A peculiar spot for a praying mantis, I found this little guy while pumping gas into my car. He was begging to be photographed.

The Boise Burn took on the Spokane Shock last night at Qwest Arena, and although the Burn couldn't quite pull out the win, these fans got their money's worth with a visit from the Shock's Virgil Gray. Fans at AF2 games definitely get to experience the action closer than they would at a standard football game.

Kirk Fairbanks, 10, Meridian, dives into his swim lane Saturday during one of the competition heats at the Boise Valley Swim Association championship meet hosted at West Boise YMCA. More than 800 swimmers ages 5-18 will competed Friday and Saturday at the meet.

While on assignment for an unrelated story I couldn't help but notice a number of dragonflies buzzing around a pond and landing on these tall stalks of grass. I focused on one head of grass and found wisdom in the axiom: Patience is a virtue.

Velma Morrison had a little party on Saturday afternoon for some of her friends. Arts reporter Dana Oland was invited along with a photographer, who turned out to be moi. It was, truth be told, a historic moment, with some of the most prestigious and influential women in Boise gathered for entertainment and friendship. First Lady Lori Otter giggled with Mrs.

It was hot. Hundreds of cyclists and thousands of spectators braving 105 degrees of heat to be a part of this year's Downtown Boise Twilight Criterium.

Humphrey Hawk, right, and guest mascot Blue from the Idaho Steelheads, wait to make their entrance in the back of a pickup truck at the Boise Hawks home game at Memorial Stadium Friday night.

Sean Mauk takes a leap into the Boise River in a bid to soak a boat-full of floaters on a toasty Friday afternoon.

A word to the wise: if you don't want to get wet, stay away from the concrete platform just before the Baybrook Court bridge. There are usually more than a handful of kids waiting for a raft to come close enough for them to jump in and soak.