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.