Disappointed in Yellowstone

09-02-2010

We left last Monday morning on a trip to Montana and see Yellowstone and all of its beauty. I have to say there is a lot of it and I only had one week to stay. I got pictures of a grizzly, bald eagle, elk, deer and lots and lots of scenery. There is so much to see out there that if it would have been me by myself I would still be a long ways from being through. If I had more vacation time and money I would be out there for a very long time.

The Beartooth pass coming out of Yellowstone on the northeast side is an adventure in itself with the winding roads on the edge of the mountain with very few places that had guard rails. At one good looking place I yelled at my brother-in-law Johnny to STOP! and he wheeled our rental car right over to the edge. About that time my sister-in-law Debra started screaming and sliding way down in the seat. "DON'T DO THAT! You don't have to listen to everything Wayne says!" and would not look over the side.

After getting to the top of the almost 11,000 feet elevation a couple of men flagged us down at a pull-off. After stopping we discovered an elderly man sitting under the steering wheel of his car with his left hand folded into a tight fist and pressed up against his chest. His wife said they had been to all of the states but four and this was the last one to visit. He complained that he didn't feel right and collapsed where he was sitting. We helped get him to the passenger side of their Virginia vehicle and tried to get her to let me drive them back down the steep mountain but she insisted on doing it herself. Someone had went ahead and called 911 and they met them about half-way. We followed them down and came on back to the cabin in Ennis, Montana.

The Buffalo out there are roaming all over the place and we almost ran into a Grizzly and a couple of deer. I watched as two elk were feeding and gradually got too close and started to rub their antlers together. I don't think they were actually fighting - more of a pushing match than anything until the smaller one had enough and walked off.

The Grand Tetons are amazing and I really could spend a lot of time making pictures of them all times of the year.

We flew 2,500 miles and met a couple that live in Pierce County about 20 miles from home in Georgia. Max and Molly live in Montana part of the year and Pierce the other part. They took us to places that I would probably never have found and really enjoyed what they did for us. The cabin was wonderful and everyone we met around the small town was so nice.

Bonnie didn't get to shop as much as she would have liked on our trip which is totally my fault. For her first time flying I think she can handle it from now on. She kept me straight once we reached each airport and found where we needed to be with no problems.

My biggest disappointment about Yellowstone was having to leave the place and come back home.......but I will be back.

wayne

Grandparents and 2010

06-18-2010

My daughter invited us and Brandons mom and dad to eat lunch with them last week. After we were through eating she slipped into her bedroom and brought out four envelopes - two pink and two blue and told us to open them up. Each one had a pregnancy test that with all of the hooping and hollering going on by Bonnie must have read positive. My vision was kind of blurry and I couldn't see too well about that time. We are going to be grandparents and the youngun' is due in February!

The year 2010 has been a great year for me so far. I was named 2010 Brantley County Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce. I've sold enough pictures to pay for the cabin rental in Montana that we are going to fly to in August. A great friend donated frequent flyer miles for us so our tickets are paid for. I did a photo shoot for Stormwatersystems that installed the litter catcher in Waycross and sent them a bill that they "disputed." They sent me a check for double what I asked for because of my work above and beyond to help the Satilla River. And did I mention that we are going to be grandparents also?! Looks like I'm going to have another subject to take pictures of.

I've done several big shows this year and the new Jerry J's will be opening soon and I've already been asked to hang several pictures in it.

These are two pictures I've taken lately. Butterfly in my backyard and the trees are in Trudie Lake. Did I mention that we are going to be grandparents??????

wayne

Citizen of the Year

2010 Citizen of the Year

I was named the 2010 Citizen of the Year for Brantley County last week but the one that truly should be named Citizen of the Year for Brantley County was sitting out in the audience at the awards ceremony the other night. After seeing the latest Robin Hood movie I started calling her "muh Lady." She has sacrificed so much over the years and done without things that I know she would liked to have had so I could work on my dream as a photographer. She has told me that I've got three wives and their names are Sony, Nikon and Bonnie and we've been married almost 26 years now.

Years ago when I first started photography one of the first photos I was ever able to sell went to a little white haired lady from Jacksonville. It was of a curved dirt road taken in the fall of the year that I called the Road to Strickland Landing. She had lived in Brantley County as a small child but her family moved away to Florida. The picture took her back to when she was walking down a road just like this kicking a Campbell soup can without a worry in the world and brought back lots of fond memories. Before she retired from her job at an insurance company Sibyl was looking at the picture while standing near a copying machine when her supervisor walked up. He watched her for a while and said "I don't know where you were at but you weren't here" and she told him about the little girl on a dirt road.

I think one of the best things an artist can hear from someone is first of all - I'd like to buy some of your work and next would have to be - your work tells a story and stirs an emotion. I've been very blessed for several people to tell me this.

I've met so many great people through my photography and many Brantley County photos of mine are in possessions of people around the world. Governor Perdue, former President Jimmy Carter, the Tatum Family in England and several others.

I did a job shadow with an 8th grade student the other day that is interested in photography that asked me how much I've made from my photography and I had to laugh. I added it up farely quickly and said about $10,000 and $9,500 was of Brantley County. I figure I've spent at least twice that much and Bonnie says the costs have been way more than that and she is probably right once again.

I read an Ansel Adams quote the other day that said "Good photography is know where to stand." I think I've been standing in a very good place all of my life. Brantley County.

wayne

Latest events

05-11-2010

I've been so busy lately and haven't written a whole lot. I was finally able to get some turkey pictures and a couple of Horned owls that I'd never even seen in the wild before.

The show at the Brunswick Hospital in March was well received.... but no sales.

I have put the word out in a few places that I would like to do a book about Zirkle and have stories and pictures.

The river was almost getting to where I like it for pictures on the Little Satilla and now has jumped back up from the rains last week.

Getting ready for our trip to Montana and Yellowstone in August.

The 2nd issue of the Brantley Magazine with another one of my photos is on the front cover and turned out really nice.

CSX is willing to help with our SatillaRiverkeeper and Rivers Alive clean-up this coming year and I'm still finding plenty of trash left behind so I guess there will be some to get. It would be nice to have a river clean-up and not have anything to do!

One of my river pictures will be auctioned off to help the SatillaRiverkeeper organization at the Spring Gala on Jekyll Island this Saturday the 15th.

Brantley County has a new brochure promoting our county with my photos on it.

I'm doing a show for the month of May at the Okefenokee Heritage Center in Waycross and the reception is Thursday the 13th from 5-7pm. Come out if you will.

Here is a shot I got of the turkeys and of the trash I found just a few feet away from the river.

wayne

www.waynemorganphotography.com

(912)288-0810

Nahunta Jail

03-18-2010

The walls are dark, damp and dreary. The steel bars are cold and hard. Pencil scribblings cover the walls and are on almost every brick that appears to have been repainted several times over the years from occupants of the Nahunta Jail. Some seem to be looking for religion while others definitely are not. Most of the names that are written apparently had something to do with why they were behind these bars and are not highly thought of by their quotations. A few good artists have spent some time here with a cigar smoking pig with a star on his hat and chest on one wall with Jesus holding up his hand on another. Bugs Bunny, old hot rod car and a Georgia Bulldog sign grace the wall of another cell. Several hand written monthly calendars from 2007 with most of the days marked through are on one with bible quotes scattered throughout with one eye catching note in one of the womens cell - "I MISS MY SON!"

The two large cells have four steel racks coming from two walls for bunk beds while the smaller cells have two. There is one shower stall in the corner and each has one toilet sitting out in the open. No privacy here.

It seems only fitting that Trey Keene and his workers are cutting the steel out of the old jail. He probably don't remember his grandpa but Arthurs Liquor store was once a popular place right across the street. I use to work in a pool hall when I was 16 years old between the jail and the redlight and could watch Arthur sitting on his cement bench waiting for customers to stop in and take out a brown bag or two of their favorite beverage. He was a rather large man with a rather large moustache and rumor was that he would put a whole pack of Redman in his jaw at a time. Many of his regular patrons spent many a nights sobering up in the old jail across the street. Arthur and his store are gone now and so shall the old jail be.

The power has been cut off to the building and while I was inside taking photographs the wind blew the heavy steel door shut and I was almost in total darkness except for the little peep hole in the door. The sound of that door shutting sent chills up my spine as I could only imagine what that would sound like knowing this would be my living quarters for at least a little while.

My uncle Charlie passed away a few months ago and I know he spent quite a bit of time behind these bars. Several years ago he thought he had been in there long enough and decided to leave...... without permission. When he got to the county line he called the office of the jail and asked '

"Do you have Charlie Davis in your jail?"

"Yes we do" the operator replied.

"No you don't! I'm gone and will catch you later."

Which they eventually did.

I asked him before he died how he escaped and all he said was "spoon and a toothbrush. Made me a key."

I'm sure there are lots of stories about the old Nahunta jail that has been a part of Brantley Counties history that will never be known.

Here is a picture of the demolition of the Nahunta Jail and the latest issue of the Brantley County Magazine.

wayne

Getting got

03-09-2010

I've found out over the years that people at work will try out the new guy to see how he takes things. Sometimes called "getting got." One I just heard about last week was a new young supervisor from New Jersey was told by a worker that a part was needed - a stool sample valve. Supervisor went to the storeroom and ordered the much needed part and found out he had been "got." Don't think he was too happy.

On other jobs I've had people have been sent to the tool room for pipe stretchers, board stretchers, sky hooks and a hen way. When they go ask somebody what's a hen way the answer usually comes back "oh about 4 or 5 pounds."

A story was told about a man when he was new on a job many many years ago this old quiet black man that he respected and enjoyed working around supposedly had a daughter that could really dance. Several people kept telling this young man to tell ole Mo he wanted to see his daughter and he finally got up the nerve to ask one day.

He walked over to Mo and said "I heard your daughter can really dance like crazy. When can I come see her?"

Ole Mo was sitting on his bucket over in the corner, looked up at him and said "that ain't funny man, my daughter has polio and cain't even walk!" Jeff felt like crawling under the nearest rock and ran away from there in a hurry. Later on he found out none of it was true and he had been "got." Most of the time things are not that cruel.

One of the first days on the job for me I was told by a co-worker to go check the oil in a certain locomotive. When I opened the door to the engine compartment there was this huge cement block sitting where the engine usually sits. I knew right then I had been "got." I closed the doors back and when asked later how was the oil level I just said it was full. No need to get mad about it.

I'm doing a show at the Brunswick Hospital for the month of March and this picture is when things were being hung. The other picture is one I took at Zirkle a while back and am going to enter it in a photo contest in Valdosta in a couple of weeks.

wayne

"Spur of the Moment"

02-23-2010

A little over a year ago when I was training at the redi-center in Atlanta for my new job with CSX a question was asked on one of the tests that was something like "Do you sometimes do things on the spur of the moment?" I know the correct answer was supposed to be "no" because you can get hurt or do something stupid if you don't take your time and think about what you are doing. At work I can see where that would be the right thing to do but usually when I go taking pictures the "spur of the moment" thing happens a great deal. I will be going one direction and all of a sudden I decide to go somewhere else. "Instinct or gut feeling?" I don't really know. This morning it was foggy and I went to a couple of different places that I normally go and as I came up to this road that turns off of the river road I decided to turn left and visit the church where my granny and grandaddy are buried. Going around the "Road Closed" sign I pulled up to the opening in front of the church and there was a whole herd, covey, bunch or whatever a group of turkeys are called. I've been telling men at work I want to go with them sometime and get some turkey pictures and here are sixteen standing here posing for me. I shut my truck off and after they ran for a short distance quit paying any attention to me as they fed back and forth in front of the church. If I had not done the "spur of the moment" thing and turned down this road I would have missed this opportunity.

wayne

02-09-2010

We almost decided to head north on my two days off today and yesterday but things are kind of busy right now so it didn't happen. The Satilla is out of the banks and not the way I like it to take pictures so that is not working for me. Stayed at my daughters all day yesterday digging holes for a new fence they are putting across the front of their property and didn't come home 'til almost dark. There are a couple of big ponds or small lakes on the Raybon rock road and they are full and running over the spillways. I stopped and did a long time exposure to catch the foam of the overflowing water. Being I couldn't go take waterfall pictures in the mountains and the Zirkle dam is not even shootable with my longest lens sometimes you just have to make do with what you have.

I've got two big shows coming up soon. The bottom floor of the Brunswick Hospital will be the month of March and I'll be doing a show at the Okefenokee Heritage Center in Waycross in May. Hope everyone can come check them out.

wayne

www.waynemorganphotography.com

Refections of '09

January 05, 2010

The year of 2009 was an event full and busy time for me as I reflect back on some of the things that happened.

My first year with my new job at CSX.

Pa-in-law Ralph passed away.

Uncle Jerry passed away.

Uncle Charlie passed away.

Brother-in-law Stanley passed away.

My friend John that gave me my Nikon cameras passed away.

Mom almost did the same.

Me and Bonnie celebrated our 25 year wedding anniversary.

My 10 year pace-maker check up found me running on a tread mill until almost passing out. (They said I passed the test.)

Won 1st place at the Okefenokee Heritage Center photography show.

Did a month long show at the AW Jones Heritage Center on St. Simons.

Daughter celebrated her one year anniversary at her Sisters & Company cosmetology shop in Hoboken.

Son graduated from BCHS high.

Bonnie had a major operation to remove a cyst off of her esophagus.

Finally got around to cranking the engine in my dads truck that I rebuilt right after he passed away in 2001.

1st issue of the BRANTLEY MAGAZINE came out with one of my photos on the cover.

Met country music star Tracy Lawrence.

Received a thank you note from former president Jimmy Carter for the river photos he got earlier in the year.

Cleaned up around pa-in-laws house where junk yard once was. (Still not finished.)

Helped clean up about 3 more tons of trash out of the Satilla River.

Hobbled around with a heel spur part of the year until finally getting a painful shot to relieve the pain.

Worked about 1/2 the year part time at Lowes while working full-time on trains.

Shot photos for one of my best friends daughters wedding along with pictures for the Brantley Express and in my spare time taking some for myself around Brantley County and the Satilla River.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something but this is most of the highs and lows of my year gone by and who knows what 2010 is going to be like.

Speaking of reflections. Here are two I've taken lately of the Satilla River.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/