tradition

It has become tradition. Around the December holidays my brothers and I organize a paintball outing in my parents' woods and call it the "War of the Woods." This year we decided to supply our own CO2 and rigged up a system for refilling the smaller canisters that go on the guns. Incredible headache, but we did get some more pt out of it. Needless to say, I was the one who decided to do the refilling because I didn't want anyone else to get hurt if something bad happened, of which I believed there was a significant possibility due to, shall I say, suspect rigging. But I did get some help from my brothers. I should tell you that the third photo was taken for a column I recently did for the paper, but I wanted to include it because I didn't have any decent action photos from December (true) because I was always playing and never got out (not true). Hey - it's more of an essay anyway. I thought I'd post this now because I'm heading out to Jersey this weekend to hang with the fam and see the reason for my new status as an uncle.

Old Faithful

I'll admit I'm a sucker for this kind of frame and I make this image whenever I see it: Low angle, pretty light, batter with raised bat. I tried numerous different ways of shooting this, including using netting as a framing element and small aperture with a slow shutter speed, but this image, one of the first I made, was the one I liked most. Ironic. Thanks to the D3 for the vignette.

the ascent

"Beautiful Loser"

Sonja McCartney, 49, left, and her husband of 27 years, Bob McCartney, 50, share a moment on the dance floor toward the end of Tendercare's Spring Fling Ball at the facility recently. Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1985 and has lived at Tendercare since March 2007. In the preface to his book of memories, entitled "If The Ride Is Over Why Can't I Get Off?", Bob wrote the following: "I believe I was dealt a pretty good hand in life, and I tried to make the best of what I had." He also wrote: "I felt like Bob Seger had me pegged in his song, "Beautiful Loser." I wanted a home and a family, yet I wanted to live like a sailor at sea. There are times I want to be alone with God and yet I feel really close to Him when family is around." Below, Sonja shaves Bob's neck before they went to the ball together. "Lookin' good, Mr. Smooth," Sonja said to Bob at one point during the shaving.