Things I Miss

 2020. Our last Christmas at Deer Run Farm in McLemore Cove.

1. I miss our little 29-acre Deer Run Farm in northwest Georgia's McLemore Cove, where we built a home and a life for 33 years. We worked hard and were happy there. And every year, all or most of our kids came to share Christmas, the Fourth of July, and often, Thanksgiving with us. This last year of 2020 only Rob and his crew were able to come. (We've since added to that group another great-grandchild and another granddaughter-in-law.) Just after the first of the year the place was sold and we were in our RV. Those were great years, but it was time to move on.

2. I miss our RV. It was the right thing at the right time. We were extremely comfortable in our 35-foot Grand Design fifth wheel rig for two years and planned to stay longer than we did. But because of the expense of diesel fuel and the general cumbersomeness of setting up and breaking camp with a rig of that size, we didn't travel nearly as much as we had hoped. We decided it was time to find a permanent home and get a smaller rig that will be more conducive to the kind of footloose travel we want to do for several months each year.

3. I miss my studio. It has been 23 years since I closed my photography studio in Chattanooga and switched to a location-based model of commercial photography. My business had changed in the last few years of the 20th century. Most of my work was on location, and the amount of work I was doing in-studio was only about enough to pay the studio rent and expenses. It was time to move on, but it was a wonderful space with a complete darkroom and I still miss it.

When I say I miss these things I don't mean I grieve over them. They were all wonderful experiences and my life has been the richer for them. But I do think about them sometimes and miss them and am very thankful they are part of the story of my life.

(Photograph: Fujifilm X-H1 camera, Fujicron XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 lens, Neewer studio flash.)

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $3.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail me a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2023 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags:    photography    Georgia    McLemore Cove      Grand Design RV     Fujifilm X-H1 camera     Fujicron XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 lens     Neewer flash