I enjoy photography and gardening because they bring me close
to nature.
Arizona's climate is ideal for some very water thrifty plants but the
summer heat is harsh, and so we live inside during the four or five
hottest months of the year. For that reason I love to get out
and take pictures before the summer heat sets in. As this site
develops there will be numerous additions that will include pictures
from local parks and Arizona and SW scenic countryside.
Another hobby that is still in force after decades is a long time interest in handcrafts and sewing. I even took this to a more complex level when I began to do machine embroidery four years ago.
To the left you can sede a little embroidery patch that I created a few years ago for a Phoenix Theater production.
I was able in recent years to pursue some ventures with hat design through the ASU Lyric Opera costume shop, while serving as a volunteer.
I also love to paint, and hope to advance my water color technique in the future working from some of the images I've captured with my camera. The water lilies above were enjoyed in a local area park this spring.
A few years ago I began to work on a novel, and now I am in the process of re-writing this work before seeking a publisher again. My initial instinct in creating a novel was to write only what I enjoy, but later on I learned that writing for the market is crucial to getting a good publisher. Another fact that became apparent to me related to writing is that when my own imagination is at work I visualize scenes in my mind, and did not always give full verbal expression to what I was 'living' at the moment. But putting more detailed descriptions into writing is important because it allows reader participation in the literary moment in a better manner. Now as I continue to revise I am adding in more of what I imagine. This is an interesting mental exercise.
Another interest, and one of a musical nature is participation in the Bach Cantatas web discussions. This past spring I hosted the online discussions for a period of ten weeks.
Link to: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/
This spring we began another hobby involvement and visited a gourd farm near Casa Grande, Arizona. I got a few tools, a book on gourd decoration and a variety of gourds. This kind of activity is time consuming and demanding, as grouds require soaking, scrubbing, and sanding in preparation for a variety of art techniques.
We also planted some gourd seeds and it will be interesting to see how we fare in that department.
Personal Interests
