This blog is for my insights on life, the Bible, hiking adventures with my grandson and whatever is important to me
Author: Deb L Waters
I am an avid reader. I read mostly Amish fiction but also read other novels. I enjoy romance, mystery, and Christian devotionals. I enjoy hiking in the outdoors, especially in Greenways and State or National Parks. I love my grandson. He is my favorite subject, so I'll post about him and his antics.
This month is going to be a little different for me since I haven’t been anywhere to use my camera this month. I have been busy digitizing my dad’s old slides. I hope it’s alright to post the last picture from the last roll of his I converted to digital format.
From my Dad’s Minolta XG-7 35mm:
My dad’s reflection of him taking the photo is in the mirror.
Dirt Path to the Boat DockDirt Road to the Catawba RiverDirt Pathway between the Trees Dirt Paths along the Catawba River & Great Falls DamBattle of Fishing Creek Sign by Road Great Falls, South Carolina
Location: Catawba River; Great Falls Dam; Great Falls, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Great Falls Dam. Enjoy the beautiful great outdoors. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Huntersville Oaks is a short-term nursing and rehabilitation facility located in Huntersville, North Carolina. Huntersville is in northern Mecklenburg County just north of Charlotte, North Carolina.
My paternal grandfather stayed here receiving short-term medical care during the summer of 1980. When he was released, my dad took him back to his home in Great Falls, South Carolina.
This is be the first in a line of Antique Car Doors and Windows that I’ll be posting from my dad’s photo albums of old slides. My dad worked for FORD most of his adult life except during his service in the U.S. Navy. He loved to attend car shows of any kind. These weekly features will be from an Antique Car Show he attended somewhere in California ( I’m guessing here since all the cars have California license plates.) The cars appear to possibly be from a private collection.
Do you like to attend cars shows? I have attended car shows in the past, however, I do not plan a whole day or outing around a car show like my dad used to do.
Early U.S. settlers brought their love of fireworks with them to the New World and fireworks were part of the very first Independence Day – a tradition that continues every 4th of July when we celebrate as John Adams had hoped with pomp, parade, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.
SouthernCalifornia Fireworks
San Diego Fireworks by Julee Vaughan
Growing up in Southern California, we would almost always watch the Fireworks show from Mission Bay or Sea World. I enjoy seeing the fireworks through my friends photographic eyes.
SouthernCalifornia Fireworks By Julee Vaughan
Fireworks are amazing to watch when done properly. If you are going to set off fireworks, please be respectful of others.
Remember Fireworks Safety – Use Extreme Care
Never Use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear.
Never hold fireworks in your hands.
Never light them indoors.
Never throw or point fireworks at another person.
Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting.
Never ignite a device in a container.
Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks.
Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding.
Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that didn’t go off or in case of fire.
Never use fireworks that are illegal where you live.
Always keep Fireworks away from children.
In making your plans, please include pet safety as well as human safety. Pets find fireworks highly stressful. Bring your pets indoors, close curtains and blinds and turn on the radio to provide some distraction. Leave treats filled with food to comfort animals.
Remember not everyone embraces the fireworks tradition. It is not just pets that are bothered by the loud noise and the flashing lights caused by fireworks. Young children and elderly are also affected by the loud noise caused by fireworks, disturbing their sleep and wellbeing.
Those who have served in the Armed Services, and live with various levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sometimes also have a hard time with fireworks.
Warning your friends and neighbors about your plans to set off fireworks is a much appreciated courtesy.
Dogs may still have a hard time with those, but people who know what to expect and when to expect it can generally cope with the noise and flashing lights of a fireworks display. If they know they are going to have problems despite expecting what is to come, they can take steps to remove themselves from areas with community displays.
The real problem isn’t the planned events, but instead (especially for those who might have combat related traumatic experiences) is the unplanned and unscheduled pops and bangs of impromptu displays.
God Bless. Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the fireworks. Remember to be courteous of the stressfulness that fireworks may cause others. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy’s Numbers Game can bring about interesting results and insights from those who choose to participate. The challenge is alive, let’s join the fun. In searching for the #149 and its variations the results that popped are displayed below in this post.
This week we are discussing a different yet unique bird in the Cardinal family. Last week I talked about the Northern Cardinals; this week we’re going to discover the distinct qualities of the Indigo Bunting.
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea, also known as Indigo Bunting is a small seed-eating bird in the Cardinal family. It is a migratory bird, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter.
It often migrates by night, using the stars to navigate. Its habitat is farmland, brush areas, and open woodland. The indigo bunting is closely related to the lazuli bunting and interbreeds with the species where their ranges overlap.
The indigo bunting is a small bird, with a length of 11.5–13 cm (4.5–5.1 in). The male is vibrant blue in the summer, with brightly colored plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate. Unlike summer, the male is brown during the winter months. Contrastingly enough the female is brown year-round. The females are solely responsible for the nest-building and incubation of their offspring.
The diet of the indigo bunting consists primarily of insects during the summer months and seeds during the winter months.
The Habitats for the Indigo Bunting are brushy pastures and bushy wood edges. For nesting favors roadsides, old fields growing up to bushes, edges of woodlands, and other edge habitats such as along rights-of-way for powerlines or railroads. Also in clearings within deciduous woods, edges of swamps
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
This hospital is currently known as Atrium Health Huntersville. It was formerly operated under the name of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority and was formerly known by Carolinas HealthCare System.
This was how it looked in the summer of 1978 when my paternal grandfather was receiving medical treatment here. My dad and his brother both visited frequently and stayed with him periodically until he was able to return home.
Location: Huntersville Hospital, Huntersville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Appreciate them. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cool cats like to keep cool by hiding in the underbrush in shady areas. Can you spot me?
Maybe if I move a little bit you’ll be able to see me. However, I would appreciate it if you keep the dog away from me. I prefer to stay where I am at and not get in an entanglement.
Enjoy your day! I’m just gonna stay here and relax for a while longer.
Lemon daylilyYellow daylilyHemerocallis lilioasphodelus grows in big, spreading clumps, and its leaves grow to 75 cm (30 in) long. Its scapes each bear from 3 through 9 sweetly fragrant, lemon-yellow flowers.
Location: New Hope Acres; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. Enjoy the beauty all around you. Take time to admire nature’s wonderful creations. I appreciate y’all very much.
Pixlr is a photo editing app available for smartphones and PC’s. It has several different editing apps available including background removal, a great number of filters and effects to try to enhance your creativity. What you see here is just my playing around with the Pixlr camera and a few effects. I was not doing anything except discovering what the effects might look like and exploring their effect on my photo of Coleman. I am not sure that I would use all of these effects, but I might try some more at a later time.
Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are just one bird species out of hundreds that you might see feasting from your bird feeder in South Carolina.
Northern Cardinals are common backyard birds in North America and can be found in many locations in South Carolina, including Seabrook Island, Lexington, and Lancaster County.
Male Northern Cardinals are known for their bright red feathers, black eye masks, and short crests. Females are brown with red accents and crests.
Northern Cardinals are seed and berry eaters, but also eat insects, spiders, centipedes, and snails. They prefer to forage on the ground rather than in feeders.
Distinguished by their “mohawks” and reddish-orange beaks, both genders remain year-round residents in South Carolina.
Northern Cardinals are non-migratory birds, meaning that once you draw them to your yard they are likely to stay there year-round.
Natural fruits that attract these birds include blueberry bushes, mulberry trees, and other dark-colored berries. Bird seeds that have been known to attract Cardinals include black oil sunflower, cracked corn, suet, mealworms, peanuts, safflower, striped sunflower, and sunflower hearts and chips.
Jeff R Clow//Getty Images
In many cultures throughout the world, the vibrant red color of the cardinal is a symbol of good luck and abundance. It is also said to represent vitality. If a cardinalcrosses your path, it is meant to give you strength and hope.”
Hearst Castle, known formally as La Cuesta Encantada (Spanish for “The Enchanted Hill”), is a historic estate in San Simeon, located on the Central Coast of California.
Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his architect Julia Morgan, the castle was built between 1919 and 1947.
Currently, Hearst Castle is a museum open to the public as a California State Park and registered as a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark.
Interestingly, Hearst, his castle and his lifestyle were satirized by Orson Welles in his 1941 film Citizen Kane. Hearst sought to suppress this film and Welles’ allusions to his art collections ( paintings, statues, pictures, etc) and his references to acquiring so many acquisitions to equal enough for ten museums being the loot of the world.
Casa Grande, inspired by the Church of Santa María la Mayor, Ronda, Spain, forms the centerpiece of Hearst’s estate.
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” —- Romans 8:32 (NIV)
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
This is Great Falls Elementary School (formerly called Mebane Grammar School.) This is the school my dad attended when he was growing up in Great Falls, South Carolina.
Monochrome Rectangular Windows + Bricks, Doors & SignOriginal
This week’s Pull Up a Seat selections were determined by Coleman. We walked around the neighbourhood and after walking for several blocks he decided he wanted to Pull Up a Seat at the picnic table outside of the Walmart Neighborhood Market which is used mainly by employees.
We get up and continue on our walk where he sees a rock he figures would be a nice place to Pull Up a Seat. We hadn’t walked far when he chose to sit a spell, but I was fine with that since I had taken a tumble upon the uneven torn up asphalt.
After catching our breath, we continued walking ending up at the school playground. Coleman always finds places he can Pull Up a Seat in a playground.
Sometimes he chose the slide …
… Or at the top of a climbing structure …
… Or on a Swing.
It doesn’t seem to matter to him where he Pulls Up a Seat. He’s having fun, so it doesn’t matter to me either.
Everywhere you go there are signs to Welcome your presence. Welcome you to come into a store, Welcome you to a town, Welcome you to a Greenway, and even Welcoming children to a Playground.
Let’s start with our Welcome to a favourite store in Amish Country, Ohio called Lehman’s. Lehman’s provides products that Amish and Englishers alike desire to purchase and meets the needs of those desiring a simpler lifestyle.
Lehman’s East Entrance Kidron, Ohio
Next up is a Greenway constructed in the last five years in Lancaster. The Lindsay Pettus Greenway was intentionally designed as a hard-surface trail to ensure that people of all mobility levels can smoothly access the trail. By doing so, everyone can connect to places of interest and engage with nature. This Greenway is a place where everyone can freely enjoy over two traffic-free miles of nature in the heart of Lancaster County.
Welcome to The Lindsay Pettus Greenway Lancaster, South Carolina
On one of our visits to the North Carolina mountains we stayed in West Jefferson while attending a family reunion in Deep Gap. After the reunion, we walked around the Historic Downtown area of West Jefferson and discovered many interesting places and sights including the Ashe County Cheese Factory. The Ashe County Cheese is just a short ways down a side street from this sign. There you may watch cheese being made & then go straight across the road and buy some freshly made cheese in any flavour that suits your palate.
Welcome to Historic Downtown West Jefferson West Jefferson, North Carolina
Here we are in the city we currently reside. Welcome to our area of the world.
Welcome to Downtown Gastonia Main Avenue Gastonia, North Carolina
One of the places my grandson, Coleman, likes me to take him to is the Playground at the local YMCA. Approaching the Playground we notice the sign Welcoming us (especially children) to the Playspace.
Welcome to Your Playspace! YMCA Gastonia, North Carolina
Time for us to go home and relax. You are Welcome to visit our area anytime.
This week I’m continuing Cee’s Which Way Challenge doing it My Way. Therefore for this the third week of June I have chosen a theme of Roads/Dirt Roads. I welcome anyone who desires to join me on this week’s Which Way Challenge.
As I have been working to digitize my dad’s old slides I have come across several photos my dad took of Roads in Great Falls, South Carolina back in 1963.
We are starting our (my) Which Way with the Road in front of my Paternal Grandparents home. Their home was originally a Mill Duplex Home and converted into a single family residence.
Walnut Street Home of John & Alma Waters My Paternal Grandparents
Next, we come to the corner of Walnut Street and Argonne Avenue. This is the location of the J P Stevens & Company Mill where my paternal grandfather worked. The Mills in Great Falls were formerly known as Republic Cotton Mills. [Closed in the early 1980’s.]
Cottom Mill #3
1923 Republic Cotton Mill #3 – a silk mill production. The building had a unique saw-tooth roof. There was Village housing and a neighborhood grocery store.
Continuing on our journey, we drive along Chester Avenue. On this Road we can see the Bradley Motor Company ( a FORD Dealership) where my dad worked when he finished high school and again when he first was discharged from the U S Navy.
Bradley Motor Company
As we continue cruising through the Town of Great Falls, we see a Dirt Road behind the Power plant. Here we notice old Railroad tracks no longer in use. They would have kept extremely busy in the heyday of the town.
The Town of Great Falls is located in Chester County, South Carolina. The name of the Great Falls came from the nearby waterfalls on the Catawba River. The Town was founded by the power company owned by Mr. J.B. Duke. J.B. Duke built hydro electric plants on the Catawba and was the founder of the three Republic Cotton Mills.
Location: Town of Great Falls, Chester County, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting in my reminiscing of the Town of Great Falls, SC. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
For this CosPhoChal, Dale has challenged us to post photos depicting Art for Art’s Sake. I chose to continue on our tour of Hearst Castle by allowing you to see some of the art and sculptures we saw when we were there that day. I formatted the pictures into a slideshow, while I was blogging on this post, for enhanced view and entertainment. Relax and enjoy the show.
Location: Hearst Castle; HearstSan Simeon State Historical Monument; San Simeon, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and watching our slideshow. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts about my blogging posts. I appreciate y’all very much.
This FOWC is in alignment with the latest of my dad’s slides I have recently (just yesterday) digitized. They are of the familial burial grounds of my paternal grandparents.
Waters’ Headstone of my paternal grandparents
My father took them on one of our trips to visit his dad, his brother, his sister and her family. The location of the cemetery can be walked to through a path off of the street below my grandparents home.
Alma J. Jan. 18, 1904 – Aug. 3, 1970 My paternal grandmother
This was the first time we (my immediate family) had been to the cemetery since my paternal grandmother’s passing in 1970. When she passed, my dad was the only one of us that could fly back for her funeral service.
This view allows us to see both the Headstone and my paternal grandmother’s Foot Marker in the Greenlawn Cemetery.
My eldest son and I took a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway back in the Fall of 2017 as a way to celebrate his birthday. During our drive we stopped at several overlooks prior to stopping at Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina. At Stone Mountain State Park there is the Upper and Lower Waterfalls you may hike towards.
We hiked along Stone Mountain Loop Trail to view the Upper Waterfalls. I took several photos along the route as we watched the Waterfall cascading down over Stone Mountain.
Enjoy the view, however, I would prefer you not to YAWN during the viewing. I would hope it would not bore you but rather enable you to dawn a smile instead.
Can you just visualize the water streaming down over the stones?
The Waterfall slowly increases its strength and speed as it continuously cascades down the Mountain.
Location: Stone Mountain State Park; Roaring Gap, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for viewing the Waterfalls at Stone Mountain State Park with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rummaging through my dad’s old slides I ran across these pictures of a crashed and smashed car where you could clearly see the damage done to the doors, the windows, the hood, and trunk of the car.
Crashed & Smashed Car Doors
I am not sure who the car belonged to, but I know the children who are shown looking at the crashed and smashed vehicle. They are my cousin and my brother. I do not even want to consider what happened to the person or persons who might have been in the car. By looking at those car doors it would have been a miracle if anyone survived without injuries.
Crashed Car Trunk “Door”
I believe I would prefer the Public Service District truck which drives around Great Falls performing the necessary maintenance and repairs making sure the Town of Great Falls is safe, secure, and it proper working order.
Location: Town of Great Falls, Chester County, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Town of Great Falls with us. Hope you have a fantastic day filled with joy, laughter, and no wrecks. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
In Monochrome Playing around with Photoleap Tried to create water droplets on petals. This is the effect I received. Harrison Effect in Pixlr with a touch of splash
The Scientific name for the American Goldfinch is Spinus tristis. American Goldfinches are cherished for their bright yellow feathers. They appear year-round in western South Carolina and during fall and winter in the east.
The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter.
These photos of male American Goldfinch were captured in Lancaster County, South Carolina in our backyard. They blend in with the yellow wildflowers that you could almost miss seeing them if you weren’t looking carefully.
Human activity has generally benefited the American goldfinch. It is often found in residential areas because it is attracted to bird feeders, which increase its survival rate in these areas. Deforestation also creates open meadow areas, which are its preferred habitat.
Interestingly, Goldfinches connect to spirituality by their vibrant presence, reminding individuals of the necessity to live life fully and energetically.
Judy’s Numbers Game can bring about interesting results and insights from those who choose to participate. The challenge is alive, let’s get Blogging. In searching for the #147 and its variations the results that popped up all had the central focus around Hearst. Therefore, I selected a variety of photos around the Word Hearst and Hearst Castle.
As we approach Hearst Castle we see the sign informing us we are arriving at our desired destination.
Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument
The long and winding road up to the top where Hearst Castle is located.
Touring the outside grounds at Hearst San Simeon we see statues poolside …
And by the stairs leading upward …
Continuing our tour of the grounds we come upon the Hearst Ranch. William Randolph Hearst kept Fifty (50) species of herbivores on his ranch. They included around 126 Zebras plus bison, fallow deer, antelope, zebras, elk, camels, kangaroos, and giraffes.
We also could see the vastness of the Hearst Ranch where the numerous animals grazed.
At last we come to the end of today’s tour as more about Hearst Castle will come in a later post.
Location: Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument; San Simeon, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for tagging along on our tour. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. Have a wonderful week. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument; Hearst Ranch; San Simeon, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Ritvais this week’s host for the Lens-Artist Photography Challenge; she has chosen the theme of behind. What backgrounds to choose may seem easy, but some thought process may determine just the right background & balance you what to achieve and capture when you are snapping your photos.
Battle of Beckhamville Marker Beckhamville, Chester, South Carolina, USA
BATTLE OF BECKHAMVILLE
May 1780
Inscription.
British under Houseman surprised and defeated by band of 33 patriots under Capt. John McLure with 9 Gaston brothers and neighbors, who struck first blow for liberty and resisted attempt to subject people to oath of allegiance to king.
Erected.
By Citizens of Chester County
Mary Adair Chapter DAR
May 10, 1942
This Historical Marker was taken by my father in the summer of 1963. It is located at 34° 35.424′ N, 80° 55.194′ W in Beckhamville, South Carolina. Beckhamville is located in Chester County just south of Great Falls where my dad grew up. You can find the Marker at the intersection of State Highway 97 and State Highway 99, on the left when traveling east on State Highway 97.
The Battle of Beckhamville is recorded to have been fought during the Revolutionary War around June 6, 1780. This was following the disasters at Charleston and Waxhaws where Patriot forces struck a blow against the British in South Carolina.
On June 6, 1780, Captain McClure and his small force, wearing hunting shirts, wool hats and deer-skin caps and each armed with a knife and rifle, attacked Houseman and routed about 200 of the gathered loyalists at Alexander’s Old Fields. The Battle of Beckhamville’s victory helped solidify resistance to the Crown in this up country area.
Beckhamville was also known by Beckham’s Old Field and Alexander’s Old Field. Chester County has battlefields, historic markers, monuments, cemeteries, and stories that relate to the important role this area played in our winning our Independence from England.
DAR stands for the Daughters of the American Revolution. The DAR strives to promote the historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
Location: Beckhamville, Chester County, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for taking a trip with me to visit an historical marker near my father’s hometown. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
San Francisco Cable Car – Van Ness Ave California Street
Cable Cars have been carrying passengers in San Francisco since 1873. Cable cars were invented by Andrew Smith Hallidie. He based his system on early mining conveyance systems which dominated the city’s transit scene for more than 30 years.
The San Francisco cable car system is the world’s last manually operated cable car system and an icon of the city of San Francisco. Of the 23 cable car lines established between 1873 and 1890, only three remain (one of which combines parts of two earlier lines): two routes from downtown near Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf, and a third route along California Street.
The vast majority of the millions of passengers who use the system every year are tourists. Due to the high volume of tourists desiring to ride the cable cars, the wait time to get on can be up to or exceeding two (2) hours. The Cable Cars are amongst the most significant tourist attractions in San Francisco, along with Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Fisherman’s Wharf.
The San Francisco Cable Cars are one (1) of two (2) street railways named on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. The other street railway on the National Register of Historic Places is the St. Charles Streetcar Line in New Orleans.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 