ammo-st amusing afternoon

So, a few weeks ago I learned how to shoot my first gun. Yes, that's right I am now Yosemite Sam with guns blaring, holsters slapping. I'm a chaw-packing true Vermonter with dead-on aim.

Our friend and neighbor, Joe, invited us along to his friend's sand pit to test our aim with an afternoon of skeet shooting. Joe's friend, Flinn, is THE ultimate outdoorsman. All men must bow before his manliness. He IS the Outdoors Channel on TV, he is National Geographic, he is a redneck, an athlete. He is the magic that hides within a man's beard. Flinn brought the gear, gave us some lessons and don't worry (Mom) he made sure everybody was safe. I was extremely determined to smash those skeet since I've been bragging that I'm sure I'd be a good shot because of my steady photographer's hand and precision aim. What I didn't take into account was that the crosshairs of a gun are a tad bit different than the 12 focus points in my camera's viewfinder. I hit nothing but am sure practice will make perfect, I'm just not sure when I'll ever be able to practice - seeing as how I refuse to have guns or ammo anywhere near my house.

Jason getting ready to fire the .45 caliber handgun.

Jason after shooting the .45 caliber handgun. It's that loud.

Hiking the Long Trail

Tom and I hiked a portion of the Long Trail with our friends Morgan and Andy this weekend. We started out at the Lincoln Gap, hiked a 2 mile ascent just shy of Mt. Abraham's summit and set up camp for the night. We lucked out with gorgeous, mild weather and pretty blue skies so our 10 mile hike through the Monroe Ridgeline Trail on Saturday was nothing less than perfect. We stopped occasionally for food, water pumping, photos and of course, the views, but we kept a pretty solid pace and hiked from 9am to 6pm leaving us completely exhausted when we reached our destination, the Appalachian Gap. The descent was tiring and all of our feet and joints were feeling the 12 miles we left behind us but we kept ourselves motivated knowing that we were planning for a nice, cold brew at The Alchemist in Waterbury to soothe our muscles.

Oh! And we were surprised by a moose and her two babies during our descent. We were all a little freaked out but when two other hikers plodded on by without disturbing them we figured we'd be okay. Crazy how such a massive creature pops out of nowhere!

After "showering" in a gas station bathroom and changing out of our wet, muddy clothes we downed gallons of water (since the water supply on the ridgeline was so scarce) and headed to the Alchemist. French fries, stouts and wings greeted us at the bar and we capped off a perfect overnight hike. Enjoy the photos below and click the link to see the full slideshow!

Long Trail - Monroe Skyline Hike

Beans n' weenies for dinner!

Mmmmm oatmeal.

Delicious.

perfect vermont weekend

I had a great weekend a couple weeks ago when one of my college roomates, Kat, came to visit from NYC. She really wanted to go hiking with Tom, Bear and I so we decided Camel's Hump would be a good trek. It may have been more than she bargained for but the view at the top makes the labor worth it. I'm glad the weather held out for us since the rain and thunderstorms rolled in as we snacked on creemees as we drove back home. The dark clouds made for some great pictures though. Thanks again for visiting us, Kat! We had the greatest weekend and miss you tons! And to all the rest of you girls in New York, this invitation is for you. :)

explosions in the sky

Happy (belated) 4th of July! We spent our fourth on the boat again this year and although the weather looked ominous, the skies cleared, the sun set, and the wind calmed for a fantastic night out on Lake Champlain. With our bellies full of wine and cheese and later steaks and potatoes, we were dialed in and ready for a pyrotechnic display. Burlington did not disappoint. The Fourth of July is by far my favorite holiday. Good food and drinks with friends and family only to be topped off with a fireworks display followed by the cheers of thousands crammed onto Burlington harbor as the finale explodes one explosion after another. These are my favorite shots from that night. Enjoy! And, as Tom would proudly shout: Happy Birthday America.

Speaking of Tom, my goofy boy captured in a somewhat serious moment.

Finally a picture of me! Tom snapped this one after we pointed out how
beautifully the sunset was illuminating our faces.

Odd wide angle shot, thanks Tom.

Gorgeous sunset.


The colors quickly changed in just minutes.

I love the colors reflection on the water.

Pass or Fail

I love firefighters. Some of my most favorite assignments and shoots have taken place with firefighters, at firehouses, or on scene with some of our finest. My most favorite firehouse moment was in Boston during game 7 of the ALCS when the Red Sox were playing the Yankees vying for a spot in the 2004 World Series. I knew I had to shoot the biggest game in recent history but I wanted an angle, so I headed to the Boylston Firehouse in Boston and watched the game with a great crew of firefighters. We shared pizza and some great jokes on each other, but the night really got going when they were called out to a fire. Oh man! I hung back assuming there was no way they'd let me ride along. I was wrong. They yelled at me to join in and hurry up. So, grabbing all my cumbersome photo gear I headed to the firepole. Before I could even process how I was going to slide down that thing with all of my gear, the guys were already half way down the stairs "Oh, we don't use the pole, we take the stairs!" Of course. I childhood dream destroyed but the birth of a hilarious new memory. The photos were okay that night, but the experience was amazing. There's really isn't much out there that can beat riding in a fire engine, lights flashing and horns blaring as you try to get your helmut's chin strap tight and, oh yeah, hold on tight. But back to why these photos are up here...

The Burlington Fire Department is looking for a new firefighter and they held a series of recruitment testing at firehouse 2 last week to run some recruits through the ropes. These recruits already passed a written exam so now it was on to the physical exam. After being cleared by medical tests, they needed to show their physical endurance and strength. I've created an audio slideshow of the tests but I couldn't fit everything in within my two minute time frame. The recruits needed to, in four minutes or less, raise a ladder up and down, open a hydrant, run 150 feet of wet firehose up hill and through the station, sledgehammer a test point fifty times, crawl through a tight attic crawlspace, carry a ladder, and finally, carry a dummy from one end of the station to the other. Oh, and I forgot to mention they're doing all of this with full jacket, helmut and an air tank strapped to their backs. I was impressed. Part of me wanted to try the course because I've always loved a bit of competition and I'd like to test my physical endurance - but I suppose taking some pictures will do! Enjoy the show!

Firefighter recruits are tested at Burlington Fire Department Station 2

rainy days of summer

Summer is here and so is the rain. We've had some crazy weather this season and have had much more rain than we'd all really care to have. I can't complain too much though, it's kept the weather fairly cool and the rain just comes in little spurts here and there. Working in the rain has proven a more difficult task however. On slow news days we'll go out on "standalone" hunts, looking for moments that can stand on there own without a story. Last week I spent the last few hours of my shift jumping from park to beach to hiking trail looking for anyone out trying to beat the muggy weather - I found no one. It wasn't until I was driving by a local playground in a torrential downpour that I found these two kids. They were content standing in the middle of the park under their "Hello Kitty" umbrella with a toy cell phone and a couple of lollipops giggling and having a great time. Was it raining? Not under their umbrella. Kids always do seem to make the best of things huh?

I'll still cringe when today's first drops hit my shoulders. Sorry kids.

victorious

Essex High School had quite the season this year taking 11 Div I. State titles in one school year. Insanity. I had the pleasure of shooting the Div I Mens Lacrosse Championship last week between Essex and my "alma mater" Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU). I was rooting for the reds in this one as I was once a CVU lacrosse player battling it out at Div. I play-offs and state championships, but the boys didn't pull through this year losing 7-4 to the Hornets. Here are some of my favorite shots from the action-packed, high energy game. They battled and it was great to watch.

Senior Inspiration

I was assigned to shoot "seniors training at the So. Burlington High School track" the other day. When I rolled into the parking lot I expected several young athletes, high school seniors, running around the track. I was completely shocked and surprised. The athletes were seniors alright, but the kind of seniors that receive discount movie passes, AARP memberships, and a few more candles on their birthday cake. These women were in their 70's and 80's and were training to compete in the National Senior Games in California this summer. Several of these women held world records in shotput, javelin, track and long jump. I couldn't believe it. I was so impressed with their talents as many of us, regardless of age, can't perform the way these women perform. I told them how truly inspirational they were and they thanked me, but seemed to be more interested in knowing whether my grandmothers were up to the challenge. :)

I post this now as I just returned from visiting my grandmother in Florida this past weekend after honoring my grandfather who recently passed. My grandma struggles with a bad back and other ailments and I know I won't hear a report from her that she's been running the 600 meter dash, but she did say she might get back to her pool exercises and I wish her well in that because I know how much she loves her time in the pool. Growing older certainly isn't easy, but if you find something that keeps you young at heart (piano playing, exercising in the pool) then that's all that really matters, right? So Grandma, this posting is for you in hopes that these next few weeks allow you the relaxation and time that you deserve to recharge your batteries. Rest up and be well, it's time for you to be pampered.

mocean worker

Check these guys out! The afro-funk jazz fusion group, Mocean Worker, is based out of NYC but made the trip up to Burlington this week for the Discover Jazz Fest. As I posted before, many local bars and restaurants play host to music groups that are in town for the festival and Nectar's (the famous groove spot for Phish) presented a night of amazing entertainment with Mocean Worker on Wednesday. You'll have to click the link below to watch the audio slideshow I put together as their energy and cool rhythm is best listened to than described. Nights like these I've got to pinch myself. As I'm listening to and loving the music, hopping on stage as I snap photos I have to remind myself, "Man, I'm on the clock!" Life is good.

Listen to and watch Mocean Worker's performance at Nectar's!

discover jazz

It's here! The time has come and summer has begun. The Discover Jazz Festival is in full swing and it's made for an awesome work week. For those of y'all not from around the area, the Discover Jazz Festival is a 10-day long collection of amazing jazz artists performing throughout the city whether its at your favorite restaurant, watering hole, or just on the street. During the day, crowds are drawn to Church St. (the pedestrian mall) to watch high school and middle school kids playing jazz. This is actually something I did when I was a kid. In seventh and eighth grade I had the pleasure of playing clarinet with my school's jazz band for passersby. Now, the table's have turned. When I have some downtime at work or simply need a break from the newsroom, I grab my gear and head outside to shoot around at the jazz sprawl. I've run into some familiar faces and met some new ones. So far, the week has been great. Tonight I'm off to shoot Mocean Worker at Nectar's. I'll be collecting audio as well for an audio slideshow that I'll post later. For now, here is the piece I did last week as the opening centerpiece for the Burlington Free Press' coverage of Discover Jazz.

Click here for audio slideshow of opening night at Halvorson's