Macro Monday – 2026 September 21

Late Summer Roses

Late Summer Roses

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 

Location: The Garden; Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026.09.20

Canna Lily seed pods

These Canna Lily seed pods are on an Indian Shot plant which is overgrown since the landscaper hasn’t decided to trim it yet. Looking at these you might think they were dead. However, that is not the case with these Canna Lily seed pods.

This is perfectly normal for Canna Lily seed pods in late summer and early Autumn (late summer, almost Autumn here). These seed pods are maturing and drying out, which means the seeds inside are ready to be dispersed. It is a natural part of their life cycle.

Click on image to enlarge.

John’s CellPic Sunday-2026.09.20

Photo Credit: Copyright ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, 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.

One Word Sunday (OWS): 2026.09.20

Geometry

Coleman by
“The Passage” Sculpture
Warlick Family YMCA
Gastonia, North Carolina

“The Passage” was created by artist Andrew K. Crawford, is a truly thoughtful sculpture. The stacked boats are intended to symbolize the journey itself. Each boat represents a different stage or experience we encounter. The figure at the very top is usually interpreted as looking towards the future, reflecting on the path taken and the continuous process of growth and transformation. It embodies the spirit of community and personal development.

Click on image to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday (OWS)-Geometry

Photo Credit: Copyright ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved 

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 19 September 2026

Storms a Coming

Early evening clouds rolling in … Storms are a coming. Look out … Time to be getting indoors.

Skywatch Friday

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

Photo Credit: ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia North Carolina, USA 

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

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week 38— At a Museum, Coleman Style #5

Whenever Coleman and I visit The Schiele Museum of Natural History we almost always walk along The Nature Trail  (we only miss it if we arrive too late and it’s already closed).

Coleman Style

at The Schiele Museum

of Natural History

Whenever Coleman and I visit The Schiele Museum of Natural History we almost always walk along The Nature Trail  (we only miss it if we arrive too late and it’s already closed).

Walking around the Nature Trail, there are strategically placed benches for one to Pull Up a Seat and rest a spell if desired or needed. On this adventure Coleman pushed his sister, Sophia, along the dirt trail. While walking he came across a bench where he stopped and Pulled Up a Seat keeping the stroller with his sister by his side.

Here’s my contributions of Coleman Pulling Up a Seat …

Click on each image to enlarge. 

XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 38

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Thursday Trios: 2026.09.17

Backyard Trios

with Coleman

Being a cool early evening on Tuesday, Coleman and I spent some time

outside in the backyard. I relaxed while he played with his bat and balls. Take a look at some of his antics and expressions as you see trios of balls (not all are t-balls).

Click on each image to enlarge. 

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.09.18

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

2026 CosPhoChal: Foliage in Colour and B/W

Today was slightly cooler than it has been all summer, giving us the perfect opportunity to photograph the surrounding foliage.

Dale, the host of the Cosmic Photo Challenge, has challenged us to post a few images of foliage for this week’s challenge. Today was actually slightly cooler than it has been all summer, therefore, Coleman and I spent a couple of weeks in the backyard. While he was running around and playing I snapped a few pictures of the foliage surrounding us. I changed it up after a few minutes and shot in black and white.

Here are some of the Foliage I captured …

In Colour …

In Black and White …

Click on each image to enlarge. 

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)-Foliage

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Be observant of all creatures large and small that call our Earth home. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 September 16

Relaxingly Cool Evening
Finally A Cooler Evening

Wordless Wednesday-2026.09.16

Photo Credit: Copyright ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max spatial

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Macro Monday – 2026 September 14

Vibrant Pink Rose
Garden Rose …
expresses deep appreciation
gratitude, and even embodies
warmth and happiness.

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 

Location: The Garden; Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Lone crow surveys silent world below …

Corvus brachyrhynchos

For the first time since moving to our current neighbourhood (back in March), I heard the Caw Caw sound of our first visitor in a long while. I happened to have been sitting on the porch with my granddaughter waiting for Coleman to arrive on the school bus. When I heard the cawing I stood up to see where it was perched. It was being watchful (scoping out the surroundings) atop a weathered sun-bleached utility pole.

What did I see when I looked up? The gleaming black feathers of an American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). American Crows are quite common here and throughout North Carolina. They can be seen from our coastal areas and on into our mountains. They are incredibly adaptable, thriving in urban areas, farmlands, forests, as well as in our coastal regions.

Let’s take a look at some interesting fun facts about the American Crow.

  • They are Master Problem Solvers: They can solve puzzles and use tools to get food for example, they can bend a wire to hook something out of a tube.
  • They have Excellent Memory: Crows are known for remembering faces, especially those who have been kind or unkind to them. They pass information about “dangerous” humans through their flock.
  • They have Complex Communication: They have a wide range of calls, more than just a simple “caw.” It is believed that they have different call for danger, for finding food, or even to distinguish individual crows within their group.
  • They are Social Creatures: Crows live in tight-knit family units. Their young often stay with their parents for several years. While they remain with their parents they help to raise their younger siblings (much like in a human family).
  • They have “Crow Funerals”: Who would have ever guessed? Whenever a crow dies, other crows often gather around it, sometimes ever for extended periods of time. This maybe a way for them to learn about potential dangers within their environment and it gives them an opportunity to mourn.

Click on each image to enlarge. 

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.09.12

Birds of the Week CLXXXV

Photo Credit: Copyright ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a pleasant and peaceful weekend. May it be filled with love, happiness, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Monday Window – 2026.09.07

Kitty by a Window  – 
2 – AI creation by PR

Tymco SM74C

Tymco SM74C

The Tymco SM74C is a popular model for municipal and contractor street sweepings. It is known for its regenerative air system which uses a high-velocity air blast to dislodge debris and then vacuums it into the hopper, making it very efficient at keeping our curbs and streets clean without the need for water unlike other sweeper type models.

Click on image to enlarge. 

Monday Window-2026.09.07

Monday Window 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Telephoto  

Location: Gardner Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Macro Monday – 2026 September 07

Azalea

Azalea

Azaleas differ from other Rhododendrons by only having five (5) stamens per flower instead of the typical ten (10) or more on other Rhododendrons. They are popular ornamental plants, known for their showy blooms in a wide variety of colours.

Their colours range from vibrant pink to white, purple, and red. I normally see the pink and red varieties in the gardens around town. They are always available to be seen in the Garden in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 

Location: The Garden; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week 36— At a Museum, Coleman Style #4

Coleman Style

at The Schiele Museum

of Natural History

Whenever Coleman and I visit The Schiele Museum of Natural History we almost always visit The Farm (we only miss it if we arrive too late and it’s already closed). Walking around the Farm we visit the animals (the goats, the sheep, and Mike & Lucky, aka the cows) and admire the Flowers (at least I do anyway). Coleman likes to climb on the red tractor and other interesting things. What other things would interest a rambunctious little boy? An old wagon with a hay bale, of course. Yep, that’s right, he climbed up on the wagon and made himself at home by #PullingUpaSeat on a Hay Bale.

Here’s my contributions of Coleman Pulling Up a Seat on a Wagon’s Haystack …

Click on each image to enlarge.

XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 36

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

2026 Last on the Card — August 31

Brian from Bushboys World hosts a monthly challenge called Last On the CardHis 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 my contributions …

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

Lagerstroemia indica,
aka Crepe-myrtle
Gastonia, North Carolina

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

Angora Goats
Walk-thru Petting Area
Lazy 5 Ranch
Mooresville, North Carolina

Click on each image to enlarge. 

#Brian’s Last on the Card-2026 August 31

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

Ragtag Daily Prompt (#RDP): Monday – 2026.09.01

Cloudy

Today’s Ragtag Daily Prompt of Cloudy is so fitting as in our area of the world it was a partially cloudy day. Here are today’s cloudscapes.

Partial Cloudy Skies
Looking west at Cloudy Skies

Click on images to enlarge. 

Ragtag Daily Prompt:Monday-Cloudy

Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2026.09.01

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

Monday Portrait – 2026 August Thirty-First

Goats don’t like the heat any more than humans do. We arrived at The Farm just after 3 in the afternoon. It was still in the high 80’s and even the Goats didn’t feel up to playing around or greeting their visitors.

Trying to Stay Cool

Normally, on a nice day the would come to the fence and greet us. Not today they said, “The humid midday air completely drained our energy.”

Nubian Goat

Ah, this spot in the shade feels just right, maybe a nice nap is exactly what we need.

Boer Goat

Maybe it’ll be cooler tomorrow, we can dream can’t we?

Click on image to enlarge. 

Monday Portrait-2026.08.31

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Macro Monochrome Monday – 2026 August 31st

B/W Rose
Lovely Pink Garden Rose

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Monday Monochrome 

Monochrome Monday

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Front Garden; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026 August Thirtieth (30th)

Bang, Bang, Bang

Sophia Ruthann
banging on Mama’s door

Took the photo to send to her mom, she was at work. Made her mom feel good inside.

Click on image to enlarge.

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-08.30.2026

Photo Credit: ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina

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

Silent Sunday: 2026 August 30th

White Cross
Covenant Baptist Church
Gastonia, North Carolina
Cross in the Prayer Garden
at Covenant Baptist Church
Coleman
checking out the
Birdbath in the
Prayer Garden

Click on images to enlarge. 

Silent Sunday-2026.08.30

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 13 Pro & 14 Pro Max

Location: Covenant Baptist Church; Gastonia, South 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.

CWWC (2026): Any Which Way — Your Choice [08.28.2026]

Embrace the adventure with CWWC 2026: Any Which Way – Your Choice! Whether you’re exploring nature trails, navigating indoor staircases, or venturing onto paved paths, there’s a route for everyone. Sign up now and discover your unique Which Way!

Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge (previously hosted by Cee Neuner). This week our theme is CWWC (2026): Any Which Way —Your Choice. Your Which Ways can be Outdoors, Indoors, Paved or Unpaved, Dirt Trails or any natural surface. Your Choice is exactly that, Whichever Way you choose. As always Signs are always welcome.

My choices for this week’s Which Way Challenge are naturalized surfaces on The Schiele Museum’s Nature Trail.

Here are my entries …

Click on images to enlarge.

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.

Brian’s More of lifes ups and downs

Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Scandinavian Architecture

Cath’s Which Way… {Up, Down and Around}

Suzette’s For Deb’s CWWC26 Any Which Way –  Indoor Stairs/Steps

Marina’s Perspective

Rich’s The Down Staircase

Dawn’s Paladin Indoor Steps

CWWC 2026: Any Which Way with Indoor Steps, Stairs, and/or Escalators. [08.21.2026]

Photo Credit: ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Next Week: Cee’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Any which way with Vehicles

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 August 26

Hypsilophodon sculpture
featured inside the 

Elizabeth Williams Robinson
Hall of Dinosaurs 
at The Schiele Museum.

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.08.26

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

The #Flower Hour #45— 2026 August 25 — Your Choice

Red and Yellow
To Brighten the Day

Looking across the road I spotted a few plants near Coleman’s bus stop. Below are the flowers I noticed …

Canna indica, aka Indian shot,
African arrowroot

And just a few steps away in front of a small apartment complex I found this yellow flowers.

Euonymus japonicus
(evergreen spindle) or
Japanese Spindletree

Click on images to enlarge. 

Terri’s The Flower Hour #45

Also posting in remembrance of … 

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Sunday Stills 2026 August 23: Animal of the Month #2

Insects & Bugs

Animal of the Month
European Honey Bees

Terri has recently started a new theme for the Sunday Stills challenge called Animal of the Month. This month she is challenging us to share images of insects. Insects include a wide variety of animal species. Common examples of Insects are Bees, ants, wasps; Beetles, ladybugs, fireflies; Butterflies and Moths; True Bugs (Cicadas and aphids); as well as Dragonflies and Damselflies.

In this second Sunday Stills Animal of the Month post I am beginning with the European Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) located in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.

The Beehives
The Farm
The Schiele Museum

North Carolina’s European honey bees are a highly social insect species native to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The Schiele’s Honeybees

They are the world’s primary pollinator for agriculture. The Honey Bees at The Schiele Museum’s Farm pollinate the wide variety of plants and flowers grown in the Garden.

European honey bees

The European honey bee was first introduced to the Americas by European colonists in March of 1622. The English colonists shipped the first hives to Jamestown, Virginia.

Foraging to the Colony

The Schiele Museum of Natural History has four live apiaries located on The Farm. [The Farm is an outdoor exhibit showcasing Piedmont agricultural history alongside live farm animals.]

Returning to the Hive

Visitors to The Schiele Museum’s Farm are capable of safely look into an observation hive during the Annual Bug Day. During this special day visitors can watch honey bees crawl across honeycomb structures through an indoor -facing window housing a working observation hive.

The museum integrates their apiaries into seasonal student programming, including specialized “Buzz about bees” summer camps and hands-on pollination lab experiments. 

European Honey Bees
(Apis mellifera)

Enough about Honey Bees, shall we take a look at a gallery of other insects/bugs?

Click on each image to enlarge. 

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Animal of the Month 

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. Gallery:©️2019-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Telephoto; Gallery various cameras.

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA ; Gallery various locations.

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

Sunday Stills 2026 August 23 — Wallowing Pig

Animal of the Month

Terri has recently started a new theme for the Sunday Stills challenge called Animal of the Month. I’m not sure if my animal fits this week’s animal of the month theme or not since I write mine in advance, but hopefully it’ll be alright.

See the Pig
Eyeing the Pool

With our extreme heat wave we’ve been experiencing, I found it fascinating that even the Pigs in The Farm area at The Schiele Museum of Natural History thought it was too hot.

Pig slowly
approaching pool

Coleman and I stood watching this Pig for a while enjoying its antics and Wallowing.

Pig’s by the pool.
What’s he gonna do?

With it being so hot and humid what else should the Pig do but get in the pool and cool off.

Pig is in the pool.

Turn, turn, turn …

Round and round goes the Pig …

Pig says it’s
time to wallow.

And keep wallowing till it’s completely cooled down …

Turn, turn, turn

Maybe I’ll just take one more spin wallowing in the pool before I get out and mingle.

Almost done Wallowing for now.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Animal of the Month (Sorry, it’s not insects/bugs).

Monday Portrait

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Telephoto

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour — 2026 August 21

Lingering On

The Garden Roses on the Shrub in the front yard are lingering on in this extremely hit and humid summer climate.

Only a few like these are still fighting to keep blooming.

Loveliest of lovely things are they on earth that soonest pass away. The rose that lives its little hour is prized beyond the sculptured flower.

©️William C. Bryant

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. -Abraham Lincoln

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” ~ Luther Burbank

Click on images to enlarge. 

Terri’s The #Flower Hour

Also posting in remembrance of … 

Bren’s Floral Friday 

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cee’s FOTD 

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Stop and smell the flowers. Admire them and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 21 August 2026

Pink Sky

Red Sky

in the Morning …

Pink Sunrise

“The sky blushes in shades of pink, as if the universe itself is in love with the world.”

Changing Skies

“In the presence of a pink sky, time seems to stand still, allowing us to savor the beauty that surrounds us.” – Unknown

Pink & Red Sky

Sailors Take Warning … Stormy Weather is Approaching.

“In the canvas of the sky, the pink hues speak a language known only to the heart—a language of awe, gratitude, and boundless wonder.” – Unknown

Skywatch Friday

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

Photo Credit: ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia North Carolina, USA 

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

Monochrome Madness — 2026.08.20

Grist Mill

This is a free week for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness. I decided to show you images of a Grist Mill in black and white monochrome tones this week. This Grist Mill can be seen along the Nature Trail at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Click on images to enlarge.

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness-2026.08.20_Free Week

Photo Credit: ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Grist Mill; Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 August 19

Elk Exhibit
The Schiele Museum
of Natural History

Wordless Wednesday-2026.08.19

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Macro Monday – 2026 August 17th

Coleus scutellarioides

Coleus scutellarioides,
aka Coleus

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026 August Sixteenth

Native American Exhibit

Coleman looking over a Native American Exhibit in the Henry Hall of the American Indian at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Click on image to enlarge.

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2026.08.16

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Henry Hall of the American Indian; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, 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.

Silent Sunday: 2026 August 16th

Where in the World
is Coleman?
Where’s Coleman?
Can you Spot Him?
Natural Amazement
Maybe now?
Amazingly Coleman … Pops …
… Up … In the
Natural Amazement

Click on images to enlarge.

Silent Sunday-2026.08.16

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Natural aMAZEment; Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Coleman’s First Day Back to School

2026 Back to School …

Coleman getting on
the school bus.
Ready for School

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.08.15

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour — 2026 August 14

Random Floral

It has been extremely hot and humid in our area causing havoc on gardens and flowers to wither and fade away. Currently, There are not many left in bloom. However, I did manage to find a few.

These are from The Garden in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History

A Pair of Yellow Zinnias …

Zinnias

A Look at a Couple of Rhododendron indicum, aka Azalea indica L.

Pink Azalea

Rhododendron indicum, aka Southern Indian azalea, has showy, vibrant funnel-shaped red, scarlet, or pink flowers that bloom in mid to late spring and occasionally again in the fall. ]These are both from the same Rhododendron (Azalea) Shrub.]

Rhododendron indicum,
aka Satsuki azalea or

Southern Indian azalea.

Now before we leave let’s take a look at an array of Sulfur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) …

That’s all I have for y’all today. Till next time, have a fabulously fun and productive weekend filled with love, laughter, and happiness.

Click on images to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #43-The Randoms

Also posting in remembrance of … 

Bren’s Floral Friday 

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cee’s FOTD 

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Garden; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stop and smell the flowers. Admire them and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Thursday Doors: 2026.08.13 — At The Schiele Farm

Visiting the Schiele Museum of Natural History on Duke Energy’s free Tuesday gave Coleman and I an opportunity to visit The Farm. It was extremely hot and humid so we didn’t stay too long outside before roaming around inside the museum. Below are a few doors we noticed while walking around the Farm.

Click on images to enlarge.

Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.08.06

Thursday Doors

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 August 12

One Last Outing …
Free Afternoon at
The Schiele Museum
with Coleman & Sophia Ruthann

Wordless Wednesday-2026.08.12

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way Along a Dirt Pathway, Trail, and/or Dirt Road [08.07.2026]

Last week I said I would share where we went via the transit system and what we saw along the trails. To visit last week’s post as Coleman and I traveled on the transit network for our Which Way click here.

Now to let you know where we traveled to on the Gastonia Transit system (aka the bus) to go hiking. Our destination to the Warlick Family YMCA here in Gastonia for a bit of hiking and communing with nature. Here are a few images showing the trails we hiked and what we saw along the way.

Click on each image to enlarge. 

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.

Cath’s Which Way… {Watch Your Step}

Suzette’s Pathways For Deb’s Any Which Way CWWC Your Choice Wk-2

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Next week’s theme: Next: CWWC 2026: Any Which Way with Outdoor Steps or Stairs. [08.14.2026]

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Cameras: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

Which Way Challenge (2026) CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice) Week 2 [07.31.2026]

CWWC
Cee’s/Deb’s Which Way Challenge

Here, There. And

Yonder Around Town

Back in 2024 the City of Gastonia ran buses to help people get around the city. Unfortunately, (at least for us) Gastonia discontinued the bus service. Now it is much harder to get around the city unless we are able to borrow my daughter’s car which isn’t too often.

Coleman and I used to travel on the city buses several times a week to go hiking at various locations around the city. Today, I decided on our free week (your choice) to share one of our adventures traveling by city transit and on foot.

** Next week I’ll share where we went via the transit system and what we saw along the trails.

Click on each image to enlarge. 

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.

Suzette’s For Deb’s Which Way Challenge CWWC: Any Which Way Your Choice – Week 1

Cath’s Which Way… {Path to the Beach}

Chava61’s CWWC: Which Way Challenge = July 2026

Dawn’s Which Way: Rt. 48 to Lost River West Virginia

Dawn’s Chasing a Rainbow Down the Road

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Next week we’ll continue with the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way Along a Dirt Pathway, Trail, and/or Dirt Road [08.07.2026]

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Cameras: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 19 July

Gastonia Sky

Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2026.07.19

Skywatch Friday-2026.07.19

Photo Credit: ©️Trisha L. Wilson

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Plus

Location: Kings Mountain, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Last on the Card — June 30th

Brian from Bushboys World hosts a monthly challenge called Last On the CardHis 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 my contributions …

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

Gastonia burgei,
skeleton of an herbivorous
ankylosaurian dinosaur
at The Schiele Museum
of Natural History Gastonia, NC

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

Sophia Ruthann

Click on each image to enlarge.

#Brian’s Last on the Card-2026 June 30

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

Monday Portrait — 2026 June 29

The Cave Bear

The Cave Bear is an extinct species which lived in Europe and Asia approximately 27,000 years ago. It is an early relative to many bears living in North America. Cave Bears are a type of ursine bear.

The Ursine group includes the brown, grizzly, Kodiak, polar, and black bears. All these bears originally lived in Europe and Asia before traveling across a land bridge during the Pliocene time period.

Ursus spelaeus
The Cave Bear

A Cave Bear’s weight possibly ranged from 880 to 2,200 pounds. The largest of these would be comparable in size to today’s polar bears.

The Cave Bear skeleton in The Schiele Museum of Natural History comes quite a distance from the Ural Mountains in Russia. If you ever get the opportunity to visit The Schiele Museum come and say hello to The Cave Bear … don’t worry he won’t bite you.

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Ultra Wide

Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Macro Monday – 2026 June 29

Lilium lancifolium
Lilium lancifolium
Aka American Reddish-Orange
Tiger Lily

Click on each image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment. 

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour— 2026 June 26

Trio of

Hosta ‘Fragrant Bouquet’

As the months pass by it seems like there’s another plant deciding to bloom sharing its exquisitely alluring beauty for all to see and admire.

Hosta ‘Fragrant Bouquet’
(aka the Plantain Lily)

This variegated foliage plant, I had thought was just an ornamental landscaping element (to me) surprisingly blossomed recently. Coleman said to me, “Take a picture.” So I complied with his request and am sharing a couple with y’all.

Plantain Lilies

The Hosta ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ also referred to as Plantain Lily is a fast growing perennial with variegated foliage and is highly aromatic with its summer blooms. It forms a lush, open mound of heart-shaped, apple-green leaves highlighted by creamy-yellow margins.

It has large trumpet-shaped flowers that range in colour from near-white to pale lilac. The sweet fragrance is said to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, however, I have not seen evidence of that on this plant.

First stage of Blooming
Plantain Lily

It is planted next to a hydrangea bush and almost covering it completely as if hidden from view until it began to increase in growth and its blossoms became evident in the summer breeze.

Terri’s The Flower Hour #36

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.06.26

Also posting in remembrance of … 

Bren’s Floral Friday 

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cee’s FOTD 

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stop and smell the flowers. Admire them and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

The #Flower Hour #36 — 2026 June 23

Viola sororia

Viola sororia
Common Blue Violet

Click on image to enlarge.

Terri’s The Flower Hour #36

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take time to Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Smell the amazing fragrance of flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 CFFC: Crayola Blue (in my world)

Dan from No Facilities hosts the Fun Foto Challenge at and this week he is asking for our The Crayola Box of 8 – Blue . I have gone into my recent and archive files to see what I could locate to best represent this week’s theme. I will also be sharing Blue Along Trails as part of Friday’s CWWC post (Stay tuned to more Blue and feel free to share your blue with Cee’s Which Way Challenge as well as Dan’s CFFC challenge this week.

Here are my entries …

Click on each image to enlarge.

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Blue

Photo Credit:©️2020-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Enjoy your week. May it be filled with love, joy, laughter, and lots of fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Macro Monday – 2026 June 22

Hydrangea quercifolia
Aka Oakleaf Hydrangea
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
on The Nature Trail
The Schiele Museum

of Natural History
Gastonia, North Carolina

Click on each image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment. 

Location: The Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Garden Maintained by Master Gardener Volunteers

The Mexican Fire Bush
(Hamelia patens)

The Mexican Fire Bush (Hamelia patens) is grown as an annual in Gastonia, North Carolina. It is a vibrant, fast-growing tropical shrub known for its fiery orange-red tubular flowers. It is highly prized for attracting pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. It typically grows 2 to 4 feet tall in a single season. Sinc North Carolina winters are too cold for it to remain evergreen, the plant will experience dieback, but it serves as an exceptional summer filler for local gardens.

The gardens at The Schiele Museum of Natural History are supported and maintained by the Master Gardener Group of Gaston County. This is not your traditional private garden club, but instead it is an organization that is a specialized volunteer network extension of the NC State Extension Master Gardener Program. The certified Extension Master Gardener Volunteers manage and improve the specialized flora spaces at The Schiele Museum which include The Farm and Along the entrance and nature trail. The Garden in the Farm at The Schiele Museum showcases Piedmont-native agricultural crops and plant varieties.

Click on image to enlarge.

Six Word Saturday-2026.06.20

Terri’s Flower Hour #35

Remembering ….

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Bren’s Floral Friday

Photo Credit: ©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter Attachment.

Location: Entrance Gardens; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take Care. Help those in need. Spread Love and Kindness all around you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week 25— At a Museum, Coleman Style #2

Coleman Style

At The Schiele Museum

of Natural History

In the Catawba Indian Village …

XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 25

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: 1-2)Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; 3-4) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Catawba Indian Village; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

Macro Monday – 2026 June 15

Allium fistulosum

Click on each image to enlarge.

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour-2026.06.15

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment. 

Location: The Garden; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week 24— At a Museum, Coleman Style #1

Coleman Style

at The Schiele Museum

of Natural History

Coleman
Pulling Up a Seat
on a
Farmall Cub Tractor
Coleman
Pull Up a Seat
on a Tractor

XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 24

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Thursday Doors: June 11

Obscure or Not

Sometimes when Coleman and I are out and about hiking or visiting a museum like The Schiele Museum of Natural History I will try to capture objects, like doors, the majority of people wouldn’t ordinarily think to capture with their cameras. These I’m sharing today are ones more obscure than others you might expect to see.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.06.11

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take Care. May your week by filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.