A farmer runs his new combine through the first days harvest of more than 900 acres of winter wheat in a field near Delaware, Ohio. Beginning just a few days earlier than the traditional start of winter wheat harvest on July 4, the farmer said the prices for early wheat were higher than normal and worth the early start. [ More photos at EyePush Newsphotos ]

There is a small angular cove on the lake near my home where fishermen often settle along the steep rounded bank hoping to pull in “the big one” or enough fish to make a good meal. The late afternoon light shields the cove with a blue shadow slowly extending across the lake eventually casting the entire lake in darkness. Slivers of light sneak through the trees splashing warmth on the rippled waters. The afternoon stillness is broken with smooth rhythmic sweeps of arms directing leaded weights, plastic floats and a variety of baits in  anticipation of sporting success. Children and parents, black and white, varied styles and temperament share the common goal.

I often travel to this place when I’ve had a day of something different than photography. Today was such a day making my trip to the cove much more enjoyable. [ More Photos ]

Susan Rust paints a “Welcome Honda” sign on the window of her craft store on the courthouse square in Greensburg, Indiana, after Honda announced it was building a $550 million autoplant to build as many as 200,000 cars a year. [ More photos at EyePush Newsphotos ]

Traveled to Indiana today for a commercial job tomorrow and stumbled upon this scene just a few miles from my destination. Loved the colors especially after adding the polarizing filter for more saturated color. Then, along came the man who owned the property for more than 50 years and is now selling it after closing his horse trailer business. Had a great conversation about the history of the area, his family’s involvement with the land. Great conversation and a second photo. [ More Photos ]

Today was one the most task oriented, event driven days I’ve had in a long time. And, none of it had anything to do with photography. Most of it was “Honey, dos” ranging from simply mowing the grass to building two picnic tables and dismantling the neighbor’s swing set for replanting in my back yard. Began early in the morning, sweat through the afternoon and into the evening rounding every corner of the picnic table with a hand rasp. There was a moment when the table was almost complete and my hands were cramped when I wonder to myself why I hadn’t just used the heavy-duty router sitting on a basement shelf.

There’s a different smell to wood when it’s been worked by hand, an olfactory reward for hard work. The small curls of moist wood sliced from the boards add another dimension to the pleasure of hand tools. A router would have created dust, a hindrance in breathing and distraction from pleasure. It would have been much faster and far more uniform in execution than my hand work. I would have missed watching the thin, curly strips of wood fall to the grass gathering in loose balls blowing across the yard and settling into soft spots in the grass. Oils from wood ripped by the router would not have had the lingering odor of it’s source nor would it have granted me the pleasure of hard work. I would have finished sooner using electric power. I’d rather finish a little late using the power of my senses and the accomplishment of a task well done, even if it isn’t perfect.

Almost forgot. That’s a photo of the Honey.

We’re only several days into summer and already some people are worried about the salt supply for next winter. Cargill has built two large mounds of salt for clearing road along I-670 in Columbus. Workers spent the last week covering the two piles with black tarp to keep it from being eroded by wind and rain. The crew, from New York, was forced to recover the first pile when a Thursday windstorm ripped the first covering.

The full take is available at EyePush Newsphotos .

Winter wheat is ready for harvest, even in the fields where urban creep is moving farmers from their fields such as this acreage near Delaware, Ohio, one of the fastest growing counties in the country. [ More Photos ]

Milwaukee Bucks’ Michael Redd reaches across the sea of hands greeting him at the end of the first day of his basketball camp at a high school. Redd led coaches and several hundred kids through drills teaching them the skills they needed to be successful basketball players.