Well the Christmas season is over, thank goodness, and I just need to get past the New Year to get started fresh! I always feel anxious for this time of year to be over. It seems all forms of life (business, creative juices, et cetera) come a halt in December.

During these slow December/Christmas days I've been giving thought to the next year: new goals, wishes, dreams, expectations and one of those was to get back into music.

So a Christmas present to myself was this nice new shiny double French Horn, or Horn as the pros like to call it. I played the horn for over 8 years and sadly sold it when I headed off to photography school. I always did want a silver horn and also always thought the detachable bell design was a good one, so when I saw this pop up on ebay I couldn't resist. Nice German (Geyer) designed wrap. I've already bought a music book of Puccini pieces, still need to find a nice book of Mozart. I also need a nice backpack style bag so I can carry my horn on my bike!

Photo: Ballard
Camera: Leica D Lux 3

I think I'm in holiday mode now. No, I don't have the holiday spirit I'm just sort of waiting for it to be over! All seems to be "on hold" for the holidays. I've done a bit of painting, printed a few photos, but other than that I'm just kind of hanging out, waiting for the new year, new projects, new adventures, new ideas.

I did buy a new pocket camera, a Leica D Lux 3 It's by far the nicest looking of the pocket digital cameras but more than just a pretty face it has a useful lens range(one of the few that goes to 28mm) and it produces quite nice images, although the sensor size is too limiting; but so are all the pocket digital. I'm waiting, waiting for a full sized sensor pocket camera!

Photo: Madera, Ca
Camera: Mamiya 6

I've been taking things pretty slowly the last week or so but I'm now thinking of the next Ballard Art Walk and what I will present. My last show was limited due to the fact that the frames I ordered for my NYC show was shipped short. I now have those frames and need to print off images for them.

Photo: Dresden
Camera: Hasselblad 500cm