My intent is not to trivialize infirmities either. We had been talking about interests and activities (as part of the depression screening part of the visit), and the doctor was making a point to me that many times, what happens is that we get to the point that we can't simply because we didn't. He also pointed out to me that if we get to the place that we can't manage a 4 or 5 pound camera, we also can't manage a half gallon of milk (4.25 pounds), a small bag of sugar (usually 4 pounds now, sometimes 5), or a small bag of cat food (5 pounds). It made a big enough impact on me that I just wanted to pass it along.

I had a desk job for 40 years. I decided I needed some exercise so I did some early morning jogging. That got old, (and cold) so I decided that if I were going to exercise I would get something tangible for the effort. So I started farming.

At first, the farming was part time. I bought a tractor (the excuse was that our riding lawn mower/snow blower quit so I got a tractor with a 5' mower and a bucket to deal with the snow). Then I found a deal on a plow and a harrow. Then I rented some land and planted pumpkins. A local orchard bought the pumpkins and that suckered me in.

Kept the day job until the funding source got iffy, then retired from the paying job. Full time on the farm. During the late spring, summer and fall, it was 15/7. Spring was reasonable and I got a month off (mid-December to mid-January), then planning, buying seeds, starting the greenhouse, then planting and we were off.

During that time I was moderately fit. I had no problem lugging around two bodies and assorted lenses.

When I was 78 my wife died and since she was an integral part of the farm, the next year was pretty tough. So I retired from the farm. Found a new wife. Moved away. I go to the gym 5 days a week but it's not quite enough. Started to have health problems. Got a pacemaker. Needed cortisone shots for my developing arthritis. I can still get up if I fall, but it's getting harder. Age is not for cowards.

I can't say for sure that the farm work would have kept me going since I can't go back and try something different, but I do see a lot of farmers in their 80s and 90s still being able to hack it. One of my problems is that I now spend more time on the computer, exercising my butt.

At 82.5 I can still carry my DSLRs with the heavy lenses, but it's not as easy as it used to be. I want to keep in shape but the shape keeps changing. Will do it as long as I am able.

Since I joined UHH almost 5 years ago, it seems that there has continually been an active discussion based around lightening the photographic load -- dumbing current cameras and lenses in favor of a new system that is lighter or more portable. Despite the fact that I'm now slowly approaching my 72nd birthday, that has not been a question for me yet. I've been thinking that when and if it ever does become an issue, it's going to be a big problem, for at least a couple of reasons. The first is that I really like the equipment I have been using. I've been using either my current cameras or their direct predecessors since switching to digital about 17 years ago, and I really like them a lot. The second is that financially, a switch would probably be an unmanageable hit, since my current equipment is promised to a friend, and I've already begun transferring some of it. The third is that I have tried some of the smaller, lighter equipment and really don't like it. The D90 that I'm using for IR photography is fine for that, but I'd go nuts trying to use it all the time.

A couple of weeks ago, I had my annual wellness visit with my doctor. His specialty is Gerontology, which is treating older patients. We talked about the whole subject of staying healthy and productive as our age advances. We talked about spending days with kids and young people (teachers) at school instead of at the coffee shop with a bunch of old grouchy folks or in a recliner. And we talked about hobbies and photography and giving up cameras that are familiar old friends in favor of cameras that are smaller and lighter. He gave some interesting counsel and some even more interesting reasons.

The first were sort of expected. Smaller and lighter cameras are going to have smaller and lighter controls and smaller labels. Harder to see and read in a time that our eyes may be becoming less effective. Harder to operate and control in a time that our fine movement dexterity may be declining. And just "different" in these situations versus the cameras we have had for years and can operate without being able to see and read.

But then he said something that was very thought-provoking. He said not to do it because it was just giving up. A natural part of aging is loss of muscle mass and strength because older people just decide to quit doing things that require strength and dexterity. And he said that their hands are the first things that they let "go to pot." And he said that doing that actually puts them at physical risk. Loss of hand and wrist strength results in loss of grip strength. Loss of grip strength results in loss of ability to "hold on," and stabilize themselves as they stand and move about. So falls become more likely. Interestingly enough, there were a couple of articles on the internet a couple of days after my doctor visit, although they were much less specific and helpful. By the way...he says exercise can even be a more effective way to deal with arthritis and even some tremors than just quitting.

So what does this mean? I have resolved to do everything I possibly can to avoid having to go to "something smaller and lighter." My camera and lenses have become my exercise equipment. They have a new home on the armrest of the couch when not being used, and I hold them, manipulate them, and move them about while watching TV at night. Some of those movements are the same ones I would use while shooting, some are not.

I am by nature a fairly sedate person, so this is something a little bit new for me. But now that I know, I've resolved not to give up...at least not until the very last moment.

I find it amusing that these lighten-the-load conversations are accompanied by B&H ads for the Lumix GX9 with the Leica 24-120mm (35mm=), a great travel and walk-around kit at about 800$, plus a couple of batteries. My gear (at 88 yrs.) is Olympus' = from 12 years ago, a Pen 5 with a removable EVF, with 28-84 EZ, 18-36, 80-300, and a fish-eye body cap lens. My filter kit includes a non-circular polarizing filter (more effective than cpl's), 3 stop half-gray, ND8, and 4+ for 1.1x at 84mm close-ups. With a SunPak flash for side lighting and 3 Oly batts, fits under my arm in an Eagle Creek 'man purse.'