Most of this website is devoted to my hobbies, but some hobbies are important
enough to merit a more prominent role than those listed here. I have a diverse
set of interests, as you have either realized by now or will realize shortly.
Some of my hobbies involve doing things myself (like playing chess, playing
French Horn, or hiking), while others involve appreciating things that other
people do well (such as visual arts and handicrafts). In many cases I provide
links to other sites that I appreciate and think you may appreciate.
Hobbies and interests often span multiple categories, such as photography and
astronomy (see the Hubble photographs), sculpture and philosophy (Tufte),
religion and science, painting and computing (fractals), or sociology and
handicrafts.
Unlike photography, music and writing, visual art is something I've
never even imagined I could master. So, here are links to artists
and/or art shows that I like for one reason or another:
Here is a nephew's site, very good with the
use of lines and shadows, among other things.
A former co-worker of mine has done a wonderful job of doing everything
that I cannot do. He's a painter, writer, animation artist, musicain,
and a potter, among who knows how many other crafts. Click
here to reach his website.
I once attended a seminar by Edward Tufte on Presenting Data and
Information. I got much more out of the seminar than I ever expected,
and found a mathematician/statistician who is unwaveringly committed to
the pursuit of excellence. He is an artist even if he doesn't create
all of the works himself. I found his website as fascinating as
his books.
I began playing French Horn in fifth grade and continued playing until several years after I was married. I was almost good at it. Besides playing a musical instrument I also sing in my church choir. Actually, it's a church trio, because a few other choir memebers moved out of the area, and we've had no more volunteers. My first experience with a choir came when I began my education at Westmont College. I sang under the dirction of John Lundberg and later Jerry Blackstone. Jerry Blackstone later left Westmont for bigger and better things, and eventually conducted a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. He invited all of his former students to be a part of that performance, and one of my great regrets is that I did not accept that invitation.
Aside from my own musical skills I enjoy listening to a wide variety of music, including ethnic music, impressionist works such as those by Erik Satie, movie soundtracks such as those written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
My favorite instrument is the human voice, largely because it is so highly versatile. The greatest musical works written, in my opinion, are choral symphonies, including Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Carmina Burana, Symphony of the Psalms, and many others.
With my string of academic pursuits I never thought that I would have an interest in anything farm-related, but I have developed a passion for growing and caring for fruit trees in my back yard. I even keep a journal of what happens to my trees every season.
Some of my favorite agricultural resource sites are:
Just because I imagined that I could master photography doesn't mean that I will ever achieve such a mastery. I once shared some of my best photographs with an amateur photographer and got a very critical response. Yes, there is a world of difference between a pretty picture and a good or great photograph. Here's some pretty pictures that I took (mostly closeups of flowers and bugs).
For some great photographs, check some of the following links. I have a cousin who is a professional photographer.
Another nephew's photography site (like his brother the artist, he's a professional).
Some additional photography sites that I like:
PicsByPen
Susie Fitzhugh
Tom Munson
I never travelled outside of the United States until I got to college. At that point my international experiences included a walk across the border into Tijuana, Mexico, and a ferry ride from Port Angeles, Washington to Victoria, British Columbia. Since then I've travelled to Venezuela once, and to France three times. I'll add photos of some of these trips soon.
I've spent a lot of time trading in the financial markets. I got lucky early on and began to think that I was naturally good at investing. I learned later, after much pain, that I am not as good as I thought. I have used both fundamental and technical analysis of stocks to help improve my returns, but both have significant weak points. To find more of my thinking about financial markets and their theory you can read about Puddlemarket Theory.
The majority of my activities are indoors, but I still like an
occasional game of golf or tennis or volleyball. I appreciate a
more-than-occasional hike, usually at Pinnacles National Monument.
Here are some photos from some of my hikes in that area:
Pinnacles Pictures