Okay, next year (assuming we're successful this year and our enthusiasm remains high enough), we're going to run real power cables to a real junction box on the hill, distribute power the right way, and use better video cable for the return signal. This "monkey motion" thing we've got going now with a big wad of cables strung up the hillside is getting tiresome! For now, we've managed a workaround for the bad power portion of the cable to the exterior camera (and the company that made these cheesy things is damned lucky it wasn't one of the cables on the interior cameras that went bad, because putting that box up and taking it down is no mean feat!), and we should have a replacement cable on its way within a day or so (preferably at a discount). This is the second one of these types of cables that failed on me (one failed last year, right out of the box), so there is a manufacturing process somewhere that is not up to ISO 9001 standards, I think. BTW, kudos to Richard at American Artifacts last year for rushing me a replacement cable at no cost, even thought it wasn't his fault, but rather the supplier's.
Anyway, it seems we're finally "all engines running" for this year! I saw what may have been a kestrel winging its way across the freeway on my way home tonight (long wings, correct body shape, but too quick to really identify positively), so we'll take that as a good omen for this year...