Monday, August 23

home again, jiggy jig...

i am not quite sure why i did not read the signs, perhaps if i had i would have seen it coming... now i think back, before we left he felt a little off color, wasn't quite up to his usual tasks. i blamed my man, accused him outright of fiddling with bits he should not have been fiddling with. my man denied all knowledge of what i was referring to, i saw his firm protest of denial as guilt.
i harbored resentment in his direction, hoping my vibes would break him and a confession would be forth coming. my man stayed strong so i left for england with no explanation as to why Carlos, my trusty camera was seeing the world through blurry eyes.

after a few days in old blighty, i began to suspect Carlos of perhaps partaking in his favorite tipple more than is acceptable for a camera of his age. the shakes and the blurriness all pointing toward his decline, i began to fret, thinking of all the demands i had made upon his little gadgety soul, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
alas the strain was beginning to show... if i had only taken time to listen, to not berate him for his blurry vision and the frustration it caused me. if perhaps i had not ranted a torrid of unkind names in his direction from the end of june until the fateful day in july it would indeed have been a different story.
but i did not, i was a fool to myself, and that foolishness cost me 'my Carlos'.

it was an ordinary day on our trip back home to a small island, the sun was shining. i am now thinking that perhaps it wasn't such an ordinary day for this day was in england and the sun was shining. so therefore i must correct that bit and say, it was an extraordinary day in an ordinary way when we arose, nothing out of the ordinary unless we count the large amount of sunshine, thus making is extraordinary. nothing that would suspect me to sense this was the day Carlos, sweet dear 'oh i do so need you' Carlos was going to have his breakdown.

one minute he was compos mentis, then next he was 'non'. no amount of apologizes, sweet talking or recharged batteries was going to get him to see straight... for one small moment he appeared to be responding, in that moment he found the words to tell me how he wished to take a little time away from me, to think things through, he wasn't sure the life i had offered him a few years back when he arrived as a 'mailorder camera', was in fact the life for him. with that he shut down, remaining unreachable for the rest of our trip.
i placed him in his padded pouch with little pink deer on and kept my fingers crossed he would come back to his senses and return to me fully in charge of his gadgety bits.
meanwhile i perused the two shots we had taken together before his meltdown.

dallying with Mr Hook on Branscombe beach in Devon


and my derriere as i bravely climbed a whole foot and a half off the ground


on returning to the shed it would appear Carlos is feeling a little more perky, he told me that the rest has done him good and he is perhaps willing to come back to work with better pay and kinder hours.
however having spent a few minutes with him yesterday it would appear he may think himself better but the results i have seen are telling me otherwise...

i fear Carlos, my trusty camera, is indeed losing his marbles, has seen much better days and although it grieves me to say it, (indeed i say it in a whisper so as not to reach his sensitive little ears,) it is perhaps only a matter of time before the pearly gates open up above, revealing the great Las Vegas in the sky for broken down cameras and he starts climbing the stairway.

she is thinking how lovely it is to be back and how greatly she missed you all ~ Tif

74 comments:

bunting said...

Can't believe you were at Branscome - I'm not so much further up the coast! Hope you had a wonderful time back in Blighty, despite the rain. Give Carlos a cuddle, it may comfort him on his journey to the pearly gates :)

Jack said...

Great to have you back! I know exactly what you mean about the lack of sun over here in England - we are enduring yet another dismal August with no sun, but plenty of the wet stuff to compensate! Hope it is a little more sunny now you are home.

Anonymous said...

Tis so lovely to have you back! Hope you enjoyed your time in the uk and that your holiday was fabulous and fun. I know what you mean about the "extraordinary sunshine" (or lack thereof) in the uk. I'm from good old Northern Ireland and I sadly I think we see even less sunshine than the rest of the uk for some unknown reason :( Glad you had some sunshine on your hols, since it is a rare thing on these isles. Hope Carlos is feeling better soon. ♥

Sonja said...

SO glad you are back safe, sound, and as "Dottie" as ever. We missed you so much.

Lola Nova said...

I am sorry to hear of poor Carlos, woe and lamentations.
I am quite happy though to see you home! You were missed.

The Hobbit said...

RIP Carlos,You've given much to all of us.May your reward be as bright as the skies above.

mamas collection said...

Heartbreaking about Carlos' infirmities....Does he have a brother that can stand in in his stead? We fear the loss of peeking into Dottie's life....
And might I just add that you were terribly missed??

SWEDISH HOUSE said...

Oh Dear my trusted friend is acting exactly the same way...he really is not very focused.
Dare I say it too...I think my friend is destined for that same place :-(

Help! it's like a minefield out there I don't even know what type of camera to go for... Do You?
Any suggestions, gratefully received.

LOVE PEACE enJOY
Julie x

Allison S. said...

Hooray! I'm so glad you've returned! I've missed your musings...

Marion said...

It's lovely to see you back although, reading it is Devon where you have been, I could imagine you would maybe have doubts whether to stay in good old Britain...
I am sorry to read your Carlos has made his own decisions... was it maybe because he was so surprised to find sun in Devon instead of what he had expected??

greenrabbitdesigns said...

Oh Tif, it is good to have you back again but I'm ever so sorry to hear about poor Carlos!
Vivienne x

Sherri B. said...

Welcome home, you were missed! I am sorry to hear of Carlos and his illness. Perhaps someone will discover a cure soon.

Margith said...

Hello Dottie!
Have a look at my blog, I think you like the fotos.

sylviesgarden said...

Sooooooo glad that you are back my dear. I have missed you greatly.
Sorry to hear about Carlos's peskiness. x

Alison said...

Hooray, you are back! Welcome home.

Deborah said...

so glad to have you back!
you were missed....

Melanie said...

Poor Carlos! It sounds like he's had a good, long life.

Try to enjoy your last few days together... perhaps a sunset shot or two would be appropriate...

Autumn Mist said...

Welcome back, you have been sorely missed. Sorry to hear about Mr C, though, difficult when we rely on them so much.

~ Junkyard Jennifer said...

Welcome back, Tif! How disappointing to hear about Carlos... I hope you had a fabulous trip just the same!

~ Jennifer

NJOma said...

We missed you too!

Ampersand Commodities said...

get well soon carlos!

Princess and the Pea said...

Glad to have you back, shame there won't be any photos of your time away though!

standingquietintherain said...

Oh how I have missed your elegant prose. I'm so glad you're back stateside and know I'll be inspired by you again soon!

Anonymous said...

Oh no! Poor Carlos! Despite the sad news, it is lovely to see you back, hope you had a very nice trip!x

Serenata said...

Great to see you back! With Carlos being so poorly, does that mean there are no more photos for us to peruse?

Victory Garden Yarn said...

Oh, yay, you have returned! Blog reading time just isn't the same without you! Perhaps if Carlos is threatened with extinction, he will shape up?

Ann said...

Oh dear - poor Carlos - hope he hasn't lost the memories you saved in his little head Dottie. Its happened to me in the past and its heartbreaking. So sorry August was not more august for you on your UK trip.... but as they say.... you should have been here in June! It was glorious! ;o)

MarmaladeRose said...

Poor, poor Carlos. I'm sure he's had a long and fulfilling life snapping much creativity and beauty at Mossy Shed. Maybe it's time his little shutter had a long rest.

Izzy said...

Sending Carlos much love and light and hopefully he realizes his life with you is special and worth while. So happy to have you back.

Sharon Stanley said...

oh dear dottie...welcome home to the bloggy land of moss, sunshine, drizzle and (hopefully) soon fall temps....sorry about the little camera...perhaps a little vaca did him good...

Sweet Birdy Love said...

Welcome back Tif, hope you had a lovely time away, you have been missed.
Sorry to hear Carlos hasn't been too well. Hope your were able to take a few snaps of your trip before he succumbed.

Unknown said...

oh lordy you do make wonderful stuff. love love love the blanket. wishing i could be better at knitting.

Emily@theNest said...

Oh welcome back!! I didn't realise how much I enjoyed your blog posts til they were gone!!! And btw, love, love LOVE your blog header X

marian said...

welcome home, Tif..it's been bleak without you :( but i'm feeling much brighter now :)

so sorry to hear about Carlos..i know that sinking feeling all too well. x

Nicola said...

I'm commenting for the first time because I'm surprised at how happy I am to see you are back and writing again. I've missed your posting. You bring cheer to my day and inspiration to my homemaking. Hope it all went well for you back in Old Blighty.

Jeanine said...

Poor Carlos. I'm sure he will understand when you have to move on, to perhaps, a younger version of him?

Michelle said...

Oh my dear Tif....

Missed...doesn't even come close...
Oh how I wanted to write...How I wanted to see the dottie goodness you have always shared...

I needed my fix...I was getting desperate and wavering from the path of granny goodness...
I had visions of pictures from far away places...Of seaside cottages and linens and lace...The sought of place we all want to spend our days...crocheting and drinking tea with scones and cream...

So sorry that Carlos has been so unwell...He has, in my eyes been a legend...A true friend to you and all of us who admire his work...
He will be sadly missed...

But you are back...
and I adore you for it...
If we lived closer I am sure you would hear me squeal with excitement...It's that loud...

Missed you so much...
my dear friend...

sharon said...

Welcome back, you've been missed. Consider yourself hugged and sympathized with over 'Carlos' dementia.

barbara said...

Welcome back, we have missed you so much (and heaps of hugs to Carlos too!)

Unknown said...

Yea! You are back....I missed you so.

jen storer said...

Poor Carlos! Trust me, I did not laugh once at his maladies and malfunctions. I only wondered, would he be amenable to a little spell in rehab?
Welcome back, Tif.

Chloe said...

Welcome back, my dear. And my sincerest condolences over the decline of poor Carlos. To where should we send flowers?

Jacqueline said...

My God, you've been missed!?! How loverly to have you back on this side of the pond. Poor Carlos. Perhaps he'll go out in style, with something akin to a doiley-tassel-ribbony tail attached to his smart pouch. xxx and then some.

Laurie said...

Oh, welcome home, Tif! I've been a bit negligent in following my blogging friends as of late, and visiting your sweet blog has made my heart happy.

Carmel's Closet said...

Welcome Back! Sorry to hear about your camera - I've had one stolen and two die in my life and it is traumatic. Hoping you still enjoyed your time back in ol' Blighty all the same.
Carmel

Jamie said...

wow - welcome back! Can't wait to hear all about it, though I'm sorry to hear about Carlos. Jamie V in MT
http://rem-nants.blogspot.com
amzanioli@yahoo.com

Michelle said...

Dottie,

Welcome Home!!!!

It is great to hear your ramblings once again, for I had great sadness at your depature. Sorry to hear that Carlos is ailing. Perhaps he needs a bit of time in the old folks home....

Nonetheless, I am confident that, upon Carlo's departure, you will once again find another camera to have a kindred spirit of its own. to share with you and your adventures.

Blessings,
Michelle

Annie B said...

Welcome home, my have I missed you. I have had to read other blogs when I wanted to be reading yours. I hope that you had a fabulous time and you are refreshed and ready to start anew.

Kerri said...

I found your delightful blog and self just a few weeks ago and am so happy you are home again. I'm so sorry about Carlos, I have had a camera die on me in the past and it was quite tragic! Hope he feels better soon.

ellie said...

Hello,
Just wanted to let you know that I'm joining in on your handmade + second hand clothing challenge. There'll be lots of blog posts about it over the coming weeks.

Love your blog. Such beautiful light and views in your home. And so many pretty flowers. Thanks for letting me visit and soak it all up.

Serenata said...

Forgot to mention I have made my first OE blanket :-) I've posted about it here and and left a link to you :-)
http://thebalancingkiwi.blogspot.com/2010/08/bit-of-colour-needed.html

Dajda said...

How nice to read something from you again!

Rachaeldaisy said...

Welcome home!!! We missed you!!!

Jude said...

Poor Carlos...I returned to Blighty in June/July and the same thing happened to me. I had to buy a new one as I was there for a very happey expectant moment!!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Tif,

The sunshine mostly arrived around Easter and lasted a fortnight. Since then it hasn't been seen much - unless as a nation we go through the rooting out of winter cardis because it's gone a bit nippy - and then a heatwave ensues...

Poor Carlos - might it be worth Googling any software updates for him?
Or could it be a dodgy memory card?

My Mr Nikonlas D'Forty is a mystery to me - thankfully he has a number of auto-programmes to save me from enduring things like depth of field (which sounds somewhat agricultural).

Regards

E x

Arthur Ransome said...

Dear, dear Tif
How I've missed you. So sorry to hear about Carlos. That last shot is priceless, though. Longing to hear how things went in Blighty.

Nora

Amanda Makes said...

We missed her too. So glad to have you back! Lots of love, Amanda xxx

Pam said...

oh hello, and welcome back to this page! hoping you had the bestest time away from us all, but please be giving Carlos a most wonderous send-off. :)

Mette said...

Welcome back. I have missed you!

Greedy Nan said...

I think in a former life or even in one to come, I AM Carlos but still unwilling to give up completely!
SO-o-o pleased you are back in blogland - I have missed you greatly.

Elsa said...

sorry to hear that Carlos has been under the weather and I was wondering what the heck you've been ... glad you're back and looking forward new posts!

gypsysticks said...

we missed you too. welcome home!

Lavender Playground said...

Welcome back. Oh my time does fly, it's hard to believe Aug is almost over and I only have a month of vacation left!

Scented Sweetpeas said...

My poor old digi camera started getting the shakes too and going all pink round the edges :-( I fear I dropped him one too many times in the garden whilst photography pretty flowers - I thought he was up to the challenge but he decided he wasn't :-( Hopefully Carlos will meet him in Camera heaven and that can click away at their hearts content.

UmberDove said...

If it would not offend Mr. Carlos in his convalescence, then I'd I was MOST delighted to see this post pop up in your return. But maybe I'll say it anyways in hopes that he's sleeping and not up to comment reading these days anyways.

I'm delighted you're back!

Kate Shepherd said...

Sorry to hear of Carlos' indisposition but hope he is fully recovered. So very pleased you're back. Have missed you and tales of your thrifty adventures, little Olive, mossy shed etc. Welcome home.

follyandglee said...

welcome home! I am looking forward to more tales from your blighty return with or without the support of the unreliable Carlos. Branscombe is in our family hall of fame as the first beach ever to have be trodden by the furry one (aka the dog) at six months old.

Renee said...

Ahh, cameras always tend to "go" at the wrong moment. We always miss them so.

RIP, Carlos.

dottie angel said...

oh my lovely dearest readers! what an amazing welcome home... gosh! it truly has made me beam to read all your kind words. of course i hid my beam from Carlos, wishing not to distress him anymore than his already declining self is distressed.
i am now off to set about the kitchen creating an orange meal for my clan whilst wearing a grin, yes indeedy! a grin that cannot be wiped off by cries of "no mum! not another orange meal"
thank you my sweets for making my evening cooking horrors so much more enjoyable!

Mette said...

I found your blog during the unplugging, so I've been eagerly awaiting your return. :) Love the blanket! Perfect color picks. :)

hyggelig happy said...

so glad you are back safe and sound Tiff and had a nice trip even (if carlos may be away to 'a better place' soon). ive been humming that joni mitchell song 'da da da da da you don't know what youv'e got till it's gone' it reminds me of just how much i have missed you and how i must never take dottie angel for granted again! yes indeed the word is a sweeter place whith you and your blog.

p.s if you think the weather was rotten in england just be glad you did not venture up here to scotland!!

Regina said...

Welcome back - I hope Carlos is still feeling better. The thought of a worn out camera is always a sad one.

Carol said...

Oh Tif, how we missed you too.
Poor, poor Carlos, he has been such a special servant of the devoted kind. Wishing him a full recovery from his breakdown or, if his time has indeed come, a well earned retirement.
Had to smile at your brave climbing!
Welcome home.
Carol xx

dottie angel said...

thank you again my dearies for such kindness! i am positively blushing :)
oh and i have told Carlos of your kind words for him, for a moment the old twinkle in his eye reappeared!