Friday, September 28, 2018

ISAIAH by North Carolina Painter, Sue Scoggins



For my New Bern show at , I've decided the name is "Roadtrip".   Sites and scenes, trails and towns over 2,000 miles of cycling along the East Coast.

Along the North Carolina coast is the historic shrimp boat at Phyllips Seafood in Swansboro, North Carolina.  It carries the reputation as the most photographed shrimp boat on the East Coast. During a lunch break I spotted it's gleaming white sides, which were almost blinding on this Carolina sunny day.  It's green swooping nets draped from the red lacquered crossbars.

This boat is covered with ropes and buoys, reels and rods, anchors and ladders, but the nets!  The nets!  I'm in love with the nets!  Carefully, I walked along the old greyed planks of the eroding deck in hopes of getting some images. A friendly gentleman in tall black boots approached.  He was obviously was a master shrimper with strong tired working hands...the keeper of the vessel....a sort of Forrest Gump. He invited me onboard and let me wander aimlessly snapping pictures.

When I finished I handed him a five dollar bill. He refused it. I said, "No.  I want you to have it. Give it to someone if you don't want to keep it." He took it and said, "Ok. I'll give it to Ronald McDonald House."  Then he told me of his 7 year old step son who has a degenerative brain disease, much like Alzheimers disease,  and is under hospice care.  OH MY GOODNESS I was speachless!!!!  He skyped the mom and we met over the phone.  Her son's name is Isaiah. What can I say.....

The treasures of the road.