Hope y’all have had a fantastic week so far. It’s Friday already and time for another Which Way Challenge. This week we are continuing with the theme of(CWWC): Any which way with lines. This is the Second (2nd) week of the Which Way Challenge of Any Which Way with Lines. Remember your Which Ways should be clearly discernible. Signs are always welcome in your Which Way post. The photos can be ones you’ve taken recently or from your archives. Let’s all have fun!
Here are my Which Ways for this week’s challenge …
Coleman on Goat Island BridgeColeman waiting for me to catch up. He’s looking through the fence lines hoping he can go play on the playground. Another Bridge & fence rails in Goat Island Park and Greenway Coleman checking the lines in the wood planks is a bridge. A Blooper – It does show the lines in the wooden sitting area at the end of the trailColeman + all sorts of linesColeman at Goat Island Park and Greenway
For enhanced/enlarged viewing click on each image.
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.
The Benches here are located within the Helix/R Pocket Park which is installed along the greenway off of Riverside Drive, near Downtown Cramerton. [This Pocket Park is just down our long block and across the road from where we live.]
Coleman’s seating choices on Benches at Helix/R Pocket Park
The Helix/R is a 20-foot tall abstract sculpture created by John Rietta, Soulptor. It was dedicated in Cramerton on Thursday, June 26 along the Carolina Thread Trail on Cramer Mountain Road. It is located in a brand new Pocket Park named the Richard Atkinson Plaza in honour of Cramerton’s Mayor Pro-Tem.
During the dedication The Carolina Thread Trail and the Town of Cramerton, North Carolina cut the ribbon on the Helix/R sculpture officially opening the small Pocket Park to the public.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 6-Star filter attachments.
Location: Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take a Hike. Enjoy Nature. Admire the Beauty all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Good day! I trust everyone has had a wonderful week so far. Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have decided to combine the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) with the Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC).The theme is Any animal in your which way Viewed from Above (CFFC). Let’s see the amazing Which Ways y’all can come up with to display Animals in your Which Way as Seen (Viewed) from Above.,
As you are walking/hiking along throughout your day it is amazing all the many different animals you might encounter on your journey if only you look down occasionally. There are so many incredibly interesting animals that you could possibly find along your path that I have elected to run this theme for two weeks.
We spotted this Northern Cardinal when we first departed from our home to begin our adventure …
Northern Cardinal
We walked down the road towards Goat Island Park and Greenway where we started hiking along Riverlink Greenway. After hiking merely a short distance along the trail, Coleman spotted several Cricket frogshopping and jumping. Their jumping style is unique due to the fact that they perform a series of jumps and “belly flops” as they move across the water or land (as we observed).
Acris crepitans Cricket frog
Further down the trail Coleman spotted this little creature, a nymph Threecornered alfalfa hopper. For Coleman he had get closer and look up on the fence railing to get a better view, while I zoomed in looking down upon the little green nymph.
As we kept moving forward Coleman noticed this small Land Snail crawling across the trail …
Zonitoides arboreus aka Quick Gloss Snail a species of small air-breathing land snail
On this hiking adventure we observed a wide variety of animals; small ones, medium sized ones, and a wee bit bigger ones. This next one seemed to have seen better days. As this Worm might be great as fishing bait on a previous day, he would not catch much with his lack of viability on this day.
For enhanced/enlarged viewing click on each image.
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.
Coleman and I went to the Daniel Stowe Conservancy to investigate all their new upgrades and additions to what was once known as the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens(DSBG). Along with the name change, many improvements, upgrades, and additions were added to DSBG.
The Farmhouse Garden Center and The Trailhead Store are just two of the many new developments on the grounds of the Daniel Stowe Conservancy. [I’ll discuss more on these facilities on another later post.] There is also an addition of a Dog Park, additional trails and connecting trails encompassing approximately eight plus (8+) miles of hiking trails on Stowe Property.
Trail Map Click image to enlarge.
Coleman and I began our hiking adventure from The Trailhead Store. We hiked past an extra small waterfall pond, by the Dog Park and around the Big Pond Loop and then crossed the road to continue hiking on the Carolina Thread Trail.
While walking/hiking on the Conservancy property you’ll encounter some concrete paths, crushed concrete trails, natural trails filled with rocks, roots, rises, falls, switchbacks and changes in elevation which inhabits the feeling of adventure.
It was while hiking along the Carolina Thread Trail portion that we noticed a wooden Shed standing amongst the Trees. I’m not sure what the Shed was once used for, but found it interesting to be almost in the middle of nowhere.
The Shed in the Woods
A closer look at the Shed
No, we didn’t attempt to go inside the Shed. We only glimpsed a look at it from the trail … no off trail wandering for a closer look. No need when I could zoom in for a better view.
Location: Carolina Thread Trail; Daniel Stowe Conservancy (DSBG); Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take a Hike/Walk. Have an adventurous day. Nature is beautiful, admire it. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
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.
Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy a hike/walk. Commune with Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Catawba River Trailhead; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful day. Enjoy a hike/walk in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Avon-Catawba Creeks Greenway Trail; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful day. Enjoy a hike/walk in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
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…
Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCAndrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SCCatawba Park Tega Cay, SCCatawba River Trailhead Rock Hill, SC Ed Yount Trail South Fork River Park Gastonia, NCLake Haigler Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCGoat Island Park and Greenway Cramerton, NCGoat Island Park and Greenway Cramerton, NCRiverside Park and Greenway Cramerton, NC
Coleman and I go hiking along trails whenever the weather isn’t too cold and windy to roam about outdoors. We often encounter other hikers/walkers walking their dogs on the trails in Greenways and, Nature Preserves, as well as State and Local Parks.
What or should I say whom we never expected to see while hiking on the trail was a man hiking with his Cat. He had a pet carrier on his back with the Cat inside on a leash. The Cat could (and did) leap to the ground, walk around and investigate the area and then spring back up to her carrier whenever she desired to do so.
These are shots of the Cat in his carrier people watching…
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get outdoors. Take a walk and enjoy the sunshine while seeing the beautiful landscape and interesting views all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
These were taken back in February of 2023 when Coleman and I convinced my daughter and granddaughter to Tag-along on one of our hiking adventures. For this hike, we chose to visit the Baxter Village Trail which begins near the Library in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Hiking along on the trail we encounter plenty of Brown and a bit of Black as well as some other colours.
The Baxter Village Trail is a part of the Carolina Thread Trail network of trails within North and South Carolina. It is also a part of a 9-mile network of trails within the Baxter Village Community. This particular trail is a 3.3-mile segment of the Thread Trail trail is moderately hilly and features several streams along its length.
Baxter Trail Map
The trail consisted of natural surfaces, boardwalks, and some pavement. The rating for the trail is moderate, but for Coleman and I it was rather easy. As you can see we wound through a forest of trees and through tunnel and for my grandchildren over the tunnel as well.
To take a look at other Which Ways from this past week check out the links below:
Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S15-55mm lens.
Location: Baxter Village Trail; Baxter Village Community; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderfully fabulous rest of your week. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Coleman and I love to go hiking and whenever I am Willing to go hiking, he is always Willing to put on his hiking boots rearing to go on a hiking adventure. No matter when or where we might venture on our adventures I am usually almost always Willing to bring my Canon along to take photographs of the amazingly beautiful nature surrounding whatever hiking trail we choose to tackle for the day.
Most often than not Coleman and I close to hike in a local Greenway, Nature Preserve, or a State Park. Coleman is always excited and rearing to go out for a hike. He distastes being cooped up indoors. The majority of Greenways or State Parks are filled with Green trees, lawns, and vegetation. It’s like walking through a lush Green forest snapping photographs one by one with my Camera. I often take photographs with my iPhone as well as my Canon.
For this post I am combining several challenges into one post. I Willing chosen to select Photographs with plenty of Green using Green and Hiking as my theme for Judy’s Numbers Game.
Here are the Photographs with Green I am Willing to share with y’all for Judy’s Numbers Game, the RDP prompt of Photograph, Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge of Green, and lastly, but no less important FOWC prompt of Willing.
Landsford Canal State Park Catawba, South Carolina
I trust you have enjoyed seeing the Photographs of the lush Green trees as we hiked the Canal Trail at Landsford Canal State Park I do Willingly captured for your viewing pleasure. Click on any image for an enhanced view. Be sure to take a look at each Photograph Challenge I’ve included to get a look at what others have posted.,
We decided to take a risk with the impending rain and meandered down to Goat Island Park and Greenway for Coleman to have some Funtime in the playground. He loves to swing. Even though he is learning to pump his legs to keep swinging, he still enjoys having me push him to go higher and higher towards the sky.
As you might could tell, he had loads of fun. Especially after a friend from school showed up to play in the playground. His friend, Liam, is a little bit older and rides the same school bus with him. He lives on the other end of our street close to the railroad tracks.
Camera:Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Settings: f/4.5/5 • 1/800 • 79mm • ISO320-400
Location: Swings; In the Playground; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a Swinging Good Time. Enjoy your weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
First Baptist Church of Abilene, TexasFirst San Diego school & where my mom went to high school. Seven Seas Marine Life ParkColeman First Day Hike at Anne Springs Close Greenway Coleman First Day Hike 1/01/2023First Baptist Church of Cramerton The Eleventh President of the United States of America
Judy from Life Lessons Blog hosts The Numbers Game Challenge and invites us all to play along with her. This week’s number is 179.
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 myNumbers 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.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & Star filter attachment.
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.
Ilex opaca, also known as American Holly, is a holly species which is native to the Eastern and South-Central United States. This Holly was loaded with its red berries bringing a bit of colour to the nature trail.
Seen while Coleman and I were hiking the Disc Golf Trail at Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Disc Golf Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Be Observant. Show Gratitude. Love to all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This (PPAC)of Bigfoot ( also known as Sasquatch) is located on the Disc Golf Trail at Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton, North Carolina. This is the first time Coleman and I hiked this trail since Hurricane Helene. After the flood damage to the trail in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene; the trail was blocked off prohibiting access temporarily until repairs could be completed. We did not recall seeing Sasquatch previously. Coleman was fascinated by the Bigfoot and had to check it out.
The Helix/R coming soon to Cramerton has begun construction. The Helix/R Project is a privately funded partnership between Cramerton and the Carolina Thread Trail. The Helix was originally installed in Charlotte in 1983. It was donated to Cramerton in 2018. Its installation began this past week in Riverside Park and Greenway near the bridge. Riverside Park and Greenway is a part of the Carolina Thread Trail; connecting people to nature and the surrounding environment.
For this challenge I went searching through my archives to see if I could find any Bare Branches that I might like to select for y’all to enjoy in this post. Guess what? I found several I liked that I hope you’ll like and enjoy as well.
Crowders Mountain State Park Kings Mountain, North Carolina March 2023
Baxter Village Trail Carolina Thread Trail Fort Mill, South Carolina January 2023
Old Town Cramerton, North Carolina November 2024
Old Town Cramerton, North Carolina November 2024
The Schiele Museum Gastonia, North Carolina March 2024
Nature Trail The Schiele Museum Gastonia, North Carolina March 2024
Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina February 2024
Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina March 2024
Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina March 2024
Most of these were taken in the afternoon, after the weather warmed up a bit, while Coleman and I were out hiking and enjoying nature. Right now as I write it is only 27° degrees outside. I’ve already been out in the freezing cold and gotten Coleman on the bus for school. I’m glad I’m inside now out of the freezing cold. Burr, I wish we didn’t have to go out in the freezing cold for him to get on a bus for school. Winter weather has arrived even it won’t be officially winter till the twenty-first.
I’ve missed Cee so much and know this is a difficult time for her and Chris. Praying for strength and comfort for them both. I’ve been trying to keep up with the Which Way Challenge even though Cee is unable to do so. I encourage everyone who wishes to show Cee our Which Ways. Just post any Which Way you desire and link up to Cee’s Which Way Challenge.
This week I am again posting a Which Way My Wayshowing Which Ways Coleman and I discovered in Riverside Park and Greenway. My grandson, Coleman and I are beginning to roam around our new neighborhood and town investigating what interesting things and places we can find in the area. Riverside Park and Greenway is just a short walking distance away from our new home. Here are a few shots from our walk through Riverside Park and Greenway.
Coleman and I left our home and turned right out of the driveway; walked to the end of our street (which is curved downhill) and then proceeded to walk across the street onto the Carolina Thread Trail.
On the way to Riverside Greenway
The Carolina Thread Trail leads into the Riverside Greenway Trail. We walked the entire length of the Riverside Greenway Trail and even a little bit of off trail hiking. During parts of the hike we were walking parallel to the South Fork Catawba River.
It was a fun enjoyable relaxing day out discovering a (new to us) local trail. Hope y’all have a wonderfully funtastic weekend.
Coleman Hiking & Playing Along the Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway
The hiking adventures with Coleman are always fun and interesting. He doesn’t always stick to actual pathways or trails, however, he always gets to where he wants to go and has a fantastic time along the way.
Circular Window seen on our hike today through Baxter VillageCircular Window in MonochromeThird view of Circular Window
Our hike/walk today landed us in Baxter Village, a section in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Baxter Village has a trailhead across from the Fort Mill Library which is a part of the Carolina Thread Trail. The Carolina Thread Trail has trails throughout the Carolinas for everyone to enjoy the outdoors and get close to nature. This was our first time visiting this trail and we will probably visit it again. We, my grandson and I, only hiked a fraction of the trail today. The length of the trails run from Baxter Village down to the Catawba River. We hiked from the trailhead in Baxter Village to Allison Creek Park not wanting to overdue being out in the cold chilly weather.