Richard Brunst, Mayor of Orem, wipes his face as he and other attendees walk through one of the splash pad's waterfalls during the grand opening of Orem's splash pad Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at Palisade Park in Orem, Utah.
July didn't really feel like July.
Sure, several of the photos in this blog post are pretty representative of what I think of when I think of July (fireworks, kids playing at the pool, patriotic concerts, outdoor recreation, etc), but those sort of summertime cornerstones were relatively few and far between this month. One Utah summertime jewel that's new to me (rodeos) has eluded me so far this year - I hope that changes soon (cowboys and beautiful light sounds so, so lovely). July, like June, was another slow month for news - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. School's out, people on are vacation, and thus there isn't as much organized activity to make pictures. I've spent my past few summers at different newspapers learning how things go in various communities, and also how things are done at different newspaper, so I suppose I've been preoccupied with more logistical issues most summers. These slower days make me romanticize about October evenings shooting football and other sports while school's in session. But, I'm sure when those more tightly-packed days come I'll think, "man, I miss those feast-or-famine days of July" because the grass is always greener on the other side, isn't it?
Personally, I've been feeling in need of some change this past month. Thankfully, I'll be getting a good amount of change when I move up to Midvale (a suburb south of Salt Lake City) this weekend. Provo's been good to me, but I think moving up towards "the big city", as well as a spot near a few folks I know, ski resorts and night life will help me be a bit more in-tune with my personal life.
Next month will mark my one-year anniversary at the Daily Herald. I certainly feel like I've been here a while, but a full year in a community I've never experienced before working full-time at a newspaper has been a new adventure for me that has pretty well preoccupied me. I'd certainly say working at the Daily Herald and living in Utah has been an extremely productive venture with a lot of personal growth. Though, I'll save my sappy reflections and realizations for next month (I'll try and keep it short).
Lucy Taylor, 7, has her hair sprayed another color by Vicki Wallace, both of Alpine, before Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 1, 2017 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.
The Rockwell Airtime Skydivers make their entrance over the crowd and into the stadium during Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 1, 2017 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.
Kristen Randle, of Provo, checks out quilts during the Steel Days Quilt Show on Thursday, July 6, 2017 at the American Fork City Senior Center in American Fork, Utah.
Matthew Johnson, owner of Our Backyard Greenhouse, stretches the roofing material of the greenhouse over its roof supports during a greenhouse-building demonstration Saturday, July 29, 2017 at the Provo Community Garden in Provo, Utah.
Brigham Young Cougars defensive back Kamel Greene (10) stretches using a track hurdle during BYU football's fall camp Thursday, July 27, 2017 on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
Guy Hansen rides his mountain unicycle through a patch of snow along Mount Timpanogos Trail on Thursday, July 13, 2017 in American Fork Canyon outside of American Fork, Utah.
John Thill watches a movie with his children, from right, Zeke, 6, Elsie, 4, and Elijah, 7, as his wife, Cayce, far left, plays with their daughter, Daviana, 5, on a slide during the Thill family's movie and pizza night Friday, July 7, 2017 at their home in Orem, Utah. The Thills have 20 children. Two of them are biologically their own, 18 are adopted, and of those 18, 16 of them came from foster care.
Scott Gridley, left, and Andrew Hampton, both of Pleasant Grove, paddle their boat on Utah Lake on Monday, July 17, 2017 at Utah Lake State Park in Provo, Utah.
John Curtis, Mayor of Provo and a candidate for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District seat, poses for a portrait Friday, July 14, 2017 at the Daily Herald in Provo, Utah.
Tanner Ainge, a candidate for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District seat, poses for a portrait Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at the Daily Herald in Provo, Utah.
Aleisha McDaniel wipes a tear from her eye as she holds her son, Camren, 7, while they listen to a speaker during a celebration of life for Michael Sproul on Saturday, July 8, 2017 at Cascade Golf Course in Orem, Utah. Camren was one of the children with autism that Michael worked with through his job at Vivint Gives Back.
The last pictures are a quick, three-picture combo from a one-day shoot for a story I wrote about a local fireworks company. The full story can be read here: http://provodh.com/h4onu .
Spectators watch Firestorm Pyrotechnics' fireworks show during Mapleton's Pioneer Day Celebration on Saturday, July 22, 2017 at Ira Allen Park in Mapleton, Utah. During the show, Firestorm Pyrotechnics shot off approximately 6,000 fireworks.
Brent Parkin, of Salt Lake City, scratches his head with his hat as he and other technicians finish up setting up the fireworks during Mapleton's Pioneer Day Celebration on Saturday, July 22, 2017 at Ira Allen Park in Mapleton, Utah. Preparations for the pre-Pioneer Day show took a crew of about 20 people approximately 14 hours over two days to set everything in place and wire all of the fireworks together.
Baylor Owens, of Provo, hops out of the back of a semi-truck trailer as he helps pack discarded boxes of pyrotechnics away during Mapleton's Pioneer Day Celebration on Saturday, July 22, 2017 at Ira Allen Park in Mapleton, Utah.