Holiday’s End

The last rake filled with detritus from the City Hall Holiday Tree is tossed into the recycling truck, marking a visible end to a portion of the holiday season in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for January 3, 2025.

The last rake filled with detritus from the City Hall Holiday Tree is tossed into the recycling truck, marking a visible end to a portion of the holiday season in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for January 3, 2025.

Read F8 - The My Final Photo Newsletter

Unhealthy Raccoon At Highlands

Unhealthy Raccoon At Highlands

Westerville Animal Control Officer Mary Dembiec retrieves a raccoon suspected to be suffering from distemper from the wetlands at Hoover Park, where it had been seen earlier in the day near the roadway. My Final Photo for November 19, 2024.

Wet Soybeans

Wet Soybeans

Farmer Rodney Parker pulls a tarp over his head to cover a partially filled grain wagon after a brief afternoon shower dampened the soybeans on the Braun Farm just enough to make them unharvestable, forcing an end to harvest until the rain ends and the fields again are dry. My Final Photo for November 18, 2024.

Moisture Testing The Old-Fashioned Way

Moisture Testing The Old-Fashioned Way

Farmer Kevin Scott, holding a moisture tester under his arm, uses the old-fashioned method of biting into a bean pod to test its moisture content as he tries to decide to continue harvesting beans on the Braun Farm property. My Final Photo for November 17, 2024.

Annehurst Invasion Impeded

Annehurst Invasion Impeded

About 50 volunteers, most from the Annehurst neighborhood, cleared honeysuckle and other invasives from the path leading into Sharon Woods Metro Park near Annehurst Elementary Saturday morning. My Final Photo for November 16, 2024

Cops, Coffee, and Chloe

Cops, Coffee, and Chloe

The staff at Family Room Coffee and Bake Shop pose with Westerville Police officers and Chloe, the department’s therapy dog, near the end of Coffee With Cops at the shop on South Otterbein Ave. My Final Photo for November 15, 2024.

Uptown Patio Flowers

Uptown Patio Flowers

A Mandevilla blossom stands out against the backdrop of lights on the patio at Jimmy V’s in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for November 14, 2024.

Drought-Damaged Crop Harvested

Drought-Damaged Crop Harvested

Kevin Scott runs his combine through a soybean field on the Braun Farm, collecting a smaller than normal, drought-damaged crop. My Final Photo for November 13, 2024.

Staying Home For The Day

Staying Home For The Day

My closest friends today were Sprite, Gatorade, and a red barf bowl as I fought my way through a severe case of food poisoning that gave me the opportunity to answer the question, “What would I do if I couldn’t leave the house to make My Final Photo. My Final Photo for November 12, 2024.

Quiet Memorial

Quiet Memorial

A US Navy Seabee pauses at the flagpoles and wreaths after ceremonies marking Veterans Day at the Westerville Veterans Memorial. My Final Photo for November 11, 2024.

The Chosen

The Chosen

A young musician selects his new trombone from the almost 500 instruments offered at Uptown Music & Arts annual sale this weekend. My Final Photo for November 10, 2024.

Family Assistance

Family Assistance

Father and son assist each other in clearing debris from the son’s lure that retrieved a branch from the waters below the dam at Alum Creek North. My Final Photo for November 9, 20-24.

Girl Dad Uptown

Girl Dad Uptown

A father matching the meme “Tell me you’re a girl dad without telling me you’re a girl dad” walks across State Street on his way to Cardinal Pizza with his family. My Final Photo for November 8, 2024.

Training At The Library

Training At The Library

Four-year-old Ira studies the movement of “N” scale trains making the rounds in a display at the Westerville Public Library, where the Columbus Area “N” Scalers set up its annual display. My Final Photo for December 9, 2024.

Not A Dollar Tree

Not A Dollar Tree

A Christmas tree is tied onto the top of a family van after it was chosen from several hundred available at Glengary Shopping Center, where Dollar Tree is one of the anchor stores, not the price of the tree. My Final Photo for December 8, 2024.

Messiah Rehearsal

Messiah Rehearsal

The Westerville Symphony has a dress rehearsal at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church for its Sunday evening performance of Handel’s Messiah in the church’s sanctuary. My Final Photo for December 7, 2024.

Diesel-Powered Sleigh

Diesel-Powered Sleigh

Santa stands in his diesel-powered bucket truck sleigh after overseeing the holiday tree lighting in front of city hall Friday night. My Final Photo for December 6, 2024.

Almost Ready For Lighting

Almost Ready For Lighting

A city parks worker pulls strings of LED lights around one of the limbs about halfway up the tree installed on the lawn at city hall for Friday night’s “Parade of Lights” and tree lighting ceremonies. My Final Photo for December 5, 2024.

Library Game Night

Library Game Night

Westerville Youth Services Librarian Matt G. explains a new video game interface to four of the youngsters who gathered for Power Up Video Game Night at the library, where four players at a time quickly adapted to the four-player game before switching places with other players waiting for their turn. My Final Photo for December 4, 2024.

Christmas Fashions

Christmas Fashions

City of Westerville staff wearing their Christmas fashions pose for a photo before the last city council meeting for the year when standard business attire is shed for the once-a-year more festive designs. My Final Photo for December 3, 2024.