Dan’s hosting the CFFC challenge and his theme this week is Green and ? as part of his challenges featuring a primary Color and a significant but less dominant Color. Mine feature shades of brown and blue besides the primary colour Green.
John with the blog photobyjohnbo is the host for this week’s Lens-Artist Challenge and he is giving us an opportunity to choose our own Word which would be appropriate for our topic, sharing three to four photos that go along with our Word topic choice.
For John’s Pick-a-Word challenge this week I have chosen to use the word Historic. The Word Historic means that something is famous or important in history, for an example a historical site.
The Town of Cramerton, (which we currently reside in) has a couple of different Historic places within walking distance to our home. On Saturday, Coleman and I walked up the road and around a bend for approximately 0.9 miles to the Historic Baltimore School.
Coleman pointing to the Historic Baltimore Village sign.
The Historic Baltimore Village sign is located at the beginning of the road leading to the Historic Baltimore School. The Historic Baltimore School is located at 575 Baltimore Drive in Cramerton, North Carolina. It was built by Stuart Cramer, in the late 1920’s for the children of African American men and women who worked in the Cramer Mills and Cramer’s Dairy Farm and Orchards. The intention of the school was to educate the African Americans and provide skills to navigate segregation.
Historic Baltimore School
The Baltimore Village School sits on a hill near the South Fork Catawba River. Inside the building are cracked windows covered by boards, an old refrigerator on one side of the room, and patches of peeling paint hanging off the roof.
The school has been closed for quite some time, but a former Cramerton resident stepped in to preserve its history. Former residents Fred Glenn and his wife, Ernestine Glenn purchased the school building with plans to renovate it. They bought it to prevent it from being burned to the ground by the city’s fire department which had planned to do a control burn.
However, knowing the Historic importance of the Baltimore Village School, the Glenn’s wanted to protect and preserve the school for generations to come to be able to learn about its history and significance to the community.
The front and back sides of the Historic Baltimore School building.
Mr. Glenn has stated that the Baltimore Village School, where his mother and Aunt attended in the 1930’s, was the heartbeat of the community. The school building provided an alternative to places off-limits to African Americans. Back during that particular time period, African Americans did not have the opportunity of going to a cinema, or any such facility or theatre. The school building became the theatre for the Baltimore Village Community. The school building was also used as a place of worship and later used as a community center.
Help Save the Historic Baltimore Village School
The Glenn’s and the Board of Directors for the Baltimore Village School are currently still trying to raise enough funds for the restoration of the Historic school. Once enough funds are raised the money will be used to turn the building into a community center and a museum for people to learn about a critical piece of history in the small town of Cramerton.
“History is not the past but a map of the past, drawn from a particular point of view, to be useful to the modern traveler”
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Historic Baltimore School; Historic Baltimore Village; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Tour an Historic Place. Learn about history not found in books. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Be a Ray of Sunshine. Spread joy to all around you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Coleman and I hiked a new (to us) trail today after he arrived home from school and switched shoes. We had to walk approximately one mile alongside the road (not every section had a sidewalk), across the C. Claudius Dawson Bridge (which crosses over the South Fork Catawba River) and cross the forked road before reaching our destination to eventually begin our hike for the afternoon.
On our hike we periodically encountered a wooden Bench here, there, and yonder along the Rocky Branch Trail. Here are a few of the Benches we happened upon throughout our hike.
Brian from bushboy.blogis the host for the #LastontheCard challenge. His rules are simple to follow. As per Brian, Your last photo doesn’t have to be on the very last day of the month if you didn’t take any photos on that day. Maybe it was earlier in the month when the last photo was taken.
Brian’s rules are simple: 1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 31st 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
A look at our morning skies prior to the Sun’s rising. Coleman has to get on the school bus when it is still dark outside. While we wait for the bus, we often observe the sky. Thus we are able to see some interesting and amazing Skyscapes.
These were taken approximately around 6:30-6:40 am for the past three mornings. Quite an interesting array of the “painted” skies in our neighbourhood.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stay Warm. Take care of yourself and each other. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge . For this week you may choose Any Which Way, just be sure your Which Ways are clearly distinguishable.
For this week I have chosen to show various Which Waysin Black and White/Monochrome. You do not need to post Monochrome Which Ways unless you desire to do so. My Which Ways consists of paved roads, pathways, sidewalks and tracks. Choose your own Which Ways, you your image, be creative, be uniquely you in your inspired style and selections.
Ports O’ Call; San Pedro, CaliforniaThe Rose Garden; The Huntington Library; San Marino, CaliforniaRoad in Germany Hare Snipe Creek Greenway Trail; Raleigh, North Carolina Lejeune Memorial Gardens; Jacksonville, North CarolinaRiverbanks Zoo; Columbia, South CarolinaTrain Tracks in Lineberger Park; Gastonia, North Carolina Warlick YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina Warlick YMCA; Gastonia, North CarolinaWarlick YMCA; Gastonia, North CarolinaPearson Ford; 12th and Broadway; San Diego, California (1941)2912 E Street; San Diego, California
That’s all for this week. Next week will be CWWC: Any which way with lines.
With much appreciation for those who entered this past week, click on the links below to check out their Which Ways.
Which Way Challenge (CWWC): February Week 4 — Any Which Way — Your Choice
God Bless. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s Which Ways. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Being Bold is not always easy especially if you’re timid or introverted, however being Bold in your photography is well worth it if you’re able to capture that thrilling moment, that “perfect shot.”
“Your life is your canvas, and you are the masterpiece. There are a million ways to be kind, amazing, fabulous, creative, bold, and interesting.”
The closest Shorelines we have near us are t hr e banks of the Catawba River, therefore I have chosen to show y’all what Coleman and I have seen recently on the Shoreline of the South Fork Catawba River. The first few photos are taken on the banks of the South Fork Catawba River at the Goat Island Park and Greenway.
Canada Geese on the Shoreline banks of the South Fork Catawba River
On both days the weather was Tepid which was a delightful experience and quite a contrast to our recent freezing weather of snow and freezing rain. The Tepid weather was just perfect, not too hit and not too cold.
This next set of images were taken on Monday of the South Fork Catawba River’s Shoreline from the Riverside Park and Greenway mainly featuring Coleman playing on the Shoreline banks.
Coleman playing in the sand along the Shoreline of the South Fork Catawba River
Cameras: Images 1-4 & 6-11) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Image 5) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: 1st set of Images) Shoreline of the South Fork Catawba River, Goat Island Park and Greenway; 2nd set) Shoreline of the South Fork Catawba River, Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature’s beauty. Relax and have some fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stop and Smell the Flowers. Enjoy the beauty in Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
After days of freezing cold temperatures and wintery weather, it was a delightful afternoon with a high of 56° and a feels like in the low 60°’s.
After wandering around the trail at Goat Island, it was wonderful to see the floral display at the Center in downtown Cramerton.
Ceramic Flower pots filled with new floral life …
… Could Spring be on the way? Or is the Weather fooling us? Only time will tell. I’ll enjoy the beautiful floral displays and the warmth of the Sun while I can.
Taking a peek outside through the bedroom window blinds at the Snow ❄️ falling down from above before deciding to allow Coleman to go outside and “play” in the freezing cold 🥶 weather.
Coleman’s bedroom window
The Snowfall is beautiful to look 👀 from the inside out, but it’s freezing 🥶 to be outside while the Snowfall is falling down upon us.
This past week Coleman was out of school for Two days due to winter weather advisory reporting impending snow and possible hazardous road conditions. Since We only get snow in our area every two-three years, I decided to bundle Coleman up to protect him from the elements and allowed him to run around outside while it was snowing. He had fun even though there wasn’t enough snow to adequately play with … nosnowman … nosnowballs … just light fluffy snow falling lightly to the ground.
Cameras: 1-5) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens with Altura UV filter attachment; 6) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Location: Home; Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take Care. Stay Warm. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The term beast is often referred to any non-human animal species, especially large four -footed mammals. However, the term Beast is determined upon by scientific and biblical interpretations. Biblically, the word “Beast” is referring to large, walking animals excluding humans, amphibians, and small animals. Beasts fall into several different categories including Mammals, Birds, Fish, Insects, Dinosaurs, and Giant Animals.
Birds, Fish, and insects aren’t normally thought of as beast by many people. Birds are descended from the theropod dinosaurs; some of which include the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Velociraptor. People may think that Pterodactyls are dinosaurs, but they are actually an extinct clade (monophyletic group) of flying reptiles. In the Fish category, Sturgeons are sometimes referred to as “living dinosaurs” (even though they are not) due to their coexistence with dinosaurs and have a prehistoric appearance. Dinosaurs didn’t live in water like ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, mosasaurs which are not dinosaurs, but are prehistoric marine reptiles. In the Insect category, the wheel bug (Arilus cristatus) and the Aethiocarenus burmanicus are described as resembling dinosaurs. Some think the wheel bug may resemble a stegosaurus or a triceratops.
Here are some typical dinosaur replicas which have been on display at one time or another. Children especially are enthusiastically captivated by seeing dinosaurs (like my grandson, Coleman).
The term “Beast” can also be used to apply to a person or thing that is unpleasant, difficult, or powerful. It can refer to a person’s physical appearance or their behaviour such as annoying, cruel, or uncivilized. It can also refer to something that is unpleasant, and/or difficult.
I might think Coleman is being difficult and annoying at times, however, he is no beast.
Cameras: Apple iPhone XR, 11 Pro Max, 14 Pro Max, and Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Locations: The Discovery Center; Abilene, Texas; Carowinds; Charlotte, North Carolina; The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Discover Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For the past few days we have had intermittent grey cloudy skies and freezing temperatures and light snowfall showers off and on throughout the day and night. Not enough Snow? There was not enough Snow for Coleman to really play in and definitely not enough Snow to build a snowman.
Too much Snow? Why do I ask? Let me tell you, I’m partial to warmer sunnier weather like in Spring and Summer. I’m not too keen on winter freezing temperatures or having to wait at bus stops for Coleman’s school bus (which tends to run late lately). Maybe I should plan on moving to a warmer climate location? If I did or when we move; if I wanted to see Snow then I could drive to the mountains. I believe I (we) could have a delightful great time without driving into the mountains during the freezing cold winter Snowy season.
Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; 2-5+Video) Apple 16 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stay Warm. Take care of yourself and each other. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cameras: 1) Minolta XG-7 35 mm; 2) Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 3) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Locations: 1) San Diego Wild Animal Park (Aka San Diego Safari Park); Escondido, California; 2-3) Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week and upcoming weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
While visiting my Aunt in Texas in 2020 I would take a walk around her neighbourhood several times a week. Mostly I would walk for the exercise, but also investigating the area around where she lived just to see what I could see. I would try to average around 10,000 steps each time I ventured out for one of my walkabouts.
On this particular walkabout, I had across seem interesting places with signage drawing my attention. This remarkable place, Catfish Corner, is a restaurant which unquestionably serves Catfish. However, they have a wide variety of other entrees to please any sophisticated palate. I believe regardless of what your preference is for food consumption, you’ll enjoy whatever you choose to order at the Catfish Corner.
780 S. Treadaway Blvd. Abilene, Texas
Brighten the doorstep, all are welcome within …
Catfish Corner Restaurant
… Bring your friends along, y’all enjoy the food and fellowship together.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Catawba River; Landsford Canal State Park; Catawba, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Looking forward to Spring and the Spider Lilies. Have a terrific day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
To do so, simply share the photo* 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.
Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:
Desktop Wallpaper:
Coleman sitting on a tree branch at Goat Island Park and Greenway. Also My Smartphone Hiking Focus
Desktop Screensaver:
Coleman playing with his Brio Train set & his MagnaTiles on his Road mat.
Smartphone Wallpapers:
Personal Focus
Coleman Swinging on a rope at Goat Island Park and Greenway
Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; 2) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max; 3-4) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
God Bless. Play Along. Share Your Desktops with Clare’s Share Your Desktop Challenge. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Locations: 1) Corona, California, USA; 2) Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a Swinging Good Time. Enjoy your weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
I’m learning to use the Fusion camera’s Monochrome features in my new iPhone 16 Pro Max. While Coleman was playing out back on one of our rare warm winter days, I looked up into the sky and saw a small group of black birds flying through the air. I pointed my iPhone towards the sky in hopes of capturing shots of the birds as they flew overhead of us. Cease the Moments. Enjoy the World around you. Capture the Memories each day.
These were taken back in February of 2023 when Coleman and I convinced my daughter and granddaughter to Tag-along on one of our hiking adventures. For this hike, we chose to visit the Baxter Village Trail which begins near the Library in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Hiking along on the trail we encounter plenty of Brown and a bit of Black as well as some other colours.
The Baxter Village Trail is a part of the Carolina Thread Trail network of trails within North and South Carolina. It is also a part of a 9-mile network of trails within the Baxter Village Community. This particular trail is a 3.3-mile segment of the Thread Trail trail is moderately hilly and features several streams along its length.
Baxter Trail Map
The trail consisted of natural surfaces, boardwalks, and some pavement. The rating for the trail is moderate, but for Coleman and I it was rather easy. As you can see we wound through a forest of trees and through tunnel and for my grandchildren over the tunnel as well.
To take a look at other Which Ways from this past week check out the links below:
Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S15-55mm lens.
Location: Baxter Village Trail; Baxter Village Community; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderfully fabulous rest of your week. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Happy Valentine’s Day my Friends. I am Grateful for each and every one of y’all. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
As Coleman and I were walking around Downtown Cramerton on the way back from Goat Island we walked through the backside of the businesses that run along Center Street. What we noticed were the Mural that were painted on the businesses back walls covering a good portion of the wall including the doors. The Mural pictured in the photos on the left are from the Skillet Southern Bistro’s back patio and outside dining area with plenty of room to enjoy the evening.
Skillet Southern BistroConfluence South ForkSkillet Southern BistroConfluenceWall Murals on the Backside of Businesses
The Mural pictured on the right are from the outside back wall of Confluence South Fork.Confluence is a place to gather for young and old alike. It is run by the Catawba Riverkeepers. It offers beer for adults, sells artwork created by a local artist and souvenirs. It holds concerts for all to enjoy some specifically designed for children. It offers the ability for visitors to rent disc golf discs, cornhole bags, and ping pong paddles to ball at Goat Island Park and Greenway located across the road from its location.
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 that include that number and post 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 prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below. Here are my contributions to the album.
This week I am choosing to use a theme of Playground focusing on the CLT Airport Overlook playground in Charlotte, North Carolina. Coleman enjoyed playing in CLT Charlotte Douglas International) Airport Overlook’s Playground. He kept zipping to and fro checking out all the various playground equipment and all the unique places to Pull Up a Seat.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
I have recently upgraded my smartphone from the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max to the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max. It has features which the iPhone 14 Pro Max did not have.
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max has in addition to the main camera, ultra-wide camera, and the telephoto camera it also has a Fusion camera. The Fusion camera has ten (10) different modes to choose from ranging from standard to Dramatic to Mute or Stark Black and White with several different options in between. In the Fusion Square you can slide between lighter or darker and control the amount of light desired for an image.
This Fusion Camera feature is all new and different to me. I have only had my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max since last Monday and have not figured out all its new “bells and whistles” (new upgraded features). Today it was in the high 70’s here, warm enough to allow Coleman to play outside. Instead of going on a hike like we’d normally do, I decided to let him try out his T-ball set up. He will be playing T-Ball through our local Recreational Center and figured it wouldn’t hurt to let him try to practice hitting a ball.
The first eight (8) of these photos were taken using the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Mac’s Fusion camera with the Mute Black and White setting. The last seven (7) were taken using its Stark Black and White settings.
The U.S. Air Flight 1016 Memorial honors the people who died on board the flight from Columbia, S.C. to Charlotte on July 2, 1994. The Memorial includes a plaque in memory of those who died or were injured and those who helped rescue efforts. The Memorial is located in a section of the CLT (Charlotte Douglas International) Airport Overlook in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The U.S. Air Flight 1016 crashed in Charlotte 30 1/2 years ago. During that horrific crash in 1994 thirty-seven (37) of the fifty-seven (57) people on board died. The people in Charlotte and the surrounding areas have not forgotten.
On July 2, 1994, the flight encountered heavy thunderstorms and microburst-induced windshear while attempting to land, and crashed into heavy trees and a private residence near the airport. The crash and ensuing Fire caused 37 fatalities and seriously injured 20 people.
The New CLT Airport Overlook Memorial was designed to represent Morse Code for CAE (Columbia) and CLT, the origin and destination airports for the flight. It includes a plaque in memory of those who died or were injured and those who helped rescue efforts.
This past Tuesday Coleman, my daughter Trisha, and I paid a visit to the CLT Airport Overlook to allow Coleman to play in the Overlook’s new playground. While there we also visited the U.S. Air Flight 1016 Memorial. The reverse side of the pillar about U.S. Air Flight 1016 lists the names of the thirty-seven (37) people who died in the crash.
Tina from Travels and Trifles is this week host for the Lens-Artist Challenge. She has chosen a theme of Cats and Dogs.
At this present point in time we do not have any cats or dogs. The only cats that have been around in places we lived were feral cats that would roam the neighborhood. Sometimes female cats would have their litter under our home and their would stick around for awhile.
Here are some photos of those cats …
Here are a few pix of my Aunt Irene’s Dog plus one of a Dog Statue at Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster, South Carolina.
The F-4 Phantom II was built by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation ( McDonnell Aircraft Corporation). It was a supersonic, all-weather, twin-engine, two seat fighter-bomber and interceptor jet. It was originally designed for the U.S. Navy in 1953.
The F-4 Phantom II was the most produced American fighter jet. It had become a symbol of the Cold War. It was a formidable aircraft which played a pivotal role in military aviation from the 1960s into the 1990s.
The F-4 was designed around an all-missile armament system with the expectation that air combat would take place at a distance. Its combination of speed, range, and versatility made it a key player in air combat and ground support, leaving a lasting legacy in military history.
The F-4 Phantom II was retired from service in the United States Navy in the 1980’s. The F-4 Phantom II was also retired from the Royal Air Force in 1992. The last active duty F-4 Phantom II was launched from an aircraft in 1986. The last carrier landing of an F-4 Phantom II was in 1986. The last F-4 Phantom target drones were retired in 2004.
Pictured here is one of the F-4 Phantom II retiredU.S. military fighter jet which is on display at the CLT (Charlotte Douglas International) Airport Overlook. With this exhibit one can learn about the Carolinas’ aviation history and the types of planes that fly in and out of CLT.
Location: CLT Airport Overlook; Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. I encourage you if you’re ever in the Charlotte area to visit the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Overlook. The views our amazing and children of all ages will love it. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Spring is Coming. Maybe not soon enough for some. Let the Sonshine/Sunshine shine through everyday. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 