They say a watched pot won't ever boil

Progress on the wardrobes has been slower today, mainly cos I’ve been doing it on my own. Chris managed to find work things to do, so I got on with putting the internal drawer unit together. He did have to help me at one stage, as I couldn’t get one of the drawers square & it needed someone to hold it and another person to screw it. We’ve got it all assembled except the last bit of putting the runners on the drawers which will require drilling. So that, and putting the doors on is scheduled for tomorrow.

I realise that yesterday I forgot to post a photo I took of Jez and Max lying patiently on the bed while Chris and I got on with the business of putting the wardrobes together.



At the same time as we bought the wardrobes we also bought 2 bookcases and 2 bedside cabinets for the same room. They were due to be delivered separately, but as we still hadn’t heard anything I phoned the shop yesterday. It turns out there is a problem with supplying one of the bookcases. So I’ve been round there this afternoon and managed to get them to agree to let me have the one on display. Of course, they still have to arrange delivery.

It’s been a lovely sunny day here today, although with a bit of a frost, so the dogs & I went over Upton Heath this morning. This is just as we walked onto the Heath. The people walking towards us are some of Jez’s favourite people – or more correctly, their dog, Traff the Rotweiller, is one of Jez’s favourite dogs. She is very partial to his owner too, though, so she was really happy once she spotted them.



I took my new camera and took some photos. The first couple are of the little boardwalk that skirts around a big muddy patch. I really liked the sun, shadows and frost on the wood.





And this one is of a pine cone on a tree…



The rest were macro shots (in keeping with this month’s Guardian Camera Club theme).

Fungus…



A frosted leaf…



An old post…



Gorse…





And some more fungi…



On the subject of the camera, this is a new small camera. My old one (which I’d had just under 2 years) went wrong – the shutter jammed, and that in turn jammed the lens. This is a common problem with this type of camera. The new one is a Canon Ixus 200 IS, which is the one most photography magazines are recommending at the moment. I seem to be having problems with it. The magazines all say the picture quality is excellent, but I have loads of photos where it is very poor. But having seen the ones I have taken today, I suspect the quality suffers in poor light & with the flash. It seems really good if the light is good. Given that this is my little snappy camera though, I’m not too happy. Plus, the shutter jammed twice while I was out today. I’ll have to see how it goes, but at this rate we’ll be trying to get it changed. At least as it’s only a month old it’s still under guarantee.

Of course, I’d like a nice macro lens for the big Canon, but the one I’ve seen that I really like is nearly £1,000, so in my dreams. Or maybe if Lloyds TSB starts paying dividends again at some point I could afford it.

I don’t think there’s much else to say today. I’m boiling a joint of gammon for our dinner tonight, and Chris is watching the footie. Max is asleep and Jez is upstairs constantly grumble guttsing about something – don’t know what.