Finally Back in Action - May 02

Hey all, since the last time i posted here i broke my D7100 body and the 1.4x tele it was attached to when i slipped and fell over backwards on the little wooden bridge at Hastings park. I was talking to a lovely older lady about birds when it happened but thankfully my body survived without injury and most importantly my 500mm f4 lens survived the fall as well.
So the ordeal of sending D7100 back to Nikon in Ontario for repair began. 
Kind of wish Nikon still had their office in Richmond but they closed it for some reason and i had to do the shipping myself this time, which i did. 
They returned the lens in around 3 weeks but it cost $400 to repair. 
I didn't bother getting the 1.4x tele repaired but i did find it difficult to find a replacement but did find a used one on B&H (the new teleconverter Nikon released a while back doesn't work with my older 500mm f4 alas).
Months ago i wrote about the new Nikon D500 camera body and after a prolonged wait (it was supposed to be released in March but was delayed until the end of April) i finally got one in my hands this weekend.
I was able to take a small sample of shots but realized that the new RAW files wouldn't work with Photoshop CS 6 (much like D7100 RAW files wouldn't open in CS5) so i broke down and signed my life away to Photoshop CC (the monthly paid Cloud version - i figure it costs about the same as Netflix monthly, i can handle that).
I wasted my time waiting for the new camera on Facebook, sharing old shots there for the first time to a few bird groups, it was cool but i knew that i would much rather share new shots on here and now finally i can.
I feel better mentally about stuff too, talking a little break here and there from it all is something i need to do sometimes, i think of myself as a phoenix rising from the ashes, striving to be a better person, friend etc.
So first impressions of the new D500 are positive, i know i made the right choice. 
I'm still waiting for the pre-ordered battery grip to ship, Nikon is behind with the accessories.

Checked out Burnaby Lake on Sunday morning













On Saturday i was so out of practice that i forgot to bring my lens hood for the 500f4 along, doh, took shots anyways while re-visiting Hastings park (where it all broke down originally).





Nothing too special as far as shots go but i was kind of easing into it again, as well as getting to know the new camera, next weekend i'll be spreading my wings a bit more.