What's It All About, eh?

Cape Breton evokes deep memories and strong emotions for me as well as a deep appreciation for the beauty of my adopted island. My hopes are that you too might find the photos evocative - maybe a view you've not enjoyed before, or an 'Oh I've been there', or if from away that you may be encouraged to visit this fair isle so that you might come to love and breathe Cape Breton as I do. One word about place names that I use - some are completely local usage while others are from maps of Cape Breton that I've purchased over the years. I frequently post travel and other photos that are of interest to me - and hopefully you.

On the right hand side bar find my take on Single Malt whiskey - from how to best enjoy this noble drink to reviews (in a most non-professional manner) of ones that I have tried and liked - or not. Also musings, mine and others, on life in general.

Photographs are roughly 98%+ my own and copy-righted. For the occasional photo that is borrowed, credit is given where possible - recently I have started posting unusual net photographs that seem unique. Feel free to borrow any of my photos for non-commercial use, otherwise contact me. Starting late in 2013 I have tried to be consistent in identifying my photographs using ©smck on all out of camera photos I personally captured - (I often do minor computer changes such as 'crop' or 'shadow' etc but usually nothing major), and using
©norvellhimself on all photos that I have played around with in case it might not be obvious. Lately I have dropped the ©smck and have watermarked them with the blog name.

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Hoodies - Laphódytes cucullátus (a hood)

17 Jan '12    smck
17 Jan '12    smck
 I believe these are a Gulp (group name for Mergansers) of Hooded Mergansers (described below) which I espied swimming on the North East River above Twin Bridges - just where the demarcation of tidal and non-tidal waters usually occurs.


The Hooded Merganser is our smallest merganser, measuring in at only 18”.  The female is mostly brown with a white patch on her chin and wings. She is grayer on the neck than other mergansers.  Overall, she is a light reddish-brown and has a frosted cinnamon crest with white tips. 

Note: On 28 March 2013 I changed the title of this posting by removing the Latin 'MERGUS (diving) and replacing with Laphódytes.  I have so far been unable to find an identifying phrase for Laphódytes.  The latin word Mergus - root word for merganser - does mean 'diving' or 'plunging'.

Dusk At Harvey's Wharf

© Jan '13      smck

New Camera - Comment Please

At the present I am looking for a new digital camera - one with good zoom ability - and I am not looking forward to what I think they call SLR but rather to a one piece that can do everything reasonably well.  I am well aware that trade-offs in various performances will be part of my ultimate choice which at the moment are narrowed down to:

 * Cannon PowerShot SX50
 * Sony Cyber-Shot     HX200V
  * Nikon CoolPix         P510
  * Panasonic Lumix    DMC-FZ200

If any of you are camera buffs I would really appreciate your comments.