Sports are fun, and sports writing is a way to make a living while keeping yourself regularly entertained along with your community. 

The Chieftain gave me the chance to cover sports and recreation in Wallowa County the past four-and-a-half years, and now Im happy to pass along the baton. Im moving closer to the girl of my dreams, the only reason I would give up this job. 

This job turned out to be simple, really. Every performance, every participant, every moment was a potential story. 

Growing up, my only experience with championships came through television, with annual Super Bowls, World Series and Final Fours. Over here, state championships were almost routine. Why, my first month with the Chieftain, Joseph High School girls basketball team lost an overtime thriller against St. Paul for the 2007 state title. The next winter, Joseph won every game, including the championship rematch against St. Paul. The following season, Joseph beat Imbler for the title. In 2010, Wallowa High boys played in the states basketball championship tournament final. My last week on the job, Enterprise High School boys won titles in golf, track and field.

The list of championships during my time could go on. That brief summary failed to mention Wallowa boys relay winning at the state championships in 2007, or Josephs 2008 football team in the big game. 

Burdened with just a camera and a little notepad, I got to watch primetime sports with a great view from the sideline. But often, I didnt have to wait until the end of a season for a memorable experience. Wallowa County provided lots of them. I saddled up for a week in the spring of 2008, and joined Joseph seniors on a ride through Hells Canyon. A month later, Winding Waters River Expeditions invited me to paddle through whitewater rapids in Snake River with Enterprise seniors. T.C. Evans recruited me as a rodeo clown at Chief Joseph Days in 2009, and I eventually hopped into the barrel during a couple of bull rides. Last summer at Wallowa Lake, the home of enormous kokanee, the state record repeatedly fell and eventually the world record beaten.

With continual excitement, my imagination often ran wild. Most games, I scribbled in my notepad until my fingers cramped. My camera captured hundreds of awesome images, but each week, the flood of words left room for only a few photos. 

In the event I wasnt around to witness the event, which happened more often than not with only one pair of eyes but multiple sports happening simultaneously in different locations, every team in Wallowa County supplied me with enough information to do my job. To all the coaches, parents and scorekeeping volunteers, I give my sincere appreciation. 

Most of all, Ill miss the staff at the Chieftain. They some how made the fun of watching sports carry over to the time I spent seated in front of a computer screen, typing away. Thanks, guys!