While the Bradford Fair in Bradford, Vt., was in full swing, I spent the day for the Valley News photographing a group of 4-H teamsters with their working steers in the first of three qualifying events to go to the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Mass. Their attention to detail and intensity of the competition was very impressive! Follow this link to see the story and more photographs.

From top, Krystin Skoda, 17, of Randolph, Vt., applies hoof polish to Mike, an eight-month-old Holstein steer, while preparing for the working steer 4-H show at the Bradford Fair in Bradford, Vt.; Megan Taylor, 10, of East Randolph, Vt., encourages her Holstein steers Salt and Pepper to back a cart into a determined space in the competition. It was Taylor’s first time showing her one-year-old steers at a fair and she was competing for the experience; From left, Steve and Terri Chamberlin, of Pomfret, Vt., and Deb Skoda, of Randolph, prepare paperwork for the competition. Terri Chamberlin and her father have been running the Green Mountain Teamsters working steer 4-H club since 1990; Joey Ferris, 11, of Northfield, Vt., is tested on his knowledge of working steers by judge Dan Fantoni, of Fairfax, Vt., during the Junior Division fitting and showing portion of the show. Ferris has been involved with working steers for three years; As Fantoni watches, Skoda encourages her young Holstein steer team of John and Mike to pull the stone boat; Analiese Morvan, 18, of Northfield, Vt., takes shelter from the sun in the shadow cast by her Dutch Belt steer team of Jim and Joe while waiting for results from the stone boat obstacle course. Morvan competed at “The Big E” last year as Vermont’s sole teamster.

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I recently had the pleasure to make photographs for one of Matt Hongoltz-Hetling’s stories about climate change for the Weather Channel’s web site. He is finding different approaches to the topic in each of the Northern New England states. In Canterbury, N.H., Matt profiled Rev. Steve Blackmer and his unique Church of the Woods. Blackmer and his congregation were very generous and accommodating with me. Editor Patty Cox and her team did a wonderful job presenting Matt’s story — follow this link to take a look!

From top: Rev. Steve Blackmer closes his morning service at Church of the Woods in Canterbury, N.H., with a blessing. The Episcopal church, established in 2014, holds two services outdoors every Sunday; Rain drops linger on an evergreen branch at Church of the Woods; Rick Coffin, of Barnstead, N.H., left, and Wes Jones, of Loudon, N.H., hold hands and sing a hymn with others during the afternoon service. Both attend St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Pittsfield, N.H., and had met Blackmer while he was doing his Episcopal training; Blackmer made a mid-career change to the ministry after working as a land conservation professional, establishing the church on 106 acres in 2014; Blackmer leads the congregation in the singing of a hymn. Blackmer has started the Wild Church Network for other churches who worship outdoors. “It’s a little movement,” he said. “But it is a movement.”