Our month of cruising from Florida to the Bahamas to the Turks and Caicos Islands has come to an end. We’re home again and back to the regular routine – with a twist. During our voyage, whenever we had internet, texts and emails had been flying back and forth between me and my sister Patty, who just happened to have located the perfect Corgi puppy and was twisting my arm to adopt her.

So having arrived home Thursday night, next morning Patty and I were off to the breeder to bring home the newest member of the family. Now, as I write this blog, a fluffy ball of fur is getting into trouble at my feet – nibbling on electric cords, chewing on the German Shepherd’s tail, and in general just bouncing around looking adorable. Her name is Truffle, and she is very photogenic at the moment – so the AVATAR Logs will be sharing a few photos unrelated to cruising.

When it comes to photography, the best laid plans sometimes go awry. A Great White Egret has been hanging around the property for the past couple of days, so I gathered up my tripod and big lens and made several attempts to photograph him – all to no avail. At the barest squeak of the hinges on the kitchen door, he would fly away. He made the rounds from nearby Sabino Creek (which is currently running due to snow melt), to our swimming pool, to the roof of the guest house, and back across the river to hunt for lizards and ground squirrels in the desert. But not once did he make himself available to the camera.

I ended up photographing a cooperative roadrunner instead. We have roadrunners in abundance, but I usually see them running around in the back yard on the mowed lawn, which doesn’t seem like an appropriate backdrop for wildlife photography. This time, as I patiently waited for the egret, I spotted a roadrunner making his way through the dead winter grasses and emerging spring flowers. And when I had enough roadrunner photos, I brought the dogs out to keep me company while I patiently waited some more for the egret. Soon I was photographing our new puppy instead.

Click on any thumbnail below to open a full screen slideshow: