It’s an annual ritual at Cassa Creakingbones to make a photographic record of our house contents for insurance purposes and today’s the day.

It’s the most boring photographic activity imaginable but in a worst case scenario where a claim has to be made, the proof of ownership provided by the photographic record is invaluable.

Of course there is no need to photograph bed linen, blankets, towels and the usual bits and pieces  found in households everywhere.

However, imagine trying to convince an insurance assessor that you still had all of your old vinyl LP’s, VHS tapes, and all of those CD’s and DVD’s stuck in boxes that you haven’t listened to or looked at for yonks.   Not to mention all of those shoe boxes full of old photographs, letters and christmas cards. Almost impossible without the photo record.

The same thing goes for all of those knick knacks in the back of the display cabinets, you know, the cup and saucer Aunty Whatshername gave your second cousin twice removed in 1952 who handed it on to your first cousin who asked you to keep it while their family moved to the North Pole. They have never come back. You can’t toss it away as they may miraculously return. You know the feeling.

Anyway today began with the books. They are in book cases everywhere, hundreds and hundreds of them, books that is, not book cases. I can’t bear the thought of reducing the piles. I’ve even retained my high school text books and a complete set of ‘Little Golden Books’ in French. I still can’t read them but my father bought them in a last ditch attempt to get me interested in a second language. I’m sorry now I didn’t even try. But they look good in one of the book cases.

On a positive note, it’s fun to adjust the white balance from room to room as we have both fluro and incandescent lighting, plus natural light. Then a bit of upward adjustment to ISO to facilitate hand holding and of course, changing lenses to cope with wide angle, micro (macro for non Nikon users) for the tea spoon collection, and of course a bit of telephoto work for the ride on lawnmower and the garden tools to save walking over to where they are still lying about where I left them yesterday.

Right now I’m sitting at my desk in my office, I’d just put the 20mm f1.8 Nikkor lens on the camera and photographed my reference books. The thought crossed my mind, what a great opportunity for  a blog about absolutely nothing of importance for Random Ravings From Downunder and this is the result.

As for my little reference library in my office, here it is:

The desk you can see on the right of the image is part of quite a large L shaped desk which runs the length of a floor to ceiling window and then has a right hand bend and runs for another twelve feet. I’m an untidy bugger and need all the space I can get.  This image was made from my chair at the main computer. The one you can see on the right is the spare, just in case.

It’s a cosy spot, well lit, quiet, peaceful and conducive to thought, contemplation, and playing with Photoshop CC etc.

On the other side of the house, She Who Must be Obeyed, has her own sanctuary, equally full of goodies in order that her various pastimes can be attended to. The room is also full of relics of her days playing basketball ( International Rules) as she represented our State and also made the  Australian side.

After seeking permission to take my camera into her private domain for this blog, and not for insurance purposes, I was given express permission to photograph only the current stock of cotton and here it is:

The workroom is complete with overlockers, sewing machines, an ironing press, and the shelves are full of patchwork patterns, knitting patterns and books of all handicraft descriptions.

Not to mention bolts of materials, rolls of wadding and backing fabrics.

Later today I’ll be permitted, under strict supervision of course, to photograph everything for insurance purposes.

After that I’ll record the firearm collection, the motor bikes( Harley’s of course) and all of the paraphernalia that goes with motor cycling.

Then there are all the other collectables and memorabilia one accumulates over two lifetimes. Will I finish today?

Not bloody likely.