This beautiful contraption is an 1899 Orient Autogo Quadricycle. Only 3 of these are known to exist worldwide. The engine is a 2 1/4 HP DE Dion-Bouton. It was made in France and purchased by an American who later became an importer of the Orient cycles and the Dion-Bouton engines to the U.S. A subsequent owner, for unknown reasons, buried it in his yard where it remained for over 50 years. It was in 2005 when that man's son-in-law exhumed it and had it restored to the impeccable condition as you see it now.

I followed everyone's advice and performed the following tasks to see if the problem continued, waited one week to see if the battery was dead:

1. Left a fully charged, non-OEM battery (Kaster) in the camera
2. Verified that the camera contained the latest firmware
3. Bluetooth and wi-fi turned off
4. Meike lens adapter unattached
5. No lens attached, just front cap.

After one week of leaving the camera in the cabinet, the battery was still fully charged. I don't know which of the issues was the cause, but the issue seems to be resolved. I will store the camera as is from now on and only load adapter and/or lens as needed for use.

I thank everyone for their responses and their help in resolving this issue. Merry Christmas.

I usually do not process or keep "portrait" type images, but occasionally if I have only one flawed, but maybe salvageable image of a species, I might try to make the save. This is one of those. This is a Great Tinamou, a large, but very secretive bird of Central America rainforests. They have been hunted for a long time and have become very wary in most places. You often hear them at dawn, before the sun rises, but you do not see them often. I saw this one only briefly and had only a fleeting moment to shoot. I was using way too lens (840 mm) and was hand holding so the shot was marginal. Instead of trashing it, I cropped down to the following head shot. Shot with Canon R5, 600 mm f/4.0 + 1.4x extender, handheld at f/5.6, SS 1/320. ISO 10,000. Processed in PS after conversion in DXO Pure Raw 3, and passed through Topaz De Noise prior to conversion to JPEG.

About 2 months ago I got a quote from these folks for a Canon GS9, $175. I sent it off, 3 weeks later they offer me $148. That camera was new, in the box, extra battery and a case. Not worth arguing about, so took their offer. 3 weeks ago I sent in my Nikon 300mm PF after receiving their offer of $515. Took them 8 days to advise me they had received the lens, and another 8 days to send me their offer: $355. Really?? 3 weeks for them to change their offer on a like new lens, with everything that came in the box, and the box as well. No explanation. I called, waited 15 minutes to talk to someone who had no reason, so I told them to return it.

I personally will never do business with them again. When the lens is returned, I will post it here for $500, then if there is no interest it will go to B&H, who presently have offered $515.

CM

The first car shown is a special production 1963 Corvette Grand Sport. Only 5 of these cars were made. Chevrolet wanted to get after the Cobras that were being brought to top-level racing by the Shelby bunch. Taken to the Nassau Speed Weeks races and driven by Roger Penske, Dick Thompson, and Jim Hall, these Corvettes demolished all of the cars in the top division, including all of the Cobras that were entered . The Grand Sport Corvettes were powered by a 377 C.I. engine making 485 H.P.

After the Speed Weeks event, Chevy ,and all the other U.S. manufacturers, withdrew from racing at the factory level and 2 of the Grand Sports were sold to independent racing groups. I don't know what happened to the other 3.

The second car shown is the Corvette Bondine. This is the only one made and it was put on display at the 1963 Paris Auto Show. Chevrolet contracted with the Italian design firm, Pininfarina, to build the all-metal body. Pininfarina also contributed some special interior appointments. After the show was over, the car was kept in Pininfarina's factory museum for 40 years until it was sold to a private collector.