Woodpecker's Relentless Pecking Offers Insight

During the past few weeks my neighborhood has played host to a busybodied male Pileated Woodpecker. He seems to be spending an inordinate amount of time hammering away on the oak tree in front of my house, and is presumably after the tasty black ants that reside within. This process causes quite a racket, but I guess I'll take the bird over the ants, who will surely hasten this poor old tree's demise. Now back to the story: Right after I snapped this photo, the branch the woodpecker was perched on fell to the ground, startling both me and this apparently dimwitted carpenter, who flew away hastily in a confused panic. I think there's a lesson to be gleaned here: If you happen to find yourself perched high up in a tree, before you do any serious pruning, check to make sure you're on the right side of the branch, or you may just wind up with the short end of the stick! -- Paul Videla

How fun is my job?

How fun is my job?
Sometimes, you can't top it.
When education reporter Christine Hawes told me there was going to be a pep rally for EdVantage Educator of the Year, Palm View Elementary school teacher Dameon Headings, I wasn't having high hopes of a great photo. I was thinking echoing, loud, dark gymnasium with teeth-rattling cheers of students.
Instead, I got adorable kids seated quietly, dancing to pop music and all excited about surprising their teacher.
The teachers were just as happy, dancing in a conga line and getting into the spirit of celebration.
"He's coming!" yelled a teacher on lookout duty.
After the room hushed to silence, principal Frank Pistella opened the door for Dameon Headings, who timidly leaned into the darkened room as the light from outside lit his face which gradually transitioned into a joyful smile.
Headings was led to the stage where he was positioned in an easy chair as children sang and danced around him.
How fun is my job?
Sometimes, it's the best.
--Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Play Ball!

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jeff Locke rolls a baseball over the back of his hand during a recent workout at Pirate City.

Yes, baseball season, the Great American Sport. For me it’s one of the most difficult sporting events to photograph. Not knowing when, or if, the batter is actually going to hit the ball, much less where.

The tendency to have long periods of boredom, followed by brief moments of action, leaves my brain fighting to return from drifting around in another universe. Keeping my attention on the game can be a life-saving activity, for I know there are laser guided foul baseballs that have me as their target.

But that is one of the great challenges of the game -- keeping the eye on the ball is good for the batter and photographer.

Play it cool

Call me corny, but there’s nothing better than a well-choreographed dance-fight.
Jerome Robbins’ work on West Side Story may be the best. Ever. But Manatee School of the Arts does a wonderful job with the high-energy action of the Jets and the Sharks.
Riff, the leader of the Jets played by John Pikar, embodies the cool-cat style and athletic grace of the dancing scene in Wednesday night’s dress rehearsal.
“Just play it cool, boy.”
They did.

--Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Pasture-ized Tomato

There are many ways to eat a tomato. We like them stewed, fried, juiced, sliced, or spread over a pile of noodles in a thick spaghetti sauce, or just right off the ground…or maybe not.

These tomatoes, discarded from a packinghouse, were distributed in a pasture in Parrish where the green and red fruits were enjoyed by grazing cattle.

You probably would not find this tomato sliced over a cheeseburger; no, this is one time where the hamburger gets to the tomato first!

Famous folks

Sometimes famous folks come to town, and we cover it.
When the President comes to town, we really cover it.
Arrival, event, departure; we try to be there.
On the occasion of this photograph, journalists were shuttled out to a flatbed trailer in the middle of a blazing hot desert of asphalt at the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport.
There we sat, stood, sat, dripped sweat, joked and sweat some more.
Ah, the glamorous life.
Finally, eyes burning from staring into the sky, Air Force One came into view in the distance.
Journalists scrambled.
The plane rolled to a stop, stairs rolled up, the door opened.
Everyone strained for a glimpse of the president.
His appearance was marked by the sound of shutters firing as fast as we could let them fly.
Down the stairs, salutes, smiles and a couple of handshakes and he was gone.
Time to get comfy on the flatbed until his departure.
--Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Notes on the Classroom Assignment Display....

While walking the halls of Jessie P. Miller Elementary School in Bradenton recently I came across an exhaustive classroom display of children's goals for 2012 - it would appear that the art of the New Year's resolution is something passed down at an early age! One among them, penned by a student named Rodrigo, was both entirely practical and heartwarming. It reads, "My goal for the new year is [to] learn how to tie my shoes." And there, underneath, is a little stick figure, presumably the author, wearing a big smiley face and showing off a tied shoe. As adults, it's probably high time to check our own progress on 2012's manifold resolutions as Spring rolls into view. If you happen to be a little behind on your list, Rodrigo's bit of practiced penmanship serves as a poignant reminder that, sometimes, the simplest of goals can also be the most rewarding.