the dust settles

Lawrence erupted into a full-out celebration Sunday as the Jayhawks downed Davidson and claimed their place in the Final Four. I took up residence in the Jackpot down on Mass. to focus on fans during the game. I haven't shot there for an assignment yet but have always wanted to.

After the game, students rallied through downtown like a revolution was breaking out. Chants filled the rainy air and barefoot revelers raced down the roads carrying school banners. Cheap beer mixed with the sweet smell of victory. Delicious.

Here are a few shots from the rollercoaster of emotions fans were going through yesterday.

couple

the end

The Kansas state tournament wrapped up about two weeks ago. I was lucky enough to cover two of the teams throughout the season. The girls team, which was comprised of mainly underclassmen and juniors, took the championship in the final seconds of a game they trailed throughout.

The boys were something of a paradox. The team broke .500 in the state tournament. They went on a late-season rampage and really clicked. The first couple games of the season they couldn't put a play together... in their last games of the season they couldn't be stopped.. until the championship game when they were toppled, bringing the run to an end.

More

Back in Lawrence and left felt wanting more. More snow. More mountains. More friend's living rooms and uncomfortable nights sleeping on couches. More early mornings sitting up coughing and thinking, unable and no longer even wanting to sleep. More late nights in places I've never been but am becoming accustomed. More learning by watching, seeing and doing. More long drives and meaningless stops that mean so much. More than anything. More. More.

Being on the road is being in a relationship. You give and take and sacrifice and listen. Look out the window, shut up and learn. Stay quiet. Thank and forgive. How much do we truly enjoy what we have until it's the past? You stop. Lie down. Release and live. Photograph the moment you are in. Breathe, move and live.

Kerouac spent seven years on the road. In a blink I just spent seven days. It was my vacation. It was his life. I've been in Lawrence less than 24 hours and already I pace. I want to do everything. I want to feel its grit, see its flaws, taste its juices and smell its stench. Feel it under my boots and under my tires. I want the doors to creek and the sun to burn. I want my back to hurt and my ears ring, ring, ring. I want my ears to rage in madness. And I want to see. I want to see through my camera, through my contacts, through my friend's voices and their laughter. I want to see through all the dirty windows of the world, the cracked and splintered. The cold. The fogged. The happy beat windows that give light to a new day every morning, each more brilliant than the next.

gettin rocky

Max Bittle and I have been on the road since Sunday afternoon. We got a late start to a long drive, which I'll take full blame for. The late start only further provoked our craze for odd traveling hours and the mad run to take photos. The Colorado roads are proving passable.

In no particular order, we've traveled at night, both in and out of the mountains. A couple days of snowboarding on Mt. Werner. Bathing under steamy skies in natural hot springs. Detours through the Kansas flint hills. And snowy hikes that felt like summer until you sank waist deep in snow and are proven different.

turquoise

hoops

Covering the 6A state tournament in Emporia, Kansas. In between games right now. Both Lawrence High School teams, the girls and boys, made it to state and are doing well. The boys were seeded last and pulled out a major upset last night in the opener against Manhattan. The girls are commanding as ever. Been covering both of these teams for awhile now... so I'm going to try to get closer.

More to come.

peter and the wolf

Stopped in on a house party/show tonight on Tennessee. A couple one man singer song-writers (see title). Met some really nice people, good tunes.. a couple funky lights.

changes

A church downtown has gone without a pastor for some time now. Today a new one was ushered in, and following him were hundreds in celebration. Souls he touched throughout his sermons and his talks. Those souls traveled from all over Kansas for Pastor White's installment this afternoon, so many that the Ninth Street Baptist congregation had to move the ceremony to a larger sanctuary. This is a choir from Kansas City, Kansas during the celebration.