From fire to ice to a persistent dog: Gazette Photographers pick their favorite photos for March

Meagan Rockwell feeds a bottle of donated breast milk mixed with formula for her 18-month-old daughter Tobin Hansen at their home in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. Tobin was born with Caravan disease, a rare genetic nerve disorder that causes difficulty for her to swallow and eat solid food. I like that the dog didn't want to be left out of the activity and kept popping up in my frame. (Cliff Jette /The Gazette)

This is just a quiet moment between Shawna and one of her goats.Shawna Riche hugs Winston as she visits with her rescued goats at PuppyCow Farm Goat Rescue in rural Riverside, Iowa, on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Two geese fly over the flooded Cedar River in Cedar Rapids on Monday, Mar. 18, 2019. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)

Neil Spies of Spies Construction, LLC is lowered from the roof by his father Ray Spies as they build a La Crosse Promise eligible home in the Washburn neighborhood of La Crosse, WI on Friday, March 1, 2019. I waited on the second story for the workers to pass by as they were lowered from the ceiling to try capture the new construction with the holder houses of this neighborhood across the street. (Cliff Jette /The Gazette)

(from left) Al and Ruth Schafbuch of Dysart speak with Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer about agriculture and trade policies at the Vinton Library on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Congresswoman' events on Saturday in Vinton and Grinnell, giving constituents an opportunity to meet one on one with the Congresswoman to discuss their concerns and ask questions as well as assistance on issues with federal agencies. Most of our political assignments are candidates campaigning so it was different to cover a politician interacting with constituents on a personal level. (Cliff Jette /The Gazette)

I used strobes to light this Spaghetti Primavera to give a burst of color and feel light the light source was bright spring window light. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

I walked into my backyard as I headed out for my photo assignments on Sunday morning to a deep blue sky and what appeared to be a snowfall. It was in fact snow from overnight falling from the trees. Photographed in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, March 17, 2019. I really liked the large clumps of snow contrasted against that deep blue sky. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

I had another assignment so I missed all the flames so I had to make due with what was going on like firefighters dousing hotspots as they overhaul the building. Coincidentally, a fire started in a dumpster behind an apartment building maybe two blocks away already taxing a strained fire department.Firefighters search for and extinguish hotspots as they overhaul a fire at the Hieronymus Square construction site at the corner of Dubuque St. and Burlington St. in Iowa City, Iowa, Tuesday, March 5, 2019. The Coralville and North Liberty fire departments assisted the Iowa City Fire Department. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Photographers can be their worst critics. I should have gotten into position sooner so the sun was lower on the horizon. I wish there were more cars on the road but I can't control that. Traffic rolls along Highway 151 as the sun rises over the land near Norway, Iowa, on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

My wife called me saying that the sunrise will be incredible and that I should get out and photograph it. Being a good husband, I listened to my wife. I took this shot as I waited for a good number of vehicles to be traveling along Highway 151 to accumulate. The morning sun reflects off ice as corn stubble stands in a farm field in rural Benton County, Iowa, on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Detail photos give page designers options in laying out their pages. I probably spent too much time on this assignment and I'm sure Anita Clark and her husband were asking themselves why a simple portrait is taking so long. I enjoyed hearing Anita's memories of her grandfather, Anita Clark holds her grandfather Allen McElwain's Second District Commander medal and name plate as she talks about him at her home in Mount Vernon, Iowa, Wednesday, March 6, 2019. McElwain was one of fourteen service members to sign the Application For Post of American Legion on Oct. 21, 1919. Roughly a month later on Nov. 19, 1919, McElwain lead the first meeting with forty former service members in attendance. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

I noticed these lighting fixtures while I was waiting to talk to the manager/owner to photograph some of the food available for a feature on a new Indian restaurant. Page designers love detail photos. A light fixture at Paradise Bar & Grill, 5200 Fountains Dr. NE, Suite 100, in northeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

I like being able to photograph the behind the scenes moments at an event. I like showing the side of an event beyond what people can see on the stage. The faces of the performers from BGM's Dynamics show choir in the background adds depth to the shot. Preston Bruck (left) smiles as he drums with Zac Goodall (center) as show choir dad Bill Wilson (right) tries his hand at drumming during the 35th Annual Jefferson Show Choir Invitational 2019 at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School in southwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Saturday, March 2, 2019. Show choirs from area high schools and middle schools performed during the two-day event. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

This is a pretty straight forward environmental portrait. I noticed the view of Old Cap and it's reflection as I was looking for another location for professor Wehby. All I had with me were a couple of small, shoe-mount electronic flashes for lighting. I set up the two speedlights next to each other, using their combined light to balance the lighting with the midday sun. University of Iowa College of Public Health professor and Health Management & Policy doctoral program director George Wehby poses for a portrait at the College of Public Health in Iowa City, Iowa, Tuesday, March 5, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

How can you not like a portrait of a special needs baby goats.Baby Duke uses a full-support wheelchair designed for a dog to get around inside the house of Shawna Riche at PuppyCow Farm Goat Rescue in rural Riverside, Iowa, on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Seeing those buckets took me back to the aftermath of the 2008 flood that affected people living and working along the Cedar and Iowa rivers. It's a pretty average shot but I like the perspective and the multiple layers from dominant foreground of the buckets on the pallet, the expression of exertion on Bruno Gracanin's face and the multiple pallets in the background leads the viewer through the photograph. Truck driver Bruno Gracanin moves a pallet full of flood recovery kits packed into plastic buckets into the back of a semi-trailer at Janda Motors in northeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Monday, March 18, 2019. Over 700 of the flood kits, containing bleach, gloves, sponges and other cleaning supplies will be driven to the Omaha area and distributed to residents in the area affected by the flooding in Nebraska. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Jeremy Bahls (from left) of Prairie du Chien, Wisc., Stan Wagner of Elkader, and Josh Pope, mayor of Elkader, work on installing boards to cover the back of Bahls Insurance as the flooded Turkey River flows by in Elkader on Thursday, Mar. 14, 2019. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)

A series of pumps run to move water from 21st Avenue SW and into the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids on Monday, Mar. 18, 2019. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)