An introduction to my blog

I chose my blog's name to reflect some of my interests: driving for fun, listening to music and appreciating nature. I'll also write on technology, especially as it relates to thse interests.

I enjoy driving sports cars and other cars that are fun to drive. That has been a shared interest for me and for my wife Lesley for over 40 years. We have always tried to pick cars that were fun to drive. They haven't all been powerful, fast or great looking but almost all of them made driving enjoyable. Great handling were always important than power. We keep cars for 10-13 years so we pick each car carefully. I do most of the research to narrow the field but Lesley is fully involved in test drives and making the final choice.

My parents didn't have any interest in music so I had limited exposure to music as a child. I certainly knew nothing about classical music. I wandered into that interest at the end of my undergraduate college years. Lesley had more exposure to classical music than I did so she aided in my education. As a graduate student, I had friends who liked classical music so we played recordings we owned for each other. During those years, Lesley and I spent a lot of time going to concerts and shopping for cheap LPs in record stores.

I'm an audiophile because I enjoy listening to music. Faithful reproduction of recorded music makes listening more enjoyable for me. I reached adulthood at a time when having a good stereo was a goal for many people my age. When I started, I could barely afford any stereo components. The top of the line equipment such as Marantz and McIntosh preamps and amps were out of reach. As time passed, I could afford to spend more money on gear but starting in the 70s, prices for high end audio gear went up faster than my ability to afford that gear. Great sound is just one interest competing for interest and funds with the rest of our lives.

Lesley and I share an interest in and love of nature. We walk regularly in our city's 2700 acres of open space and other nearby parks. We have worked in habitat restoration projects in our city's open space since 1991.  Many of our vacations have a focus on wildlife watching or wildflower viewing. Taking photos of what we see is a natural extension of our interest in nature. We have a gallery of photos of flowers, insects and other wildlife at  http://naturelover.smugmug.com/ .