Short Pump & Richmond, Virginia

Short Pump

Democratic Primary

Turnout was low for the Democratic primary this morning. Charlie Fagan, a worker at Ridgefield Precinct 412 in the Columbian Center on Pump Road, demonstrates the electronic voting machine in the near empty polling place. Only 54 people had voted by 10:30 a.m.

I was surprised to find Alyona in the Daily Grind this morning. It is exam week and she only has to be in school on days she has tests. She has two on Thursday and will be finished for the summer. She is fast becoming my personal portrait photographer. The past two photos I have used for my profile were taken by her.

Richmond

Jim Riddell and I grabbed a quick lunch together at SuCasa, a favorite hangout of ours in the near West End. The food is excellent, the service fast and the atmosphere friendly.

Short Pump

Spring Arbor

Dianne and her sister Sherry, above, are spending tonight with Margaret, their mother, Margaret is in her final days. This evening she is having long periods of apnea. Her blood pressure is down and heart rate up.

 

The television reflected in Dianne's eyes reminds me of the Jawas in Star Wars. If only she had a hood to throw over her head ....

All images taken with a Leica M8.

Short Pump, Virginia

Spring Arbor

Margaret is sleeping more now. Dianne says that is part of the process. She spent most of the day with her mother.

Image taken with a Leica M8.

Gayton & Short Pump, Virginia

Gayton

Cambridge Church

It is the weekend we honor our secondary, university and advanced studies graduates at Cambridge church. The young adult praise team — all university, or soon to be, students — leads the service ...

...filling the sanctuary with sound, poetry and motion.*

Matthew awaits the children's sermon with anticipation. There is often something unusual and unexpected during this part of the service. He is not disappointed as ...*

... youth and young adult pastor Win Davis asks Steven to help by reading from Oh the Places You'll go by Dr. Seuss, a perfect passage for those leaving school and about to embark on new journeys.*

Shawn offers the invocation. He has had plenty of practice lately as he's been losing regularly at a silly game we play. The loser has to pray for the food we are about to eat.*

Members of he church file past the new graduates, offering a blessing, wishing them well.

Meg is touched when people who have known her all her life wish her the best. She has just completed a graduate degree that could lead her far from here.

Garvey Young closes the service with a solo.

Short Pump

Spring Arbor

I don't want this to be an extended, visual melodrama. However, the last days of a loved one are special. Margaret may know little of what is transpiring, but her daughters Sherry, left and below*, and Dianne, right, spend time with their mother.

Gayton

Renewal of Vows

Jason Owen, above, awaits the start of the ceremony where he will renew his vows with his wife Karla on the the 15th anniversary of their wedding.

Karla strikes a pose for the camera while waiting for guests to arrive.

Steven, left, and Christopher, right, prepare to escort their mother down the aisle.*

There Karla joins Jason and stands before Pastor Jay Smith in the sanctuary of Cambridge church.*

It is an intimate gathering of family and friends that witness the renewal of their vows.

Karla listens as Jason repeats his vows ...*

... and Jason does the same while Karla repeats hers.*

They once again exchange rings.*

Steven with his sister Lindsey in his arms leads the procession out of the sanctuary.

Around the neighborhood

Tobie being himself ...*

... and Shawn imitating Tobie.

Tiger lilies grace the yard of our neighbor on Copperas Creek.*

A fellow traveler in the back of a pickup truck on Pouncey Track Road.*

* Images taken with a Canon EOS-1D Mark III.

 All others taken with a Canon 5D Mark II.

Short Pump. Virginia*

Daily Grind

Sadie joins the breakfast club at the Daily Grind this morning, hoping that part of each plate coming out of the kitchen onto the patio would be hers.

Paul, right, enters into a lively discussion with Sam, owner of the Daily Grind, left, on the differences between modern and representational art. Paul exhibits his paintings at the coffee shop/cafe and is in process of taking his art to the next level.

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When Sadie fails to cage food from those gathered this morning, she leaps into Dianne's lap and sits on her chest.

Spring Arbor

Margaret greets visitors in her room at Spring Arbor. She sat up for a while this morning when wheeled into the Cafe dining room, but soon had to return to her room and oxygen cannula.

Throughout the day when visitors arrived Margaret would grace them with a smile. We're uncertain how much she is aware of who is visiting her. We no longer ask her who we are, just tell her.

Dianne says goodnight  to her mother at the end of the day.

The light playing across Alison and Sam, left and right, at Fuson Pizza reminds me of an Edward Hopper painting. 

*All images taken with a Leica M8.

Short Pump, Virginia

Spring Arbor*

Dianne's mother, Margaret, is in her final days. She is quietly slipping from us. There are times she seems to see what we cannot. There is great mystery in birth and death, two portals each must pass through, common experiences filled with known and unknowing.

My grandniece Angel in my hat during a visit to her great-grandmother Margaret loves being photographed.

"Take my picture now," Angel says as she hugs her grandmother, Dianne's sister Sherry.

Daily Grind**

Concert night again at the Daily Grind and one of the local favorites, Donald Coles, plays a wide range of music.

Donald fills the the Grind every time he performs.

Shawn — working the kitchen tonight — reacts when a camera is pointed in his direction.

*  Images taken with a Leica M8.                      

** Images taken with a Canon EOS-1D Mark III.

Short Pump, Virginia

Copperas Creek

A dark and rainy night and Sadie is suspended. If something intrigues her, she is ready. If nothing does, she will accept an evening of quiet repose. All is well either way.

The throw is meant to keep Sadie hair off the sofa. But Sadie likes to burrow beneath it — taking advantage of the darkness it offers — defeating its purpose.

Gayton, Virginia

Florence, left, shows photographs to Dianne during the Wednesday evening meal at Cambridge church.

Autumn displays email addresses she has copied on her arms.

Liam does the "Funky Chicken" while Pastor Jay Smith speaks during the last Wednesday evening meal of the season.

Children are recognized for attendance and participation in a church weekday program over the past school year.

Those who will move up to the youth group this summer because they entering middle school are given a send off by the children's group leaders.

Short Pump, Virginia

Koi appear to be birthed from light reflecting off the pools in downtown Short Pump. (Taken in honor of the paintings of my friend Paul Steinberg.)

Small clouds float by during the early evening hours. Major storms are to the north of us, but we're unlikely to see any rain.

Dianne exercises her fetish of trying on hats in the Short Pump mall. She always looks cute in them, but seldom buys one.

Sunset over Short Pump marks the end of another day ... or if you are a 1st century Hebrew, the beginning of a new one!

Short Pump, Virginia

Fledgelings raised in a retention pond in Short Pump are now teenagers. In a few days they will have their primary feathers and be ready to take to the air.