By Christmas Day, I was finally able to walk again, sorta. To celebrate, my husband & friend & I took a stroll around Tucson's Agua Calienta State Park.

"Sorta" walking means using a rollator, you know the walkers with the seat? And I feel really unsteady with things swinging around so wearing a camera around my neck wouldn't work.

So I stuffed my pockets with two point & shoots: my infrared-converted Panasonic DMC-SZ7, and a new acquisition, the Pentax Optio A30.

I bought the Pentax just for the battery (why spent $25 on a battery and charger when you can spend $30 for a battery, charger, and a camera??), but it turns out to have an almost perfect disposable film camera-type look! I do edit the curves, color balance, and add grain to perfect the look but the optical quality is just that kind of crappy-good that makes it look real. The lens has a lot of fringing but it also blooms around highlights and the camera tends to overexpose, which really completes the effect.

It felt so great to get out. The weather was perfect. The company was excellent. I got to walk! Walk!! And being able to take photographs of stuff beyond my own property was the icing on the cake.