Thanks, Mule Lady

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Yes, I’ve done a little bit of work lately. Yes, the boys are well. Yes, life is moving right along.

The problem seems to be the only thing I’ve really enjoyed photographing and participating in is cyclocross. So now I risk being like every other guy with a blog who goes on and on about riding his bike through the Indian summer and right into the Northwest winter.

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Standing in a field on Saturday chatting with a lady named Dottie about raising mules, I realized just how much I love taking pictures. I had gone to the farm to photograph a bike race, but found myself wandering around simply enjoying having a camera in my hand. There was indeed a bike race, which was nice, but my brief encounter with Dottie put me back on track with why I was really there: to look at people and their lives and try to tell a little story with a picture.

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“They’re more colorful, but we’re much more interesting,” Dottie told me as we looked past the draft horses and mules and watched a rainbow of cyclists make a lap past a field of sunflowers. It’s all interesting. I, for one, just need a little reminder now and then to slow down and look around.

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all images © Tim LaBarge 2008