Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography
This blog is for my insights on life, the Bible, hiking adventures with my grandson and whatever is important to me
Birds in Monochrome
Elke’s, from elastic, Monochrome Madness-Birds
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #16
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
#Seven Bugs/Insects for September
Instead of separate posts I decided to combine Terri’s Sunday Stills with Judy’s Numbers Game and Becky’s Squares Challenges. Therefore, instead of using the number 158, I have chosen to use the Words Bugs and Insects to use for Judy’s Numbers Game this week. Oh, of course, going along with Becky’s Squares Challenge they will all be Squared. The words Bugs and Insects fits right into Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge-All about Bugs.
Uno (One, 1):
Dos (Two, 2):
Tres (Three, 3):
Cuatro (Four, 4):
Cinco (Five, 5):
Seis (Six, 6):
Siete (Seven, 7):
Terri’s Sunday Stills- All about Bugs
Becky’s Squares-#Seven for September
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Huck Finn
Tom Sawyer
Riverboat Cruises
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #235
Photo Credit:©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn Riverboat Cruises; St. Louis, Missouri, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Looking back to a trip I took seven years ago to Jacksonville, North Carolina; I visited with my sons. My eldest son, John and I toured the Lejeune Memorial Gardens on February 2017. The Lejeune Memorial Gardens honors those who serve our country and is a place to gather to remember those who have given the greatest sacrifice for our freedom. It is home to the Beirut Memorial, the Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Montford Point Marine Memorial, and 9/11 Memorial Beam from the World Trade Center.
Whenever I visit Veterans Memorial Gardens I reflect on the men and women in my family who have served in the United States Armed Services. I thank God for their services and sacrifices they made to ensure the Freedom I am so freely able to enjoy today.
Becky’s Squares-#Seven for September
Photo Credit: 2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Lejeune Memorial Gardens; Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy Squaring! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Anas platyrhynchos
The Anas platyrhynchos is commonly known as Mallard or wild duck. The males (also called drakes) have green heads, while the females (called hens) have mainly brown speckled plumage.
The Mallard is approximately 50-65 centimeters (20-26 inches) long, the body making up the majority (about two-thirds) of their length. They are oftentimes slightly more heavier than the most othe dabbling ducks, weighing 0.7-1.6 kilograms (1.5-3.5 pounds).
Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes. The Mallards shown here are quite commonly seen at Rankin Lake and other local lakes and parks in the vicinity.
They are a very adaptable species in that they are able to live and thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localised, sensitive species of waterfowl before development.
The name Mallard originally referred to any wild drake, and sometimes it is still associated in this way.
Mallards tend to frequently interbreed with their closest relatives in the genus Anas, which for example might be the American black duck. They might possibly interbreed with other species, such as the northern pintail or various hybrids that could be fertile.
In North America, Mallards winter in the south to southern United States and Northern Mexico. [The Mallards here were shot on camera in January, mid-winter for the southern United States.]
In summer, a combination of hot temperatures and reduced water levels place mallards at an increased risk of contracting botulism. Outbreaks of botulism among mallard populations can lead to mass die-offs.
Photo Credit ©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Rankin Lake Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Brian’s Busboys World is the host for Last on the Card requests us to share our last photo on our SD cards or on our phones for August 31 or whenever your last photo was taken. No editing — just however it came out in focus, blurry, or whatever it may be. No explanations necessary. Be sure to create a pingback to Brian’s post or leave a link in his comments. Be sure to tag your post with The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard.
Here are my Last on the Card photos for August:
From my Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max:
From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i:
From my Dad’s Minolta XG – 7:
Brian’s Busboys World is the host Last on the Card
God Bless. Have a great week and join in on the fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Becky has resumed her Square Challenge for September with the theme of Seven for September. It has been Seven (7) years since the first Squaring Challenge Adventures began, thus remembering the good times of Squaring for Seven.
I have not been Squaring for Seven years, however, I have enjoyed being apart of Becky’s Square Challenge. I will do my best with this new theme of Seven for September.
As Becky so cordially reminded us that September was originally the Seventh month of the year in the Roman calendar; it is fitting to see what everyone decides to post for Seven for September. September comes from the Latin word septem which means, you guessed it, seven.
Here is my first selection for this month’s Becky’s Square Challenge:
Photo Credit:©️1978 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location:Huntersville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a Sunny Square September Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Before & After-Bridge Changes from Tropical Storm
Before and After-Life Changes from Children to Adulthood:
Before & After-Same House — Changes through the Years:
A Well Hiked Bridge & it’s Storm Related Collapse:
Before and After Changes to the Tunnel Trail Road Bridge After the Effects of a Tropical Storm at Anne Springs Close Greenway.
Terri’s Sunday Stills-Before and After
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For this week in doing Cee’s Which WayMy Way I’m choosing a theme of Any Roads, Any Pathways, or Any Trails. Basically Any Which Way you choose; be sure we can see your Which Ways Clearly. And as always, signs are welcome anytime. I’d love for y’all to join me in posting your Which Ways you have Chosen to Share. Remember to link your Which Way posts to Cee’s Which Way here or if you wish you can link to My Which Way here.
Road Trippin’ USA #3
Which Ways
Washington D.C.
And Beyond
In the Summer of 1985 my parents went Road Trippin’ across the United States of America. They began their Road Trip leaving from their home in San Diego, California. They always planned what or whom they wanted to visit ahead of time.
Continuing with their stop in Washington D.C. and a few sites in Manassas, Virginia with a side visit with my brother and his family.
The above are their last views of Washington D.C. before leaving the area. From D.C. my parents drove to near Manassas, Virginia to visit with my brother and his family for a spell.
Having rested up and enjoyed a nice family visit, they set out again for further site seeing adventures. They stopped in Manassas enjoying several sites including the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
My dad loved to plan at least one stop on our vacations which had an historical significance. He would also plan a different site for our family to enjoy some fun. On this trip he and my mom planned to visit sites that held significant interest to them.
The next stop on their Road Trippin’ USA adventure was The Henry Ford – Museum Of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan.
As they walked up to the entrance they enjoyed seeing the displays at the entrance like this Julian Stage Line vehicle. Julian reminds me of a town just a short ways east of San Diego County in California that has the best Apple pies and beautiful countryside.
Next week I’ll continue with their Road Trippin’ adventures for My Which Way of Cee’s Which Way Challenge at The Henry Ford – Museum Of American Innovation.
Photo Credit: ©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Washington D.C.; Manassas National Battlefield Park; Manassas, Virginia; The Henry Ford – Museum Of American Innovation; Dearborn, Michigan, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness-A Few Favorite Monochromatic Moments
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome to “The Numbers Game #36”. Today’s number is 157. To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
I couldn’t locate photos with the number 157, so I decided to choose a Word — Airplane.
Photo Credit: ©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved and ©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm and iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Have a funtastic rest of your weekend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Baroque Fountain
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; San Marino, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Pink Velour Crape Myrtle
The Pink Velour Crape Myrtle is a type of Lagerstroemia indica crape myrtle tree. The flower colouring changes with the season. In the summer its blooms are a bright Hot Pink changing to a burgundy in the fall.
One can find the Lagerstroemia all across the Southern Atlantic States. Similar to the southern Magnolia, the crape Myrtle has come to symbolize the American South due to its extensive planting and ability to thrive in hot, humid summer climates with regular precipitation. It has brilliant color in late summer and autumn unlike other trees/shrubs which have already exhausted their blooms.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Fratercula corniculata
The Horned Puffins are similar in appearance to the Atlantic Puffins and its closest relative of the North Atlantic. It differs, however, by a “horn” of black skin located above the eye, present in adult birds.
The Horned Puffin is an auk found in the North Pacific Ocean, including the coasts of Alaska, Siberia, and British Columbia. [The puffin in the first picture was taken off the coast of Alaska by my cousin during their bucket list vacation.] It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish. It nests in colonies, often with other auks.
The height of the adult puffin is approximately 20 cm (8 in), the weight is approximately 500 g (18 oz), and the wingspan is approximately 58 cm (23 in). Horned Puffins are monomorphic; in other words both the male and female exhibits the same plumage coloration.
Sexually mature puffins have a small fleshy black “horn” extending upwards from the eye, from which the animal derives its common name; the horned puffin. The Horned Puffin’s bill is red at the tip and yellow at the base. It is also larger than those of other puffin species. The puffin’s bill has fluorescent properties which it uses to attract a partner. Puffins can see ultraviolet rays, allowing them to spot luminescence on the bills of other puffins during the courtship display.
Horned puffins live among steep rocky slopes and cliffs. They prefer rock crevices or shelters under piles of rock for home and shelter which differs from other puffins that dig burrows for their shelters.
To achieve flight, horned puffins either jump off a cliff to gain momentum, or races across the water to reaching the speed required for takeoff. They fly compactly and quickly, 10 to 30 meters (33 to 98 ft)above sea level. The wing beats are constant, rapid and regular.
When the puffins are on land they walk upright gripping rock surfaces with its claws, and climbs cliffs with ease. They do spend half of their time on water, paddling along the surface with their feet. They are extremely agile underwater. Their powerful wings serve as oars and their webbed feet work as a rudder. Their plumage, like most seabirds, are waterproof. This feature allows them to dive and prevents heat loss.
The Horned Puffins feed on a diet of fish, small invertebrates, crustaceans, polychaete worms and squid. They are also known to feed on small algae and marine plants.
Photo Credit:©️2024 John Palone ( my cousin) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Alaska, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Be Flourishing —
Be Resilient —
— Be Tenacious
Cee’s Flower of the Day (Sorry, no bloom, just beautiful gigantic trees).
Photo Credit: ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters ( My dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Sequoia National Forest; Tulare County, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Washington Monument
Photo Credit: ©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Washington Monument; Washington D.C., USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic rest of your weekend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Landslides occur whenever they choose to happen even in the most unlikely of circumstances or in areas you least expect. This one happened on a portion of my cousin’s property. Better be careful where you walk. Never know what Mother Nature will decide to do next.
Ragtag Daily Prompt: Saturday-Landslide
Fandango’s One Word Challenge-Outside
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Gardner Park Neighborhood; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Gardner Park Elementary School; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
For this week in doing Cee’s Which WayMy Way I’m choosing a theme of Any Roads, Any Pathways, or Any Trails. Basically Any Which Way you choose; be sure we can see your Which Ways Clearly. And as always, signs are welcome anytime. I’d love for y’all to join me in posting your Which Ways you have Chosen to Share. Remember to link your Which Way posts to Cee’s Which Way here or if you wish you can link to My Which Way here.
Road Trippin’ USA #2
Which Ways
Washington D.C.
In the Summer of 1985 my parents went Road Trippin’ across the United States of America. They began their Road Trip leaving from their home in San Diego, California. They always planned what or whom they wanted to visit ahead of time.
On the road again, their next planned stop was in Washington D.C. after a side visit to my brother near Manassas, Virginia. My parents toured many of the historical sites and monuments around the area. Some of the sites were seen via a tour bus while others were seen via self-guided walking tour routes. They toured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Building, the National Museum of American History, The Washington Monument, The Lincoln Memorial, The Smithsonian Castle, Capitol Hill and the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial Statue. What would be your interests if you toured Washington D.C. or your country’s Capitol?
Here you may see some of the Roads, Routes, or Pathways they took on their tour of D.C.:
The last photo isn’t exactly a pathway unless you consider going round and round on a merry-go-round one you’d also enjoy taking on occasion.,
Next week I’ll continue with their Road Trippin’ adventures for My Which Way of Cee’s Which Way Challenge.
Photo Credit: ©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Washington D.C., USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Bees and Blooms
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-A Single Flower
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Enjoy nature. Stop and Smell the Flowers. I appreciate y’all very much.
New Mexico
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday
Photo Credit:©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Entrance to Carlsbad Caverns; Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
—- Out in Nature
Good Day y’all! For this week’s challenge I dug into my archives to see what Lime or Lemon colours I could find to fit the theme. Hope y’all enjoy the selections I found.
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Lime or Lemon
Photo Credit: ©️2020-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rooted & Grounded in Love
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Russ Adair ( My cousin ) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the flowers. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Entomyzon cyanotis
The Blue-faced honeyeater is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae. The Blue-faced honeyeater is considered large at 29.5 centimeters ( 11.6 inches) in length. Its plumage is distinctive in coloration; having olive upper parts, white underparts, and a black head and throat with white nape and cheeks. Unlike some other bird species, males and females are similar in external appearance.
The Blue-faced honeyeaters are found in open woodland, parks, and gardens. [This one was shot at the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, South Carolina.] They are common in northern and eastern Australia, and southern New Guinea.
These birds feast on a diet of mostly invertebrates along with nectar and fruit. The name of banana-bird was given to it due to its propensity for feeding on the flowers and fruit of bananas in North Queensland. One of the early naturalist, George Shaw, called it the blue-faced honey-sucker in 1826.
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus Telephoto camera
Location: Riverbanks Zoo & Garden; Columbia, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting Riverbanks with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a fabulous week. I appreciate y’all very much.
Greenway Horse
Photo Credit:©️2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 13 Pro Wide Camera
Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Greenway with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Bureau of Engraving And Printing
Photo Credit:©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Bureau of Engraving and Printing Building; Washington D. C., USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Macrolepiota procera
the parasol mushroom
One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge-August 2024
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Photo Processing done via Pixlr
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Have a wonderful day. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
… On a Horse
Where one decides to Pull Up a Seat is as individual and unique as you are. For a unique experience why not select a horse of your choosing to Pull Up a Seat, let’s ride. Giddy Up Horsey!
These horses and their riders all apart of an equestrian exhibition at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in May of 1978. They were captured on 35 mm film by my dad as my parents were delighted with watching the show.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 33
Photo Credit:©️1978 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: San Diego Wild Animal Park (now known as San Diego Zoo Safari Park); Escondido, San Diego County, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for Pulling Up a Seat with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
For this week in doing Cee’s Which WayMy Way I’m choosing a theme of Any Roads, Any Pathways, or Any Trails. Basically Any Which Way you choose; be sure we can see your Which Ways Clearly. And as always, signs are welcome anytime. I’d love for y’all to join me in posting your Which Ways you have Chosen to Share. Remember to link your Which Way posts to Cee’s Which Way here or if you wish you can link to My Which Way here.
Road Trippin’ USA #1
Which Ways
Petersburg National Battlefield
Petersburg, Virginia
In the Summer of 1985 my parents went Road Trippin’ across the United States of America. They began their Road Trip leaving from their home in San Diego, California. They always planned what or whom they wanted to visit ahead of time.
On this Road Trip, their first stop was to visit my dad’s sister in Charlotte, North Carolina. That stop was a brief visit; a time of relaxation before continuing on their long journey they had planned for themselves.
Their first planned stop after leaving my Aunt and Uncle’s home was to visit the Petersburg National Battlefield in Petersburg, Virginia. These are a few of the sights they saw while walking around the battlefield grounds and trails.
Next week I’ll continue with their Road Trippin’ adventures for My Which Way of Cee’s Which Way Challenge.
Photo Credit: ©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Petersburg National Battlefield Park; Petersburg, Virginia, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Clare from Clare’s Cosmos is asking all of us once again to share our desktops. All you need to do is share the photo (not your actual desktop) you have set as your wallpaper. Provide whatever information you desire about the photo. Use a pingback, or post a link to her blog here so she knows you’ve joined in on the fun. Then, enjoy sharing the fun around.
Here are my August Desktops:
From my Laptop:
My Laptop Screensaver Wallpaper-
My Laptop Wallpaper Background-
From My iPhone 14 Pro Max
Personal Focus-
Television Focus-
Hiking Focus-
Reading Focus-
Work Focus-
Come on along and join the fun. Share one or more, it doesn’t matter whether the photos are from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or your smartphone wallpaper(s).
Clare’s Share Your Desktop-August 2024
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s desktop photos. Have a wonderful week. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome to “The Numbers Game #34”.Today’s number is 155. To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
This week I am combining Judy’s Numbers Game with Leanne’s Monochrome Madness and Leya’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge . I am choosing to use the Word Garden for this week’s challenges.
Glencairn Gardens
Glencairn Gardens is ideal for a Spring stroll through the gardens of blooming azaleas, pansies, wisteria, and periwinkle. When visiting the Gardens be sure to meander through the Veterans Garden which pays tribute to Veterans of all branches of service. Also, during Spring, you be able to enjoy the blossoms of Viburnum, Pink and white Dogwoods, Redbuds, peonies, magnolia trees, and flowering Yoshino and Kwanzan cherry trees.
There is beauty to be seen no matter when one decides to visit Glencairn Gardens. Summertime brings on the colourful bright blooms of crape myrtles, daylilies and hundreds of other annuals.
The trails through the Gardens pass by several fountains, ponds, as well as the vast variety of flowering plants and trees. we enjoy strolling pass the Fountains, especially when they are flowing during the springtime. We always stop by the Veterans Garden when we go visit and remember our family members who have served in our Armed Forces.
Glencairn Gardens began in 1928 as a backyard garden by David and Hazel Bigger who lived in the h9use that serves as the park’s welcome center. It was the inspiration for Rock Hill’s annual Come-See-Me Festival which is a festival celebrating music, frogs, and fun. The Bigger’s gifted this Gardens to the City of Rock Hill through a deed in 1958. The peak blooming season is from the end of March to the middle of April. The Veterans Garden was created with the partnership with The American Legion Post 34 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2889. It h9onors women and men from the past, present, and future who served in the United States armed forces.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #311 – What’s in a Garden?
Photo Credit:©️2019 & 2023 Deb L Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Apple iPhone XR and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300 mm and Canon EF-S18-55mm lenses.
Location: Glencairn Gardens; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Gardens with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Brown Thrasher’s name stems from its unique feeding behavior of foraging on the ground for its food. It usually forages amongst leaf litter and other thick ground cover. It quickly sweeps or thrashes its long bill in a side-to-side motion thrashing through leaf litter and other ground cover to uncover food. Its distinctive feeding strategy of thrashing for its food is shared with western relatives like the Bendire’s Thrasher.
The Brown Thrasher can be seen in abundance throughout the Eastern and Central United States. Interesting enough, the Brown Thrasher is the only thrasher which lives primarily east of the Rockies and central Texas. It is the state bird of Georgia. The photos of these Brown Thrashers were taken in Lancaster County, in the Piedmont region of South Carolina.
It is known as the “Mimic Thrush”, however, it is out mimicked by the Northern Mockingbird. It only repeats one or two phrases unlike the mockingbird which repeats three or more. Its sound is more mellow and musical in quality.
Springtime is the best time of the year if you desire to spot a Brown Thrasher. After they pair off, they tend to become more elusive, staying hidden underneath thick cover. They are monogamous during breeding season and both males and females incubate the eggs ( around 3-5) and feed the nestlings. Even so, the females still do the majority of the incubation.
The Brown Thrasher typically feeds heavily on insects during the breeding season and on fruits, berries, and seeds during other times of the year.
Photo Credit ©️2013 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Lancaster, Lancaster County, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Numbers 33:2
We are all at different stages of our journey of life. We have differences and similarities in our journeys. Just as Moses recorded the stages in the Israelites Journeys, so we record, in our blogs, our journeys through our various stages in our lives for ourselves. We share our thoughts we have recorded regarding our experiences along our journey with each of you, our blogging community, with our friends, and those we love and care about deeply.
Photo Credit: ©️1978 Nornal H. Waters ( My dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Converter: Wolverine Digital Converter
Location: San Diego Wild Animal Park (now known as San Diego Zoo Safari Park); Escondido, San Diego County, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the flowers. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Smithsonian Castle
And
Joseph Henry Statue
This was one of the many stops on my parents cross country vacation during the summer of 1985. They visited The Smithsonian Institution Building on their Washington D. C. Tour.
The Castle was the first Smithsonian Building. It was designed by architect James Renwick Jr. and built between 1847 and 1855 to house the Smithsonian Institution, which was established by Congress in 1846. It was designed in the Norman Revival style, which combines late Romanesque and early Gothic motifs. It is made up of Seneca red sandstone from the Seneca Quarry in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The Joseph Henry Statue is located at the entrance of the Smithsonian Institution Building, or “Castle.” Joseph Henry was the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1846 to 1878. The bronze statue of him was commissioned in 1880 and installed in 1883. At its installation it faced the Smithsonian Building (The Castle.) In 1965, the bronze statue was turned to face the National Mall.
Photo Credit:©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Smithsonian Institution Building; The Castle; Washington D. C., USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gateway Arch
Photo Credit: ©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Gateway Arch Monument; St. Louis, Missouri
God Bless. Have a funtastic rest of your weekend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
California Marriott’s
Great America Addition #5
THE LOBSTER
Continuing our adventures from long ago at California’s Great America; we come to segment #5 of the series with The Lobster; won’t you Pull Up a Seat and ride with us.
At Marriott’s Great America in Santa Clara, California; The Lobster was located in the Yankee Harbor section of the amusement park. The ride in Santa Clara opened for the public in 1976. This Lobster was an Eyerly Aircraft Monster ride.
This Lobster has six (6) arms with the end of each arm having four (4) passenger cars. The Lobster in Santa Clara ride had to lower two arms at a time to allow for the unloading and loading of eight passenger cars simultaneously. This was repeated two additional times per cycle to complete the unloading and loading for all six (6) arms.
This outing was so long ago I do not remember if I rode this ride or not, but then again my dad did take the shot.
You can no longer ride this particular Lobster ride since the Santa Clara location of Great America closed, however, you may ride a similar one at the Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 32
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Converter: Wolverine Digital Converter
Location: Santa Clara, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for Pulling Up a Seat with Us. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
I’m hoping to have some sunny sunshine anyways. We’ve been having a tremendous amount of rain and wind from the outskirts of Hurricane Debby/Tropical Storm Debby ( now Tropical Depression Debby). At least I can dream of sunshine even if we do not get it for several days yet.
Leigha’s Sunny Sunday Challenge
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 31
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take time to stop and smell the flowers. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
For this week in doing Cee’s Which Way My Way I’m choosing a theme of Roads, Pathways, or Waterways. And as always, signs are welcome anytime. I’d love for y’all to join me in posting your Which Ways whether on Land or Sea. Remember to link your Which Way posts to Cee’s Which Way here or if you wish you can link to My Which Way here.
For my own Which Way this week I have combined it with Sunday Stills Challenge from Terri with her theme of #Float, #Afloat. In other words, my Which Ways are on both Land and Sea. These are from a visit my parents took to The Ports O’ Call in San Pedro, California. They toured the Ports O’ Call Village walking the pathways and took a tour cruise around the Bay. My dad loved to take pictures when they went places (thus my love of photography).
Photo Credit: ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Location: Ports O’ Call, San Pedro, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Ports O’ Call Village with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Dawn from The Day After is this week’s host for Monochrome Madness with her chosen theme of Shadows and Silhouettes . I decided to display my shadows in two different monochrome aspects to see which aspect the shadows are represented better.
These photos were all taken at Hume Lake Christian Camps located in Hume, California. They were taken by my dad using his Minolta XG-7 35 mm camera. For enlarged viewing click on each image.
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Locations: Hume Lake Christian Camps; Hume, Fresno County, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Sequoias with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much. Have a wonderful day.
Click on each photo for enlarged viewing of images. These were taken at Hume Lake Christian Campgrounds in Hume, California by my dad back in 1979 with his Minolta XG-7 35 mm camera. Fun and relaxing times can be had at Hume Lake.,
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Hume Lake Christian Camps; Hume, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
I’m using a Word in place of the number 154 this week. My Word I’m choosing to use is Julian.
Visiting Beautiful Julian
From where I used to live in San Diego; we would drive east on I-8 towards the mountains for a day of exploring, hiking, and a stop for Apple pie Julian Pie Shop before returning home. The first half ( more or less) are from our day trip back in 1978. The rest of the photos are from a virtual trip I took with a friend of mine from San Diego this past weekend.
Julian is a popular destination in the beautiful Cuyamaca mountains. It is approximately 0ne (1) hour and six (6) to fourteen (14) minutes away from the Allied Gardens Neighborhood in San Diego. The route we took takes us through the backcountry and into the Cuyamaca mountains past Cuyamaca State Park and Stonewall Peak (both wonderful places for hiking.)
When visiting Julian it is like stepping back in time to the days of Julian’s beginning rooted in the 1870’s gold rush. You can see where gold was discovered plus several historical buildings which date back to the 1870’s. When you go hiking in the area, you won’t want to miss stopping by Lake Cuyamaca for relaxation and great photo opportunities of the amazingly beautiful scenery. If you’re inclined to go out on the lake the area does have boat rentals or you might decide to fish along the bank.
Judy Dystra-Brown’s Numbers Game #33-154
Photo Credit: ©️1978 Nornal H. Waters ( my dad) and ©️2024 Felix Navarro … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Julian, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting Julian with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. Have a great rest of your week. I appreciate y’all very much.
1 John 3:18 (NIV)
Photo Credit: ©️1978 Nornal H. Waters ( My dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Converter: Wolverine Digital Converter
Location: San Diego Wild Animal Park (now known as San Diego Zoo Safari Park); Escondido, San Diego County, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the flowers. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
For One Word Sunday this week Debbie has chosen Framed. She is not referring to placing a photo in a frame, but rather using nature to frame a scene or subject.
Photo Credit: 1-3)©️1979 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved; 4) ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1-3) Minolta XG-7 35 mm; 4) iPhone 14 Pro Max
Locations: 1-3) Sequoia National Forest; Tulare County, California; 4) Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Viburnum opulus
Photo Credit: ©️2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Location: Riverwalk; Piedmont Medical Center Trail; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️1978 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm
Converter : Wolverine Digital Converter
Location: San Diego Wild Animal Park; Escondido, San Diego County, California, USA
God Bless. Thank for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
To play along with Judy’s Numbers Game simply go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a choice of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
I have chosen to pick a word to select my photos for this week’s Numbers Game hosted by Judy Dykstra-Brown’s blog. The Word I have chosen is Zoo. My selections come from four different zoos.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
Greenville Zoo
San Diego Wild Animal Park
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 31
Jez’s Water Water Evverywhere #230
Photo Credit: Sets 1-3) ©️2012-2022 Deb L. Waters; 4th Set)©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: 1-3) Canon EOS Rebel T3i; 4) Minolta XG-7 35 mm
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Zoos with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much. Have a wonderful day.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 