#iPhonePhotography – Page 23 – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

Birds of the Carolinas #5

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) can be spotted around ponds and lakes. I normally see them around the smaller lakes and ponds in and around Anne Springs Close Greenway.

Great Blue Herons can hunt during the nighttime as well as during the day. Interestingly they have a high percentage of rodents-type photoreceptors in their eyes that improve their night vision. They congregate at fish hatcheries, creating potential problems for the fish farmers.

Ardea herodias
Great Blue Heron
Anne Springs Close Greenway

The Great Blue Heron is a majestic sight to behold. Its subtle blue-grey plumage frequently stands motionless as it scan for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. In flight, look for this widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind.

***Informational Sign***
***includes***
**The Great Blue Heron**
***The Schiele Museum of Natural History***

Did you know that the Great Blue Heron is often seen as a symbol of patience? This I had not previously heard or known. Several Native American Tribes look at the heron as a symbol of patience and good luck. On the Northwest coast, people believe that if Native American fishermen spot a heron, it means good luck is with them, and they will have a successful fishing trip.

I have always considered the Great Blue Heron to be an amazing bird to observe. I did not ever realize that they were considered symbols or omens if you saw them. Evidently they are though.

In China, the Great Blue Heron represents strength, purity and long life. According to Native American tradition the heron symbolizes wisdom and good judgment. In ancient Egypt the heron was a symbol of creation while in Africa and Greece the heron was a messenger of the gods. Watching a heron fish also instructs us in patience.

Another interesting note regarding the Blue Heron is that it is believed to symbolize being calm, presence, being at peace, uniqueness, and balance. When seeing a Blue Heron one should take a moment to look inside yourself and ~~consider~~ nurture all aspects of yourself. Embrace who you are; your flaws (your weaknesses), your uniqueness, and ever your feelings of shame with self-love.

Birds of the Carolinas

Bird of the Week 2024

Becky’s #SquareRenewal

God Bless. May you have strength, purity, patience and long life. Take care of yourselves and have a fantastic rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Wordless Wednesday: 05.08

Be Wild

Be Square

Don’t Worry

Be Happy

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Becky’s #SquareRenew

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gardner Park Neighborhood; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

GP Garden Topiary 1 to 3

One to Three Photo Processing Challenge-May 2024

Becky’s Squares-Reconstructed (Processing)

Cee’s FOTD

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Processing done through Pic Collage and Pixlr.

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Floral Renewal Macro Monday

Hybrid Sweetbriar Rose
(Rosa ‘Lady Penzance’)

Becky’s Squares-Renewal

Macro Monday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max Ultra-wide Camera

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Weekend FOTD: 04/.05

Burgeoning Wildflowers

Oxalis articulata
AKA Pink-sorrel

Cee’s Weekend FOTD

Becky’s Squares-Burgeoning

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gardner Park Neighborhood; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a fantastic weekend. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Cell Pic Sunday — 05.05

May the Force Be with You.

John’s Cell Pic Sunday:24.05.05

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Trisha L. Wilson for (my daughter)

Camera: iPhone 14 Plus

Location: Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Becky’s Squares

2024 Weekend Sky: 05.04

Clouds ☁️ Moving Forward ⛈️

Friday Skies …

Moving Forward …

Across the Vast Blue Skies …

Moving Forward … Into Thunderstorms

https://videopress.com/v/VtTXvBQc?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Thunderstorms All Weekend Long

https://videopress.com/v/NQy2xNUH?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Our plans for the day are delayed … to move forward another day.

Hammad’s Weekend Sky #127

Becky’s Squares-Moving Forward

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Carriage House Lane; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Hope you’re having a dry pleasant weekend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CWWC: May — Squared Lancaster’s Way

Moving Forward at

Lindsay Pettus Greenway

The forward thinking of concerned citizens, volunteers, business partners, and in partnership with the Katawba Valley Land Trust; the ideas, planning, and reconstruction of certain areas into a Greenway of trails in Lancaster began to develop beginning in 2014. The Greenway includes numerous pedestrian connections with linkages to residential, commercial, and local school properties, trail heads, and nature centers, bridge crossings, and sidewalk improvements.

Comporium Communications Trail Access is the starting point for Coleman’s and my hike along the first phase of the Greenway’s Master Plan. The first phase of the Reconstruction of Land in Lancaster was completed in 2019. Our hike took place in February of 2022.

As we moved forward in our adventure, we encountered several informational signs which were a tremendous help in guiding us as we moved forward along the Greenway.

Coleman and I decided to move forward together along the nature trail towards creek overlook and eventually the Wetlands Overlook.

Here Coleman takes a minute to look out over the bridge at the creek below.

Coleman can’t resist climbing on the bridges railing at this next point or interest.

Informational Signs are located strategically throughout the Greenway. This particular one gives information about out the Lindsay Pettus Greenway and Lindsay Pettus himself.

The forward thinking of Mr. Lindsay Pettus and the many volunteers ensured the Greenway is and will continually be accessible to everyone regardless of their mobility needs.

Cee’s Which Way Challenge-Any Which Way

Becky’s Square’s-Moving Forward

Camera: iPhone 13 Pro

Location: Lindsay Pettus Greenway; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA

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

St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum — Unique Perspective

St. Simons Island, Georgia

St. Simons Lighthouse is one of only five remaining Georgia lighthouse towers. The Lighthouse and keeper’s Dwelling were built in 1872. The original Lighthouse which this Lighthouse replaced was built in 1810 by James Gould of Massachusetts, the first lighthouse keeper. The original Lighthouse was destroyed by Confederate forces in 1861 in order to prevent the beacon’s use by Federal troops during the Civil War.

The Lighthouse still serves as an active aid to navigation for ships entering St. Simons Sound, casting its beam as far as 23 miles to sea. The Lighthouse is located near the pier on the southern tip of St. Simons Island, Georgia, United States of America. Its purpose is to guide ships into St. Simons Sound and warns them of the many sandbars in the area.

Inside St. Simons Island
Lighthouse Museum

In 1972, the lightkeepers’ cottage was leased to Glynn County. The Coastal Georgia Historical Society spent three years restoring the two-story Victorian light keepers’ cottage at the base of the lighthouse, which was then converted into a museum.

Currently, the public can tour the museum and climb the 129 steps to the top of the Lighthouse for a view of St. Simons Sound and the surrounding area. The admission cost to tour the Lighthouse Museum and climb the 129 steps is $12 for adults; $6 for ages 6-12; $2 Military discount is offered with Valid Military ID. Children under 6 are free.

St. Simons Island Lighthouse
and View from the Top

Some of the spectacular, panoramic views of the coast including Jekyll Island, the mainland (Brunswick), and the south end of St. Simons Island can be seen from the top of the Lighthouse.

The Keeper’s Dwelling is a two-story Victorian structure which was the home of the lighthouse keepers from 1872 up until the 1959’s. It currently houses the Lighthouse Museum and includes interactive exhibits, rare artifacts, and period rooms that reveal the history of St. Simons Island and the life of a lighthouse keeper.

My Daughter, Trisha,
climbed the 129 Steps
to the Top of the Lighthouse
so I could see the View.

Six Word Saturday

John’s Cell Pic Sunday

Camera: iPhone 14 Plus

Location: St. Simons Island Lighthouse and Museum; St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA.

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

2024 Floral Friday: Colouring Flowers #17

Lily of the Valley
Coloured by Me
Via Zen Color App

Lily of the Valley is the birth flower for May. Traditionally, lily of the valley is known to symbolise humility, sweetness, the return of happiness and motherhood. Lily of the Valley may be May’s birth flower, but I much prefer roses 🌹 and carnations.

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

2024 Thursday Trios: 05.02 —

Petunias

***Petunia hybrida***
***‘Queen of Hearts’***

Thursday Trios

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Becky’s #SquaresRenew Challenge-May

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CFFC: April — Locks, Keys, Knobs and Handles

Canal Locks

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge was is a weekly themed challenge where Cee asks everyone to search through their photos and post photos they feel meet the criteria of the week’s current theme. This week Cee is challenging everyone to post photos of Locks, Keys, Knobs, and Handles.

My interpretation of this week’s challenge I know is different from what you might expect, but then again it is my insight for this challenge regarding Locks, Keys, Knobs, and Handles where I am focusing on Locks.

The Upper Lifting Locks
Landsford Canal State Park

The land along the Catawba River, now apart of Landsford Canal State Park, played a vital integral role in the lives of the surrounding inhabitants for over a thousand years. It was used by the native people like the Catawba as a ford to cross the river, a long long time prior to Tomas Land acquiring the land in 1754.

The Ford’s importance as a river crossing was extremely significant during the American Revolution when it was used as a staging ground by Patriot general Thomas Sumter before the battle of Hanging Rock. The British Army under Lord Charles Cornwallis also used the ford as they withdrew from Charlotte after the Battle of Kings Mountain.

The Guardlock.
Landsford Canal State Park

After the War of 1812, the Port of Charleston lost its significant importance to the Port of New Orleans. In an attempt to revitalize the port, projects were undertaken around the state to improve the ability of moving freight to and from the port and within the State of South Carolina.

One of those projects included constructing a series of four canal. The Landsford Canal construction was the last and northern most in the canal system. It was built under the supervision of Scotsman Robert Leckie by both Irish Masons and the local enslaved population. The Canal ran approximately two (2) miles along the Catawba River at its most treacherous point.

The Canal required a total of four lifting locks and a dread lock for the thirty-two feet of descent along its length. It was completed in 1823, was twelve feet wide, ten feet deep, and two miles long. Five locks raised and lowered barges through the thirty-two-foot fall of the river. Three bridges crossed the canal, and six storm culverts carried streams underneath it.

Today, Landsford Canal is the last of the Catawba River Canals and still accessible as well as one of the last in the entire state. The remains of the Canal still visible are the earthen walls of its upper side, four lifting locks and a dread lock. None of the bridges still remain, but the stone foundations are still intact. Ruins of stone culverts and retaining walls still stand in their original locations. The Canal Trail runs along the ruins of the old canal. Hiking the 1.5 mile length you can see the diversion dam in the Catawba River, The dead Lock upstream that let water into the canal, and the Lifting Locks near the south entrance. Along the way you can also see the ruins of much of the stone work and retaining walls. Interpretive signage points out major points of interest.

In Early May hundreds of visitors flock to Landsford Canal State Park. The majority of them are more interested in seeing the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies. I have hiked the entire length of the nature trail and found the historical signage interesting and informative.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Locks, Keys, Knobs, and Handles

Camera: iPhone 13 Pro

Location: Nature Trail; Landsford Canal State Park; 2051 Park Dr, Catawba, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Last on the Card —April

From my iPhone 14 Pro Max:

***Wheatear***
***(Oenanthe oenanthe)***
***Backyard Birds***
***Gastonia, North Carolina, USA***

From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i:

***Spot of Red among the Green***
***The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, North Carolina, USA***

Brian’s Last on the Card – April 2024

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your Last on the Card photos. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Wordless Wednesday: 05.01

Spathiphyllum floribundum

***AKA Snowflower***
***and Peace Lily***

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

God Bless. Thanks for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a fabulous weekend. I appreciate y’all very much.

Birds of the Carolinas #4

Red-Tailed Hawk

TheRed-tailed Hawk is the most often-seen large hawk in North Carolina. It perches on telephone poles along highways and soars over open fields in search of food. [This Red-Tailed Hawk chose to perch on our electrical wires outside our back patio. The area outside our patio is a wide open grassy landscape area which seems to attract a wide variety of birds.]

Red-tailed Hawks like a mix of open country and deciduous forests, but they adapt to urban areas ( such as our Gastonia neighbourhood.) Red-tailed Hawks frequently can be seen perching on telephone poles, tall trees or snags along roadsides. They sit high mainly to rest, but constantly keep watch for the slightest movement down below.

Red-tailed Hawks eat mostly mammals, so they’re less likely to visit a popular feeder than a Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned hawk is. It’s very rare for a Red-tailed Hawk to go after dogs or cats.

The Red-tailed Hawk has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds exactly like a raptor should sound. An interesting fact is that whenever a hawk or eagle appears onscreen, no matter what species, the shrill cry on the soundtrack is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk.

The Eastern subspecies (borealis) tends to have a plain red tail with neat black band near the tip. When the Red-tailed Adult Hawks are hunting, they often hang in the air scanning for prey below. This behavior is known as kiting. They also perch motionless in trees along roadsides or slowly scan for prey from its perch.

Birds of the Carolinas

Bird of the Week 2024

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max Telephoto Camera.

Location: Backyard; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA.

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Macro Monday: 04.29

Pluteus cervinus

Macro Monday

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max Ultra-Wide Camera

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Silent Sunday/Monday Portrait 04.28

Coleman in His New Shirt

Silent Sunday

Monday Portrait

God Bless. Enjoy your Sunday. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Weekend Sky: 04.28

“After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul’s indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.”
William R. Alger

Hammad’s Weekend Sky #126

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.

FOTD/Whatsoever Is Lovely: 24.04.27

Rubus Trivialis

Southern Dewberry

***Western Honey Bee***
**Feasting on Delicious Nectar**

Whatsoever is Lovely

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Floral Friday: Colouring Flowers #16

***Coloured by Me***
***Via Zen Color App***

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

Birds of the Carolinas #3

American Robin — Eastern Robin

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is one of the most familiar birds in South Carolina and Southern North Carolina. It is a migratory bird of the Turdidae thrush family. It is commonly spotted in forests, woodlands, suburban areas, gardens, and parks. They are known to build their nests on trees, and sometimes even on man-made structures such as porches and garages.

The American Robin is very energetic and spry. It flits about on the ground searching for food. They fly to and fro from the trees to electrical wires just outside our back patio. It is mostly active during the daytime and gathers in large flocks at night. We can hear their songs way before we can spot the in the sky, in the trees or on our electrical lines.

The American Robin’s diet generally consists mainly of such delicacies as earthworms, beetle grubs, caterpillars, and grasshoppers, and a large portion of wild and cultivated fruits and berries.

We continuously hear them singing throughout the afternoon as we sit out back and Coleman plays in his sand Turtle. They are often among the first songbirds to sing as dawn rises or hours before, and last as evening sets in. One fact I learned recently is that the American Robin sings when storms are approaching and again when the storms have passed.

Interesting Facts about the American Robin are that they are protected throughout the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They are considered a symbol of Spring. A noted Quebec superstition is whoever sees the first Robin of Spring will have good luck. It is believed by some that the first robin of spring means it is a promise of new beginnings and renewal similar to how plants begin to grow and bloom in springtime.

Birds of the Carolinas

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CMMC: April —Alphabet a CK or CH in a word in Monochrome

My CK and CH seen while Coleman and I walked around the neighbourhood.

***Coleman***
***wearing a Backpack***
***walking to the Dump Truck***
***in Monochrome***

***Monochrome Close-up***
***of the Door***
***on a Dump Truck***

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-April Alphabet_a CK or CH in a word

Dan’s Thursday Doors

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: New Hope Road; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 CFFC: Things that are Rough

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Things that are Rough

Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens; 2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens; 3) iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: 1-2) Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina; 3) Patio; Gastonia, North Carolina

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Wordless Wednesday: 04.24

Turtles

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Camera: iPhone 14 Plus

Location: Glynco, Glenn County, Georgia, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a fabulous rest of your week. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Flow & WWE #218

Flowing Downstream

Here is my compilation for this week’s Weekly Prompt’s Weekend Challenge. I’m also applying it to Jez’s Water Water Everywhere Challenge.

These are just a few of the ways we see water flowing as we walk through the neighbourhood or as we hike among the trees in and around the Carolinas.

***Small Spillway in***
***Gastonia, North Carolina***

***Anne Springs Close Greenway Spillway***
***Fort Mill, South Carolina***

***Spillway***
***The Schiele Museum’s Nature Trail Gastonia, North Carolina***

***Fort Mill Dam***
***Fort Mill, South Carolina***

Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Flow

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #218

Cameras: 1-3) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens.

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CosPhoChal: In the Canopy

Canopy of Trees

Cosmic Photo Challenge: In the Canopy

Cameras: 1) iPhone 14 Plus; 2-3&5) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.

Locations vary from North and South Carolina to Georgia.

God Bless. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Words for Thought #15

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
and established it on the waters.”
— Psalm 24:1-2 NIV
( New International Version)

Think About It Tuesday

Location: Atlantic Ocean; St. Simons Island Lighthouse & Museum; St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA

God Bless. Happy Earth Day! Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Monday Window: 04.22

St. Simons Island Lighthouse

Ludwig’s Monday Window

Johns Cellpic Sunday

Camera: iPhone 14 Plus

Location: St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum; St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Weekend Sky #125

Can You Spot the Hidden Object?

Hammad’s Weekend Sky #125 – 2024 April 20

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max – Telephoto Camera

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Anterior Shadows Dispersed Angularly

Thursday Doors, hosted by blogger and author, Dan Antion.

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.

2024 CMMC/CWWC: Any Latte Way

We managed to have a beautiful clear day yesterday (almost), so Coleman and I rode the bus to the Y for some fresh air and a bit of hiking.

All aboard, we’re on our way.

Before we begin our hike, it’s Coleman swing time. If we waited till later the school kids would have taken over and he couldn’t have been able to play.

https://videopress.com/v/m1pQDx5f?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Next, Coleman cools down with a snack as I gaze out over the lake.

Now for our hiking, Coleman leads the Way. I constantly have to instruct him to slow down. He hikes much faster than I’m able to hike.

Through the woods along the bank of the lake we traverse. Across the dam and deeper into the woods. Upward, downward, and around and around we go.

Coleman spots the Fitness Challenge area off the Yellow Trail and climbs aboard for some fun before continuing our hike and back up to the Y.

Tired from our hike we’re gonna Leaf it all behind, and venture to the bus stop and head home.

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-April Latte Color

Cee’s Which Way Challenge-Any Way

Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens with Altura UV & NP filter and also Altura Wide-Angle Fisheye attachments.

Location: Gaston County Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Our Beautiful Earth. Thank you for traversing the trail with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

MM#6: In Cabinets or Out, & Around the Home

We first look for everyday objects in the kitchen cabinets, …

***Everyday Objects***
***in Kitchen Cabinets or not***

then outside of the cabinets …

***Everyday Objects***
***for Cleaning***

Lastly, we look around the house ( or an old historic home to see what interesting objects we can find.

***Everyday Objects***
***in a Historic Home***

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #6 – Everyday Objects

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your Everyday Objects, your time, and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CFFC: Georgian Style Wet

https://videopress.com/v/NfTonfem?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Rea, White, & Blue

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Things that are Wet

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro

Location: Glynn County, Georgia, USA

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

Small White Southern Dewberry

Rubus trivialis

These are small white Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

They are also found all over South Carolina and the Southeastern part of the United States.

The Southern Dewberry, as they are commonly known, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family (Rosaceae).

Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 15

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

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.

2024 Sunday Stills: #Color challenge: Diamond, Quartz, Crystal, and/or Purple

Purple I have, not so much in the way of Diamonds, Crystals, or Quartz. Therefore, I showing y’all some of my favourite purples.

***Viola × williamsii,***
***Purple Pansies***

***Glandularia***,
**AKA Mock Vervain**
or **Mock Verbena**

***Buddleja davidii***
***Butterfly Bush***

***Digitalis purpurea,***
***AKA the foxglove***
***or common foxglove***

Now for Quartz, (not what you had in mind, I bet.)

***Coleman***
***holding the***
***Quartz Trail Sign***

Terri’s Sunday Stills

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Cameras: 1 & 3) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 2 & 4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm and Canon EF 75-300mm lenses; 5) iPhone 13 Pro.

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Rocking My World

Whoever said ROCKS needed to be shared for What Rocks Your World? Hey there everyone, I gotta to be one that’s different … willing to Rock the boat (per se.)

Yes, I could do a whole post about Rocks and places of Rocks, however, why should I ? Especially when What Rocks My World isn’t a What but a Who.

https://videopress.com/v/2i0CbKjt?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&loop=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Coleman Rocks My World

Lens-Artist Photography Challenge (LAPC) #295 – Rock Your World

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Backyard Patio; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 SYD: April 15

Clare @ Clare’s Cosmos invites us each month to share our desktops on the 15th of each month. Can you believe it the month of April is half over already? Here it is time once again to join Share Your Desktop. I like to share my wallpaper for my iPhone as well as for my Laptop. For my iPhone I use different wallpaper’s for the different focuses I use; personal, hiking, and reading.

From my iPhone:

Personal Focus

Hiking Focus

Reading Focus

From my Laptop:

Share Your Desktop-April 15

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s desktops. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Weekend Sky: From Images to the Moon —- What do you See?

There are times when we look up at the sky above, the clouds seem to appear into objects we are familiar with such as birds, or airplanes, or elephants, angels or other objects. Sometimes we see nothing in them other than them being : cirrus, cumulus, and stratus, or nimbus. What do you see when you look at clouds?

Hammad’s Weekend Sky– 2024 April 14

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max – Telephoto Camera

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

A Pair of Trumpet(ers) Delight Your Weekend

***Trumpeter Swan***
***(Cygnus buccinator)***

Ragtag Daily Prompt Saturday-Trumpet

Six Word Saturday

John’s Cell Pic Sunday

Location: Columbus Zoo & Aquarium; Powell, Ohio

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Let’s Play I Spy as We Travel

Before we head out on the road I suggest we stop and fill up the car with some good old fashioned gasoline ⛽️. I doubt you’ll find these prices nowadays though.

I Spy Something Red

Now that we’ve filled up the car 🚘 and made sure we have everything we need, let’s get going on our adventure.

Where are we going you might ask? It doesn’t really matter as long as we have a bit of fun along the way.

How about we pull over for a while and go on a hike. These signs might direct us on our way.

Oh Look, Stairs. Shall we go down them? What might we see when we reach the bottom? Who knows, but let’s go on down and discover what we can find.

***I Spy Coleman***
***Looking Out***
***Over the Water***
***at a Dam***

Wasn’t that fun? Did you enjoy our little game of I Spy? I know Coleman and I had a great time together on our adventures.

Cee’s Which Way Challenge is fun to join and exciting to see everyone’s take on the challenges. No two people have the exact same perspective and I look forward to seeing y’all’s perspectives. Click Here to link to Cee’s blog.

God Bless. Thank you for traveling with us. I truly hope you enjoyed the adventure. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CMMC: April – Cafe Latte Color

My entries for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge are mostly from South Carolina from my archives. Feel free to join in and post your own Cafe Latte color photos and link them to Cee.

***Solar Eclipse***
***as seen on Tiles***

***Sesquicentennial State Park***
***Columbia, South Carolina***

***Riverbanks Zoo***
***Columbia, South Carolina***

***Andrew Jackson***
***State Park Lake***

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-Cafe Latte Color

Photos taken between 2017-2019 except eclipse is from 2024.

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Taking Flight in Gastonia

Coleman
watching an Airplane
becoming Airborne

Ragtag Daily Prompt: Monday – Airborne

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

2024 Monday Window: 04.08

Faires/Coltharp Cabin Window

***Pasture Reflections***
***Faires/Coltharp Cabin***

Ludwig’s Monday Window

Cameras: 1) iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Dairy Barn Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

2024 Monday Portrait: 04.08

A Greenway Horse Greets Coleman

***Maybe you’ll***
***like this***
***Pose Better?***

***Alright, I’ll come Closer***
***Coleman visiting the Horses***

Monday Portrait

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Dairy Barn Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Children Climbing/Playing on Opening Day

Schroering Forest Playground

Opening Day for the Schroering Forest Playground was on March 30th. The Playground is a new addition for Anne Springs Close Greenway. Being its opening day list of families came to visit the Greenway the check out the new Playground. Children young and old alike investigated and explored the many different features and structures within the playground.

The number of people on the climbing structure varied throughout the day with the greatest impact of visitors being early in the morning and dwindling later on in the afternoon.

When Coleman and I first walked around the playground and the Climbing Structure it was intimidating with so many people in and on the various structures. Overwhelming especially for Coleman, so we chose to hike around the lake and come back later hoping for fewer children to be in the playground.

Coleman slowly getting the courage to try climbing on the Climbing Structure.

After climbing a short distance, Coleman sits down and looks around unsure of what to do next.

He eventually decides he was to get down, but was uncertain about how to go about climbing down. After watching for a little bit I realized he wanted help getting down. So we went hiking back up towards the car visiting the historic cabins, cows, and horses along the way.

Six Word Saturday: 04.06.24

John’s Cell Pic Sunday

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Schroering Forest Playground; Lake Haigler Entrance; 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.

Weekend FOTD: 2024 April 6 — Wisteria brachybotrys

Cee’s Weekend FOTD

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Fairy 🧚‍♂️ Seating — It’s Swing Time

As Coleman and I were hiking along Steele Creek Trail back towards the car we spotted this little Fairy Garden tucked away in the base of a tree. I have seen pictures which other hikers have taken before, however this was the first time we had ever spotted the Fairy Garden. If you weren’t looking at the surrounding landscape you could possibly miss seeing it.

***Spotted along***
***Steele Creek Trail***

Pull Up a Seat-2024 Week 14

Camera: 1&3) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300 mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.

Location: Steele Creek Trail; Dairy Barn Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CWWC: Any Type of Road, Path, Step, Bridge or Sign.

Following Cee’s lead on

Narrow Walkways —

Mine are Along the

Blue Star Trail

On this hiking adventure I parked at the Dairy Barn Entrance to the Anne Springs Close Greenway. After exiting the car we proceeded to hike along the fencing before hitting the trails. Following the fence line we were able to view the horses, some of which trotted over to our location. [More on horses later].

Our first stop along the Blue Star Trail was to take a look at the Faires/Coltharp Cabin. To our surprise and delight it was open to the public (first time we’d seen it open). So naturally, Coleman with me following went inside to see what was inside.

***A Look***
***inside the***
***Faires/Coltharp Cabin***

After leaving the cabin, we hiked further along the Blue Star Trail towards the Swinging Bridge and the Schroering Forest Playground located on the other side of the Spillway.

When the Spillway is up and streaming with a steady flow of water, the only way to cross it is to walk across the Greenway’s Swinging Bridge. Since our destination was on the far side of the Swinging Bridge we/I slowly walked across. Coleman used to walk across it when he was younger, but now if no one else is on it he’ll run across.

***Coleman***
***crossing the***
***Swinging Bridge***

We made it safely across the Swinging Bridge, walked around the Artisan Market, ordered lunch from the Greenway’s Canteen and rested a bit before heading to the Schroering Forest Playground. We had a clear view of the Playground from where we chose to sit. This was the first official day the Playground was open. They had been working on it all fall and winter. Being its opening day, the playground was crowded with children from all age groups.

***Coleman***
***hiking the***
***Blue Star Trail***

Upon completion of our lunch we noticed there were still a lot of children on the playground. I decided to have Coleman wait to play in it until it wasn’t nearly so crowded. Therefore, we continued on with our hiking and headed down to Lake Haigler.

***Blue Star Trail***
***Almost down to***
***Lake Haigler***

We hiked along the narrow side pathway towards the lake. The straight pathway is wider and more widely traveled by the majority of visitors to the Greenway.

We hiked a short loop with great views of Lake Haigler and then hiked back up to the Playground. Coleman climbed up on the Climbing structure and wasn’t sure about what to do after climbing up a short ways and just sat down for a few minutes. [The all natural wood climbing structure seemed to puzzle Coleman. He’ll probably climb more next time we visit.]

After a full afternoon of hiking and Coleman playing I decided it was time to head home. Hence, we proceeded to hike back up to the car. Instead of hiking the exact same trail we hiked down, we started out hiking on the Steele Creek Trail. The Steele Creek Trail is a narrow trail that leads up towards the Graham Historical Cabin.

From the cabin we traverse back onto the Blue Star Trail. After short distance from the cabin, Coleman starts searching for the cows. Sometimes they are up close to the fence line, but on this day we really had to look for them. Searching the pasture as we hiked up the trail, two of the cows came walking towards our direction from the far end of the pasture. That made a Coleman’s day. He was then ready to go home.

Cee’s Which Way Challenge- Any Type of Road, Path, Sign, Step, or Bridge

Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens and Altura CPL Filter attachment.

Location: Dairy Barn Entrance; Blue Star Trail; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA.

God Bless. Thank you for hiking along the Blue Star Trail with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Looking In & Through an Historic Cabin’s Doors

Faires/Coltharp Cabin

Take a walk with us inside Faires/Coltharp Historic Cabin. You can see Coleman has no qualms about going through the door to check everything out. He is extremely inquisitive and loves to investigate everything he sees and comes across.

A Bit of History: