New Computer blues

So, having finally decided that my home PC is just too slow to live with, I ordered the parts for the new one, with Mike's help, on Tuesday. Some of it showed up Thursday, and the rest got here today (or I should say Friday since it's after midnight?) I basically watched Mike put it all together. It would have taken me at least 5 times as long as it took him. So far, life is good.

( It doesn't work. Details cut. )

Which leaves me with the frustrating choice of (a) buy a video card, even though I've already paid for built-in video, or (b) be stuck without a computer that I need for however long it takes to send the motherboard back and get a replacement. Just based on utility to me, I should clearly go with (b), but it really honks me off to let a company get away with selling me a broken product. On the other hand, it really honks me off to still be stuck with an ever-increasing backlog of photos that I haven't properly identified, organized, and done stuff with because it's just too painful on this poor old machine.

I love Homer Lake

( A bit of history and description of my favorite county park )

Today, when I got out of my car I was greeted by a northern (formerly known as Baltimore) oriole. I saw lots of birds, and even identified a few, including lots of palm warblers, a yellowthroat, chipping, white-crowned, and white-throated sparrows, goldfinches, a red-tailed hawk, and a pair of eastern kingbirds. A high point of the my 4+ hours was watching several pairs of geese, each of which had a bunch of very cute fuzzy goslings. As I got back to my car and got ready to leave, there were two orioles in the tree by my car.

( camera notes )