Travels with Trev...

The answer was yes.

When a dear old friend, whom you haven't seen for quite some time... and they just HAPPEN to be Hawkeye fans... and they want you to return to your old college stomping grounds for child #2's senior pictures... one doesn't have to hesitate long with an answer.

Not this guy anyway.

Now if I woulda been a Cyclone fan... or perhaps a Simpson graduate... all bets would be off!

;)

But since I'm a charter member of the Jihadic Wing of the Hawkeye Nation... and a Central College grad... the "no problem" couldn't come quick enough when Mindy Finders wondered aloud whether I would be willing to meet her and her son, Trevor, in Pella for his senior session.

A former area fixture, the Finders family is now thriving in a suburb of St. Louis as Papa Todd is Executive of the Year for the Emerson Corporation (or somethin' like that... he ain't no dummy... that much i know). And while the second of three wonderful boys is about to graduate... the oldest has made his way back to good old Iowa. Tyler, who we photographed just a year ago, is now tearin' it up in Pella as a freshman at Central... And from the sounds of it, Trevor won't be far behind... as he's soon to follow in the footsteps of his life-long running-mate/partner in crime.

So we met dark and early in Pella a few weeks back and that's when the fun began.

An avid golfer... Trev wanted to take advantage of the beautiful Bos Landen Golf Course on the southwest edge of town. And, keeping with studio tradition, Mama Mindy decided that she too would subscribe to the "better-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-for-permission" method.

Which worked for a bit while we were on Hole No. 2...

And THAT's when the plan started to unravel...

A young employee of the course... never did get his name... wasn't buying our "hey... we know Travis Thompson" excuse when we told him that Mr. Thompson (a Bos Landen member... an East Marshall and Central Alum... and just so happened to be buddies with the Club's manager) thought we'd be okay just to show up and get-in-and-get out.

Mr. Young Employee was short and terse and told us to hustle up... putting it kindly.

The golf cart took a quick 180 and ran back up the fairway and sat there... waiting for our departure. (or maybe to ENSURE we left!)

Feeling the pressure to get the "celebratory" putt shot you see below... Trev and I (along with trusty assistant/auxiliary flash holder, Mindy) got the shot and we walked off to leave.

Down the hill comes the cart.

And before Mindy could let the claws come out and mention that perhaps they WERE considering a membership there for her sons... Mr. Get-The-Heck-Outta-Here... had suddenly turned into Mr. Perhaps You Should Consider Shooting Over There Instead.

So we did exactly that on the driving range... and the putting green... and after a double check of the Finders name (and perhaps a triple check with Mr. Thompson or the manager?) suddenly we had ourselves a Mr. Have You Considered Shooting On Hole Number Fourteen It's Quite Beautiful Down There Right Now...

#winning.

So all's well that ends well at Bos Landen.

After that, we took advantage of the sickeningly clean Pella streets uptown... bumped into a couple of other photographers... dodged the raindrops and made our way back to Montour.

Once we were back... we realized that something was missing.

The Hawkeye Shirt.

After a quick call to Grandma Joyce's in Oskaloosa to confirm it, Mindy was off to The Sports Page in Marshalltown to purchase a suitable replacement (as one of my myriad of EXTRA LARGE Hawkeye T's would not suffice on the svelte Mr. Finders). Once that was taken care of... we polished off what would become another labor of love Hawkeye collage and our mission was complete.

It was great to see part of Team Finders once again. While they are basking in the glow of a World Series championship down there (don't let 'em fool ya... they were Twins fans before!) we sure do miss seeing them everyday around these parts. Facebook makes staying connected a little easier... but make no mistake, it's not the same without you guys.

So... back-to-back Finders fellas are now complete.... and in the blink of an eye... 4 years will pass and Mr. Tucker will have his day. Hard to believe, ain't it?

Save up... you're gonna get a breather. :)

GO HAWKS!