Butterflies and unseelies
And I thought the Homestead was rather... eerie when it was full of people.
After work I dragged LeKid back out the Union Mills to finish getting pictures. Gave her a fairly new digital that I don't really use. (Actually bought it to replace the one she broke a year ago but she refused it then, saying she'd stick to film.) We got there and since it was early (I get off work earlier on Sundays) there were no butterflies.
Anyways, we went ahead and tried to finish taking photos of things we had not gotten to Saturday because I was on my last legs after being awake since the day before. Kid's almost new (under 30 photos, less than a year old) digital kept having problems. First it drained the battery in under two shots. Then it wiped its memory card. Put in new batteries, freshly purchased and still in sealed pack this morning. Three photos later, she crosses the yard to try and take a photo of what had been the smoke house before it was linked to the Homestead as the family grew. This is same place the digital died before... and yes, it did it again. Batteries drained. Memory card wiped clean.
As I look over at her when she calls my name, I thought I saw something on the screen. Then my nice, never had a problem before, 2 year old Nikon goes blank. I check, battery is fine. I had just charged it. But the screen said that the memory card is un-readable. Then it flashed stating that the memory card was un-usable. My response was unprintable.
I turned the camera off and we look at each other and move away from the house. Back out in sunlight and away from ancient fir trees, I turn my camera back on and it shows no photos stored on it. I figured I had lost those pictures I had taken and Kid and I agree to head back to car and go home. We also decide NOT to go past that side of the Homestead and walk along the top of the hill and around - the long way. Just to see what happens I snap a couple of photos of the unpainted side of the house and we get down to the old cross roads. Now my camera shows that it still has the original photos I had stored on the camera, the dozen or so I took before Kid's camera died, and the four I took after we decided to go home. I ended up taking a few more of the Mill and it's sub buildings but then we did go home.
And the photos? Kid's camera is still completely kaput. Her SD card is blank. And she's very upset with the Homestead. Since both of us found the place to be slightly eerie and more than a little dark (which I had put off as poor lighting) we've agreed no more visits to the actual Homestead.
After getting some sleep, not as much as I should have but hey, for me, five hours is a lot. I was up and dragging Kid out to find butterflies. Why? Partly because I wanted to see if my Nikon was working normally again. And partly because it would get me out of the house and moving.
We went up to Bear Branch. Monarchs. Little Yellow Sulfurs. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails. They were everywhere. I walked myself tired trying to get good pictures. The afternoon was bright, just warm enough without being too hot. And I must admit, it was fun.
Best of all... my camera still works so tomorrow's trip to Lily Pons is on!
After work I dragged LeKid back out the Union Mills to finish getting pictures. Gave her a fairly new digital that I don't really use. (Actually bought it to replace the one she broke a year ago but she refused it then, saying she'd stick to film.) We got there and since it was early (I get off work earlier on Sundays) there were no butterflies.
Anyways, we went ahead and tried to finish taking photos of things we had not gotten to Saturday because I was on my last legs after being awake since the day before. Kid's almost new (under 30 photos, less than a year old) digital kept having problems. First it drained the battery in under two shots. Then it wiped its memory card. Put in new batteries, freshly purchased and still in sealed pack this morning. Three photos later, she crosses the yard to try and take a photo of what had been the smoke house before it was linked to the Homestead as the family grew. This is same place the digital died before... and yes, it did it again. Batteries drained. Memory card wiped clean.
As I look over at her when she calls my name, I thought I saw something on the screen. Then my nice, never had a problem before, 2 year old Nikon goes blank. I check, battery is fine. I had just charged it. But the screen said that the memory card is un-readable. Then it flashed stating that the memory card was un-usable. My response was unprintable.
I turned the camera off and we look at each other and move away from the house. Back out in sunlight and away from ancient fir trees, I turn my camera back on and it shows no photos stored on it. I figured I had lost those pictures I had taken and Kid and I agree to head back to car and go home. We also decide NOT to go past that side of the Homestead and walk along the top of the hill and around - the long way. Just to see what happens I snap a couple of photos of the unpainted side of the house and we get down to the old cross roads. Now my camera shows that it still has the original photos I had stored on the camera, the dozen or so I took before Kid's camera died, and the four I took after we decided to go home. I ended up taking a few more of the Mill and it's sub buildings but then we did go home.
And the photos? Kid's camera is still completely kaput. Her SD card is blank. And she's very upset with the Homestead. Since both of us found the place to be slightly eerie and more than a little dark (which I had put off as poor lighting) we've agreed no more visits to the actual Homestead.
After getting some sleep, not as much as I should have but hey, for me, five hours is a lot. I was up and dragging Kid out to find butterflies. Why? Partly because I wanted to see if my Nikon was working normally again. And partly because it would get me out of the house and moving.
We went up to Bear Branch. Monarchs. Little Yellow Sulfurs. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails. They were everywhere. I walked myself tired trying to get good pictures. The afternoon was bright, just warm enough without being too hot. And I must admit, it was fun.
Best of all... my camera still works so tomorrow's trip to Lily Pons is on!