Playing with my new camera

Super Macro.

What does that mean?

It means you can focus in on a subject that is 1cm from your lens.
It means you can get up close and personal with ice, snow, fungi,...and this spring...flowers!

The camera performed pretty well. I am gaining a feel for how it focuses in each 'mode'. I like the 'landscape' mode used on the photo with Morris's reflection in the creek as well as the macro and super macro mode.
When I got home I used a 'motion' mode to grab head shots of the mules. The shutter was faster and when I put the 'focus brackets' on a mule's head the camera followed the head.
Amazing.

Morris and I took off for what we thought would be an easy hike down to the creek.
Morris wanted to quit I think half way through the meadow. He had to follow my snowshoe tracks and still was nearly up to his chin in snow.
A few times he paused and stood with one paw shaking, held slightly up. He seemed hesitant about going with me [which is not normal!].

At one point I saw a large bird fly down out of the trees on the edge of the forest.

I had to look twice.
A magnificent bald eagle swooped into the air and circled lazily. I picked up Morris and asked him if he saw the eagle. [Yeah right, like he would answer...but he licked my face.]

So I carried him to the fence line then tried not to drop him face first into the deep snow. We finally did make it to the creek where I took my snowshoes off and carried them.

Following the creek we could really walk fast, sometimes hopping from rock to rock to cross the water.

I was surprised at how well I got along with the new Pentax. I have to have many more practice sessions with it to get the 'most' out of it.
And NO I did not submerge it in the creek to see how well it held up to its underwater capabilities.
The air temperature was only 9 degrees. I have no idea what the wind chill factor may have been.
Best not to tempt fate, right?

[I do know that my face still feels like I've gotten a sunburn though.]

On the way home Morris 'rode' in a sling for part of the way [yeah, I'm a softie]. I fashioned one out of my scarf, and Morris rode proud and happy.
When he realized we were close to home, he took a leap, took a header into the snow and boogied only like he can.

He was sitting at the back door when I arrived home.
[Sure and I felt like I could have used a lift...especially after the snowshoe malfunction...]

It was a fantastic hike.