So, my big accomplishment for the day?

Copying my images for May onto CDs.

All 2.9 MB of them. Worked out to seven CDs. 'Course, that's actually fourteen CDs, since I anally insist on a back-up version of each.

Not a copied copy of the orginal, mind you, which would be simple, but also duplicate any errors on the originals. No, each CD has to be recreated from scratch.

And, of course, each individual image needs to be checked to ensure it copied correctly.

Thousands of 'em.

On both the original and the duplicates. Because, from barely lucky experience and this anal attention to detail, I have discovered errors and lost images on as many as one out of four CDs.

It's the CDs, not the burner. Latest two manufacturers seem to have higher quality, and had no errors today. But still, just in case, you know...

Anyway, 14 CDs burned and checked. Over 6,000 images. Twice each.

So much for May.

Now then, on to June, July, August, September and October.

Just for fun, a GrousePic from May. Which, given the bare nature of the trees, could just as easily have been taken this month.

And Cali911gal, thanks for the compliment. What I use is an Olympus C750. Chosen primarily for the 10X optic lens (roughly equivalent to a 320mm lens, which is near max for hand-held shots), but also because it can do video with sound, for as much space as you've got on your memory card.

Only 4 megapixels. Which was a lot when I bought it, but now barely worth mentioning.

It also uses standard AA batteries, so there is no extensive manufacturers' battery to replace, or keep for a back-up. Recommended for rechargeable AA batteries, but worse comes to worse, you can use regular ones if that's all you can buy.

A major selling point.

Has both an LCD screen and digital viewfinder, so what you see in the viewfinder is what you're going to get. The LCD screen sucks battery juice fast, but using just the viewfinder, 4 AA batteries will last half a long day (with the camera always on).

Just checked the web. Olympus no longer makes this camera, but you can buy them now for less than half what I paid.

Drawbacks:

The auto focus takes forever (as in, a half-second or so), which can be a major pain in the ass when trying to take photos of critters. Or airplanes flying overhead, frisbees in flight, etc.

You can rapid shoot up to 16 images, depending on file size, but then you gotta wait to let the thing empty them from memory to the memory card. A matter of only a few seconds, but flying in a plane at 180 knots or so, that's easily too long. Perfect light in a sunset or sunrise can disappear in ten seconds or less.

It's slow to start up, too. Again, maybe only 5-10 seconds from a cold start, but that's too long if things are running or flying by. Hence my turning it on when the sisters and I head into the field, and it staying on until we get home. An eight battery day.

Because of the long (retracting) lens necessary for 10X optical, it doesn't fit well in pockets. Vest and winter coat pockets, yes, but not shirts, jeans (or, I assume, skirts). When running check stations it is usually in the vest pocket (taking lots of images of the inside of the pocket). Otherwise, in its case on the floorboards by the transfer case.

Umm, let's see. A reader loaned me a Nikon for a month way back when (in the archives somewhere), and I was really impressed with the color of its images. Shots from this Olympus seem faded compared to my old one.

Melissa gets great, natural colors with her camera, which I believe is a Canon, and does not have the annoying delays that I get with mine (gnashing of teeth).

I also have a 2X converter, macro lens and wide angle lens set I bought with my previous Olympus which fit the C750 as well. Rarely use the 2X (but did last weekend), or the wide-angle (rainbows are about it). Use the macro a lot in the spring, with desert flowers. But (here comes the embarrassing part)... I can't tell you where I got them.

I don't know.

In a naivete I am loathe to admit, many years ago I simply figured out the camera I wanted, and went to Yahoo.com to buy it. But they don't really sell these things, they just front for other businesses that do. So, between the camera, case, battery chargers, macro, 2X coverter and wide-angle lens, and other miscellany, I sent over $1,000 to someone over the internet, and had no idea who.

And everything worked out just fine.

Sometimes I feel like Constable Benton Fraser.