Friendship ...

Val - A friend made in Omaha, NE. October 2008

Some thoughts that have been helping me get through the past week...

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.
- Henry David Thoreau

False friendship, like the ivy, decays and ruins the walls it embraces; but true friendship gives new life and animation to the object it supports.
- Richard Burton

When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it.
- Edgar Watson Howe

A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.
- Grace Pulpit

He who loses money losses much. He who loses a friend loses more. But he who loses faith loses all.
- Henry H. Haskins

NYC

This was my first time to New York City, and I must say, it is very different than any other place that I've had the opportunity to travel. Simply put, this is an international mecca.

While walking down the streets, my ears tuned in to so many different conversations, accents, and dialects. So many different smells wafted through the air, and the food was remarkable, even from the street vendors. With all of the cultural diversity, this is definitely the perfect place for the UN.

There are so many different places that I didn't have the time to vist ... oh well, I guess that just means I'll have to go back :).

Seasons ...

Thought I would pull off the road to photograph the Illinois River near Lacon on my way back from a Bioterrorism Summit in Springfield today.

Harvest Season is Upon Us ...

The great part about the end of summer has always beens the fact that harvest season is just around the bend. It is truly an experience to help farm during this time of the year -- there's so much anticipation as to how the crops are yielding, if the weather will cooperate, or even what part of the machinery is going to break down. It's exhilarating, and at the end of the day, one is exhausted ... but it feels goods, and you can actually see what progress has been made.

The above images were taken on Saturday while my dad harvested the soybeans; the dust created by the beans just hovered above the fields until it finally settled, created a magnificent sunset. The other two show my dad combining.

Local Talent Rocks ...

I was photographing a party this weekend and had the privilege of listening to some local entertainment known as "The Funnies." These guys can seriously rock ...