RIP Camera

I interrupt your Lenten disciplines to ask for prayers of repose for my beloved camera, which after a long illness has died and moreover is, to quote Dickens, as dead as a doornail.

Nearly all of the photos you see here on the blog were taken by that camera.  I loved it well and truly.  And of course it can never be replaced in my heart.  I bought it specifically to take on a family trip to Ireland but found it to be almost perfect for almost everything I wanted to use it for.  

I have plenty of photos in the files, so blogging will not be interrupted.

But photography is my hobby and I do need a new camera now.  Would any of you, my dear readers, care to share your recommendations and stories about/experiences with your camera?  My own preference is for something that is not too large or heavy or complicated but flexible and still powerful, with an excellent macro mode for photos of flowers and bees and shells but also ability for zooming in on wildlife and such. 

Thanks, and peace to you this day and every day.