Ilwaco Middle School Football, Peterson Field, Ilwaco, Wa.

Tuesday night I shot the Ilwaco Middle School's final football game of the year, against Rainier. It was also one of the most exciting and fun games I've shot all year. Both teams went into the game undefeated and it was tied until Rainier scored with less than a minute left to play.

That final score really should have been called back though, as #5 from Rainier pushed down the Ilwaco defender in the foreground who was about to make the tackle on #23, which went unseen by the really amateur referee crew working the game.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, the high school team played a little pick up hybrid football/rugby after practice.

-DKM

Ilwaco wins district golf, football loses chance at playoffs, Chehalis and Castle Rock, Wa.

Two ends of the sports spectrum for Ilwaco last week, with the boys golf team winning their sixth straight district title. Then on Friday, the Fishermen footballers lost at Castle Rock in a game that if won  would have kept their playoff hopes alive. In both cases I shot kinda loose.

-DKM

Annual trip to the pumpkin patch/corn maze, Sauvie Island, Ore.

For the last five or six years we have made it an annual staple of our Halloween season fun to take a trip to a pumpkin patch, and most often the one on Sauvie Island, as it has a giant corn maze. This year's trip was last Sunday.

We went pretty far off the main part of the patch to find ours, each of us picking one that we carry ourselves back to the hay ride. Some how I ended up carrying Wyse' anyway...

Kenz has loved going on the cow rides, and this year Wyse was able to go with her. He thought it was pretty cool.

Is this the best portrait of me ever?

-DKM

68-mile high speed pursuit, South Bend to Ocean Park, Wa.

Late Friday night while processing football pix I started listening to a high speed chase on the scanner. When the chase was coming through Long Beach I hopped in the car and gave chase myself — behind nine cop cars. After running over multiple spike strips and driving a good portion without all four tires, the suspect finally gave up and crashed in the ditch on Sandridge near 227th in Klipsan.
The chase began with a traffic stop in South Bend, and ended 68 miles later.

-DKM

NHS homecoming game, Naselle High School

Ryley Queener spent game night in the press box, via Skype that is, watching the game with his dad. Queener has spent the last week in and out of the ICU of an Oregon hospital. Queener seems to be doing a lot better, and maybe coming home this weekend.

The game was also the homecoming game for Naselle. And even though the lighting is pretty bad, I do love shooting homecoming halftimes.

-DKM

Some cell snaps, Long Beach, Ilwaco & Warrenton, Ore.

 I was going through my Droid the other day, taking some photos off, and there were a handful of pix that I meant to post a long time ago, including this one of a guy having dinner at the bakery last summer.

 These two aren't that old, I love this one of Ness, and below we have Rizz, the puppy we recently were given by the Leland's of Naselle. She's a really great dog.

Here's Ana George after surfing with Ness and Kenz

And while I'm sure that might look irresponsible... this is actually Wyse rolling down a hill at one of Kenz soccer games. He and some other kids were race-rolling down the bank.

-DKM

New ports, Observer office, Long Beach, Wa.

Last week I tried another new (to me) lighting technique for the Q&A pic of Bruce Peterson. I'm happy that I'm able to add some new tricks to the bag.

With Maddie being in Ireland still, I had to use some other test models. Amanda was nice enough to sit while I worked out the finer details. Our new sports stringer Tim also sat for a couple.

And last, but far from least, my lovely wife Vinessa needed a new pic to go with her campaign stuff. Oh yeah, she's running as a write-in candidate for Ilwaco City Council, Seat #2, looking to unseat Don Berger who was appointed to office in the last year, but has never been elected.
You can read all about the campaign HERE — and remember, WRITE-IN VIN!

-DKM

Kenz at the Nemah fish hatchery, Nemah, Wa.

This may be one of the best pix I have ever taken. Kenz was with me today while on assignment at the Nemah Fish Hatchery. While shooting jumping salmon, the hatchery manager told Kenz she could pet a fish if it jumped up. This one jumped right up to her.

-DKM

Doug Knutzen receives the Silver Lifesaving Medal, USCG Station Cape D, Ilwaco, Wa.

Doug Knutzen — of THE PICTURE fame — received a rare honor last Wednesday for another dramatic rescue he was a part of 10 years ago. The Silver Lifesaving Medal is awarded to "any member of the U.S. military, or to a U.S. civilian, who rescues, or endeavors to rescue, any other person from drowning, shipwreck, or other peril of water." Doug and Coasty Beth Slade earned the medal by cutting a stranded man out of his overturned and beached fishing boat in 2001. Slade received her medal in August.

Ever stoic, Doug stayed pretty straight-faced throughout the very nice ceremony, in which a rear admiral presented the award. His wife Suzanne, as well as one of his daughters and members of the surf rescue team were there with him Wednesday.

-DKM

Halftime, NHS @ Valley, Menlo, Wa.

Friday night's game between Naselle and Valley, which likely decided the Pacific League title, was over by halftime, as the fourth-ranked Comets built an easy 48-0 lead over the ninth-ranked Vikings, en route to a 55-0 win. To make it worse for Valley, it was their Homecoming game. Some of the Naselle boys took a minute to wave to the princesses on their way back to the field after halftime.

-DKM

Kenz the soccer star, Warrenton soccer complex, Warrenton, Or.

Kenz rocked it on the field today, scoring two more goals in a really close game

-DKM