The post mistress called. A box had arrived in the village with my name in it. She was sending it out with El Postino right away. 
I love having a local Post Office with someone running it who knows everyone -we must fight to keep it! Anyway, my new second hand camera body had arrived. Mark2. So after spending half the afternoon huffing and puffing and blowing off the dust on the sensor, with my special huffer, (poor Mark2 with its mirror locked open, upside down on the tripod,) I finally got a cleanish image. Still work to do though. 
I could not wait any longer and TonTon and I took mark2 out for a test drive.
Bobby Blanc was happy to put on a few faces for me.
Then with a honk of his horn the speedy courier man came barrelling up the drive with the harness for Hairy. 
He stood quietly while we put it in and off about five times before I got it somewhat right. These things do not come with instructions, one is just supposed to Know. And out he went to visit with Mama.
But hese things take time.. 
Lots of time.
I am sure an audience was not helping. 
Some one has discovered that there are more grapes on top of the trellis.. hmm. If I harvest them now we will have sour wine. If I wait we will have no wine. Maybe they will leave me a little. I am remaking the grave vine into an arbor with a curved structure that big birds cannot land on. Not today though..
The images are too grainy yet so there are some settings I need to work on, however all in all, not bad for $150 dollars. The body is pristine and all the functions seem to work so far. I hope we are back in business for a while. Is there such a thing as a tough camera?
I hope you all have a lovely day. A lovely, lovely day.
celi
What I was doing on this day a year ago. Looks like I was making egg nog and telling another story to my brother’s children about their Dad. It is pretty funny.
The Kitchen's Garden 
36 responses to “Mail for miss c (and Hairy MacLairy). What a day!”
A new camera – YIPPEE, and a very smart one at that – Yay for Celi! What a bargain price too! Maybe I will get you to price washing machines for me soon – ours has now gone off to the hospital in town…and so the saga continues.
🙂 Mandy xo
That washing machine.. what a trial, i only did about ten days without washing before john caved in and bought another one!! c
There is such a thing as a tough camera but the price tag is tough to take. Tough is also heavier and bigger. For 150$ you seem to have done well. The Nikon D300 is the camera to have in your sights. Second hand they are still quite expensive ( that means “very” to me) but worth it. By the way, I can’t the tiny harness on the poodles that we dogsit, so God knows how you approach Hairy:)
Hmm, well i will keep my camera clothed in his body armour, that should help, good tip .. thank you.. Hairy just lets me do it, in fact I had to heave on him to get him up so i could fasten it.. he has always been the laziest ram.. c
Yay! New camera, have fun. Nope, no tough cameras just tough photographers! 😉
apparently!!! all good./c
I’d say the new camera is performing well, from the look of things!
Lucky you, having a good, old fashioned Post Office, where folks still remember how to be good, helpful neighbors. We’re not so lucky. They won’t come down our road to the house to deliver a package, even after we paved it. Nope. Private road. Not Our Job…
There’s no reason for our Tiny Island to have THREE PO’s, either…but that’s a story for another time…
Three post offices and they are closing the country ones out here! How bizarre.. The lady who runs the PO here is a daily blog visitor, so she is as excited about the camera as we are! c
Yaaaay, clap clap, twirl, clap clap, stomp stomp, clap clap. Ok can you let me out the dog box now that was my happy dance Hairy? What colour is the chalk? 🙂 Enjoy the camera miss C – I know we will enjoy the resulting pictures. Laura
The chalk is yellow, he wears it well!! And at this very moment he is reclining under the trees with Mama. just happy to be with sheep again I think. he had had quite enough of hanging out with cows and all their mud. and yes I believe you are officially out of that musty dog box!! c
What a wonderful day for you with those two deliveries. And so refreshing to hear that your local PO treats you so well.
They are pretty cool, in fact i went on a date with the post man when i was 17!! c
OMG, what a ham that Bobby Blanc is! So cute!
Morning Yummy!! c
Sooooooo, there is chalk on Hairy’s harness that when you see it on Mama means that they have been ‘making whoopy’ right? Di
You say your images are grainy and I think they are lovely and soft…love the black silhouette of peacock and grapes.
we keep hearing here not to make home made eggnog anymore because of the raw eggs, but to buy it in the stores. i used to make my own all the time year after year, but now longer have that recipe. do you still make your own? and if so what about the raw eggs, do you worry about this?
I am tickled for your new camera. You will have it all figured out soon. Love the Bawling Baby Bobby Blanc!
The first shot of the horizon and puff clouds is a stunner! I got a second-hand lens recently and it is proving to be a good companion.
I am really impressed with how well you do with all the moving parts to your camera, Celi. I did have a shudder stick and give me so much trouble that I took it in for some work, only to be told by a reputable source that the average life of a good camera today is seven years! I suppose that means until parts begin to freeze and give trouble, not necessarily irreparably, but unless one is handy with such things, the time and cost of repair is exorbitant. I’m glad that you were able to make a purchase and get on with things! I think the photos look really nice, and graininess certainly doesn’t show!
I really enjoy the side by side photos! 🙂 Good morning! Debra
Oh god, cleaning the camera takes ages; all the time one could be photographing and Photoshopping the blobs out later. (kidding) (sort-of) Anyway, good to have a new camera body. Love the photos of Bobby. He’s giving you a look similar to the one my kids give me when I stick the camera in their sweet little faces. 🙂
Yay a new camera! How fun. Well I think Bobby Blanc should be first in line for some pics with that new camera. He’s so darn cute!