For several months my compact camera has intermittently malfunctioned in several ways. One of the irritating features was when I pressed the zoom function it started video recording instead. On my recent walk in Shrewsbury the zoom function failed completely.

I take pleasure in photographing what I see when I am out and about and although I have my larger ‘mirrorless’ camera that is not convenient on every adventure.

I was reluctant to choose the same make camera that had failed, it is the second that has failed me and Mr C’s camera of the same make (and model) recently stopped functioning properly. I settled on a Canon G7X MkII and searched for the cheapest option from a reputable supplier. I was surprised to find a kit including the camera, memory card and flexible mini tripod had recently been reduced. It was cheaper than buying the camera on its own. A bargain not to be missed!

My planned afternoon walk in the sunshine testing out my camera didn’t go according to plan, I ended up with a quick walk along a local pathway as the sun was setting. I am happy with the quality of the images and I am reminded why I always loved Canon cameras.

I now have to get to grips with the menu system so I can fine tune my photographic ideas.

Yesterday we undertook a day trip to visit my Aunt who lives in Manchester. There was a time when we always used the same tried and tested route to her house. That was until I purchased a new SatNav last year and tested it out on a visit to my Aunt. The SatNav took us on a completely different, but very enjoyable route past Jodrell Bank and the Manchester City Stadium and as we neared her house it bypassed all the narrow Coronation Street type roads that we were used to travelling along.

At the point of choosing a destination the new SatNav always picks the best route to fit your selected criteria. This means that the routes are subject to change. Yesterday was no different… As we were driving along the Live Traffic feature identified a route that was three minutes quicker and asked if we wanted to choose it. We chose the new route, which took us down a tree lined lane which was especially  beautiful with the sun shining through the leaves and branches. As we turned a corner in the lane we came across a flock of sheep being herded down the lane. The SatNav works well with Live Traffic information but not so well with predicting a mobile sheep block

On the way home we were expecting the SatNav to take us through the Cheshire countryside past Jodrell bank which would have been delightful in the evening sunshine. But no the SatNav had other ideas and took us back by our own tried and tested route…

John Ruskin (1819 – 1900)

As part of the garden project the front of the house has also been tackled. The small island border has been removed and re-turfed. The euonymus has been relocated to the back garden and the daffodil bulbs are temporarily in a pot. I like the new look

Whilst working on the front garden I noticed that we had a new neighbour. For a few weeks I had seen him flying around with two companions and was surprised to see that he had taken up temporary residence in what looks like a very uncomfortable position!

There have been no major changes since my last photographs, but on the whole the garden is a lot tidier than it was. I have persuaded Mr C to help me with the Laurel at the weekend. I need the top cutting off before I go about tidying up the sides.

The next major task is to continue the wall around the patio area and dig out a border behind. This I will fill with low growing plant so that the the rest of the garden can still be seen from the bench I intend to put in front of living room window. This will give a nice line of view from the living room too. Part of this task is concealing two of the wheely bins, the recycling been will be relocated to the garage along with the other recycling boxes.

When this has been done we will tackle the shed, which up until last year was covered and sheltered by the branches of ‘My Oak Tree’. As you can see the shed is in a state of collapse and is to be replaced by a new one with a door on the side. At the same time we intend to extend the top patio slightly.

Well that is the plan for now, but all plans are subject to change

The photos in this post are taken with a new compact camera that I treated myself to. I wanted something small enough to keep in my handbag for those unexpected photo opportunities when I wished I had my camera with me. Photographs taken with my camera phone are always disappointing. The camera sales man was not doing a very good job of selling me any of the cameras that I asked about, leaving me to figure it out for myself. I ended up with a good deal, but that is a story for another day