R.I.P. JHS

12-11-2009

"He said I'll love you 'til I die..... Went half crazy now and then. He still loved her through it all. Hoping she'd come back again. They placed a wreath upon his door and soon they'll carry him away. He stopped loving her today." George Jones

A friend suggested a couple of years ago that I start sending pictures and stories about my photo taking trips to a man in Iraq. John replied back that he appreciated getting them and always talked about a long lost girlfriend that he hoped to marry soon when he was home from the war. The first time I met him he slid a black box over to me to look at. Inside was a black and silver case full of Nikon camera equipment. He said "it's yours. Just keep sending me photos when I go back to war. I bought two of these kits - one for you and one for my girlfriend."

The next time I saw him he was a mess. Anxiety, depression and vodka. The marriage didn't happen, he was heart broken and getting ready to go back to Iraq.

A couple of weeks ago I got a call from the ex-girlfriend. John was dead and she didn't know any details. Last week I got an email from her wanting me to come over to Brunswick and pick up the camera. I walked in her office and saw a black and silver box sitting near her bookcase. She pointed at it and said "John wanted you to have it. Just remember him when you use it."

I opened it up and it was still in the plastic , never been used and just like the one he had given me.

The last post card I received from John was from Iraq with a picture of a temple on the front with a hand written note on the back. "I shall be one of the few Americans who lived & worked on the sacred grounds of Babylon. Peace to your Family."
JHS

John struggled with a lot of issues and told me his life was a mess but he was good at saving other peoples lives as a medic.

I didn't know you long my friend. May you now rest in peace JHS.

wayne

Her name is Cheryl

11-02-2009

I sat at the hospital yesterday with ma who is on a ventilator. She has always been a tough little fighter and now her fighting weight is about 75 pounds and just came through surgery to repair another stomach ulcer caused by years of Goody, BC and Stanback powders. Her lungs are also in pretty bad shape.

I've done the math and I was born a month after she turned 16 with my sister coming a year later. She's had lots of medical problems in the past few years and the next days are critical to see if she can pull through.

The room across the hall had lots of activity and I saw the doctor meeting with part of the family and the news appeared to be bad. Doc L left his meeting and picked up ma's chart and headed our way asking for the nurse of patient in room 53. He asked several times before she came out of another room and came up to him and filled him in on the latest with her. I remember him from 10 years ago as he was the one that recommended me wearing a heart monitor that discovered I needed a pacemaker. A busy man with not much of a bedside manner and I told him ma's name was Cheryl.

He said her oxygen level is better and told the nurse to turn it down a little and give her something for pain and was said her was going to look at her chart and come back later.

Ma has been taking her brother Charlie back and forth twice a week to get chemo and radiation for the lung cancer that he was diagnosed with a few months ago. She kept trying to say something and me and several others could not figure out what is was. She would point at the P on the alphabet chart my daughter made up but that was all we could get. After everyone else left she pointed at my pocket and the P on the chart. I pulled out my phone and she nodded her head yes and I could make out " Charlie."

"Call Charlie?" Nodded yes and how he's doing was what I deciphered next.

In the shape she is in and wanted me to call her brother and see how he was doing.

I also had a doctor appointment yesterday to get another shot in the foot that maybe will help me with this heel spur that has returned. Bonnie says I look like a 100 year old man walking first thing in the morning trying to walk. Foot doc located the spot and reminded me it was going to hurt (I remembered it well) as he pulled the syringe and needled out of his pocket and buried it straight through the side of my foot and found the spot. Yes I remembered the pain and the burn as he injected it into the spot. This morning I can walk like a 45 year old again. Hope it lasts this time.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

(912)288-0810

Zur-clay

10-15-2009

My pictures are on display for the month of October at the AW J0nes Heritage Center on St. Simons Island which is at the base of the Lighthouse. A reception was held for me on the 13th and had a great turn out with lots of people that I didn't even know showing up to check out my work. I think I spoke with everyone and one of the first ladies I met said she was an artist that painted and had sort of a French accent. As she was looking at the names underneath the pictures she stopped at one of my Zirkle shots and asked if it was pronounced "Zur-clay."

Never even thought about it being seen this way as I told her "no, like circle with a Z."

I just bought a new lens a couple of weeks ago and was out trying it in the fog when I took this shot of the trees and the other is at "Zur-clay!"

My work will be on display until the 27th of October so if you are on the island swing in and check it out.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

Getting Lucky

10-01-2009

A friend of mine called the other day while I was being picked for the grand jury. I had left my phone in the car and saw the message on my phone when I got back to it. I returned his call and I could tell he was under stress when he said "I need your help."

"Sure Kevin, what do you need?"

"I'm in California at Yosemite Park on vacation and my camera will not work! Man its beautiful out here, what can I do to fix it?"

Good thing there was no pressure. I told him the first thing that popped into my head about what it could be and he said hold on let me try it. The next thing I heard was "it's working! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Man it's beautiful out here. I'll bring some pictures home and let you see them." I had just got lucky on that one.

I've taken close to 30 framed photos over to the AW Jones Heritage Center on St. Simons for a month long show. The reception will be Oct. 13 from 6-8pm. If you are in the area look for the lighthouse ( the Heritage Center is at the base of it) and check it out.

I finally got lucky again yesterday and caught a fox, something that I do not have very many photos of.

Will find out tonight how my pictures do in the Okefenokee Heritage Center contest.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

Busy Times

09-09-09

The past month has been a blur and I've not done much in the writing department. Bonnie had a duplicate esophageal cyst removed from her esophagus and the doctors went in through the side, ribcage and deflated lung to get it. She is healing well and a couple of weeks ago her dad passed away in his sleep at 70 years of age. He was in the recycling business for the past 25 years and there is lots that has not been recycled yet! I am helping mom-in-law with the cleaning up process and it has been quite a job so far.

I had been planning for a while to do the Brunswick Hospital bottom floor for a show for the month of October but a mistake was made by double booking and that has changed. I have been moved back to March of 2010 and the lady was able to arrange me to do the Heritage Center on St. Simons for the month of October. I'm doing the Taste of Brantley this coming weekend at Schlatterville and the month of October is the photo contest at the Okefenokee Heritage Center. I've got to pick two for that show and have them ready by next week and I'm also doing a show at the OHC for the month of May 2010. With working at least 40 hours a week and usually more I stay pretty busy most of the time.

These are some of the ones I'm thinking about entering for the photo contest and I can only use two of them. Now to decide which two.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

(912)288-0810

Satilla RiverKeeper

I just found out last week that the Satilla Riverkeeper is moving to a new job and will be the Flint Riverkeeper. Gordon with the hair of white that matches the snow white sands of the Satilla is someone that I consider a friend of mine and the Satilla.

He has sweet talked me into donating river pictures for fundraiser events and using my photos on the Riverkeeper brochures and has been instrumental in getting some of my river photos in the hands of Governor Perdue and former President Jimmy Carter with a thank you note from both men to prove it.

I've been on several picture taking boat rides on the Satilla with him and he knows and understands my love for this river.

Many of my contacts have come from being associated with the Satilla Riverkeeper organization and the many functions such as clean-ups, removal of the flathead catfish and just talking about the Little and Big Satilla.

Good luck Gordon to you and your family on your new adventure and don't forget I am always looking for places to take pictures and the Flint River is a place I've never been!

Georgia Backroads & Zirkle

07-26-2009

The last couple of weeks I've done the least amount of photography than in several years. Bonnie had her major surgery and I've been back and forth to the hospital and working at the same time. She is still real weak so I've been hanging around close to home while she is going through this time and probably driving her crazy. I did send in a few photos and a short bit of history about Zirkle to Georgia Backroads magazine and they sent a reply that they are interested in maybe doing a story on it. I've found out a little more history on it and am going to see what other information I can find before I send in what I have on one of my all time favorite places to make pictures.

These two photos are:

Baptist Hospital at 3am looking out across the water. I decided to see if I could get a decent shot of the lights and buildings across the other side.

I took my daughter and son-in-law to their first trip to Zirkle a couple of evenings ago and the water is really, really low. Someone has been in the water digging up small logs and boards that I suppose came from the sawmill that was there in the early 1900's and laying them up on the bank. The water is barely coming over the dam now.

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

(912)288-0810

Twenty five years

07-07-2009

Twenty five years ago today I was still a teenager, had hair (with some sexy sideburns), no kids, never had any type of surgeries and about to be married to my highschool sweetheart. I had just bought my one bedroom house on a south Georgia dirt road and acre of land for $1,500 and started my job at the sawmill making a whopping $5.38 per hour. The original house is still here but has expanded all the way around and we still live on the same dirt road even though the name has changed.

Fast forward to now and all of the other things have changed somewhat but I am still married to my highschool sweetheart. Bonnie has put up with me through a lot over the years with different projects (I can't stand to be bored) and I keep telling her that I am the best thing that has ever happened to her. Truthfully, it is the other way around but it still does not stop me from saying it.

Both of our kids are out of highschool now with Kristen being married and operating her own business and Kyle still looking for work before starting to college in the fall. I moved on from the sawmill job, started taking lots of photos and work on trains now. Bonnie has never been on a plane before and hopefully that will change very soon and we can start to travel, see more of the world and start on the next twenty five years.

These are a couple of photos I made in the fog a few days ago that I like.

wayne

www.waynemorganphotography.com

A Little Prick

07-01-2009

For the past few months I've been hobbling around while working 12 hours almost every day on cement with pain in my right heel. I finally got an appointment yesterday to get it looked at and I have a heel spur. I figured that was it because five years ago I had the same pain in my left foot. The doc examined me and said he was going to inject something in the inflamed area and whipped out a little tiny needle and said there is going to be a little prick. Wham, straight into the side of my heel and it was a good thing he had a good grip on my foot at the time. After that he had to move it around and around until he hit juuuust the right spot. He knew it when he hit it and so did I. That was when the pain went from just hurting to hurting and burning. Now I've got a brace to where for a couple of days and I should be good to go.

This morning I was back at Zirkle wading around in my chest waders and walking on the soft river sands of the Little Satilla that felt so good I didn't even think about my foot.

The yellow flies are bad and I bet PETA would not have liked the way I killed one of them with my hat that was biting my ankles after getting my wading clothes back off. I knocked it to the ground, put my foot on it and did the twist. I already hurt enough around my ankles and don't need a yellow fly to add to it. Made me feel good that at least one of them didn't get away.

This set of trees is some I've enjoyed taking photos of that is near Herrin Lake and now the river is getting low enough I can get to them again.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

(912)288-0810

Brantley Magazine & a bluebird

o6-22-2009

I was sitting at a table at the Brantley County High School cafeteria for an event honoring local people that had done good for our county this past year. Publisher of the Waycross Magazine, Dave Callaway was sitting across from me and I heard him tell the lady next to him about how when he first came to Ware and put out the magazine he had ticked off a certain photographer.

It took me a few seconds to think about what he was talking about and then it came to me. I was doing a show at the Okefenokee Heritage Center and he took a picture of me standing next to one of my photographs. I was sitting somewhere one day and happened to pick up this neat looking magazine that had Waycross across the top of it and was looking at it from the back to the front like I always do. There was the picture and I thought wow this is good to have my stuff in a nice magazine like this. Then I read the caption underneath.......... Wayne Morgan with his "painting" at the Heritage Center. I could feel my blood pressure rising.

I found his email address and sent him a quick note when I got home that said something to the effect of "I really do appreciate the exposure of having my picture in this nice magazine but I am "NOT" a painter. I wish I could paint but I cannot and I am a PHOTOGRAPHER. I work hard at what I do and it is always a struggle to just get recognized as a photographer and now this." He corrected the mistake in the next issue and I thought nothing else about it until this evening and we had a good laugh.

Now today Brantley has its own magazine that Dave has published and he also took my picture again with one of my photos on the front cover. I am extremely proud to be associated with it and think it is a breath of fresh air for our county. As long as he does not list me as a "painter" we won't have a problem.

After working graveyard shift last night and getting my sleep I looked out my back window to check on the bluebirds. They are nesting again and the male and female are bringing food back and forth to the nest. I grabbed my camera and caught this male bringing in his portion of a freshly picked cricket.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

(912)288-0810

Man on a bench

06-12-2009

We rode back down to Jacksonville for more tests on Bonnie this week. Before leaving I checked out my camera and it appeared to have a full charge on the battery. They discovered she has a cyst on her esophagus so now we are waiting to talk with another doctor about the next step.

On the way home we were crossing over the road that had a sign pointing > Fernandina Beach when she said "I don't feel like going back to work today. I think I'd like to go to the beach." I am a river person and had not been to the beach as far as getting wet in a very long time so around I turned at the first chance I got and we headed to the coast. After stopping at a store to get a few beach things we drove straight to it. When I pulled up I saw this man sitting on a bench with head phones on and a bible laying next to him and I thought that would make a good photo. The parking lot was full and we had not had anything to eat since early this morning so we turned and went back to eat lunch. After eating and coming back about an hour later this man was still in the exact spot as before and I couldn't stand it any more. There was one parking spot right where I needed to be so I swung in and parked the car. I grabbed my camera and stepped out and took several photos of this man enjoying his time watching the birds and listening to his music. Normally I try to keep people out of my photos but this scene to me was something interesting and I was able to get a bird in it anyway.

We decided to ride on down to a less crowded area and get out to the water. It was a beautiful day and when we got to our spot I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures of the waves breaking when my camera died on me. For some reason the battery was completely dead and I did not bring a spare with me.

I put my camera back in its bag and normally I would have been frustrated but we had a really good time splashing around in the water like teenagers. Bonnie said with that one scene of the man on the bench the trip was worth it - plus we had fun.

wayne

www.waynemorganphotography.com

(912)288-0810

I WILL SURVIVE

06-05-2009

I think some wondered if I would survive this past week on my own. My bunch should be back late tomorrow night from their cruise and I think I've done pretty well thank you very much. I sleep on one little section of the bed so it is not messed up and will be easy to make up just before everyone arrives. I've had very little dishes and most of that is just glasses where my sweet tea was in. I've worn my work clothes all week so all I have to do is take them in to work and that is taken care of. I have not even got one laundry basket of dirty clothes stacked up yet. I've heard that you can get by for three or four days on one pair of underwear by flipping them inside out. After a couple of hot, sweltering, grass cutting, weed eating days I would think that it is doable but........ I don't recommend it.

I've "conveniently" arrived at lunch and supper to kin folks homes a couple of times and been invited to eat which I would have felt bad turning it down. The to-go plates also helped me get by another day or two. I've also had a friend offer to buy me lunch on one occasion while I was in Brunswick and he was persuasive so again I would have felt bad not to oblige. I have watched very little tv as most everyday I've been either asleep or out taking pictures. I've been to Homerville, Okefenokee Swamp Park, Brunswick, Satilla River, Golden Isles Speedway and even stopped by at the recreation department and caught 9 & 10 year olds practicing softball.

There is a song from long ago called "I Will Survive" and I've always considered myself one. A suvivor on my own. At least one more day.

When I saw this gator at the Swamp Park my whole idea was to get down to eye level with it and get the tree root in the photo. Once again I brought no bug spray and the mosquitos are big and bad in the swamp. This other one was from my trip to a lake in Homerville.

The latest word is the Brantley Magazine with several of my photos in it will be out next Monday.

wayne

www.waynemorganphotography.com

I GET TO GO & Zirkle dam

o5-31-2009

My bunch has all went on a cruise to Key West, Jamaica and Grand Cayman Islands while I stay at home and work this week. The first time Bonnie and Kyle has done anything like this so I hope they have a good time and know the next time I GET TO GO! Due to my hire date at my newest job with the railroad I don't have any vacation time built up but am looking forward to it happening so I can go somewhere to make some new photographs of other places.

I have switched a couple of framed pictures around at some of the local businesses where they are on display just to change the scenery. This one of Zirkle I hung at the Knox Hotel and when Blanche saw it she said "I've saw this one before." Apparently she thought she was interested in attending an art class in Waycross and met a lady that brought something to class with her. The other lady told the instructor she wanted to "paint this" and handed over a newspaper. The way Blanche jokes around I thought this was just another one but this time she was serious. It was this photo that the Blackshear paper had used on the front page last year of my photo and this was going to be her painting project. Blanche gave up her art career after a couple of classes and does not know who the other lady was or how her painting turned out. I've been asked before if it aggravates me when someone wants to paint one of the pictures that I've taken instead of buying one and my reply is always "shoot no. It makes me feel good to know some people like my work enough to want to paint a copy of it for themselves to hang on their wall."

wayne
http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

Got to have it

05-26-2009

I was standing at the counter waiting to buy a newspaper when the man in front of me was buying a pack of cigarettes. His bill came up to $3.91 and when he opened up his wallet all he had was four one dollar bills. A slight hesitation, a grunt and "well - got to have it" and handed over the cash. I have never in my 44 years ever took a puff off of one of these cancer sticks so it was kind of hard for me to believe this man would spend his last dollar on what I consider a total waste of money. It has to be an addiction and I started thinking about something that has a similar effect with me. Photography. Every day I am pulling my camera out even if I am just riding to the store, going to work, walking down the road or even walking in the yard. Bonnie says I have two mistresses, ones name is Sony and the other is Nikon.

I've had a couple of requests in the past few days for some pictures of a lane in another county and cows so I've been seeing what I could come up with to satisfy my addiction.

This is a lane that has trees growing over the top of an old dirt road and a couple of cows in a field not too far from my house.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

While I am able

05-19-2009

I met a man at my part-time Lowe's job the other day that gave me some advice. "Young man - never grow old. It's not what it's cut out to be." This man is not in good health I know because as cool as this store is the top of his head was wet with sweat and he was dragging his feet as he walked. He needed me to help him get things to water his tomato plants and started to talk. Many dreams he had when he was younger but now his health is so bad he knows he'll never get to do them plus he said he can't remember what half of them were anyway. "If you wait until you can afford it or wait until you have time you'll never do it. Do it while you are able." This man was making a lot of sense and as he thanked me for helping him and walked away I thought about how it is very possible I'll never see him again with his health being the way it is.

I went home and started checking on the costs of going out west and am in the planning stages now. I don't have any vacation time built up yet with my new CSX job but as soon as I get it I am pretty sure I'll be heading to Montana or maybe Colorado even if I have to borrow the money and work during the year to pay it back. After this trip I'll be focusing my lens on some other places - maybe Alaska. I don't want to get old and say I wished I would've done it while I was able.

My new website is up and running and am pleased with the way it looks.

This is the photo of mine that is going to be on the cover of the new Brantley Magazine.

Wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

Chicken truck

05-14-2009

I got behind a chicken truck from Georgia,

And the feathers were flyin' like snow out of the sky,

I couldn't get the speed enough to pass him,

And a funny smell was getting close to me,

And something keeps messin' up my windshield.......John Anderson

The last two nights going to work I've been looking for that very same truck. I know there is a chicken house or two between here and there and what they do helps the plants grow. If smell is any indication there should be some good plants agrowin' on that end of the county for there sure is plenty of it.

A couple of the places I've visited in the past two days is Zirkle and the Higginbotham House. Both are looking good right now. I noticed today when I pulled up to Zirkle the mosquitos are competing with the yellow and deer flies on which can be the most annoying. I was ready today as I soaked down with bug spray before getting out of the truck while they were beating on my window.
I have a new website that is up and running now. Check it out when you get the chance.

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

Joy that a bluebird brings

05-11-2009

I was raised on country sunshine,

I'm happy with the simple things,

A Saturday night dance, a picture show and the joy that a bluebird brings...... Dottie West

I've watched the bluebirds out of my window from the time they were hatched until today when they left home. I started noticing them flapping their wings inside and knew they were getting ready to make their first flight. They have been nesting about twenty feet out of my back window and every day when I get home from work I'll set up and take their pictures. On this morning they started sticking their heads out and pushing then pulling back in. Finally the one on the top hole pushed and flew my way, made a left turn and was gone. The second one did the same and when it dove out it came my way and never made the turn. It flew right in my window, brushed my arm and landed on the floor beside me. I watched it a few seconds and turned my attention back to the other two as they each made their journey into the unknown. After the last two were gone I turned my attention back to number two bluebird that was still sitting in the same spot. I took a few photos of it, reached my hand under and scooped it up. I sat it on the window sill and as I reached for my camera it made a couple of short hops, chirped and away it went.

I felt like I had just witnessed a miracle to watch all four of these baby bluebirds make their first flight and I guess the number two bluebird will have some stories to tell of its own about its first flight.

Bruce and the skeeters

05-06-2009

This morning while out on the banks of the Satilla River taking pictures and fighting more "skeeters" I saw a man in a boat fishing around the bend. He came nearby and asked if I had any bug spray and I told him "yea, I think I've got the flavor they like!" He pulled his boat over and grabbed hold on a limb and asked who I was and I told him. "You are Bruce's buddy right?"

"Bruce who?"

"Bruce Davis, he's my nephew."

"Sure am."

I've known Bruce since the first grade but Sammy told me things I'd never known about him. When he was born he had an enlarged liver along with his blindness. The doctors told the parents if he lived until he was six months old to bring him back and they would see what they could do to help him. He rode a bike when he was young and about 1983 Sammy passed a car on a dirt road that was driving fairly slow and saw it was Bruce behind the wheel with his dad sitting next to him. He was determined not to let a little thing like being blind stop him from doing things. Now he is the Brantley County dispatcher for the road department and I don't think you can find many people that can give you better directions in this county and most anywhere else. He is also a great musician and when we get through with our conversation he will always say "see you later!"

This is one of the photos I got this morning while feeding the skeeters and one of Bruce awhile back when he was "showing" me a pretty place on the river.

Skeeters and leaving the nest

04-28-2009

The skeeters have been so bad lately. Yesterday when I was grilling pork chops one landed on the aluminum foil about the size of a small chicken. Probably could have flipped it a few times and had it for supper but instead flipped it into the coals. One co-worker said they were so bad where he was working that they buzzed around his neck and flipped his hood over his head. When moving locomotives the method of communication is hand signals and flashlight at night. Mitch and Derrick were making a move with Derrick receiving the signals. All of a sudden the light started going in directions that were just not right so he stopped to find out what all of that meant. Skeeters causing problems. The area where I work is called the drop pit (which is where we change the wheels and motors) and that is another place they seem to really love. Some of these stories may be stretching it a little but not much.

The bluebirds are raising in my backyard again and the parents are taking turns feeding and hauling off the waste of the little ones. I can see them flapping inside poking their heads out of the hole so I know they will be leaving the nest very soon. Graduation is just a few weeks away now so that is a lot like what us parents are soon to be experiencing. Young leaving the nest. These are a couple of my bluebird shots. The wing spreading one from a while back and the other is a new one.

wayne

Lead man & white egrets

04-16-2009
My first day on the new job at the railroad I was told by my co-workers I’d be the lead man. I thought that was kind of nice of them being the lead man job I’ve been around in other places was right there with a supervisor position. When we got over to the locomotive one of them handed me a small tray with tools on it and pointed at a small opening behind the wheels and above the electric motor and said “There are four wire leads up there that has to be disconnected.” Seems the “lead” man job has very little to do with supervising and more to do with low man on the totem pole. Paper coveralls are provided and you work your way up into this small opening as you twist and turn in the right direction, then unhook these heavy duty wires that are a few inches from your face. All the while the others are unbolting parts and saying “making noise” followed by the bam of a rather large hammer on the outside getting ready to change the wheel assembly. Everyone that works this job knows how aggravating it can be and give all the moral support they can.
“If you need anything just let us know.” “Take your time.” “Don’t let it whip you.” “You’re doing a fine job.” “This is why I bid off of this job the first time.” “All of them are not this bad.” "Hang in there."
When I finally finish and come out I look like a raccoon from wearing the safety glasses and dirt everywhere else. Sometimes I come back out with the coveralls still in tact and sometimes not.
Yesterday was my day off from the “lead man” job so I went bird hunting and found these white egrets nesting.
wmailto:Wmorganphoto@hotmail.com
(912)288-0810

New pet(s)

03-09-2009
A few days ago I saw an ad hanging on the bulletin board at work about Labrador retriever puppies with their website at www.stephenslabdepot.com. Being our long time pet bulldog Dagger was no longer with us I decided to ride over and check them out. Bonnie had already said she didn’t want another dog because it hurt so bad to lose a pet that we had raised from a little pup. After having a look-see I couldn’t resist picking one out. Then another. One is a totally white lab and the other is all black. She fell in love with them right off the bat and now it appears we are once again back in the pet business with these little rascals and I have me some new models to work with. We still are working on a name for them - Ace, Bandit, Noah, Moses & Max are some of the top ones so far.
wayne

Dagger - man

04-03-2009
A couple of days ago I said good-bye to a dear old friend. When we got him as a puppy he had a white mark on the back of his neck that resembled a dagger and was just six weeks old so the name stuck. He has always been the most gentle pet anyone could ever have even though he was a red-nosed pit bulldog. I’ve watched him pick up baby kittens in his mouth and clean them off like they were his own. My ducks would eat out of the same bowl while he was eating and I’ve watched him lay down and let small kids and babies crawl all over him. Dagger had his way of laying his head down on his front leg and just watching you with his eyes, raising up his ears and dropping them back down. Sometimes he would fall asleep laying flat on his back and spread out without a care in the world. He would howl when a train came by and had his way of almost talking to Bonnie when she would get home from work and I used him as my model on many occasions when I first started with my photography. He has been sick for awhile it finally got to the point where he was starting to suffer, we said our goodbyes and I had to put him down.
We are all going to miss you Dagger-man.

80 in a 35

04-01-2009
This morning I received a call from Bonnie. Kyle had been stopped by the Georgia State Patrol inside the city limits of Nahunta doing 80 in a 35 mph zone on the way to school. We’ve had about four inches of rain in the past twenty four hours, everything is wet and slick and he is seventeen years old! I was going down to pull him out of school and put a foot in his behind and tell him how wrong he was for doing this. After about five minutes of raising cane Bonnie calmly said “calm down it will be alright, we’ll handle it.” Another minute or two she let me go on about how it will not be alright and then “April fools…….. Bye” and hung up. She got me good. Apparently Kyle had just pulled it on her and she was so nice as to pass it on to me.

After my blood pressure settled down and I was coming back to the house I passed by a neighbors that had these flowers behind her mailbox that I really liked.

Spring is Here

03-26-2009
This morning I rode to the Gibson Hole to check out the Satilla River. There was no wind at daylight and the “skeeters” greeted me as soon as I hit the edge of the woods. I started wearing my work pants to take pictures because they are thin and comfortable to do a lot of walking in but I soon found out they offer very little protection against these pesky insects.

The birds were active as I saw several ducks come flying around the bend, heard a turkey gobble down river, and watched as a white egret gracefully rounded the sandbar and changed directions back to where it came from. The woodpeckers were hammering and the squirrels were chattering their usual racket. The colors are changing to the refreshing greens of spring out of the dreary winter greys and the temperature is still in the comfortable mild range.

My next goal with my pictures is to get some real good shots of turkeys and have a few people at work interested in taking me along on one of their trips. I work the graveyard shift and the shop at night has the sounds of hammers, air guns, hoot owls and turkey calls echoing throughout the night.

This is one from this morning of a mouth of a slough to the Satilla.

The "n" word

03-18-2009
I was told when I started at my new job with CSX to leave my feelings in the parking lot because the bunch around here will see what they can do to get your “goat” if you let them. There is one around here that has a slight stuttering problem and the more excited he gets the worse it appears. He takes it all in stride and we were all standing around talking the other day and somebody said “Danny, tell them about the drive thru at Taco Bell.” He started out by saying “just to let you know the words that start with the letter "n" can give me a fit sometime. Me and a buddy pulled up to the drive thru to order some tacos and I got hung up while placing the order. Finally was told to pull up to the window and my buddy tapped me on the shoulder and handed me his credit card and I said what is that for?”
“He said you’re probably going to need this because I think you just ordered 99 tacos!”

While out rambling this morning looking for something to shoot I found this tractor and old truck within a half mile of each other at two different locations on the south side of Brantley County.

Sunrise through the fog

03-15-2009
I guess I am a glutton for punishment. With all of the layoff rumors going around I volunteered to go back to Lowe’s and work part-time while I’m working full time at CSX and still trying to get my fix of picture taking every chance I get. Both kids are almost out of school now and I’ve been ‘vestigatin’ the possibility of transferring to another Lowe’s store with Alaska and Montana being high on the priority list if I get my walking papers at the railroad.
I’ve always wanted to go to these places for my picture taking and that is one possibility I see of making it there to photograph other places than southeast Georgia.
The last couple of mornings have been really foggy and I love fog on the Satilla River. This is one I took with the sun coming up through the trees and over the Little Satilla.

My Super Model

03-11-2009
I just found out Aunt Lois has passed away in Dublin, Ohio at the age of 99.
About a year ago I took a 16 hour ride to Ohio to take (Aunt) Lois Dixon back home from a visit to relatives here in Nahunta. She was really my great uncles aunt so I guess she was an aunt somewhere down the line. It was a ride of a lifetime as this lady at the time was 98 years young and full of one-liners. She called me her “famous photographer” and I called her my “super model.” Her and deceased husband Joe Dixon (who at one time was the mayor of Dublin) finished second place on America’s Funniest Home Videos many years ago and just recently she was featured on the cover of a book written by Bud Hearn from Sea Island, rightfully named “Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool.”
She was a quick witted lady and when I asked her to pose for me in an old bonnet, granny dress and corn husk broom she was more than willing to oblige. Aunt Lois was honored in Dublin at the 2008 St. Patrick Days Parade as the Grand Leprachan and told me after our ride to Ohio that I should consider myself lucky. Not everyone gets to spend 16 hours in the back seat with a Super Model plus stay at her home for three days afterwards. She enjoyed life and said when she hit the century mark they were going to shut down part of Dublin with her birthday party. I don’t doubt her one bit and she will be dearly missed.

Ducks in the House

03-08-2009

After coming home from grocery shopping last night our mallard ducks and red-nosed pit bull dog were all standing by the back screen door under the carport waiting on food. They will all eat right along side each other and usually all three eat the dog food. I opened the door to bring in the stuff out of the trunk and the two waddlers followed me right on up to the back steps. Bonnie asked "you reckon they'll come in the house?" I walked back out to the car and left the door ajar and heard Bonnie yell "WAAAAYNE! They're in the BEDROOM!" I said "well, I guess that answers your question." Here they were following each other from room to room and then they started doing what ducks are notorious for doing. Squirting! The whole thing started out kind of funny but the humor was quickly desolving and n0w I had to herd them back out the door. With one final squirt they were back to the outside world.

This is a shot of the male trying to impress the female I guess when it picked up a leaf right between its eyes and started swimming around the pond.

wayne

Peeing in pants

03-05-2009
Bonnie walked in to the post office to drop off some mail the other day and a friend of ours that was great friends with my granddaddy was standing with his back to her when she walked in. He always wears flannel shirts and was sorting through some mail when she walked up and stuck her finger in his back and said “give me all your money”. He turned and looked at her and it was not Gwendell! She starting laughing and apologizing all at the same time for what she had done by saying she thought it was someone else. He just said “its ok, I hear it all the time.” Bonnie laughed so hard she had to make a trip back to the house to change her wet pants.
I’ve been working on pictures of Elroys pond the last couple of mornings just after sunrise. This is a couple that I like.
Wayne Morgan
(912)288-0810