Rainforest Connection

Here's a couple from one of my assignments this past weekend.  You can't go wrong with kids and animals!

19-month old Brooklyn Honn, left, of Waterloo, gets as close as she can to DJ, the ring tailed lemur during Bixby's Inflatable Rainforest Tour held at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013.

19-month old Brooklyn Honn, left, of Waterloo, gets the attention of DJ, the ring tailed lemur during Bixby's Inflatable Rainforest Tour held at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013.

©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Keeping Busy

I haven't posted for a while, so here is a little bit of what I've been doing. Thanks for looking!

Adam Risse, of Evansdale, paints a tribute as part of the mural project that covers the ramps at the Cedar Falls Skate Park in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The tribute is one of two at the park for fellow skaters, Jade Jones and Daniel Hernandez, who died in 2010.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Waterloo West's Jon Litzkow, right, is congratulated by Boone's Nicholas Bassett, left, after competing against one another in the 400 Meter Wheelchair event at the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, May 21, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Melany Garza, 8, left, and her sisters Jaraly Lopez, 5, center, and Clarissa Lopez, 4, right, try to keep cool by emptying and refilling their swimming pool at their home in Waterloo, Iowa on Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Davenport Assumption's Danielle Moore, left, tries to control the ball as Columbus' Regan McLaughlin, right, kicks the ball away in the second half of the semi-finals of the 2011 Iowa Girls' High School Soccer Championship game at the Muscatine Soccer Complex in Muscatine, Iowa on Friday, June 10, 2011. Columbus would fall to Davenport Assumption 1-0.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Union's Kaley Grosse, left, and Kylie Powell, center, react after Union fell to Davenport assumption 3-1 in the 2011 Iowa Girls' High School Soccer Championship 1A finals at the Muscatine Soccer Complex in Muscatine, Iowa on Saturday, June 11, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Cedar Falls celebrates as after winning first place in 4A boys at the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, May 21, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

A squirrel prepares to eat a nut on the lawn of the South Hills golf course in Waterloo, Iowa on Thursday, May 12, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

North Fayette's Brady Feldman competes in the 2A boys Long Jump finals at the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, May 19, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Cedar Falls' Hannah Savage, left, takes the lead in the final stretch of the girls class 4A Distance Relay Medley final at the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, May 20, 2011. Cedar Falls would win the event at 4:06.11.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

From left to right, Cedar Falls' Daianera Whitaker, Cassie Crotty, Hannah Savage, and Brianna King celebrate after winning the girls class 4A Distance Relay Medley final at the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, May 20, 2011. Cedar Falls would win the event at 4:06.11.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Cedar Falls' Sonja Przybylski lines up her ball at the fifth hole during the Metro girls golf meet at South Hills golf course in Waterloo, Iowa on Thursday, May 12, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Officials work to distinguish a fire in a vacant house at 220 Hopkins Court in Waterloo, Iowa on Friday, May 6, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at the University of Northern Iowa commencement exercises for the graduating class of 2011 in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Saturday, May 7, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Audience members wait in their seats for the University of Northern Iowa commencement exercises for the graduating class of 2011 in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Saturday, May 7, 2011.

©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

State Representative Deborah Berry (D-Waterloo), front, takes her turn in placing a carnation on a monument in memory of one of the 48 workers in Iowa who died on the job over the past year, during the Annual Worker Memorial Day at the Black Hawk Labor Temple in Waterloo, Iowa on Thursday, April 28, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Cedar Falls' Louis Redfern, right goes after the ball as doubles partner Brennan Ashwood, left, looks on as Cedar Falls plays against Iowa City West in the first round of the dual meet at the Robinson-Dresser Complex in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Saturday, April 23, 2011. Iowa City West won the first round of the dual meet.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

A Little Squirrelly

A squirrel balances on a tree branch in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Thursday, April 7, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


A squirrel rests on a tree branch in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Thursday, April 7, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Twiggy

Twiggy the water skiing squirrel glides through a pool during a show at the Iowa Boat, RV & Vacation Show at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Friday, Jan. 21, 2011.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Eye of a Hawk

It was my "on-call" Sunday, and I was waiting outside the office for the reporter on my out-of-town assignment to arrive. I heard something behind me smack into the building, and when I turned to look, this juvenile robin was falling to the ground, and the red-tailed hawk did a u-turn and landed on a nearby lamp post. The hawk eyed his waiting prey, and watched me closely as a quickly pulled my camera from my bag. Just as I stepped back, he swooped down and snatched up the robin and flew away. This shot made my day--and my "on-call" Sunday worth getting up for :) Don't get me wrong, I do feel sorry for the robin, but 'tis the circle of life.


A red-tailed hawk approaches its prey, a juvenile robin, on Commercial Street in Waterloo, Iowa, on Sunday Sept. 12, 2010.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


A red-tailed hawk captures its prey, a juvenile robin, on Commercial Street in Waterloo, Iowa, on Sunday Sept. 12, 2010.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

August

A pig juts his snout out of a hole in the side of the trailer of a semi during transport at the corner of Franklin Street and Highway 63, in Waterloo, Iowa, on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


A dragonfly rests on a sign in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


Jennifer Gee, left, of Independence, plays with her 18-month-old daughter, Alyvia, right, at The Falls in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


Waterloo's Andrew Ewing, left, safely slides back to first as Madison's Jon Pierre Garcia, right, waits for the ball in the fourth inning at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa, on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010. ©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Llama Time

Ryan Swalve, left, 10, of Waterloo, and Joe Ruzicka, right, 10, of LaPorte City, lead their llamas into the Paul Barger Building as they prepare to show their leased llamas in the Beginners Showmanship category at the 2010 Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair at the National Cattle Congress grounds in Waterloo, Iowa, on Wednesday, July 28, 2010.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Spring??

A male cardinal rests on a tree branch in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.
©Dawn J. Sagert


A squirrel climbs down a tree limb in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

©Dawn J. Sagert

Street Cleaner

Frank Hanson, left, of Waterloo, walks his seven year old Beagle, Lady, as she carries a piece of garbage that she picked up on Fourth Street in downtown Waterloo, Iowa, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

A Green-ish Day

Weeds stand in a moss covered lake at Ledges State Park near Boone, Iowa, on Sunday, July 19, 2009.
©Dawn J. Sagert


A beaver munches on a piece of a branch in a moss covered lake at Ledges State Park near Boone, Iowa, on Sunday, July 19, 2009.
©Dawn J. Sagert


©Dawn J. Sagert

Remind Me to Slow Down

©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier


©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

These are just a few random things that have caught my eye in the past couple of days that reminded me that sometimes I just need to slow down a bit.

Sitting Duck

A duck rests in the sun near the Fourth Street bridge in Waterloo, Iowa, on Friday, April 10, 2009.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

At the Horse Sale

An Amish man waits with his horse before the horse is hitched to a wagon for the horse driving at the Waverly Horse Sale in Waverly, Iowa, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009.

©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

A horse is driven by an Amish man at the Waverly Horse Sale in Waverly, Iowa, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009.

©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Gordon Bulloch of Cedar City, Utah, loads a newly aquired wagon onto his truck bed at the Waverly Horse Sale in Waverly, Iowa, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009.

©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Moon Bathing

Birds rest on a lampost beneath the moon on University Avenue in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Sunday, Feb.8, 2009.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Winter Walk

Sue Holms, front center, and Al Holms, back center, of Waterloo, walk their four dogs Sammie, front left, Bo, back left, Sydnie, front right, and Cheyenne, back right, on the Cedar Valley Bike Trail near North Hackett Road in Waterloo, Iowa, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009.
©Dawn J. Sagert/The Waterloo Courier

Fluffy Pets

Caspian, a Netherland Dwarf rabbit, left, and Loki, a Siberian Husky, right, are posed together recently for a pet photo.
©Dawn J. Sagert