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Finally finished my latest for Clarinet and Orchestra - a dark, brooding litany called "Black Hills" (after the ones in Olympia, not South Dakota). In memory of a relationship that went south years ago. You can see it on the tube here if you're interested:

The photoshoot was a success - perfect lighting for an all-HDR extravaganza. More will be posted soon.

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If you are in the Western Washington area and you love cars, then join me at the Mason County Car Show-Off on the 1st June 2014. The action starts as early as nine with the judging usually finished by 3 or 4. This is on the tail end of the "Forest Festival" so there is a lot of other activity going on, not only on the 1st but also the 29th, 30th, and 31st. Lots of good photo ops here.

Where: Shelton Washington along Olympic Highway

How to get here: From the Olympia area, take exit 104 from I-5 onto US 101. Just past the Mud Bay Road exit there is a fork branching to the right for Shelton (still 101). Take the Wallace-Kneeland Blvd exit and turn right, then immediately right again on Olympic Highway (the Wal-Mart will be to your left). The show location begins at "K" street.

From Seattle, if you don't want to drive all the way to Olympia, you can take the Bremerton Ferry. Once in Bremerton, follow all signs leading you to State Route 3 SOUTH (not NORTH). Follow State Route 3 to Belfair (when you pass through Gorst, Highway 3 branches off to the right. Follow this.) Stay on Highway 3 past Belfair toward Shelton. Shortly before you reach Shelton there is a road that branches to the right and climbs very steeply called Johns Prairie Road. Follow this. It eventually turns into "Wallace Kneeland Blvd" but it is still the same road. When you reach the Wal-Mart, take the left at Olympic Highway (the ARCO station will be on your right) and find parking before you reach "K" st.

(An alternative is to take I-5 to Tacoma and follow highway 16 over the Narrows Bridge. Take the Purdy exit. When you reach highway 302 (which goes to Key Center and Vaughn), take left turn onto highway 302. It eventually ends at highway 3. When you reach highway 3, turn left. Shortly before you reach Shelton there is a road that branches to the right and climbs very steeply called Johns Prairie Road. Follow this. It eventually turns into "Wallace Kneeland Blvd" but it is still the same road. When you reach the Wal-Mart, take the left at Olympic Highway (the ARCO station will be on your right) and find parking before you reach "K" st.)

I do not recommend relying on GPS units to find this place - for some reason the streets in Shelton are not even close to what they look like in MapQuest. You have been warned.

Some of my shots from previous shows can be found in my gallery if you want to get an idea what to expect.

Hope to see some of you there.

I was getting ready to send a birthday card to someone - a special friend all the way back from high school. Our last conversation had been a bit strained and there were a lot of things I wanted to say to her.

But I'm too late. She died and no one told me.

She always said she'd live to be 90 - and she barely made 50.

And I'll never be able to talk to her again.

She is free - free of her pain at last. But it is so lonely for those of us on the other side of the veil - and I wish I had known that was the last conversation.

In Pace Requiescat.