In my absence I have also been 'touring' with the Australian Army and decided to give the *istD a holiday with me. The sleeping accommodation was a sleeping bag, and the stars, no tents or the like, <python>ooh, we used to dream of sleeping in a tent...</python>
The below images have been declassified. When using the istD and carting it about I found it great for its lightweight, I wish I could get some light weight lenses for it, here I used a Sigma 28-300 lense at 300mm as some guys dropped in us. http://www.wildcherry.com.au/tour/dropzone.jpg As time wore on, so did the istD, I was able to recharge my batteries for a few hours at night when the generator was active, I also took this time to plug in my iBook and burn the days images to CD. During one of these days as we wait in readiness http://www.wildcherry.com.au/tour/gun.jpg a strike was ordered on a target and with the usual Australian attitude of 'If you can't drink it, blow it up', the target was prompty aquired and dealt with. http://www.wildcherry.com.au/tour/mortar2.jpg Here you can see me along side a mortar with the trusty 6x7 to record it all, note the smoking target in the distance. http://www.wildcherry.com.au/tour/kev.jpg The temperature at night drops below freezing. Major decisions need to be made at this time. At 3.00am, with ice covering the sleeping bag you must decide wether you _really_ need to go the toilet or can wait till sunrise. At 4.00am you decide you cannot wait and brave the elements and then just as you think you can get back to sleep, there is shouting in all directions and people scrambling everywhere as an enemy target is transmitted to our position. Any thought of trying to sleep through this quickly disappears as BOOOM, a barrage of mortar fire begins http://www.wildcherry.com.au/tour/mortar.jpg (note the shell emerging from the mortar tube). Eventually the sun rises and an uneventful day passes with the troops cleaning thier guns and me cleaning lenses, the dust is a killer with the *istD as the CCD needs cleaning almost 4 times a day. At the end of the day the sun sets but a vigilant watch is kept for the enemy. http://www.wildcherry.com.au/tour/sunset.jpg Later as more of the pics are declassified I will bring them to you. some will be used in recruiting brochures, (those taken with the 6x7) and some will be shown in a gallery on Australian Reserve Forces Day on July 4. Kind regards Kevin -- ______ (_____ \ _____) ) ____ ____ ____ ____ | ____/ / _ ) / _ | / ___) / _ ) | | ( (/ / ( ( | |( (___ ( (/ / |_| \____) \_||_| \____) \____) Kevin Waterson Port Macquarie, Australia
