SPORTS Assignment, Women's Softball Game 1 on April 3, 2010

Pitcher Beth Mullins (No. 41) allowed zero runs in the first three innings. Sports mode. This photo was cropped for better composition.

Edinboro's Lauren Smith (No. 15) tags California's Merissa Daley
(No. 7) out at second base, while Lady Scott Jade Thrower (No. 8) looks on.
Photo take with Nikon 3000, on sports mode, 1/1000, f5.6, ISO 160,
55 mm, auto fine setting.



Edinboro's freshman, Ashley Black (No. 1) hurries back to first base after her second hit of the game. Ashley was Edinboro's only player with more than one hit in the first game against California.
Photo taken with Nikon 3000, on sports mode, 1/1000, F5.3, ISO 125, 48 mm, auto fine setting.

California's left-handed batter, Julia Mueller, at the plate.

Photo taken with Nikon 3000 camera, on sports mode, 1/1000, f5.3, ISO 180, 44 mm, auto fine setting.

Fans, canine and human alike, line up to watch Saturday's doubleheader in summer-like weather.

Photo taken with Nikon 3000 on sports mode, 1/1000, f4.5, ISO 110, 28 mm, auto fine setting.

California's Head Coach Rick Bertagnolli and Assistant Coach Stephani Moore watch from the dugout as Edinboro's Kari Falk scores a home run. Kari is a freshman from Frombell, Pennsylvania.

Photo taken with Nikon 3000 camera, on sprots mode, 1/500, f5.6, ISO 500, 48 mm, auto fine setting.

BOTTOM PHOTO: A consolation hug was in order after the game. Edinboro's Women's Softball Team ruined its winning streak by losing the doubleheader on Saturday to California University.

Photo taken with Nikon 3000 camera, in automatic mode, 1/200, f14, ISO 100, 55 mm, auto fine setting. This photo was cropped for better composition.

SPORTS: Women's Softball Game 1 on April 3, 2010. Unfortunately, Edinboro lost 4-1 to California in Game 1, with Edinboro's Freshman Kari Falk scoring a home run. Out of over 300 photos taken at the game, I selected these, either because of the action or reaction shown, and chose players who scored, made a hit, or some other contribution to the game. I especially tried to get reactions after the game, or after a point was scored. Because of the restrictions of the fence, the best places from which to take photographs without a long lens usually offered the players' backs!

Day Cruise on the Brig Niagara (September 2009)

Day Cruise on the Brig Niagara in September of 2009.

Animals at the Erie Zoo: Samantha the Gorilla, Queen of the Zoo

Samantha, the Gorilla, arrived at the Erie Zoo in 1992. She is often seen hugging a small stuffed monkey, which she treats like her baby, as seen in the top photo.

Samantha may still be mourning her long-term mate who died just a few years ago. In some of the photographs published in Picasa, she looked somewhat depressed, eyes cast downward. Samantha also spent a lot of time tweezing her eyebrows, staring at them, and popping them in her mouth. She also did a lot of scratching, making us laugh when I said, "I think she ate a flea!"

Most of the time Samantha completely ignored the visitors watching her, especially those of us with cameras. She kept to herself, sitting in a sunny corner of her cage, occasionally picking up and hugging the dirty, matted, stuffed monkey. Although I believe I was able to capture several interesting photos (considering they were through a glass window), I left the exhibit feeling a bit sad for Samantha's loneliness.

Animals at the Erie Zoo: Reflections/White Tiger Exhibit and Others

REFLECTIONS: One of Khloe's favorite exhibits at the Erie Zoo, the hairless or naked water rats, is the top photo in this series. Her doting aunt and uncle are reflected in the exhibit glass.

My favorite, the Red Deer, didn't mind the camera getting "up close and personal."

The Llamas were quite people-friendly, and came right up to the fencing surrounding the exhibit.

One of the donkeys played with a rubber toy during our visit to the exhibit.

The Polar Bear was very protective...and snarled during our entire stop at the exhibit.

One of the two Warthogs was giving us the "evil eye."

The Rhino kept rubbing its head on the tree stump and nudging it around the exhibit.

Reflection/White Tiger Exhibit, or "Let Me Out!":

The bottom photo captured the reflected image of the little girl next to me touching the outside of the cage.