Up for over an hour already, no coffee and the kids will be up soon

The remnants of Katrina passed over us today. Not much rain but my wife likes to sleep with the window open and the light shower woke me up this morning so I thought I'd go check and see how much we'd received. Not much, as it turns out but I'm tired and my day has just begun. Must get the coffee on...

Looks like it will clear up well tonight but unless I get overtired I don't know if I'll be able to get the scope out. I really should, as 6 rolls of Konica Centuria Super 800 are itching for starlight in my camera bag.

I'm still flip flopping on what to do, camera wise. I know the right choice is to do film work for at least a while longer but as always, a replacement CCD camera or digital SLR is always something I want to get. They say film is more expensive in the long run but with the depreciation in value of DSLRs and the desire to upgrade every few years I think that is a false economy.

At least it is true that the longer I wait, the cheaper they get though thoughts of trading in my old FD system have just about gone as the value of manual focus equipment has really dropped. I could still get something for it on eBay but the pure buy-out value at Henry's was insulting. I'm told the trade-in value is better.

I could get a Digital Rebel with a lens for $1300 now which is pretty good. I could also get an FD/FL to EOS EF lens adapter(s, could get one with infinity focus and one for macro) to use my old telephoto lenses on it instead of buying new lenses right away; in fact, 1.26x for the infinity-focus adapter my 300mm f/4L lens becomes a ~400mm f/5.6 and this would be a good savings as the 300mm f/4L EOS EF lens is $1800. For family snapshots the included zoom autofocus lens would be great. Or I could just use my Canon FD cameras and lenses to spend no more money.

CCD: I'm thinking about getting a used ST-7 with a filter wheel -- this would allow me to do some serious work though the Hamilton RASC centre has a nice scope and CCD camera I could use without spending any money.

Went to the liquor store pondering some $80-150 scotches and got a $22 bottle of Forty Creek Barrel Select Canadian Whisky instead so I'm being a good boy!

OK, the coffee is on and my son is up. He wants to play Hot Wheels Micro Racers so I must forgo the fast computer for the slow one.

Changing gears

I have found, over the years, that I only have time for one hobby at a time. I throw myself into that hobby, full force, and find switching time between a few is hard UNLESS I can combine them, like astronomy and photography. Years ago it was astronomy, then rally driving, then whisky tasting (yes, as a hobby more than just a drink). Now I am switching gears once again.

OK, tried the writing fiction thing AGAIN, found out AGAIN that it just isn't for me. I'd love to but permanent writer's block seems to be my affliction. Reading can be a hobby but writing is work, for me at least.

I'm BACK into astronomy! I've been out observing more in the past couple of weeks than I had in the past couple of years. It's all coming back now, so check my website for new sketches now, and photos and CCD images soon. I've mostly been sketching the sun and Mars lately, plus doing deep-sky observing but the film and CCD cameras will be out again shortly.

Dropping out of the whisky tasting club. Just not enough going on, just whisky from one independent bottler of late, James Macarthur.