Goodbye Pippin

Thank you for your unconditional love. We were lucky to be your humans.

I remember when we first picked you up from Kyle & Lauren... you were so tiny, barely big enough to be weaned from your mama. It was amazing how loud such a little kitty could purr! You would play and play, then all worn out you'd just fall asleep right where you sat. Sometimes you had so much energy you just wouldn't stop. That's when we discovered that the Classical music station calmed you down and put you to sleep.

When we were trying to come up with a name it was you who picked it. I wanted to name you Kodak but you didn't respond to that and Mommy didn't like it. While we were going through Lord of the Rings names you perked up and came to us when we said "Pippin." From that moment on you always knew your name.

You were fearless. Even as a tiny little kitten when your big sister Annie tried to intimidate you you stood your ground and she had to back down. You stood your ground in the epic battles with that orange kitten reflection in the door as well! Your other sister Sammie was another story. For some reason she decided she wasn't going to have another cat bullying her in this house, and you wisely gave her a wide berth. You idolized your big sister Annie, following her around and trying to do everything she did. Even after she jumped up on my white sweep during a product shoot and got her picture taken you had to jump up next and one-up her!

You were always underfoot, not following us around but running ahead, then stopping unexpectedly so we'd nearly trip over you. That earned you the nickname "Tripster." You also blended perfectly with the color of the kitchen floor, making it even harder to navigate when we didn't know you were there.

You always kept a lookout for danger out the back door, and no matter how fearsome the possum, raccoon, or other cat was you would poof up your tail and make the most God-awful howling noises and scare them away. You protected your girls. So much so that when we added another boy cat to our little family you were pissed. You never accepted Stinky, and that's ok. He's a sweet kitty, but he's too much of a pussycat to replace you as Defender of the House.

When you got sick we tried to do everything to make you better. I'm so sorry that we couldn't. We understood that the heart disease meant that you might not have much time left, and that we would have to struggle with you twice a day to take your medicine. We were just happy that we got to spend more time with you. When it struck again so soon, back in the hospital only 2 weeks after the first episode we feared the worst. Now they told us your kidneys were also failing, and there was no hope. Your Mommy and I were faced with an awful decision and we cried and cried.

On Friday the emergency vet was able to make you comfortable and send you home. With slightly modified medication they said you might get another week. We had an appointment set for Saturday morning to help you end your suffering, but I was selfish. I still had a glimmer of hope in my heart- maybe the vet was wrong... maybe you would show them all and make an astounding recovery! I called the vet and cancelled your deadly appointment. But I now understand how selfish that was. I wanted more time with you, but I wanted it for me. I couldn't face the finality of taking you to that last vet visit. I spent the weekend taking pictures and videos of you, such a handsome kitty! I recorded the sound of your purrs, still as loud as ever, even through these awful illnesses.

But the kidney failure was taking its toll. You weren't eating, and you were just wasting away. I could see you getting weaker and weaker, and I feared you would soon be going through an agonizing, painful, and slow death. So your Mommy and I made another vet appointment. All through the day on Tuesday I just tried to spoil you as much as possible. We listened to Classical music, lounged on your favorite Afghan that Mommy made, and looked out the window at the birds and squirrels. We played with a milk topper, went on a basket ride through the house and looked out the back door. I hope you had a great day.

Thank you for these last few days, and enduring your illnesses long enough for us to say goodbye. Please forgive me my selfishness in keeping you around perhaps a bit too long. It's because I love you so much. It's that love which also finally made me realize that our greatest responsibility as your humans was to make that decision to let you go peacefully. Goodbye Mister Pipster, we are going to miss you so much!

Two Wheels To Work: Meet Branson and Aubrey

Branson has been a bike commuter for about 20 years, and now commutes 8 miles each way with his 3 year old son Aubrey in a bike trailer behind his fixed-gear bicycle. He says bike commuting has helped keep him in shape, reduced his carbon footprint, and has given him another cool thing to share with his son. Aubrey has quickly become a big fan of cycling, and now has his own "big boy bike" with training wheels!

Branson says cycling has made him a happier person and has allowed him to experience places and things that he never thought possible. Most recently, cycling took him to France for his second participation in the once-every-four-years Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 Kilometer bike ride, one of the oldest cycling events still regularly taking place. He completed the over 750 mile course in good time- riding a fixed-gear, of course.

When asked what advice he’d like to give motorists, Branson says “We’re human beings too- look after us, as you would want us to look after you." If you see him and Aubrey out on the road, slow down, give them a wave hello and plenty of space when passing.

Two Wheels To Work: Meet Esther

Esther started riding a bike about 9 years ago after her doctor suggested exercising to help reduce the risk factors for Type II Diabetes. Now she does a combination car/bike commute, driving to a shopping center parking lot in the morning before cycling the final 6 miles to work.

Esther became a below-knee amputee in a pedestrian-bus collision during gradeschool, and says her favorite piece of commuting gear is her sparkly prosthesis cover. She'd like motorists to be more aware of cyclists on the road and know how wide their vehicle and mirrors are. Her advice to anyone who would like to try bike commuting? "If I can do this, you can do this!"

If you see Esther out on the road, give her a friendly wave hello and at least 3 feet of space while passing!

Two Wheels To Work: a new project

Every morning millions of Americans get up, get ready, and head out the door on their way to work. Most do so in cars, some take mass transit, but a few commute to work by bicycle. The people trapped in their cars usually see the cyclists as obstacles in their way, not as fellow human beings heading to work. I want to show the faces of these bike commuters- show that they are fathers & mothers, sons & daughters, husbands & wives, brothers & sisters, just trying to get where they're going like everyone else.

I'm photographing commuters on their usual route- whether it's quiet neighborhoods, bike paths, or busy city streets. They're wearing what they usually ride in, spandex or regular clothes. Some have fancy road bikes, some single speeds or fixies, and some city bikes or cruisers. So far I've photographed six sessions and I have eleven more on the way!

Shoot for Healthy Pet Magazine

Here's a selection of images from a shoot for Healthy Pet Magazine at the Orange County Animal Shelter. This is an amazing facility, and I had lots of fun spending the day with them.

Wake County Schools

Here are a few shots from a recent editorial assignment on the Wake County School System:

Model Testing

Ronda and her family were some of the models on the Tryon Palace production down in New Bern. She's new to modeling and wanted to get a few more shots for her portfolio, so we did a little shoot in downtown Raleigh.