It’s been a hot minute or two since I’ve posted anything on my site, so I thought I would do some dusting! I’ve been traveling up to Charlotte, NC for about a year and a half now to take pictures at a monthly social there hosted by Charlotte Latin Dance. I just can’t say enough about the people there. I often get asked how I’m doing, what I’ve been up to, and when am I coming back! That’s a great feeling. The folks in Charlotte are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. When I’m there, I always see people smiling, dancing with charisma, and interacting with each other. I’m really proud to be a part of something so special. To check this social out, visit www.charlottelatindance.com for details.
To check out the small gallery I’ve posted, just click here:
http://bwaltonphoto.com/salsa/villa-antonio-social-charlotte/
I hope to see all of you in Charlotte again soon!
BW 
On Saturday, February 20th, I was invited up to Glassy Mountain to observe a long-time friend fly his new glider. This was the first time I had ever seen anyone launch off of a mountainside with nothing attached to them but what appeared to be a flimsy set of wings. However, those flimsy set of wings took my friend Matt and his buddies high in the skies above (about 4,000 feet). As I looked upwards, I realized the hang gliding enthusiasts were enjoying their own slice of heaven. I can only imagine what it might be like to float up to cloud base with a set of wings attached to me, but on this day I experienced the thrill vicariously through my friends while standing safely on the ground nearby! My excuse was that I had to take pictures 
Now, in my defense, no one is recommended or allowed to fly a glider without the necessary training and preparation it takes. My friend Matt Barker has been flying for about 10 years now and has gained quite a bit of experience. I also enjoyed watching the other hang gliders fly their gliders down the mountainside and land safely at the foot of the mountain just parallel to Hwy 11.
I think what impressed me most was the sheer beauty of being up on Glassy Mountain. The view was spectacular! I can only imagine what the view is like from 4, ooo feet above the launchpad. You’ll have to ask Barker that! I did take a few photos and I wanted to share them with anyone who might be interested in flying someday. If you are reading this post and you are interested in trying this sport out, I can certainly point you in the right direction. To view the gallery I have posted on this site, simply look to the left of this post in the “Photoshoots 2010″ page, and open up the Glassy Mountain gallery. If you’re really lazy, you can just click here : http://bwaltonphoto.com/?page_id=1005
If anyone is interested in flying or obtaining information about the sport, it’s great to know there are resources and people in this area (South Carolina) that are very helpful and willing to answer any questions that need to be answered. For guidance, flight schedules, directions, flying events, and more, simply contact Matt Barker. Matt can be reached by email here: mattbarker@groundindustries.com
Matt also has a web page that he updates regularly that contains flying information and his latest adventures: www.flyinbarker.com
Matt is a very charismatic individual who simply loves life and loves to fly hang gliders. He is also an avid mountainboarding enthusiast and developer. You can check out the mountainboarding site and the rest of the guys here: www.groundindustries.com
Thanks for reading and if anyone decides to venture out and fly, let me know!
Brian
Maria Voisin, Director and founder of Salseros 828, put on a show like no other on this frigid Asheville night. It was anything but cold in the house because the party was hoppin! There were several performances that kept the party going and plenty of social dancing that went well into the early morning hours. There was a chance of snow, but it wouldn’t stop the party this night!
Enjoy the pictures I was fortunate enough to take and make this year a year to remember! Get out and dance in 2010! I have posted a gallery of this event for all to see under the “salsa” page or you can just click here:
http://bwaltonphoto.com/?page_id=994
BW
Ok Salsaholics, it’s time to get your groove on A-ville style with none other than Maria and Salseros 828. For those of you that don’t know (you better recognize :), Maria has been dancing salsa since 1996! This was the same year the Fugees came out with Killing Me Softly (one time, one time…two time two time) Remember that? That was the jam then, but now the jam is going to be the cowbell and other latin rhythms that are going to be blasting away at this 7-year anniversary party in Asheville, NC.
There will be performances by, none other than- DULCINEA! You’ll just have to hop in the car and get on up to Asheville to check out this NEW performance. There will also be some belly dancing and other special performances to see. Expect these performers to BRING it and give you all a show you will be talking about well into the New Year.
What you need to know:
Location- Club 11, Grove Street, Downtown Asheville, NC. When? This coming Friday night! For more information about this event, and future events, just have a look at Maria’s site: www.salseros828.com
Doors open at 10 pm, performances start at 12, and social dancing will resume throughout the night! You can expect a variety of folks to descend (or ascend) upon Asheville for this year-end party. It’s a party you will NOT want to miss. So, come out and support Maria and Asheville for this event.
I’ll have my cameras handy, so dress to impress and come ready to dance because I look forward to gathering some awesome photos for all of us to reflect on!
See you there!
BW
El Guateque II was a huge success! Just like the first party, everyone showed up ready to dance and have a great time. The performances were all original with some surprises for the audience. There were dance groups and local salseros from Greenville (SC), Charlotte (NC), Johnson City (TN), Knoxville (TN), and of course, Asheville (NC). There were also special guests and performers from Atlanta, GA.
It’s so much fun to see the salsa community come together at one place and just have fun dancing and enjoying life! Asheville is becoming an excellent place to have salsa parties due to its convenient location and distance from its sister salsa cities. With more cities popping up on the map, the parties and events are getting bigger.
I would like to give a special thanks to all of the promoters, dancers, and salseros who hopped in their cars to travel to this event. All of you made it a very special evening for everyone. I hear there is going to be another party coming in January, 2010, so I’ll make an announcement on that party as soon as I get details.
I hope all of you had a great time at El Guateque II and I hope you all will enjoy the photos I took. You can view the photos by finding the gallery entitled “El Guateque II” under my “Salsa” page. If you’re really lazy, you can just click here:
http://bwaltonphoto.com/?page_id=927
Until next time! Dance on!
BW
It’s official! El Guateque II is on and happening tonight in Asheville, NC. If you missed El Guateque 1, you missed a great party. The venue was super nice and everyone had plenty of room to dance and socialize throughout the evening. If you missed seeing the photos from the last party I took, just look to the left of this post and I have a gallery posted under the “Salsa” page.
Tonights event is hosted by DJ Carlos Carmona of Latin Factor and Andres Montoya of Mangos Productions. The Venue they have reserved for the salseros tonight is at the absolutely beautiful “Homewood” estate in Asheville, NC. If you want to check out this beautiful place, you can click here:
http://www.mybelovedhomewood.com/
There will be a variety of performers at this event including: Proyecto Barrio (Atlanta, GA), Salsa Knoxville (Knoxville, TN), Maria “Guajira” representing Ashville,NC (Salserors 828), and a very special debut from “The Ashleys” (Johnson City, TN) There will also be a group of salseros riding up from Greenville, SC to support Ashville, and there will be other special guests in attendance, including: Bernardo D’ La Vega, Rodrigo and Wendy Jimenez (Charlotte Salsa), and a few others.
So, if you live close to the Asheville area and you want to check out a cool salsa event, head on over to Homewood for what is sure to be a most memorable evening of dancing and performances. For directions or questions regarding this event, you may call the following people:
DJ Carlos Carmona - 828-335-6849
M.C. Andres Montoya - 828-216-1452
For directions, just click on the Homewood site link I posted above within this post.
I look forward to seeing everyone there tonight and I’m very anxious to get some nice photos for all of you to see
BW
This event was crazy fun! There were folks from all over the Southeast in attendance for this spectacular event. As I glanced around the room I noticed dancers from Atlanta, Asheville, Greenville, Augusta, and of course, Charlotte! There were maybe too many cities there to mention! This is the first time I’ve seen so many cities in Charlotte to dance. It was a cool feeling, for sure. The energy was great and people were definately there to dance the night away.
I have posted a sample gallery of the images I took at this event. The images can be found on the Salsa page of this site just to the left of this post. I didn’t post ALL of the images, but these are the ones that caught my eye. If you’re really lazy, you can just click here
http://bwaltonphoto.com/?page_id=860
The salsa scene in Charlotte is growing steadily and looks to become a premier place to hold large-scale events in the future. I look forward to seeing what Charlotte has to offer next! Not only is Charlotte, NC a beautiful city to visit at night (the skyline is incredible), the people there are very friendly and ready to dance!
Charlotte Salsa hosted this event (Rodrigo and Wendy Jimenez) and I hope that there will be more to come! When more cities offer big events, it’s better for everyone who loves to dance.
It was nice to see everyone there and I hope that everyone had a great time!
Brian
This Saturday, Charlotte Salsa is hosting a special dance event. This event is scheduled to be held at the Crown Plaza in Charlotte, NC. and will feature 3x ESPN world salsa champions: Abel and Zulmara.
Dance workshops begin at 12 p.m. Saturday and end around 4 p.m. The evening party will begin at 9 p.m. The party will be the highlight of the evening and there will be a performance by Abel and Zulmara, plus additional guest performers from Augusta, GA and Charlotte, NC.
For a full list of workshop times, prices, and more information about the evening party at the Plaza, just click on the link below. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom so that you can see all of the information available. Charlotte Salsa has made available rooms with special rates and a there is a link on this page to reserve rooms, view directions with a map, and other important information regarding this event.
Click here to view information:
http://charlottesalsadance.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=55
Abel and Zulmara will be performing for the very first time in Charlotte this Saturday, so it should be a show no one will want to miss!! There will also be some incredible social dancing going on as there will be guests from all over upstate South Carolina, Augusta and Atlanta, GA.
If there are any questions regarding the event, email Charlotte Salsa or find them on Facebook and other social networks here:
http://charlottesalsadance.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3
Enjoy the show and take advantage of the workshops if you can! It’s not often world champs come to town.
Brian
Ahhh…the smell of fresh pine needles! To most people, pine needles smell like work, thus they aren’t appreciated! Spreading pine needles is pretty hard work (if you’re used to a desk job), but it’s very rewarding at the end of the day when the job is done.
Just last weekend, a cousin of mine asked for some help spreading some pine needles on a job he had to do. When he told me there would be 200 bails (yes 2oo!) to spread, I felt like throwing in the towel immediately. I’ve done smaller jobs (around 50 bails) before and it wasn’t too bad, but doing 200 was the biggest job I’ve helped tackle. Now, let’s make one thing clear! Spreading the needles is not the hardest part. What makes spreading needles difficult is the fact that not all lawns are ”flat” to lay the needles in. I’ve had to climb hills (while carrying bails) and spread them while sliding because the soil underneath was soggy from rain the night before. Then, there’s getting pricked with briars, thorns from shrubs, stumbling upon fire ant hills, and the ever elusive pile of dog crap you might step in!
I’m not complaining, but I’m just letting all know what’s out there and what one might get his/her self into.
I managed to make it through the day and I was able to help spread every bail we had to spread. I was very tired, but as I looked around the yard we completed, I noticed a huge change in the overall presence of the yard. I couldn’t believe what a difference the new needles made on this lawn. It literally turned an ordinary lawn into an “extraordinary” lawn. I was asked to help on this particular project because the homeowner was hosting a party and she wanted her yard to look really nice for all of her guests. Usually, folks wait until the Spring season to lay pine needles out, but this was a special occasion.
I’ve always enjoyed outdoor work and I find a great deal of satisfaction after a job is completed and the lawn looks nicer than ever. A lot of folks like to do their own yard work, but some are just not able to because of time constraints or other reasons. So, if anyone reading this post within the Greenville, Spartanburg, or Greer area would like to get a quote on having their yard maintained, mulched, or pine needled, my cousin can be reached at this email address: rockbottomlandscaping@hotmail.com
He offers a variety of services and has over 15 years of experience in the lawn care industry. He’s done everything from irrigation to weed prevention and control. Here are some of the services offered:
- Leaf Removal (Fall and Winter seasons)
- Irrigation and drip line installation
- Scheduled lawn maintenance: grass cutting, edging, hedge trimming, etc…
- Weed prevention and removal
- Bed detail and installation
- Sod installation
- Aeration and re-seeding
- **Free Estimates**
This time of year, most people are often looking for someone to get rid of the leaves that have fallen on their lawns or their gutters cleaned as a result of the fallen leaves. If anyone is interested in the above services, contact Jason at Rock Bottom Landscaping.
By phone: 864-415-2975 or by email: rockbottomlandscaping@hotmail.com (as mentioned earlier)
Everyone loves a clean yard because it says a lot about the homeowner. Not only is a clean yard fun to look at and enjoy, it also provides peace of mind and a sense of achievement.
BW
It has been a hot minute or two since I’ve been deep into the mountains that surround my home. In fact, I’ve all but taken them for granted at times. Where I live, I pass grocery stores, strip malls, car dealerships, and cheesy check cashing businesses everyday. So, this past weekend, I decided to grab the camera, hop in the car, and try and get some fresh air.
I found not only fresh air, but freezing cold air, also. Should you care to check this place out or its many offerings, just click on the link provided below:
http://www.grandfather.com/
It was well worth the drive, though. For those who read this post, you are likely within driving distance of the magnificent area known as the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you haven’t been there, I suggest you take a day to explore the breathtaking views this area has to offer. There is certainly a sense of tranquility and inner peace within these mountains.
Now, I know I can’t compare these mountains to the likes of a Yosemite or Yellow Stone National Park, but there is certainly a unique and special feeling that these mountains provide. As I looked at the photos I took while visiting, I noticed the raw beauty that was right before me. I’ve been to the mountains around my part of the Country (N. Carolina/Tennessee) many times, but this time was different. For the first time, I looked through my camera lens and I really liked what I saw. Taking the pictures was easy! Appreciating what I was seeing was the trick.
A lot of times I pass places and I don’t even take the time to look and feel what surrounds me. It’s really easy to get caught up in daily life and its demands, so I have found that it’s extremely therapeutic to get out and just absorb what nature has to offer. Nature is more than just camping trips, a curvy road, or a nice sunset; it’s medicine for the mind!
So, if the chance arrives to get out for a few hours and take in some much needed scenery, my advice is to take it! You never know what it might do for you and your current state-of-mind.
I will post a gallery here soon with some of the pictures I gathered while out having a look around. They are well worth sharing. So, stay tuned and I’ll have a gallery for all to see soon.
BW
