Summer Swimmers

Summer has begun and so have the water sports. The first warm week brought plenty of fun shots of people looking for ways to stay cool. I headed to Riverbend Park in Oroville first, and later near the fish hatchery were I spotted a group of tubers. For the water park I tried to get real close to the kid's face to show his expression of joy. For the tubers, I was lucky enough to spot them while I was crossing a foot bridge along Table Mt. Blvd. I shot from right above them as they floated below me unsuspecting of my location. There are things I would change about each of these shots if I had the chance again. And I am sure that I will have plenty of chances to get these types of shots again.

Chelsey Gutierrez, Haylee Diamond, and Jesse Gutierrez, (top to bottom) float down the Feather River from the Feather River Fish Hatchery as seen from the Table Mt Blvd bridge on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Ethan Severson, 6, plays in the fountains at Riverbend Park as the weather gets warmer on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Fence Fire Preps Me For The Season

As temperatures rise, so do the number of fire incidents. Fire season is around the corner. And while this mostly means a rise in vegetation and wild land fires, I was able to get a prep fire workout on an apartment complex. It was a small fire that caused quite an amount of damage.It has been a while since I have covered a real tense fire scene. Which is not a bad thing, just a boring thing. The thick smell of toxic smoke filled the area and it was believed the fire was started by young kids playing near the fence. It just is a little reminder of what is to come over the next couple of months.

Chico Firefighter Mike Velazquez hoses down a small fire on a fence and shed at an apartment complex on Columbus Ave. on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Chico, Calif. It was believed to have been started by kids. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Flames are seen still smoldering from a fire on a fence at an apartment complex on Columbus Ave. on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Hitching a Ride in the Sky

    I never pass up a chance to fly in a plane. I love to fly. I wish sometimes that is all I could do. Maybe it's the photographer inside me but I just love to get that bird's eye view. So when an assignment to cover the Young Eagles Rally allowed me to join some kids and a pilot in a plane, I said suit me up. 

    This flight is about 20 minutes or so and much more calmer than stunt planes for the Air Fest. It is a small plane that is cozy, which I enjoy. You can really feel the lift in the plane. On big commercial planes, you loose that sense of flight once you've lifted off the runway. In smaller planes you can really feel the wind currents. While in the air, I always try to snap shots of landmarks that we might use for other stories. I was able to snap these two shots of the Sacramento River and Mt. Shasta.

Gene Kemper (left) flies Weston Soudan, 11, (right) in his airplane for the Young Eagles free flights for kids event at the Chico Airport on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Michael Wiles, 11, looks at a map as he got a ride in Gene Kemper's airplane for the Young Eagles free flights for kids event at the Chico Airport on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

An aerial view of the Mt Shasta as Michael Wiles, 11, and Weston Soudan, 11, get a ride in Gene Kemper's airplane for the Young Eagles free flights for kids event at the Chico Airport on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

An aerial view of Sacramento River along River Rd. near Scotty's Landing (seen bottom left) as Michael Wiles, 11, and Weston Soudan, 11, get a ride in Gene Kemper's airplane for the Young Eagles free flights for kids event at the Chico Airport on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Heading Back Into Time

     The Annual Threshing Bee was this weekend and it is always a great sight. It is held at the Patrick Ranch and offers a look back at early farming lifestyles. There are old single stroke engines, hay bundles, cotton spun and various things that bring back the memories of our early American heritage. 

Vintage Iron Club Branch 136 member Norman Teselle collects bundles of hay as people enjoy the Threshing Bee at the Patrick Ranch on Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

A field of hay glows in the warm sun as it is ready to be gathered for the Threshing Bee at the Patrick Ranch Saturday, June 12, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

8FPS: Oroville Graduation Is A Little Deju'

     Same event, same place, same time, just the next day. Most graduations have some variety to them. A new location at least. But Oroville schools decided to have their graduations be almost exactly the same, just on two different days. Las Plumas High graduated on a Thursday, Oroville High on Friday. I had to rethink my entire plan. The previous day I had shot over 600 photos to were edited to about 130 for an online gallery. The very next day I had to take a totally new set of images with roughly the same amount for an online gallery. It wasn't easy. My only saving grace was really with the balloon display Oroville High school had. Here are the best shots of the night.

Oroville High grads take part in their processional during the graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Friday, June 11, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Oroville High grad Sarah Lee, 17, takes part in her processional during the graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Friday, June 11, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Oroville High grads take part in their processional during the graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Friday, June 11, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Oroville High grads Ashlee Anselmo, 17 (left) is hugged by Will Page, 18 (right) as they prepare to take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Friday, June 11, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Oroville High grad Gary Saetre reaches for balloons as grads take part in their processional during the graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Friday, June 11, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record) 

Oroville High grad Tara Aldrich, 18 (left) fixes her cap as she is reflected in the sunglasses of Jarred Bunn, 18 (right) as they prepare to take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Friday, June 11, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Oroville High grad Aryam Garcia, 18 (left) awaits to take part in her graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Friday, June 11, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Oroville High grad Alyssa Belser, 18, smiles as she prepares to take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Friday, June 11, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

8FPS: Las Plumas Graduation

Las Plumas high school seniors were allowed to raise their voices to cheers a day earlier than their rival school Oroville High who will graduate the following day. Here are the best 8 shots from the night.

Las Plumas graduates Dana Gilbert (left) fixes the cap of Alisa Martin (right) as they prepare to take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Las Plumas graduates Candace Alagata, 18 (right) embraces Adam Vann, 18 (left) as they prepare to take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Las Plumas graduate Marcus J. Render, 18, wore a bow tie as he prepares to take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Las Plumas graduate LaRoyas Browning, 17, is reflected in the sunglasses of Lucey Robinson, 18, as they make faces to pass the time before they take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Las Plumas graduate Maikou Yang, 18, had "LPHS" painted below her eye as she laughs with friends preparing to take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Las Plumas graduates Marcus J. Render, 18 (left) and Meghan Radcliff, 18 (center) walk in the processional part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Las Plumas graduates Maira Muñoz Carrillo, 18 (left) and Alina Ganceda, 18 (right) cheer on friends as they take part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. The scoreboard had 20-10 under the home/guest scores for the 2010 graduation year. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Las Plumas graduates Cassandra Nix, 17 (left) and Brittinie Outley, 18 (right) walk in the processional part in their graduation ceremony at Harrison Stadium Thursday, June 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

8FPS: Catch and Roll

Chico Outlaws' center fielder Blake Gailen made a great catch in tonight's game against the Tucson Toros. I was lucky enough to stay focused on him as he dived, tucked and rolled like a gymnastics tumbler to show the crowd the remarkable catch. Unlike another spectacular outfield catch, this one didn't have the strong visuals in just one shot. It is the sequence of images that really captured the effort. Sadly, newspapers can't put an animation sequence of images like the web can.

Chico Outlaws' Blake Gailen dives for a pop out fly against Tucson Toros' Lino Garcia (not seen) in the top of the third inning during their baseball game at Nettleton Stadium Tuesday, June 8, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

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Above is an animation sequence shows how I saw the catch. The catch happen in 8 frames, but a 9th frame shows Gailen standing after the out was made.