interesting cast of characters as of late...

i spent a few hours with mike gamble on one of those "why didn't the reporter tell us about this earlier?!" assignments. he lives on the missouri with his two dogs and loves the river life. "It's like being on vacation everyday," he says, even though he lost everything in the flood of '93. he rebuilt his house a half-foot higher and hopes that will spare him the next time.

what was essentially a last minute portrait turned into a few hours talking about wildlife, old cars, the habits of hyperactive golden retrievers, and an addiction to home-improvement shows. there were long lulls in our conversation when we both just stared out over the water as the sun dropped beneath heavy gray autumn skies. there's something very peaceful and open about people who live in their own version of paradise.





richard williford was driving on Route B north of Hallsville when he struck a deer that leapt from the roadside. The deer totaled the car, and Williford had to pull an antler out of his mouth after pushing the deer back through the windshield. it caused some damage to his teeth as the deer rattled its head back and forth after impact.

"I don’t even know how to explain it to anybody when you realize after impact that you’ve got a horn in your mouth and there’s something alive attached to it."



brenda haynes was my "our town" earlier this month. she opened a kindermusik studio to spend more time with her kids. she hasn't levelled out financially and her kids struggle with sharing her attentions with others. "“My daughter knows she can control whether I succeed or fail if she acts out in class."



stefan melnick leans on his sword as director tammy walker gives the cast notes after a run through of Robin Hood. teens will be teens.



i came up with a crazy idea for a fashion shoot: wear fall color, literally. over a period of two weeks i collected leaves from columbia and tried every method of preservation known to man. for the scale and duration of this project i ended up using paraffin wax to keep the leaves from losing color. we enlisted the help of two awesome design students from the local college to sew the leaves to a basic dress we got at walmart.







i learned alot about expectations and communicating with the design and writing side during this ordeal. i didn't quite get the shot i was looking for, but i'm very happy i spent the time to give it a whirl.