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'From Her Walks' comes art Mail Tribune / Jim Craven photos Sara Cade found her avocation, photography, at age 69 when her daughters surprised her with the gift of a 35 mm camera. Now 70, she's showing her stills of downtown scenes at the Downtown Gourmet Espresso Cafe and Gallery. Medford woman finds her calling late in life By MEG LANDERS Sara Cade knows when she has the photo she wants captured in her camera's viewfinder. "I feel it right here, in my stomach, when it's right," says the 70-year-old Medford resident, placing a hand on her belly. Cade's photographs are featured in an exhibit titled "From Her Walks," on display at the Downtown Gourmet Espresso Cafe and Gallery. Cade, a survivor of breast cancer and skin cancer, decided last year she would like to do something productive on her therapeutic walks. When she told her daughters she wanted to try photography, they surprised her with a 35 mm camera for her 69th birthday. She's been capturing scenes, ranging from ivy-framed windows to dancing shadows on sidewalks - all within several blocks of her downtown home - ever since. "She's taking pictures that are just in her world," says her daughter Cindy Carrere of Eugene. Carrere was so impressed with her mother's eye, she had the photos blown up and framed and put on display. Ken Patterson, the cafe's owner, says many customers have been commenting on Cade's photos and unique perspective. "They've talked about the fact that they're surprised it's in Medford," he says, adding that some of the architecture shots to him feel more European. He's sold two of her pictures, which range from $45 to $60. Born in Roswell, N.M., during the Depression, Cade always has had a passion for creating music and art, she says. She met Everett Cade when they were 19, and they were engaged 29 and a half hours before they eloped. That was 50 years ago. The couple moved to the Rogue Valley 42 years ago and raised three daughters: Carrere, Judy Sierra and Mary Jericho, all of whom live in Eugene. Everett Cade says he's excited about his wife's newfound hobby. "She's really enjoyed it," he says. "It's so nice. For a long time, she couldn't even get out of the house." "I decided years ago to not wait until I feel good to start things," Sara Cade says. She says she has a secret to enjoying life, no matter what the conditions. "I start each morning thanking God for 25 things." One of the things she's thankful for is her walks. "If you just get out and walk, there are so many things to see," she says. "We have a really nice town here and such beautiful buildings." Cade can often be seen downtown, circling lampposts and crouching in rose bushes to get the right angle or lighting. "They say that if you take pictures, you have to be willing to look silly," she says. "I'm always looking up, down, around and under." About her photos, about her life, Cade's philosophy is simple. "If we look for the good, it's there." Meg Landers is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.