Daily Photos

< July 2025

July 1, 2025
Hopefully this will be my worst photo of the month. See, my pictures are getting better already. Grab a Sharpie and sign your name. Baseball is all about teamwork (see June 3, 2025). Doris, the daredevil duck.

July 2, 2025
Runaway (see July 23, 2009). By walking to work, I see more stuff to take pictures of. THREE-DAY WEEKEND COMING! Want to be popular? Give away food. He said, `Lemme see your hands,` so I showed him. He looked them over and asked, `Are you a lawyer?`

July 3, 2025
As I walked to the Levitt Pavilion, I thought I heard Tom Petty singing a song by The Cars. Wrong about both. And so I guess this isn`t Slash. The crowd sat in the shade as I took pictures in the sun. I wouldn`t want to sing while the smoke machine was on. Old parking garage, new color scheme.

July 4, 2025
Dayton was founded in 1796, and I think that`s when this sign was made. They tried to get me to join the parade, but that would violate the sacred objectivity of a photojournalist. Bringing up the rear is 90-year-old neighbor Phil. A recent Gallup poll says only 58 percent of U. S. adults are proud to be American, but let`s hang the bunting. The closest I ever want to get to an ambulance ride.

July 5, 2025
I figured this was as close as you`d wanna get. Worm-robin meetings usually turn out bad for the worm. Not cool fog, just damp haze. I had to say `Good morning` three times at the park today. I`m exhausted. This is a one-way entrance.

July 6, 2025
Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be. ROBERT BROWNING With any portrait, it`s important to focus on the eyes. My weekly rabbit encounter (see June 29, 2025). I saw a chipmunk today too, but it didn`t sit still for a photo. Dragonflies often come back to the same spot they just left, so when they fly away I just sit and wait. Live life on the edge.

July 7, 2025
Wolfgang finally fell of my office door (see December 19, 2016). I can`t recommend Two Men and a Truck. Judging from the damaged walls, I think the two men are named Chip and Nick. My neighbor was quite possibly watching as I took this photo of their flowers. My eye is on the sparrow. Another Oregon District business closes, another selfie.

July 8, 2025
The wind was blowing this direction, so I got quite wet. She didn`t seem to mind getting wet. A bagworm is well-camouflaged, except on a sidewalk. After the breeding season is over, male mallards go through an `eclipse moult` and lose their bright feathers. The man upstairs.

July 9, 2025
It is in fact raining, but I`m walking to work. I haven`t had to put gas in the car since early June. And because it`s raining, I came across these artists. I don`t have to go to a park to get rabbit photos. This one was near the Arby`s drive-thru downtown. Someone carefully removed the vandalism (see September 9, 2024). Human food isn`t good for birds -- or for humans.

July 10, 2025
I think I see reconciliation happening (see July 2 above). What! They haven`t finish it yet? (See July 9 above). Drive-thru for birds. These street barricades serve many purposes (see March 26, 2021). Looking at past portrait shoots, planning for the next.

July 11, 2025
It was a sunny morning by the pond. I heard lots of goldfinches but didn`t see many. This bug was smaller than you think. A beautiful photo of an ugly insect. Sometimes the hard part is finding an angle where your subject isn`t obstructed by grass, reeds or branches.

July 12, 2025
Summer Saturday: time for a nature photography class. There were plenty of bees, and very few butterflies. Staying cool by the pond. This lame goose was ostracized by the rest of the flock. I was busy leading the class and didn`t take many photos.

July 13, 2025
Michelle, ma belle: these are words that go together well, my Michelle. JAN VAUGHAN AND PAUL MCCARTNEY I told her this picture would become my computer desktop image, and I am a man of my word. This is much, much, much harder than it looks. We had different ideas about this shoot, which forced me to be more creative and get this unprecedented shot. I just zoomed out and let her do her thing.

July 14, 2025
And to think I used to park in that derelict building. I see all sorts of stuff floating down the river, but a flowery cushion is new to me. The monster in the water fountain. Brutalist Dayton. It has rained a lot lately.

July 15, 2025
Behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. GENESIS 28:12 Surely there must be a better way. `We`re going to lunch. Want us to bring you something?` No great loss. Now, if it had been raspberry tea . . . My walk home was interrupted by a monsoon.

July 16, 2025
My radio station has been accumulating CDs for decades, so it`s not surprising we have some duplicates. This building will exist longer than this cloud, but clouds will exist longer than buildings. Someone left behind a pretty accurate drawing of RiverScape (well, except for the elephant). Summertime, and the quacking is easy. Calling all bees!

July 17, 2025
What if you gave a concert and only a tiny person came? (See May 25, 2022) Fun in the fountain. I don`t like taking the elevator. I avoided the singing, but got a piece of cake anyway. Jim McCutcheon, the Guitar Man, has changed over the years.

July 18, 2025
Still a long way to go (see July 10 above). While you`re having fun, someone`s taking your picture. I had no intention of photographing a concert, but I was in desperate need for a few more pictures for today. Carlene Carter had a coughing fit because of the dang smoke machine (see July 3 above). A picture of desperation -- but now I have five.

July 19, 2025
This morning I was reminded of where corn comes from. The star of the equestrian event. A couple of kids talked about what they want to be when they grow up: `A lifeguard. I think they pay you for that.` I didn`t stick around long enough to see any awards. I went to see my favorite Dayton poet.

July 20, 2025
This bug was very small, but my lens is very big. This bug was moving fast, but my camera is faster. Shocking pink. Sometimes it`s all you can do just to hang on. I totally messed up this shot, but my camera saved me.

July 21, 2025
I`m using my camera`s Automatic mode this week, and it`s frustrating. It didn`t know what to focus on here. After I have a dentist`s appointment, I go to this park. Automatic mode creates bright and colorful photos. Have you met my friend Susan? Dunno what this is, but I like the color.

July 22, 2025
They could build a sundial inside the library. I`ll see you in court. Oregon District detail. I`m still shooting in Automatic mode, and this was hard. What if you ate grass, and were surrounded by grass?

July 23, 2025
One of my main hangouts. Uh, that looks refreshing, I guess. After I take pictures of ducks, it`s someone else`s turn. If you enjoy the Celtic Festival, it`s due to their work. Again my camera had trouble focusing through leaves (see July 21 above). `Yo man, I got yer pitcher right here!` (see July 24 below)

July 24, 2025
My building is being transformed (see July 17 above). I was walking by the baseball stadium and was surprised to see a massive high school band and color guard. This guy asked me to take his pictures and I said, `It`s all about the trumpets.` Normally when I take pictures of color guard, it isn`t 90 degrees. I switched the camera out of Automatic mode. `I`m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille!` (see July 23 above).

July 25, 2025
It was a very satisfying morning at the prairie. This goldfinch`s little brain knew something was going on, but it couldn`t see me through the tall grass. This monarch is young in July, but will be elderly by October. Concepts of beauty are based on culture, or in this case on species. One more picture, then I had to go to my real job.

July 26, 2025
I went to another equestrian event today and actually took pictures of the competition (see July 19 above). They both had a ponytail. It was a hot and sunny day, but I found a shady spot. At a high-level competition, I`d never get this close. Days, weeks, months and years of practice culminate in a ride that lasts just a few minutes.

July 27, 2025
A Dayton landmark seen from a distance -- a stop light. My car desperately needed a wash. After yesterday`s horse event, my boots needed a wash. This is why I didn`t go to the Celtic Festival. This is such a good book, I`m reading it a second time.

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