Common Name(s): Carolina Wild-petunia Wild Petunia
The Carolina Wild Petunia are extremely common in North Carolina. They are found in lawns and woodlands. This Wild Petunia was seen at Anne Springs Close Greenway along the trails at the Adventure Road Entrance. Many times, even though these flowers are beautiful, they are overlooked and sometimes considered a lawn weed. The Carolina Wild Petunia’s flowers only last a day, but they also have a long flowering period which compensates for the shorter blooming time.
Disc golf, formerly known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf.
Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill recently installed a Disc Golf Course which can be accessed through their Adventure Road Entrance. The first “hole” is just off the first parking lot.
Hole 1 141 ft Par 3Hole 1 Basket
The sport is usually played on a course with 9 or 18 holes (baskets). Players complete a hole by throwing a disc from a tee pad or area toward a target, known as a basket, throwing again from where the previous throw landed, until the basket is reached.
Hole Information Disc PadColeman climbing to Basket 2“Hole” Basket 2 with Coleman
The Greenway’s Disc Golf Course consists of 9 “holes” which wind around through the woods near Lake Crandall. Coleman and I didn’t bring a disc with ( discs are not provided ). I’m not sure that he’s ready to land a disc in the baskets yet. He still needs to learn how to throw one first.
Hole 3 126 ft. Par 3Coleman hiking to next BasketBasket 3Coleman at Basket/Hole 3
Usually, the number of throws a player uses to reach each basket is tallied (often in relation to par), and players seek to complete each hole in the lowest number of total throws. Par is the number of strokes an expert player is expected to make for a given hole or a group of holes (usually 9 or 18).
Have you ever played Disc/Frisbee Golf? I actually have never played Disc Golf even though in my youth I has thrown a Frisbee a time or two. Maybe one day I’ll give it a try. I’m sure the Disc Golf Course at the Greenway will get much use given time. It was only I stay couple of months ago so people need time to become aware of its existence.
Night Lighting at Arkansas Visitor Center Outdoor String Lighting Anne Springs Close Greenway Park Lamps Goat Island GreenwayPark Lamps George Poston ParkFire 🔥 Lightning Andrew Jackson State ParkSun Light Glistening Fort Mill Dam
Dale of The Cosmic Photo Challenge prompt is Freestyle this week.
Since this is freestyle week I decided to let you visit with me on one of the hikes Coleman and I took this past week. This hike was a little bit different in that we had my daughter, Coleman’s mom, along with us. On Tuesday we needed to be out of the home for awhile because a pest control company was going to come in and spray per the Complex management.
Therefore, we decided to go hiking in one of Coleman’s favorite places. The place we chose was Anne Springs Close Greenway about twenty minutes or so from our residence. Mind you now my daughter is not fond of hiking at all. When we arrived, we should them my membership card and proceeded to park. We thought Trisha, my daughter, was just gonna sit and relax near the canteen while Coleman and I hiked. It didn’t exactly go like we had thought. You see, Trisha brought her dog along with on our adventure ( he had to be out of the home as well).
Lake Haigler
Chewbacca, Trisha’s dog, decided he wanted to hike with us, therefore she had to tag along. We walked down to the lake and proceeded along the trail, Lake Haigler Loop, around the lake.
Haigler Loop
Coleman loves to run along the trail. I prefer a slower pace since I normally take many photos along the trail of the various sites we see. Often we observe different angles around the lake, seeing flowers, butterflies, sometimes turtles, bees, and even dragonflies.
Brazilian Vervain (Verbena brasiliensis)
At other times we see amazing reflections in the water.
Reflections in Lake Haigler
I love seeing various creatures feasting on the nectar of wildflowers her at the Greenway.
Black Swallowtail, Eastern Bumblebee, and Delta Flower Scarab Beetle feasting on Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis.
Further down the trail as we hike around the lake I notice what appears to be a shape of a triangle formed with the reflections in the lake.
Triangle formation from the water reflections. Surrounding Tree Reflections plus water shimmering
As we keep going I slow down observing butterflies flittering to and fro. Naturally I stop to snap a photograph. Meanwhile, my daughter’s trying to convince me to stop taking pictures. Guess what? She didn’t convince me, not one single solitary moment.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Pearl Crescent Butterfly
Next on our hike we come across a dragonfly and several turtles along the edge of the lake.
Widow Skimmer Dragonfly Turtles sunbathing on a log
By this time my daughter is tired and wants to get this hike over with. Naturally, Coleman and Chewbacca want to keep going. They’re enjoying the outdoors adventure. Hence, we keep chugging along.
Water Reflections Water Ripples
After awhile we decide to pull up a seat and relax a bit before finishing our hike. But first there’s more to observe as we near the picnic tables along the backside of the lake.
Trisha, Chewbacca, with Coleman leading the way. [He knows the trails better than most adults]. Ngaro Wīwi Priocnemis monachus delighting on Angelica genuflexa
Finally to a spot to snack relax near the water’s edge.
I hope you enjoyed trekking along with us on our hike around Lake Haigler. God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.
The widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) is one of the group of dragonflies known as king skimmers. This species is found commonly in muddy substrates, or still bodies of waters such as ponds, lakes, streams, and creeks. They are predators that prey on other insects such as mosquitoes. They catch their prey using their legs and use their fangs to bring prey into their mouth.
3 Jolly Ball Horse Toy Hung in the Goat Area The Schiele Museum Farm Gastonia, North Carolina Trio of Picnic Tables Anne Springs Close Greenway Dairy Barn Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina Three Grazing Horses Anne Springs Close Greenway Dairy Barn Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina A Trio of Donkeys Anne Springs Close Greenway Dairy Barn Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina
Pale Purple ConeflowerPreviously known as: Brauneria pallida Echinacea pallida f. albida Rudbeckia pallidaThe Pale Purple Coneflower is a herbaceous perennial of the genus Echinacea.
These coneflowers are native to North America, and there are nine known species of Echinacea. Echinos is Greek for “hedgehog” or “sea urchin” which is reflective of the plants spiny center cone. Pallida is Latin and translated means “pale.” This is in reference to their petal color which is a pale pink-purple.
Interesting Medicinal Information:
Echinacea was first used by Native Americans for treatment of insect stings and bites as well as snake bites. Currently, Echinacea is used to prevent colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections. It has also been proven to boost the immune system and treat urinary tract infections. Echinacea preparations can also be topically applied for wounds or skin problems. The roots and whole plant possess a cortisone-like antibacterial property.
This horse’s EYE captivated my attention. The eye looked unusual, and it drew me to the horse. Greenway Horse Stables Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
Outdoors at Anne Springs Close Greenway Coleman’s “playground “ in the woods at Anne Springs Close Greenway Coleman Hanging onto the Swinging Bridge at Anne Springs Close Greenway Coleman playing in the Spillway at Anne Springs Close Greenway Coleman playing in the Catawba River along the Piedmont Medical Center Trail Riverwalk Catawba River TrailheadThrowback Outdoors Photo taken on Lake Fort Smith in Mountainburg, AR
My any kind of seating involves any seating that Coleman deems acceptable for a place for him to sit. His choices of seating are not always what I would choose, but hey, if he’s happy with his choice of seating who am I to say it’s not his kind of seating.
Seating at the Greenway An Adirondack Chair & a Picnic Table with benches Anne Springs Close Greenway Coleman’s Seating on an Adult Exercise Equipment at Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway Coleman’s Seating on another piece of Adult Exercise Equipment at Avon and Catawba Creeks GreenwayColeman’s version of Seating along the Green Trail at the Warlick YMCA ( A Rock 🪨 for Seating)Coleman’s Seating On a Bar on Exercise Equipment on the Power Loop of the Styz Trail System at the Warlick YMCAColor Pop Close-Up of Coleman Sitting on the Exercise Bar Warlick YMCA SYTZ Trail System
This week’s selections come from the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina. These were taken when I took my grandson, Coleman to visit the horses he so enjoys visiting. Most of the horses were in or near the stables. You can see in slide three, the horses do love to run around in the pasture.
Echinacea Sombrero Salsa Red displays single rows of drooping, deep orange-red ray petals around a sombrero-shaped, orange-brown cone. The lightly fragrant flowers attract butterflies! They provide long lasting color in the garden.
Echinacea Sombrero Salsa Red Coneflower
These are reded daisy-like flowers with dark cones and are produced on strong, well branched stems. Echinacea is well known for its large, daisy-like flowers. It is a bold, sturdy perennial sporting flowers with a large cone-shaped center, hence its common name of Coneflower.
AnolIs carolInensIs Aka AmerIcan Chameleon (Green Anole LIzard) They are closely related to Iguanas. GraffItI Art under the BrIDge SmIleyFaceFootprInt In the TreeColeman sIttIng on the FIrepIt at Anne SprIngs Close Greenway
PigGoatAmerican Brahman American breed of indicine cattle
The Brahman is an American breed of zebuine-taurine hybrid beef cattle. Zebuine (Asian humped) cattle were present in the United States from 1849, when a single bull of Indian origin was imported from the United Kingdom to South Carolina. Cross-breeding of these with local taurine cows was the first step in the creation of the Brahman breed.
Echinacea purpurea is recognisable by its purple cone-shaped flowers. It is native to eastern North America and present to some extent in the wild in much of the eastern, southeastern and midwest United States. It is often known as the purple coneflower.
All of the butterfly 🦋 photos I’ve captured so far were all taken within the grounds of Anne Springs Close Greenway. First photos are of Eastern Tiger Swallowtails shot with an iPhone 13 Pro.
Male tiger swallowtails are bright yellow with black tiger stripes on the tops of their wings. You can sometimes find groups of male swallowtail butterflies gathered on the ground around mud puddles or other damp spots. This is a behavior called puddling. The butterflies are sucking minerals and other substances out of the damp ground. (This behavior can be seen quite often at the spillway at Anne Springs Close Greenway.)
Eastern tiger swallowtail
Other butterflies found within Anne Springs Close Greenway:
Asterocampa celtis, the hackberry emperor, is a North American butterfly that belongs to the brushfooted butterfly family, Nymphalidae. It gets its name from the hackberry tree. [Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max]Red-spotted Purple – Limenitis arthemis Limenitis is a genus of brush-footed butterflies, commonly called the admirals. [Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max]
Peek-A-BooTake your Best Shot …. If You CanGive it a try, but I’m not looking Oh, Alright Go Ahead and Take Your Photo My Grandson, Coleman loves to Visit the STABLES at Anne Springs Close Greenway
Photos taken while hiking 🥾 at Anne Springs Close Greenway Horse Stables Entrance. This is a pond Coleman & I saw as we were walking to see Forest, a young foal.
Coleman holding GATE attached to FENCEHorses inside FENCEBarbed Wire FENCE GATE leading to Anne Springs Close Greenway Coleman near GATE and FENCE Property of Town of Fort Mill NO TRESPASSING Violators Will Be Prosecuted FENCE around Grandparents homeCee’s Black & White Photo Challenge
Photo Credit: 1-5 Deb L. Waters. 6 – Nornal Hule Waters
Pull Up a Seat … High Up on a Downed TreeColeman sitting on the lower portion of same Downed TreeOr on a Sanitation Manhole …Coleman looking at a Brick 🧱 while sitting on another Sewer Manhole … And relaxing on another one.
To Coleman, it does not matter what it is; if it looks like somewhere to sit he will sit. He will Pull Up a Seat anywhere, anytime he chooses to do so.
Take a walk with me through the backwoods of the Greenway. See what my grandson and I see as we meander through the trees and along the creek on the Blue Star Trail. The Greenway is one of the happiest places that my grandson loves to be, hiking and enjoying nature.
We entered the Greenway through a path in a Fort Mill neighborhood. This was our first-time entry through this area. we were not sure where we were going or onto which trail, we would encounter as we hiked from this new point of entrance.
We missed the pathway to start with and crisscrossed through the trees until we emerged near a wooden bridge. We saw the Blue Star Trail sign and knew we were about to be in the Greenway. To the left of the wooden bridge is a swinging bridge that was blocked off with caution tape signifying it was unsafe to use. So, we crossed the wooden bridge to begin our hike for the afternoon.
Coming upon a crossroads we weren’t sure whether to go to the right or the left. We went to the left, and it took us away from the Greenway onto a section belonging to the Town of Fort Mill. We didn’t realize this until we stopped at a gate which indicated it was a restricted area. At such time we turned around and proceeded back the way we had traveled. The pathway runs alongside a creek. In the Greenway the trails run along creeks thus we didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary at first.
Once we arrived back at the crossroads, we proceeded to hike the direction we should have gone in the first place, to the right. In this direction we came to another swinging bridge, the Blue Star. This one was okay to cross. My grandson, Coleman loves to run across swinging bridges. It wasn’t that way the first time he went across one, but now he thinks they are fun to cross.
Being the first time, we hiked via this pathway we didn’t go very far. We were not wearing our proper hiking boots and we were just out for a short adventure. Therefore, we at this point went back to the house we were visiting to relax and reflect on our time in the woods.
Feet 👣 Andrew Jackson State ParkShadow Legs Anne Springs Close GreenwayYoung Legs & Feet 👣 Anne Springs Close Greenway Feet 👣 in Crocs Anne Springs Close Greenway
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 