My mother and step father, Steele “Sam” Gore and my mother Vivian Guest Gore lived in Valona for decades. I have taken endless photos of the area – in fact many are shots of the same places and buildings displayed here. I have talked with Hunter and Suzanne and bought live shrimp from them at the now closed building when the boats were at the dock off loading. And I pestered them to be allowed to wander on the shrimp docks – even then the dock was in disrepair. Many a morning I would sit on the dock with coffee and my parents’ black lab who was forever surprised by the dolphins leaping out of the water to tease her. Every visit I could see the shrimp boats looking shabbier as shrimpers were impacted by a variety of issues such of rising costs for fuel and even ice, as well as competing in a market place being flooded with less costly imported shrimp. Every Spring I think of those sweet Georgia browns – the most amazing tasting shrimp I have ever had! After a day in the sun, we’d head over to listen to Vic Waters play and sing or even go to a shrimp festival in Darien. It is so sad to see this way of life disappear.
My mother and step father, Steele “Sam” Gore and my mother Vivian Guest Gore lived in Valona for decades. I have taken endless photos of the area – in fact many are shots of the same places and buildings displayed here. I have talked with Hunter and Suzanne and bought live shrimp from them at the now closed building when the boats were at the dock off loading. And I pestered them to be allowed to wander on the shrimp docks – even then the dock was in disrepair. Many a morning I would sit on the dock with coffee and my parents’ black lab who was forever surprised by the dolphins leaping out of the water to tease her. Every visit I could see the shrimp boats looking shabbier as shrimpers were impacted by a variety of issues such of rising costs for fuel and even ice, as well as competing in a market place being flooded with less costly imported shrimp. Every Spring I think of those sweet Georgia browns – the most amazing tasting shrimp I have ever had! After a day in the sun, we’d head over to listen to Vic Waters play and sing or even go to a shrimp festival in Darien. It is so sad to see this way of life disappear.