Battle Royal in The Plains
Richie Rush, 13, center, grimaces in pain and anger while being bullied to the ground by K.J. Orsbon, 15, during an impromptu “Battle Royal” wrestling match at the Old Athens Township Public School in The Plains, Ohio, Tuesday, September 19, 2005. Richie’s friends, Jason Orsbon, 15, right, and Ethan Stalder, 14, top, attempt to pull the older K.J. off of him.
Culvert Slide
Bryan Johnson, 14, right, whizzes down a 36-inch culvert pipe that has been transformed into a slide as his friend, Jason Smith, 14, left, rushes to the top of the hill with a potato sack to await his turn near the Corn Maze in Logan, Ohio, Saturday, October 1, 2005. Bryan and Jason constructed the slide, with the help of Bryan’s father, a few weeks ago by digging a small trench in the side of a hill and securing the pipe inside. “To have fun in these parts [rural Ohio], a kid needs to be an inventor,” Johnson said with a smile.
Tranquility
Johnny Simmons, a resident of Gallipolis, enjoys the serenity of a quiet afternoon by sitting on a bench beside the Ohio River on February, 20, 2006 in Gallipolis, Ohio. Simmons, a Vietnam Veteran, moved to the quiet town of Gallipolis from New York City a few years back in search of a better economic opportunity. Since his relocation, he has found a wife, a secure career and peace of mind.
Cadillac Ranch
A tourist enjoys a visit to the Cadillac Ranch just off of I-40 near Amarillo, Texas, Sunday, September 16, 2007. The Cadillac Ranch is an off-beat work of art consisting of a row of ten grafitti-covered Cadillac automobiles half-buried into the earth. It was originally designed in 1974 by a helium millionaire named Stanley Marsh III who wanted to pay tribute to the “Golden Age” of the American Automobile Industry.
Oldfield Opry
Volunteer Perry Robertson stands stoically in the rear of the Oldfield Opry while watching and listening as local musicians entertain members of the audience by peforming music of the Ozarks in Oldfield, Missouri, Saturday, April 3, 2010. Admission to the Oldfield Opry is by donation only. Many volunteers work the concessions, act as ushers and help clean up after the show. The musicians literally “sing for their supper,” and describe the opry as a “labor of love.”
Friendship Lane
James Burke, left, and Devon Smith, right, shake hands while seated on an alleyway bench as Burke pulls out a flask of hard liquor from inside his waistline near Friendship Lane in Springfield, Missouri, Saturday, November 28, 2009. “Let’s Drink!” Burke said with a smile. According to Smith, the New Year’s Eve hats were given to them by a friend.
Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis launches for orbit on Launch Pad 39A at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Friday evening, June 8, 2007. The launch of Shuttle Atlantis is for mission STS-117, which will last 11 days. Atlantis’ crew will resume construction of the International Space Station, working with the station crew to install the girder-like S3/S4 truss segment, unfold a new set of solar arrays and retract one array on the starboard side of the station.
Benediction
Bishop Walter H. Richardson, right, leads his congregation in a benediction during a Sunday morning service at The Church of God Tabernacle in Liberty City, Florida, Sunday, May 20, 2007. Richardson has been a force of nature in the South Florida community for many years. His spirited sermons and devoted service help to uplift a community where hope and faith is sometimes in short supply.
Faith
Reverand Brother Joseph McCormack, co-founder of the Brothers and Sisters of St. Martin de Porres, prays inside his home in Springfield, Missouri, April 3, 2010. Reverand Brother McCormack was a founding contributor to the AIDS Memorial Quilt Project in San Francisco in 1987. After relocating to Springfield, Missouri in 2002, he co-founded the Healing Quilt Project of the Ozarks with his soulmate and partner, Michael Andagno. Reverand Brother McCormack’s faith has carried him through years of adversity including the death of his partner, the tragic death of his adult son, and over 20 years of living with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Mariachi
Musicians with Mariachi Mexico Lindo prepare themselves backstage against a brightly lit colored backdrop moments before the start of their performance at the 5th Annual “Noche de Oro” at the University of Texas-Pan American Fine Arts Auditorium in Edinburg, Texas, May 6, 2005.
Not For the Feeble
Bull rider Ryan Nutt, of Malvern, Arkansas, sits quietly on top of a bucking chute as the bulls are sorted behind him just minutes before the start of the Ozark Boosters Club Bull Ride Spectacular at the Ozark Boosters Club Arena in Ozark, Missouri, Friday, June 4, 2010.
Severe Weather
A bolt of lightning strikes at the heart of downtown during severe weather warnings in Springfield, Missouri, Thursday, May 14, 2009.
Salvation
Noe Galindo, a homeless man living in Municipal Park in McAllen, walks past a mural on a Salvation Army building on his way to ask for a second-hand pair of socks and shoes in McAllen, Texas, Monday, July 26, 2004.
Unconditional Love
Rolando Cardenas and Sandra Tapia, a homeless couple who have been together for 9 years, share an intimate moment at Municipal Park in McAllen, Texas, Sunday, August 15, 2004. Cardenas, a deeply religious man, wears a cross necklace that covers a scar on his stomach from a gunshot wound. According to Cardenas, the homeless lifestyle isn’t very dangerous. “If you don’t bother anyone, nobody bothers you,” he said.
