An afternoon with Sid.
With a hat nearly 20 years old atop his head and a washer in his mouth, lifelong bachelor Sid Snow, 84, of Lynchburg, Va., keeps busy by working with his hands, ballroom dancing, gardening and church. Sid has lived on the same street his entire life and somewhat wishes he had married and had children, for his family is dying out. "If you put a lot in life, you get a lot out of it," Sid told me.


Powerwheel races. This kid won the first of two powerwheel races held at the Piney River Moose Lodge 2032 in Nelson County, Va. After winning the race, his dad gave him the checkered flag and told him to do a victory lap backwards around the track "like Jeff Gordon."


Fitzgerald's Orchard in Nelson County, Va.


Sports.

A Boom in the Sky

Two weeks ago in Appomattox County, Va., a Williams Transcontinental natural gas line exploded, destroying two homes and injuring five people. Those who live near the explosion thought the end of the world as they knew it was here. After the initial boom and rumble of the earth around them, a fireball close to 200 feet high shot into the sky, incinerating two homes.



There was not time to change or to grab valuables. Appomattox High School was set up as a temporary shelter.



An aerial view of the area affected.



A family giving water to their dogs, who had to stay in the pens, after they were reunited at the shelter.

See You at the Pole

While out feature hunting, which usually means driving around until I find something that cathces my eye, I was told about a middle school cross-country meet. Being a long time runner, I knew there would be something to photograph. Here's what I found.

Labor Day Parade

I covered the Buena Vista Labor Day Parade and Festival in Buena Vista, Va., today. This was more than just a parade of old cars, bands playing, and people lining the streets. The Buena Vista Labor Day Parade and Festival is a huge political event, where Virginia politicians, including former Governors Mark Warner and Jim Gilmore, sought support from locals as they made their way through the parade. Mark Warner, a Democrat, and Jim Gilmore, a Republican, are battling each other for a spot in the U.S. Senate. Here are some of my favorites from today, my first post.