I took a day trip to the Hiwassee wildlife refuge in Tennessee. My camera gear was the Nikon D70, Nikon 70-210mm f/4-5.6 and a tripod.

I read about the sandhill cranes at the Hiwassee wildlife refuge. Apple maps got me in the vicinity and then I spotted a boat ramp from afar. There were some observation decks to overlook the broken bottles, trash and sandhill cranes. I must admit I was embarrassed for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. How about get off your lazy ass and clean the dump up? Probably working from home? Plus some lady had her dog unleashed chasing the sandhill cranes. Nice. She drove a white Subaru and I left a note on her windshield. Drop me a message!

The old Buddha proverb that says, ” the best camera is the one you have.” So I was kinda impressed when I looked at the photos on my computer and even had one printed out poster size (20″x30″) and hanging on my wall now.

Probably my biggest complaint about the Nikon D70 is the small lcd screen, which makes it hard to see if the exposure is correct. But the white balance is pretty damn good where you don’t have to adjust it. So you take your chances with gut instinct and experience, like the old film days. Is it okay to complain about a camera that was introduced in 2004?

I probably have less than 100 dollars in this old kit. Fun.

Now do i wish they all could be California girls? Yes! Do I lust to be able to zoom-in with built in stabilization on a 15 thousand dollar lens? Yes! Plus the latest Nikon camera, kevlar kayak and a white Subaru? Yes!

Which brings me to that song:

Well, East Coast girls are hip
I really dig those styles they wear
And the Southern girls with the way they talk
They knock me out when I’m down there
The Midwest farmer’s daughters
Really make you feel alright
And the Northern girls with the way they kiss
They keep their boyfriends warm at night….