First, a photo from a sunny day this week.  I have been using Windows Live Photo Gallery instead of Picasa to download, edit and upload photos.  I have found it FAST and super easy to upload to Flickr, Facebook, Windows Live Writer and Emails.  I like the “instant fix” feature on Picasa better than the Auto Adjust on WLPG, but the WLPG gives you so much more to edit, that one can do it without the Auto Adjust. The photo above was taken in 4-5 shots, in one spot, spinning the camera, then using WLPG to Auto Stitch. The yard in both lawns is straight, other than that, it’s really accurate.

We give a great big thank you to Uncle Obama and his Tax Lovin’ team!  They are passing out a whole lot of Tax Return Money this year to those of us squeaking’ by. So – to show my appreciation – I went out and helped the Economy – by buying a new Camera for me, and Ipod Touches for the boys. To our credit, we had half of the monies saved already – but still. Just doing our part for the Economy and all.

The Canon SX130 is one step up from the camera that I tossed into the Pacific Ocean last March – it has a 12x zoom and a digital card that does a fantastic job of Digital 48x zoom.  There is a bouy out there in the photo, a dark spot between the two boat houses  – that’s where the birds like to sit.

Not bad shots for 48x zoom  – these guys NEVER quit swimming and I just downed two cups of coffee. . . .

Anyone know what kind of bird this is? I’ve been looking at him through the telescope for a couple of weeks and finally got  a shot with the new camera.

See how wide his bill is? Hers?

See how far out they are? The tiny dots out there?

The tan house above is where, or next door to, the Youth House down the street. Young Life and Wild Life!

I am still enjoying taking photos through the telescope. I have not tried with the new Cannon, these shots are with the Nikon L22. The top photo has a hill on the other side of the river to the right. These Coots and Geese like to pick their lawn clean.

The photo below is about all I’ve been able to take of this unknown fellow so far. You can’t see the white around his bill this way. His head almost seems like a buffle head.