Today was just the day to climb into your hammock and hang out.  The temperature soared to a scorching 32 degrees here at Domestic Executive HQ.  Just the sort of weather to hang around and catch the breeze.

That is of course if you haven’t been out and completed your Christmas shopping for yourself.  Guess what I bought?

OK, I know you won’t have guessed.  I bought one of these using Christmas money from my parents and already it’s transforming my life.  Well,  not transforming it but certainly making it more fun to photograph with.

This is a zoom lens that allows me to get right up close and capture all those moments that were previously afar.  Here’s some more shots using the new lens.

This is Tunnel Gully from our veranda.

Here’s a closer look. This is Fortnum and Mason’s favourite place for a walk, run, paddle and sniff.

This is what happens if you look back the other way.

Here’s Mason having had a swim tonight to cool off from the heat of the day.  Isn’t he handsome?

OK, here he is really looking handsome.

You can probably see why he was called “wrinkle” when he was a baby.  Some things never change!

If you wait long enough little basset stops pulling silly faces.

And look like a real handsome basset.

To be honest, Mason is not much of a photographic model.  Unlike Fortnum who loves nothing more than to pose for my camera.  Here he is in his element.

Now posing again.

And not taking things seriously enough.

See little basset just likes to hang out.  He can’t be doing with this modelling lark.

Fortnum just loves to sniff the breeze and explore to see what’s happening in the wider world.

You can see it written all over his face.  “What’s happening?”

Well, not much as far as MT in the hammock is concerned.  Still hanging there.

Here’s me getting caught out.  Hopefully my sister-in-law will think I look less like an eastern European farmer celebrating the harvest in this one.  BTW, what do you think of the new glasses.  These are the ones that are both regular and sunglasses.  Fortunately when the lenses darken you can’t tell the frames are a rather fetching pink colour!

Here’s the moon shining overhead around 2000 today.  It’s hard to believe that we have a cloudless sky and temperatures in the high 20’s this late in the day when our family and friends in the UK are living with temperatures of -10 degrees.  Brrr that’s a chilly thought I’d rather do without whilst I’m enjoying a truly brilliant summer’s day.

I’m very excited about the potential of my new camera.  Now all I need is some new subject matter.  After all there are only so many basset poses even Fortnum can come up with!  What should I try to photograph next?