I’ve been intrigued by hidden surveillance cameras since I first looked at the market last fall. At the time I planned to install a surveillance system here at ranchero indebto by late spring. Now that things have thawed and spring is officially underway, it’s time for me to kick my surveillance system research into high gear …

As I wrote back in November, my surveillance system needs are simple:

I don’t need to bust an evil nanny, wayward spouse, or errant child. I just want to keep an eye on what’s going on out in the yard from my home office. The goal for my surveillance system is to know where the kids are, what the dogs are up to, and whether the mail has arrived. If the kids are making fun of the mail man as the Rottweilers tear him limb from limb, I want to know about it, ASAP. A surveillance system would bring that piece of mind.

While I initially thought a three camera system would be ideal, I’ll probably pare that back to start. A single camera surveillance system ought to fit more readily into my non-existent budget. And although I’d much prefer a wireless camera, I may end up with a wired system to hold down the cost.

Come to think of it, it might not be a bad idea to put an inexpensive camera in down in the basement to watch for flooding. Now there’s a candidate for the world’s most boring web cam! (We made it through yesterday’s storm unscathed, BTW.)

With any luck, I’ll have an update in the next few weeks …