So, I recently got a whole new load out for my camera gear! Serious upgrade, not cheap, but a friend bought it for me as a way to pay me off for the last twenty years of a series of ridiculous events. So, he gave me a amount to buy new stuff, I got a new Camera Bag, backpack this time, since the shoulder bag wasn't so great at the last con I went to. Endurax Canvas camera bag, really nice, havn't gotten a chance to use it, and I'll explain why in this journal entry, rare as they are.

Obviously I got a new camera, the Fujifilm X-T3, yes, two years old, but after comparing it to the X-T4, I just didn't see the point, I shoot off a tripod for landscapes, and I use inventive lighting to do a lot of portraits. Also got a new K&F Variable ND filter, from 8 to 2000, really nice, though I'd rather some hard stops on it. A Brand new carbon fiber tripod Neweer 66 inch. Yes it has some flaws, however, compared to the monster 72 inch aluminum one I typically take out on shoots.. it's SO much lighter. I got the battery grip for the X-T3, a Microphone for the other eventual goal I have, and a Joby Gorilla pod 5k with the silly little kit on top. Sometimes a nice small tripod is all you need.

So, I get all this stuff in, I'm running around a little, and I crawl down into the stream running around my house, on slick rocks, cold water, take a few shots, figure out the over all positioning, set my ND Filter, re adjust and get my nice new pic. It;s not bad, the new Sensor is so much cleaner for zooming in, and the screen is really nice for showing me my focus, my X-T1 didn't like to give up its secrets on whether I was in focus at night or not... Major problem really, love that camera still though. No new lenses, I was going to tick off the 10-24, or 56, but that will have to wait a bit longer.

So, I find out the new tripod had shown up with my other stuff today as well, just hidden under a big light bar so I didn't see it. It was pretty awesome, I get it set up, run into the house to get my bag out, and coming back outside I took a bad step off my porch. My ankle rolled up inside under me, I heard the most sickening crunching pop noise I've heard in a while... Immediately I try to regain balance, another bit of a pop, land on the hood of my car, and I'm ready to throw up, blinding pain. Super irritating.

So my gut reaction, I think I broke my ankle, I get a chair sit down thanks to my friends, get my boot off, swelling is already pretty severe, thirty minutes later I;m in the hospital hobbling around on a cane, they pull me in, xray the crap out of my foot... About an hour all in all, they tell me it;s not broken, but I sprained the hell out of it... yay me... Blue Ridge Fur Fare a few days away and I can;t walk.. they give me crutches, an air cast and send me on my way.. I get home and slept. So I wake up my watch is telling me its 2:30 my computer swears its 3:30... My brains swimming and I can no longer put weight on me foot at all. Let me tell you, realizing you have to go to the bathroom and knowing you can't walk is a nightmare lol!

So, my big plans to go shoot the sunset over the lake were ruined, and it's going to be a bit before they know if I have totally screwed the ligaments in the ankle. On the bright side, new camera and gear!.... jsut can't get out and use any of it.