While the Tea Party (a distinctly minor congressional faction) and John Boehner, Eric Cantor, etc., continued to hold the country hostage, I took advantage of the available time and headed for the hills several times. If they don’t resolve it soon I’ll go back for more, perhaps in an effort to not dwell on the fact that if it reaches the point of default it is unlikely that I and millions of other boomers will have enough 401k earnings left to ever retire.

This is an Osmunda species, probably cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) on Flatrock Plain in the Roaring Plains Wilderness.

80-200mm Zeiss Vario-Sonnar CY, Nikon 800e, Lr4, Ps CS6.

About the 80-200mm ƒ4 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar CY: The more I use this lens the more I love it, and I have been using it for 3-4 years. It has more contrast than any lens I have ever used; bokeh is really nice, particularly so at closer focus; it is sharp at all focal lengths even at its maximum aperture of ƒ4; it works very well for close-ups (but is not a macro). On top of that it is relatively small and light. I used it on my Canon 5DII with somewhat mixed results. But when I got this Nikon I sent the lens to David at Leitax to have him adapt it for Nikon mount. David’s work completely eliminated all of the issues I had with it on the Canon. I have several other Leitax adapted lenses, all of which perform well, and much better than with cheap adapters.

The only Nikon lens I bought, the new 70-200mm ƒ4, weighs much more and is nowhere near as good. I’m still wondering why I bought it.