Tennessee Guitar Festival 2012

Great music and good times.

 Congrats to the TN Guitar Competition winners and all those who attended.

First Prize, $1500 - Max Zuckerman  

Second Prize, $750 - Jeremy Collins 

Third Prize, $500 - Antoniy Kakamakov  

Fourth Prize, $300 - Edgar Ivan Resendiz

 Awesome performances by Jorge Caballero, Carlos Castilla, and Ben Bolt. The competition level was extremely high. Jorge gave an incredible masterclass to 5 performers lasting almost 5 hours, without a break. Jorge's concert was spectacular. Many said that it was the best they'd ever seen. He played the Mussorgsky "Pictures at an Exposition." I remember seeing the America premier of that transcription by Yamashita 28 yrs ago in Toronto. Jorge's was even better.

 We partied til 3 am... paella!

Desert Flowers - Red Rock Canyon, NV

A surprising variety of desert flowers blooming in Red Rock Canyon, NV.

Iska and I documented the plethora of colors on our desert walk.

Out West

Enjoying the higher elevations...

Iska and I at Mt. Charleston, NV.

Iska and I at Red Rock Canyon.




Hiking, dinner at the Bellagio, Cirque du Soliel ... a nice visit with Mom and Dad in Vegas.

Oh glorious spring ...

Spring has sprung early...

Just 2 full weeks of school to go. After 2 weeks of 80º weather, warm pool, and lots of outdoor time, a little cooler weather is coming next week. Our last frost was March 4, more than a month early. I'm sure we're in the clear, no chance of a frost, and soon my tomatoes will be planted.

Love this time of year.

Spring in the Cumberland

10 mile hike in the gorgeous Collins Gulf was a great way to spend a perfect day.

One of the rockiest and challenging hikes in Savage Gulf, I joined Iska, John and Nancy for this moderately strenuous hike. This hike had a lot of vertical... including a 700' climb out of the gorge at the end of the hike.

The wildflowers were spectacular. We hiked to Schwoon Spring where we encountered a yellow canebrake timber rattlesnake on the trail. The dog ran right by it, didn't even see it. I picked it up with a stick and flung it off the trail. I'm sorry I forgot to get a photo of it.

Feet were a little tired but all is well. Ready to get back on the track tomorrow, but I will probably wait til Monday evening so I have the day to recover.

The day ended with a sober reminder about walking near cliff edges. A brother of a friend of mine fell 50' to his death off a bluff in Sewanee yesterday.

Spring! ... and a tale of two performances

Wow, what an early spring. Saw lightning bugs yesterday on the Spring Equinox... and that's early.

Was in Bloomington, IN for the 2nd time in 2 yrs. The last time I was there, I played a high pressure solo guitar and lute concert at Indiana University's Auer Concert Hall for the IU International Guitar Festival.

This past weekend, I was there for a different type of performance: sprinting.

At the Harry Gladstein Indoor Track facility, I won a National Championship in my age group as a 400m sprinter in the USA Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships. It was unexpected, but it sure makes this spring very sweet.

The new pool heater is in and tomorrow I'll be swimming.

What a day ...

A day of quick changes ... and participation in diverse events.

Saturday morning 9:30 am -

I arrive at the college to judge music scholarship auditions of prospective music students at the MTSU School of Music.

10:15 am - I get home to don my sprinters tights and track suit to race in the Sewanee Invitational Indoor Track Meet - 60 miles away

11:30 am - Arrive at the track and begin warmups

12:30 pm - Run the 55m dash with guys 30+ years younger and manage to beat a few... running the third fastest time in the US this season in my age group. Photo: I'm in lane one. More here

3:30 pm - Run the 200m dash, beating 5 college guys and running my season best time, 4th in the US in my age group this season.

4:00 pm - Leave for Murfreesboro

5:00 pm - Quick change into a suit and tune my guitar in preparation for a performance.

5:30 pm - Perform classical guitar at Mike and Becky's wedding

What a day... great to have the lovely lady Iska with me all evening. Great to see Mike marry Becky, a lovely person, excellent cook, and a PhD Biologist. Good to see old friends, nice way to end a really full day.

Best of all, everything went great!

Winter hike

Iska, Daddy Zell, and Lily at Bridal Veil Falls - Sewanee, TN.

Beautiful winter hiking in TN.

We met on Valentines Day, 3 years ago today

Some people are just lucky, I am one of them.

I met Iska 3 years ago today at a party after a concert I did at the Monteagle Winery. It was a 'practice concert' to prepare me for a 6 concert tour of the southeast.

The photo is from our first date, a warm late winter day on Raven Point, over looking the Firey Gizzard Gorge.

Tea time in winter - on the patio

It's been a very mild winter... and I don't mind at all.

It's quite a treat to sit by the patio fireplace in January and enjoy 4:00 pm tea outside.

It's supposed to be in the 60ºs the next few days.

Kayaking on the Weekiwachee

From our Florida trip to visit my parents...

Kayaking on the Weekiwachee River with Iska, Myers and my parents ... we saw a few manatee and lots of fish, interesting birds and turtles.

The water is amazingly clear and blue, with white sand on the bottom.

Nice trip...!!

Tennessee Christmas

At Iska's house in Sewanee...

With Iska, Myers and Lily (the dog) by the tree.

Happy Holidays!!

Green's View in Sewanee - above the clouds

Photo by Iska's brother, Brunson Hoole - Thanksgiving weekend in Sewanee.

Green's View.

(click to enlarge)

William Yelverton in concert: Springfield, IL - 10/29/11

Faith Lutheran Church, 2313 Whittier Avenue.
Springfield Classical Guitar Society concert

Springfield, IL
Saturday, October 29, 8PM

Music of Dowland, Rameau, Turina, Lauro, Gismonti, Assad and more...

Guitar, Alto Guitar, Renaissance Lute

Fontana Lake - October 2011

On the boat for 5 nights on beautiful Fontana Lake.

Click on pics to enlarge

Fontana Lake, NC - in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

The weather was perfect. Two days got up near 80º. The other 3 days were around 70º and clear. I swam a little everyday.

The first day I was there, it was exceptionally windy... a Lake Wind Advisory was in effect for wind gusts to 45 mph. There were one to 2 foot waves with white caps on the main east-west stretch of lake. (see video below). In the many coves, it was a different world, completely sheltered from the wind. I was always comfortable with half my canvass up and my propane heater cranking. I even have an electric blanket for the cabin, so it was cozy.

Iska was able to be there for 3 nights - a real treat. We hiked the Lost Cove trail out of Eagle Creek to the Shuckstack Tower. It was a great hike. The last mile is great for 'firing the glutes' as it very steep.

The first photo shows what it looked like on Tues morning, my last day. It was spectacular. I saw a bald eagle fly over head as the fog was lifting and I was drinking my morning tea.

Awesome place.

Truly the best way to visit the Great Smoky Mountains - by boat.

This is the 21st year I've owned this 1987 SeaRay 230 Weekender. I wouldn't trade it for any other boat in it's class. It's a custom order boat with some unusual options. The teak appointed interior, the three deck hatches, the oversize water (36 gal.) and fuel (70 gal.) capacities give this cruiser a cruising range of about 200 miles. The 5.7 L. Mercruiser can push this boat to 43 mph. I may never need another boat.

William - RIP

My cat William has died.

He was one of three cats I inherited from my ex Jenny in 1998 just before we broke up. I took the entire litter of three cats which I named: Willy, Nilly, and Emma. Emma was the runt of the litter and is now the sole survivor. Nilly ran away after a few years. She was a wild one.

I loved Willy, referred to him as "my only son." He was my favorite. I never expected to lose him so soon. He lived just 13 yrs and 5 months. His exact cause of death is not determined, we think it was a chest infection, probably lung cancer. His organs tested fine but... he stopped eating and went down hill very fast. He had fluid drained from his chest and I gave him subcutaneous fluid, and antibiotics. I force fed him some broth and baby food.

The second photo shows William and Iska on the couch in my kitchen on Saturday. Our last weekend together - the 3 of us.

But just a few days after his vet visit, by Sunday night, it looked bad. I almost never sleep with my cats but that Sunday night, I slept with William. It was his last night.

I had a busy Monday 10/3 with a Nashville doctor's appt. and an errand planned. I felt that morning he needed to be euthanized. I couldn't bring myself to do it before going to the doctor and I left him from noon until 3 pm. I knew that I had to take him in to end his life when I returned home. He was laying on a pad in the kitchen and his breathing was labored and he couldn't sleep. He was not purring anymore when I pet him like he did on Sunday. I left the inside door open so he could see the light from the front door from where he was laying in the kitchen. I turned on the vent so there would be good air circulation. When I returned home, I found him dead by the front door. The last thing he did was walk toward the light of the door. Dying on his own was his last gift to me. I did not want to take him in.

I got him when I was 37 and had just moved into my house. I am 51 now. He is the first animal I ever raised from birth to death. He was a very friendly guy, always coming up to greet visitors. It will be an adjustment ... everytime I see something dark on the floor, I think it's him. William was close with his sister Emma, they were together from birth. They always slept close together when it was cold. She will miss him as well. He had a good life.

William

(4/98 - 10/3/11)

The three litter mates cooling off on the concrete - July 30, 1999. They were just over a year old in this photo.

Aten flag - holiday decoration

I like the Aten flag. It'll be my holiday decoration this year. It seems to fit nicely above my front porch.

Aten is the sun disk in ancient Egyptian mythology.

Ancient Egyptian religion deifies the sun. It is likely that much of Christianity and other religions have been based on the ancient Egyptian religion. (see video below)

There are not many things more important in this world than the sun. Life would not exist without it. One super big gulp of coronal mass ejecta from the sun could exterminate life on earth at any time.

I'm not a sun worshipper, but it's easy to see why ancient cultures did worship the sun. To me, the Aten flag is decorative art piece, not a religious symbol.

The flag looks awesome back lit at night.

This 'hippie pagan symbol' should definitely confuse the local rednecks....

“The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the sun, in which they put a man called Christ in the place of the sun, and pay him the adoration originally payed to the sun.”

― Thomas Paine - author, revolutionary, inventor, intellectual, and a Founding Father of the United States.

My 2012 Elantra GLS

My first new car.

Since I'm 51 and debt free, I guess I shouldn't feel too guilty about buying my first new car. It is THE top rated compact sedan by Consumer Reports, Motor Trend, and Cars.com.

Arguably, the hottest small car in America in terms of value ... the 2012s are selling fast and there are vitually no new 2011s available. Even my mechanic says Hyundai has surpassed Honda in technology and quality.

My priority was value and economy... and the best warranty in the business. It has the same leg room as some mid size cars and a huge trunk.

I went with an extended 10 year/120,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.

I got 44 miles per gallon on my first highway trip, (which exceeded the 40 mpg rating). I'm very pleased with the car, but I'm afraid I might scratch it. I don't even want to drive it to work.

The 2012 Hyundai Elantra GLS with the 'Preferred Package' upgrade - in black, of course.

And thankfully ... I'm still debt free.

My new state 400m record

56.09

Breaks the 13 year old M50 mark of 57.00

Double Gold at the TN State meet. More at Sprint Forever blog.