This blog is for my insights on life, the Bible, hiking adventures with my grandson and whatever is important to me
Photo Credit:©️2025 Dave Schmitt … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Shore Acres Lily Pond; Shore Acres State Park; Coos Bay, Oregon, USA
God Bless. Have a fabulous day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Video: Created with Google Photos Highlight Video Editor
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Keep on Rolling and keep on keeping on. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen Which ways on a cloudy or stormy day for this week’s theme. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.
Here are my Which Ways entries:
Whether traveling by car or hiking on foot there are times we run across storms and/or clouds in our pathways/roadways. These are a few examples of what we have endured in our adventures.
Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.
For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.
TGeriatrix’s From Spain to Portugal
Brian’s Arrows (point the way)
Dawn’s Which Way: Down Dunlap Creek
Pepper’s Off to an Adventure
Sandy’s A Path Through Luscious Color
Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Which ways on a cloudy or stormy day
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP): Wednesday-Downpour
Photo Credit:©️2017-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhones 7 Plus; 14 Pro Max; and 16 Pro Max
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike/Walk. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: Next week we will be looking at Any Which Ways with People.
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … AlL Rights Reserved
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF75-300mm lens
Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden (now called Daniel Stowe Conservancy); Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Admire the Flowers. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week Leanne is hosting the Monochrome Madness challenge. She has chosen a theme of Movement to spark our interest and inspire our creativity.
Here are my selections for the challenge …
We arrive at the Town’s concert early not just to obtain our choice seats, but also to allow Coleman to run around with friends and burn off excess excitement and energy prior to the start of the concert events.
Coleman enjoys rolling down the slight hill in our Centennial Center Park.
He was challenging a friend to hop on one foot and she was trying to show him how to do cartwheels. They had a fun time playing together last Friday evening.
Before long it was time for the Rick Hubbard’s Kazoobie Kazoo Kids Show. Rick was an outstanding guest musician entertaining the audience and involving the kids in attendance in his show. Here he is playing both a banjo and a Kazoo while entertaining everyone in attendance.
The second event for the evening was a Concert by the Caleb Davis Band. Prior to any show the band warms up making sure their sound system is working properly and their instruments are properly tuned and ready for the show.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #41-Movement
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Capture the beauty all around you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Cramerton Police Department operates many different types of vehicles to maintain order in the Cramerton area. Besides Police cars, SUV’s and a Police boat; it also operates a Polaris Government and Defense vehicle which delivers performance and reliability for mission-driven demands regardless of what the need or terrain might be.
The Polaris off-road defense vehicle helps our Cramerton Police Department to protect our town and its residents safe. It is fully equipped with sirens, emergency lighting, and a PA system. The Polaris Police Off-Road vehicle is able to go places where a regular police cruiser wouldn’t be able to and is an excellent addition to our Police Department, especially in a town surrounded by the South Fork Catawba River and several Greenways out trails.
The Police and the Polaris Police vehicle presence was highly visible out our Town Concert last weekend. The Policeman was kind enough to give some young curious Concert attendees a demonstration of the Polaris Police Off-Road vehicle and even allowed them to sit in the vehicle while he demonstrated all the vehicles amazing features. For his kindness I am eternally grateful. (If you look closely, Coleman is seated in the driver’s side of the vehicle.)
Dan’s Thursday Doors: 08.21.2025
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Hope to see y’all on Friday for the Which Way Challenge. This week the Which Ways will be CWWC: Which ways on a cloudy or stormy day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Sofia Alves is the host for this week’s Lens-Artist Challenge. The basis for her theme this week is Looking Back to the past #20-Doors and Doorways hosted by Tina.
I have chosen to Look Back to past doors I’ve photographed in 2023 at the Daniel Stowe Conservancy. These are Artistic Doors painted by various local artists displayed with the Stowe Gardens.
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #361-Looking Back to #20-Doors
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm and EF75-300mm lenses
Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday- 20 August 2025
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy all of Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Dan from No Facilities is the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge. He is doing an amazing job guiding us with his theme prompts keeping this challenge alive. His theme for this week is Time of Day-Evening.
The selections I chose were all taken at a recent town concert from early evening to mid-evening in Cramerton, North Carolina. The Town held a Back to School Kids Show and Concert. I discussed the Kids Show in my Six Word Saturday post you can check out by clicking here. For this CFFC post I’m mainly sharing scenes from the Evening’s Concert featuring the Caleb Davis Band.
The Caleb Davis with the Caleb Davis Band has an impressive musical background and training. According to his Facebook profile Caleb plays a wide range of musical genres and toured as a sideman with numerous Country, Gospel, and R&B acts. Around 2009 he formed the Caleb Davis Band with his long-time friend Justin Morehead. They have been working to form their own signature sound and groove.
Coleman and I only managed to stay for the beginning portion of the Concert featuring the Caleb Davis Band. Even though their background information states that they play a wide range of genres, the music we heard the band playing lean more towards the heavy metal genre style of music. That style of music is definitely not what I consider my favourite genre of music. It was so loud and blaring Coleman was covering his ears, it was extremely difficult to listen. After leaving the concert, the volume was so loud we could still hear it from our house several blocks away. Their musical style may be fine for some who like that type of music, however, we will not be listening to it again.
Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Evening
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week. Hope to see y’all on Friday with the Which Way Challenge (CWWC). We will be discovering Which ways on a cloudy or stormy day for this Friday’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC). Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 206. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Here are my entries …
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️1979-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take time to admire Nature’s Beauty. Smell the flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This American Green Tree Frog paid us a visit and chose to hang around for a while. It was to our surprise when we opened the front door and saw him looking at us looking at him. To him, it was the most natural thing in the world for him to hang around on our front storm door.
The American Green Tree Frog is a common adaptable amphibian found in the Southeastern United States. [We had previously seen them in our yard blended in with the grass, but not usually hanging on our front door.] They are known for their bright green colour, large toe pads, and ability to change color based on temperature and activity.
The American Green Tree Frogs are often found near water sources like ponds, lakes, and marshes. [I know we live near a river and frogs are quite frequently spotted in the area, but on our door was unexpected.] They play a role in controlling insect populations. [This is always a good thing.]
These frogs eat small insects and other invertebrates like crickets, moths and flies. They can often be found clinging to windows or walls, trying to feed on insects that are attracted to light. [We learn something new everyday. Now we now that it is normal behavior for the Green Tree Frog to cling onto our storm door especially since it is a glass door.]
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Our Home; Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Be kind. Love your Neighbour (even strange ones). Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Looking out over the Neighbourhood …
In the evening while observing the full moon in the sky I inadvertently captured the Neighbourhood windows across the street from us. It seemed like an amazingly picturesque scene.
Click on each image to enlarge.
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) Sunday-Neighborhood
Cosmic Photo Challenge-As the Sun Goes Down
See Monday Window posts in Reader
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on images for enlarged Viewing
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters
Camera:Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Terri’s Sunday Stills-Wings and Feathers
Photo Credit:©️2015-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a fabulous week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Leave No Trace means to carry out what you bring in to nature. Minimize your impact on natural environments. Leave an area as pristine as possible (even better than you found it). The idea is to ensure that the next visitor would barely know anyone else had been there.
Not everyone practises Leave No Trace as is recommended. Too often when we go hiking on various trails, regardless of whether the trails are in Greenways, Local, State, or National Parks, people will leave Litter by the side of trails, amongst the trees, and around campsites.
“Please Take Nothing
Quote Origin disputed – Chief Seattle or James Brewer, or National Geographic Society
But Pictures
Leave Nothing
But Footprints”
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Litter
Photo Credit: ©️2023-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF75-300mm and EF-S55-250mm lenses.
Location: As Stated in captions.
God Bless. Please be sure to Leave No Trace, no Litter left behind. Take only Pictures, kill nothing but time. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on image to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: AJSP Lake; Andrew Jackson State Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike. Enjoy all of God’s Beautiful Creations. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Early Morning:
Evening:
Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rick Hubbard’s Great American Kid Show was the pre-show for Friday night’s Concert Series in Cramerton, North Carolina on August 15th.
Rick Hubbard has performed nationwide in country, rock, folk, and jazz bands.
He’s performed across the USA as a stand-up comedian in clubs, colleges, and cruise ships.
His family entertainment show, “The Kazoobie Kazoo Show” has appeared at festivals, events, theaters, and resorts, including Disney World, The Seattle International Children’s Festival,
and The Kennedy Center.
In this show every kid gets a chance to be on stage, and for the grand finale, everyone gets a free kazoo and joins Rick’s marching kazoo band. It’s Kazoobie!
Rick Hubbard puts on a show in Centennial Center entertaining kids and adults alike. He believes in KAOS. What does he mean by Kaos?
Rick plays two guitars, a banjo, and a kazoo not all at the same time, but sometimes more than one at once. He is a talented entertainer who interacts effortlessly with his audience involving them in his show.
Cramerton’s kids being apart of his Great American Kids Show …
While Rick is entertaining kids and adult audiences he is also educating them in word meanings, guiding them through his music about being friends and following directions.
In the last part of this Rick Hubbard’s Great American Kids Show he informs everyone about what a Kazoo is, where it is made, and how best to play a Kazoo.
Every kid in attendance received a free Kazoo they could keep after playing them as part of the show’s Grand Finale Kazoo Band.
Click on images for enhanced enlarged viewing.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. No unauthorized use of any images are permitted without the express consent of the author (me).
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Enjoy the great outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Sunflower
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
God Bless. Have a Sunshiny weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Clare from Clare’s Cosmos invites everyone to join her in Sharing Your Desktop (SYD). Below are her suggestions for participating in the Share Your Desktop Challenge .
To do so, simply share the photo (not a screenshot) you have set as your wallpaper; Provide as little or as much detail as you wish; Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun; Then finally, share the fun around.
I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.
Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:
From My HP Laptop:
Desktop Background Wallpaper
Desktop Screensaver
From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:
Focus
Personal Focus
Reading Focus
Hiking Focus
Click on each image for enlarged viewing.
Clare’s Share Your Desktop-August
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
God Bless. Having a Wonderful Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen Any Which Way (Your Choice) for this week’s theme. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.
Here are my Which Ways entries:
Coleman hiking on the Disc Golf Trail at Goat Island Park and Greenway.
Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.
For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.
Brian from Bushboys World’s Shadows (show the way)
TGeriatrix from Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Which Way with shadows
Judy from Life Lessons’s For Deb’s Which Way Challenge with Shadows
Sandy from Out of My Write Mind’s Any Way Will Do Just Fine
Heidi from writestuff4u2c.com’s Shadows and/or silhouettes, Monochrome Madness #40 – Backlighting
Pepper from HeavensSunshine’s Deep Into a Tunnel
Dawn from The Day After’s Back Road Silhouette in BnW
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments .
Locations: Disc Golf Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike/Walk. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with e. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 16 Pro Max
God Bless. Have a terrific fun-filled weekend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States. The discovery of gold from this mine gradually influenced gold mining to nearby counties and eventually into other southern states. During the gold mining peak years, it was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed. The estimated value of gold recovered reached over one million dollars a year. North Carolina led the nation in gold production until 1848, when it was eclipsed by the great rush to California.
The Reed Gold Mine is located in Midland, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark because of its importance and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At this location there is an underground mine that is open for self-guided tours, historic structures, a visitor center, trails, monuments, and outdoor exhibits.
Dan’s Thursday Doors: 08.14.2025
Photo Credit:©️2014 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Location: Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site; President James K. Polk State Historic Site; Pineville, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Hope to see y’all on Friday for the Which Way Challenge. This week the Which Ways will be your choice. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Monochrome Madness
Hi-ho, hi-ho, It’s off to school He goes.
Hi-ho, hi-ho, It’s off to the Bus-stop He goes.
Hi-ho, hi-ho, It’s off for the First day He goes.
Hi-ho, hi-ho, Waiting at the Bus-stop We Wait.
Hi-ho, hi-ho, And at the Bus-stop We Wait.
Hi-ho, hi-ho, We Wait and Wait …
Hi-ho, hi-ho, We Wait; Oh it’s coming … Bye Grandma.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic rest of your week and weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2020 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. No unauthorized use permitted.
Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Location: Andrew Jackson State Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take time to smell the flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This morning a flatbed tractor trailer came to deliver a pallet of wood to the house across the road which is be renovated from the inside out. Coleman with his natural curiosity and helpful nature decided to investigate. When the truck driver was done with his delivery he began to toss straps across the flatbed trailer to tie down the rest of his load. As I stood watching, Coleman thought he needed some assistance and proceeded to cross the street and give his willing assistance in fastening the straps from the other side of the truck hooking them together as the driver instructed. The truck driver was polite and good natured willing to allow Coleman to assist him and show him kindness.
Guess I got carried away experimenting with a few effects for the image. I’m leaving y’all with a collage of Coleman being a good assistant.
One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge-August 2025
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Photo Processing done with PS Express (Mobile version) & Pixlr
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a terrific rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday-13 August 2025
Photo Credit:©️2019 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy all of Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Who was Robert Palone and Why is the Palone Barber Shop in a Museum? Those are two excellent questions. Let me begin by telling you about the Palone Barber Shop in relation to Robert Palone.
Robert Palone owned a Barber Shop where he was a renowned barber for nearly sixty (60) years. [That’s a long time to successfully run a business and work in a field.] He was admired and respected by his customers and his community. Prior to owning and operating a barber shop, Robert served in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
Besides being a Barber and owning his own successful Barber Shop; Robert and his wife, Lorene (McKee) Palone owned and operated the Landers Brothers Grocery Store in Delaware, Oklahoma. Robert Palone and Lorene McKee were married on June 26, 1950. In 2020 they celebrated their seventieth (70) wedding anniversary, a milestone in and of itself. Robert passed away just two shirt months after their 70th anniversary. [Side Note: I was supposed to be able to meet them in person and join the family in their celebration, however, with the COVID-19 lockdown that occurrence didn’t happen.]
Lorene McKee Palone lived another four years after his passing. After which the Palone family donated everything you see in the second image which was once owned by Robert & Lorene and was used and contained within the Palone Barber Shop to the Nowata Museum. The Nowata Museum is run by the Nowata County Historical Society in Delaware, Oklahoma. Everything that was furnished by the Palone family was used to construct a new exhibit depicting a mid century barber shop.
Let’s now move on to who Robert Palone and his significance to me personally. Robert connects to me through his wife Lorene’s mother’s side of the family. Lorene’s mother was my maternal grandmother’s sister. Therefore, Lorene is my maternal cousin making us family and hence, making Robert my family as well. Do you understand now who Robert Palone is and his story’s importance to me?
Photos were given to me by the Palone family.
Location: Delaware, Oklahoma, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Dan from No Facilities is the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge. He is doing an amazing job guiding us with his theme prompts keeping this challenge alive. His theme for this week is Time of Day-Afternoon. I am combining this week’s challenge with Sunny Sunday, Weekend Sky, Judy’s Numbers Game #85-207, and Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #275.
Let’s start off today by admiring our Sunday Afternoon Weekend Sky …
It was wonderful to enjoy an amazing afternoon with beautiful Skies after so many rainy days and with more rain expected.
Now on to capturing Coleman’s many antics and expressions as he meanders here and there through Goat Island Park and Greenway.
There is more to share of our adventurous Sunny Sunday afternoon, however, I’ll wait for Friday’s Which Way Challenge to share them. This Friday I am allowing y’all to choose your own Which Ways you’d like to share with us.
Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Time of Day_Afternoon
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #275
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachments.
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Get Outdoors and enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Good friends of our are having their dream home built from scratch, the ground up.
They have been monitoring the construction progress from the beginning being observant and taking note to ensure everything is being done to their satisfaction.
It won’t be much longer, barring complications or inspection delays, before they’ll be able to move in and add their own finishing touches the inside of their new home.
Click on each image to enlarge.
See Monday Window posts in Reader
Photo Credit:©️2025 Jim Elder … All Rights Reserved.
Location: New Home Location; Elder Residence; Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Floral Macros
Click on images for enlarged Viewing
Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge-Close Up
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Location: Centennial Center; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week I am combining the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge with Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge .
As Coleman and I walked through the woods and around the newly renovated playground at Goat Island Park and Greenway, I noticed all the lines and patterns in the equipment along with all the shades of tan, beige, and every shade of light brown imaginable.
The slide on this playground was once green, and very much broken after Hurricane Helene. It took months and months of waiting for a new slide to arrive and installation to be complete. The months and months of waiting due to delays upon delays was difficult and disappointing for the children (you know how impatient children of all ages can be). It doesn’t matter whether you call the new slide tan or beige or whatever floats your boat, it only matters that the children once again have a slide to play on.
Looking carefully at the slide and playground equipment one may notice all the curvy lines all forming patterns in various aspects of the equipment.
Leaving the playground for a short walk we encounter more tan, beige, & light brown as well as some interesting lines and patterns.
Can you see all the lines, patterns, and various shades of beige, tan, and light brown? This afternoon was a pleasant and delightful afternoon spent with Coleman and his exuberance.
Terri’s Sunday Stills: Monthly Colour Challenge -August_Tan, Beige, and/or peachy shades
Lens-Artists Challenge #359 – Tools of Photo Composition: Lines, Colors, and Patterns
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachments.
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Get Outside and enjoy the beauty in Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Double
Photo Credit:©️2020-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a Doubly awesome day and week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Remembering a fun family trip with my daughter and granddaughter to the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. This upcoming week my granddaughter will turn twelve (12). These are memories from when she was four (4).
Her mom and I took her down to Columbia, South Carolina to visit the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. It was a special time and memories I will always cherish. [She currently lives with her father & he does not allow her to visit with us even though there is a shared custody agreement.]
Alona enjoyed being able to pet the goats and other animals in the children’s petting area.
As well as the merry-go-round and all the amazing animals located within the Zoo.
Every time we came near any of the animal sculptures she thought she had to go up and climb on them. It made for some interesting poses (or lack of posing).
After a long tiring day, we stopped at the entrance/exit area for one final photo opportunity before traveling back home through Great Falls, Lancaster, and finally to get home in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2025.08.10
Throwback Thursday (on Sunday)
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Riverbanks Zoo and Garden; Columbia, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Memories are precious. Treasure your memories. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Beeutiful Calendula officinalis
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Location: The Garden in the Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stop and enjoy the Flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Looking back to a trip my daughter and I took to visit (meet in person) cousins from my mother’s side of the family in Coshocton, Ohio.
There is an area in Coshocton known as the Historic Roscoe Village. The Historic Roscoe Village is an 1830 Restored Canal Town. Roscoe Village began as a small port town in 1816 after a bankrupt merchant bet that rural farmers would rather do business there than have to shell out 25 cents for the ferryboat to Coshocton.
Today, the restored Roscoe Village stands as a testament to Ohio’s bygone Canal era.
The Frances Montgomery Memorial Garden is one of nine gardens in Roscoe Village and is located near the Visitors’s Center. This Garden is dedicated to honor Mrs. Frances Montgomery and her passion for gardening. The Gardens are planted throughout this restored 1800’s canal town.
The flower beds were created in the early 1970’s by Frances Montgomery out of her love for gardening. Many of the gardens have historical significance and assist in the education mission of Roscoe Village.
Click images to enlarge.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 32
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Commune with Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️2012 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Motorola Photon MB855
Settings: f/2.6 • 1/909 & 1/769 • 4.73mm • ISO100
Location: Central Ohio Technical College (COTC); Newark, Ohio, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Please click on image to enlarge.
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2021 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Location: Lake Wylie, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stop and smell the flowers. Admire their beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Moses Cone Carriage House is a significant historical structure located within the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and just a short hike from the Cone Manor.
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and the Moses Cone Carriage House is located near Milepost 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Cone Carriage House was part of the expansive Flat Top Manor estate, built by textile magnate Moses H. Cone and his wife Bertha at the turn of the 20th century.
The estate included the manor house, about 500 acres of farmland, Flat Top Mountain, Rich Mountain, and a vast system of carriage trails.
The Carriage House housed carriages and other equipment used to maintain the estate’s approximately 25 miles of carriage trails. The Carriage House has been preserved as a historical structure within the park, it might possibly be used for maintenance or interpretive exhibits related to the estate’s history.
The Carriage House may not be a prominent visitor attraction on its own, however, it contributes to the overall historical and natural experience of the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, which also includes the Flat Top Manor (the Cone’s former residence), orchards, lakes, and extensive carriage trails.
Note: This section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is open for the public.
Dan’s Thursday Doors: 2025.08.07
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Moses Cone Carriage House; Moses H. Cone Memorial Park; Milepost 294; Blue Ridge Parkway; Watauga County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Get Outdoors and enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen Any Which Way with Shadows and/or silhouettes for this week’s theme. Shadows can be on any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.
Here are my entries …
Coleman’s Shadows/Silhouettes
Taken at Goat Island Park and Greenway at the end of the Riverlink Greenway Trail located in Cramerton, North Carolina.
Trees and their Leaves Shadows
The above Shadows were captured at the Lake Haigler Entrance of the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Up And Down?
Brian from Bushboys World’s Lines (show the way)
Dawn from The Day After’s Way of the Fence Line
Pepper from HeavensSunshine’s A Straight and Crooked Path
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1-2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments; 3-7) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Locations: As Stated Above
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy a hike/walk in Nature. Admire Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Mark Watson (my cousin) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Ohio State Fair; Columbus, Ohio, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Look all around, there’s Brown everywhere you look out in nature. From the ground, to boardwalks, and even to the varying kinds of animals which roam around in the woods, in farms, and even in many greenways. Here are a few examples of Brown I have discovered.
Click on each image for enlarged views.
Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge – Brown
Photo Credit:©️2019-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Explore Nature. Capture its Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday-06 August 2025
Photo Credit:©️2019 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone XR
Location: Andrew Jackson State Park, Lancaster, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy all of Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 206. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Here are my entries …
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️1968-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Dan Antion is the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge. This week he is continuing with a perspective theme of Time of Day focusing on Morning.
We have had several thunderstorms this week, so therefore we haven’t been out and about much. Instead I’m reminiscing about a trip I took a few years ago with my oldest son for his birthday adventure. Since he wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, I was more than happy to ride along with him.
My entries for this week’s challenge are views from just one of our stops we sidetracked on during his Mountain adventure.
Bluff Mountain Overlook is located at Milepost 243.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a popular destination along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Bluff Mountain is visible from the Bluff Mountain Overlook. It offers breathtakingly spectacular views.
On a clear day, Bluff Mountain’s visibility is remarkably satisfying and amazingly delightful to gaze upon from the Overlook. At this point in our adventure clear visibility was not to be had, but that did not deter ills from looking around or venturing on a short hike along the Bluff Mountain Trail which is easily accessible from the Bluff Mountain Overlook.
Bluff Mountain Trail passes through grassy meadows and includes a challenging switchback ascent called Alligator Back. Alligator Back is a short twenty (20) minute walk from Bluff Overlook.
Until recently Predatory Birds and Mammals, those which preyed on other animals or were in conflict with humans, were termed “Varmints” and killed on sight. Fortunately, modern Ecology proves the vital interdependency of all wild plants and animals. Today Hawks and Owls, Black Bears, Bobcats, Foxes and Snakes continue to roam Parklands like this and help preserve the delicate balance of nature. [Informational notice on sign.]
We hiked all around the overlook investigating the Predator area scenic views. To the right in the photo above and in the picture below is my eldest son, John. He is not normally into hiking, but he accommodated me in my thrill to explore the sights and perspective landscapes available to observe, explore, and admire.
As we drove further along the Blue Ridge Parkway our visibility improved dramatically unlike when we parked here at this location and the Air Bellows Overlook.
Looking forward to checking out all your Morning Scenes. Hope to see y’all on Friday for the Which Way Challenge. This week we’ll be including Shadows in our Which Ways. Interested in finding more details about the Which Way challenge click here.
Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Morning
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus Wide and Telephoto Cameras
Location: Bluff Mountain Overlook; Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Yaquina Head Light, also known early in its existence as the Cape Foulweather Lighthouse is a lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States, established in 1873. The tower stands 93 feet (28 m) tall, and is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon.
The Lighthouse was made in Paris in 1868 and shipped to Oregon. The Yaquina Head Light was initially lit on August 20, 1873 and it was automated in 1966. It is active with an identifying light characteristic of two seconds on, two seconds off, two seconds on, and 14 seconds off.
Yaquina Head typically had three lighthouse keepers under the U.S. Lighthouse Service; a Head Keeper, and First and Second Assistant. In 1939 the U.S. Coast Guard took over the management.
The lighthouse lantern is operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitors offshore bird rookeries and wildlife. The lighthouse still uses its original 1868 French-made, 1st order, Fixed Fresnel lens, visible 19 miles (31 km) out to sea.
See Monday Window posts in Reader
Photo Credit:©️2025 Mark Wheeler … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Yaquina Head Light; Newport, Lincoln County, Oregon, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
On a beautiful sunny summer day, who wants to eat indoors? Why not enjoy the beautiful weather and enjoy the delicious Greek Gyros at a dining table outside?
That’s exactly what we did. We went inside, ordered our Greek Gyros with Grilled Veggies and went outside to enjoy our food under the shade of an umbrella in the beautiful sunshine.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 31
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: The Greek Grill; Tega Cay, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get out and enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on each image for enlarged viewing
Photo Credit: ©️2025 Mark Watson … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Brown Sheep Building; Ohio State Fair; Columbus, Ohio, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Yucca gloriosa species is known by the common names moundlily yucca and soft-tipped yucca. The Yucca gloriosa is also known as Roman candle, candle yucca, palm lily, and Spanish needle.
Yucca gloriosa is caulescent, usually with several stems arising from the base, the base thickening in adult specimens. The leaves are long narrow, straight and very stiff. [The tips of the leaves are extremely sharp to the touch.]
The inflorescence is a panicle up to 2.5 m (8 ft) long, of bell-shaped white flowers, sometimes tinged purple or red. The fruit is a leathery, elongate berry up to 8 cm (3 in) long. [We have not seen or noticed the berries on the Yucca plant as of yet.]
The habitat for Yucca gloriosa is normally on exposed sand dunes along the coast and barrier islands of the lower East Coast of the United States. [There are two (2) of the Yucca gloriosa grown as ornament plants on our front lawn.]
Yucca gloriosa has been known to cause skin irritation and even allergic reactions upon contact. The leaf points are even sharp enough to break the skin.
Click on image for enlarged Viewing
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Ultra Wide Camera
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Pull Up a Seat Challenge is hosted on Friday’s by XingfuMama at XingfuMama.blog. This will be my first Pull Up a Seat post for 2026. You may find out more about the Pull Up a Seat Challenge by clicking here.
This A & W had an area set up where you could take a photo with “Rooty, The Great Root Bear.”
Coleman had to kneel on a high stool chair to reach the hole to stick his head out into Rooty’s face.
XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Challenge 2026 — Week 1
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion & Ultra Wide
Location: A & W Restaurant; 2270 Harry Byrd Hwy; Darlington, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Sharing happiness and love for 2026. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour. I am posting my last 2025 Floral images (December 31,2025) as my first Flower Hour post for 2026.
Also posting to Remember …
Bren’s Floral Friday
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: By Dinopark; Broadway at the Beach; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Wishing y’all the best life filled with love, peace, and joy in 2026. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge. This Friday’s Which Way Challenge theme is CWWC: Any Which Way with People . Your Which Ways can be Any Which Way on any Road, Pathways, Walkways, Sidewalks, Hallways, and or Stairs, etc. as long as your Which Ways are clearly visible.
First off, Happy 2026 Everyone! Did you stay awake to bring in the New Year? Did you watch any Fireworks? My daughter and I somehow managed to barely stay awake till midnight to see the New Year arrive. The only fireworks we say were those on the television as the annual ball dropped from New York. We did hear them in our location prior to midnight, but did not venture out anywhere in the chilly night air to watch them being shot off over the ocean.
Here are my contributions … These are a continuation of Cramerton’s Christmas Parade.
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Dawn’s Looking Back on Christmas
Suzette’s For Deb’s CWWC— Any Which Way With Vehicles
Margo’s Which Way with Vehicles
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Parade Route; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy New Year! Take Care. Stay Safe. Enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
• NOTE: For next week the theme will be CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice)
Click on images to enlarge.
Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.01.01
God Bless. Happy 2026! Happy New Year! Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Brian from Bushboys World hosts a monthly challenge called Last On the Card. His rules are simple to follow if you’re interested in participating.
Here are The rules:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th or whenever your last photo was taken.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard
Here are mine for December …
From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):
From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:
Click on each image to enlarge.
God Bless. Happy New Year! Happy 2026! Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on image to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
God Bless. Have a terrific rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Ragtag Daily Prompt-Evanescent
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens plus Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy New Year! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D ( Rebel T7) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Happy New Year! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Gibson House; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a bright beautifully terrific week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click image to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This Christmas was the very first Christmas for Sophia Ruthann Wilson; she entered into our family on December 9, 2025 at 2:47 am. Coleman is a proud big brother as can be seen from some of the photos.
Here are a “few” shots I captured to remember her First Christmas … (Sharing with my daughter’s permission).
Photo Credit: 2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Plus; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; and Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens.
Location: Wilson/Waters Home; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy New Year! 2026 will soon be here. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
“Welcome in! Let the warmth of the season fill your heart.”
On Christmas Eve, we opted to treat ourselves to dining out at a restaurant we hadn’t tried before, but had heard fantastic things about it. Where did we go? We chose to eat our Dinner (at noontime) at Amber Jack Seafood & Steaks Restaurant. It turned out we weren’t the only ones who decided that it would be a perfect time for a delicious meal.
The first thing we see as we approach the restaurant’s front doors are a couple of Welcoming Christmas Wreaths. The entrance to the restaurant was also decorated with strings of white lights, Christmas garland, and a small Christmas tree right beside the front doors.
Not only was the restaurant’s outdoor are all decked out for the holidays, but the inside was as well. The Christmas decor helped to make the environment extremely welcoming and inviting us to Pull Up a Seat and enjoy a relaxingly pleasant dining experience.
My daughter chose to have the Sirloin Tips Over Rice, Coleman had Chicken Tenders (but ended up not wanting to eat them), and I treated myself to a plate of Broiled Mahi-Mahi filet with fried okra and fried squash. They started us off with a delicious bowl of minestrone soup (it was tasty & I devoured both mine and Coleman’s since he didn’t want to eat it.) They also served us a basket of fried hush puppies, which also were pleasing to the appetite.
The food and service were exceptional. It was well worth the price the food ( especially mine) was very flavourful and mouthwatering scrumptiously delicious. I would highly recommend Amber Jack Seafood & Steaks Restaurant to anyone and everyone who lives or is ever near one to go on in and delight yourselves with the tremendously appetizing food.
“Like these evergreens, may our hospitality offer strength and renewal to all who gather here.”
Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC)-Wreath
XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Amber Jack Seafood & Steaks Restaurant; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Hope y’all had a wonderful Holiday and have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge. This Friday’s Which Way Challenge theme is CWWC: Any Which Way with Vehicles. Your Which Ways can be Any Which Way on any Road, Pathways, Walkways, Sidewalks, Stairs, etc. as long as your Which Ways are clearly visible.
Here are my contributions …
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Dawn’s Which Way in the Sleigh
Chava61’s 2025 Which Way Challenge With A Holiday Theme
Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Looking for a Xmas Tree
gwh photos2’s CWWC Holiday Season – December 19, 2025
Suzette’s For Deb’s – Any Which Way —Holiday Theme Part 2
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Parade Route; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take Care. Stay Safe. Enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
• NOTE: For next week the theme will be CWWC: Any Which Way with People.
Skywatching at Goat Island Park and Greenway … The sky was beautiful and captivating amazingly drawing attention to the Creator of all that is, was, and will be.
Click on image to enlarge.
Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2025.12-19
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take Care. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Last night Coleman and I attended our church’s Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It was an evening to celebrate the Birth of Jesus through the singing of Carols, Lighting the final Advent Candle ( the White Candle), and partaking of Communion.
The White Candle in the Advent Wreath is placed in the center and is either lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The White Candle is called the Christ Candle. It is generally lit on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It symbolizes Christ’s purity, holiness, and his role as “The Light of the World” who overcomes the darkness, thus fulfilling the Hope and anticipation of the season.
The outer four Advent Candles (3 purple, & 1 pink) mark the Sundays of Advent. They represent Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. The White Candle signifies the arrival of Jesus Christ as the Pure, Sinless Saviour. All throughout Advent, the lighting of the Candles each week including the Center White Candle all point to the coming of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World. The purpose in lighting the Advent Candles especially the White Candle is to remind Christians that Jesus is the fulfillment of Advent prophecies as well as the true light which brings Hope, Salvation, and Peace into the World.
Near the conclusion of the service, during Communion, all in attendance light their individual candles from the Advent Christ candle. The lighting of individual candles from the Christ candle symbolizes our individual roles as bearers of Christ’s “Light to the World.” It creates a powerful visual of the Gospel spreading to all the World.
Happy Birthday Jesus! Feliz Navidad! Frohe Weihnachten! Feliz Natal! Merry Christmas to one and all.
God Bless. Have a wonderful rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
“Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto thee …” (Acts 3:6)
You might not think this would apply to this time of year, however, I think it very much applies to. Presents, I do not need; but your Presence would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.
When Jesus was born, the Magi (also referred to as Wise Men) brought gifts (Presents) of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They came not just with their Presents, but also with their Presence. The Wise Men came to show their respect by being Present and giving Presents with significant meaning and importance.
The gift of Gold was honourable and symbolically respectful of Jesus’ Kingship and royalty. The gift of Frankincense signified their worship of the newborn king, honouring Jesus’ divinity and priesthood. The gift of Myrrh was a foretelling of Jesus’ mortality, suffering, and impending death. The Presents, from the Magi, acknowledged Jesus as King, God, and Savior. They also served practical purposes for Joseph and Mary to help meet their needs.
Yes, we all like to receive Presents during this holiday season, but Presents are not as important to me as having your Presence here with me. Now I know children (aka Coleman) does not understand that our Presence together is more meaningful than receiving Presents. One day, he may learn and appreciate our Presence together, but for now he should would enjoy receiving Presents for Christmas.
Ragtag Daily Prompt: Tuesday! Present! — 12.23.2025
God Bless. Merry Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.
My first day of being Sophia Ruthann’s Grandma was filled with mixed emotions. The day started super, super early, it began with a tremendous amount of anticipation.
Then, excitement grew from the depths of my soul and joy filled my heart. I was so elated bursting with excitement and happiness that the moment had finally arrived when Sophia graced us with her presence.
And by the end of the day exhaustion set in and a whole nother set of emotions consumed me. I was drained of energy, extremely tired, and filled with sadness. Sadness because I felt like I wasn’t needed and jealousy overwhelmed me. I felt like my daughter was depending on her coworker to assist with her every need and I was just in the way. Too exhausted to say anything, I kept silent and sat there watching and waiting for my turn to hold my precious new granddaughter.
Dealing (or rather not dealing) with 🖤 emotions, keeping everything hidden inside I’m absorbed with intense internal pain and jealousy, not understanding how I (my opinion only) could be sidelined and made to fell unimportant in the grand scheme of Sophia’s birth and life.
#Daily Prompt-2151
God Bless. Thank you for visiting, listening, and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Merry Christmas Eve!
Click on image to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
God Bless. Have a terrific rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week Dale has chosen a theme of A Winter’s Walk for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge. Instead of just one winter walk I decided to do a combination of several different Winter Hikes which Coleman and I have taken over the years.
Here are my contributions …
Click on each image to enlarge.
Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge – A Winter’sWalk
Photo Credit:©️2020-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 226. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Here are my entries …
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Take Care. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Looking through my photos I ran across a bench from one of our hiking adventures I don’t think I’ve shared before, so I thought I would share it today.
Jude’s Bench Challenge-2025.12.22
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 51
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: By Lake Crandall; Trekker Loop; Adventure Road Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a blessed Christmas Holiday Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Dan, the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is asking us to share photos of Festive or Bland. With so many challenges seeking Festive images I chose to go Bland instead for this week’s Fun Foto Challenge.
Here are my contributions …
Click on each image to enlarge.
Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Festive or Bland
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: You might want to take a look at this Friday’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) (another one of Cee’s challenges) to see the new ideas for the new theme of CWWC: Any Which Way with vehicles — This CWWC will go live on Friday 12/26 just past midnight EST.
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF75-300mm lens
Location; Warlick Family YMCA hiking trails; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Wild Potato Vine is a perennial, deciduous, tenacious flowering vine similar to Morning Glory and Sweet potato vine. It is native to North America and grows primarily in South East Canada to Central and Eastern United States of America. It is showy with large heart-shaped leaves, purple stems, and white flowers with pink to purple centers.
An interesting fact is that the Wild Potato Vine roots are used by Native Americans for poultices, infusions, read for treatment of a variety of medical problems. The roots can be eaten cooked, but raw, are a purgative. (A purgative has a strong laxative effect.)
Click on image to enlarge.
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S75-300mm lens
Location: Green Trail; Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Embden (Emden) Geese are a German breed of domestic geese recognized primarily for their pure white plumage and striking bright blue eyes. ( I know it’s hard to see their blue eyes from the picture, but they are blue) The Embden is one of the oldest and most popular breeds around the world.
These Embden Geese reside at the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Children of all ages are welcome to come visit them, but trying to pet them or pick them up is not recommended. Feed for them can be purchased at an extra cost to the entrance fee.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D ( Rebel T7) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Settings: f/5.6 • 1/100s • 70mm • ISO100
Location: Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful Christmas holiday week. Merry Christmas! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on each image to enlarge.
See Monday Window posts in Reader
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
These Bald Cypress trees are resilient and have the ability to grow in very wet conditions, even standing in water. These are grown near the South Fork Catawba River in Riverside Park and Greenway.
The Cypress cones are the reproductive structures of Cypress trees that develop from the tree’s flowers. What you see here are the female cones, often called seed cones. The little red droplet on the bottom cone looks like resin which is characteristic from a cypress tree.
The Cluster of Bald Cypress cones you see is a perfect example of an infructescence. These cones are actually modified seed cones, and once they mature, they’ll release seeds. It’s interesting to learn how plants develop these unique structures to disperse their seeds. The mature cones contain seeds that are a very important food source for local wildlife, including squirrels, waterfowl, and other birds.
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – infructescence
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week I am combining Terri’s Sunday Stills with her Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge with the themes of Cobalt Blue and Winter Wonderland (Solstice).
First off, how about some Blue on Blue in the Gulf of Mexico (now called Gulf of America) from a cruise I took back in 2020. We were in the middle of the Gulf heading towards Cozumel, Mexico. It’s amazing how except for the other ships at sea, all one sees for miles and miles in practically Blue on Blue.
Now for some Winter Wonderland (this isn’t Solstice, but it is having some 🥶 Winter Wonderland Funtime.
I know we are currently in December with today (the 21st) being Winter Solstice, but we don’t usually get Snow in our area until January and/or February. The top photo was take in February of 2020 & the Bottom picture was taken in January of 2022.
Happy Winter Solstice to all of y’all.
Click on each image to enlarge.
Terri’s Sunday Stills – Winter Wonderland (Solstice)
Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge – Cobalt Blue.
Photo Credit: ©️2020-2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful Winter Solstice and a fantastic week. Merry Christmas! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Good Sunday Morning to y’all. This week Debbie from Travel with Intent has chosen Festive for the theme for One Word Sunday (OWS).
Here are my entries …
… From Cramerton’s Christmas Parade …
Snoopy riding on Carolinas Junk Removal Crane.
Debbie’s One Word Sunday – Festive
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion
Location: Parade Route; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a very Merry Christmas Holiday. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click image to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2020 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max Wide Camera
Location: Prairie Loop; Adventure Road Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Viola x wittrockiana
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Gibson House; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a bright beautifully terrific week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Share Your World is hosted by Di from pensitivity101. Her suggestions for participating in the challenge are as follows …
There are two ways in which you can participate:
Leave your answers to this week’s questions in the comments box below or create your own post and link back to this one.
Ping-backs are activated, but don’t always work properly, so to play safe, leave a link in a comment or if you prefer, leave just the link so that I can see it.
(Instructions on how ping-backs work are found by clicking here. Thanks! )
To make it easy for others to check out your post, title or tag your blog post “Share Your World”.
Here are this week’s questions:
1. Did anyone read you a bedtime story when you were a child?
I actually do not remember ever being read any bedtime stories when I was growing up.
2. Did you read bedtime stories to anyone?
I try to read nightly bedtime stories (from his favourite books) to my grandson if he doesn’t fall asleep before I am able to read. Lately I try to have us read Level 1 beginner reader books that he can practice reading with me.
3. Do you prefer to read a book, an ebook/kindle, or audio book?
I used to always prefer to read an actual book (I love the feel of a book in my hands). Currently, my eyesight is not what it used to be, so I do most of my reading via ebook format. I read on Kindle, iBooks, Close, and Libby ( the library ebook reader). Using these apps I can adjust the font & size to suit my needs.
4. What is your favourite fairy tale?
Im not sure that I have a favourite fairy tale. I have always enjoyed “The Three Little Pigs,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” and “The Ugly Duckling.”
“Everything we do should be a result of our gratitude for what God has done for us.”
~ Lauryn Hill
CountryLiving
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Ragtag Daily Prompt- Friday!Mountain!
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: Mount Jefferson State Natural Area; 1481 Mt Jefferson Rd, West Jefferson, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Revisiting Christmas Florals
Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour #11. This week she is giving us a Last Chance to share our Holiday Florals. Having already posted several Holiday Florals I dug deep into my archives to reshare some Christmas Florals with all of you.
Poinsettias are a popular Christmas floral, however, you probably don’t see this one around your everyday Christmas displays.
Let’s now take a look at a different Christmas floral known as the Christmas Berry. The Christmas Berry is a compact shrub with dark green elliptic leaves, but are crimson red when young in early spring. The shrub tolerates moderate shade and grows in well drained soil.
Next, we are admiring a succulent known as the Christmas Kalanchoe, a popular house plant known for its vibrant, long-lasting flowers in colors like red, white, pink, and orange. It is a succulent that thrives in bright, indirect light and well-drained soil, making it a great festive gift for the holidays.
And finally, we are changing colours from red to green for our Christmas florals. This plant was seen at Anne Springs Close Greenway’s garden at the Stables Entrance. It is a Helleborus orientalis, often referred to as Christmas Rose, or Lenten Rose. It is a winter-blooming, broadleaf evergreen, clumping perennial in the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family.
Also posting for:
Bren’s Floral Friday
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2023-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Have a very Merry Christmas Holiday Season. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge. This Friday’s Which Way Challenge theme is CWWC: Any Which Way with a Holiday theme. Your Which Ways can be Any Which Way on any Road, Pathways, Walkways, Sidewalks, Stairs, etc. as long as your Which Ways are clearly visible.
Here are my contributions …
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Cath’s Which Way… {Cloudy or Stormy Day}
Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Xmas Market Up And Down
Dawn’s Crossover Bridge at Shenandoah University with Christmas Lights
Suzette’s For Deb’s Any Which Way CWWC Holiday Theme – Part 1
CWWC: Any Which Way with a Holiday theme – Part 2 (Will run for two (2) weeks). [12.19.2025]
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Parade Route; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take Care. Stay Safe. Enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
• NOTE: For next week the theme will be CWWC: Any Which Way with vehicles.
Click on image to enlarge.
Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2025.12-19
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take Care. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This year our neighborhood is not adorned with very many Christmas Lights or Festive Decorations. I did, however, manage to capture a few Christmas Lights and decorations within our walking pathways.
Here is what I found …
Click on each image to enlarge.
Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge-Lights, Camera, Christmas!
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
As stated in my Monochrome Madness post, Coleman and I saw several horse owners at Anne Springs Close Greenway taking advantage of a beautiful afternoon to enjoy riding their horses on the trails.
I’m also linking this post to XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge.
Here are a few of the horses and riders we saw visiting the Greenway taking advantage…
Click on each image to enlarge.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 50
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Dogwood Trail; Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your weekend. Spend time Outdoors and admire Nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Whenever Coleman and I have the opportunity to visit Anne Springs Close Greenway we almost always (but not always) visit the horses. Coleman loves horses. The Anne Springs Close Greenway has five different entrances to the Greenway for hiking, mountain biking, or just visiting.
Last Saturday, Coleman and I went to the Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance to visit the Farm animals and (of course) the horses.
We arrived late due to heavy traffic and congestion on the roads leading to the Greenway Stables. Therefore, we only had a short amount of time to visit the farm animals.
Moving on to hiking and visiting the horses stabled at the Greenway. We saw and visited with several owners who were there to enjoy a ride on their horses along the trails.
The Greenway has several horse stables scattered along the Dogwood Trail and are maintained by the Greenway staff. Quite a few of the horses are privately owned and as the sign says you’re not supposed to pet or feed the horses. However, some of the owners will allow Coleman to pet their horses. If an owner’s horse is skittish the owner will not recommend petting it or coming too close.
We recommend checking with a horses owner before petting them. The owners are not always present, but when they are they are friendly and usually willing to answer any questions about their horses.
Click on each image to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D (Rebel T7) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Greenway Stables, Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm, and Dogwood Trail; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic rest of your week. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on image to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a terrific rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Tina from travelsandtrifles is the host this week for the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge. Tina is giving us the opportunity for one Last Chance to share photos we have taken and loved throughout 2025 and hadn’t had an opportunity to share for one challenge or another.
Here are some of my favorites from this year that I believe I haven’t as yet shared with y’all …
Tina’s Lens-Artist Challenge-Last Chance
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Clare from Clare’s Cosmos invites everyone to join her in Sharing Your Desktop (SYD). Below are her suggestions for participating in the Share Your Desktop Challenge .
To do so, simply share the photo (not a screenshot) you have set as your wallpaper; Provide as little or as much detail as you wish; Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun; Then finally, share the fun around.
I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.
I will only be sharing a small portion of my Desktop/Wallpaper images that I am seeing. The reason being I have been required to not post any pictures on any form of social media at this time of our newest family member, aka my new granddaughter.
Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:
From My HP Laptop:
Desktop Background Wallpaper
Desktop Screensaver
From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro:
I have two images alternating on my Hiking Focus for my iPhone …
Click on each image for enlarged viewing.
Clare’s Share Your Desktop-December
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Canon EOS 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
God Bless. Having a Wonderful Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Dan, the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is asking us to share photos of Winter, Summer or Both. Lately our weather has been so cold and extremely windy that it feels like winter. Yesterday morning our low was down to 14°, which for me, extremely freezing weather with the wind chill making it feel even colder. Our lowest temperatures of the day are when I need to wait with Coleman at the school bus stop. His bus always runs late, so I am always chilled to the bone by the time I get back to the house.
Enough talk about our current “Wintry” weather conditions and let’s move on to showing you some images from last Winter.
Here are my contributions for this week …
Click on each image to enlarge.
Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Winter or Summer— or Both
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: You might want to take a look at this Friday’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) (another one of Cee’s challenges) to see the new ideas for the new theme of Any Which Way with a Holiday theme. — Part 2 which will go live on Friday 12/19 just past midnight EST.
Photo Credit:©️2024-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on each image to enlarge.
See Monday Window posts in Reader
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on image to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Farm Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting The Farm with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
American Beautyberry is a woody deciduous, perennial shrub native to the southeastern United States including the Carolinas.
Clusters of small flowers bloom on the late spring and early summer. However, what you are seeing here are clusters of vibrant purple berries in the Carolinas that peak in late summer through autumn (August to November). The vibrant berries often persist into early winter providing significant food for birds and wildlife, making it a quintessential fall shrub for the region. The colors vary; most common is the vivid purple, though white and pink varieties exist.
The American Beautyberry offers many ecological services. How might you ask does it work? Its seeds and berries provide an important food source for a tremendous amount of songbirds of America. Some of those include American robin, brown thrasher, northern bobwhite, purple finch and eastern towhee. It is also a nectar source for butterflies and has fragrant foliage.
What I found interesting is that the American Beautyberry has been used by farmers successfully since at least the early 20th century to repel biting bugs from mules and horses by rubbing it on their coats and under harnesses. Why did I found this information so fascinating? The location of this particular American Beautyberry shrub is located near the horse stables at Anne Springs Close Greenway.
Click on image to enlarge.
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Greenway Horse Stables; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 