Lexol is the best leather treatment I've found so far, and is readily available. It won't darken the leather like neatsfoot oil. I've used it on the leather seats of many cars I've owned over the years, as well as on leather items in my militaria collection, with no negative results.

My second choice, which also works well, would be mink oil.

I've also used neatsfoot oil in the past, before I discovered lexol. I found this warning on an informative website covering leather treatments (https://www.libertyleathergoods.com/leather-oil/):

"However, the chemical composition of neatsfoot oil also makes it prone to oxidizing over time. This is especially true for older leathers. This, applying this oil will help condition the leather in the short-term, though speed up it’s decomposition in the long-term, making it brittle and prone to cracking.

Thus, is most cases, it would be advised to use a different leather oil for any goods that will be kept for long periods of time. The same is true for any goods where the general look/finish is to be maintained."

If keeping a constant distance from the building is your main problem, try using a laser range finder. Depending on how far you intend to be from the building, finders for longer ranges can be found at outdoors, hunting, or gun stores, while shorter range units are available at your local hardware store.

I don't have a clue how one does it with Photoshop, but back in the days of film we did quite a few panoramas with good results. If I remember correctly, the technique was to overlap each shot by 50%, then use just the center one third of each print to make the panorama. Everything would line up quite well, with minimal distortion.

You can't judge an entire organization because one person screws up, it's how that company deals with the screw up that matters. Unfortunately, sometimes you're just caught in the middle and get no satisfaction.

A friend ordered a handgun, and as the law requires, had it shipped to his local firearms dealer. When it didn't arrive he called the sender, who said it had been delivered. The gun shop said they didn't have it. UPS said it was delivered and signed for. The store had surveillance video of that day's UPS delivery, which was a couple of long guns but no handguns or other small packages.

The sender said it's not his problem, it was delivered and signed for. UPS said it wasn't their problem, it was delivered and signed for. The store said they didn't sign for it, and has video evidence to support their position. The insurance company said it was delivered, thus wasn't lost or damaged, so no claim. He reported the loss to the BATF, who weren't particularly interested. Likely the UPS driver took the gun, but neither UPS nor the BATF cared to investigate. So, no gun, no refund, and my friend was simply out about $1k.

UPS has had such a problem with guns stolen in their system that they now require next day delivery, with the customer being soaked to pay for their corporate failures.

This is one example of each type of the shotgun scabbards - over the shoulder and backpack - although some allow you to carry either way. Colors are usually black, OD green, tan, or camo, and different sizes are available:

There are currently many styles of rifle and shotgun scabbards available, with both single strap over-the-shoulder and double strap back-pack styles. They are typically around three feet long, and vary in diameter. They are not the zipper closed case type, but are open at one end. Some are length adjustable, and many have straps to adjust the fit. As with most other things, prices can be quite high, but relatively inexpensive versions can be found for about $25. Depending on the size and shape of your tripod, it could well be a good fit.

If you want a specific thing, you'll need to pose. But the best photos I've taken of children, including many that you'd swear were posed, were anything but. When you bring out the camera, the kids act up. Fiddle around for a while and they lose interest in you and go on about their business. If you make sure there are enough things in the immediate area to attract them, once they become absorbed in doing something else photo opportunities abound.

So it seems in many areas life, that overlooking something simple causes us the most grief.

Any intention I may have had to get close to the animals was snuffed out on a trip through Yellowstone in the late 1990s. A grizzly attacked and killed a bison along the side of the road from Cody, very near the Fishing Bridge Visitors Center. That had far more impact than seeing thousands of "don't feed the bears" signs! According to the rangers, that's a rare occurrence, but possibly due to the lateness of the season and the need for the female bear, with two cubs, to quickly pack on calories.

I've never ceased to be amazed at how stupid some people can be around animals, large or small. I've not only witnessed quite a few folks in parks walking right up to elk or bison so they can pose with them, but also people stopping along pasture fences, and thinking nothing of placing their kid on an unknown horse for a photo op. Sometimes they get a great picture, but at other times they end up as the unfortunate subject of someone else's u-tube video.

First, if you can, I'd postpone the trip by a week. Crowds thin noticeably in most of the parks after Labor Day. The exceptions to that are parks located near major population centers, such as Yosemite, which can be very busy all the time.

Second, if you travel alone frequently, have you considered obtaining one of the satellite tracking/messaging devices? They allow you to summon help in an emergency from anywhere you can see the sky. Initial costs are reasonable, and both short term and annual service plans are available. I travel all over the country by motorcycle, often alone, and have carried one (a SPOT device, on my person, not attached to the machine) for years, as does almost everyone I know. It's comforting to know that if you break a leg on a dirt trail somewhere, you can get help even if the nearest cell coverage is miles away. They are also great for keeping a log of your route, as they record your position at time increments set by you, which you can also share n real time with anyone by providing them with your connection information.

Other than for travel emergencies, these devices can be useful even running around locally (I live in Florida). Even if I don't get hit by a car and end up badly injured and sinking in a swamp (as happened to a bicycling neighbor), my wife can use it to keep track of me during the day. They can also be useful when meeting up with someone, as you can each track the each other's progress towards the destination. And last, most of the people I know who live in remote places, such as WY, MT, or Alaska, routinely travel with one in their car. Running out of gas or breaking down in the winter can be a life threatening event, and a satellite device is cheap insurance.

Returning on a very dark night from a long motorcycle trip, I stopped next to a NJ farm field to take a short break. I don't know what the crop was, but the fireflies loved it - there must have been millions of them. I'd seen fireflies since I was a kid, but had never noticed until then that fireflies light almost always while rising, and rarely while descending or flying level. After their short display, they then descend unlit, and repeat their rising display. They all lit at about the same height above the ground, and stayed illuminated for about the same length of time, covering about a eighteen inches or so vertically. I found it slightly disorienting looking across an otherwise dark field with so many rising pinpoints of light, as it appeared as though the ground itself was flowing upwards. Perhaps someone here has the skill and equipment to capture that impression.

Don't pet the animals indeed! I'm constantly appalled at how stupidly people act around wild animals - or for that matter, domestic animals. They seem to think all animals are employed by Disney, and are there just to be friendly and cuddly. An unfortunate negative encounter with even a very small animal will quickly educate you on where you stand in the food chain.

You should try the Grand Canyon in winter! While the North Rim is closed, the South Rim isn't. I've sat in front of a nice fire at one of the lodges, eating breakfast or lunch, and watching the heavy snow out the picture windows. Down at the bottom of the canyon it was still pushing 100 degrees!

Another interesting place is Pahaska Teepee Lodge, just outside the east entrance to Yellowstone. I've stayed there in winter, when the snow was about six feet deep, and walkways had to be shoveled to the various cabins. It's the point on Rt 14 where the snow plow stops in winter, and a good launch point for ski/snowshoe/snow mobile trips (if those are still allowed). Buffalo Bill's original hunting lodge is still there, although you can no longer stay in that.

I try to make a large loop around the country every few years, and have found travel after Labor Day to be far more enjoyable. Once the kiddies start back to school, the crowds thin drastically and motel and gas prices drop. I travel by motorcycle, and I've never found the weather to be much of an issue, at least not more so than any other time of year out west. Yes, it can snow, but it can do that almost any time of year. Snow that comes and stays longer than a few hours is a rarity until very late September. I did start out over the Beartooth on a clear 70 degree day, had a cloud bank roll over me with temperature dropping into the 30s with snow, then back to sunny skies and dry roads within the hour. Once in the Denver area, mid September, I was riding in 100 degree temperatures, went through a blizzard of heavy snow as the elevation rose slightly, then back into 100 degrees in about an hour. Carry clothing for every eventuality, as you'll likely need it. I strongly second the recommendation to visit the Museum in Cody. While there, stop by Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel for a meal, especially on prime rib night. Veterans who have a disability award letter from the VA, or anyone with a diagnosed disability, can get a free lifetime pass to national parks. This pass also provides discounts for amenities inside the park. If you can, camp in Yellowstone - you can't hear the howling wolves from a motel. If you visit the Grand Canyon on your way, be sure to see both the South and North rims - they are completely different. Boiled down:
1. Travel after Labor Day
2. GET OFF THE INTERSTATE! Beautiful back roads, great mom and pop restaurants, and friendly people abound. You'll miss them all if you travel the slab.
3. Be ready for any weather, you'll see everything as you change altitude.
4. Don't be in a hurry and don't set a schedule or you'll miss too much. Let each day unfold as you go.
5. In the West, never let your gas tank fall below half - even on Interstates, gas stations can be very far apart.

What's old is new again! The old Speed Graphic the Army used to teach us photography had a fold-up wire frame view finder for quick action shots. Also, there have been shoulder stocks for fast action camera shooting for a long time, and there are quite a few current offerings. Google up "shoulder stock for camera" and you'll find a bunch of them, along with test results.

As for red dot gun sights on a camera, the reflex type don't require you to center the dot to be on target. Once the dot is zeroed for whatever its on, the dot can be anywhere in the field of view, and that is where the gun (or camera) is pointed. There is no need to center it, which is one of the reasons such sights are so fast on target in action situations.

Another reason they make fast gun sights would also apply to cameras - they have very long eye-relief, so you don't need to be right up against it as you do with a camera view finder, or at some fixed distance as with a rifle scope. Since they don't magnify, or magnify very little, you keep both eyes open and looking at your target, maintaining situational awareness, which should surely help with BIF. The sight is simply interposed between your target and your dominant eye.

Such a sight coupled with a shoulder stock would make for very fast tracking of your camera on target.