The Last of the July Greenery

 

The last three black-eyed susans are captured for prosperity’s sake. Their bright color makes them easy to find, though they are lonely.

The tiny daisies have been spouting out all summer, but none have looked as perfect as these. To give you an idea just how tiny they are, the large daisy is the size of my pinky’s fingernail.

As if the calendar isn’t enough of an indication, the heads on hay are a stark reminder just how close the end of summer is.

Odin, My Pride and Joy

Young Expressions

The boy swimming had just reached the end of his fourth lap or so, and the camera caught the look on his face as he challenged himself to make it to the wall. His struggle paid off. He rested a few minutes, then went on to do four more laps.

It didn't help that I kept cracking jokes while Cody was working with the young colt to ride him for the first time. But, as we laughed away, Cody continued to lay over the saddle and flop around while the colt's expression never changed. It was a quiet, boring first ride.

The last photo is proof that we all experience the same thing differently. Most amazing of all is the one head that is so far above the crowd with the empty look. Things must look really different to him!

Expressions

I caught Kenny Loggins (top) in concert in Little Rock last year. He has always been my favorite musician, and I greatly admire his approach to singing: He plays his voice like an instrument, and fills his music with emotion and clarity. That I was able to capture that in a photo is priceless to me.

Horace (middle) is a corker of a man. He is the animal control officer in a small town here in Arkansas, and he absolutely loves dogs. He works tirelessly to find homes for all the strays he picks up.

Michael (bottom) captured himself with his concentrated expression. He was leaning down to adjust his camera's settings when he accidentally hit the shutter. He captured his quiet intensity that I love so much.