In 1970, I lost my granny, Julia Herrin Davis, in the Satilla River at the Highway 301 bridge just south of Raybon.
They were camping on the river bank and something happened and she fell in the river and drowned. I was six years old at the time.
I’ve always sort of used this as my mission any time I see trash and different things hurting the Satilla as being a disgrace to her. I know I probably shouldn’t look at it this way.
I think this is why I have picked up so much trash out of it, especially right there around the boat ramp where she died. I also consider my Satilla Solitude books a tribute to her.
Wednesday night (January 14), Bonnie and I had a nice time visiting our son, Kyle, and granddaughter, Aliya. We ate supper with them in Sterling.
During our drive home down Highway 32, we were crossing the Highway 301 bridge at about 9:30 p.m. Two cars were meeting us side-by-side with one of them in our lane.
Bonnie was driving, slammed on the brakes, and got down on the horn. Just before we were about to hit them head on, one of cars got back over in the other lane behind the other vehicle!
We don’t know if they were trying to pass, on the phone, playing chicken, not paying attention or what they were doing, but I do know that it was close to being really, really bad.
We were right above the same spot on the Satilla River where my granny died. There has also been several other people killed on this same bridge.
We were very, very lucky we didn’t get hit. We only live about five miles from there. We were still shaking when we got home.
• Wayne Morgan is freelance wildlife photographer and author.
