Young Violinist Violin Music

We did quite a bit of yard work yesterday.In the afternoon we visited my mother and met daughter S & JJ there. JJ's birthday was a few days ago, S's is today. So we took over a carrot cake and gave them their gifts. We got J a violin which he appeared to like greatly. I snapped a photo of him in front of the picture window, deliberately silhouetting him.  J is 13, S is 40. We had a nice time and watched The Great Race on tv at 8:00 after which I started editing the wedding photos from Saturday.

JJ tries out his violin at his great grandmother's house.  Phto by Gary Walts (of course!)

Today I have to photograph a social event at the Land Mark Theater in Syracuse, and then a Syracuse Chiefs baseball game.

Sports Photography: Syracuse Chiefs Baseball Photo

Syracuse Chiefs player slides safe into home plate.  photo by Gary Walts

I snapped this sports photo last Tuesday at a Syracuse Chiefs baseball game. I used a Nikon D7000 camera and a Nikon 70-200 f2.8 zoom lens. Last night I photographed a high school track event. Today I am off to photograph a wedding in Syracuse.

Photographed track at Chittenango high school tonight.

Samuel Adams Beer, Hofmann hot dogs, and the hospital

Samuel Adams Beer, Hofmann hot dogs, and the hospital.
Yesterday was quite pleasant here in Chaumont, NY. I got up particularly early and got in 3 hours of guitar practice. Then I spent most of the day outside doing yard work. I finished cutting off a large, dead limb from the Maple tree in  my back yard. After that I grilled some Hofman hot dogs and had a couple of Sam Adams beers.

Sam Adams beer and Hofmann hot dogs on the grill makes for a nice April day in the North Country.

The Better Half was not feeling well. About 3:00 she became concerned about her condition and looked up her symptoms on Google. They seemed to indicate heart attack. YIKES! But, we let is slide. We watched Survivor and all the while she was not feeling well, couldn't describe it. Finally at 9:30, I drove her to the hospital. After a lot of tests, x-rays nad a cat scan we got the verdict: Gall stones. They can be quite painful. We were relieved to learn that otherwise her heart, lungs, kidneys, all of that are in good, healthy condition. By the time it was all over we didn't get home until 3:00AM.

April in Chaumont, N.Y.

It is April here in Chaumnont, NY. After a two week road trip to key West, Florida, the weather here has been a tad depressing. It was 35 degrees this morning. 

View of my neighborhood and the oak tree in my front, side yard of my home in Chaumont, NY. Photo was snapped with an iPhone5 and tweaked with instagram.

Pictures of Thomas Jefferson's Home, Monticello

Today, April 13th, is Thomas Jefferson's birthday.  I took these pictures of his home, Monticello, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, two weeks ago. It was a beautiful April morning.  

This is a building in the gardens at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. 

Front viw of Thomas Jefferson's home. There wer a lot of tourists here so I had to use some Photoshop magic to get this view with no one in it. 

Back view of Monticello.

View of the kitchen which is located on the ground level in one of the wings.

The gardens at Monticello in April.

The beer cellar at Thomas Jefferson's home. I doubt that these barrels are original.

Statue of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.

The visitors center at Monticello.

Another view of the kitchen.

Winter Haven, Florida

Last night the Better Half and I got into Winter Haven, Florida, at my brother The golfer's home. I snapped this photo there about 10 minutes ago. This is our first stop on the journey home.

My Golfer Brother served me coffee this morning in cup from home.

Snap I took in my brother's bathroom.

At home I have a coffee mug that I bought in Florida some years ago. Today in Winter haven FL my brother served me coffee in this mug that he bought when he visited me in Chaumont, NY

The backyard of my brother The Golfer's home in Winter haven, FL

Instagram photos snapped in Key West