Clonmacnoise

Clonmacnoise II

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Coastline, west of Donegal

Somewhere west of Donegal

Trabane Strand

Shelburne Bay, late winter

A perfect winter day

People who say they hate winter cannot ever have been out on a day like this. Fresh powder, brilliant sunshine, crisp air, and spectacular scenery everywhere you look. This, and the next few photos were taken during a late March ski trip to Alta (Utah) with my kids.

The "kids"

Older son (right) spent this particular winter working at Alta after college (note Colby sweatshirt). 

"Not serviced by lifts"

Note that the skiers are going uphill. Especially impressive since, at 12,000 feet, there isn'a a lot of oxygen up there.

This was a mistake

Things drop off very steeply to the left. And there's no way out of the bowl for a mile or two. I made this mistake only once. Got down it in one piece, but slowly. Can't say it was a lot of fun.

Cozy retreat

I could live here.

Where the maniacs go

Backcountry skiing is big in Utah. People put on climbing skins and climb to the top of this and surrounding peaks. Then they ski down. Sometimes at night. They do this for fun. Not me, man.

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.