New Theme this week-Black and white

I've never before been a fan of black and white photos. I always thought it as a retreat from progress. I grew up with black and white photos and once color film came into the world I was in love! I could capture exactly what I saw and I surely did not see in black and white. Recently, though, that thought process has changed. I guess frequenting the boards with lots of talented photographers and seeing the emotion that can be evoked by using black and white has softened my thought process and converted my thinking.
I took this shot on Sunday but a certain birthday party prevented me from making an atttempt pp this in black and white. I watched a youtube video on using gradient map in PSE and gave it a whirl. It's my first try and I have so much to learn yet, but I know that this week will be filled with information and learning.