Valentine's on Sapelo Island
One of my favorite places to relax and spend a day or night is on Sapelo Island, off the Georgia Coast. There are many places to choose from to stay on the island affordably, but my favorite experience so far is camping at Comyam's Campground in Hog Hammock, owned by the Bailey's who are locals there, check em out: http://www.gacoast.com/geecheetours.html. Anyway, we bolted from Athens and missed the ferry the first day... but we made a night of it at a cheap motel and dinner at the awesome Old School Diner, then headed on the 9am ferry on Valentine's Day to camp for one night.
Me and Chef Jerome... so it turns out, his mom cooked for the notorious Green Frog restaurant in Waycross back in the day!!
We ordered the wheelchair platter of course! Lots of crispy seafood and ribs on the side. The hushpuppy appetizer was absolutely delicious!! I LOVE hushpuppies and Chef Jerome is right on with his recipe. Look at Walker's sticky fingers back in there!
These pix of the diner were from my iphone, pardon the quality... I was mad at myself for not bringing my camera. You gotta see this place during the day, we had reservations at 7pm so couldn't really see a lot outside, but certainly felt the sweet carpet in the parking lot!
This delicious double or triple or quadruple chocolate dessert I finished off for breakfast the next day still has my face broken out! But totally worth every bite and I'd do it again.
It was freezing Friday night! Probably a good thing we missed the ferry... our cheap hotel in Eulonia was fun, we'd do that again too, so we can spend more on great food around the area.
We arrived at the campsite and two bikes were waiting for us. It's about a 2 or 3 mile ride to Nanny Goat beach from the campsite. We brought Rudee so we squashed her in Walk's backpack for most of the ride. Next time I'd love to check out Cabretta beach, it's just a 2 mile or so walk down a dirt road from the campsite.
It was instant immersion for Rudee
Her energy is amazing at the beach, she loves it. Fetching shells and just being overall adorable.
I was too chill to take photos on the beach... but we ended up finding a sun soaked cranny near the dunes, away from the light wind. We spent an hour or more absorbing the sun and it felt like we were the only people on the beach. It's always like that there. We watched several dolphins near the shore which made it even more magical. We headed back and let Rudee run a while after us, and stopped along the nature trail.
An enormous magnolia. Read below, pretty cool.
Near sunset we walked a bit away from the campground. The marsh and live oaks are gorgeous around there.
Rudee totally fell in love with this most awesome dog. They played and she giggled and made weird noises like a lovesick girl.
Julius hooked us up with some live oak to burn for our campfire and Walker was fascinated the whole time about how solid and strong and long it burned. The next morning the embers were still glowing and all I had to do was throw in a little spanish moss and a few more logs and we were rockin for cowboy coffee. I toted a huge pot in my luggage on the ferry just for that... which was ridiculous but we made it twice to make it worthwhile.
Looks like we're about to set the tree on fire but it's just the angle. I can see how fires are easily started around these islands though.
The stars were beautiful!!!! So after gorging on 2 packages of sausages and Terra sweet potato chips, we put the camera down in the grass near the marsh at the campground and took some pix.
We had an absolutely peaceful night of sleep with no sound at all, not even a racoon. Well, also helped the campsite was empty except for us. We accidentally left the tent cover at home but luckily Walker brought a tarp so we used that. It wasn't cold at all though! Felt so perfect.
We had to wake up at the crack of dawn because we were leaving on the 8:30 ferry to head back to Athens and Julius was coming by at 8am to pick us up. I'm normally a very late sleeper... but I heard some roosters crowing around 6 and had this extra energy and excitement from the peaceful night there, and was looking forward to watching the sunrise over the marsh, so I woke up and waited for it.
These two photos are views of the sunrise from the pinhole we created for the digital camera.
We exited the ferry, which football player Allen Bailey (from Sapelo) happened to be on with us! I had no idea who he was, but he was huge so I suspected... and we saw him later at a convenience store and I confirmed it. This adorable poodle was in the parking lot as well, I missed out on the photo of Allen Bailey but did get the poodle.
On the way back, we couldn't miss going to the Smallest Church in America, off Hwy 17. It's adorable.
Angels together.
The end. We cruised back home to Athens and entered the ice storm.
Funny how things come back around
A few years ago, on the way down South to Waycross, Georgia, via Highway 15, I noticed a striking scene of smoke filtering through some trees above a small green house - I turned back around to take a photo and saw a woman raking and burning leaves in piles, causing that roadside beauty in the late afternoon light. When I stopped to take her photo I was taken aback by her dog, barking fiercely at me while guarding his person. I kept shooting and she looked at me, then looked down and continued raking. I stopped and showed her what I was seeing and she smiled and was totally cool with me.
Anyway... it ended up making a really nice photo converted to black & white, so I printed and framed it and delivered it to her over a year or so later. Actually, I have to mention, I couldn't really remember where her house was... and on another drive to Waycross, Walker noticed a beautiful scene and pointed it out and it happened to be exactly her house. So we went, introduced ourselves and handed her the photo. She was doing the same thing as before, and wearing the same outfit and hat. She didn't say much, just smiled and took the photo and we talked for just a bit before continuing to Waycross.
More time passes and last week I received a fb message from Ben Reynolds, a friend and photo teacher at UGA, that Mary Ruth Moore is trying to get in touch with me about something. I hadn't seen her in like 15 years since I graduated from the photography department. Mary Ruth has been teaching photo at UGA forever and does the most beautiful pinhole photography you've ever seen. She taught during the Cortona studies abroad program I attended the summer of 99, so I took her photo class and became fascinated by her. Anyway... ask anyone about her and they'll have had the same experience of being touched by Mary Ruth's beauty inside and out.
So anyway... I called her wondering what in the world she wanted to say after all this time, and she explains a story about her friend Carol Anne plopping down this black and white photo while visiting, and she loved it and flipped it over and saw my name. I always forget to sign my prints but thank goodness on that print I had remembered, and Mary Ruth wanted to call and tell me the story and connection. Anyway, turns out Carol Anne helps care for Emma, the woman in the photo, and the frame had fallen from the wall so she was coming over to show the print to Mary Ruth.
The very next Day, Walker and I were invited to visit Mary Ruth and we had a wonderful time reuniting and just walking around her beautiful property and talking about pretty things. She has inspired us to break our film cameras back out and turn them into pinhole cameras. In a slow time for photography, one needs inspiration and I feel her contact was a gift. Well, that's my story on how things come back around in a neat way.
Thanks Emma!
Holding one of her pinhole cameras and showing her most recent composition
Mary Ruth would like this "arc of light" Walker captured on her porch
Walker took a pic of us and immediately Mary Ruth started cracking up at Walker's unintentional photo stance
By the way, a selection of Mary Ruth Moore's photography is currently on display at Athens Academy in a show titled:
"Experiencing Italy"
Bill the Rooftop Beekeeper
For the past couple of years, I've enjoyed vacationing at Anna Maria Island with Walker at his family's beach house. We try to escape there anytime we can afford to. As a honey lover and obsessor, I noticed there were bees on a rooftop beside our favorite restaurant, Duffy's. We just admired it for a while, but during our most recent October visit I was sick with a cold and remembered those hives. I asked local Rick Lewis if he'd met the neighbor and he said "yeah that guy is really nice!" So, Rick took me over and introduced me to Bill the beekeeper and I asked if I could do a blog on him and take some photos. He gave me a huge jar of delicious honey with bee pollen in it and said yes just to get in touch, and I swear that local honey cured me. I don't have photos of that honey because it's gone... but I swear by it. Also, with the delicious comb he offered us, I converted 9 year old Bella Watkins to loving honey!
As I'm inspired about getting into backyard beekeeping because of most importantly... the need for bees, then, my love for the taste and benefits of honey, I know nothing about it besides watching youtube vids and asking around, plus an excellent book Walker bought me for Christmas about it.
Let me elaborate a little about my love for honey... I put honey on everything. I think the 2 of us go through a huge mason jar of honey every two weeks from bulk at the Daily Grocery. I like honey in my coffee - it is WAY better than sugar. If a restaurant doesn't have honey, most of the time I silently judge it, especially if they sell coffee. I was very excited to see it on most restaurant tables out west. I've always warmed up old mac & cheese with honey, makes it taste like new. I put it on french fries, eggs, chicken, fish, and pork. Apple and cheese sandwiches are excellent with a honey base, then there's peanut butter and honey, bananas and honey, and cheese toast with an underbelly of honey. My salad dressing is composed of olive oil, honey, and lime. Recalling... I think the first time I fell in love with honey was on fried chicken. We'd always pick up some KFC or Maryland Fried Chicken on Sundays after church and bring it to Mema Yarbrough's house to eat with the family. I would be so disappointed if dad forgot to ask for honey packets. I now take a travel vial everywhere I go just in case.
Well, Bill the rooftop beekeeper let me suit up with him and watch and question him during our most recent trip to Anna Maria Island. Q & A at the bottom of the photos!
Here's Bill
Lisbeth, Bill's wife, helps "suit" me up for the bees
I realize I look even shorter than I really am in a bee suit... and the suit my mom purchased for me has an extra long crotch for some reason which is pretty hilarious. Forget looking cute... it's all about the honey anyway. Thanks Marc Mauldin for the photos!
Bill told me once I was on the roof and around the bees with him, that I had the wrong gloves on. Luckily there were no mishaps. I realize a suit really isn't needed for most beekeepers but I'll probably suit up... just in case.
And here are a bunch of photos I took watching Bill with his Bees last October...
mmmm delicious honeycomb!
A view from Bill's roof, showing the back of Duffy's restaurant
Bruce, Rick, and Polly of Duffy's waving at us!
A view of the Queen's cell from one of the hives
Looks like a boiled peanut
Can you find the Royal Queen?
a close up of the capped brood, which is the eggs, larvae and pupae that will become fully-grown bees.
Bill hands us down a delicious plate of honeycomb
Bill's wife Lisbeth
What made you get into beekeeping?
Where & when did you have your first bees?
What location had the best tasting honey in your experience?
Have you always used a suit and how many times have you been stung?
Have you had to capture your bees after they've swarmed and left one of your hives?
What varietals of blooms do you think your bees are getting from your current location?
Do you make things from the wax?
Do you have a crazy story or weird phenomena or interesting things you've noticed in your experience with bees?
What's your favorite meal at Duffy's? (the awesome restaurant right next door to Bill's house)
My favorite meal at Duffy's has to be one of their world famous burgers! I'm gonna say a blue cheese hamburger...
Sarah and Adam Turner's Beautiful Morning Wedding
I met Sarah and Adam for the first time on their wedding day. Sarah was unbelievably calm, which immediately put me at ease and the whole day went like that... very smooth, simple, and beautiful!
Wedding Info and Contributors:
Wedding Date: October 26th, 2014
Photography: anneyarbroughphotography.com
Venue: The gorgeous Botanical Gardens Day Chapel, reception in the elegant Terrace Room
Wedding Officiator: JG Beckett
Makeup and Hair: Mandi Harris at Imagine Studios
Director: Ashley Stalvey
Flowers: Also Ashley Stalvey! (Jack of all trades)
Music: The Musicsmiths
Catering: Classic City Chef
Cake: Artful Cakery by Julie (per the bride: Julie is sister to Bonnie, who is Adam's sister-in-law. We loved being able to use the talents of family and friends!)
Favors: Splendishes by Shonali (bride: Shonali is a friend of mine and an amazing chef. She can make anything.)
Ashley (director and floral design) and her adorable son
Meanwhile.. Adam receives a nice gift to loosen up for now or later...
The Day Chapel is sooooo georgeous, especially in morning light
The Musicsmiths played soothing instrumental music during the wedding and reception
Adam's a breakdancin photo bomber!
Adam kept his cool despite the bees buzzin all around... he's allergic... but luckily we escaped to the reception in time without needing an epi pen.
An awesome bloody mary and mimosa bar waiting for the guests after the ceremony
JG Beckett (wedding officiator) gets serious about cornhole
Yummy!!
Classic City Chef did an awesome job with the omelet station & breakfast bar
A cornhole groom's cake by Artful Cakery by Julie!
And a beautiful candy magnolia atop the Bride's cake!
Just a cute little moment
And to the Arch for the last photos of the day, of course!
Hi-5 baby, we did it!
The Wedding of the Ruggieri's
Sam and Brian got married at the eccentrically beautiful and cool Ashford Manor in Watkinsville. I was looking forward to the wedding, especially after meeting this awesome couple & doing their engagement photos. When I walked in to the bridal suite on the wedding day, I heard Sam's mom say "When I first met Brian, I really hoped he would be the one".
Sam & Brian Ruggieri
Wedding Date: October 12th, 2014
Venue: Ashford Manor Bed & Breakfast
Cake: Ike & Janes, and The Grit
Catering: Lisa from South Lumpkin Café
Flowers: Ashlie Johnson, Bud and Bloom Athens
Make Up: Makeup by Jeni
Hair: Olive at City Salon and Spa
Mugs & Plates: Local thrifting by the Bride & Groom
Some smelly goods from Sam's mom
Hair and Makeup looked Awesome!
Meanwhile... the guys are getting ready with their instructional video
And finally, Brian is ready to see Sam...
Lookin good in her wedding dress at the first look!
Just bein silly!
Sam and Brian made the awesome lace flag decor near the ceremony
A proud new husband : )
A most lovely Husband and Wife
And some happy folks
Ashford Manor is sooooo pretty
Fall leaves made their appearance here and there, adding a lovely seasonal touch
Squashing on the cake topper
Guests picked a cool mug and took one home, I love this
Awesome checkerboard dance floor
Better eat dessert before we lose them!
I know exactly how you feel!
For a good time, offer cakes from the Grit and treats from Ike & Jane!
Tiny clothespins holding photos of little Sam and Brian
Sam's mom doesn't go without her comfy shoes!
Dance lessons from the tiny!
Fish tacos?
I got obsessed with shooting this fountain, I bet everyone does
Flags Brian made for the exit, each with an S&B
Congratulations most lovely couple of the Universe!