Posted at 01:11 PM in Bird Species, Birding, Birds, Birds of Georgia, Birdwatching, Christmas | Permalink | Comments (0)
Photography and Story by Norma Beaird
The Old Louisville Wagon Train is an annual tradition that was started by Wagon Master Wayne Hooks. This is a 5-day wagon train that winds through the backroads of rural Georgia, beginning in Ailey and ending in Louisville. We were at T. A. Blocker's General Store in Montgomery County when we saw the beautiful horses and their friendly riders trotting into the pasture behind the store. We had a camera with us and we quickly took the opportunity to meet these fine folks and photograph the riders and their horses. Some were riding during the day and some were camping overnight with The Old Louisville Wagon Train.
The wagon train brings together good country folks and the tradition of riding horses and traveling together down red dirt roads. This new tradition of riding, camping and cooking creates interesting stories and a delightful dose of nostalgia. The good 'ole days have come to town!
Wagon Master Wayne Hooks and his horse!
Mr. Gary Blocker, owner of T. A Blocker's General Store, allows the wagon train to bring their horses and park for a while in the pasture behind his popular Montgomery County business. Mr. Blocker's store has been selling goods to the community since the 1930's. Today, he sells hats, western wear, cowboy boots and work boots. In this store, you will find shelves of old pictures and antiques from days gone by. To walk into his store is to travel into a bygone era. It's an old-fashioned country store with old-fashioned customer service, courtesy of Mr. Blocker and his knowledgeable staff.
T. A. Blocker's General Store - Georgia Highway 29 - Montgomery County
Mr. Gary Blocker, owner of T. A. Blocker's General Store
Merry Christmas from The Old Louisville Wagon Train!
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
Posted at 01:09 AM in Christmas | Permalink | Comments (0)
Left: Nikko, the Brown-Headed Nuthatch
Right: Duke of Soperton, the Northern Cardinal (Male)
Photography and Thoughts by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Diego, the Red-Winged Blackbird (Male)
Left: Giorgio, the Pine Warbler (Male)
Right: Beep-Beep, the Carolina Chickadee
Pistol, the Downy Woodpecker, enjoying the Christmas feast!
The real reason that we joyfully celebrate Christmas is the birth of God's only Son, born of a virgin, in the town of Bethlehem. His name is Jesus.
We offer a prayer of thanksgiving unto our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Thank you Lord for Your love and Your blessings that we experience every single day of our lives. Without You, we would be nothing. We praise You because You are the Messiah, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace.
We thank you for Your guidance, Your healing, Your provision, Your protection, Your mercy and Your forgiveness. We glorify You and pray that we can live our lives each day in a spirit of faith, love, kindness, generosity and thanksgiving, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and showing Your love to the world.
Luke 2: 1 - 14
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree
from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea,
unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there,
the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,
and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Copyright 2013, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
Posted at 02:04 PM in Bird Watchers, Birder, Birding, Birds, Birds of Georgia, Christmas, Praise, Prayer | Permalink
Christmas Light Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Article by Norma Beaird
In the rural town of Glenwood, Georgia, in the middle of the tall pine trees, dirt roads and country churches, sits a Christmas Wonderland of spectacular proportions. This amazing wonderland is courtesy of the Adams Family of Wheeler County! Mr. Bud Adams and his family create their version of "Disneyland in South Georgia" for Glenwood and the surrounding communities.
In the month of October, the Adams Family begin setting up Christmas displays, stringing Christmas lights and creating a scene that has fascinated folks in South Georgia for quite a few years. It doesn't matter if you're a child, teenager, or a senior citizen, this Christmas Wonderland of Lights will both excite you and delight the child within you!
This lovely display is the result of a lot of hard work and creativity. The family members who help to make this possible are:
Donnie (Bud) Adams, Hazel Nelms, Geneva Graham, Patsy Adams, Shirley Hilliard, Willie (Jack) Adams and Nita Adams
Before they passed away, two other family members also helped with the setting up and decorating, Thomas Adams and Annie Ruth Powell.
The Adams Family is a close-knit family who truly love each other and love the Stuckey Community. They enjoy creating a place of excitement and wonder for those who live in the area. On Friday and Saturday nights during the seasonal Christmas display, they get together and serve hot chocolate and roast marshmallows over a fire!
On Saturday, December 7, 2013, from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., Santa Claus will be on the lovely dock at the Adams Family Christmas to greet the children. Families always look forward to this fun and joyous event!
So, if you're even within an hour or more from Glenwood, it will definitely be worth the trip to visit the Adams Family Christmas.
Here are the directions!
Adams Family Christmas is located in Glenwood, Georgia off of Highway 280. Turn off of Highway 280 and onto Stuckey Church Road. Once you have turned onto Stuckey Church Road, you will drive about 1/2 mile and the spectacular Christmas Wonderland will be on your left!
We promise........You can't miss it!
Copyright 2013, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
Nadekow Family Christmas in Vidalia, Georgia
Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Article by Norma Beaird
Last Friday night, we had taken my mother out to eat in Vidalia. On the way home, we remembered a beautifully decorated house that we had seen on Durden Street during last year's Christmas holidays. So, we drove through town, made a few turns; and to our joy and surprise, we found the gorgeous Nadekow Family Christmas House!
In an instant, I felt like a child all over again as I heard Christmas music and drove past the adorable characters, colorful bright lights and Santa Claus in the window! This time though, we came prepared with our cameras and had a blast photographing this phenomenal display.
We also had the golden opportunity to meet one of the creative minds behind the colorful Christmas lights, Bob Nadekow. We talked to him about his inspiration for creating such an impressive holiday entertainment feature. Mr. Nadekow was so kind to walk with me up and down the sidewalk, explaining how his family inspired him and his wife to create this joyful Christmas celebration full of lights, characters and music!
The spirited display features much loved characters, such as Big Bird and Elmo, and features nightly movies that are projected onto the front of the house, to include hay bales where you can sit and watch the movies! Each day on Facebook, the Nadekows list the movies that will be shown that evening.
The movie list can be found here:
During the evening, you can also see a live streaming video here:
Nadekow Christmas on Livestream
The display takes approximately two full months to create on their large corner lot; consequently, not only do these colorful Christmas lights reveal a lot of creativity and hard work, but they also reveal true community spirit. And, in this modern day and age, it is so nice to meet a family who genuinely cares about brightening people's spirits during the holidays.
So, if you're near the Vidalia area, and you would like to experience an exciting holiday scene of Christmas lights, and the beautiful spirit behind the lights, this is where you'll find the joy!
Nadekow Family Christmas
410 Durden Street, Vidalia, Georgia 30474
We guarantee that you will leave with a smile,
knowing that you have been touched by the spirit of the season!
So, we celebrate with the Nadekows and present to you this fun holiday song
by Ricky Skaggs, "Christmas Time's A Coming!"
Copyright 2013, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
By: Norma W. Beaird
When children think of Christmas, toy trains will fill their minds,
Or baby dolls and Santa, as they gladly stand in line.
To meet the white-haired giver of the gifts they truly treasure,
For Christmas is a time of fun, of candy, lights and pleasures.
But for the ones much older, it’s a time of added stress,
Of paying for the presents with a wallet holding less.
To hope that folks are happy with the gifts around the tree,
Is this the way that you describe, “What Christmas means to me”?
If all your Christmas means to you is candy, trees and gifts,
What does this say about the life that you intend to live?
The Christmas trees are beautiful and sparkling are the lights,
And fun is many parties and the festive winter nights.
If visions of your Christmas are the cards and candy canes,
And shopping malls and Santa as you peer through window panes.
Then life for you is empty in the way you try to live,
For Christmas is about the time that God gave us a Gift.
A Gift Who’s not found in a store or near a Christmas tree,
A Gift Who always fits the one who seeks and will believe.
This Gift is God’s Son Jesus, Who was born to give His life,
To be our Lord and Savior, He became our Sacrifice.
For every man and woman and for every boy and girl,
In humble, dark surroundings He arrived into this world.
For sin had stained a world so full of pain, despair and fear,
Until a day in Bethlehem when Jesus Christ appeared.
The Son born of a Virgin as foretold by prophet men,
In love endured a rugged cross to break the curse of sin.
The most important tree of all was placed on Calvary,
Where Jesus Christ my Savior gave His life and died for me.
Now when you think of Christmas, don’t forget what Christmas means,
It’s not about the trees and lights; it is the manger scene.
For Christmas started when the Lord was born upon this earth,
To give to us the Gift of Love through His prophetic birth.
So give your heart to Christ today and you’ll begin to see,
The love of God describes the phrase, “What Christmas means to me”.
Copyright 2005, Norma W. Beaird. All rights reserved.
Red-Winged Blackbird Migration in Georgia
Article by Norma W. Beaird
Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird
We want to update everyone on why we haven't posted in a while. We've been busy trying to update our photography website with more of our birds, nature and Coastal Georgia photos. Sometimes, you have to stop and just concentrate on one thing at a time!
We have been photographing the many species of birds in Georgia. In addition, we are focused on the continued migration of various species of birds going South for the winter! However, there is much more on the improved photography site, to include Savannah scenes and the fun and eclectic Tybee Island.
In thinking about this time of year during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I further realize that we have a lot to be thankful for. In May, our house was burglarized. A laptop that contained over 9,000 photographs and a lot of Curtis' writing, was stolen, in addition to other items that we dearly cherished.
For a couple of months, this burglary literally shut us down. It was difficult to write, photograph or even be creative in the smallest sense of the word. We had been violated; and at the moment, the burglary was all that we could concentrate on during the day. "Lock it up or hide it" became our motto to live by! So much work over the last seven years was lost in few minutes while we were at a doctor's appointment.
Therefore, we just kinda kicked back and mourned our loss for a while. In May of this year, about two weeks before the burglary, we had gone to the Savannah Tall Ships Challenge to photograph the beautiful tall ships that sailed into the Georgia Port. We had so much fun and enjoyed meeting fellow tall ship enthusiasts as we took our places to photograph at an area on the Savannah River near Fort Pulaski.
U. S. Coast Guard Eagle (WIX 27)
After we returned from Savannah, we didn't begin to work on our tall ship pictures right away. Usually, when we return from a trip, we get started on uploading our photography to our website. But for some reason, we just didn't do it. Now, we know why.
During the burglary, the burglar not only stole Curtis' laptop including the 9,000 photos, he stole all of the flash drives that were laying around on the desk, to include current bird pictures that we had worked on for a while.
If we had immediately worked on our tall ship photos and placed them on the flash drives, they would have been stolen, and we would have lost a ton of hard work. Therefore, we are so grateful that we waited until now to work on our tall ship photos. The Lord works in mysterious ways; thankfully, we didn't lose any of our tall ship photography!
In the spirit of the season, sometimes, you just need to take a drive to explore and enjoy the countryside. One day, while I was busy with one thing or another, I remembered that it was about that time at County Farm Plant Company in Baxley, Georgia......that magical time of the year when they have greenhouses full of the most gorgeous poinsettias you've ever seen!
Red Poinsettias, Ice Punch Poinsettias, Maren Poinsettias, Polly's Pink, Monet Twilight and Red Glitter!
As we walked into the magnificent greenhouses, the incredibly vibrant burst of color seemed to turn up the volume on holiday cheer and shouted, "Merry Christmas!" And...... thanks to Gina at County Farm Plant Company, I've learned the proper names of these lovely holiday flowers!
Curtis and I went through the huge greenhouses and photographed the most beautiful Christmas scenes you could imagine......a sea of Red Poinsettias surrounded by Asparagus Ferns and Macho Ferns!
How could anyone leave without being in the spirit of the holidays, especially after viewing a sea of red and green? If you're ever in Baxley (Appling County), you must stop at County Farm Plant Company.
During this holiday season, let us all remember that the birth of Jesus Christ is the true reason we celebrate Christmas. The Source of real peace, love, hope and joy....... is Jesus.
Luke 2: 11 - 14 (King James Version)
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Copyright 2012, Norma W. Beaird. All rights reserved.
Posted at 06:02 PM in Birds, Christmas, Georgia Coast, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
© 2006 - 2023 Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.