[Zig]

Nice, Toad.
Oddly(though I'm sure quite logically to those in the know as to why), it's with the blue channel and with the contrast you mention that I've always had to be very careful when doing monos: seems to be very unforgiving with noise and artefacts anyway, and things can get very blocky.
Thanks too for pointing out the exemplars of the difference between the blended and TM pics, as I couldn't readily visualise the difference. "Brute force" indeed; neat.
More peripherally, was it Jules who mused recently about the possibility of having something like this quite literally "in camera", as 'twere? I realise too there are folks out there who for a ridiculous fee, can disengage the limiter on the sensor, thus making accessible the more infra-red end of things. This is a propos nothing, I suppose, yet I'm beginning to feel that digital snapping is or can be an extremely different animal than we presently view it..indeed, that there is more under the hood that can be done rather than just satisfying the "more MP=better" drive.
I'm wandering here; at times like this I have to remember that the reason I got this camera was somehow to do with spending time outdoors and using it.
Thanks for all your thoughts and help with this.