#GastoniaNC – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

The #Flower Hour #34 — 2026 June 09

Fragaria virginiana

The Fragaria virginiana, is also known Scarlett Strawberry and Wild Strawberry. It is a flowering perennial that produces edible fruit. It spreads by runners making it an easy choice for use as groundcover. It can also be used as erosion control holding soil on slopes.

Wild Strawberries are native to North America, from Newfoundland and Alberta in Canada , south down Georgia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma as well as the states in between like North and South Carolina. The plant produces small white flowers in the Spring with tiny, highly flavorful red berries following in late spring and early summer. They are primarily pollinated by a diverse mix of native bees, hoverflies, and small butterflies.

*North Carolina’s native*
*Wild Strawberry*

These Scarlett Strawberries (Fragaria virginiana) are grown in the garden in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina. The Garden also contains several bee hives providing the bees which pollinate many of the flowers grown here.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #34-2026.06.09

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

Location: The Garden; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; 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 Yellow

Yellow Spotted

in the Neighbourhood

CFFC – The Crayola Box of 8

Dan from No Facilities hosts the Fun Foto Challenge at and this week he is asking for our The Crayola Box of 8 -Yellow. I have gone into my recent files to see what I could locate to best represent this week’s theme. I am also linking this Friday’s CWWC with Dan’s CFFC for a Which Way Challenge theme of Any Which Way with Yellow along a Trail, Path, or Road.

Here are my entries …

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge
Crayola Box of 8 – Yellow

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) – The Crayola Box of 8-Yellow

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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.

Monday Portrait #17 — 2026 June 08

Patrick,

The Eastern Spiny

Softshell Turtle

Patrick is an Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle residing in an aquarium at The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Spiny Softshell turtles are found in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The state of North Carolina considers these species of turtles to be of Special Concern. Patrick, like other Spiny Softshell turtles, does not have a hard shell covered in scutes. He is covered in leathery skin instead.

Monday Portrait-2026.06.08

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion

Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium; 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 June 07

Baptisia alba

*It is native to central*
*and eastern North America*
*and is typically found in open*
*woodland areas prairies*
*with tall grasslands.*
*However, in this case the plant*
*is grown in the landscape*
*and garden areas of*
*The Schiele Museum of Natural History*
*in Gastonia, North Carolina.*

Silent Sunday-2026.06.07

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

Location: The Gardens; 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.

Pure Blossom Shining Through the Gloom

The snowy petals whisper grace,
And leave a perfume in this place.
These luminous and trusting blooms,
Are shining through the solemn glooms.

A sacred blossom, pure and white,
Unfolds its heart to meet the light.
The elegant and silent trust,
Will bloom in beauty since it must.

This graceful flower shows devotion,
To stir the spirit like an ocean.
It rests beneath the moonlit skies,
Where quiet magic never dies.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.06.06

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

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

God Bless. May your day be filled with love, peace, happiness and an abundance of laughter. 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 05

Monarda fistulosa

Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot) is also referred to as wild bee balm, Appalachian Bergamot, Eastern Bergamot. It is a hardy, perennial wildflower native to North America and is in the mint genus family. It has distinctive lavender-pink blossoms, aromatic foliage which has an exceptional ability to attract pollinators and historically has been used for medicinal purposes.

It serves as a pollinator magnet drawing an enormous amount of bumblebees, native bees, predatory wasps, and butterflies. [The Garden where these are planted also has a section of four beehives with plenty of bees to help pollinate the flowers grown therein.]

For those interested in expanding their palates, you might want to try tasting its edible leaves and flowers. They add a spicy, citrusy, oregano-like kick to salads, jellies, and meat dishes. Also may note that historically the leaves have been used, by indigenous peoples, to brew teas to treat colds, flus, and digestive issues.

Wild bergamot
(Monarda fistulosa)
**Terri’s The #Flower Hour**

Terri’s The Flower Hour #33

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge-What’s Flowering Where You Are?

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

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

God Bless. Admire the Flowers 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.

2026 Last on the Card — May 31

Brian from Bushboys World hosts a monthly challenge called Last On the Card. His rules are simple to follow if you’re interested in participating.

Here are The rules:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th or whenever your last photo was taken.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard

Here are my contributions …

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

*The Pond*
*The Schiele Museum*
*of Natural History*
*Gastonia, NC*

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

Click on each image to enlarge.

#Brian’s Last on the Card-2026 May 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.

Monday Portrait #17 — 2026 June 01

Barbados Blackbelly Sheep

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.06.01

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens

Locations: The Farm; 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.

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour/Spring Festival — 2026 May 29

A Garden of

Echinacea purpurea

Unlike Terri or Brian, I have not seen any dogwood trees lately. I have, however, recently visited the Garden inside The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History with a lovely variety of plants and flowers. I am focusing on the beautiful Echinacea purpurea, more commonly known as Purple Coneflower or Eastern Purple Coneflower.

Coneflowers are a popular native floral in a number of gardens (both private and commercial) in our part of the Eastern United States. They are a drought-tolerant perennial with daisy-like flowers. (It is a good thing these plants are drought tolerant since we are currently under water restrictions due to insufficient rainfall (even though it has rained here all week).

The coneflowers thrive in full sunlight and well-drained soil. All the plants and flowers in this garden are well cultivated and cared for. They have a long lasting blooming season from Summer throughout Autumn. Even though it is still Spring in our area, we have had summer-like weather and the coneflowers and other plants are thriving.

This year the garden’s Purple Coneflowers are in abundance and are a delightful attraction for pollinators (like butterflies & the bees in residence at the Farm) and provide seeds for birds. Coneflowers classic colour is purple, however, they also come in a variety of shades of pink, yellow, white, and orange.

A Gallery of
Purple Coneflowers
in a Garden

An interesting fact about the coneflowers is that every part of the plant is edible. Now I have not tried eating them as of yet, but the vibrant petals are said to have a mild, sweet , floral flavour. They make a colourful garnish for salads, desserts, or charcuterie boards. The young. tender leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked similarly to spinach. While the coneflowers are considered safe and nontoxic for humans and pets, you would want to avoid high doses due to the fact it is possible for them to cause upset stomachs. For further information about its culinary and medicinal uses check out Eat the Planet.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #32

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026 – Finale

Carol’s Thursday Trios

XingfuMama’s Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week 21

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

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

God Bless. Admire the Flowers 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 #32 — 2026 May 26

Tragopogon porrifolius

*Common Salsify*
*Aka Vegetable oyster,*
*Purple Goat’s beard,*
*Jack go to bed*

The Common Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius), is a biennial root vegetable which can be grown alongside parsnips and carrots. The plant produces grass-like leaves and thin, carrot-shaped taproots that are typically 8-9 inches long. True Salsify features purple flowers that white roots.

Its white taproot yields a delicate savory flavour that is often compared to cooked oysters, asparagus, or artichokes. While we’re talking about flavour, when it’s cooked it has an earthy nutty taste which makes it highly prized by chefs for use in soups, stews, and purées. You may cook them in a variety of ways from boiling, steaming, roasting, or mashing them. Besides cooking them, the young, tender roots can be sliced or grated for salads. The young shoots, leaves, and even the flower buds can also be eaten raw. If you choose to eat them raw, do not overeat them since they may lead to gas or bloating.

Click on image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #32-2026.05.26

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week #11

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

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

God Bless. Admire the Flowers 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.

Macro Monday – 2026 May 25

Dipsacus fullonum

The Teasel pictured here are grown in a garden at The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History. The Garden also has purple coneflowers, Oakleaf hydrangeas, Roses, Wild Bergamot, Lettuce, Cabbage, and many more varieties some of which will be featured in later posts.

Click on image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour-2026.05.25

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026 – Week 10

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

Location: The Garden in 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.

Monday Portrait #16 — 2026 May 25

Sticking Out 👅 For You

*COW*
*The Farm*
*The Schiele Museum*
*of Natural History*

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.05.25

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens

Locations: The Farm; 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.

Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) Thursday 2026 May 24

To Sow or To See a Sow

A adult female pig who has given birth is referred to as a Sow. Not sure if either of these pigs are female or have given birth, but maybe you’ll enjoy the pigs anyway.

Ragtag Daily Prompt: Thursday-Sow

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens

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

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

Will She … Won’t She … Most Definitely

While at Martha Rivers Park, my daughter (Coleman’s mom), decided she wanted to see if she could still climb a tree and hang upside down. Here is the progression …

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.05.23

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Martha Rivers Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week 21— Coleman Style in a City Park #3

Martha Rivers Park

After Coleman’s end of year program on Tuesday afternoon we went to Martha Rivers Park, a city park in Gastonia, North Carolina, to allow him to run around and burn off steam and energy. It was a super hot day, so sweat was definitely happening. He did have tons of fun and other kids were enjoying the park for the afternoon as well.

As you may or may not have noticed, Coleman’s selections for Pulling Up a Seat are not always one’s typical seating choices for most people. The following are his choices on this day …

***Pull Up a Seat***
***2026 – Week 21***
**Martha Rivers Park**
***with Coleman***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 21

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Martha Rivers Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 May 20

Stormin’ the Castle

Coleman entering
the Castle Playground
Martha Rivers Park

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.05.20

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Martha Rivers Park; Gastonia, 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.

Spring’s Lovely Pink Roses

The Rose bush keeps popping up with new blooms to delight the senses. I love roses and the new blooms are just in time for my upcoming bday.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Colour Challenge-Pink and Pastels

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #30

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026 #9

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Canopy of an Old Oak Tree

Under & Shaded

Posting for Six Word Saturday and The Cosmic Photo Challenge.

This Quercus pagoda (Cherrybark Oak) tree is a an old Oak tree which is native to the Carolinas and the Southeastern United States of America. It is a fast-growing, long-lived deciduous tree. These trees are capable of reaching a height between 100-130 feet tall having a 40-70 foot spread. (I included a couple images of the base of the tree so you can get the idea of its spread.)

The Cherrybark Oak trees thrive in moist well-drained bottomland soils in full sun. This Oak tree provides an enormous amount of shade providing protection from the harsh sun. (If you look closely, you’ll be able to view Coleman playing under the Canopy of this Old Oak Tree.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.05.16 (Enjoy your break Debbie).

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)-Under the Canopy-2026.05.16 (Sorry, I’m a week late.)

Becca’s Sunday Trees #637

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. May you rest Under the Canopy of God’s Love and Protection. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Pull Up a Seat — Coleman Style in a City Park #2

T. Jeffers Park

Click on each image to enlarge.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 19

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 May 13

Mimus polyglottos

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.05.13

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, 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.

Monday Portrait #16 — 2026 May 11

Unwanted Visitor —

Pantherophis alleghaniensis

We looked out our sliding glass door the other day. We were surprised (maybe startled would be more like it) to see along black snake not too far from the door. Snakes are fine anywhere but in our yard. (Our last place we also found a long black snake.) What’s up with that? You’d think we’d attract them somehow. However, we’d prefer them to slither through the woods, or anywhere else but here.

My daughter was brave (she did ask what kind it was first). She picked up the long black snake and escorted it off the property. Just so you know, the long black snake (our unwanted and unwelcome visitor is an Eastern ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis). It is a large, non-venomous constrictor which is commonly found in the eastern United States of America. It is known for its shiny black colouration with a black and white checkered belly.

Even though we prefer them not to be around, they are beneficial for controlling rodent populations. When they are threatened, they will vibrate their tail and strike. They will also stick their tongue out and hiss out anyone they think will harm them.

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.05.11

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Locations: 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.

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 2026 May 10

Click on each image to enlarge.

Skywatch Friday-2026 May 10

Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2026.05.10

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026 May 10

Northern Mockingbird

Click on image to enlarge.

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2026.05.10

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, 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.

2026 Pull Up a Seat — Coleman Style in a City Park #1

T. Jeffers Park

***Pull Up a Seat 2026***
***Coleman + Sophia Ruthann***
***T. Jeffers Center & Park***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 16-17-18

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

The #Flower Hour #29— 2026 May 05

“¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!”

Spiraea japonica ‘Walbuma‘

Aka Magic Carpet Spirea, it is a compact deciduous shrub grown in a landscape near the tennis courts at T. Jeffers Center.

It is cherished for its vibrant yellow-gold foliage, intense pink summer (even though it is only spring here) flowers and red fall colour.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #29-2026.05.05

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 7

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Near Tennis Courts; T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers 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.

Monday Portrait #15 — 2026 May 04

Sophia Ruthann

She turns Five (5) Months on Friday.

Monday Portrait

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Locations: 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.

Monday Window – 2026 May 04

*Kitty by a Window – 2*
*— AI creation by PR*

City of Gastonia

Fire Headquarters

Monday Window-2026 May 04

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: City of Gastonia Fire Headquarters (Shot from across the street); Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Macro Monday – 2026 May 04

Packera aurea

Aka Butterweed, Golden Groundsel
Golden Ragwort

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour-2026.05.04

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026 – Week 7

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy the Spring-like weather. Ours is bouncing back and forth from the low 60°’s to the low 80°’s. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 2026 May 03

Picturesque Clouds Before the Rain

Click on each image to enlarge.

Skywatch Friday-2026 May 03

Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2026.05.03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026 May 03

Visiting T. Jeffers Park

*At T. Jeffers Park*
*with Coleman & Sophia*
*(Look carefully to spot Coleman*
*… might need to enlarge)*

Click on image to enlarge.

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2026.05.03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, 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.

One Word Sunday (#OWS) —2026 May 03

White

Click on image to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday (OWS)-2026 May 03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Mount Zion Restoration Church; 2311 Crescent Lane; 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.

Silent Sunday: 2026.05.03

Mount Zion Restoration Church

Click on images to enlarge.

Silent Sunday-2026.05.03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Mount Zion Restoration Church; 2311 Crescent Lane; 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.

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour/Spring Festival — 2026 May 01

Happy May Day!

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #28

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 7

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026 May 01

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Look Out! Future Driver is Here.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-04.25.2026

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, 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.

The #Flower Hour #27— 2026 April 21

Shades of Pink

Last week I shared a pink rose peeking out of garden bush. Ordinarily I don’t share from the same plant two weeks in a row, but I am fascinated with the variety of colours and shades on this rose bush.

As the week has progressed more and more buds have been blossoming. What’s surprising to me is the vast variety of shades on the same plant. The blooms vary from whitish with pinkish centre’s to varying shades of pink and even what appears to be reddish or dark pink buds. I do not recall seeing such a variegated colour scheme on one plant before. For comparison you may check out last week’s roses by clicking here.

Here are this week’s blossoming highlights …

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #26-2026.04.21

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers 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.

2026 CosPhoChal: Green Gardens Spring New Life

Dale, the host of the Cosmic Photo Challenge has asked the question “How does your garden grow?”. We haven’t lived in our current location long enough to plant a garden, but nonetheless, a small garden does exist on the property. I have shown a few pictures in other challenges, however, I show other pictures not previously posted.

These are some of the Eastern Skunk Cabbage growing in the garden …

The next set is from our neighbours garden …

***Opuntia cochenillifera***
***Aka Prickly pear cactus***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026

Cee’s FOTD

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Home Gardens; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. May you be blessed with new adventures, new friendships, and an abundance of happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 2026 April 18

360° View

Skywatch Friday-2026.04.18

Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2026.04.18

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, 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.

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour/Spring Festival — 2026 April 17

Symplocarpus foetidus

The Symplocarpus foetidus, aka Eastern skunk cabbage, is growing in a small garden of our rental home. When I first saw the plants in the small garden I wasn’t sure what type of plant they were.

The Eastern Skunk Cabbage is a native North American wildflower. It is known for being among the first plants to emerge in late winter.

It is a low-growing plant that grows in wetlands (Why here, I’m not sure. We definitely don’t live in a wetland area. We did have snow and ice storms this winter though.) and moist hill slopes (the area it’s planted in is more or less flat) of eastern North America.

We moved here evidently after the plants had already bloomed. When in blooming season, the plant produces a foul-smelling, maroon-and-green mottled spathe (hood) that covers its flowers, attracting pollinators like flies and beetles with its heat and odour. Its foul-smelling odour is the main reason it is called “Skunk Cabbage.”

Once the Eastern Skunk Cabbage flowers, then large, cabbage-like leaves unfurl, and the plant is toxic if ingested raw, causing burning and swelling.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #26

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 5

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Backyard Garden; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

The #Flower Hour #26 — 2026 April 14

***Peeking* 👀 *through the Bush***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #26-2026.04.14

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers 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.

Coleman’s Home Haircut — Mom’s the “Barber”

Click on each image to enlarge.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.04.11

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Our Front Porch; 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 Thursday Doors: April 09

Temple Baptist Church

Dan Antion hosts the Thursday Doors challenge every Thursday. All you need to do to participate is post a picture(s) of a door(s) and leave a link to your post on his current post.

Coleman and I are still on our search for a church we’d like to attend that is in walking distance from our current residence. We have visited three (3) churches so far and none of the services are even close to want we would like in a church service. Some have been welcoming and others have not. What they all have in common, including the church we’d first last Sunday, is they all seem to think they need to have the sound system turned up full blast. That to me is a huge turn off. I do not care to attend any church that thinks they need to blow my eardrums out.

This past Sunday, Coleman and I attended Temple Baptist Church in Gastonia, North Carolina about a 27 minute walk from our house. A few people greeted us, but once they sound system was turned on and the band (I’m not a fan of bands in churches, especially not loud blaring bands) started playing I tried to listen. I really tried to enjoy the music, but I couldn’t not with it blasting so loud it hurt my eardrums. I tried plugging my ears, still extremely too loud. We even walked outside, the sound system was still blasting so loud (to me) it was ridiculous.

Here is a gallery of the doors we saw at the church …

***Temple Baptist Church***
***Gastonia, NC***

Coleman and I tried sitting in the foyer to listen to the worship service, but it seemed as if the preacher was yelling into the microphone which added to the volume of the sound system that appeared to be turned up all the way as far as it could go. It was still too loud for my liking. Needless to say, we will not be going back.

Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.04.09

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Temple Baptist Church; 701 Littlejohn Street; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Note: This Friday’s CWWC is combined with Dan’s CFFC – Any Which Way with Views from a walk or hike. Let us all show what we see on our walks or hikes. Be sure to include your Which Ways in your post. Thank you.

The Macro #Flower Hour #25 — 2026 April 07

Rhododendron japonicum

Aka Japanese azalea

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #25-2026.04.07

Macro Monday (MM)

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: N. Myrtle School Road; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers 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.

Monday Window – 2026 April 06

Temple Baptist Church

Gastonia, North Carolina

Monday Window-2026.04.06

Carol’s Thursday Trios

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Temple Baptist Church; 701 Littlejohn Street; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Hope you’ve enjoyed had an amazing Easter/Passover. Enjoy your week ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

RDP Sunday 2026 April 5

Daffodil

Click on image to enlarge.

Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) Sunday-Daffodil

Terri’s The Flower Hour #24

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026 April 05

Going Through

the Car Wash

Click on image to enlarge.

John’s CellPic Sunday-2026.04.05

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Sam’s Car Wash; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Happy Easter! May you remember it’s not about the Bunny. It’s about the Cross. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Beautiful Sunny Day to be Outside

In the Backyard

Absorbing Fresh Air

and Sunshine

A Gallery of Friday Portraits and Photos …

***Coleman and Sophia***
***Enjoying the Sunshiny Day***

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.04.03

Tina’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #391-Phone Photography

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Our Backyard; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 2026 April 3

Colourful Sunset

The Sky can be a mighty canvas with “Paints” stretching across the clouds like fiery reds or orange, or they can be an array of pastel shades like pink. The Sky’s colours can change spontaneously from one moment to another.

The following images range during a time span from 7:46 pm until 7:53 pm taken from our front porch of Wednesday evening.

Skywatch Friday-2026.04.03

Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2026.04.03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Beautiful Sunny Afternoon for Being Outside

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.03.28

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Our Backyard; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour/Spring Festival — 2026 April 03

Cornus florida

On our walk this afternoon Coleman and I saw several flowering trees on our way to the T Jeffers Center. One stood out on the corner across from T. Jeffers Park.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #24

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 3

Becca’s Sunday Trees – 631

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Near T. Jeffers Center; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stop and admire Nature’s Beauty. Take a walk Enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 CFFC: View from Public Transportation (Mar 30th)

Dan from No Facilities hosts the Fun Foto Challenge at and this week he is asking for our View from Public Transportation. I have gone into my archives for this one to past adventures on buses past and present.

First off, let me tell you I don’t do public transportation that often and when I do it is rare.

Let’s look at Past Public Transportation…

San Francisco Trolley
(Not exactly a Bus,
but still Public Transit)

*Looking at a Charter Bus*
*from another Charter Bus*

Now to see what can be seen from a Greyhound Bus …

***Seen from a Greyhound Bus***
***Passing through Louisiana***

Moving on toward the Present …

***Waiting Riding the***
**Gastonia Public Transit**

Coleman and I rode the Gastonia Transit Buses for approximately two (2) years before Gaston County disbanded the County Transit system and replaced it with Gaston Go Vans (which I still haven’t figured out how to arrange rides on them). The Buses were really convenient for Coleman and I to hop on and off (reduce fair for under 5 (under 3 was free) and seniors. We used to ride the buses all over Gastonia to various destinations such as: the library, The Schiele Museum of Natural History, Lineberger Park, Edwin Center, Warlick Family YMCA, Avon and Catawba Creek Greenways, and even to Walmart or Food Lion if we desired.

Last, but not least …

*Coleman’s First Grade Class*
*Edward Sadler Elementary*
*Field Day Photo*
*In front of*
*Gaston County, North Carolina*
*Public School Bus*

Please click on photos to enlarge.

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-View from Public Transportation

Photo Credit: First Three: ©️1974-80 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved; Second Set: ©️2020 Deb L. Waters … All Rights reserved; Third Set: ©️2023-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1st Set: Minolta XG-7 35 mm; 2nd Set: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 3rd Set: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

God Bless. Can you spot Coleman in the last picture? Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Fragaria virginiana

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Yellow Spotted

in the Neighbourhood

CFFC – The Crayola Box of 8

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Baptisia alba

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Monarda fistulosa

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Barbados Blackbelly Sheep

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A Garden of

Echinacea purpurea

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Tragopogon porrifolius

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Dipsacus fullonum

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Sticking Out 👅 For You

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To Sow or To See a Sow

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Under & Shaded

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Mimus polyglottos

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Unwanted Visitor —

Pantherophis alleghaniensis

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Northern Mockingbird

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T. Jeffers Park

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“¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!”

Spiraea japonica ‘Walbuma‘

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Sophia Ruthann

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City of Gastonia

Fire Headquarters

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Packera aurea

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Picturesque Clouds Before the Rain

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Visiting T. Jeffers Park

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White

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Mount Zion Restoration Church

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Happy May Day!

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360° View

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Symplocarpus foetidus

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Peeking 👀 through the Bush

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Temple Baptist Church

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Rhododendron japonicum

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Going Through

***Peeking* 👀 *through the Bush***