St. Simons Island, ca. 1912. View of the Frederica River. Fort Frederica is to the left and just out of sight in this photograph. Source: Digital Library of Georgia from there collection "Vanishing Georgia"

The ghost of Mary still haunts the shores of St. Simons Island. After her beloved was lost to a stormy sea, she took her own life in despair. Now, she walks the moonlit beaches, lantern held high, forever waiting for a return that will never come. #PhantomFriday #StSimonsIsland #Georgia #Folklore

We gather for something special not just an event, a space to connect, reset, grow together.

Let’s grow through this together. 💖

#WomenRising #CommunityHealing #NVC #StSimonsIsland #CoastalGeorgia

Framed cargo ship, St Simons Island, Georgia

#Horizontal
#BlueskyArtShow #Photography #MobilePhotography #CargoShip #StSimonsIsland

Photowalk for mental health around St Simons Island, GA.

#photowalk #mentalhealth #Photography #pentaxwg8 #StSimonsIsland

Annual Conference - Georgia Narcotics Officers' Association The GNOA Board is excited to announce we will be having our annual training Conference at the King & Prince Resort in St. Simon’s Island on August 24 - 28th, 2026. We hope to see you there.

☕ WEB CHICK UPDATE
2026 Annual Conference
The GNOA Board is excited to announce the 2026 Annual Training Conference will be held at the King & Prince Resort on St. Simons Island.
📅 August 24, 2026 through August 28, 2026
#CommunityLeadership #StSimonsIsland #WebChickUpdate

St Simons Island Lighthouse, GA

#BlueskyArtShow #Clouds #MobilePhotography #Photography #StSimonsIsland #Lighthouse

@indivisible.org quickly organized 1,000+ events across the US to remember #ReneeNicoleGood and to call for real accountability and the end of ICE political occupations of major cities

Over 100 people assembled peacefully here in #StSimonsIsland Georgia and received many supportive honks and waves

Here’s a #cemetery #scape for multiple Friday themes. The cemetery is the Union Memorial and Strangers Cemetery here in #StSimonsIsland. I’ll provide more on this fascinating and important place in a future post.

#BWFri
#forestfriday
#scapeday
#EastCoastKin

Here’s a #mono treatment of the same #Anhinga drying its wings — different angle. I need to research gender and mating plummage to learn more about this bird, but like the way the photo turned out, so I am prematurely posting.

#BirdOfTheDay
#EastCoastKin
#birds
#georgiabirding
#stsimonsisland

The 2026 Calendars Are In!

www.mhbenton.photography/calendar
(click the link to view the months)

#photography #birds #calendar #2026calendar #stsimonsisland #glynncounty #glynncountyphotographer #mhbenton

Happy Friday, Blueskyers!

Here’s a simple #beachscape from a couple of days ago. It’s a bit of a cliche with beach umbrella ⛱️, but I thought it was fun 😊

Gotta admit that having beach days in the upper 70s in late November is pretty nice

#scapeday
#EastCoastKin
#coastalgeorgia
#stsimonsisland

The rhythmic receding surf leaves a irregular #bright path towards the mid-morning sun.

Not “high-art” by any stretch of the, but a pretty memory from our landing in a new home on #stsimonsisland in #coastalgeorgia

#BlueSkyArtShow

Adult tri-colored heron flying low over blue-green water of the salt marsh pong as the tide was rising.

Tri-colored Heron Over Marsh Pond

#avian #birds #shorebirds #photography #wildlife #heron #tricoloredheron #saltmarsh #pond #nature #glynncounty #stsimonsisland #mhbenton

This is from the archive. A lone Whimbel stands in perfect profile in a shallow spot in the marsh at sunset. I love the long, downward-curved beak (not quite long enough for a Curlew). The setting sun reflects brilliantly off of small ripples in the water’s surface, creating a jewel-like effect.

For today’s #BlueSkyArtShow #glow prompt, I offer a #Whimbrel in #profile and #silhouette, with a glowing/sparkling watery background. We even get a bit of #reflection at bottom right

A magical scene from the #marsh as #sundown approached

#birds
#waders
#marshlife
#coastalgeorgia
#stsimonsisland

Here’s a favourite #juvenilebird for today’s #BirdOfTheDay prompt.

This immature #WhiteIbis is taking in lovely late afternoon sun and patiently waiting for me to be done with its #portrait

#birds
#birding
#coastalgeorgia
#stsimonsisland
#marsh
#marshlife

A large yellow and black danger sign lies on its side after giving way to a king tide. The beach is almost completely covered by the tide. A partly sunny sky provides a nice backdrop.

Most definitely NOT a candidate for #TidesOutTuesday

Sometimes even the Danger sign needs its own Danger sign

A king #tide has basically disappeared the #beach at #GouldInlet on #StSimonsIsland

Sunrise on East Beach about a year ago

View of river and marsh from Gascoigne Park

A lovely backlit tree as the sun begins to set over Bloody Marsh — Mamés for a battle between English colonists and a Spanish attacking force. The English won and the Spanish returned to Florida with their tails between their legs.

My dear wife provides a silhouette on a sunset walk on East Beach

Hello BlueSky Crew!

Here’s an offering for today’s #home prompt

This is a small sample for our latest version of home, here on St Simons Island, GA

#BlueSkyArtShow
#StSimonsIsland
#CoastalGeorgia
#beach
#marsh
#sky
#clouds
#trees
#sunrise
#sunset

took a quick photowalk before the storm over on St Simons Island, GA.

#ssi #StSimonsIsland #Georgia #photography #pentaxwg8

A female Hooded Merganser leaves only a delicate wake as she glides across the pond surface. This was taken during this past winter at my favorite local birding pond at Harrington Park.

From the recent archive

A female #HoodedMerganser glides ever so delicately across the #smooth mirror #pond surface for today’s #BlueSkyArtShow

#birding
#pondlife
#wildlife
#stsimonsisland
#coastalgeorgia
#Silhouette

Time for the Southern Soul vs Beachcomber BBQ verdict. My Beachcomber review is in the post below. Southern Soul: pork +1.5. Generous 2-meal serving: +0.5. Beans +1. Potato salad +1. Closes at 8 pm -1. No live music -1. Southern Soul wins by 1 pt, but gotta say, Beachcomber is good. #StSimonsIsland

A walk on the beach, wondering how he got so big and full of ideas. #stsimonsisland #momcanweswimtoday

long exposure capturing 2 lightning bolts against a dark sky.

It was a pretty impressive storm last night!

DON'T TRY PHOTOGRAPHING LIGHTNING STANDING OUTSIDE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! IT'S DANGEROUS.

#weather #storm #thunderstorms #lightning #rain #mhbenton #stsimonsisland #glynncounty #goerogia

I grew up with alligators. As kids we swam in the same ponds they lived in. We knew the rules and felt in danger. It wasn't til the developers destroyed their habitat they got aggressive so of course they shot them. #StSimonsIsland

ATLANTA NIGHTLIFE on X: "#atlchat #bbq on #stsimonsisland #Georgia" / X #atlchat #bbq on #stsimonsisland #Georgia

x.com/atlgausa/sta...

#atlchat #Georgia

#bbq on #stsimonsisland

Leaving the 2025 #SoutheasternWritersAssociation conference and saying goodbye to #epworthbythesea. Tired but happy. #stsimonsisland is a nice piece of the old south. #WritersConference #OldSouth. #KenBoyd #WriteTillYouDie

Ken Boyd at Epworth by the Sea for the SWA Writers Conference

I'm at the #SoutheasternWritersAssociation annual conference. The grounds here at Epworth are incredible. #WritersConference #StSimonsIsland

#KenBoyd arriving at #EpworthByTheSea. I could do some writing here. #SoutheasternWritersAssociation #StSimonsIsland #WritersConference

Here’s an offering for #BlueSkyMonday

The #BlueSky shares the scene with lovely evening #clouds and a vast, lush #marsh

#stsimonsisland #coastalgeorgia #marshlife #naturephotography

Did someone say it’s #WoodStorkWednesday?

This solitary stork appears to stoically survey the adjacent #marsh with a spotless #bluesky as a backdrop

#birds #birding #coastalgeorgia #stsimonsisland

For #BlueSkyMonday

Here’s a little #dunescape / #skyscape from the local #beach

I like all the different shapes and textures while maintaining a modicum of #minimalism

I also like the bend of the sea grass indicating the direction of the breeze

#stsimonsisland #coastalgeorgia