Immediately prior to a local camera club meeting, I stopped by an adjacent bird rookery. It is a favorite spot for bird photographers and has a gazebo with picnic-like benches. A young man had a backpack on one of the tables, its contents spread out. He was repacking it and gathering some trash for the nearby receptacle. His name is Doug, but he goes by “D”, or “Little D”.

D is currently homeless, although on and off employed. He camps out with a friend whom he trusts, as he said that many homeless take advantage of each other, stealing, etc. Some become C.I.s, (Confidential Informants) for the police, and then turn around and shoplift from Target, or other local stores. D and Rick “have each other’s backs”.

Born in Georgia, D grew up in Macon. His parents currently have a home in this area. I did not ask why he could not find shelter there. I cannot overstate how open and friendly D was. And he seemed quite fastidious in his ‘housekeeping’.

I am disappointed in these images, as they do not reflect the feeling that I had at the time. I did e-mail them to D who replied that he liked them a lot. I don’t know where he was able to open the files, perhaps a local library.

Bob