Good times in South Georgia..but no flying cows

And there I was...standing again beside Lake Blackshear in South Georgia this past weekend. We were there for my cousin's wedding, and we had a room booked at Lake Blackshear Resort and Golf Club. Soon after David and I got settled in and fed Kenley, we walked down to the dock to take in the view. A scene so calm stirred up crazy memories of parties and old friends on the water..but perhaps the wildest memory of all was the time I saw a cow fly over that lake. No, I never partied that hard, but I really did see a cow in the air over Lake Blackshear. When I was a reporter at WALB-TV in Albany, I was sent to Cordele to cover a dramatic rescue of a cow that had waded to an island in the middle of the lake while the water levels were lowered for people to repair their docks. The cow was at serious risk since he had already been stuck for days and was emaciated, plus the water was beginning to rise again. A rescue crew sedated the poor cow and strapped him into a harness that was attached to a helicopter. I knew then as I watched the chopper lift that cow into the air and across the sky that I was looking at one of the most unusual sights I would ever in my life see in-person. But this was still the sort of odd shenanigans I thought only possible to be witnessed in South Georgia. I could only wonder what might be in store for the weekend.

David was photgraphing the wedding so we got up early on Saturday..and drove through cotton fields and down what David refers to as "clay" roads (as opposed to dirt) towards the church in rural Americus. Before we were really expected to arrive, David and I scouted the interior and exterioir of the church for photo opportunties. A smart move since this prep work allowed us to quickly snap shots of the bridal party outide without too much disturbance from the raging heat and pesky gnats. Oh how I miss gnats flying up my nose and onto my food. David said he felt like he was in a third world country with bugs sitting all over his face. He just couldn't beleive how it didn't seem to bother the locals..and he couldn't believe yet that people actually still drive on "clay" roads to get from a point A to point B. City Boy :)

David worked his rear-end off taking pictures. And while I was tired from being on my feet most of the day too; I had fun eating, dancing and laughing with my family at the reception. Since Nana and Paw-Paw were around to babysit Kenley, David and I decided to meet folks out later for a nightcap. Too bad we stayed up until 5 a.m. with the bride and groom..sitting in the back of a big red truck, talking about land and crops and other good ol' country stuff. Yep..South Georgia never dissapoints and never does the beef jerky at Striplings General Store in Cordele. Always another highlight of being in the area.

This blog post is dedicated to all my Cordele, All-binney and Channel 10 friends. Miss ya'll!!