You’ve got to know how to handle disappointment. In the newspaper business bad leads are a given, dead ends are a certainty and deadlines might prevent you from putting all the pieces you want in a story together in time. But fortune follows the persistent. People are lucky for a reason.

Last week, on a run through a couple of simple assignments, opportunities abounded. One thing led to another. Reporter and photographer stumbled through the jumble of the county and through sheer happenstance, managed to land, again and again, in the middle of good stories, interesting people and lasting images. You can’t see the world from inside and you can’t experience serendipity if you don’t take a chance and put yourself out there and be prepared for failure.

 First shot of the day, reporter Brandon Evans finds himself the victim of a practical joke!

 

Second was a great down home feature on organic garden, got a call from office, to Chico, Texas…

 

 

…Where Mayor, J.D. Clark, gives a great performance on moving the City office into the old elementary school. Told him we were looking for fireworks feature he said he had seen one coming into work this morning in Park Springs, but first…

 

…A stop at Wise County park on the way looking for a heat feature, this was first sight when we pulled in……enough said!

 

 

 

No more fun in the heat but saw this on the way out…….

 

 

….made it to Park Springs, however, on the way we had almost talked ourselves out of driving all the way out as it was going to run us close to our next shoot, a timed setup, and since it could be just another story about fireworks. Glad we went, turned out to be a different and great story!

 

Last shoot was a law enforcement training exercise at Chico middle school. It turned out to be a great day behind the lens and another lesson in trusting the Universe for guidance!

 

Later the evening found this little Gem.Sometimes when the big picture gets overwhelming, I look to the smaller world and put blinders on to the largeness of everything! Just as a fine wine stimulates the senses of taste, the little wonders always seem to stimulate the palette of my mind!