't worry, we will be visiting soon and will definitely leave a mark on your ass. The smoke was so bad in Wyoming.  Thick, grey and disgusting. Of course, this didn't stop people from going to one of our favorite spots in Wyoming.  Medicine Bow National Forest.   We dressed for 60 degree weather.  We didn't expect 35 degree weather with fog and blustery wind.  Glad we packed additional clothes (hats, gloves, scarfs etc). I am ahead of myself.  The day excursion to Medicine Bow was the second day.   We spent the first day at the Wyoming Territorial Prison to visit relatives.  Ha...the prison is now a park.  The prison's most famous prisoner was Butch Cassidy.  The only prison that Butch was incarcerated in.  Pretty good for career criminal. We spent most of the day at the prison.  Historical Prisons will the only ones that I will visit.  My mother raised m