On my recent away days, I took along the handy, compact Ricoh CX3. Aged 11 now and showing its age compounded by various mishaps and one almost fatal accident (see Ricoh revival).
The plan was to make this a last holiday with the camera since I’ve saved enough now to purchase this year’s Ricoh GRiiix.
And there was no better place than Woodbridge, Suffolk for a Ricoh ramble (where I first took this camera) though on this particular day the light was not good and Ricoh was rather slow!
I’m not particularly sentimental and most early shots have been deleted but this houseboat wreck at low tide on the river Deben first caught my eye (and heart) many years ago. It is one of the few early captures of the Ricoh that I have left though I could not find an unedited version.
And here’s something I wrote after yet another visit here in 2016:
It's going on all the time, second by nanosecond under our very eyes, but only when there are big enough bundles of accumulated moments along a timeline do we sheaf them together and call it 'change'.
"After months away, I revisit holiday haunts, accustoming, noting absences, novelties, further decay. The abandoned houseboats have sunk a little more; they feel like old friends, family, even in their decrepitude...The tides are stripping us all back into skeletons"
birds nest below deck©2016
houseboat seasoned to soft wood
ice will sculpt a wreck
This is not quite a last goodbye to Ricoh CX3 as the rest of the week’s posts will feature some recent photos shot with my lovely wreck of a camera! And in future I am bound to bring it out for old times’ sake – after all Martin bought this for my birthday in 2011, so it’s full of precious memories.
PoetryPix 
In the cicada’s cry/ No sign can foretell/ How soon it must die ~ Matsuo Bashō
Your photography speaks to my soul. And the sentimentality behind the story too. What a lovely gift you still hold in your hands. I can understand how it must be hard to replace this one but I also feel your dear Martin would encourage it. You don’t need to discard of it (I don’t think I could: I’m that kind of sentimental hoarder) but the new one will do your photography (more) wonders.
I will say no more. Thanks for sharing. Be well, Laura. I bless you. xoxo
There’s beauty all around you because you see with your soul. Bless you. XoXo 🤗
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” —Confucius”
so thank you for seeing beauty even here in this lovely old wreck and for reading the dedication too Selma – I might have to be cremated with this camera but will move on meanwhile.
Well worth revisiting, in all ways. (K)
definitely – and a favourite subject
What a wonderful post – I love the subject and your recordings of it’s slow demise.
many thanks Jude – 10 years so far and am looking forward to taking my next Ricoh on a ramble here -for as long as this boat or I are still around
I suspect you’ll outlast that boat!
its touch and go!
And now I wonder, why so long I’ve not been observing here. I suspect a feast that will take some time to learn. I love the simple “scene” of your study here. There is much “grand” in nature’s realm, but me (personally I think) says maybe more love to invite the close and dear observation. (a book to suggest in this vein – Listening to the River, Seasons in the American West, Photographs by Robert Adams, Poems by William Stafford. It is all that way about appreciation. And thanks for sharing your gifts.
followed up on your suggestion Neil but sadly can only find a hardback !st edition copy at mammoth price – it looks like my kind of book though so thank you for that and who knows what will fall into my lap one day.
thank you also for your appreciation and taking time to feast or at least picnic here
Patience will comply eventually. Powells/Amazon/Abe perhaps. If you want a taste, go my website/ go library/ shelf 6/ scan down (one smaller pic from inside, like the cover is). And thanks for reply. Yep.
its just like window shopping (you have some very interesting book shelves and am glad to see that there is a Japanese dragon (not Chinese) on the Japan book)
Fabulous pictures – Bravo!
many thanks Dan – you used to be in my reader list but somehow slipped away – good to see you!