Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography
This blog is for my insights on life, the Bible, hiking adventures with my grandson and whatever is important to me
All Praise to God
Photo Credit: © 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.
Location: Off Cramerton Mountain Road; Near Baltimore Fishing Pier; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Lovely View
of the
South Fork Catawba River
Posting as part of WWE and Judy’s Numbers Game #54-175. This week I have decided to post photos from the Baltimore Fishing Pier instead of finding the 175 numbered photos. These all linked in a new album in my files. I thought you’d enjoy the photos I shot from the Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier. Enjoy the video.
Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 52
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment
Location: Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take Care. Here’s to many happy days of love, joy, and laughter in 2025. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Water Water Everywhere
Coleman and I hiked to the Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier on Christmas Day. Whenever we a near a lake or river, Coleman likes to throw sticks, rocks, or whatever he can find into the water. He likes seeing the ripple effect and even more so when he can get a big splash from whatever he throws into the water.
Here’s what I managed to capture from his efforts …
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #251
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.
Location: Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Have a wonderful week and a Happy New Year. I appreciate y’all very much.
South Fork Catawba River
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #249
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55 mm lens and Altura for Canon UV & ND4 Filter attachments plus Altura Wide-Angle Fisheye lens.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful enjoyable day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Lake Haigler
Reflections
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #249
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Lake Haigler; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your Yourselves! Don’t let the upcoming holiday season stress you out. Relax it’s not about the presents it’s about the birth of Christ. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #249
Photo Credit: © 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Advent Week One: Hope
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #248
Photo Credit: © 2020 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Location: Caribbean Sea; Gulf of Mexico; Enchantment of the Sea; Caribbean Cruise Ship
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Brian from Bushboys World invites everyone to post their Last Photo on the Card or smartphone. Here are Brian’s suggestions regarding his Last On the Card Challenge…
Your last photo doesn’t have to be on the very last day of the month if you didn’t take any photos on that day. Maybe it was earlier in the month when the last photo was taken.
So let’s see what you have for November
The rules are simple:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 31st 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
For the past month of moving, unpacking, trying to organize our “Sweet, Sweet, Home” (as Coleman calls it); I have only been out photographing with Coleman and my iPhone. So here’s my last photo from November.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #248
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
What makes me smile? My grandson, Coleman makes me smile. Spending time in any one of our Warm Places makes me smile. Spending time out in nature, especially with Coleman, makes me smile and feeling all warm inside. Coleman loves to spend time by the Catawba River. There are several different areas by the Catawba River we enjoy spending time at. This week we enjoyed spending time on a warm sunny afternoon at Riverside Park and Greenway. It makes me smile when I am able to watch Coleman having a Funtastic time playing by the Catawba River. On this day he was having a fabulous time playing in the sand along the banks of the South Fork Catawba River at Riverside Park and Greenway.
Here are a spattering of photos depicting some of what makes me Smile and Warm Inside in one of our Warm places.
Lens-Artists Challenge #326-This Made Me Smile
Cosmic Photo Challenge-In My Warm Place
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #247
Photo Credit: (c) 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very muchg.
Kayaks on the River
Capturing kayakers enjoying an afternoon on the South Fork Catawba River as seen from the banks at Riverside Park and Greenway in Cramerton, North Carolina. Care to Pull Up a Seat and join the fun on the South Fork Catawba River?
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 48
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #247
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #247
Photo Credit: © 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
By the River
Since we moved to Cramerton at the end of October; Coleman’s new favourite place to go visit is the Goat Island Park and Greenway. The following are a few shots from our latest visit on Saturday.
Cosmic Photo Challenge-Down in the Park
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #246
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Take a Hike. Relax in a Park. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Praise Him!
Praise Him even when your hands are full.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #246
Photo Credit: © 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy invites us all to play along with her each week for her Numbers Game. 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 that include that number and post a link to your blog in my 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.
Once Silent, Now Lively
The playground at Goat Island Park and Greenway had been “Silent” since the winds and storms caused by Hurricane Helene came through our area flooding many a Greenway including Goat Island Greenway. While there is still work to be done around the Greenway and the playground area, enough has been done to allow the playground to mostly reopen with the exception of the big green slide and a few other insignificant areas (at least as far as the children are concerned). The Goat Island Park and Greenway’s Playground now welcomes children once again inviting them to play, climb, and enjoy its equipment; hence the Playground is Alive and Lively once more.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 45
Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 45
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #243
Photo Credit: © 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Shadows or Reflections or Both?
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #245
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: South Fork River, Goat Island Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
A View Thru the Trees
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location:Lake Haigler; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Which Way My Which Way
I’ve been missing Cee’s posts this week. I pray she is doing alright. This week I am again posting a Which Way My Way showing Which Ways in Monochrome. My grandson, Coleman and I had the privilege of hiking in our favorite Greenway on Tuesday. I only had my smartphone with me; I chose to take some of our adventures in monochrome and silvertone via my smartphone features. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
I hope y’all will share your Which Ways with us. I am linking to Cee’s Which Way Challenge and Leanne’s Monochrome Madness.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge-10.24.2024
God Bless. Have a funtastic day. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #242
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Lake Haigler; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Click on image for enhanced viewing. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very, very much.
A Place of Quiet Reflection
“Art is not a reflection of reality, it is the reality of a reflection.”
~ Jean-Luc Godard
“It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.”
~ Claude Monet
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #241
Photo Credit:©️2019 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Location: Lake at Garden of the Waxhaws Trail; Andrew Jackson State Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very, very much.
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 my 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.
This week’s number is 163. My 163 photos happen to come from a few trips I have taken and a few lakes I’ve visited over the years.
From our trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Ridge Mountains:
From my trip to Cozumel, Mexico:
From New Braunfels, Texas:
From Lakes we enjoy visiting:
Photo Credit: ©️2017-2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a fabulous rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
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 my 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.
This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below. Below are my contributions to the album:
I am choosing to post photos of volunteers helping across Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Appreciate Prayers for every affected person, family, animal in the areas impacted.
You might not think about this being Weird, Wild, or Oddballs, however, I think it is in an amazing way. Weird in that this is not something you see or experience every day. Wild to see all the Numerous Volunteers leaving their homes to come and help communities, towns, cities, families in tremendous need. Oddballs in that I never imagined the Pack Mule Teams, helicopter pilots, and many others coming together for a single mission.
All of this unity coming together to restore, rescue, and rebuild to lovely to see. This is the very essence of Whatsoever Is Lovely.
Thank you Cajun Navy! Thank you Mike Tobber and crew with Cajun Navy! Thank you National Guard! Thank you Garrett Mitchell and Volunteer Helicopter Pilots! Thank you Linemen! Thank you Search and Rescue Teams! Thank you Mountain Mule Packer Ranch! Thank you to all Volunteers for helping those affected by Hurricane Helene. I appreciate all you’ve accomplished and will continue to do to support the community and families impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
Sunday Stills-A World of Weird, Wild, and Oddballs
Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 39
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rejoice in the Lord Always
Pray for all those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #239
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
I once lived very close to Southern California beaches, but I have not lived there for many years. Pacific Beach, Mission Bay, Coronado Beach, and La Jolla Shores are some of my favourites and hold precious memories.
For years I have enjoyed the peacefulness of God near the shorelines of a couple different lakes. One of my all time favourites is the lake at Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Another lake my grandson and I have enjoyed relaxing, observing nature, having fun is Lake Haigler at the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
One last “lake” to share with y’all is one we visit and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the beautiful atmosphere is at Little Glade Millpond off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the North Carolina Mountains.
I could sit at the shore of a lake anytime anywhere. I dream of walking along the shores of the California coastline. I have fond memories of doing just that. Someday, I hope to take my grandson to see & play in the Pacific Ocean. What shoreline do you wish you could walk along everyday? Click one of the links below to join the challenge & link your own adventures along Shorelines.
Lens-Artist Challenge: Shorelines
Anne’s LENS-Artist —Shorelines
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. Have an enjoyable relaxing weekend. I appreciate y’all very much.
Huck Finn
Tom Sawyer
Riverboat Cruises
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #235
Photo Credit:©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn Riverboat Cruises; St. Louis, Missouri, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
West Coast — East Coast Finds
The majority of beaches are more than three hours away from where we live except for around the lakes. It has been awhile since I’ve been to any beaches, so I combed through my archives to see what I could sea.
Here are my findings from out along the WEST Coast and Pacific Northwest Coast.
Moving back to the East Coast, we can Sea these beautiful and interesting beach finds.
Brian’s Monochrome Madness–Found(on the beach)
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #15-At the Beach
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For this week in doing Cee’s Which Way My Way I’m choosing a theme of Roads, Pathways, or Waterways. And as always, signs are welcome anytime. I’d love for y’all to join me in posting your Which Ways whether on Land or Sea. Remember to link your Which Way posts to Cee’s Which Way here or if you wish you can link to My Which Way here.
For my own Which Way this week I have combined it with Sunday Stills Challenge from Terri with her theme of #Float, #Afloat. In other words, my Which Ways are on both Land and Sea. These are from a visit my parents took to The Ports O’ Call in San Pedro, California. They toured the Ports O’ Call Village walking the pathways and took a tour cruise around the Bay. My dad loved to take pictures when they went places (thus my love of photography).
Photo Credit: ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Ports O’ Call, San Pedro, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Ports O’ Call Village with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on each photo for enlarged viewing of images. These were taken at Hume Lake Christian Campgrounds in Hume, California by my dad back in 1979 with his Minolta XG-7 35 mm camera. Fun and relaxing times can be had at Hume Lake.,
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Hume Lake Christian Camps; Hume, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️1978 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Converter : Wolverine Digital Converter
Location: San Diego Wild Animal Park; Escondido, San Diego County, California, USA
God Bless. Thank for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
To play along with Judy’s Numbers Game simply go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a choice of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in my 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.
I have chosen to pick a word to select my photos for this week’s Numbers Game hosted by Judy Dykstra-Brown’s blog. The Word I have chosen is Zoo. My selections come from four different zoos.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
Greenville Zoo
San Diego Wild Animal Park
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 31
Jez’s Water Water Evverywhere #230
Photo Credit: Sets 1-3) ©️2012-2022 Deb L. Waters; 4th Set)©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: 1-3) Canon EOS Rebel T3i; 4) Minolta XG-7 35 mm
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Zoos with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much. Have a wonderful day.
Brian from Bushboy.blog asks us to post our last photo on our SD card or phone on the last day of the month. No editing. Explanations not necessary. Create a Pingback or leave a link in comments to Brian’s blog. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard. Your last photo doesn’t have to be on the very last day of the month if you didn’t take any photos on that day. Maybe it was earlier in the month when the last photo was taken.
From My iPhone:
From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i:
From My Dad’s Slides taken with his Minolta XG-7 35 mm Via My Wolverine Digital Converter:
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Paris Olympics 2024
The Olympic Games are only held every four years. They are an athletic festival/competition that originated in Ancient Greece. Athletes from all over the world compete in various sports competitions. Athletes train for years for the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games.
This year the Summer Olympics are currently taking place in Paris, France. There has been much controversy surrounding the Opening Ceremonies which took place on Friday. I’m not discussing the specifics or opinions regarding the controversy.
I am interested in discovering whether you are watching this year’s Olympic Games. I am watching/ following how the United States athletes are performing during their Olympic qualifying Trials and Final Medal matches for their respective events. I believe the athletes have worked extremely hard to achieve their goals of becoming an Olympian and should be supported for their efforts.
If you are watching the Paris Olympic Games, are you watching every single game/competition or are you just watching and enjoying specific events? As for me, I am only watching/following specific sporting events like swimming and gymnastics.
Did your children complete/play in sporting activities while they were growing up? My daughter participated in ROTC Drill Team competitions during high school. My eldest son participated in Taekwondo (aka Tae Kwon Do), football, and swimming. He concentrated on swimming and competed in many swim meets from twelve (12) through eighteen (18) years of age. His best events were the 100-meter, 200-meter butterfly even though he competed in all strokes including the individual medley and team relays.
These pictures show him swimming the butterfly in the California Interschlastic Federation’s (CIF) State Swimming Championships in 1999. He was there competing with his High school Swim Team.
These may not be at the same level as the Olympics, but many Olympic Athletes begin their training through local clubs, training programs, or their high school or college athletic programs.
Jez’s Water Water Evverywhere #230
Photo Credit: ©️1999 Deb L. Waters
Location: Long Beach, California
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a fabulous week. I appreciate y’all very much.
Hume Lake is a reservoir in the Sierra Nevada, located within the Sequoia National Forest 65 miles east of Fresno, California. It is in the unincorporated community of Hume, California adjacent to Hume Lake.
The 87-acre lake lies behind the world’s first concrete reinforced multiple arch dam, designed by John S. Eastwood and constructed in 1908 by the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company.
Hume Lake is a popular destination for a variety of recreational activities including camping, boating, fishing, hiking, and swimming.
Hume Lake Christian Camps is a non-denominational, nonprofit parachurch organization and is one of the largest operators of Christian camps and conference centers in the world. Hume has camps and conferences for every age group ( for children and adults alike).
My parents,along with other couples from our church, spent a weekend at Hume during the summer of 1979. I’m not sure if they were attending one of the marriage retreats offered at the campground or they were all volunteers for the weekend. It seems they had plenty of leisure time to explore and photograph the Sequoia National Forest and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
I attended weekend at Hume in my late teens with others from my church one winter. Somewhere, not sure where, I have pictures from when I was there. I remember seeing and walking by the lake.
Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 29
Jez’s Water Water Evverywhere #229
Photo Credit: ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Hume Lake Christian Campgrounds; Hume, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Hume Lake with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
A walk back in time to visit a place my mom and dad visited with friends, remembering the love they shared. I believe this was a day trip they took with friends from their Sunday school class.
On this day trip from San Diego, California, in 1979, they ventured to The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens located in San Marino, California. The Botanical Gardens section of Huntington has approximately 120 acres of specialized botanical landscaped gardens, including the “Japanese Garden”, the “Desert Garden”, and the “Chinese Garden”.
The Huntington’s Botanical Gardens showcase plants from around the world. Huntington worked diligently to make them thrive in the generous climate conditions of California. The gardens are divided into more than a dozen themes including the ones mentioned earlier.
The Japanese Garden creation began in 1911 with a donation from art dealer George Turner Marsh and was completed in 1912. However, it did not open to the public until 1928. In the Japanese Garden you can find three distinct gardens: the original stroll garden with koi-filled ponds and a drum or moon bridge, the raked-gravel dry garden which was added in 1968, and the traditionally landscaped tea garden.
An interesting side note: the gardens are frequently used as a filming location. Shits can be seen in the Carpenter’s music video, “Only Yesterday” (1975), in Star Trek the Next Generation’s episode Justice (1987), in CSI Miami’s episode of You May Now Kill the Bride (2008) and in many other productions.
The Huntington Botanical Gardens were honored on May 13, 2020 with a postal stamp as part of the American Gardens stamps. The Desert Garden was featured on the postal stamp.
Jez’s Water Water Evverywhere #228
Photo Credit: ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, San Marino California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Gardens with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Catalina Island
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #227
Photo Credit: ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Santa Catalina Island; View from Los Angeles, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Clare from Clare’s Cosmos is asking all of us once again to share our desktops. All you need to do is share the photo (not your actual desktop) you have set as your wallpaper. Provide whatever information you desire about the photo. Use a pingback, or post a link to her blog here so she knows you’ve joined in on the fun. Then, enjoy sharing the fun around.
Here are my July Desktops:
From my Laptop:
Wallpaper:
Screensaver:
From my Smartphone
(iPhone 14 Pro Max)
Hiking Focus:
Television Focus:
Personal Focus:
Reading Focus:
Come on along and join the fun. Share one or more, it doesn’t matter whether the photos are from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or your smartphone wallpaper(s).
Clare’s Share Your Desktop-July 2024
Photo Credit: 1 & 3)©️1963 Nornal H. Waters (my dad); 2 & 4-6) ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s desktop photos. Have a wonderful week. I appreciate y’all very much.
Horseshoe Bay
and
Alcatraz Island
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #227
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Horseshoe Bay; San Francisco Bay; San Francisco, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
A Hodgepodge of Pix
A Hodgepodge of Coleman
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I look forward to seeing y’all’s pictures for Judy’s Numbers Game. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Fishing Creek Hydro Station
The Fishing Creek Hydro Station, ( I grew up knowing it as the Great Falls Hydro Station/Dam), is located on the Catawba River in Great Falls, Chester County, South Carolina. It borders Lancaster County, South Carolina. It was built in 1916 by the Southern Power Company, predecessor to the station’s current owner, Duke Power.
Just like the name suggests, the creek is a popular area for fishing 🎣 and recreation. Fishing Creek Lake – created by the dam – has four access point along the 61 miles of shoreline, including Landsford Canal State Park. [Of a side interest, the Catawba River at Landsford Canal State Park is an excellent area for seeing the Spider Lilies each Spring.]
Hydropower provides about one percent of Duke Energy’s U.S. energy production, but the company’s more than 30 stations are able to activate quickly to meet customer demand during extreme temperatures. In addition to reliable power, communities near lakes created by Duke Energy’s stations are able to enjoy fishing, swimming, kayaking, and even photography.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #226
Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 27
Photo Credit:©️1980 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
A Scattering of Pix
from Here to There
From Here —- Road Work in the Neighbourhood …
Taking a Break … Maneuvering around the Roadwork …
From Over Yonder … Looking Over the Geological Layers of the Grand Canyon …
Moving Further Westward … Wishing we could Cool off in this Magnificent Historical Pool …
Deciding that won’t be allowed … Returning to our own Carolinas … to be Refreshed in the Catawba River …
Back Here … Thinking of Family.
Photo Credit: 1-2)©️2024 Deb L. Waters; 3-6, ≠5) ©️1963-1979 Nornal H. Waters; 5)©️2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for Scattering the Pix with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Upper Waterfalls
Stone Mountain State Park
Leanne’s hosting Monochrome Madness with the theme of Waterfalls this week. To join the challenge just post photos of waterfalls on your blog and tag Monochrome Madness or leave a pingback to Leanne’s Monochrome Madness post.
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.
Monochrome Madness-Waterfalls moving
Jez’s Water water Everywhere #224
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 7 Plus
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.
Coleman’s Water 💦
Antics and Expressions
Here you go Clare —- Coleman’s latest … May his antics and expressions bring a smile and a bit of laughter to your day.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Backyard Turtle 🐢 Pool; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Bridging the Waters
of Time
Thru Architecture
While on our San Francisco Bay Discovery Cruise we were able to see beautiful views surrounding the Bay. We were able to view unique perspectives of the amazing architectural features of the Bay Area Bridges.
Looking at The Golden Gate Bridge from the waters below …
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide (1.6 km) strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula—to Marin County, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait.
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is made up of two (2) bridge segments: a skyway structure/single anchored suspension bridge between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island, and a suspension span from the island to San Francisco. The two (2) are connected by the world’s largest diameter bore tunnel.
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is the region’s workhorse bridge, carrying more than a third of the traffic of all of the state-owned bridges combined. It is also a jewel along the San Francisco waterfront.
The Eastern Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge underwent an extensive replacement renovation to replace a seismically unsound portion of the Bay Bridge with a new self-anchored suspension bridge (SAS) and a pair of viaducts. The span replacement took place between 2002 and 2013, and is the most expensive public works project in California history. The Eastern Span replacement upgrade was part of a plan to make the bridge more seismically sound. The replacement was necessary due to an earthquake of unanticipated magnitude of the horizontal motion caused by the Loma Prieta Earthquake causing significant damage to the Bay Bridge. It also caused section of a major highway along the bay (a portion of it double-decked) to collapse; repairs on these were completed by the late 1990s.
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The Bay Bridge is significant for its influence in the California Bay Area.
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge’s multi-modal design is a direct example of the mindset of commuters during the 1930s. Constructed in 1936, the bridge was used to support the increase of automobiles and public transit lines in the early half of the 20th century.
Today the Bridge continues to pay a vital role in transportation as it serves as a major freeway connector for many who travel to and from the Bay Area.
Looking through the my dad’s old slides the photos of these Bridges reminds me of a 70’s song by Simon and Garfunkel called “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Cee’s Which Way Challenge -June Week 2
Lens-Artists Challenge #303 – Connections
Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 23
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #224
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: San Francisco Bay; San Francisco, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for connecting with us and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #223
Photo Credit: ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Eastern San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge; Pacific Ocean; San Francisco, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
California has some beautiful coastline. These were taken way back in 1974 in Long Beach, California.
This first one was taken looking over the Pacific Ocean and Pier J, Port of Long Beach. The view was taken from aboard the Queen Mary.
The next two photos are of the Shoreline of the Long Beach Harbor with skylines.
Just look at the pastels in the skyline and shoreline. It’s an amazing view looking out over the Pacific Ocean from the Queen Mary.
Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: Can You Find #Pastels in the Great Outdoors?
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #223
Photo Credit:©️1974 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Pacific Ocean; Pier J; Long Beach Shoreline; Queen Mary; Long Beach, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
The weather has been hot and Sunny 🌞 during the day and stormy at night. Decided to switch out the sand in my grandson’s “Turtle” for Water 💧 to allow him to enjoy 😊 water playtime in the Warm Sunshine.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 23
Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 22
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #223
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Video created in Google Utilities -Highlight Video
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Ocean Sunset
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Seven Seas Marine Life Park
Breaching the Waters of Time, we drift back to 1972 when my family stopped for some time of relaxing entertainment at the Seven Seas Marine Life Park in Arlington, Texas.
Seven Seas Marine Life Park was a marine mammal park, and animal theme park built and owned by the city of Arlington, Texas, United States. It opened in 1972, and closed in 1976. The 35-acre (14 ha) site was located in north Arlington off Interstate 30 near Six Flags Over Texas and adjacent to Arlington Stadium. The facility housed killer whale Nootka from 1972 to 1975.
Pictured here is the Killer Whale Stadium at Seven Seas Marine Life Park. If you look closely you might can see the two trainers and Orchin, the Seven Seas Mascot standing on the platform stage area within the stadium. The castle themed backdrop is visible behind the platform.
The theme park had seven (7) sections:
Newtka (also spelled Nootka) the killer whale: A 6,000-pound (2,700 kg) and 18-foot (5.5 m) female orca that resided in the park’s largest animal performance stadium. Other animals that were housed and performed at the park were: Jannie, Rodney, Debbie are three of the twelve bottle-nosed dolphins which performed in the Dolphin Show; Pancho the Elephant Seal; Over fourteen (14) California sea lions for the Sea-lion circus; and Several Rockhopper Penguins and one Magellanic Penguin for the Penguin Troop Performance. Seven Seas Marine Life Park also had a few rides and Pearl Diving.
The city council of Arlington voted to close the park in 1976 because it did not generate enough revenue to both pay its operating expenses and pay off the bonded indebtedness.
The property is now the site of the Arlington Sheraton Hotel and has several buildings on the property that date back to the park.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness-Blast from the Past
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #222
Photo Credit: ©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Seven Seas Marine Life Park; Arlington, Texas, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Seven Seas Marine Life Park with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
At Stone Mountain Park
We begin our journey in n July of 1972, having made it from California to Georgia we stop for a bit of fun. We were glad to pull into the park and finally be able to get out of the car and stretch our legs. After traveling cross country for days we were more than ready to enjoy some fun and excitement.
We enjoyed a time of Sun, Sand. and Water Fun relaxing on the beach.
Next, we moved forward to wait our turn for a ride on one of the Paddle-boats. The paddle-boats are large Riverboats which give tourists and guests a thirty minute ride out on Stone Mountain Park Lake. [From what I have discovered, the Riverboats no longer operate on Stone Mountain Park Lake.]
Moving forward out into the lake aboard the Scarlet O’Hara, we had an opportunity to see a uniquely captivating side of the park. The Scarlet O’Hara was one of two (2) paddle boats in the Stone Mountain Fleet that once cruised the lake delighting guests with the beautiful scenic views. It was a side wheeler which could carry up to One Hundred Fifty (150) passengers on board.
The Henry W. Grady was the name of the other Stone Mountain paddle boat. It was designed to carry approximately three hundred (300) passengers. Its sole purpose was to be used for private party charters.
The Riverboats departed the Riverboat Marina Complex approximately every half hour moving forward into the lake giving guests a chance to enjoy the waterways, and the beauty surrounding Stone Mountain. The short cruise lasted about twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes. While out on the lake on one of the paddle-boats you might have noticed the sunken remains of the very first riverboat, the Robert E. Lee, seen at the bottom of the lake.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge-2024.05.31
Becky’s Squares-Renew/Moving Forward/Reconstruct
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #222
Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Stone Mountain Park Lake; Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in our memories of cruising on a Riverboat. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Murrells Inlet
In the Car … On the Road Again driving from Charlotte, North Carolina to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina for some Deep Sea Fishing.
At Murrells Inlet … Let’s Keep Moving Forward to See What We Can See.
The Marshes of Murrells Inlet …
Moving Forward on a Fishing 🎣 Expedition …
Moving Forward Along the Fishing 🎣 Pier …
South Wind is Moving Forward towards the Dock …
Moving Forward into the Gulf Stream for some Deep Sea Fishing…
The South Wind pulls alongside the pier … excited fishermen watching “patiently” for their turn to go out on the boat.
This was a trip my dad made with my paternal uncle (my dad’s sister’s husband.) Not sure if anyone else went along or not, I do not recall. My dad & Shorty ( my uncle) decided to go deep sea fishing 🎣 and drove the three (3) hours to Murrells Inlet to go out on a charter fishing boat for the day.
Captain Alex’s Marina once stood along the creek front of Murrells Inlet and was first established in the early 1950’s. Murrells Inlet is a fantastic destination just thirty (30) short miles south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It is considered to be the “seafood capital of South Carolina.”
The land around Murrells Inlet has an historical record of human settlement that goes back thousands of years, before written history. The history includes English colonial settlements and plantations which raised various crops from indigo to rice. An interesting note is that the fishing village of Murrells Inlet was once the lair of the infamous pirate Blackbeard. Today, it’s an outdoorsman’s dream.
A tribute to Captain Alex who ran The Alex Marina and took many on tours or fishing excursions in Murrells Inlet and other areas can be read by clicking here.
Becky’s Squares-Moving Forward
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #221
Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Alex Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for Moving Forward with us as I continue to Reconstruct my dad’s slides and the memories of his adventures. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Great Cormorant
The Great Cormorant are most likely to nest in colonies near wetlands, rivers, and sheltered inshore waters. It builds its nest, which is made from sticks, in trees, on the ledges of cliffs, and on the ground on rocky islands that are free of predators.
The Great Cormorant feeds on fish it dives to capture. It primarily feeds on are wrasses, but will also feast on sand smelt, flathead and common soles. Cormorants consume all fish of appropriate size that they are able to catch in summer and noticeably select for larger, mostly torpedo-shaped fish in winter.
The Great Cormorants were once near extinction due to fishermen hunting them. The fishermen saw them as competition. With terrific conservation efforts, their numbers increased once again.
Even though it is still illegal, in many areas, to kill a bird within a license some are in danger anyway. Fisheries claim that the Cormorants are eating the fish they have in their fish farms. Some licenses are used to reduce and/or control the cormorant population for the purpose of reducing its predation. Cormorant fishing is practiced in China, Japan, and in other areas around the globe. In Norway, the Cormorant is cones traditional game bird. However, in Northern Norway Cormorants are seen as semi-sacred. They are often regarded as good luck for them to gather around or near a village or settlement.
The Great Cormorants are spotted periodically at Lake Haigler in the Greenway. They are amazing to watch and sometimes you can see them diving for their feed. Other times you see them perched on a log or branch in the water or flying off around the lake.
Photo Credit:©️2021 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Location: Lake Haigler; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. May all your hopes, dreams, and prayers be fulfilled. Take care of yourselves and have a fantastic rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 