We a well into the beginning of 2026. Coleman started back to school today, so now I have a few minutes to reflect on the past couple of weeks.
Hopefully y’all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s Day. Ours was truly an eventful Christmas holiday extravaganza. Of course it was exciting to watch Coleman receive his Gifts on Christmas Day, which he totally enjoyed. We kept telling him beforehand that he had to listen and behave or “Santa” wouldn’t bring any toys. You know what? “Santa” brought a few toys anyway. Coleman mostly received new clothes, which he was just as excited to get especially his new shoes.
Pre-Opening of Gifts Opening of Gifts beginColeman’s excitement Coleman’s new Cowboy Boots
Setting aside the Gifts, we decided to not let 2025 Dwindle away being bored at home. Instead, we chose to leave our little town and go on an amazing Adventure.
Where did we go on our big Adventure? Coleman’s mom was thinking about going to the mountains. Coleman wanted to go to the Beach. So, where do you think we went on our little Adventure? Yep, you’re right, we went to the Beach.
As 2025 was Dwindling away, we packed our bags, loaded up the car and headed out of town for our mini vacay Adventure. Sorry, we didn’t get any pictures of the car all loaded up, but we (I mean I) began snapping plenty of photos from the moment we arrived, all through our many Adventurous activities, and all throughout our entire mini vacation.
Arriving, Checking in, & Checking out our surroundings.
After checking in and bringing everything (and I mean everything) into our room for the week (actually six days), Coleman and I decided to head down to the Beach. We did not want to Dwindle our time away inside the room for one minute longer. Instead, we wanted to begin enjoying the Gift of Adventure immediately.
Coleman’s very first time at a Beach. First time seeing the Atlantic Ocean. First time his feet touched the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel 2000D.
Locations: 1st 4) Cramerton, North Carolina; Rest, 5-8) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. It’s been an Amazing Adventurous beginning to 2026. We didn’t let 2025 Dwindle away. We enjoyed the Gift of Time away together. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Ninth Floor; Captains Quarters; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Hoping you do not experience tumultuous times in the days ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
On Monday afternoon, our first day of our mini vacay, we drove down to Murrells Inlet to go out on a sightseeing boat run by Crazy Sister Marina. We were supposed to be able to see some dolphins, however, my eyesight isn’t very good in the evenings, so I wasn’t able to see what others (including Coleman) was seeing (more on that at another time).
Instead I’ll show you a few of the Crazy Sister Marina windows, both on shore and on the boat.
Friday, a beautiful sunny afternoon was a perfect time for a walk along the beach. Observing the ocean, searching for Seashells, and enjoying the beautiful sky views.
Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour. I am posting my last 2025 Floral images (December 31,2025) as my first Flower Hour post for 2026.
Location: By Dinopark; Broadway at the Beach; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Wishing y’all the best life filled with love, peace, and joy in 2026. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Skywatching at Goat Island Park and Greenway … The sky was beautiful and captivating amazingly drawing attention to the Creator of all that is, was, and will be.
This week Dale has chosen a theme of A Winter’s Walk for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge. Instead of just one winter walk I decided to do a combination of several different Winter Hikes which Coleman and I have taken over the years.
Looking through my photos I ran across a bench from one of our hiking adventures I don’t think I’ve shared before, so I thought I would share it today.
Dan, the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is asking us to share photos of Festive or Bland. With so many challenges seeking Festive images I chose to go Bland instead for this week’s Fun Foto Challenge.
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: You might want to take a look at this Friday’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) (another one of Cee’s challenges) to see the new ideas for the new theme of CWWC: Any Which Way with vehicles — This CWWC will go live on Friday 12/26 just past midnight EST.
The Wild Potato Vine is a perennial, deciduous, tenacious flowering vine similar to Morning Glory and Sweet potato vine. It is native to North America and grows primarily in South East Canada to Central and Eastern United States of America. It is showy with large heart-shaped leaves, purple stems, and white flowers with pink to purple centers.
An interesting fact is that the Wild Potato Vine roots are used by Native Americans for poultices, infusions, read for treatment of a variety of medical problems. The roots can be eaten cooked, but raw, are a purgative. (A purgative has a strong laxative effect.)
Embden (Emden) Geese are a German breed of domestic geese recognized primarily for their pure white plumage and striking bright blue eyes. ( I know it’s hard to see their blue eyes from the picture, but they are blue) The Embden is one of the oldest and most popular breeds around the world.
These Embden Geese reside at the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Children of all ages are welcome to come visit them, but trying to pet them or pick them up is not recommended. Feed for them can be purchased at an extra cost to the entrance fee.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D ( Rebel T7) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Settings: f/5.6 • 1/100s • 70mm • ISO100
Location: Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful Christmas holiday week. Merry Christmas! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
These Bald Cypress trees are resilient and have the ability to grow in very wet conditions, even standing in water. These are grown near the South Fork Catawba River in Riverside Park and Greenway.
The Cypress cones are the reproductive structures of Cypress trees that develop from the tree’s flowers. What you see here are the female cones, often called seed cones. The little red droplet on the bottom cone looks like resin which is characteristic from a cypress tree.
The Cluster of Bald Cypress cones you see is a perfect example of an infructescence. These cones are actually modified seed cones, and once they mature, they’ll release seeds. It’s interesting to learn how plants develop these unique structures to disperse their seeds. The mature cones contain seeds that are a very important food source for local wildlife, including squirrels, waterfowl, and other birds.
First off, how about some Blue on Blue in the Gulf of Mexico (now called Gulf of America) from a cruise I took back in 2020. We were in the middle of the Gulf heading towards Cozumel, Mexico. It’s amazing how except for the other ships at sea, all one sees for miles and miles in practically Blue on Blue.
When the Water & Sky Meet Cobalt Blue
Now for some Winter Wonderland (this isn’t Solstice, but it is having some 🥶 Winter Wonderland Funtime.
Coleman and his mom enjoying some Funtime in the Winter Snow.
I know we are currently in December with today (the 21st) being Winter Solstice, but we don’t usually get Snow in our area until January and/or February. The top photo was take in February of 2020 & the Bottom picture was taken in January of 2022.
God Bless. Have a wonderful Winter Solstice and a fantastic week. Merry Christmas! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour #11. This week she is giving us a Last Chance to share our Holiday Florals. Having already posted several Holiday Florals I dug deep into my archives to reshare some Christmas Florals with all of you.
Poinsettias are a popular Christmas floral, however, you probably don’t see this one around your everyday Christmas displays.
Euphorbia pulcherrima (Stelle di Natale) Christmas Star, Poinsettia
Let’s now take a look at a different Christmas floral known as the Christmas Berry. The Christmas Berry is a compact shrub with dark green elliptic leaves, but are crimson red when young in early spring. The shrub tolerates moderate shade and grows in well drained soil.
Photinia ‘Red Robin’ P x fraseri
Next, we are admiring a succulent known as the Christmas Kalanchoe, a popular house plant known for its vibrant, long-lasting flowers in colors like red, white, pink, and orange. It is a succulent that thrives in bright, indirect light and well-drained soil, making it a great festive gift for the holidays.
And finally, we are changing colours from red to green for our Christmas florals. This plant was seen at Anne Springs Close Greenway’s garden at the Stables Entrance. It is a Helleborusorientalis, often referred to as Christmas Rose, or Lenten Rose. It is a winter-blooming, broadleaf evergreen, clumping perennial in the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family.
Helleborus orientalis Aka Christmas Rose, Hellebore, Lenten Rose
God Bless. Have a very Merry Christmas Holiday Season. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
As stated in my Monochrome Madness post, Coleman and I saw several horse owners at Anne Springs Close Greenway taking advantage of a beautiful afternoon to enjoy riding their horses on the trails.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Dogwood Trail; Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your weekend. Spend time Outdoors and admire Nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Whenever Coleman and I have the opportunity to visit Anne Springs Close Greenway we almost always (but not always) visit the horses. Coleman loves horses. The Anne Springs Close Greenway has five different entrances to the Greenway for hiking, mountain biking, or just visiting.
Goats at the Children’s Farm
Last Saturday, Coleman and I went to the Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance to visit the Farm animals and (of course) the horses.
Cow & Goat in the Pasture at the Farm
We arrived late due to heavy traffic and congestion on the roads leading to the Greenway Stables. Therefore, we only had a short amount of time to visit the farm animals.
One last look at the Farm animals before venturing towards the horses.
Moving on to hiking and visiting the horses stabled at the Greenway. We saw and visited with several owners who were there to enjoy a ride on their horses along the trails.
Trailing behind a horse & rider down Dogwood Trail
Still hiking along Dogwood Trail. The rider is up around the bend.
The Greenway has several horse stables scattered along the Dogwood Trail and are maintained by the Greenway staff. Quite a few of the horses are privately owned and as the sign says you’re not supposed to pet or feed the horses. However, some of the owners will allow Coleman to pet their horses. If an owner’s horse is skittish the owner will not recommend petting it or coming too close.
Coleman visiting horses at one of the Greenway Stables.
We recommend checking with a horses owner before petting them. The owners are not always present, but when they are they are friendly and usually willing to answer any questions about their horses.
An AI sketch rendering of few Greenway horses enjoying their feed.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D (Rebel T7) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Greenway Stables, Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm, and Dogwood Trail; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic rest of your week. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Tina from travelsandtrifles is the host this week for the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge. Tina is giving us the opportunity for one Last Chance to share photos we have taken and loved throughout 2025 and hadn’t had an opportunity to share for one challenge or another.
Here are some of my favorites from this year that I believe I haven’t as yet shared with y’all …
To do so, simply share the photo (not a screenshot) you have set as your wallpaper; Provide as little or as much detail as you wish; Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun; Then finally, share the fun around.
I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.
I will only be sharing a small portion of my Desktop/Wallpaper images that I am seeing. The reason being I have been required to not post any pictures on any form of social media at this time of our newest family member, aka my new granddaughter.
Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:
From My HP Laptop:
Desktop Background Wallpaper
Coleman at Anne Springs Close Greenway Horse Stables
Desktop Screensaver
Muscovy Ducks in Patterson Pond Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro:
I have two images alternating on my Hiking Focus for my iPhone …
Coleman petting a rider’s horse Anne Springs Close Greenway
American Beautyberry is a woody deciduous, perennial shrub native to the southeastern United States including the Carolinas.
Clusters of small flowers bloom on the late spring and early summer. However, what you are seeing here are clusters of vibrant purple berries in the Carolinas that peak in late summer through autumn (August to November). The vibrant berries often persist into early winter providing significant food for birds and wildlife, making it a quintessential fall shrub for the region. The colors vary; most common is the vivid purple, though white and pink varieties exist.
American Beautyberry
The American Beautyberry offers many ecological services. How might you ask does it work? Its seeds and berries provide an important food source for a tremendous amount of songbirds of America. Some of those include American robin, brown thrasher, northern bobwhite, purple finch and eastern towhee. It is also a nectar source for butterflies and has fragrant foliage.
What I found interesting is that the American Beautyberry has been used by farmers successfully since at least the early 20th century to repel biting bugs from mules and horses by rubbing it on their coats and under harnesses. Why did I found this information so fascinating? The location of this particular American Beautyberry shrub is located near the horse stables at Anne Springs Close Greenway.
Camera: Canon EOS 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens with Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Patterson Pond; Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Take a hike/walk amongst God’s beautiful creatures. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
On Saturday, Coleman and I were able to borrow my daughter’s car and go down to the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina. It is an hour away from where we currently live, so it is a bit of a drive. Traffic was terrible. I very rarely drive in traffic (I don’t care for heavy traffic, I try to avoid it if at all possible).
Anyway, after we arrived and maneuvered around the Farm to the Alpaca section, we were delighted to discover the new Baby Alpacas born recently at the Greenway. There is One White, and One Brown Baby Alpaca.
Here are a few shots of the Baby Alpacas …
Baby Alpacas in Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at Anne Springs Close Greenway
Camera: Canon EOS 2000 D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature’s Beautiful Creations. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week’s host for Monochrome Madness is Stupidity Holewith a theme of The Space Between. Looking forward to exploring the various interpretations on The Space Between.
Monochrome Madness
Here are a few I came up with for this week’s challenge …
The Road Between leading to Hearst Castle
The Boy (Coleman) Between the Railings on the Bridge at Anne Springs Close Greenway
The Feathers Between Coleman’s Fingers
The South Fork Catawba River Between the Grounds of Goat Island
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.
Dan, the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is asking us to share photos of Autumn or Spring — or Both. It may still be officially Autumn, however, lately our weather has been so cold and extremely windy that it feels more like winter. Therefore I rummaged through my archives to add to my few Autumn 🍂images that I hadn’t already used for one post or another.
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: You might want to take a look at this Friday’s (Today’s) Which Way Challenge (CWWC) (another one of Cee’s challenges) to see the new ideas for the new theme of Any Which Way with a Holiday theme. — Part 1 which Will run for two (2) weeks.
The day we visited Ramsey Creek Park may have been on the chillier side, but that wouldn’t have stopped Coleman from playing in the sand.
One of several signs near the Beach.
The Beach area was blocked off with signs posted stating the Beach is Closed. We did find smaller areas he could access the sand for a little playtime. We also managed to walk along the edge of the waters of Lake Norman, still it would have been nice if the Beach would’ve been open.
Photo Credit: 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take time to admire Nature’s beautiful bounty. Have a great weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week I am sharing our hike along the dirt trail at Ramsey Creek Park in Cornelius, North Carolina. Here are my entries …
Dirt Trail at Ramsey Creek Park Cornelius, North Carolina
Click on each image to enlarge.
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.
• NOTE: For the next two (2) weeks the theme for the Which Way Challenge will be CWWC: Any Which Way with a Holiday theme. (Will run for two (2) weeks).
Last week we visited the CLT Airport Overlook in Charlotte, North Carolina. While watching for Airplanes to take off or come in for a landing, Coleman noticed an Excavator and went over to the fence to take a closer look at it working in the construction area just a short distance from the playground area.
CAT 349F
The CAT 349F Excavator is built with a powerful, 49-ton hydraulic excavator known for heavy-duty digging and earthmoving tasks. Its features a CAT C13 ACERT engine with advanced hydraulic systems for efficiency and precision.
Coleman watching the CAT 349 Excavator at Work.
The CAT 349F has a spacious and ergonomic cab which is designed to be quiet and comfortable. It features air suspension seats and intuitive controls to reduce operator fatigue during long shifts.
Location: Lake Norman; Pier at Ramsey Creek Park; Ramsey Creek Park; Cornelius, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic rest of your week and weekend ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Beth from Wandering Dawgsis this week’s host for the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge . She is challenging us to show off Wings of any kind. I am displaying Non-Feathered Wings as well as Wings on a variety of Feathered Friends with Wings.
Let us first take a look at some of my Feathered Friends that grace my pathways.
Female Northern Cardinal grace my porch railing enjoying a nice snack.
A Northern Mockingbird stopped by for a visit.
A Lovely Mourning Dove graces us with a beautiful song.
A Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) graces our pathway while on a hike.
A Gallery of Geese Flying Overhead
Now to display a few Non-Feathered Wings Landing and Taking off from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.
Frontier Airlines Frontier AirlinesAmerican Airlines American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesComing In & Flying Up, Up, & Away
Locations: Feathered Friends) Cramerton, North Carolina, USA; Non-Feathered Wings) Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, 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.
Dale host the weekly challenge The Cosmic Photo Challenge with a different theme each week. This week’s theme is Reflections.
“Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it.”
– Ernest Holmes
Here are a few Reflections from around the Carolinas …
Lake Crandall Anne Springs Close Greenway The Pond at Daniel Stowe Conservancy Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm South Fork Catawba River Lake NormanLake NormanLake NormanLake Norman
“Your life is a reflection of your thoughts. If you change your thinking, you change your life.”