Impeccable Image

Skateboarder, snowboarder, all-around great son and big brother - and now, published photojournalistic! Murph recently added to his list of credentials as his dramatic image of recent flooding in the St. Louis area appears in the May/June issue of Paddler Magazine. An editor from the magazine came across the photo on Murph's web site and contacted him to request permission to use it in the flood article. Murph's name appears in the magazine as a photo credit (click on the image above and note Murph's name at bottom right) and the image is also featured in the table of contents in the opening pages of the magazine. (NOTE: The above photo features blue in the image, when it should actually be red. Not sure why it didn't translate in the blog - but you get the idea!)

Read more about the magazine at http://paddlermagazine.com/.

Congrats, Murph! And please remember us all when you are rich and famous!

Talk to you soon. Until then, pick up the pace and run your own race.

- Jeff

H2Ohhhhhhhh!

Ever have one of those weeks when a common theme begins to emerge? It starts out as a series of seemingly small coincidences, followed by an undeniable pattern, and finally a "okay, you don't have to hit me over the head, I get it" kind of thing. Last week was one of those times, and for whatever reason, all roads flowed to water.

Let me give you three quick examples. The first was anything but a liquid asset, as first our basement drains backed up, followed by our toilets, then our showers. After much plunging and baling, we let the experts take over, and Jackie and I knew that the problem was much bigger than the both of us when we glanced around the corner to discover that the plumbers had placed one of toilets on our kitchen floor. Although the repair process seemed never-ending, and at one point, Jackie actually threatened to use the toilet in the middle of our kitchen, the job was finally completed and the results were Roto-Riffic. (Thank goodness we have a health club across the street from us with spacious locker rooms - and toilets!)

Secondly, if you live anywhere near the St. Louis area, you would swear we are now a suburb of Seattle. I can't remember a year when it has poured this much . . . and I absolutely love it. I'm no manic depressive but something about the dark, damp days has always put me in a great mood - something so cozy about it. (Jackie agrees.) Not to mention that I love to throw on my old shoes and visor and go for long runs in it. I've really turned up my training it recent days and wet weather always seems to encourage and motivate me to higher levels. Go figure.

Finally, and I was saving the best for last, our daughter, Aubrey, experienced the zoo for the first time. Wide-eyed and amazed, she smiled and giggled as she marveled at the animals and crowds of people. Jackie and I felt thrilled and humbled to see her so joyful as she rode on the carousel and constantly pointed to the new and interesting images that surrounded her. It was like seeing everything through her eyes for the very first time. Just as we were about to leave the zoo, Aubs pointed to a man-made stream flowing through the park, and proudly exclaimed, "WAT-ER!" While her vocabulary consists of all the everyday words we have taught her thus far, we didn't even know she had learned that one. It was yet another milestone in her childhood . . . and yet another indicator of the liquid pattern that had become our unofficial theme for the week. Coincidence? I think not.

Talk to you soon. Until then, pick up the pace and run your own race.

- Jeff

Let There Be Light

So a few weeks ago, my always-up-to-something son, Murph took a small flashlight and vanished into the dark of night toting his Nikon D80. Less than an hour later he came back with the images below. How did he do it? After setting the shutter to stay open for a long exposure, Murph would "draw" images with the flashlight. The camera picked up this movement as a continuous stream, or line of light. We went outside and watched in amazement as he created more of these photos. Let's just say that this is further proof that the boy ain't right. But these photos attracted a lot of attention on his web site, and one awards annual is featuring a photo entitled "Piano Man" in an upcoming edition. Congrats, Murph!









To see all of Murph's latest work (and there is some really good stuff there), visit http://flickr.com/photos/murphyr.

Talk to you soon. Until then, pick up the pace and run your own race.

- Jeff