My Thoughts

There is a wealth of highly talented amateur and professional photographers in our community. We hope you enjoy this photography-rich issue as much as we have in producing this competition and subsequent reveal. A hearty thank-you to all who submitted entries.

As a companion we share the story of a father-and-son photography team, Todd and Dossie “Goose” McLeod. As frequently happens, someone close to the family called us to suggest a story about the pair and we heartily agreed.

While many of you were reading Robert Rehder’s story about his duck hunt at Dead Man’s Bay last month, Rehder was out on another hunt, this time at Currituck. He sent us a spectacular sunrise photo and we wanted to share it.

The dedicated gardeners who create the annual Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Festival Garden Tour have embarked on a goal to have Wilmington officially declared a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the end of 2025, the club’s centennial. All the details are right here — how to get your own garden certified as well as ways to help with the garden club’s effort to have the entire city certified.

Because we know this is the time of year when people begin thinking about their yards, our Savor food story provides a primer on homegrown vegetables and fruits. The idea is that any little plot of ground, raised beds, or containers can be used to grow food in your own backyard. I started last year with a few 5-gallon buckets planted with lettuce and enjoyed mealtimes augmented with food grown with my own hands. This year I’m looking to expand.

I must acknowledge the passing into heaven of one of my all-time favorite people, Lenny Simpson. You will have seen many stories and updates in our pages highlighting Lenny’s highly favored journey. I literally spent hours on bleachers watching this man work his magic. He could take the toughest, angriest, or most misunderstood kid and capture their love and attention by simply saying, hey, take this ball.

I met Lenny in 2014 when he came by the office to let me know he had a story I should share. He became a regular drop-in, a treasured friend, and a hero whose work with children I greatly admired on and off the tennis court.

Simpson’s life is a reminder once again to live and enjoy every day without regrets.

— Pat Bradford, Senior Editor/Publisher