2025 OWS: Looking Up (From Underneath)

Daucus carota

Also Known as Bee’s Nest-Plant; Bird’s-Nest; Devil’s Plague; Queen Anne’s Lace; and Wild Carrot

Queen Anne’s Lace is a summer biennial wildflower from the Apiaceae (carrot) family. In some states it is considered invasive. It has naturalized in many states and can be found in sun to partial shade along roadsides, old fields, and waste places. In our area of North Carolina Queen Anne’s Lace can be found along trails, in wooded areas, and near the Catawba River.

The 2 to 4 foot tall umbels of white flowers appear in its second year of growth from mid-summer to mid-fall and have a lacy look. The basal rosette consists of 5-inch long arching leaves with a few leaves occurring alternately up the main stem.

Instead of looking straight at these flowers I chose to shot them looking up at them from underneath for a unique perspective.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Looking Up (Continued)

Janet’s One Word Sunday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 23

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 08 June

Retiboletus ornatipes

Ornate-stalked Bolete 

Silent Sunday 

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Belmont, 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.

2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way with people

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen (CWWC): Any Which Way with people for this week’s theme. Your Which Ways can be on any pathway, road, step, bridge, and/or sign as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here. As always remember to have fun. 

Here are my entries for this week’s challenge …

Pathways around Centennial Center with People:

Trails with People:

Remember your Which Ways can be any way one travels, whether on foot, or other means. This week we are focusing on people in our Which Ways. And as always, Be sure to have fun.

For other Which Ways, check out the links below. Thank you to all who contributed to the Which Way Challenges.

Brian from bushboys world’s You’ll find it (down this aisle)

Penn from PENPUSHER 4 – THOUGHTS, WORDS, DEEDS, … Open Road

Dawn from The Day After’s Which Way: Bridge from the Mill Window

Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Yellow – Red – Blue

Cee’s Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)— (CWWC): Any Which Way with people.

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 03 June

Caneberries

Caneberries are a group of berries which includes Blackberries, Raspberries, Boysenberries, Loganberries, and a few more varieties. Caneberries grow on tough, woody stems called canes. They are a part of the Rosaceae family and are also known as bramble berries. Caneberries are aggregate fruits, which means that they are made up of many clusters of individual drupelets. They thrive in cool, moist climates.

They are popular for their nutritional value and can be used in various culinary applications. Caneberry harvest typically occurs from June through August.

Caneberries are grouped by four plant characteristics: 1) growth habit (trailing, semi-erect, or erect); 2) fruiting habit (primocane or floricane); 3) presence or absence of thorns (thorny or thornless); and 4) fruit color (raspberries only).

These particular Caneberries are semi-erect; growing upright in the beginning and bending over to trail along the ground if not supported. In the Southern region of the United States, blackberries and raspberries benefit from a trellis for commercial production. 

Caneberries are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Caneberries can be enjoyed fresh, frozen, or used in jams, cobblers, ice cream, and other dishes. When they are ripe they can be eaten straight from the plant, which Coleman would have loved to do on our latest hike. Unfortunately for him, they were not ripe yet.

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments

Location: South Fork Trail; River Link Greenway; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Enjoy Nature. Capture its beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 MM #35 — Through the Woods

Monochrome Madness

Leanne Cole has chosen the theme of Woods, Rainforests, and Bushland for this week’s Monochrome Madness Challenge. For Coleman and I, every time we go hiking we are hiking through the woods along one trail or another. These are from our hike on Saturday at Riverside Park and Greenway.

There is a dirt trail a few feet away from the main fishing pier which Coleman loves to hike. A few yards down the trail is a large sand area close to the South Fork Catawba River. It has been raining quite a bit here lately, so the trail was muddy but still doable.

Here you can see Coleman hiking along the muddy dirt trail through the Woods pulling his Little Tike Dump Truck/Excavator. He enjoys playing the sand and this trail and sand pit is conveniently close to our home.

Coleman Hiking
through the Woods
beside the
South Fork Catawba River

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #35-Woods, Rainforests, and Bushland

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1-2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & UV Lens attachments; 3-6) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Dirt Trail; Beside the South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy a Hike in Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Last On the Card: 31 May

Brian from Bushboys World gives these rules for The Last on the Card Challenge.
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th April 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 my #LastPhotos …

From my iPhone:

Boisea trivittata
Eastern Boxelder bug

From my HP Laptop:

Looking Straight Up

Brian’s Last on the Card

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Looking Up

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2)Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens with Altura UV & CPL filter attachments

Location: By the South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 01 June

Watching the Line

Coleman Watching
a Fishing Line

Silent Sunday 

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cram, 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.

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 21 May

Up, Down, Across,

Back and Forth

Hide and Seek

Coleman’s Way

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday 

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens and Altura Wide Angle Fisheye attachment.

Location: C.B. Huss Recreation Complex; 219 Tenth Street; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CosPhoChal/Numbers Game: By the Water

Dale Cooper hosts The Cosmic Photo Challenge; her theme for this week’s challenge is By the Water. I have chosen to combine this week’s CosPhoChal (Cosmic Photo Challenge) with Judy’s Numbers Game #73-194 using Dale’s theme of By the Water.

Click on photos to enlarge for enhanced viewing.

 Judy’s suggestions for how 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 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.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number.

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge-By the Water

Judy’s Numbers Game #73-194

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Photo Credit:©️2019-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 OWS: 19 May — Conveniently Convenience

On most hiking trails which Coleman and I there are there are sporadically placed benches Conveniently placed for hiker’s Convenience to rest, relax, and rejuvenate to continue one’s hiking adventure.

Here are a few benches Conveniently placed for hiker’s Convenience

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Convenience

Jude’s Bench Challenge Anniversary-19 May

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 20

Photo Credit:©️2022-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Have a wonderfully fun-filled week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 18 May

Hanging Around

Silent Sunday:18 May 2025

Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Hang

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with (1-3) Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; (4) Canon EF-S18-55mm lens

Location: C.B. Huss Recreation Center Playground; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 LAPC #347 — Breaking the Rules

Breaking the Rules? Whoever said one had to follow Rules in photography? Up, Down, Sideways, it doesn’t always matter if you shoot straight, point and shoot vertical or horizontal. Instead follow your own instincts, make your own interpretations on your shooting style. After all, you are the one you need to please.

What’s your angle?

Shooting across the river from a laying down position …

Shooting Subject Slightly off-center … background slightly blurred ( might be a rule though – who cares, I don’t read rules).

Not actually diagonal lines …

Lens-artists Photography Challenge #347 – break the rules!

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1-4) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera; 5-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Locations: 1-4) Riverside Park and Greenway; 5-6) Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, 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.

2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way (Your Choice)

CWWC
Cee’s Which Way Challenge

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen Any Which Way (Your Choice) for this week’s theme. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.

My Choice of Which Ways for this week’s theme are in two segments. The first Which Way being a paved pathway, aka nature trail) some with people and some without.

My second segment of Which Ways are of a dirt pathway within a baseball field.

Here is my first Which Ways segment:

And here is my second Which Ways segment:

Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us. 

For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.

gwh photos2’s Which Way Challenge-Shadows: May 9, 2025

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Your Choice

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Locations: Segment One) South Fork River Trail; Carolina Thread Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Segment Two) C.B. Huss Recreation T-Ball Field; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike/Walk. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with e. I appreciate y’all very much.

Note: Next Week’s Theme => CWWC: Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails

2025 Thursday Trios: 15 May

Canada Geese

It is Springtime, the Canada Geese are flocking to the rivers. In the past few days as Coleman and I have visited the South Fork Catawba River and Goat Island Park and Greenway, we have noticed more and more Canada Geese enjoying the riverbanks as well as swimming and gliding in the waters of the South Fork Catawba River.

Here are a few photos of Canada Geese Trios captured this week.

Thursday Trios 

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: 1-2) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 3-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a fabulous week. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Be sure to check out Friday’s Which Way Challenge. This week I am allowing y’all to choose your own Which Ways to share with us all.

2025 SYD: May 15

Clare from Clare’s Cosmos invites everyone to join her in Sharing Your Desktop (SYD). Below are her suggestions for participating in the Share Your Desktop Challenge 

To do so, simply share the photo* you have set as your wallpaper;
Provide as little or as much detail as you wish;
Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun;

Then finally, share the fun around.

I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.

Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:

From My HP Laptop:

Desktop Background Wallpaper
Coleman
in
Goat Island Playground
Desktop Screensaver
Canada Geese
South Fork Catawba River
Goat Island Park and Greenway

From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: 

Personal Focus
Coleman
Goat Island Park and Greenway
Reading Focus
Coleman
sitting on a pipe
at
Goat Island Park and Greenway
Hiking Focus
Coleman
Tree Climbing
at
Riverside Park and Greenway

Share Your Desktop – May 2025

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment

God Bless. Having a Wonderful Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 14 May

Pond Slider

Pond Slider Turtle
South Fork Catawba River
Goat Island Park and Greenway

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday 

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Location: South Fork Catawba River; South Fork River Trail; River Link Greenway; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a sunshiny day. Observe Nature. Thankful for local wildlife. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monday Portrait: 12 May

Plus Birds of the Carolinas

/Bird of the Week CXVI

Anas Platyrhynchos

The Anas Platyrhynchos also known as Mallards are one of several varieties of duck species, which include both resident and migratory birds. The Mallard is the most abundant duck in North America, often found in a variety of habitats. Even though apparently abundant, we have not seen many of the Mallards in or around the Catawba River.

The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is a widespread dabbling duck with a long body and high tail. The Mallard is easily identified by the male’s iridescent green head, white neck collar, and black tail curl. Females and juveniles have mottled brown bodies and dull orange bills. Both sexes have iridescent blue wing speculums. Mallards breed in fresh marshes surrounding lakes, ponds, beaver ponds, impoundments, open swamps, and such like areas, however, they do have a propensity to avoid nesting in brackish marshes. 

Coleman and I went hiking on the South Fork River Trail, a part of the Carolina Thread Trail, in Goat Island Park and Greenway on Saturday watching a partial day without rainfall (it rained again after we were safely home). While hiking the trail, Coleman and I were looking for the Turtles that often sun themselves on logs in the South Fork Catawba River. What were spotted prior to the Turtles were a pair of Mallards standing on a log checking out the River area. [This was the first time we’ve seen the Mallards in this region of the South Fork Catawba River.]

As we continued our hike we did encounter a lone Turtle sunning on a log which dove quickly into the river. But alas, we ventured on down the trail to find more Mallards on logs and in the river. It was fascinating to see and watch them especially since we had not previously seen the Mallards in this section of the Catawba River before.

Mallards feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on underwater plants. They almost never dive. They can be very tame ducks especially in city ponds, and often group together with other Mallards and other species of dabbling ducks.

Mallards are able to live in almost any wetland habitat, natural or artificial. Look for them on lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers, and coastal habitats, as well as nearby city and suburban parks and residential backyards.

Monday Portrait

Birds of the Carolinas

Bird of the Week CXVI

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Settings: f/6.3 • 1/320 • 250mm • ISO800-2000

Location: South Fork Catawba River; South Fork River Trail; River Link Greenway; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get outdoors and enjoy nature’s beauty and natural wildlife. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Numbers Game #71 – 192

Judy from Life Lessons hosts The Numbers Game. I’m a week behind, but I figured better late than not at all. Her number for the Numbers Game Challenge #71 is 192. I didn’t have any luck finding photos matching 192, so I am doing as suggested in showing images of a common word.

 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.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. Here are my contributions to the album.

My Word I am using is Coleman. I am posting the images in a video format for your enjoyment.

Coleman at Riverside Park and Greenway

Judy’s Numbers Game-#71-192

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.

Location Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 12 May

Lonicera japonica

Japanese Honeysuckle

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Location: River Link Greenway; South Fork River Trail; 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.

2025 Flower of the Day: Sunday, 11 May

Digitalis purpurea

Aka Lady’s Glove, Foxglove

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 18

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Location: Centennial Center; Downtown; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers and those as close as a Mother, and those soon to be Mothers. Treasure your family and remember the Mothers who only remain in our hearts. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 11 May

Holding On

Coleman Swinging
& Holding On

Silent Sunday

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Location: Goat Island Playground; Goat Island Park and Greenway; 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.

2025 Monday Window: 05 May — Reflective Church Windows

Kitty by a Window – 2
— AI creation by PR

As Coleman and I were walking up from the River by the White Church Coleman noticed a wind chime. He decided to go check it out & see how the chimes sounded.

Coleman rings
the Wind Chimes
See the Sky
Reflected in the Window
Side Windows
of Cramerton Independent
Presbyterian Church

Monday Window

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; 2-3) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: 151 8th Avenue; Downtown Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much

2025 OWS: 04 May — Favourite Capture (this week)

Coleman
looking out over the
South Fork Catawba River @GoatIslandParkandGreenway

Debbie’s One Word Sunday

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.

Settings: f/4 • 1/320 • 55mm • ISO100

Location: Centennial Center River Access and Observation Pier; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a lovely day. Relax and enjoy the outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 04 May

Water Abstracts

Silent Sunday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1-3) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max ( 2-3 edited in Pixlr); 4-5) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens (unedited)

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy the Sunshine ☀️. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Coleman’s Hiding … Can You Spot Him?

Did you Find Coleman’s location? Let me know where you see Coleman hiding.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday 

SWS 

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment

Settings: f/5.6 • 1/320s • 250mmISO3200

Location: Goat Island Playground; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina

God Bless. When’s the last time you played Hide & Seek? Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 April — Last on the Card

Brian from Bushboys World is the host for the Last on the Card ChallengeThe rules are simple, just post the last photo from SD card and/or the #lastphoto from your phone. It doesn’t matter if it was taken on the 31st or not. It can be The Last Photo whenever it was taken. No editing. No explanations needed. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard.

Here’s my Last Photos for April. 

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

A Trio of Canada Geese
Goat Island Park and Greenway

From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Coleman

#LastPhoto

Last on the Card-April 2025

Thursday Trios

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 30 April

Lagerstroemia indica ‘Tuscarora’

“When Sun warms Earth,
Myrtle knows to shed her skin
and show her inside beauty.”

~ Margaret Simon

Thinking of summer nearing with the end of the school year approaching, Crape Myrtle’s beginning to bloom once again with the heat encroaching upon the earth surface displaying beauty in all its glory.

Tuscarora Crape Myrtle

“I have a secret
It’s a bit of gold
hidden away
only Myrtle knows”

~ Linda Mitchell

There are many times Coleman will walk on by the flowers in bloom and then there are times like these when he’ll stop, sniff the blooms and admire their beauty and fragrance.

Tuscarora Crape Myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei ‘Tuscarora

“Myrtle knows
Her dress is so last year.
Underneath—mottled beauty
For fashion’s new season.”

~ Rose Cappelli

Cee’s FOTD ( Flower of the Day) Challenge

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S75-300mm lens.

Location: Gastonia County Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stop and smell the flowers. Enjoy Nature’s bountiful beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 #CosPhoChal: Pick a colour

—- Pick Green

Dale is hosting this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge and she wants us to feature primarily one colour this week with her prompt of Pick a Colour. My pick is Green, Coleman’s favourite colour.

Mostly Green in the Garen
Daniel Stowe Conservancy
(Botanical Garden )
Canada Goose
nearly hidden by the Green Foliage
across the Green tinted River.
Coleman
in Green Camo
Camouflaged by the
Green Tree Leaves
Lush Green yard
with Coleman playing
in his Green Turtle
Green Focused
Color Pop of Coleman

Cosmic Photo Challenge-Pick a Colour

Photo Credit:©️2023-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens

Locations: In Belmont & Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a Cosmic adventure day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Words for Thought #58: 04.29

John 1:3 (NIV)

God always has something to say. Be encouraged by His Word as you spend some time in biblical meditation and hear His heart for you.

The Beauty of God’s Creations are all around us. Be thankful for God’s many blessings and the beauty he has created in you.

“Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.”

—Mary Oliver

Think About It Tuesday

Photo Credit: © 2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Location: South Fork Catawba River; 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. 

2025 OWS: 27 April —Texture

Textile & Visual

Physical Feels

& Visual Appearance

Rough, Hard, Bumpy, Rigid
Bryoria nadvornikiana,
aka horsehair lichens
Rough, Hairy, Fuzzy, Stiff
Dog vomit slime mold
Slimy, Spongy, Soft, Gelatinous
Juglans nigra,
aka Eastern American Black Walnut

Hard, Rough, Tough, Spherical
Walters(Waters) infant Gravemarker (my paternal Great Grandparents infant son)
Grainy, Rough, Weathered, Coarse,

“The friends whom I have are invaluable, and although not numerous they are sufficient for my enjoyment; and the texture of my own mind renders me very indifferent to the rest of the world.”

George Combe

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Texture

Photo Credit:©️2019-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Have a wonderful fulfilled day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Madness (MM) #32: Springtime in the Carolinas

Host this week for Monochrome Madness is Dawn from The Day After. She has chosen a theme of Everything Spring.

Springtime in the Carolinas entails anything and everything from Spring sports like T-Ball for Coleman, to Kayaking through the Catawba River, to simply rolling in the grass at an outdoor concert, to the beauty of Spring flowers. And who can’t forget about the Spring festivities surrounding the Easter Egg Scramble. Let us not forget what this Holiday Season is all about. It is not about the Easter eggs hunts, even though the children enjoy them, it’s about the Crucifixion of Jesus and his Resurrection. We celebrate that “He is Risen!”.

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”

— Anne Frank

Dawn’s Monochrome Madness-Everything Spring

Spring Festival 2025

Cee’s Flower of the Day

To check out the guidelines for Monochrome Madness and/or upcoming themes check out Leanne’s Monochrome Madness page here.

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Location: Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. May God bless you at Easter and keep you all year through. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYD: April 15

Clare from Clare’s Cosmos invites everyone to join her in Sharing Your Desktop (SYD). Below are her suggestions for participating in the Share Your Desktop Challenge 

  1. To do so, simply share the photo* you have set as your wallpaper;
  2. Provide as little or as much detail as you wish;
  3. Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun;
  4. Then finally, share the fun around.

I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.

Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:

From My HP Laptop:

Desktop Background Wallpaper

Coleman at his
1st T-Ball Game

Desktop Screensaver

Coleman by the
South Fork Catawba River
Riverside Park and Greenway

From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: 

Personal Focus

Coleman
practicing fielding
for T-Ball

Reading Focus

Coleman at
Riverside Park and Greenway

Hiking Focus

Coleman hiking
on the Disc Golf Trail
Goat Island Park and Greenway

Share Your Desktop – April 2025

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1,3,5) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2,4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & Star Filter attachments

God Bless. Having a Wonderful Holy Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 LAPC #343 – Seen on my Last Outing with Coleman

Leya is this week’s host for the Lens-Artist Challenge. She has selected a theme of Seen on my Last Outing.

My last outing was on Friday after I picked Coleman up from the school bus stop. After stopping at home to allow him to change into shorts, gather drinks and snacks we proceeded to hike downtown to Goat Island Park and Greenway for a relaxing afternoon of hiking and fun.

What we saw when we first approached Goat Island were the Canada Geese out soaking up the warm sunshine.

Continuing on our way we gaze over the South Fork Catawba River from the bridge as we cross over into the Greenway.

Next up, we saw a bicyclist riding along in front of us on the paved Greenway trail.

Hiking along we saw Sasquatch and more Canada Geese.

Isn’t it amazing the variety of interesting things we see on our various outings we take when we venture outside. The interesting “thing” we saw next was not in our normal per view of subjects seen on any of our adventures previously.

We spoke with the man in the River as curiosity plagued us to know what he was doing standing in the middle of the River. He informed us he was searching for golf discs that might of missed their target and landed in the river instead of the disc golf catcher.

Venturing on, Coleman and I spotted trash discarded by the trail (someone didn’t adhere to the Leave No Trace rule).

Trash by trailside

Before continuing on our hike, Coleman decided to throw sticks in the river. He likes to see the splashes that occur when he throws objects into the water.

And coming back around to the beginning of the trail, we see some newly grown mushrooms and a couple of disc golf catchers.

As we are at the end of our adventure and what was Seen on our Last Outing, you might like to venture over to Leya’s blog to see what she saw on her last outing. Thank you Leya for hosting this week’s challenge. Click here to check out Leya’s post.

Lens-Artists Challenge #343 – Seen on my Last Outing

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #264

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star Filter attachments. 

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.

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 09 April

Tree Replanting

Coleman
trying to replant
this portion of a tree

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #264

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star Filter attachments.

Location: Riverside 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.

2025 CosPhoChal: April Week One — Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun

Coleman Style

Whenever the weather is nice and warm on the weekends and sometimes during the week, Coleman and I go hiking to one of the nearby Greenways. Coleman prefers being outside having Fun in the Sun anytime to being cooped up indoors.

Whenever I go outside into the Sunshine, it is, more likely than not, to watch Coleman having Fun in the Sun.

Now that Spring has arrived, Coleman has Fun in the Sun practicing T-Ball (or if you hear him say it, it would be T-Bat practice).

Some days we go to Riverside Park and Greenway, while there he likes to have Fun in the Sun playing in the Sand or being near the water.

On other days we hike down to Goat Island Park and Greenway to either hike or allow Coleman to play in the playground. Occasionally we bring along our cornhole bean bags to have some Fun in the Sun playing a round of Cornhole.

Most other times at Goat Island he play on the playground equipment swinging & twisting in & out of the ropes or convincing me to push him on the Swings for him to enjoy having Fun in the Sun.

Cosmic Photo Challenge-Fun in the sun

#CosPhoChal

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250 lens.

Locations: 1-3) C.B. Huss Recreation Center; 4-7) Riverside Park and Greenway; 8-11) Goat Island Park and Greenway

God Bless. Have Fun in the Sun. Enjoy the vast beauty in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Monday: 07 April

Unusual River Sighting

Searching for Golf Discs

Monochrome Monday

Monday Monochrome

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #264

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star Filter attachments. 

Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a fantastic week ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Numbers Game #66-187

Judy from Life Lessonsblog hosts The Numbers Game each week. I am posting for The Numbers Game #66-187. Judy’s rules for playing along with her Numbers Game are simple.

 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.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please link your blog in comments below.

In lieu of numbers this week I am choosing a theme of Downtown Concert. The Downtown Concert was held in Centennial Center in Downtown Cramerton, North Carolina on Friday, March 28th.

The Opening Act for the concert was a singer named Trish England. Trish England is a Christian music artist who performs Southern Gospel, Christian Contemporary and Country music. She is originally from Austin, Texas and currently resides in Bessemer City, North Carolina. She has three (3) CD albums and releasing a single sometime this year all recorded under the Son Sound West Records.

I was really impressed by Trish’s performance. I had never heard of her before her performance in Cramerton, however, I soon realized she is an extremely talented artist who loves Jesus and loves to share her love of Jesus through her music to audiences everywhere. A few of the songs she performed were “Jesus in My Country”, “God Did It”, “Christian in the House”, “That’s God”, and “Behold the Beauty of the Lord”. My grandson, Coleman and I really enjoyed her performance and would recommend listening to her sing in concert, via Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music or which ever is your preference for listening to music online or streaming outlet.

Judy’s Numbers Game #66-187

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. No reproduction or Reuse without the express consent of the copyright owner.

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachments; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: GRAHAM AND GAYLE BELL PAVILION; Centennial Center; Downtown Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a Fantastic Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Sunday Trees — 2025 06 April

Cornus florida,

the Flowering Dogwood

Cornus florida
Flowering dogwood in Spring
Flowering Dogwood Blossoms

Click on each image for enhanced viewing.

Sunday Trees

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved 

Camera:1 & 3) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura 4-Star & CPL Filter attachments. 

Location: Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Observe the Beauty in Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 06 April

Agrocybe praecox aka
Spring Fieldcap, Spring Agrocybe 

or Early Agrocybe

Silent Sunday

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 13

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star filter attachments.

Location: Near South Fork Catawba River; Disc Golf Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outside & Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Weekend Sky(Watch) Friday: 06 April

The other day it was warm, but cloudy and windy. It was raining lightly when Coleman got off the school bus. We waited a half hour, the rain stopped, so we ventured down to Riverside Park and Greenway for him to play in the sand by the South Fork Catawba River.

These shots of the Sky(watch) were taken using an Altura 4 Star filter and an Altura CPL filter attachments. Occasionally, the sun tried to peek through the cloudy sky.

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Skywatch Friday 

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star filter attachments.

Location: Riverside Park and Greenway Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stay Warm. Take care of yourself and each other. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

River Wading – Not Fishing for Fish

Coleman and I went hiking after he got home from school today (Friday). We walked downtown to Goat Island Park and Greenway. There weren’t any kids in the playground when we arrived, so I made a decision for us to hike along the trail first and then come back to the playground when we were finished hiking.

We started out along the paved hiking trail and meandered over to the dirt disc golf trail which runs simi-parallel to the South Fork Catawba River. While walking adjacent to the river, Coleman pointed out that there was a man standing in the river. This is not a normal sight when we are hiking. Therefore, we proceeded to investigate what the man was doing wading in the South Fork Catawba River.

At first, I thought the man Wading in the river was fishing even though most fishermen/women fish from one of the fishing piers or from the riverbanks. When we were close we asked the man what he was doing. It turns out that one of the disc golf catchers is on the opposite side of the river from where one is to throw the disc. According to the man wading in the river, many people miss the other side when they throw the disc across the river. So, it turns out he was searching the river for any golf discs that may have landed in the river. He had been searching for approximately twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes when we approached him. Besides wearing waders the man was tethered to the riverbank by a rope to insure he wouldn’t be carried downstream if for some unpredictable strong wind and current tried to whisk him away. So you see, he wasn’t fishing for fish, but instead for golf discs.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

SWS

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #263

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star Filter attachments.  

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent (Almost… Not Quite) Cell Pic Sunday: 30 March

O! Say can you see …

⁠O! say does that star-spangled Banner yet wave,
⁠O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
(1)

U.S. Flag
hung from a
Fire Ladder Truck

‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.(1)

U.S. Flag

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
(1)

United States Flag

⁠And the star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
(1)

U.S. Flag
Waving from a
Fire Department
Ladder Truck

And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
While the land of the free is the home of the brave!
(1)

(1) ©️The Star-Spangled Banner lyrics by Francis Scott Key; music by John Stafford Smith; adopted March 3, 1931.

Silent Sunday

John’s Cell Pic Sunday

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. All images are prohibited for use in any format without the explicit consent of the copyright.

Cameras: 1-2) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 3-4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachments.

Location: Centennial Center; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thankful for freedom and friends. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Sunday Trees — 2025.30.03

Carolina Poplar

Sturnus vulgaris (European Starling) in a Carolina Poplar aka Populus deltoides, Eastern Cottonwood, Southern Poplar
Carolina Poplar
aka Southern Poplar,
Eastern Cottonwood

Sunday Trees

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved 

Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachments.

Location: Centennial Center; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Observe the Beauty in Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Rolling Rolling Up a Good Time

Coleman’s Pre-Concert Activity

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

SWS

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachments.  

Location: The Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

WWE: South Fork Catawba River — Ripples and Reflections

We live in walking proximity to several access entrances to the South Fork Catawba River, so Coleman and I visit the River often. On this particular day, we accessed one of the back access points which, I believe, is seldom visited by the majority of visitors to Goat Island Park and Greenway.

Here are the Ripples and Reflections we enjoyed seeing on our visit to the South Fork Catawba River.

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #262

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachments.

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Capture the All around you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.