Turning over a new leaf

Apologies for the cryptic description yesterday. I've realised my normal gear is far too heavy and bulky to carry around, and my point and shoot does not allow sufficient control. StuartDB had taken the plunge and I've followed - I'm now the owner of a NEX 7 and I'm delighted with it. It's small, light and very capable. I've browsed through the instruction manual but decided to abandon the habit of a life time by learning to use the camera by trial and error. It's the big benefit of shooting digital - no costs, only disappointment if you get it wrong, and a strong way of learning. So I've wandered around the garden in overcast conditions trying various images and this is today's offering. It was shot in colour and manipulated using Topaz B&W and Aperture.
I now have no excuse for missing blips!

For those who do not know about Sir Nathaniel and his family of piggy banks, they were produced by the National Westminster Bank to encourage young savers. When young savers reached certain thresholds, another piggy bank was sent to the saver - Sir Nathaniel was the final one, although I understand a few other versions were produced by various third parties. They are quite a collector's item now!