I was shooting in a hair salon today and saw this on the wall. Would things have been different if I had better hair and a Leica? I wonder…

On a slightly related note, I wonder why in all these pharmaceutical commercials, particularly those aimed at lifestyle drugs and things for the elderly, the character in the ad is always a photographer shooting with a Hasselblad or a Mamiya. Does that mean when I get older and need to take a battery of cholesterol drugs, my pictures will get better and I will suddenly be hanging out at my own gallery shows?

I spent a few days over the past couple weeks covering a few area teams trying to make it to the state title game. Sadly for them, they fell short. Luckily for me, it means football season is another day closer. I just need to make it through baseball… On a technical note, the first picture was shot with a Nikon D300 at ISO4000, hence the noise, and the other two with a D3 at around ISO3200.

My weekend wishes were fulfilled with a ribbon-cutting assignment. I’m pretty sure when they cut the ribbon I did not look through the viewfinder. Such is the power of my protest of these sorts of assignments. Maybe I should shoot a personal project on the people that manufacture golden shovels and giant scissors. If nothing else, it would as compelling as most of the work I’ve done lately. I knew it was a picture we wouldn’t run and I was more interested in the renovated building and exhibit anyway…

Shot this on the way back from an assignment at Montpelier in Orange County. It likely will not run in tomorrow’s paper due to the hole available was something like 1 column. If it did run, the skydiver would look like an ink smudge. Oh well – it was nice to sit around and chat with the people at Skydive Orange for a while!

Snow is so common that I have omitted to note its falling at least two days out of Three.
William Henry Ashley

It is now being reported that this area is second only to Buffalo, New York in the amount of snow fall this year. Buffalo has the distinction of being one of two cities that have lost the most Super Bowls. In the case of Buffalo that means four consecutive losses with the last being in 1994. Fredericksburg has a unique opportunity to join New York, Washington, Dallas, and most every other city in the AFC based on this year's season, to send Buffalo home as losers! More snow predicted for Tuesday and possibly at the end of the week. I smell victory!

So what can I say--more snow pictures. During our latest snow storm I spent a few hours working with the city's Public Facilities crew shoveling snow downtown. The high points were the discovery of microwavable sausage and pancakes on a stick and a lunch of my personal favorite, Chef Boyardee Mini-Ravioli. The low point was looking back over a block of sidewalk which you just cleared of 8" of snow and ice to see another 3" on the ground... and growing.

This morning the sun was shining, a pair of cardinals were out adding a little color to the blanket of white, and my lower back and arms were killing me. Yet I could not pass up the opportunity to take some photos of one of the city's largest snowfalls. So off I went. This time accompanied by my wife and the family mutt to ensure my inner child wouldn't get the better of me. Don't think I would have survived the experience.........

The Kelly Family Compound
Home sweet home on Hanover Street. Took the photo at a low angle to make the amount of snow that I shoveled look a bit more impressive. Actually, my wife was also part of the snow removal detail. I shoveled the walkway, sidewalk and driveway twice Friday night. On Saturday morning I shoveled it again. You know how it is. I couldn't go out to play downtown,i.e., shoveling more snow for about 7 hours, until I finished my chores at home first. Pretty stupid huh?

A Boy and His Dog...and Wife
My wife Cindie and the family Mutt, Morrison. My companions during the initial stages of my wanderings. In this photos they provide some perspective on the amount of snow and also provide me some mammal in the photo points--right Mike?. Having ones wife along also keeps the inner child in check. Probably saved my life.

Picture the Scene..........
A driving snow..no, no, make that a blinding snow with bone chilling winds. Yours truly standing alone, shovel in hand, staring down at a foot of snow..mocking me. Struggling forward I slash down at my adversary with all my strength and the life or death struggle begins in earnest....... OK, OK I embellished a bit. I had some help. One of my projects from the day before. The entry way to the city's parking garage. By the way, bricks (even stamped ones) suck!