Snakes and Baseball: 100 Posts

So this is what is has come to: a day of snakes and baseball in Dubois County. And now, officially, 100 blog posts. What a long way from Seattle to Columbia to Jasper!

Julie

There are times when I can hardly believe that I'm in any way worthy of hanging out with the people I photograph-- and this case exemplifies that. Born 3 months premature, Julie is now 14 months old, and can't see, has trouble breathing, and doesn't eat solid food. She needs constant-- and I mean constant-- care. The miraculous thing-- which is, of course, the most normal thing in the world-- is the patience and caring and love from her Mom. Is that a huge cliche? Well, so be it. There are wonderful, heartbreaking things in the world, and I don't care if that's another cliche.

loops and lines | goats and sheep

Thursday, side of the road

On the way home from an assignment the other day I saw some people on the side of the road, decorating a wooden cross. That particular day I was trying to stop whenever I saw something that interested me-- not that we need more features, but because it's always better to spend a little more time shooting, even when you're like me and a little introverted. Especially me. You have to get out of the car over and over again and make pictures of strangers-- it's so important for me to be in that habit.

It turned out to be the two year anniversary of a car crash that killed three teenage girls-- two would have graduated from high school in May. I shot it, and I stayed with both families for a while, and then returned to have a talk with Justin, my editor. We ran a picture (not this one) in the paper, and I was so grateful, because sometimes when you photograph someone you make a tacit agreement with them-- that they're letting you in so their experience can somehow be bigger than just them. I think the Herald really values that kind of relationship with its readers, and it makes me care a lot about all of my assignments.

Above, a mother who lost both of her daughters, ages 16 and 17, grieves at the memorial on the side of State Road 162 in Ferdinand.

Fest: Part 2 of 1,000

Tonight's festival was in Ferdinand. Indiana. Wow.

Motorcycle Thursday

Riding in the rain past the farm she grew up on, Caroline Toby, 83, waved to her children. Curt Trainer of AJ Cycle piloted the Harley Davidson from Ferdinand to Birdseye, stopping at the Dairy Barn for ice-cream cones, as part of a wish-granting program at the Scenic Hills Care Center.

Seriously. Life is good.

Dunk Tank

Trying as hard as he can to avoid hitting the cold water below, Ethan Schwoeppe, 12, grabs the top bar of the St. Henry Saints 4H Club Dunking booth at Heinrichsdorfest in St. Henry on Saturday night.

Father's Day

Yes, it's time for a little cheezy photo in honor of Father's Day. Marie Tempel, 3, gets a much needed cleanup from her father Marvin after enjoying an ice cream cone at the St. Henry Heinrichsdorfest on Saturday night.

Fest: 1of 1,000

Summer summer summer in Dubois County. Time for every small town to have a festival. Here, top, at the 4H dunking booth in St. Henry. Bottom, teenager doing what we all did-- sitting in the parking lot having a drink in the back of someone's pickup. Okay, what I always wanted to do but didn't cause I grew up in Connecticut. How lucky am I that this is my job?

Lamb

Joe elected to slaughter the lamb at dawn, just when there was enough light but before the bottle flies came out. I have to say, this level of connectedness to food is profound. If you eat it, you should know why and how.
In the first frame, the family dog watches as the lamb is led to the back yard. Strange.
Joe and his wife Lindsay and their son Issac are a lovely family living in Dubois.

Guess Who has to shoot Canon now?

The Herald is like a feature shooting boot camp. Here, Sara Carpenter, who turns 9 in two weeks, enjoyed her favorite part of the Tri-County YMCA Summer Day Camp on Wednesday morning: a field trip to the Jaycee Park in Jasper.

Day Off: Gratuitous Landscape

You move to a new place and what do you do? I drive around and get lost, wait until later in the afternoon so the sky is beautiful, go down roads I shouldn't be going down and hope to run into someone or something to photograph. Not much tonight but some stormy skies and some golden light and some hidden road and cornfields. And some natural vignette. So there. Here's my "sense of place" frame for everyone who wonders what Indiana is like.

Rained Out

Continuous lightening and storm warnings delayed play in the class 3A softball finals in Indianapolis on Friday. Top: Dana Rickenbaugh, of the Jasper Wildcats, surveyed the sky from inside the Pike high school, where players and their coaches took refuge from the rain. By 9:40, the game was officially called off, and the girls boarded the bus for a trip to Steak and Shake before retiring for the night. Play will resume tomorrow, where Jasper will face Mishawaka Marian.
Gotta say, being stuck with a team in a gym all night was pretty fun. The girls hadn't even started playing-- another team was on their third inning. So, tomorrow, if they win, it'll be two games in a day, which must be a lot for these girls.

First Baseball

I arrived in Jasper on Sunday night, and I've been exploring Dubois county ever since. Driving around, meeting people, getting lost, getting sunburnt. Once I'm better acclimated, I'll let you all know more. Until then, here are two images from the recent baseball game, which Jasper won 8-7. Top: Daniel Fuhrman, right and Pete Wilson, left, celebrated Fuhrman's run in the 3A Regional baseball contest between Jasper and Gibson Southern on Tuesday night. Jasper bested Gibson Southern in the final inning, winning 8-7. Bottom: Sherri Messier, mother of Jasper second baseman Nick messier, crossed her fingers in hopes of bringing the Wildcats some luck.