My son, Kyle, had a couple come all the way from Augusta to purchase some of his rims he had taken off of his jeep this past weekend I had stored behind my shop.
I found out Mike also had a pacemaker, so we had something in common. While the couple was there, I showed them my yard.
Mike said he loved everything about where we lived, except he didn’t like dirt roads. I told him in Brantley County, if I remember correctly (and it is very possible I am wrong), there are over 500 miles of dirt roads in our small county.
I told him that I wouldn’t want it any other way. The next dirt road over from my house is Florida Avenue and it runs parallel to the railroad tracks all the way behind the jail to Raybon Rock Road.
Now that the trees have recently been cut out of the ditches on both sides and you can see everything again, I realized how bad the trash (tires) has gotten.
I remember at one of the small ponds when I was about five riding with my daddy and grandpa Donald, there were two men harassing this old black man.
I think he had been fishing. They were pushing him in and out of the water. Daddy and grandpa stopped and made them leave the old man alone and ran them off.
That small old pond is normally grown up, but every time I ride by it I remember that. My grandpa Donald died in a house fire in 1969, when I was six, so it was before then.
I may not remember what happened yesterday, but I think about this when I ride by this small pond that is about half way down Florida Avenue.
I have an idea. If anyone is interested in helping, I will be glad to do my part. Being the weather has turned a little cooler and the bugs might not be as bad, I would like to clean up Florida Avenue from one end to the other. It is three miles.
One thing that will be needed is a tractor or something to be able to pull the tires out of the ditches (some are stuck in mud) that have been there for a while. I have some chains.
This road is actually a nice road for golf carts, four wheelers and tractors (I know Odie uses it a lot to farm his fields). I just know it can be a whole lot nicer road than what it is.
I know Brantley County has plenty more that also need attention, but I am asking to see if I can get help starting on this one first and then maybe move on to others after this.
• Wayne Morgan is freelance wildlife photographer and author.
