New Chickens!

Yesterday I brought home 3 new chickens!  It got dark on the way home so they were asleep in the cardboard box when we got there.  This morning I got up early like a kid at Christmas to get some photos before work.  

One of two Ameraucanas.  

Hester, the other Americauna and the only one we've named so far.  

This one is a speckled sussex. She's supposed to look "more striking" with age. They're all about 10 months old and already laying.  

nieces pieces

A few photos from my family's visit to Springfield last weekend:

Malory

Presley and Ashlyn 

(Sorry you're not in here, Weston.  Maybe if you wouldn't close your eyes and/or hide from me I could get a decent shot of you.  :)

more cattle

I went to a livestock auction yesterday for a story on the FDA's new guidelines aimed at reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock feed. The light was pretty awful inside and when I tried using flash, it freaked the cows out. As we were leaving, I noticed people backing up trailers to load their purchases and got this shot. I like the the way the cowboy is perfectly centered.

R.I.P. Rocky

Something got Rocky the other night and nearly got Red, too. She has few tail feathers left, but survived.

Jaxon Yates

Yesterday I photographed fans at the St. Louis Cardinals exhibition game against the Springfield Cardinals, including Jaxon and Brady Yates, above.

Today, while covering voters at the polls in Battlefield, I photographed the same kid! I didn't even realize it until I asked his mom for names afterward. She said Jaxon was so excited about having his picture in today's paper. He took it to school to show his class. We'll see if he gets to do that again tomorrow...