And you write exceptionally well- entertaining story :) Love the fireworks images.

Bill- thank you for posting. I have never seen that many egrets together like that. Must have been a fruitful field for them.

I most always use time priority when I'm shooting something that I expect to move (1/1300 to start) and set my ISO to automatic (with lower and upper limits) to compensate for relatively high speed and a slow lens.

It's the lessons you learn from wishing you had done things differently that stay with you :)

Me too :

I have been following a gal on Flickr and she just got the Nikon 7500 and her photos are spectacular with that camera. She used it with a wide angle lens- could have been a lens she already had or a new lens as well. She may have changed her technique as well as getting a new camera- who's to know but I noticed the difference! With all the moaning and groaning about what that camera doesn't have I was surprised to see her results. If you are interested in seeing her results I can get you a link.

Very helpful analysis and so true.

I have been to most of the places you mention. There will be a lot of down time since the best times to shoot is early am and late afternoon/early evening. If possible go to these places M-Thurs to avoid the crowds. Grand Canyon has gotten pretty hazy- in the summer it's often from wildfires. Take a hike to get out of the main areas. It's easy to get around Grand Canyon- buses run from dawn to dusk. When you are at Arches, take the time to visit Dead Horse Park. You can get some fantastic overview shots. When you are at Paige, Az visiting Antelope Valley, take time to check out Horseshoe Bend. It's free and fun. While at Paige, consider booking a tour on Lake Powell or renting a power boat - beautiful canyon walls that can only be seen from the water. It will be cooler in the fall in the desert. Still watch out rattlesnakes. Take water, be careful on the trails and have a wonderful time.

Good job on the bird. But I especially like the bird bath with the cone flowers next to it. Great color and clarity.

Does the Leica/Panasonic 100-400 mm lens play well with the Olympus EM1 Mk 2? I own that lens but use it with the Panasonic Gx8. The lens is great but it is not a low light lens by any means. I guess that would not be a problem in Africa unless you find yourself shooting in the shade.

It's too bad we have to be so concerned about camera theft but guess that is the way of the world today. Pacsafe has camera bags with security features that look good.

That's a lot of animals to control and to feed and water! And mules aren't always even tempered. Must have taken a strong person to get them across to Mohave and a grueling run. Your images show the team well. Thanks for the background information.

One combo worth considering is the Panasonic GX8 and the newly reworked 100-300 mm lens with the dual IS system. That lens has just been released or will be imminently. It would be a light combo that would get you out to 600 mm (35 mm equiv). The Gx8 has wonderful 4K video, and touch screen focusing. The menu system is fairly intuitive. The camera is compact without being too compact, has a decent grip. It has been out long enough you should be able to find used or refurb. Then there is always the Panasonic/Leica 100-400 mm lens...
Or you could spring for the new Panasonic GH5 if video trumps-

If you are looking at mirrorless, the Panasonic Gx8, Fuji X-T1 or X-T2, or Olympus EM 1 or EM2 might be the right size for you. They are all on the larger size, perhaps a bit heavier but with much larger, deeper grips than most mirrorless. Too small will be just as bad as too heavy for your arthritic hands. In your case I would definitely say try before you buy but I know that it is difficult to find a local camera store that carries the aforementioned brands/models. You might consider renting. I have the Panasonic Gx8 and Fuji X-T2 and both are comfortable cameras. And it's not too hard to find small lenses for each. I previously owned the Olympus EM5, Sony a6000 and Olympus EM10 and Fuji X-T20 and although all were fine cameras I never could get comfortable holding them.
(PS- IMHO Olympus menus are complicated and non intuitive)

Great job!! Very clear, colorful and not overexposed which seems often to be the case.

All the images are beautifully done but the last one especially appeals to me. He looks so proud of his catch! If you don't mind sharing, what equipment are you using? Nice, sharp, clear images.

The last photo is amazing! Folks need to look at the download to see all the fine detail