Cheers
Shaun
Stan Halpin wrote:
Not so bad here yet. In the whole region they are making comparisons to the Dust Bowl disaster of the 1930's. We had well below normal rainfall this year, mostly coming last spring (March-April). The winter wheat has been planted, it will need some snow cover soon, and then some significant rain this spring . . .stan on 1/07/03 10:11 PM, Shaun Canning at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:How do you define a drought Stan? We have had consistently below average rainfall for 6 years, and are in the midst of the worst drought in recorded history (and it appears to be getting worse, if that's possible). We have farmers in the family, and believe me they are stuffed.... Cheers Shaun Stan Halpin wrote:I enjoyed the pictures. Bittersweet enjoyment. Memories of the 1993 floods here, the all-nighters filling sandbags in a futile attempt to protect homes, the stench of mud in the homes we helped to clean up later, the soggy photo albums and other irreplaceable treasures. . . And now we are in the midst of a drought, and with only a trace of moisture in the last 2 months or so . . . Reminds me of the classic discussion of (bad) statistics, "averages" in particular. Guy has one had in freezing salt water, the other hand in a pot of boiling water. On average he is comfortable. On average, the weather is fine. Are you still above water? stan -------- on 1/05/03 3:51 PM, Cotty at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:The last few days have seen us holding our breath near the River Thames (pronounced Temz) on the outskirts of Oxford, England. Extremely heavy rain last week means the river is now flooding, and within yards of our back door. The water table is so high that the garden is flooded, with no direct access by the river! With high pressure now keeping precipitation at bay, the sun was out with icy temperatures of just above freezing. What better conditions to tempt me out to have a go with my new Manfrotto 190 tripod. Suiting up for cold and water, the rest of the family wanted to join in. The Mrs managed to dig out her MX loaded with Delta 400 and placed the SMC 35mm 2.8 on the front. My son Stefan resisted all attempts to get him to bring his Z-10. Considering he spent the time smashing his wellies through ice-covered fields, perhaps no bad thing. My Manfrotto is the 190 CL B, which means that it's one up from the bog-standard 190, but nowhere near as grandiose as the PRO or the NAT. (ref: http://www.warehouseexpress.com/BINS&SCOPES/TRIPODS/manfrotto.html for reasonable definitions). However, it suits my needs very well. Not as heavy as the 055, I feel I can carry it all day. I now have the 486RC2 ball head which is a decent size and provides very secure and positive locking. Complete with quick release mechanism made of sturdy metal, it felt very capable and at no time was I concerned with losing the camera and lens into the drink between shots. The legs are straightforward circular with secure clamps that take a fair amount of effort to unlock, but happily snap shut quickly and securely. A fast system of allowing the legs to move right through 90 degrees with a single lever push (per leg) means that any terrain can be accommodated. The centre column is triangular and will not rotate in situ. It is reversible. The feet are rubber slip-ons and in an ideal world, adjustable rubber/spikes (as on the NAT) would ensure stability on any surface. I'm more of the school that believes in jamming the thing home as far as possible. In icy, wet, muddy grass, either foot would do. The whole thing looks very posh in black (190 CL B). I wanted something light enough to carry all day, strong enough for my camera/lens weight (Pentax MX / Canon D60), and most importantly, fast and easy to use (with gloves), and no fiddly bits of any kind. I'm really happy with the Manfrotto and heartily recommend it. Three results from an hour's stroll through icy water: http://www.macads.co.uk/snaps/landscapes/images/pic31.html http://www.macads.co.uk/snaps/landscapes/images/pic32.html http://www.macads.co.uk/snaps/landscapes/images/pic33.html Cheerio, Cotty ____________________________________ Oh, swipe me! He paints with light! http://www.macads.co.uk/snaps/ ____________________________________ Free UK Macintosh Classified Ads at http://www.macads.co.uk/ ____________________________________..
-- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Shaun Canning Cultural Heritage Services High Street, Broadford, Victoria, 3658. www.heritageservices.com.au/ Phone: 0414-967644 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
