Longtail Surprise

Somedays, everything just seems to go your way.  Today has been sort of like that.  At least enough so that all the not so perfect things just bounced right off of me.

First, I woke up and it was Friday.  AND a day off.  Double bonus.  I had time to cross things off the moving list.  I returned a cable box since I sold the TV it was attached to.  I scheduled disconnects and paid my last cable and Internet bill, my last cell phone bill.  I made it to the gym again, finally, motivated by the need to get in and schedule cancellation at least a month prior to leaving.  I grabbed my coin jar to take to the bank, and netted $47.  My habit of stuffing money in my camera bag when I go out to take pictures was also profitable, as I found $88 strewn in various pockets and compartments in there.  And best of all, when I went to the bank I heard a loud chirp and realized a bird was trapped inside the room in the bank with the ATM machines.  That isn't good, but being able catch the little fellow rather easily and watch him fly off out of my hands outside just made my day.  Shibby was also off and we had time to go for a nice healthy lunch -- Quinoa Salad for me at Cafe 10, which was a surprisingly cheap lunch by Bermuda standards.  We had time to match schedules for the remaining 33 days on the island, and book one last spa day.  We pulled out the trusty tourist map, and realized we have done it -- we have explored all the nooks and crannies of the island, which was a relief because it was way too hot to go wandering around this afternoon.  The Newport races are over and the Yacht Club is open to the public tonight, so there is a new place to check out this evening.  It is also Canada Night at the Hog Penny, and a friend from Boston, Lisa, arrived in town today.  And just when I couldn't ask for a better day, I sat down at my computer to review more photos from May.  I noticed yesterday that I had a lot of blue photos with white specks that I had forgotten about from the drive home on my last adventure with Sue.  "There is my topic today," I thought, "A Longtail Too Far."  I would just document another day in my 6 year quest of blurry distant photos in getting a nice picture of a Longtail.

The series started out like normal.  A couple of nice shots, but still too far away even with the bigger lens.  It does at least show the shape and coloring of the birds.

Then to my surprise as I went through them, there were a couple that were closer...but in my excitement they are also blurry.  Now I remember....I was hiding in a shrub, as best as a Canadian girl can blend into a shrub on a cliff, and this one flew over to scold me.

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So close to being a good shot....but yet still so far.  You can see the split in the tail on this one though

Then to my utter shock, I stumbled across 3 shots that are to date the best shots I have ever gotten of longtails, and I had forgotten even taking them!

And that is what amazing days are made of.  Simple pleasures and small surprises.  A smile and feeling content in your own little world.  I am happy.  I am blessed.