Catastrophe!!!

Today, it was so nice -and boy, I do mean NICE -sunny, bright, warm and temps at this hour still hovering around 64 degrees F, so Sammy and went for a long walk today.

I hooked the little pedometer that Mandy bought (for who, I have no idea as she hasn't used it) and away we went.

We walked down to the ghost town of Peale -a distance according to my trusty little measuring device, of 3.9 miles (round trip) and for my purposes, I find that figure close enough to 4 so I am rounding it off to say that we walked 4 miles, round trip.

I took my trusty little M853 Kodak digital camera with me and took a goodly number of photos too of various points along our walk and I had planned to put them up on this post this evening.

But alas, that plan has come to a rapid end and hence, the title of this post -"Catastrophe!"

Unfortunately, as we neared the home front, I stopped and took aim with the little camera and just as I clicked the shutter, Sammy -ever the really bright dog, ya know (NOT) decided that was a good time to jerk on his lease and try to move around a bit.

That one little jerk of his lease caused me to lose my hold on the camera and it slipped out of my hand, landing along the side of the road.

I thought when it landed that perhaps all would be okay as it didn't seem to land with a thud or a crack -kind of soft landing you could say -but that, apparently would be incorrect.

When I picked the camera up, I realized that the lens that slides in and out when you turn the camera on and off, seems to have been jarred a bit and is now jammed on the one side in an untenable position where I can't figure out anyway to try to prod it into sliding back into the case or going out into the full position it was in as I snapped that last photo.

So now, I am back to square one with the camera situation in my life! And trust me, this rally annoys me greatly as I had come to really enjoy the ease of putting my camera in my purse, sliding it into a pocket and away I would go, ready to aim and shoot at a moment's notice.

After I got home, I went online to the Kodak site to see if it offered any suggestions either as to how to maybe do a self-repair job (if possible) or, where I could maybe take the camera to have it looked and and possibly fixed.

Boy, what a joke that turned out to be!

It says on Kodak's website that any repairs should be done by an "authorized" Kodak Repair Center but be darned if I can find anything online that shows where those repair centers might just be located!

Of course, considering where I live -out in the boondocks, ya know, of central Pennsylvania -130 miles from Pittsburgh; 180 miles from Erie; 130 miles from Scranton; 120 miles from Harrisburg and probably about 200 miles from Philadelphia -all the major cities in the state -I doubt there is anyplace relatively close to my home where I can take this sweet little red camera that I so love to see if it is even repairable!

So now I'm thinking I suppose I will have to dip into my little slush fund I've been saving from the little bit of extra money I earn online from time to time and use that to get myself another camera. I'm thinking maybe one along the same lines as the one I purchased in February that my older daughter and my son went in on the purchase price of a nice M340 digital camera that we gave Mandy for her birthday. It's the same size as the camera I had that I had purchased a little over 2 years ago this past Christmas but her camera has 10.2 megapixels whereas my camera I believe only had 8.0 on it.

Maybe, if I'm really lucky, I can get a camera like Mandy's for the same sale price as the one we got her too.

Maybe, if I am really, really lucky, and I get myself another nice, new, little digital model, I will use a neck strap on the next one and not rely solely on my hand to keep a camera from falling and being hurt like I managed to do with this one.

Now, before I close this post, just one more thing here. If you recall, I think I mentioned in my last post about the accident at the Red Moshannon Canoe/Kayak Races this past Saturday that started at the bridge in Peale (the Ghost Town) and ended at the bridge at the foot of Cooper Mountain -at the point where the Red Moshannon converges with the Black Moshannon.

Anyway, after this race having been in existence for 43 years this year and though there have been some spills and close calls there from time to time, sadly this year's race ended on a very sad note as one participant, George H. Lockey Jr., from Kylertown, died yesterday -March 30th -at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center after having been flipped from his kayak and found, floating past the bridge on Rte. 53 where a bystander pulled him from the water and began CPR, etc. on him at that time.

For anyone who reads my blog because they are looking for things about the Red Mo Race, I am therefore posting the obituary for George that was in today's edition of The Progress, the daily newspaper from Clearfield, PA.

George H. Lockey Jr.
MORRISDALE -- Mass of Christian Burial for George H. Lockey Jr., 62, of Morrisdale will be

celebrated Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 11 a.m. at St. Severins Roman Catholic Church,

Drifting, with the Father David Perry as celebrant. Mr. Lockey died Tuesday, March 30, at

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh.

Interment will be at st. Severins Roman Catholic Cemetery, Drifting.

Friends will be received Monday, April 5, from 6-9 p.m. at Johnson Funeral Home, Grassflat.

The rosary will be recited at 5:45 p.m. and a vigil at 6 p.m. both Monday, April 5, at the

funeral home.

Military honors will be accorded at the church by members of the Moshannon Valley

independent Honor Guard.

Born Oct. 21, 1947, at Philipsburg, he was the son of Vera Denochick Lockey of Allport and

the late George H. Lockey.

Mr. Lockey was a member of St. Severins Roman Catholic Church.

He was a lieutenant in the District of Columbia Fire Department Hazmat Unit from which he

retired in 1993 after more than 20 years of service.

He was a Vietnam-era Army Vetera.

Mr. Lockey was an avid outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman and Geocacher.

He loved working in the maintenance of the Quehanna Trails.

Mr. Lockey was a member of the Cooper Township Planning Commission.

On June 21, 1969, at St. Severins Roman Catholic Church, he wed Sharon harvey Lockey, who

survives in Morrisdale.

In addition, he is survived by a son, Jason Scott Lockey and his wife, Shelly, of

Mechanicsville, MD; a granddaughter, Gillian; and a sister, Vera Ann Lockey of Lanse.

Mr. Lockey was preceded in death by his father.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be in the form of Mass cards.

There will be a luncheon in the church social hall after the Mass.

Rest in peace, George. At least you were able to leave this earth doing something you loved to do -being outdoors, canoeing with the best of 'em!

And to Sandy and his son and family -my condolences in your loss and you will be in my prayers.