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
On Monday, Coleman and I ventured down to Andrew Jackson State Park for a relaxing afternoon of hiking around the lake and in the playground.
The following depicts Coleman’s version on how to approach and go down a slide.
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday-Almost wordless
Photo Credit: ©️2023Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. Enjoy the show. I appreciate y’all.
Photo Credit: ©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens
Location: Blue Trail; Gaston County Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
On this day Coleman and I hiked from Avon Catawba Creeks Greenway to the Warlick Family YMCA approximately a 2.5 mile hike. Coleman enjoys hiking with me, he also loves to test out the fitness equipment and Pull Up a Seat wherever he chooses. It is good to sit and rest occasionally along the trail.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2023-Week 35
Photo Credit: ©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts and joining our adventures. I appreciate y’all.
Welcome Cee and thanks for taking on the Which Way Challenge. I appreciate you and am looking forward to all you have to bring to challenge us on our Which Way Challenge adventures.
I’ve held off posting a which way challenge knowing you were taking over. Most of my “roads” are trails Coleman and I hike. I hope you’ll enjoy coming along on our Which Way hiking adventures.
I know only the first photo has an actual road in it, however, Coleman and I mostly travel on dirt pathways. We walk most everywhere, sometimes riding the bus to get to a location where we plan to hike. Hopefully next time I’ll be able to be more in tune with the theme.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge – Any Type of Road
Photo Credit: (c) 2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens
Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
Sky over Robinwood Lake:
Both shots were taken while standing in the same location at the Warlick Family YMCA by the Outdoor Patio.
Hammad’s Weekend Sky Challenge-113
Photo Credit: ©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max f/1.8 • 6.86mm • ISO64 for first & ISO100 for second photo.
Location: Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
Dale of The Cosmic Photo Challenge prompt is Freestyle this week.
Since this is freestyle week I decided to let you visit with me on one of the hikes Coleman and I took this past week. This hike was a little bit different in that we had my daughter, Coleman’s mom, along with us. On Tuesday we needed to be out of the home for awhile because a pest control company was going to come in and spray per the Complex management.
Therefore, we decided to go hiking in one of Coleman’s favorite places. The place we chose was Anne Springs Close Greenway about twenty minutes or so from our residence. Mind you now my daughter is not fond of hiking at all. When we arrived, we should them my membership card and proceeded to park. We thought Trisha, my daughter, was just gonna sit and relax near the canteen while Coleman and I hiked. It didn’t exactly go like we had thought. You see, Trisha brought her dog along with on our adventure ( he had to be out of the home as well).
Chewbacca, Trisha’s dog, decided he wanted to hike with us, therefore she had to tag along. We walked down to the lake and proceeded along the trail, Lake Haigler Loop, around the lake.
Coleman loves to run along the trail. I prefer a slower pace since I normally take many photos along the trail of the various sites we see. Often we observe different angles around the lake, seeing flowers, butterflies, sometimes turtles, bees, and even dragonflies.
At other times we see amazing reflections in the water.
I love seeing various creatures feasting on the nectar of wildflowers her at the Greenway.
Further down the trail as we hike around the lake I notice what appears to be a shape of a triangle formed with the reflections in the lake.
As we keep going I slow down observing butterflies flittering to and fro. Naturally I stop to snap a photograph. Meanwhile, my daughter’s trying to convince me to stop taking pictures. Guess what? She didn’t convince me, not one single solitary moment.
Next on our hike we come across a dragonfly and several turtles along the edge of the lake.
By this time my daughter is tired and wants to get this hike over with. Naturally, Coleman and Chewbacca want to keep going. They’re enjoying the outdoors adventure. Hence, we keep chugging along.
After awhile we decide to pull up a seat and relax a bit before finishing our hike. But first there’s more to observe as we near the picnic tables along the backside of the lake.
Finally to a spot to snack relax near the water’s edge.
The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Freestyle
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2023-Week 29
Alive and Trekking’s Which Way Photo Challenge.
Photo Credit: ©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i and iPhone 14 Pro Max
I hope you enjoyed trekking along with us on our hike around Lake Haigler. God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.
Which activities make you lose track of time?
There are two activities I participate it regularly which would make me lose track of time. One is Hiking and the other is Reading.
Hiking is an activity I enjoy participating in, sometimes with a group, but mostly just with my grandson. He loves the outdoors and enjoys hiking. He has been hiking with me since he was 1 1/2 years old. We go to various Greenways and State Parks to hike. When we are out in the woods in nature we hike until he gets tired. His endurance is amazing. Sometimes we are so enthralled with enjoying our environment and the beauty of God’s creation that time is of no importance. A planned hike for an hour can end up being for three or four. We do not rush our hikes; instead we simply enjoy our hikes and being in nature with each other.
Reading is an activity I enjoy and keeps my mind active and alert. I read everyday, sometimes not just once in the day but throughout the entire day. The minimum amount of time I spend on my daily reading is thirty minutes. Most of the time I read for longer than that especially if the book is extremely captivating. The more engrossed I am into the story, the more deeply I am entranced and lose all track of time. At those times, I keep reading even when my body is telling me I should close the book and go to sleep.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Alive and Trekking’s Which Way challenge
Photo Credit: (c) Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Anne Springs Close Greenway, Dairy Barn Entrance, Fort Mill, South Carolina
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thanking for visiting the Greenway with me. I appreciate y’all.
The Misadventures to our Adventures began on Late Sunday morning, 2023 June 25th. Deciding not to use to much of my daughter’s gas (No car of my own), I chose to take my grandson to the South Fork Trail and Blueway Access to do some hiking. However, when we arrived, we encountered the Danger Trail Closed signs preventing us from hiking the South Fork Trail.
Upon seeing the Danger Trail Closed signs, we climb back into the car, and I search for where to go next to try to accomplish our hike for the day. I looked up the Carolina Thread Trail and it was closed for the day as well. The next stop on our Misadventure to Adventures was the McDonald Field at the Pharr Family YMCA. There didn’t appear to be a trail that we could hike at that location just a short Fit-Trail. Therefore, we decided to get back in the car and figure out where to try next.
After a short drive Coleman and I arrive at our fourth destination of the day, The South Fork River Park. This location looked more promising. So once again we climb out of the car, load ourselves with our backpacks (mine with camera equipment, his with snacks) and proceed to locate the trailhead. We found the trailhead with no problems and proceeded to hike on the natural surface trail which was approximately 1.25-mile loop trail and also included 800 feet of river frontage. The day was hot and humid; however, I believe Coleman enjoyed his time hiking by the riverfront.
Coleman enjoyed hiking by the river. He probably would have liked it better if I had allowed him to get in the river, but we were not prepared for that adventure. Even though this was a wonderful adventure, our day was not over yet.
On our way back to the car, Coleman heard some noise and thought we should investigate what was making the bleat or baaing sound. Located just across the road from the parking lot was a farm with several goats. I was not sure at first how close to allow Coleman to get to the goats. Turns out the farmer was out in the yard and heard Coleman approaching the gated area. The farmer was friendly and gave permission for him to pet the goats. He liked that idea but was a little shy about doing so.
This turned out to be a pleasant day even though it started out with a few mishaps. Once back in the car, the afternoon was still bright and calling for more adventure. I drove us to another park for more hiking and adventure. I will leave those tells for another day.
Lens-Artists #255: Telling a Story
God Bless. Thank you for partaking in our misadventures to adventuring. I appreciate y’all.
Jez’s WWE challenge
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters
Camera: Photos 1 & 4 – iPhone 14 Pro Max
Camera: Photos 2 & 3 – Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF75-300mm lens.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
My grandson and I spotted these spectacular flowers near the entrance to the Nature Trail at The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium located in Gastonia, North Carolina when we went there to go hiking this past week.
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Photo Credit: (c)Deb L. Waters
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm Lens.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
Photo Credit: ©Deb L. Waters
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
Di at Pensitivity101 hosts Share Your World and here is a look into my responses.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Coleman
trekking along the trails
at
Crowders Mountain State Park
Kings Mountain, North Carolina
It was a beautiful day for hiking until the rains came pouring down. Luckily Coleman and I completed our hike and were headed to the car before the rains began pounding down upon us.
Posting for Alive & Trekking’s Which Way Photo Challenge.
Photo Credit: (c) Deb L. Waters
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Altura Wide-Angle Macro Lens with Fisheye Attachment for Canon.
God bless. Thank you for sharing in our hiking adventures. I appreciate y’all.
The Weekend Sky changed throughout the day as my Grandson, Coleman, and I were hiking 🥾. By the time we were finishing our hike around the Lake at Crowders Mountain State Park; the gray clouds started rolling across the sky and later the rains 🌧️ began pouring down upon us.
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Altura Macro Wide-Angle Fisheye Lens for Canon.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
My any kind of seating involves any seating that Coleman deems acceptable for a place for him to sit. His choices of seating are not always what I would choose, but hey, if he’s happy with his choice of seating who am I to say it’s not his kind of seating.
Cee’s Black and White Challenge
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome
XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat Photo Challenge
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters
God Bless. Thank you for allowing me to share Coleman’s choices for his any kind of seating. I appreciate y’all.
Coleman & I went hiking along the Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway and spotted the sand and water underneath the bridge. He loves looking at the water and sand fascinates him. He would have loved to go down and play in it.
While he was watching the movement of the water, I decided to play around the the different black and white settings on my iPhone. The above photos are the results.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters
God Bless. Thank you for stepping into my blog. I appreciate y’all.
Let’s walk the Nature Trail together. Coleman leads the way around the farm through a log house and later onto the trail.
Posting for Alive & Trekking’s Which Way Photo Challenge.
Photo Credit: Deb L. Waters
Photos shot on a iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing in our adventures. I appreciate y’all.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome #124
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time. I appreciate y’all.
Crowders Mountain State Park is a 5,217-acre North Carolina state park located in Gaston County, North Carolina in the United States. Gaston County is located 32 miles west of Charlotte. It is on the outskirts of Gastonia, North Carolina.
Crowders Mountain State Park includes two mountain peaks with fabulous views of the surrounding Piedmont area. The peaks include Crowders Mountain and The Pinnacle. There are three different Access Points to the state park.
My grandson and I entered the Crowders Mountain State Park via the Boulders Access Point. This was the first time I took him to this location. We didn’t go far on this trip, only 2.8 miles round trip. We hiked a small portion of the Ridgeline Trail. The entire Ridgeline Trail runs along both North and South Carolina.
The Ridgeline Trail is only one of many trails in the state park. The Boulders Access has a visitor center, restrooms, and picnic areas along with the hiking trails. At this location are quite a number of various sizes of boulders. Some of the boulders were close to the trail and too much of a temptation for my grandson to resist climbing. The Boulders Access area is less crowded then the main access at the Sparrow Springs Access point. The trail is rocky and traverses up and down and around the mountain.
Park Information:
Crowders Mountain State Park 522 Park Office Lane Kings Mountain, NC 28086
Posting for Alive & Trekking’s Which Way Photo Challenge.
Photo Credit: Deb L. Waters
Photos shot on a iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing in our adventures. I appreciate y’all.
Take a walk with me through the backwoods of the Greenway. See what my grandson and I see as we meander through the trees and along the creek on the Blue Star Trail. The Greenway is one of the happiest places that my grandson loves to be, hiking and enjoying nature.
We entered the Greenway through a path in a Fort Mill neighborhood. This was our first-time entry through this area. we were not sure where we were going or onto which trail, we would encounter as we hiked from this new point of entrance.
We missed the pathway to start with and crisscrossed through the trees until we emerged near a wooden bridge. We saw the Blue Star Trail sign and knew we were about to be in the Greenway. To the left of the wooden bridge is a swinging bridge that was blocked off with caution tape signifying it was unsafe to use. So, we crossed the wooden bridge to begin our hike for the afternoon.
Coming upon a crossroads we weren’t sure whether to go to the right or the left. We went to the left, and it took us away from the Greenway onto a section belonging to the Town of Fort Mill. We didn’t realize this until we stopped at a gate which indicated it was a restricted area. At such time we turned around and proceeded back the way we had traveled. The pathway runs alongside a creek. In the Greenway the trails run along creeks thus we didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary at first.
Once we arrived back at the crossroads, we proceeded to hike the direction we should have gone in the first place, to the right. In this direction we came to another swinging bridge, the Blue Star. This one was okay to cross. My grandson, Coleman loves to run across swinging bridges. It wasn’t that way the first time he went across one, but now he thinks they are fun to cross.
Being the first time, we hiked via this pathway we didn’t go very far. We were not wearing our proper hiking boots and we were just out for a short adventure. Therefore, we at this point went back to the house we were visiting to relax and reflect on our time in the woods.
God Bless. Thank you for meandering along the trail with us. I appreciate y’all.
Ragtag Daily Prompt for Sunday January 8th is FOLLOW. One of the things I think about when I hear the word follow is the song “I have Decided to Follow Jesus.” Following Jesus is something I try to dop on a daily basis, but I know I fail miserably at times. Most of us follow something or someone whether we realize it or not. Children follow their parents’ instructions; employees follow their employer’s rules and regulations, we all follow the laws of our governments, and when I go hiking with a group or just with my grandson, I follow the group leader or follow my grandson, Coleman.
This Sunday I had the opportunity to go on a short hike with my grandson and my granddaughter. It is a rare occasion when my granddaughter, Alona, is allowed to spend time with her mother or myself. Whenever possible I enjoy taking her out to the Greenway or to a State Park and spend time with her out in nature. Today, we took her to the Anne Springs Close Greenway to have her meet Forest, a foal at the Greenway Horse Stables.
On the trail by the stables, we followed Coleman, we followed Alona, and sometimes we followed their mom to know the direction we should go. Most of the time Coleman is the one who runs ahead and leads the way on the trails.
Wherever the paths my lead you, I trust you’ll follow the path with the least resistance and follow you heart whenever possible. May God guide your paths, may He bless you and keep you safe and fill your life with love and happiness.
Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate each and every one of y’all.
Photo Credit: Deb L Waters
Copyright: (c)2023@gfpacificbeeintrospection.com … All Rights Reserved.
Photo Credit: Deb L. Waters
Copyright: ©️2023@gfpacificbeeintrospection.com …All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
Photos Credit: ©️2022@gfpacificbeeintrospection.com
Posted as part of Mama Cormier blog ‘s challenge Thursday Trios.
God Bless. Thank you! I appreciate y’all.
Good day and welcome to my blog. Today my photos have a multi-purpose. One purpose if for Brashley’s Mid-week Monochrome (MWM) Photography Challenge, next is Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge (CBWC), and lastly, Travel with Intent blog’s One Word Sunday Challenge – Curve. I’m a little behind on posting the Sunday Challenge, hope y’all do not mind.
Swinging in Riverwalk Greenway: My grandson, Coleman loves taking a break from our hiking on the swings in the Greenway.
When hiking, we encounter various #curves along the trails.
Kayaking is a blueway activity that is enjoyed by many in the Carolinas. One can see Kayakers on the Catawba River at Riverwalk and several other locations along the river.
God Bless. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you’ve enjoyed and will visit again. I appreciate y’all.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 