After 18 years of work with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, I officially entered the world of retirement on September 1, 2006. Kathy and I spent a few months traveling around the Pacific Northwest and California.  Then we sold our house in Portland and migrated back to Madison, Wisconsin in July 2007.  After a few months in an apartment we moved into our new home on October 1, 2007.

If you want to see how I'm dealing with this new life, please see my Retirement Page or read about my various "adventures" in The Old Retired Guy Blog.

Despite my busy life of ease, I still try to find time to play the guitar. My calluses aren't what they used to be and my repertoire is down to single digits but I still pick and strum now and then. 

After all these years I still like music by The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, John Denver, and Peter, Paul and Mary.  I also enjoy some "new" performers like U2, Sheryl Crow, the Dave Matthews Band, and James Blunt. 

Don't worry, I also continue to write and play original tunes like The Ballad of Figenschau Bay and Island Fever -- both classic songs documenting life "North of the Tension Line." The political scene sometimes bugs me to the point where I have to speak out. Check out The True Confessions of George W. Bush or Livin' in a Red State Blues.

Photography is also a hobby of mine. With thousands of slides in my files I like to use a film scanner to digitize some of my favorite old photos. In 2004 I tried digital photography and I haven't looked back. I still have an enlarger and other darkroom equipment but my "development" is generally limited to Photoshop and Lightroom on the computer screen. If you're interested, I've started to post some photos in my Gallery.

Traveling, camping, and hiking, are favorite activities. Check out photos of some of our trips from the links on the Home Page.

Read any good books lately? Look for some of the latest works of Kevin Anderson or catch up on the latest Dune Novels that he has been writing with Brian Herbert.

I also spend a bit of time at the computer, trying to stay in touch with friends and family, and doing things of lesser value like browsing the web and updating the Madison Anderson Web Site. You can write to me at anderson1948@att.net if you are so inclined.