January 1990 - ELIZABETH CITY NC — Driving from Little Washington to Norfolk to see family one night, Kitty and I happened by a church doing a little work. A ladder standing inside was positioned just  right to give Jesus a boost. Of course I had to stop and snap a quick shot. It would have been funnier at Easter…

February 1986 - WILLIAMSTON NC — Cutting through (what is now) Southern States on a rainy day.

October 1986 - WASHINGTON NC — This fellow is checking the air in his tires before heading off on his day’s travels. He is being watched by a friend in the door who seems to be sending a message regarding picking up canned cat food.

May 1986 - WHICHARDS BEACH — If you didn’t know what to do at Whichards Beach, the young lady minding the gate offered an example of how to relax in the warm sunshine.

June 1986 - Water towers need periodic maintenance. This fellow is pretty casual about getting around the superstructure of the tower.

March 1990 - Virginia Gerard (left) and Lynn Gerard (right) used to own Bills Hot Dogs. The sisters-in-law are seen here sitting at a work table in the back of the legendary Gladden Street hot dog stand. I took this photo one Tuesday morning after they made a large pot of their famous (and secret formula) chili.

July 1986 - Want a hot, dirty day’s work? Try working tobacco. These young ladies are suckering or topping tobacco somewhere near Washington NC

June 1986 - Mary Bell Toler is one of my favorite people ever. She spent much of her adult life on Water Street and worked for years at the Washington Daily News. She spent her retirement working word puzzles in her front porch rocker. I frequently visited her there (usually in the swing). This day, I caught Mary Bell playing a little catch-up with an afternoon nap.

May 1986 - WASHINGTON — I caught these two buddies going to the grocery store on River Road for some snacks.

April 1990 - CHOCOWINITY NC — I used to do an occasional column — Uncle Ric’s Photo Oddities. I got to share lots of things friends and readers shared with me. This deceased bass found in one of Twin Lakes Campground’s large ponds was one of those oddities. He apparently saw what appeared to be taste treat on the surface and struck. His target, a floating tennis ball, turned out to exactly the wrong size; too small to spit out and too large to go down. Pride and appetite goeth before a fall.

May 1990 - Once upon a time, Washington’s Havens Gardens did not have bulkheads. Adding them was not a pretty sight.