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.
Dan, the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is asking us to share photos of Autumn or Spring — or Both. It may still be officially Autumn, however, lately our weather has been so cold and extremely windy that it feels more like winter. Therefore I rummaged through my archives to add to my few Autumn 🍂images that I hadn’t already used for one post or another.
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 (Today’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 1 which Will run for two (2) weeks.
Event: Christmas in Cramerton presented by the Cramerton Historical Society and Performed by Stuart W Cramer Varsity Singers at Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church.
Location: Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church; Cramerton, 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.
To the nanita nana, nanita her, nanita her A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella
My girl is sleepy, bless her, bless her Mi niña tiene sueño, bendito sea, bendito sea
To the nanita nana, nanita her, nanita her A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ellaMy girl is sleepy, bless her, bless her Mi niña tiene sueño, bendito sea, bendito sea
Little fountain that runs clear and loud Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora
Nightingale in the jungle, singing and crying Ruiseñor que en la selva, cantando y llora
Be silent while the cradle rocks Calla mientras la cuna, se balancea
The day we visited Ramsey Creek Park may have been on the chillier side, but that wouldn’t have stopped Coleman from playing in the sand.
One of several signs near the Beach.
The Beach area was blocked off with signs posted stating the Beach is Closed. We did find smaller areas he could access the sand for a little playtime. We also managed to walk along the edge of the waters of Lake Norman, still it would have been nice if the Beach would’ve been open.
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. Take time to admire Nature’s beautiful bounty. Have a great weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Last evening our Town of Cramerton held its annual Christmas parade which we were able to enjoy as a family. The Town came out in droves to watch the Parade with the many cars, floats, marching bands, and cheer squads. Parades are fascinating and exciting for the children and adults alike to watch and anticipate. I bet you can guess which part of the parade everyone likes to see the most (especially the children). Yep, you guessed (I least I believe y’all did). Santa Claus arrival at the end of the parade on a shiny red fire engine (at least in our town that’s what he arrives on).
After the Parade is over the children and their families gather at Confluence to await once again for Santa’s arrival. Why do the children excitedly wait with anticipation for Santa at Confluence? Well, of course it for the opportunity to be photographed with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Here are a few shots of Coleman with Santa … more will come later when the Catawba Riverkeepers Foundation sends the link for our free photos. Until then you’ll need to. E satisfied with the ones I captured.
Santa & Mrs. Claus
Uh oh, it seems like Coleman’s not sure where to sit.
Alright, this spot might just be fine.
Where am I supposed to look?
Hey Gramdma, should I be looking at you or the camera?
Grandma, did you get my picture all right? Am I done now?
This week I am sharing our hike along the dirt trail at Ramsey Creek Park in Cornelius, North Carolina. Here are my entries …
Dirt Trail at Ramsey Creek Park Cornelius, North Carolina
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.
• NOTE: For the next two (2) weeks the theme for the Which Way Challenge will be CWWC: Any Which Way with a Holiday theme. (Will run for two (2) weeks).
Last week we visited the CLT Airport Overlook in Charlotte, North Carolina. While watching for Airplanes to take off or come in for a landing, Coleman noticed an Excavator and went over to the fence to take a closer look at it working in the construction area just a short distance from the playground area.
CAT 349F
The CAT 349F Excavator is built with a powerful, 49-ton hydraulic excavator known for heavy-duty digging and earthmoving tasks. Its features a CAT C13 ACERT engine with advanced hydraulic systems for efficiency and precision.
Coleman watching the CAT 349 Excavator at Work.
The CAT 349F has a spacious and ergonomic cab which is designed to be quiet and comfortable. It features air suspension seats and intuitive controls to reduce operator fatigue during long shifts.
Location: Lake Norman; Pier at Ramsey Creek Park; Ramsey Creek Park; Cornelius, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic rest of your week and weekend ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Beth from Wandering Dawgsis this week’s host for the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge . She is challenging us to show off Wings of any kind. I am displaying Non-Feathered Wings as well as Wings on a variety of Feathered Friends with Wings.
Let us first take a look at some of my Feathered Friends that grace my pathways.
Female Northern Cardinal grace my porch railing enjoying a nice snack.
A Northern Mockingbird stopped by for a visit.
A Lovely Mourning Dove graces us with a beautiful song.
A Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) graces our pathway while on a hike.
A Gallery of Geese Flying Overhead
Now to display a few Non-Feathered Wings Landing and Taking off from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.
Frontier Airlines Frontier AirlinesAmerican Airlines American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesComing In & Flying Up, Up, & Away
Locations: Feathered Friends) Cramerton, North Carolina, USA; Non-Feathered Wings) Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, 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.
Dale host the weekly challenge The Cosmic Photo Challenge with a different theme each week. This week’s theme is Reflections.
“Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it.”
– Ernest Holmes
Here are a few Reflections from around the Carolinas …
Lake Crandall Anne Springs Close Greenway The Pond at Daniel Stowe Conservancy Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm South Fork Catawba River Lake NormanLake NormanLake NormanLake Norman
“Your life is a reflection of your thoughts. If you change your thinking, you change your life.”
Dan, the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is asking us to share photos of Travel Hubs. Looking through my files I did not find many actual Travel Hubs, but just maybe what I did find might somewhat be along the lines even if they’re not actually hubs.
Here are my contributions …
Are Ports Hubs?
San Diego Ferry DockCruise Ships Ports and a Ferry Dock
Bus Stations …
Gastonia Bus Station Gastonia Bus StationCharlotte Greyhound Bus Station and local Gastonia Transit Station
Now how about let’s take a look at Trains. These aren’t actually Train Stations where you would board a train, but you could.
New Braunfels Train Museum (and yes they do offer train rides) New Braunfels, TexasNorth Carolina Transportation Museum Bob Julian Roundhouse & 100-foot Turntable Old Trains at the NC Transportation Museum Both of these Train/Transportation Museums offer Train Rides
And last but not least, let’s look at views of the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Charlotte, North Carolina
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 November …
From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):
Coleman At Centennial Center Cramerton, North Carolina
From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:
Playground at Ramsey Creek Park Cornelius, North Carolina
One Day while hiking along a trail Coleman and I came across a section with textured wood that had seen better days.
Trail near Gardner Park Elementary Gastonia, North Carolina
One Day while hiking in Anne Springs Close Greenway we spotted a mysterious hole within a rotting tree stump that drew our attention.
At Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
One Day we decided to take a break in the shade to catch our breath before contour hike. (Coleman was just under 2 at the time.) we found some interesting shadows and a Dragonfly.
Chestnut Trail; McDowell Nature Preserve; Charlotte, North Carolina
One Day during a hike to Coleman’s favourite sandpit in Riverside Park and Greenway we noticed some interesting texture of Hypnum cupressiforme, (the cypress-leaved plaitmoss or hypnum moss).
Textured hypnum moss growing on a tree Coleman enjoys climbing.
One Day at Riverside Park and Greenway I was trying to locate the log I usually sat on while Coleman played in the sand. It took some looking around before we spotted it. Someone had decomposed our log by using it as a fire log. (No fires are to be built in the park especially during the summer fire season.)
Burnt Log destroyed by fire. So much for my sitting on it.
For Monday Window this week I am taking you to the Bob Evans Restaurant in Huntersville, North Carolina. It has been awhile since we’ve been out to eat at a Bob Evans, the one closest to us closed & the building was demolished.
We decided to go out to eat on Thanksgiving first a Turkey Dinner (Our oven quit working & cooking a Turkey on the stovetop was highly impractical and improbable.) The closest Bob Evans near us was in downtown Charlotte or up a little further in Huntersville. We chose to go to the one in Huntersville and then go somewhere for a little holiday hiking.
Here are a few shots of the Bob Evans Restaurant; its doors, windows, and seating.
On Thanksgiving, my grandson, (Coleman) and I were joined by his mom for a lovely chilly afternoon. After devouring a delicious Turkey dinner (except for Coleman-He doesn’t like meat), my daughter (Trisha) drove us to a quaint park on the edge of Lake Norman called Ramsey Creek Park. At first, Coleman and I were not sure if his mom was going to join us hiking around the park.
Coleman and I started out walking by ourselves walking along the waters edges absorbing all the beautiful scenery. After a while, his mom joined us whilst he was picking up small seashells from the sandy seashore.
We noticed several Benches throughout our time walking around; from park benches to picnic tables and benches, they were scattered all around the park for visitors to relax and enjoy.
Here are some of the views and Benches we encountered …
Ramsey Creek Park; Lake Norman; Cornelius, North Carolina
Location: CLT Airport Overlook; Charlotte-Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Stay Safe. Stay Warm. Chill is in the Air. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Lake Norman; Ramsey Creek Park; Cornelius, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Take a Walk/Hike. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
You may be wondering about my title of Will It, Won’t It, Maybe Not especially when you see the image of a pizza. Let me tell you this is no ordinary pizza.
Hawthorne’s NY Pizza & Bar makes a specialty pizza many Pregnant women from all over Charlotte and the surrounding areas are coming to get. Why are they coming to Hawthorne’s from all over to get this specialty? That is an excellent question. What is this specialty pizza that is attracting pregnant women?
Pregnant women from all over Charlotte and the surrounding areas are determined to come to Hawthorne’s for their Buffalo Wing specialty pizza. It is layered with chicken, mozzarella cheese, and our very own Hawthorne’s in-house, SPECIAL medium-hot buffalo sauce. People are referring to the Buffalo Wing pizza as “The Inducer.”
Now, mind you, that there is no scientific proof that any certain foods (like the Buffalo Wing pizza) can induce labor, however, it is not stopping expectant mothers from enjoying and sharing the speedy power of Hawthorne’s Buffalo Wing Pizza. Even though many pregnant women have reported to giving birth within forty-eight hours or less from the time that they ate The Inducer” pizza, that is not true for every pregnant woman who ate Hawthorne’s “Inducer” pizza.
Coleman’s mom going to Hawthorne’s to get her “Inducer” pizzaOutdoor seating Signature Specialty Menu Coleman drawing on kids menuColeman (aka indoor seating)Coleman Additional Outdoor Seating Pizza with Family & Friends Makes Everything Possible Peace Love PizzaAdditional Indoor Seating at the Bar
With all this discussion regarding “The Inducer” pizza; my daughter eating “The Inducer” pizza is pizza; what do y’all think the outcome was? Did “The Inducer” pizza do the job with its expected success? Did it not work? Or will it eventually work, but take longer than expected?
Location: Hawthorne’s NY Pizza & Bar; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a terrific weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Answer to the questions … so far the expected results have not happened. Still waiting … and waiting. ( She ate it “The Inducer” on Wednesday afternoon around Two (2) pm. And we are still waiting for Baby Sophia to arrive.)
Location: Lake Norman; Ramsey Creek Park; Cornelius, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take Care. Safe Travels for those travelling. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Ramsey Creek Park; Lake Norman/Cornelius, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Hope y’all having wonderfully pleasant Thanksgiving 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. I trust y’all had a lovely Thanksgiving week so far. I know we certainly did. Now we didn’t spend the day cooking over a hot stove or oven, but we did enjoy a delicious turkey dinner courtesy of Bob Evans Restaurant. Let me tell you they were doing a pretty good business on this (yesterday’s) Thanksgiving. I’ll tell y’all more about Bob Evans Restaurant during a future post.
We also didn’t stay home bored to death thinking there was anything to do. We might not have had any family or friends to gather with and enjoy the day together, but we (at least I think) enjoyed a tremendous afternoon together (my daughter, my grandson, and myself) visiting a park we had not been to previously and did a wee bit of hiking.
If you’ve read my posts before, you’ll understand my grandson loves to hike and spend as much time as possible in the outdoors among nature. After devouring our delicious turkey meal (Coleman only ate the vegetables (he doesn’t like meat) at Bob Evans in Huntersville, we (actually my daughter) drove to Ramsey Creek Park which is along Lake Norman in North Carolina.
This being a holiday weekend I decided to make this Friday’s Which Way Challenge theme; Any Which Way (Your Choice). 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 entries for this week … from our Thanksgiving Day Hike …
Ramsey Creek Park Cornelius/Lake Norman, North Carolina
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 from The Day Afteris hosting this week’s Monochrome Madness; she has chosen a theme of Leaves and Petals. A few of the leaves are from here in Cramerton and the rest are from an outing we took on Thanksgiving Day to do a little bit of hiking.
Location: Ramsey Creek Park; Lake Norman/Cornelius, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Hope y’all had a wonderfully pleasant Thanksgiving! Have a fantastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Plunge in San Diego, California was originally called The Natatorium. It was constructed in 1925 as the centrepiece of Belmont Park, along with the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster.
Closeup of The Plunge’s Front Door
Belmont Park is located at Mission Beach. It was once the world’s largest saltwater pool. In 1940, The Plunge’s pool was converted from a saltwater pool to a freshwater pool. After the conversion, it became Southern California’s largest heated indoor pool. However, in the 1970’s, the pool and the rest of Belmont Park fell into disrepair. [It was during the 70’s when I was able to spend many days, especially in the summer, at Mission Beach enjoying the rides, the ocean, and the pool within The Plunge.]
In 2014, The Plunge was closed due to structural issues. After undergoing a major restoration, it reopened in 2019 as a completely modern, heated facility with a retractable roof and new amenities including floor-to-ceiling windows, while still maintaining its historical character.
The Plunge Belmont Park San Diego. California
The renovation was done in coordination with San Diego’s Historical Resources Board and the Save Our Heritage Organization. Great efforts were made to restore and replicate historic architectural features, including the original-style archways and decorative tilework.
During the mid-twentieth century, The Plunge served as a community gathering spot for swim lessons, school meets, and summer outings. The Plunge has been and continues to be a beloved landmark for Mission Beach residents and the entire city of San Diego.
Location: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Overlook; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy Thanksgiving! Have a fantastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Carolina Thread Trail; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Grateful for all of y’all for following, commenting, liking, and sharing your photos and stories with us. 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 Professional Offices. Looking through my files I did not find many professional offices that I had not already posted previously for other challenges. I did find a few though.
Here are my contributions …
The Enterprise Tower Abilene, TexasThe Department of Social Services facility Gastonia, NCGaston County Veterans Services NCGaston County Veterans Services NCThe Old Courthouse St. Louis, Missouri Taken 1985 by Nornal H. Waters (my dad)
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game.This week’s number is 222. 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 …
The Schiele Museum Cramerton Town ClockThe Cape Neddick Lighthouse Coleman The Billy Graham Library Roy Rogers & Trigger Wax Figures Alona Larry & meLake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway New Braunfels Railroad Museum Doyce Eileen Watson WatersDelia Green Maternal Great Grandmother Holmes County, Ohio
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens and Altura Wide Angle Fisheye lens attachment.
Settings: f/9 • 1/80s • 24mm • ISO100
Location: Baxter Village Trail; Baxter Village; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Grateful for all of y’all for following, commenting, liking, and sharing your photos and stories with us. 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 Sporting Venues (actually I’m a week late), a specific type of Cultural Venue. Here are my contributions …
Typical Sporting Venues …
Stadiums …
Ohio State University Stadium Texas Rangers Stadium Old San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium
The top two (2) stadiums are ones my cousins and nieces attend to watch their local sporting events. The third (3rd) stadium in San Diego is the old stadium which served as a venue for both the San Diego Padres and the San Diego Chargers. I only attended Padre games here.
Non-typical Sporting Venues …
Racetracks …
Cajon Speedway El Cajon, California
My dad loved watching car races. He grew up watching NASCAR races. The Cajon Speedway was an oval racetrack near El Cajon, California. The racetrack was originally a 0.25 mile dirt oval track which opened in 1961. In 1964 the track was expanded to a 0.375 mile dirt track and then was paved. The track was located between Gillespie Field and the San Vicente Freeway. The track held many Stock Car races throughout the years. Some of the more notable events were USAC National Midget Series, NASCAR Winston West Series, NASCAR Southwest Series, and the USF2000.
The Cajon Speedway ceased operations after the 2004 season and was demolished sometime after the lease ended in 2005. At this time it is unsure if or when a new NASCAR short track will be built on the property.
Horse Shows …
Horse Shows
The top two (2) are from a horse show held on the grounds of the Lake Haigler Entrance for Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The third (3rd) is of a horse show held at the San Diego Wild Animal Park (now known as the San Diego Safari Park) in 1978.
Water Sport Venues …
Water Sport Competitions
The first two (2) are of my eldest son’s high school CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) swim finals competition held in 1998 in Long Beach, California. My son competed in the butterfly event and the 4 x 100 meter medley and the 4 x 400 meter medley relays. The third (3rd) is from a paddling competition at the Port O’ Call, San Pedro, California.
Youth Baseball/T-ball Venues …
Here we have Coleman at his T-ball practice and one of his games on the local T-ball field. The last is of our local high school’s baseball field.
The Anthem Veterans Memorial in Community Park, Anthem, Arizona is a tribute to United States Military Veterans. It features five (5) pillars with unique elliptical openings which align strategically with the Sun on Veterans Day (November 11) at 11:11 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time) to project a spotlight on the Great Seal of the United States.
Each of the five (5) pillars represent a branch of the United States Armed Services; Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The pillars (monoliths) are composed of white marble.
The memorial also includes a “Circle of Honor” with engraved brick pavers dedicated to individual service members. The Circle of Honour is a surrounding area which contains inscribed brick pavers that can be purchased to honor individual veterans with their name, rank, and service dates.
The Anthem Veterans Memorial is designed with significant symbolism; the white colour of the pillars, red pavers, and the blue sky represent the American Flag.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 