OK. It was going to be a simple assignment at the White House. The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, and his wife were in town for a visit with our President. Easy enough. Show up and photograph the short press conference, send the photos to ZUMA and head home.

But as I was leaving the White House, surprise of surprises, there was a protest. It seems there is ALWAYS someone protesting something on the north side of the White House. But when people are marching around with signs that have circumcision and penis written on them, it kinda gets your attention.

I did not spend as much time working for a great photo as I probably should have, but I thought this image was kind of funny.

The protesters, with stopinfantcircumcision.org, are planning to lobby Congress & petition the Supreme Court to put an end to what they are calling the outdated, unnecessary and inhumane medical procedure.

Okey Dokey.

At least in a time of record unemployment, two wars, poverty, cancer, AIDS, homelessness and countless other things that need our attention we have time to demonstrate against a true scourge on humanity.

J.B. Walker (left) of Harrisonburg and Barbara Kinsman, of Bridgewater attend a vigil, organized by the Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee was held in Harrisonburg on Court Square during the 9 p.m. execution of John Allen Muhammad. Muhammad masterminded a wave of random shootings that left 10 people dead and terrorized the Washington region for more than three weeks in October 2002.

John Allen Muhammad’s final appeal for clemency from Virginia Governor Tim Kaine failed and he was executed by lethal injection at Virginia’s death chamber in Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt Tuesday night. Muhammad masterminded a wave of random shootings that left 10 people dead and terrorized the Washington region for more than three weeks in October 2002.

A vigil, organized by the Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee was held in Harrisonburg on Court Square during the 9 p.m. execution of Muhammad.

The group stages vigils every time an inmate is executed in Virginia “to mourn the violence – both against the lives that have been taken in crime and the lives that, in turn, are taken by our state,” according to a statement.

A vigil, organized by the Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee was held in Harrisonburg on Court Square during the 9 p.m. execution of John Allen Muhammad.

Mary Wittig, mother of Rockingham County firefigher Dennis Taylor, sobs into the flag that covered her son's casket during interment services at the Whitmer family cemetery near Fulks Run, Va., on Friday.

Friday began with a funeral and ended with another.  The day before I had covered another one.  It was three too many.

Thursday’s funeral was for  5-year-old Kaylee Whetzel. Friday morning’s funeral was for her mother, Allaina Taylor, 39, and the afternoon funeral was for her stepfather Dennis “Chip” Taylor, 36.

The three were found murdered in their Mathias, W.Va. home on Oct. 23 .

Rockingham County Firefighers escort the casket of Dennis Taylor into the Cornerstone Church of Broadway before funeral services on Friday.

Hardy County, W.Va., Sheriff’s Office say the three victims were shot in their home. Following the shooting, the home was set on fire in an attempt to cover up the crime, deputies say.

Dennis Taylor’s ex-wife, Lorie Ann Taylor, and her new husband, Nakia Heath Miller, both 34, have each been charged with three counts of murder and one count of arson.

Deputies say Lorie and Dennis Taylor had been involved in a heated custody battle over their three children.

Memorial service at the Mathias Church of the Brethren for 5-year-old Kaylee Grace Whetzel who was one of the three victims in the triple murder in Lost City, WV.

In my opinion there is nothing harder to shoot as a newspaper photographer. As a photographer you don’t want to be there intruding into a family’s grief. And even though I have never attended a funeral that we did not have permission from the family to cover, there are always mourners that look at us as ghouls and would prefer we had not come.

It is a very delicate and fine line to walk. Every move you make is seen and every click of the shutter is heard.

Of course I try to be as quiet, unobtrusive and respectful as possible. I don’t think I shot 75 frames between the three services.

I hope that the photos that I take and the newspaper publishes are found to be sensitive and respectful to the family and our readers.

Michael Whetzel, father of 5-year-old Kaylee Grace Whetzel, leaves the memorial service for his daughter at the Mathias Church of the Brethren in Mathias, WV.

Pastor Ken Brand sings with the congregation during funeral services for Allaina Taylor at Ivanhoe Presbyterian Church in Lost City on Friday.

Pallbearers carry the casket of Allaina Taylor past members of the Mathias-Baker Rescue Squad during interment services at Laurel HIll Cemetery in Lost City on Friday.

Kandy Johns talks about her son, Lance Cpl. Jordan Lee Chrobot, USMC, 24, a Frederick native who was killed in combat in Afghanistan. Jordan's brother, Connor Johns, sister, Morgan Chrobot and stepfather Jerry Johns are in the background Chrobot was shot in the chest while on patrol in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold.

One of the hardest things to have to shoot as a newspaper photographer is a funeral. Even harder can be going to the home of a fallen soldier to do photos of the grief-stricken family.

It is a bit easier when you are accompanied on the assignment with the writer. They kind of act as a distraction while you make some images. I think it helps to put the family at ease and they are not as aware that you are there.

Being the son of a career Marine who served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, I always feel a certain bond with these families even though my father came out of the service unharmed.

Yesterday I was invited into the home of Kandy Johns, whose son, Lance Cpl. Jordan Lee Chrobot, USMC, 24, was killed in combat in Afghanistan. Chrobot was shot in the chest while on patrol in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold.

I have attended four military funerals and visited the homes of about six families of fallen soldiers.

Even though everyone has always made me feel welcome, I do not think I will ever get to the point where I feel at ease intruding into their time of grief.

Accidents are never fun to go to. But of course the job of  an newspaper is to report the news. And a major accident is news.

This photo came from an incident involving four vehicles in Dayton, Va., outside of Harrisonburg. Here rescue personnel are attending to a child that was in one of the vehicles. Five people where injured in the accident including a man who was ejected from a sport utility vehicle.

I had just arrived at the office this morning, when the scanner announced a house fire not far from the office. By the time I arrived, the fire department had the fire out and were in the process of securing the scene and looking for hot spots. Thankfully there where no injuries.

I spent most of the time looking for something to show the human element. This is what I turned in for publication.

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