Le Pouff

Yesterday was a giant bust for me photographically.

It was raining. And thundering. This is an active construction site on the water. 

I arrived, after the weather had cleared, and my photog cohort warned me that it was "Pretty Bad" out there.

She's a good ol' midwesterner, so made of the sterner stuff.

Yes! If pretty bad means knee deep in mud, and covered with mosquitoes. Oh, and did I forget to mention that I hadn't planned to go to the site so I was in flip-flops, shorts, and as the cherry on top: I'd just had acupuncture. Wow, was that a dream come true for the mosquitoes!!! Pre-drilled holes! 

 But wait, baby is in the tree eating, parent is watching-- if I can just scoot through the mangroves in my muddy flip-flops

 With pre-prepared blood seeping out of my skin, like a neon sign: MOSQUITOESSSSS!!!!! BITE HERE!!!

Then, a flurry of flapping! 

OMG, the parent eagle and osprey are talon to talon fighting over the water! Baby is crying!! I am racing in my muddy flip-flops, through the woods, into the water trying to get a shot!!! (BTW, the acupuncturist had just said, "Just don't do anything extreme, or get into any odd positions--moderation, please")

Nada, nothing, no way. I could not get out far enough or fast enough.  The water was too deep.  Sigh.  I trudged back through the brush, warning snakes and scorpions that I was coming through. Hauled my muddy tripod, muddy feet, and unrecognizably nasty flip-flops into the car.  Baby still crying, parent back at the lookout tree. For the first time in this adventure, I just gave up...

 On the bright side, here are some photos from Monday.

Baby just suddenly pouffed up like a little puffball! It unpouffed just as quickly as it pouffed.  Maybe baby saw something I didn't, or maybe it was part of the big grooming...