Frigid Frustrations and Falling Leaves

I get so frustrated these days.  I have a Nikon D60 dslr camera.  I know it's pretty much an entry level camera and that's okay, because I'm an entry level dslr user!!!

But I absolutely know that the camera is capable of lots better pictures than I seem to be able to pull out of it.  I've been scouring the manual as well as another book on the D60 and just seem to be going in circles.   There is so much information to be absorbed!!   The camera came with two lenses, an 18-55 mm and a 55-200, both with vibration reduction and auto focus.  So, I ought to be able to get at least some decent pictures.   I do okay with landscapes and such, but taking pictures of moving creatures is a whole other story!  

I really like photographing birds, but the 200 mm lens is woefully short for that kind of thing and I will not spend any money on a better lens until I at least come close to mastering the use of this camera!!    I've taken one so-called class but was very disappointed with it.  I already knew about 90% of what he covered and he was very disorganized.  Thankfully, it didn't cost a bunch. 

On to other things.  We've had a cold winter thus far, with numerous nights below freezing.  That is not the norm for us here near the coast.  Right now its about 45 and drizzling rain.  We have considerably more cold weather in the forecast.   My potted plants are all sitting in a group in front of the garden house, just in case they have to be taken in again!!  

In a week or so, it'll be time to get any pruning done and to finish applying compost, new topsoil and new mulch to the flower beds.  Actually, February 14 is the traditional day in the south for planting the potatoes, peas, etc.    And tomato seeds can be started then also.   I doubt sincerely that we will have  a garden at all.  We normally travel quite a bit in the summer and we're never home to harvest whatever we might have planted!!  

I have numerous live oaks in my yard and that's both a good thing and a bad thing.  Good in that it has green leaves year round and is wonderful shade and the birds love them.  Bad in that they don't shed their leaves all at one time, but in waves, thereby making it necessary to rake leaves numerous times over the course of the winter and early spring.  

They've been raked once already in late November and are being raked again now.  Then give it two or three weeks, depending on the weather, and it'll be time to rake them again.  In a heavy leaf year, we sometimes gather up between 50 and 75 bags of leaves on top of what we can use in the back area as mulch.   We have a couple of people who are happy to take them off our hands, and even come help rake them, too!!  



Y'all take care.