Geech Brown

 In search of Geech

Today I traveled over to Olustee, through the thick smoke

along the back way via Gum Swamp, past Ocean Pond, turning off US90 to Possom Trot lane. I was in search of the old shanty where Geech Brown once lived in the 1980's. In the late 80's, I was sent as a freelance photographer for the Tallahassee Democrat to take a photograph of Mr Brown. A pulpwood and railroad laborer, his claim to fame was his being the oldest person still working in Florida, then in his late 80's. I found him lounging on his porch and at first he would not allow me to photograph him, saying he never got anything out of it, all these people coming around. I finally said, would $5 do? With that he became a willing subject, even cracking a wry smile for me. I will journey over again when it warms up and more people are out and about and inquire where the old home stood and where he is buried, I assume.

Railroad Street

 Those icehouse blues

Railroad street

Lake City

Now paved over

Rossi Rains

 Rossi rains

Johnclarestokes 

The ditches soon became swift streams making their way downhill to the Price Creek which in turn sent the waters to Alligator Lake which in turn with its dry falls sinks and Rose creeks eventually meandered its way toward Itchetucknee who sent the Rossi rains on to the Santa Fe who in time offered them to Suwannee who never satiated in its flow finally gave an account of its work to the Gulf.

Long haul

 in the jv days of old, no one could catch forty, taking the pitch out from Fred Doerr, with the blocking of Bill,Jack and Monte Whitehurst and the fake up the line by fullback Johnny Henry, by the time they figured it all out, 40 was long,long gone for another long haul....

General Gavin

 Wakulla Flotilla

Gathering in search of Tarzan

General Gavin and his hearty men

Steeled to enter the black lagoon

It seemed a safari fraught with doom.

Lotto

 Lotto Resolutions

This morning at the lake with my usual bro friends we were discussing the mega million and how someone up North won. Roe then went into a long rant over if he won he’d help so many, etc. I said, “you’d give me a lifetime supply of cinnamon rolls” which he sometimes gives me from where he works. We laughed.

I seldom play but last evening I purchased three for the fun of it. I haven’t even looked to see if any numbers matched. They rarely have over the years.

Last night Melanie and I on our way home from lotto and Taco Bell had our discussion at what we’d do. Don’t we all? And so I thought, the riches will never come, but that should not keep me from my resolutions, even in a small way. Like, can I help that destitute person now? Can I sponsor one orphan? Can I look in on one shut in? Can I shoot with my non exotic prime lens even? 

Don’t let lack of riches keep you from doing good.

The greatest inspiration often comes from just one saying freely, you are the best, the best, the best.

Jasper

 Jasper 5k

Jasper was one of my favorite races. Sponsored by Jasper Textiles, winners received warm up suits they made in their long outsourced factory. We’d be bussed out to Bright Pond road north of town, where the sheriff with the accent similar to Boss Hog of the Dukes of Hazard, said he would arrest anyone on the spot who didn’t obey his instructions. The race was one of the few in the area I ever had the chance to finish in the top five, for this event was largely unknown to the speedsters of the Florida Track Club who usually cleaned up with the awards. This race was mostly dominated by Danny Daniels and his family of runners from Jasper and some friends from the Valdosta Track Club, Steve Plymale and the Edgar Winter look alike Rusty Jones. We usually were more interested not in who would win, but who would duke it out for last, be it Sue Moody, Gwen Roebuck or Liz Plymale.

Obscurity

 1K

You are obscure for a reason. This photo has been in my Suwannee Valley album since 2013 with three likes.

Recently I decided to post it to the Old Florida group with 177k members. There, it is not obscure like 90% of my photos in my many albums. Recently a friend said she never saw the photo of the Runners Club members at the Beaches Run. It too has been in this same album since 2013. 

Same goes with a photo I post to my page as opposed to one I post to the Suwannee Valley Happenings page with 23k members. Another friend said audaciously I can post photos of poop and get more likes than her because I’m famous. No, that is not true. Her photo of the bridges over Itchetucknee is trending 2k likes on Old Florida. It’s all in the numbers and where you post my friends.

Ah day

 Yes, I caught your gaze

In your gentle passing

The slow hand raised

In a wave

What was that you

Were about to say?

Ah day, I must move 

On my way.

Esther

Esther Moore

Rode out to Esther Moore's old homeplace. Esther never married and lived on the old home place most of her life, first keeping her parents, then her sister. She passed away in long ago April in her 90's. Even though the sign said "No Trespassing, Beware of Dog", I said, "Just a few quick shots". Sure enough, greeting me on the road as I left was Wayne, not too happy looking. I explained how I knew Esther and how we used to come out and plein air paint the old buildings. I apologized for trespassing and asked meekly if ever so often I could come out and take some photographs? Thankfully he said I could and I gave him my card. As my wife said recently, "Someday you are going to wind up in jail or shot." Don't tell her I almost did one day long ago.

Bob Jones

 Who would ever

by john clare

Who would ever dream

the day would come when

Kodachrome would no

longer be made

That Nikormats of metal

couldn't even be pawned

The slides would mold

and the images degrade?

They said they would

last for fifty years

And so they did

Softly focused and

slowly composed

Suwannee scenes splotched

The memory of the day

faded as if never

were we there

But I swear

We were

Who would ever

dream?

Shekinah

 Precisely  between the Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost and the World without end, Amen, the Shekinah did stir; but for a moment, in a blink, dust danced with light, before settling flickering down upon the grain.

Falling Creek Methodist Chapel