Craig Johnson is a watercolor artist that lives on Whidbey Island, WA. He started taking pictures of birds for subject matter to paint. He got really good at photography. He has a neurological condition that has confined him to a wheelchair. He now uses a cart in his yard and shoots video and stills with a point and shoot. It's amazing what he is doing. www.pugetsoundbackyardbirds.com.

I have 22 squadron mates on this wall.

Volunteer to take pictures at the local animal shelter. Your photo's might make a big difference on them finding a new home.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Z6. It would give you the most current technology in a lighter body and 12 FPS. I have had mine for 6 months and love it. Just got some great humpback whale shots last week--and shooting breaching whales is a real challenge. And as the new Z lenses come on line, you will have the best glass as well.

All you need is a proper squirrel guard. You can buy it at your nearest birdfood store. It's a clear plastic cone (with an opening in the middle). The the opening is too small for the squirrel, and when it tries to climb around the outside, it get's dumped to the ground.

I think it's a styrofoam cover to keep an outside faucet from freezing. Maybe he had a cold neck.

My father-in-law was on the USS Lexington (CV-2) when it was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea. He then was sent to a shipyard in NY to bring out a new battleship. It was BB-63, the USS Missouri! So he was a plankowner. I guess if you're a chief gunner, you can't do any better than the Missouri. He retired as a CWO4. He actually missed the surrender because he was sent ashore to escort a Japanese photographer who was taking pictures on the base at Yokohama.

Not to complicate your decision, you should look at the Z6 before you jump. I had been saving for the 850 and then decided on the Z6. I love the camera and it will give you the speed for the action shots. And then get a 105 f2.8. You will have all you need.

You will see some eagles, but not in large numbers. The river has to be down some (exposing the gravel bars) to see the most eagles. I would not cancel though as the river trip is a unique experience. I went to the Skagit Flats 2 days ago and counted 49 eagles All residents) in a 30 minute drive. I exit at 221 and drive West through Conway and LaConner and then take Best Road (which becomes Farm to Market Road at Hwy20) up to Bow Edison. If you go toward Samish Island, there is a farmhouse with a eagle nest. It has 4-6 eagles there all the time. I saw 40 eagles in one tree there, but that will be in early Feb just before the immatures migrate back North.

AKA Skycarp!

You should share this with the WWII museum in New Orleans. And if you have never visited this museum, it's worth the trip to NOLA all by itself. My father-in-law was on the USS Lexington (CV-2) at the time, but they were off delivering airplanes so missed the attack. Later, they were sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea. He survived that sinking, and was sent to a shipyard in NY to bring out a new battleship. Thus he became a plank owner on the USS Missouri (BB-63). I guess if you're a chief gunner, a battleship is the way to go.

And don't overlook Edmonds. We're right on the water, have a ferry to Kingston that you can walk on, our summer market runs on Saturdays through October (9:00-2:00). And you can attend one of the Rick Steves lectures--Thursday evenings and Saturdays (10:00 and noon). https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/travel-classes/travel-class-descriptions

We're 30 minutes North of Seattle. (Depending on traffic. :))

I use Strathmore Photo Mount Cards. You can get them in 10, 50 or 100 per box--includes envelopes. Then I have 4x6's printed at Costco (.17 each). They look very professional and work great.

https://www.cheapjoes.com/strathmore-photo-mount-cards-with-decorative-emboss-100-pack.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgOzdBRDlARIsAJ6_HNn8njCMMcJnY-qO7J2Xs67agny_9KbkXi0YXU7KBEToqCq2sFoG7h8aAqWrEALw_wcB

Ken

There is ONE other way to confirm it's non-poisonous, but it's not the method most people use. :) If you turn the snake over and observe the scaling from the anus to the tip of the tail--non-poisonous snakes have "double" scales, poisonous ones have single scales. (We're talking about North American non-poisonous vs pit vipers--copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes.) But this knowledge will allow you to determine, when you find a snakeskin, whether it was a pit viper or not. This information and $4.75 will buy you a latte at your nearby coffee shop.

It's a non-poisonous water snake. (the pupils are round, not like a cat's eye). It's not stocky enough, and doesn't have the shaped head of a cotton mouth.