It's totally feasible, just waiting for someone to think it's worth the bother really -- about two years ago I was contracted on a project involving remote monitoring for the Alberta gas fields and in that work ran across a weather-proof camera and enclosure for a few hundred dollars, complete with network capability, so all it needed was the cable up the pole and a networked machine at the other end.

I've also given some thought to locations -- ideal would be atop the Crowd Inn righ on the beach, or next-best either on Channing's, Lobbies or the Lakeside Groceries signs -- I think it would be wonderfully retro to scale up that pole right at the corner of Lakeshore and Main where the old disco-lights had been (once upon a time), that way the camera might also frame the famous Sauble gate sign.

The only trouble, as is often the case, is the will to do it being stronger than the cost, and the cost is not zero -- the gear is likely possible for under $500, but we'd need a champion on the bandwidth charges; one idea that comes to mind is if we were to install a WiFi gateway right down by the sign, or close enough, so the camera can eliminate the hassle of a physical connection (and even better if we make it solar powered!)

Now ... back on the real world of what's practical and likely, right now I'd say the best candidate is if there's a high-window at either Lobbie's or the Two Chicks where they simply point a $40 webcam out at the lake ...

Sabrinus!!! Havent seen you post in ages!Stop hiding over there--------------> :) While there is non as of yet( and high speed so far is limited to the main st.,) there are 2 area webcams that can give you a view of the lake.One in Kincardine and the other down in Grand Bend.The other ones I came across..are..well..kind of...ummm...you know.I know MIP was planning on something, but Gary is right..to me the best is someone with a cheap cam on the inside, they do this in Florida..here is a simple 40 dollar camera on the inside facing out in Key West.

Gary and bub -

What you propose is what I had in mind. No need for live video, just a simple webcam that takes a shot of someone's backyard every 15 minutes or so, and it is popped it over to a website like, say, sbp.teledyn.com! :-)

LOL...if Gary put one out..you'd see nothing but trees and squirrels..If I did..maybe a bear or so on my deck..lol.

Now...I suppose if we really have cabin fever..and are contemplating the large snow drifts outside..we can always check the webcam that always has action ;)

Indeed it's not the drivers per-se (and yes, old parallel port QCam. the most reliable and best low-light computer camera ever made!) as I still have the original disks carefully preserved in a lump of amber -- no, it's the software I need so I'll be checking out that WebCam2000 -- I'd hit on some other thing before that would only send the photo to their website ... which had long since ceased to exist.

Can't help you there Gary...now if you had a real computer, like maybe a Mac running OSX, I might be able to help you! ;-)

Sabrinus, as bub will tell you, we have oodles of real computers around, there's no problem there, it's just that the old Win98 ghetto box is sitting in the right place with oodles of unused cycles.

Anyway, I ran into a small problem, two small problems, where the Win98 is now just marginally too far from the window to give a really good shot, and as it turns out Win98 is unable to share the Camera with our favourite video mirror screensaver, so looks that that solution hit a timely end, but that's ok because cables are like so last year -- I think I have found much better solutions, three of them:

• Panasonic Wireless 802.11 b/g Network Camera View up to 30 frames per second of live motion video with resolution of up to 640x480. Web-based viewing with remote pan and tilt functions lets you adjust camera angles from a computer in another location. Built-in software records data to a web site through FTP. You can use the same interface to record to the hard drive of a local computer. With the included mount, our network cameras can be mounted on walls, tripods, a desk stand or even from the ceiling.
• Linksys WVC54G Wireless-G Internet Video Camera allows you to mount it on a wall nearly anywhere, or slip it into its included stand for desktop use. Once it's connected to your home network, you can "see what it sees" from any PC in the house, while the audio/video stream is secured from the outside world, hidden behind your Router. If you want the video to be visible from outside your home network, you can open an appropriate port on the Router, and then create password protected accounts to manage access to the camera, or leave it wide open for the world to see.
• Toshiba Wireless Network Camera (IK-WB01A) is short on details but appears to take the same images with the same remote-panning ... but has an optional outdoor-protection mounting kit.

If anyone would like to donate such a critter to the good old SBP (of which I'd say the Toshiba is the better deal) I will happily bolt it to my windowframe and give it 7x24 managed and monitored web-access through our WiFi bridge!

btw ... what's an osx, and how do you get one to run over your raincoat? ;)

I'd be game to donate towards a cam. I just can't afford the whole thing right now because I'm having a blad flareup of xmas-presentosis. You may know the disease? Kind of like birthdayursitis, only the swelling is red and green. But anyhoo, somebody game to take a collection? I'm kind of badly placed here in Los Angeles.

BTW, I think there's generic cam snap-and-post software on one of my ol' favorite sites, www.download.com. I haven't looked lately, but last time I passed through there were a few decent programs available.

I'd LOVE a Sauble cam. :-)

Wow..so you DO read this! ;) now dont worry about the cam..itll be up soon...but cmon..post a blog or 2 for us..share some memories!:)

Got email from an ex-patriot WDHS alumnus who's offered a (screenless) laptop suitable to this job; that gets me around the problem of tying up the kid's computer, I'll be able to run a dedicated process and locate it just about anywhere in the house -- if I can muster a WiFi card and a suitable webcam, we're set.

Too early to start soliciting donations, but once I get this laptop and check it out, I'll know more about what might be feasible. Maybe someone could then donate an old/slow WiFi card, someone else maybe a camera ... Ideally I might be able to locate this with a view of the west through my twin maples.