New Camer *

A few weeks ago I used my birthday money to buy a new digital camera. I enjoyed my original one, but it was time. I wanted something smaller that would fit in my pocket. I liked my original Kodak so I made sure to get another Kodak. Plus, it was the cheapest for the nicest at Wal-mart...like $93 including tax!

Here's my first digital camera, a 6mp. I waited until 2006 to go digital. Until then I felt that digital just wasn't good enough (and it was crap up until a couple of years ago). There's still no comparison to real b&w film (lots of pros still use b&w film these days) but I was impressed with how sharp and crisp my images were. This camera got used and abused and held up well.

And of course I had to get the new one in aqua (and I got a matching case too!). It's a 9.2 mp and it has face recognition and anti-blur as well. I am amazed at how cheap technology is these days!

I've had it about a month and so far I'm pretty happy. It takes real nice pics and I can also toggle over to b&w if I wish. I love how portable it is, too. So the pics you see from now on will likely have been created with this camera.

*No, I didn't spell it wrong, I did that on purpose. That's goes way back to when I was a missionary in CT. Many people had East Coast accents and would leave off parts of words or add things that didn't belong ("spatchaler" instead of spatula!) so "camer" became part of our joke lingo among us missionaries. When I came home I taught it to my fam and my dad and I joke about our "camers".

Stereoscope Museum

On the day after my birthday, I went to the Johnson-Shaw Stereoscope Museum in Meadville, PA (our county seat). It was closed on my actual birthday or else I would have gone then. I'd been wanting to go for some time since I love antique photos and I collect old cameras, photo postcards and glass negatives.

The Keystone View Company was the biggest maker of stereoscope cards and viewing devices, they closed in the 1970's. Some of their medical equipment (machines to test your eyes) are still in use today. When the factory closed down, the items were saved and preserved and eventually put in a little museum, the factory building no longer exists.

It's a little museum, but I had a good time. The old guys who run it have family ties to the factory and were quite knowledgeable.

The outside of the museum, cute!

Here are stereoscope cards (now you know what I'm talking about):

and some viewers (you get a cool 3-D effect):

This shows a station where someone would hand paint a glass "lantern slide" that could be projected:

This showed a station where things would be assembled:

I loved the cabinetry for the cards:

A vintage Viewmaster! The Keystone company provided some of the images used in early Viewmaster cards:

This printing press would print the labels on the front and the info on the back of the stereoscope card:

Traveling salesmen would sell stereoscopes and the cards, here is a boxed set of hundreds of cards depicting "Around the World"

I bought a few reproduction cards myself (one of Pittsburgh and two of Niagara Falls) and a plastic viewer. They sold antique cards and other pieces, one day I'll buy some antique cards.



With the viewer, you get a pretty trippy 3-D image! Pretty ahead of its time. Too cool.

I'm such a geek, I love museums, ha ha. It was a nice day with my mom, she had a good time too.

Girls Camp

Girls Camp was a blast this year! I had had good time and so did my three girls. The theme was "Fit For His Kingdom" with a princess theme. It was a lot of work, but worthwhile.

Loading stuff on the tractor to set up camp:

The girls got to do archery:

Us Corry girls: Breanne, me , Katie and Laureen
Here's everyone (I am on the left):
Our Snow White skit:

I got to be the witch, ha ha:

Tuesday was Princess Idol nite, here's our judges Simon, Randy and Paula:
My group's song "Oh I Wish I Were a Little Bar of Soap"

On Wednesday it poured all day, but the girls were canoeing so they'd be wet anyhow. It did stop so we could have our "Singing Trees" activity in the evening. I was thankful I had barn boots and a tarp for my tent! I helped with the craft:

Thursday I helped the girls write letters to the missionaries out from our stake:

We had fun singing together:

On Thursday it was nice and sunny, thank goodness. I even got a (cold) shower! The YCLs did a fundraiser to mail our boxes of goodies to the missionaries, you bought a ticket to throw a pie at a YCL! So funny:

It rained on Friday when we were leaving, thank goodness for garbage bags! I was so wet and muddy! My tent is the little brown raisin-y looking one in the middle. My stuff got a little wet, not too bad.

Singing before we berak camp:

I enjoyed going to camp as a youth, it's fun to go again. We have really good camp directors over everything, they make it fun. I really enjoyed the spiritual activities and had fun as well. I am a big kid, lol.