"Into April..."

April is usually a funky month for me. First of all, it's my birth month, after just quietly celebrating my mother's birthday in late March. I've been in this business for 20 years now. Wow, feelin' old yet...? With folks jumping around cause 'Spring is just around the corner', the Yankees & Mets both playing their last seasons in their respective ballparks and all sorts of other mindless B/S to occupy our time with, things continue to march on in the world stage & in life. Far more important things to worry about here than A-Rod's batting average, oh and get this one - Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy (Britney's sister.) *uggh.

Anyway, back to the work. The month has started off pretty good in the image making dept. Here are a couple of favs from the first few days of April 2008. (top right): *passed by the brownstone on Friday in Jersey City, NJ where I lived in the early '90's while freelancing for the NY Times & just breaking into the NYC markets. That image is from last Friday when working with the West Point cadets in JC on the story below. (lower left): Former NY Giant & current Today Show broadcaster Tiki Barber spoke at Mt. Saint Mary College here in Newburgh, NY (below right): State ranked HS athlete demonstrated how he throws the hammer in practice. During a slight rain, I never realized that I could've been nailed in the "brain-housing-group" if he'd slipped or let that thing go in his routine, as I was squatting right there only a foot or so away from the blurring weight. (bottom left): A nice play at second from a girl's HS softball game and (bottom right) a batter is nearly hit with an inside pitch from the same game.

Here's some of the take with the West Point cadets in Jersey City, NJ. Working again in my old neighborhood & walking those streets and in the mosque with the cadets kept my "visual antennae" up most of the day: