The lens returns

Recently, my Canon extender just gave in and dropped the 70-200 lens to the ground. In my impulse to stop the lens from hitting the ground, I put my foot out to "catch" it. It was a painful mistake. First the foot took a few days to heal. The lens was not broken but just dented. 

Sent the lens and extender to Canon service to get fixed. The lens came back and it would mount on the camera body okay. The extender which was supposedly fixed, had the same problem. Canon made me send it back again to be checked out by a "senior technician".  The whole ordeal cost 500$ for a problem caused by a Canon part malfunction. Unfortunately, the warranty on the extender expires in 3 years and this was year 4. Even if it was valid, it would not cover the more expensive lens that goes on the extender.

Finally got a chance this evening to put the lens on the extender and see if the whole assembly worked like before.

Looks like it .. 

This little one went for the same flowers every ten minutes or so. 

Got it on the third cycle. 1/1600 th of a second, f5.6, ISO 3200 and still cannot catch the wings. 

Will try 1/4000 or 1/8000 tomorrow and see how it goes. Hopefully the bird will visit when it is brighter outside.

Warning to folks like me who buy 300 dollar extenders in an attempt to not spend on a 400mm zoom lens. Bad idea. The extender fails, your lens is toast! 

Just talk to the CFO at home, use my painful example and get yourself that 400mm lens!

A very special day

Last year, the kids made me choose between spending time with them for "Father's day" or going to the usual yoga class. 

This year, thanks to the UN and Narendra Modi and a billion other folks, today is International Yoga day. So the rest of the world called me to wish a happy father's day, my MIL called me to wish me a "happy Yoga day" and we knew that there was no skipping yoga.

After class the dads get roses! First kid to hug me (after I showered of course) was going to get the rose.. but they were both very quiet. Apparently they had just made the cards and the cards were still wet!

Loved the cards. They are both doing great in the arts department.

Then we had lunch and we saw a note from the yoga studio that said "post pictures of dads doing yoga with their kids". San lined up the camera and initially the kids were reluctant and conscious of their poses.. but then they opened up nicely and were all smiles!

We have many pictures of these two trying yoga poses from years ago.. 

They decided to try the Triangle pose 

 Yes.. we have a few pentagons there.. but they can be fixed in time. The little one has had a growth spurt of sorts. Even after explaining the difference between a triangle and a pentagon, the little one goes "I am doing exactly what you are doing! so stop correcting me!". 

If there is one thing I have to teach her in life, it is "how to learn".

Step 1: Listen to your teacher

Step 2: Don't say "I already know!"

Step 3: Follow instructions to the best of your ability and understanding

After many an aborted takeoff...

We finally flew together. San did a great job and kept clicking in hopes that there will be at least one photo of these poses that will have all three of us doing the same thing. The girls kept joking, laughing and giggling throughout 

Their smiles made my day!

Finally Jr. suggested we try to sit in lotus pose and lift our bodies off the ground. Have been trying to get them to sit in lotus pose, even if for a few seconds to a minute, few times a week. 

They did it with a smile! 

Wishing everyone out there a very happy Father's day and Yoga day!

Backyard critters

Now that the flu has come and gone, went back to do Yoga after a week. It was one of those classes where your body knows it has been there before, as does your mind, but things have become rusty. You think you are lifting your leg up 45 degrees and the mirror and all those images of your 4th grade math teachers tell you.. "are you kidding?"

Anyways, as usual I meander away from the topic. Things will get better again over time, till the next set of germs come.

Decided that some time will be spent just sitting in one place, camera in hand, to photograph the things that move around in the backyard. Was not disappointed..  

These two are raising a family on that tree. 

This fellow makes quite a racket on the bushes.. 

 These baby robins were playing around. It was a treat to watch.

 I have no idea what this bird is... but he visited us for a very short time.

Then came the bunny.. our new neighbors need to be warned about this guy. 

He has quite a reach!

Sat there for a good hour trying to capture this hummingbird in flight. Not a single shot came out okay. Need to put a bird feeder in the backyard. There are at least 8 hummingbirds in our backyard. Their acrobatics are amazing. Will try to take pictures of them.. has to be easier with a bird feeder.

The bumble bee was too fast to capture too..

While all this was going on in the backyard, my wife calls and says, we saw a deer in our front yard.. come take a picture of that.. It was like all the animals knew that I was ready with the camera!

This one was posing for me!

Feel much better today.. sometimes all it takes is to do yoga, have a good lunch, nap with the little one and sit in one place in the backyard and see (and mostly hear) nature sounds. 

Have put water in a bucket for the critters. The ground is parched because we had shut off the sprinkers. Today, I turned on the sprinklers for some time. The worms are out and the birds are now on the ground. 

The drought is probably hitting them a lot more than it is hitting us. Dry lawns, less flowers, no veggie garden this year to attack for the bunnies.. 

Everything said and done, an afternoon of peace.