This is a picture of a mature bee collecting his last load of pollen before the Fall of the year.

Bumble bee

Thanks, for the comment. It was on my front porch and I just reached around the post and placed the camera below him and shot upward. I could not see to focus on him. It took about 4 exposures to get this photograph. This was done with the new Panasonic FZ200.

Looking for food

Praying mantis

I do not know about Obama supporters but my wife swears by it. She has done it successfully for years,

Oh, I stand corrected. I mistakenly took it as a discussion about rich wolves.

Amen, Brucej67 I spent almost 18 years as a CEO for a corporation in Salt Lake City. I came to know many Mitt Romney's.

That is true. I remember when enough hay had been gleaned in the rake the operator hit a lever with his foot and the rake would dump. That is the way we made windrows. They were fed to the hay baler to make bales. It was powered by a tractor power takeoff. There were plenty of people I knew that was hurt by this particular model baler.

Hay Baler 1940s-50s

I intended to type 1950 instead of 1050 but I must have hit the wrong key.

We were still using this old hay rake on the farm in 1050,

Mule powered hay rake

I find that it takes a while to process a photograph. Am I doing something wrong or is the processor small.

I played with my new Panasonic FZ200 most of the day. I am reading the 200 page manual and getting ready to spend my vacation in St Augustine, Fl. It is a birthday present from Linda. She said, " Make a birthday wish." I said. " I wish to have another 80 years photographing but quickly added of course more than that with you." The first camera I owned was a Kodak box camera, The film was only 0.25 cents per roll. If I remember correctly there was about 7 or 8 exposes. The negatives were about 2x3 or something like that.

I have almost read 10 pages of my 200 page owners manual. It must be finished by 10/10/12. I love to read it about as much as I loved Dick and Jane in school. Unbelievably I found face recognition for Spot in it already. I love the new camera and have played with it almost all week. I am totally mesmerized with it. I wonder if I will even have buyers remorse when I receive my credit card statement, it is so awesome? I also ordered a flash and some ND filters. I would order the close up lens but I have several for my Olympus I can use it when I need a macro of an exceptional quality.

One of the first photographs


My new camera

You are right, it has been a long time since I have enjoyed anything as much as I do my new camera, I think I have learned enough now to go to the tracks and take some pictures of the trains, If I do get to go today. I will post some photographs.

I am sure it was cheaper than doing it yourself. I wish I had thought of that before I wasted several cartridges of ink and broke my printer, that is life. I may do it yet at least I will have a nice small note pad.

I think I will love it and that is what everyone says. I will put it to the test around my birthday 10/10/when we go to St Agustin Fl. for our vacation. I hope they have plenty of gators to photograph I love to do them.

I understand what you are saying. I have two Panasonic video camera's and one 5 m.p point and shoot. Linda has a 12mp P&S Olympia that has done a fine job. I found that helpful when trying to understand the manual after reading the other manuals so closely. I also have an Olympus that I loved but the baggage became too much. If I have as much fun with this FZ200 as I did with my Olympus that will be rewarding enough. Although, you can never sell a used camera; you will just wind up giving it away so I had rather keep mine. I will just take it out in butterfly season because I have a couple of 500mm lens and set up my tripod.