A big, roly-poly ball of fur turned his world upside down. Photo: Anthony Rao In Tennessee, German Shepherds are not a very popular breed and it took us several months until we finally found a breeder that had two puppies…
Safe danger at 40 mph 100 feet off the ground. Photo: Nicole Hamel I wanted to do something that’s not necessarily jumping out of a plane, but still getting my feet off the ground to an extent. The safest route was…
Survival expert recalls experience appearing “Alone” on reality TV Photo: Nicole Hamel I started into survival skills in 1990 with primitive skills and medicinal, wildlife trapping and foraging, all that stuff, and just kinda kept moving up through that skill…
Sorrento breeder will never forget night she delivered 14 puppies. Photos: Nicole Hamel My first litter of golden retriever puppies was the largest litter I have ever had. The mom, Katie, whom I’d bred, was 2-3 years old. I knew…
Photo: Nicole Hamel Life and death decisions at 9,000 feet: The unforgettable firsts of a flight paramedic. Losing a child I flew to the scene where an ATV had flipped over on a child who was riding it. The child…
Eustis fireman fights his first fire. Photo: Nicole Hamel The fire happened on Mother’s Day. We were just pulling back into the station from breakfast and I overheard on the radio for one of the Lake County stations near us…
Fish & Wildlife Commission trapper recalls landing his first alligator. Photos: Nicole Hamel Going to trap my first nuisance alligator was exciting. I was confident going into it because I spent 10 years in the Marine Corps and served during…
Lake County Commission chairwoman navigates a pandemic. Photo: Douglas Tyler Since the first positive case in Lake County, the COVID-19 pandemic has been my highest priority. I knew I needed to stay focused on one goal: protecting the safety of our…
A Lady Lake mom recalls her first (and only) skydiving adventure. It was a beautiful day in 2005, my husband was working, and I had decided to go over to DeLand to a skydiving facility with a few friends.…
Tattoos should be earned, says artist from House of Ink in Leesburg. When I got my first tattoo, I was 18 years old. I walked in, picked one (a cross and rose) off the wall and that was it. Now…