Two Guitar Gigs, A Swim and Cape Vincent Photo

 Saturday August 16, 2025

Boy playing on dock, Cape Vincent, NY.  photo copyright Gary Walts

Sunny, hot and humid today. Oatmeal for breakfast. 10:30 I was at the Saturday Farm Market in JB Wise Parking Lt, Watertown NY. Played 2 hours. Back home a little before 2:00. THEN, I discovered I missed a gig. I was supposed to be at The Strand Theater in Watertown to play at 2:00 for an art auction to benefit the Lions Club. YIKES!  I thought the job was for Sunday. Anyhow, all was not lost. I was to play 2:00-3:00. Instead I played 3:00-4:00. It was a nice event. Afterwards the Better Half and I drove to Cape Vincent where I went for a swim and then snapped the above picture of a boy running on a dock. I used a Sony a6600 camera and a Minolta 500mm f8 mirror lens to grab the photo.

Guitar tips received at Saturday Farm Market

Art auction at the Strand Theater in Watertown

Art auction at the Strand Theater in Watertown

Art auction at the Strand Theater in Watertown

Fishing Cape Vincent - Hot Weather

People fishing, Cape Vincent, NY. photo by Gary Walts copyright 2025

We have hit a spell of hot weather here in the North Country. Humid and 86 degrees here in Chaumont. Been working around the house, moving slow because of the heat. Mowed the lawn this morning. Been working on the front porch o our Chaumont house. Framing up some lattice on the porch end facing the stone quarry. Would be left side of house when looking from the street.  We took late afternoon drive to Cape Vincent yesterday, I snapped these photos of people fishing there. I love the haze this weather produces. It mutes the background. Used aSony 6600 Camera and a Minolta 200mm f2.8 AF lens. 

People fishing, Cape Vincent, NY. photo by Gary Walts copyright 2025

People fishing, Cape Vincent, NY. photo by Gary Walts copyright 2025

Photos of Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY.

Point of land jutting into Lake Ontario as seen from shore
of Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY.  photo copyright Gary Walts August 27, 2024

Here are a couple of photos I snapped late this afternoon at Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY.  Editing and adjusting the many parameters of such photo can be endless. It can be difficult to know when to call it quits. 

Cropped version of the above photo.  photo copyright Gary Walts, August 2024

Ship on Lake Ontario off Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY. photo copyright Gary Walts, 2024

Earlier today my BrotherA and I cut up a small dead tree and removed a small live tree from backyard of our Clay St house. Temperature was 85 degrees. Became hot & sweaty. Also drove to Copenhagen and paid a deposit to builder Kieth Scoville who will be repairing/replacing the soffit & facia there.

Beach Creature Art at Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY

Beach sculpture, Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY

Had a bad nights sleep last night that followed a wonderful family get together at our home in Chaumont, NY. Consequently got up later than usual this morning. It was a lovely Summer day, breezy and a temp around 80 degrees. Late this afternoon we decided to take a drive to one of our swimming spots, Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY.   We discovered this somewhat eerie artwork. The artist unknown. I love it and find it inspiring. 

Beach sculpture, Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY

Beach sculpture, Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY

Beach sculpture, Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY

Beach sculpture, Wilson's Bay, Cape Vincent, NY

Most years we go to this beach many times through the summer. One of our favorite spots. This Summer was different. Many, many days of rain, the Better Half dealing with some health issues, me putting extra time in at our Clay St house readying it for sale. So today the weather was exceptionally nice and the discovery of this artwork made this day special. 

My iPhone reports I walked 4,621 steps today. 

Photos from Jerry's Tiki Bar, Millens Bay, NY

Local music legend Tom O'Riley at Jerry's Tiki Bar

Here are some photos I snapped today at Jerry's Tiki Bar in Millens Bay, NY. The place just opened a week or so ago. It's a great atmosphere. My brother Al & I just dropped in to have a beer and check it out. To our pleasant surprise the very talented musician and song writer Tom O'Riley was playing there. So we caught his last set. There was a beautiful breeze coming off the lake that tempered the afternoon heat. It was a perfect northern New York day.

Local music legend Tom O'Riley at Jerry's Tiki Bar

Local music legend Tom O'Riley at Jerry's Tiki Bar

Jerry's Tiki Bar, Millens Bay, NY

Jerry's Tiki Bar, Millens Bay, NY

Jerry's Tiki Bar, Millens Bay, NY

Jerry's Tiki Bar, Millens Bay, NY

What Caught My Eye: Tree, Lake, River, Gazebo Cape Vincent

This past Friday (February 23, 2024) I awoke to a sunny, cool 7 degrees Fahrenheit. I went to Clay St apartments and loaded up a bunch of trash to take to the Jefferson County Transfer Station. Mostly it was construction debris from some ongoing projects at the building. 

Late afternoon the Better Half wanted to go for a drive so we headed to Wilson's Bay in Cape Vincent which is one of our favorite swimming places. As we approached the shore there was a distinct haze or mist in the air that gave the light a nice character. Thus it was the two following photos caught my eye.

Winter tree on Wilson's Bay, Lake Ontario, Cape Vincent NY. It's what caught my eye.

Gazebo on the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent NY.  It's what caught my eye.

I Play at Cape Vincent NY Concert on the Green July 2, 2022

 

Me (Gary Walts) playing at Cape Vincent Concerts On The Green July 2, 2022.  Photo by RD White

Yesterday (July2, 2022) I had the pleasure of bring the opening performer for the Cape Vincent Concerts On The Green series. It is sponsored by the Cape Vincent Arts Council. It was a beautiful day with a nice breeze coming in off the St. Lawrence River. Overall I was pleased with how I handled it. Stage fright was minimal. It looked to me like a good turnout. From what I heard afterwards my sound system projected across the green well. I had the volume jacked up high enough it was almost hurting my ears. I am assuming it sounded good to the audience based on comments I heard. I used my 1984 Guild Classical guitar fitted with a Kremona bridge mounted pickup, a Fishman Solo Amp 220. I did quite a bit of chit chat between tunes, offering some  bits of info regarding he composers and arrangers of the various pieces I played. 

Promo piece for my July 2, 2022 concert in Cape Vincent, NY.

    I played pieces by Fernando Sor, Matteo Carcassi, Mauro Giuliani. Some Beatles tunes arranged by Joe Washington, John Knowles, Larry Beekman. The pop tunes included Light My Fire arranged by Jorge Nolla, Classical Gas, Mr. Bojangles arranged by Chet Atkins.  I got lost while playing Sweet Caroline and eventually just threw my hands up in the air and ended it. The audience didn't mind. I returned with Willie Nelson's song Crazy ( made popular by Patsy Cline) arranged for guitar by Dave Seck. I was surprised to see a number of friends and fellow musicians came out. Among them were Ron Sacci, Ed Horeth, RD White, Sarah Jane White, Mark Pierce and others I can't think of at the moment. The Watertown Daily Times ran a storyabout the series with a photo of me a few days earlier . I missed stand am looking to find a copy. 

Gary Walts, Concert On The Green, July 2, 2022. Watertown Daily Times photo.

The event took place from 4:00 to 5:30

Earlier in the day I mowed the lawn at our Chaumont house.

When I got home the Better Half & I sat out on the front porch to well after dark.

Over all it was a great day.

Sunset photos on the St. Lawrence River, Cape Vincent, NY December 29, 2018 Sony a6000 camera

Saturday, December 29, 2018, I take a drive to Cape Vincent, NY, a picturesque village on The St. Lawrence River, about 12 miles from our home in Chaumont. The tree photo was snapped with my iPhone 6 and then cropped and filtered with the Instagram app. The giant su setting on the water with some birds was taken with the Sony a6000 camera and a Minolta 500mm f8 auto focus reflex lens. The LAEA4 lens adapter was used to mount the lens to the camera.

Sunset on the St. Lawrence River, Cape Vincent, NY.                     iPhone 6 photo by Gary Walts

Sunset on the St. Lawrence River, Cape Vincent, NY.  Sony a6000 camera with Minola 500mm f8 lens.   photo by Gary Walts

Rainbow in Town of Cape Vincent, N.Y.

The morning after Hurricane Sandy and we are in fine shape here in Chaumont, NY. Our yard was blanketed with a thick layer of leaves yesterday. When we awoke this morning they were mostly gone. The high winds from the storm carried them off somewhere. It appears a great many of them were piled near the neighbors fence and some blew off to the shcool yard. The Better Half and I took a drive to Cape Vincent to check out a our favorite Lake Ontario swimming spot. Then we went into the village where we also checked our favorite St. Lawrence River swimming spot. Then we ate a late breakfast at Aubrey's Restaurant. Driving home it started to rain while the sun was shining and a rainbow appeared. So, we stopped and I took a snap of it. Nikon D300, Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 lens.