Highlights in the yard.....with my new camera!!

So, first off, this is the little camera I've been using for the past 8 years. It's been dropped a few times, hence the duct tape. In the past year, the LCD screen only works to view your pictures. You can't use the screen for taking pictures. Thankfully there is also a viewfinder for the eye. But that viewfinder is not accurate. So to take a picture of a subject you have to take a few shots to make sure you took a picture of your intended subject. Kind of like shooting in the dark...

But it worked. And it took pretty darn good pictures.

I did, however, miss the flexibility (and lens options!) of my film SLR camera. LOVED my Canon Rebel. But using film is just not practical, and once you get used to digital, well....it's hard to go back! So I've had this camera sitting on my wish list at Amazon for several years. The money comes and the money goes, and, well, the camera has just not been a priority.

This morning though, my family thoroughly surprised me for my birthday (really, I thought I *might* be lucky enough to upgrade my iPod!) with a digital SLR camera. Sweet. My lenses are interchangeable, but I have to get used to the fact that the lens settings are magnified x 1.6 when put on a digital camera. (So a 100 mm. setting on a film camera is 160 on a digital.) I still haven't figure out how that will affect me, but I'm sure it will.

As I've only had the camera for a few hours, I've only read the pocket guide. But I had to get out and take some pictures. I have a lot to learn, but am so happy to be able to start learning!

Here are some highlights in our yard right now. These are a few of my very first pictures!


A native red currant (Ribes sanguinum) that we just planted last week. These catch my eye every year, and I'm thrilled that I found a place for one in the yard!


Pear blossom from a grafted 4 variety tree. Last year was the first year it flowered. Maybe we'll get a pear this year? How long does it take for them to get fruit?
Blueberry blossoms!! YUM!!!!

Bird nest that is being built in the middle of our evergreen clematis. It's been fun watching the birds build this. The plant is right outside my dining room window. I've been sewing on the table the past few days, watching them build. They've also spent hours trying to fly directly into the window!

Bud from our rhodie. What I love about rhodies is that the bud color is so very different from the blossom color. This blossom will be a peachy yellow.

Kids and dogs playing on a warm spring day. Does it really get any better than this?