I thought it was time I added a journal entry so you, dear reader, might have something to fill a moment or so of your time.

I live in Christchurch, New Zealand - that's about half way down the south island on the East coast

I'm fast approaching 50 years of age so am looking to resurrect a hobby I had in my youth. Yes I'm talking about photography... I've dug out my old screw-mounted primes and low powered flash guns, bellows units etc. and given them to my son = bostwickenator (I'll work out how to make this a link one day). So at the moment he's trying to work out how to use them in the digital age. This serves two purposes... Firstly he gets to work it out and then tells me how to do it... secondly it's mildly amusing watching him learn about 'old' stuff that we used to have to know back in the days when you couldn't shoot 100 shots and toss them all in the recycle bin because they didn't look right.

I was using a Canon S2IS for the past few years but upgraded earlier this year to a Sony Alpha 200 twin lens kit on the recommendation of said son. This was promptly stolen in a home burglary and finally I have a new replacement courtesy of the lovely people at Vero (the insurance company) The canon has now packed a sad at being usurped and has an E18 error which I think is the sensor = dead message.

All being well I'll also get a M42 to Sony mount and borrow my gear(and his) back.

This weekend is Queens Birthday Weekend in New Zealand so I'm off on the Brass Monkey Motorcycle rally (a mid-life crisis event if ever there was one) down in Central Otago at a place called Oturehua (google it). It will be bloody cold (-10 to -20 Celcius can occur) being in a tent - and snow is forecast this weekend.. So hopefully both the Sony and I will survive and come home with some nice shots of the scenery and characters that make up this event each year in NZ.

All the best for now