April 15, 2005
Apologies to the IRS (and we who support them) for this upstage on "their day", but it has been over six months so here is my semi-annual pictorial update.
I have a new camera and a revised office setup. The two right most monitors give me a double wide (2560 by 1024) panoramic desktop for Windows XP and is particularly useful for my photographic work. The left most is normally tracking the stock market, email, front gate , etc. I finally committed to a Digital SLR and acquired a Minolta Maxxum 7D and with a Tamron 28-300 (actually 42 to 450 in the digital world) lens. I selected the Minolta over the Canon EOS 20 and the Nikon D70 because it has anti-shake built into the camera body and the others require special lens to get the feature. This means that the camera body will provide anti-shake image stabilization for any lens I purchase, now or in the future. I think it is a breakthrough feature. As I get older anti-shake becomes more and more important! :>) :>) I am having great fun with my new toy as I consider it just an input device to my computer, which of course is where I want to spend my extra time anyway. I have now been retired for almost 15 years and have never looked back since I have been able to continue with my "career" right here at home in my "lab".
All is well on the home front and downtown Seattle (the Emerald city) is still the greatest as the following pictures will attempt to portray.
Family Christmas (not the new camera):
The Concorde has come to town at the Air Museum:
Jerome on full alert: Spencer demanding a kitty litter change:
Audrey prepared for our 36th anniversary: Audrey and Edgar Martinez (not the new camera):
Mariner's opening day and Ichiro: Our new big boppers delivering in the first inning:
Market friends singing happy birthday to yours truly: Followed by St Patrick's day at the Market:
It still rains in Seattle (although a light winter this year): Which, of course produces the Tulips:
A new group joins the Market Busker corps - "The Moonpenny Opera"
And lest we forget there is always Thomas - ready for St Patrick's day:
and the Dog Mafia at work:
And the obligatory sunset: How can we not patronize Cafe Campagne?
