You Otter Been There

I saw this cool little otter in Georgia at the Okefenokee Swamp Park. I guess otters are native to the swamp, but I didn't see any other than this one they had in a pen. We've got otters here in Florida, too, but it's been many years since I've seen one in the wild. I guess they stay as far from people as possible. I've seen them in captivity, though, and they're a delight to watch.

Unfortunately, this guy didn't seem too happy. He ha a fair sized enclosure, but he was all alone. Otters seem to enjoy playing together, so keeping one alone is a shame. The two times I wandered by his pen, he was laying there on his rock, all stretched out, sleeping his day away. He came around once to see if we had any food, but then he went back to sleeping.

Shhhhhh, otter trying to sleep!

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's a picture of Mom I took in the Okefenokee Swamp. I guess it doesn't really matter where it was taken, but it's a nice picture of her. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Okefenokee Heron

Here's the only other bird I had the chance to shoot while visiting the Okefenokee in Georgia. This was the next day when I visited the Okefenokee Swamp Park with my mother. This immature night heron suddenly sprung up out of the bushes and flew away. I was quick enough on the trigger to get a couple of picture of him in mid-air that aren't too bad.

Okefenokee Hawk

I had a chance to spend a few minutes visiting the very outskirts of the Okefenokee Swamp when I was in Georgia. I've got plenty more pictures of that to share with you, but first I want to show you this red shouldered hawk I saw on the way into and out of the park. I spotted him on my way in, but I didn't get the chance to stop. Thankfully, he was still there when I left, although he'd moved. And as I watched him, he moved from one dead tree to another.

The second time I spotted him he let me get a little closer, but not much. And this time he decided he'd had enough and flew far enough away that I couldn't see him any more. Oh, well.

The Third Memorial

That same square in Waycross, GA, had not one, not two, but three different memorials to their soldiers. This third one seems to be a catch-all for those from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam, each one getting it's own side. There's an eternal flame burning in that lantern atop the monument, or at least I think that's what it's supposed to be. It didn't appear to be burning when I was there, or it was burning very faintly and I couldn't see it in the bright daylight. Perhaps it only burns on special occasions.



Here's the plaque from the base of the statue. It seems to imply that the flame should be burning...

A War To End All Wars

From that same square in Waycross, GA, that I showed you a second ago, here's a statue to the fallen of a completely different war, this one described as The War To End All Wars. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that way, but it was a nice thought. This monument commemorates the soldiers of the first World War.

I think it's called "Spirit of the American Doughboy". At least that's what it's labeled. I like the barbed wire, that's a nice tough. Why were American soldiers called Doughboys? There're some guesses out there, but I guess the true origin is lost to time.

The grenade in his hand is a nice touch, too. A little gory, but perhaps appropriate.

There's an old Kress store in the old downtown of every city in America, I think. It snuck into the background of my picture somehow...

Another Confederate Monument

Here's another in a continuing series of memorials and monuments to the soldiers who died during the War Between the States. This one is located in a small square in Waycross, GA.

"Erected by the Francis S. Bartow Chapter U.D.C. to the Confederate Veterans" Now you know.

There wasn't anything written on it, so I couldn't tell how long it had been there, but this wreath of magnolia leaves was near the base of the monument. It was in pretty nice condition, so it couldn't have been there too long. Somebody must still remember their veterans, even 150 years later.

All these monuments seem to have the same soldier at the top. OK, maybe not the same, but close.

Welcome To Blackshear

The small town I stayed in while visiting Georgia was called Blackshear. It's just a little ways up the road from Waycross, if you know where that's at.  We're talking extreme southeastern Georgia here. I don't think the tractor next to their sign is decorative, I think they had been working in the field to the right earlier and just left it there for a while.

The Wedding

I know some of you out there have been waiting patiently to see some pictures from the wedding in Georgia last weekend. Well, here are the happy bride and groom immediately after their first embrace as man and wife. The groom is my maternal grandfather, CV, and that's my new grandmother, Faye. I wish them all the best!

Mind The Thistles

I don't know what it is about these large thistle bushes, but I like 'em. Something about the thorny leaves topped with the big flower, I guess. I shot these on a roadside in Georgia last week, and they're nothing too exciting, just something I thought you might want to see. Nobody ever stops and looks at these things, even though they grow all over the side of the road.

Looks like I may have caught these part their prime. The purple bits are almost gone.

Money Hole Road

The place I stayed during my recent trip to Georgia was right around the corner from a street called Money Hole Road. Yes, it was a dirt road, and no, I didn't find the money or the hole.

Back In Town

Once again, I've been away. I spent the weekend in a small burg in South Georgia attending the wedding of my grandfather. When I wasn't spending time with my family, I tried to get out to see the sights, and I'll share that with you soon. But tonight, I've just gotten home after spending more than six hours in the car, and that tires me out, as well as reminding me why I prefer to fly. Anyhow, stay tuned for more interesting things than the labels on power poles.