Best musical performance I saw in 2007, Celtic division

The lovely, talented and always energetic Natalie MacMaster, from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. March 2007 at Burlington's Flynn Theater. Seven months pregnant and still step dancing! Cape Breton is home to some wonderful musicians, as well as a number of distant relatives.

Best ambiance at a concert, 2007

Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra at the Concert meadow of the Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe. July, 2007. 

Mozart, mountains and cows. The concert was on the day that the new Harry Potter came out, and there were 20 or so kids in the audience with their noses buried in the book. Perfect weather, sunset over the hills, and surprise fireworks following the show. During intermission, we paid our respects at Maria Von Trapp's grave, located in the garden between the meadow and lodge. In winter, the concert meadow is the center of the cross-ountry ski trails (link at right).

Most pathetic performance by an audience, 2007

Awarded to the audience at the December 1 concert (see below), which politely clapped for the unbelievably good Vanessa Perez/VSO performance of Bartok, and then gave a standing ovation to a completely lackluster performance of Tchaikowsky's 4th symphony.

The four of us who stood up for Ms Perez were appalled, and the orchestra looked embarassed at the reaction to the Tchaikowsky. Philistines.

(Second thought, more charitable). Misplaced enthusiasm is better than no enthusiasm at all.

Best Performance I saw in 2007, Classical Division

Vanessa Perez, Bartok's 3rd piano concerto. With Vermont Symphony Orchestra at Flynn Theater, Burlington, December 1 2007.Our music director, Jamie Laredo, is from Bolivia and has been bringing in some unbelievable soloists from South America. I haven't especially enjoyed Bartok in the past, but Vanessa Perez laid it out clearly and eloquently, like an inspirational teacher. Plus she's really cute. And geeky. Have I mentioned that I love geeky?

Best performance I saw in 2007, Blues Division

Marcia Ball at the Higher Ground Ballroom (South Burlington) September 8, 2007. Check out her solo starting at about 3:30.

If you ever get a chance, get yourself to one of her shows. Incredibly talented and a ton of fun. She's done wonderful work for Katrina relief, and bragged about her new grandbaby at the show we attended. What's not to love?

A pause in the snowstorm

Yesterday, the snowfall paused for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Started up again around dinnertime, and we've had another 10-12 inches since then.

Strangely, no one was swimming at the neighborhood beach

Air temp is 12°F, but the lake is a balmy 37.

Blue Iguana

Pirates!

Yes, the pirate ship tour is a tourist trap. But it adds to the ambiance. Cayman Pirate Week happens every November.

Snark at Rum Point (click to enlarge)

Closest I came to reading a blog all week. Didn't turn on the TV at all. And the only local issue I was aware of was the great mealybug problem.

Dr Mrs Gromit swims by

During the trip, I was bitten by a parrot and a fish (but not a parrot fish), and was pinched by a crab. My better half suffered a sunburned right butt cheek while snorkeling. All injuries were treated with pina coladas.

I'd like this for a bumper sticker

Gecko

My camera hates me

My camera takes good shots of everyone except me. I'm pale, but not this pale. And I'm thin. And tall...very tall.

We're back!

We just returned from a week in the Cayman Islands. Dr Mrs Gromit says hi!

Cayman parrot (unfriendly wildlife)

After taking this photo, I held out my finger in the traditional "would you like to perch here?" gesture. The little bastard bit me.

Swimming with stingrays

Funny how I'd never noticed how curvy the horizon is in the tropics.

Sea turtle

Overly friendly wildlife

This was weird. We took a snorkeling trip to "Stringray City" where the rays come to see if you have treats to give them. I kept them at a greater distance than Steve Irwin did, but some people were a little more confident.

Cayman sunset

As soon as we arrived, we dropped our bags and headed out for a walk on Seven Mile Beach.

Galapagos penguin doing Orca impression

...just passing by

'old on mate; wot's this then?

...And when I do this, the seals think I'm an orca and it scares the bejeezus out of them

Who knew that there are wild penguins on the equator? This series cracks me up.

The secret to successful wildlife photography: Find friendly wildlife

When you visit the Galapagos Islands (and don't you dare die before doing so), there are very strict rules. You can't stay onshore overnight, except in two or three towns, so you sleep on a boat. You must be accompanied by a licensed guide whenever on shore. You can't bring any food on shore, and have to guard your water bottle from birds. And you can't touch the animals. But what do you do when you sit down for a break and three baby seals try to crawl into your lap and smooch? Amazing, amazing place. (Though it just occurred to me that they're probably not looking for a kiss, but rather are hoping that Jodi will regurgitate a fish)

Ready for the start

Preparation for late fall mountain bike race (teenager's division) at Catamount Family Center, Williston VT. Historical house in background used to belong to Vermont Governor Thos. Chittenden in 19th century.

Mount Rainier

I know that Seattle is supposed to have terrible weather, but every time I've been there the weather has been like this. One of our kids is a college teacher in Seattle, and a fanatical bicycle racer. Currently, it's cyclocross season. I have to get out there for a visit and do some race photography sometime.

Summer is gone...

View of Mount Mansfield, looking east from my canoe in Malletts Bay. At this time of year I have to make an effort to remember weather like this, since much of November and December in the Champlain Valley of Vermont is pretty gray and disgusting, and the days are much too short. But the good news is that Mrs G and I are escaping to the Caribbean soon, to do some snorkeling and beach-walking.

The snow is already starting to pile up in the mountains, and the ski areas have had a couple of feet of snow in the past few days. Stowe and its ski areas are on the far side of Mt Mansfield, about an hour's drive from Burlington.

Back to the good things

OK, the angler fish was gross, so I'll try to get back to some beauty.

Angler Fish at Bergen (Norway) Fish Market

Public transportation done right

Train station on the line from Oslo to Bergen. In Europe, you can easily get to wonderful places by train. In the US, you have frequent service from New Haven to Newark.

Woo-hoo! Grab the skis!

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

A CHANGEOVER TO SNOW WILL OCCUR AT LOWER ELEVATIONS ACROSS THE
ENTIRE NORTH COUNTRY LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. CURRENT
ESTIMATES SUGGEST THAT SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF HEAVY WET
SNOW ARE POSSIBLE ABOVE 1000 FEET IN THE NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS...
AND CENTRAL AND NORTHERN GREEN MOUNTAINS LATER TONIGHT INTO
FRIDAY...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AND IMMEDIATE CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY. SNOW
TAPERS OFF TO FRIDAY MORNING...BUT WITH PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS
CONTINUING AND CONCENTRATED ALONG WEST AND NORTHWEST FACING
MOUNTAINS

Ski areas opening this weekend!

Eileen Donan Castle, Scotland

I'd like to believe my Scots ancestors lived here, but somehow I think not.

Lake Champlain & Adirondack Mountains

View looking west from the shoreline after brekkie. Some days it's hard to go to work. (Not today, though. 39°F and raining. Ugh.)

Marine Iguana

More moose in the city (tragic)

Burlington Free Press
Errant moose shot, killed in Burlington
September 25, 2007
BURLINGTON -- A bull moose that found its way out of the woods and into a backyard on Mansfield Avenue in Burlington this morning has been shot and killed by Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department officials. State officials said the moose, which was in close proximity to a school and residents, posed a threat to the public. The approximately 900-pound animal had been spotted before 8:30 a.m., running through backyards on Mansfield Avenue, across the street from Mater Christi School. At one point, it was lying down near a residential hedge row. Area residents, parents, University of Vermont students, and even a class of young students from Mater Christi stood a respectful distance from the creature, taking pictures with cell phones and recounting their stories of how the moose found its way into the city. Earlier this morning, Williston State Police dispatchers said the moose would have to move on in its own time, but it never did. Fish and Wildlife experts said they had to shoot the moose because it would have been too risky to tranquilize it.

Sunflower & Stone Wall, Ireland

...and then a moose swam by

Sitting at my breakfast table, working on a writing project, when I saw something strange in the lake. Grabbed my binoculars and then my camera. Mind you, this is in the largest "city" in Vermont.

Thermal Spring, Yellowstone

The colors come from thermophilic bacteria that metabolize sulfur. So does the smell.

Home

Aerial photography by Robert Lyons. He does great work. Link to his studio on the right.

What are YOU looking at?

Nazca booby, Galapagos Islands

Critter number one at 10 weeks

Blue-footed booby

Taken from a Zodiac while the bird was perfectly lit and perched in front of a very dark cave.

Sunset sky from Coates Island

Booby chick, with attitude

Critter number one

14 Years old. He's no longer with us.

David Ortiz at Fenway

In Vermont, one of the most popular political bumper stickers is "David Ortiz for President". It'd be a big improvement.

Critter number two

Fresh snow at Alta

Mergansers on Malletts Bay

How does one mother acquire 23 duckings? (Photoshop not used, honest!)

Bryce Canyon