Daily Photos

< April 2017 >

April 1, 2017
Toto, I don`t think we`re in Dayton anymore. Good luck getting through airport security. There`s something special about a natural redhead. I don`t know many of the current heroes and villians, though I recognized this guy right away. It cost ten dollars to get into the convention, so I just hung around the entrance and got my shots for free.

April 2, 2017
It was finally time to take my new camera out of the living room and put it to the test in the real world. This is harder than it looks, and it looks really hard. You talkin` to me? You talkin` to me? TRAVIS BICKLE Gangsta ginga. My new camera worked fine, but it didn`t amaze me.

April 3, 2017
Another traffic fatality. I`m sittin` on the dock of the bay watchin` the tide roll away. OTIS REDDING Your daily duck: a Monday mallard. I got a late start today (see March 31, 2017). High above the city, falcons fought over a piece of food until one of them dropped it. I wonder what pedestrians below thought when a dead animal fell out of the sky.

April 4, 2017
Schuster Center details. Puddle. We briefly shared a sidewalk. What baby WOULDN`T be happy to see me? COLOR GUARD STARTS ON THURSDAY!

April 5, 2017
The most fun I had all day was trying to get a photo of fast-moving birds skimming over the river for insects. By comparison, this picture was much easier to take. Where I nearly fell down and broke my crown. Just one more bird. I might as well finish these, right?

April 6, 2017
MEOW! It`s the WGI Color Guard World Championship! I took pictures of 170 color guard shows in three days. I`ve been shooting color guard for more than ten years. I still love it and I`ve gotten pretty good at taking photos. Here are some of the 41,598 shots I took this weekend.

April 7, 2017
During a color guard competition, a new display of beauty comes out onto the floor every ten minutes. Every show uses flags, rifles and sabers, but each one is a unique combination of music, story and costumes. I`m grateful to the teams that have practiced for months and then traveled to Dayton from all over the world. Unlike a typical sport, color guard shows tell a story, and they often have inspiring and challenging themes. The teams that compete in this championship are the best in the world, so the shows are always exciting.

April 8, 2017
On the final day of the competition, I started taking photos at 9am and finished at almost 1am the next day. It was a long and demanding day, but it was worth it because of the great shows I saw and pictures I took. Carmel HS won a gold medal with the most beautiful combination of music and movement I`ve ever seen. I sit in a cushioned chair while they exert themselves, but I work for pictures like this, my SECOND favorite. And this is my absolute favorite photo of the weekend.

April 9, 2017
After an incredibly busy weekend, I slept in and didn`t go outside until the late afternoon. It turned out to be a flower day. Daffodils had it rough because of the inconsistent weather, so I hope the tulips don`t get snowed on. Some humble little flowers by the edge of the sidewalk. Tree blossoms are the most precious of spring flowers.

April 10, 2017
If I could walk on water, would you believe in me? EDDIE MONEY Like flowers and birds, this is another sign of spring. And suddenly there was an alpaca. `What time does the game start?` Escape attempt.

April 11, 2017
Fences and walls are not the solution. It wouldn`t stand there so much if it wasn`t catching fish, but I`ve never seen it happen. Let sleeping ducks lie. Chewbacca`s dog. The Curiosity rover has been on Mars nearly five years.

April 12, 2017
I should get my car washed more often. You and your fleas are not welcome on my porch. I came upon a fork in the road. I came upon the artist at work (see March 11, 2017). For some problems, the only solution is ice cream.

April 13, 2017
Memory cards full of color guard photos. I wouldn`t have survived the weekend without earplugs. My high-tech method of keeping track of color guards. According to my notes, this must be Pflugerville HS, because they`re wearing gray and have pointy hair. I don`t deliver photos on DVD any more (see April 14, 2014).

April 14, 2017
Eye to eye. The kids asked, `Is this a ocean?` Grandma said, `No, it`s a river.` Bits of food will work better than your voice. Who`s going to clean that up? Sky lines.

April 15, 2017
Where blueberries come from. A perfect spring day at the garden. If only I understood the lyrics it was singing. He and his mate were looking over some real estate. Beauty is fleeting so I`d better get a picture today.

April 16, 2017
The levy that keeps Daytonians like me from drowning seems to be in distress. Dayton now has a rocky coastline. Is a lighthouse next? Gone fishin`. Neither quill nor feather did it bear, and its vast pinions were as webs of hide between horned fingers; and it stank. A creature of an older world maybe it was. J.R.R. TOLKIEN I can understand in a vague, theoretical sense how this might be considered fun.

April 17, 2017
Parking downtown can sometimes be complicated. This picture was taken in the middle of city traffic. A coot without a mate is unusual, and it shouldn`t be in this region in April. There`s probably a sad story here. Dayton, Ohio: big sky country. Healthy people make me sick.

April 18, 2017
The idiot driver of the day. Repetition for its own sake. Man and manhole. While I worked inside the building all day, this panhandler worked outside. I`m not that hungry, thanks.

April 19, 2017
Dogs can read? Significant work will be done on the levy (see April 16 above). I asked the workers if they were putting in a water slide and was disappointed by their response. Enjoy them now: tulips are a limited engagement. It must be nice not to have a job (see December 21, 2016). After a fire and many break-ins, it seems someone is getting ready to board up my former parking garage.

April 20, 2017
I was able to relax for a while after the color guard world championship, but now it`s time for percussion. Percussion shows don`t move as fast as color guard, and so I shot only 4,189 pictures today. Youthful enthusiasm. I had to drive an hour through farmlands to get to the competition today. I saw a lot of cows and flags. Her team drove from North Carolina, so I had it easy.

April 21, 2017
Another full day of percussion competition. Today was a bit more busy, and I took 5,570 pictures. I had another long drive early this morning and actually had to travel to a different state to shoot these pictures. This team brought giant props all the way from Thailand. They definitely didn`t fit in the overhead compartment. I wear earplugs but can feel sound vibrating my camera.

April 22, 2017
The highlight of the weekend was a drum circle in the parking lot. It wasn`t a competition, it was just for fun. Everybody`s a drummer. I didn`t see their show, but we hung out backstage. A group hug before their final performance of the year. A future percussionist.

April 23, 2017
This group of five photos was taken just after midnight, in continuation of the last five. It was a very long day! Teams from several countries were in the competition. I wasn`t the only photographer there. After months of hard work, a world championship! Now it`s time to go home and sleep.

April 24, 2017
Now just try to get inside (see April 19 above). A drippy duck. `My mom told me not to get wet!` Monday was a sun day. The entire retaining wall will be removed, and put back (see April 16 and 19 above).

April 25, 2017
Join the crowd. The DELCO LOFTS aren`t quite finished yet. Another sunny spring day. Not the petals on the water, the shadows underneath. He risks his life so your cell phone will work.

April 26, 2017
Every stone is numbered and will be put back where it was installed a century ago (see April 24 above). A killdeer is kind of mud-colored. It`s just one selfie after another with me. Finally, it`s iris time. The sound of trilling frogs drew me to the river, but they didn`t want to be seen.

April 27, 2017
Springtime in downtown Dayton. Those clouds tell me it`s time to go back inside. Really, you should go back inside. I warned you to go back inside. The stars of `Legally Blonde` at Miami Valley School.

April 28, 2017
Everything must change. Nothing stays the same . . . Everyone will change. No one stays the same . . . The young become the old, and mysteries unfold . . . For that`s the way of time . . . No one, and nothing goes unchanged.

April 29, 2017
There are not many things in life you can be sure of, except rain comes from the clouds . . . Sun lights up the sky . . . And hummingbirds do fly . . . Winter turns to spring . . . A wounded heart will heal, but never much too soon. BENARD IGHNER

April 30, 2017
The first rose of 2017. The last tulip of 2017? The first bird of the day. The last bird of the day. Thereby hangs a tale. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

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