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
March
It just so happens that the last photo on my phone and on my camera are of the exact same object, a windmill.
From my iPhone 14 Pro Max:
From my Canon EOS T3i:
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
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 very much.
On Saturday, March 30th, Coleman and I visited the Anne Springs Close Greenway. We parked at the Dairy Barn Entrance and hiked down the Blue Star Trail and hiked back up on Steele Creek Trail. From this entrance one can visit two historic cabins: 1) Faires/Coltharp Cabin and 2) The Graham Cabin. On this trip we had the unique experience of going inside the cabin to view what it would have been like back in the 1800’s. This was a new experience for us since the cabins had previously been closed to the public.
The Graham Cabin is more than 200 years old and was once the home of Archibald Graham, the grandfather of Reverend Billy Graham. Here is a look at the inside of the Graham Cabin and its windows.
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1) iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Domtar Forest Porch; Lake Haigler 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.
Debbie’s One Word Sunday: Yellow
The Cosmic Photo Challenge-The arrival of Spring
Photo Credit:©️2024 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.
~ Beautiful Weather for Easter ~
Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge 2024 Week 13
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Dairy Barn Entrance; Lake Haigler; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God’s Blessings to y’all this Beautiful Easter Sunday. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Which Ways in Monochrome
For this week I’ve dug into my archives for various selections of which way to travel.
First, let’s make a stop in Raleigh, North Carolina where I attended Ancestry Day hosted by The Friends of the Archives in conjunction with the State Archives of North Carolina, the Government and Heritage Library, and the North Carolina Genealogical Society.
Next, we’ll head over to Lenoir, North Carolina for a Watson/Greer/Trivette family reunion at the Yadkin Valley Community Park.
Then we’ll spend some time in Jacksonville, North Carolina where one of my sons ( my 2nd born, David) was stationed while serving in the United States Marines. While there for the weekend my eldest son, John and I visited the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
Finally, let’s take another drive. This time let’s drive to Columbia, South Carolina before returning home for some quiet time of rest and relaxation. In Columbia I am joined by my daughter, Trisha and her daughter, Alona. We decided to visit the Riverbanks Zoo to see the animals. We enjoyed the short train ride around a small portion of the Zoo.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge – 03.28
God Bless. Thank you for visiting with us in our memory travels and for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Wisteria floribunda
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Gastonia Erwin Center
Park and Recreation
Cee asks everyone to post photos of Words that contain the Alphabet letters A or E. My selections for this week come from mine and Coleman’s recent visit to Gastonia’s Erwin Center Park and Recreation. As per usual Coleman (notice the Name A & E) is in several of my photos.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-March_Alphabet an A or E in a Word
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Erwin Center Park and Recreation; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and 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: Gastonia, North Carolina
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
We are still having a lot of rain several days out of the week. Even so Coleman and I managed to get a little walking in. We walked for a mile and a half before deciding to get on the bus. We rode the bus to a park we had not previously visited.
We visited the Erwin Center Park and Recreation. We rode the Blue line to the station, then switched to the Yellow line. The Yellow line took us to right across the street from the park.
The Erwin Center opened in 1961 in the Highland neighbourhood of northern Gastonia. The Center was named in honour of Dr. Herbert Erwin. Dr. Erwin was Gaston County’s first African American physician. He was a well known advocate for youth sports and activities. The Community Center has a game room, meeting room, kitchen, lounge, and offices.
In 1967 a full-size gymnasium and an outdoor basketball court were added. Today’s outdoor facilities also include a swimming pool, a splash pad (open during the summer months), a grass volleyball court, horseshoe pits, playground, tot play area, a large picnic shelter and a walking track.
In the summer of 2020, a Black Lives Matter Mural was painted on the Erwin Center basketball court by Ezekiel Clay, Jr.
The Erwin Center Park and Recreation outdoor park areas are open daily from Dawn to Dusk.
This park is a little further away from the park we normally visit, however it does have activities and playgrounds which are of interest to the very young as well as older children, teenagers, and adults.
If we were so inclined to travel a little further from home than usual, we would visit the park again. Coleman enjoyed the playground and wished it was already summer so he could have enjoyed the Splash Pad.
Pull Up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 12
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Erwin Center Park and Recreation; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
It is officially Spring, however, the winter cold weather is hanging around not wanting to go away. Thankfully we are not getting the deluge of snowfall some areas are experiencing.
Here our weather and sky can change dramatically within a matter of minutes. The following shows our Weekend Sky – Weather on Saturday.
The change in the sky was only thirty minutes from blue skies to dark cloudy skies.
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.
Windows Under Construction #6
This week we observed the School Construction noticing the Windows from the street side near the old Grier Middle School location. The Windows and the New Grier Middle School construction is progressing nicely.
Groundbreaking for the new Grier Middle School took place on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. It is expected the completion of the construction of the new Grier Middle School will be in 2025. The New Grier Middle School should be ready for students then barring any complications or delays.
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1) iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. The Flowers welcome Spring’s arrival and the Bees 🐝 are hovering around. Enjoy the flowers, but be careful not to get stung. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Yoshino Cherry
(Prunus x yedoensis)
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Cee’s allowing us to post any road, path, step, bridge, or sign this week for her CWWC. For my selections I chose some from Coleman & my adventures this past week.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge-Any Road, Path, Step, Bridge or Sign
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.Song of Solomon 2:12 NLT
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
My entries for this Cee’s CMMC this week are a variety of new and archive photos I hope you enjoy. There were taken at The Schiele Museum of Natural History and the Warlick Family YMCA in Gastonia, North Carolina as well as at Andrew Jackson State Park (three of our favorite places to go hiking and relax out in nature.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-Pick a Topic from My Photo
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #213
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Who doesn’t like a Hot meal? One of our favorites is Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts. What are your favorite Hot dishes?
Here are more Hot items you might not consider to be Hot. These are my entries for Cee’s CFFC.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Looking Through the Rails & Such
The Cosmic Photo Challenge-Looking through
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1-5)Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; 6) iPhone 14 Pro Max
Locations: Various in Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Lucky 🍀
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting The Farm and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gazing the Gulf’s Blue Waters
Admiring the Vastness of its Expanse
As seen from the
Enchantment of the Seas
Caribbean Cruise Ship.
This week I chose to take a break from the Windows Under Construction to post throwback Windows from 2020, reflecting on a past adventure.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #213
Photo Credit: ©️2020 Deb L. Waters
Location: Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico
God Bless. Thank you for visiting my Window views and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Busy Bees Buzzing around the Beehive
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters
Cameras: 1-4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; 5-7) iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting The Farm and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024: Week 11
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
I never thought about squirrels leaping or jumping from the ground to high branches in trees before. Normally, I see squirrels clambering up trees or from tree to tree. This week we literally saw a squirrel leap (or jump) from the ground to a branch high up in a tree in one swift effortless movement.
Evidently, high enough is however high a squirrel wants to leap to reach its destination.
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Take time to observe nature. I appreciate y’all very much.
Coleman’s Way
Along Avon and Catawba
Creeks Greenway
The hiking adventures with Coleman are always fun and interesting. He doesn’t always stick to actual pathways or trails, however, he always gets to where he wants to go and has a fantastic time along the way.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge-Any Which Way
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens with an Altura CPL filter attachment and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Locations: Lineberger Park; Avon Creek Trail, Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway; Warlick YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting with Coleman’s adventures and for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
March Wallpapers
From my Laptop:
From my iPhone 14 Pro Max:
Personal Focus:
Hiking Focus:
Reading Focus:
Clare’s Share Your Desktop-March 2024
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
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.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Beautiful Day for Gazing at Turtles
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #212
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens with Altura UV Filter attachment and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Location: The Pond; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have an awesome week and weekend ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #290: Circular Wonders
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Interesting Perspective
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.
Locations: Bus; Lineberger Park; Avon and Catawba Creeks Greenway; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. Hope you enjoyed our hiking adventures. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Sky All around Me
The first shots I snapped turning slightly in each direction to capture what we saw from various angles. The last three were shot when Coleman and I took a short walk around the neighborhood.
Hammad’s Weekend Sky #121-03.10.24
Photo Credit: ©2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Baa Baa Baa
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much
Dandelion
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Huntingtown Neighbourhood; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Any type of Road, Path,
Step, Bridge or Sign.
My entries for this week show pathways and signs in and around The Schiele Museum. Enjoy the walk with Coleman and I as we show you some scenes of our recent visit.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge-Any type of Road, Path, Step, Bridge or Sign.
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1 & 3) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 2 & 4-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm and Canon EF-S55-250mm lenses with Altura (for Canon) Fisheye Wide-Angle Macro lens attachment.
Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
These close-ups were all captured during mine & Coleman’s latest visit to (I was so worried you lay down. You don’t just – Apple iPhone’s Siri trying to type what was said to my grandson, oops) our local museum’s nature trail.
We started this visit with a walk through the Dinosaurs Exhibitions …
Then we moved on the Nature Trail and a walk around the Pond …
And ended our visit with a stroll through the Garden in The Farm …
New life is slowly starting to arrive and in the next few weeks new growth will begin to emerge in abundance.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-Close Up or Macro
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1/2) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 3/4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for taking a walk with us and sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all very much.
Don’t Let the Chickens Escape
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max – Ultra Wide Camera
Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.
Flock of Chickens
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 2/3; Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Prunus cerasoides
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Top (1/2) iPhone 14 Pro Max; Bottom (3) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
— Horsin’ Around
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L.Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Lake Haigler 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 so very much.
Observations From the Greenway
Cosmic Photo Challenge-Taken from Below
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: 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.
Continuing the Observation of
Windows Under Construction
The construction of the new school is coming along nicely now that spring is on the way. You can observe the different sizes and shapes of the windows taking shape in the school buildings.
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 2-4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: Shot from Parking Lot; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Around Lake Haigler
It is almost guaranteed that while Coleman and I are out hiking along a trail, he’ll decide to sit and rest a second or two before moving on. He can choose to just plop on the ground or hop up on one of the benches scattered along the trail. On this day we chose to hike around Lake Haigler at the Greenway.
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Seating
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 9
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Haigler Loop; Lake Haigler; Lake Haigler 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.
Yesterday was a loving day to spend hiking in the Greenway. Unlike the day before when it rained all day and all night. The trails were a bit muddy, however, the views were beautiful with gorgeous skylines and amazing reflection.
Hammad’s Weekend Sky #120-03.03.24
Jez’s Water, Water Everywhere #211
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Lake Haigler; 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.
— Daffodils
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Round Two
On the Way to & At the Museum
Heading to the Bus Stop …
Arriving at the Museum …
Along the Nature Trail …
Cee’s Which Way Challenge- Any Type of Road, Path, Sign, Step, or Bridge
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm and Canon EF-S55-250mm lenses.
Location: From Bus Stop on Stoneybrook Avenue; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing our path and your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge- Any Type of Road, Path, Sign, Step, or Bridge
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens with Altura (for Canon) Macro Fisheye Attachment.
Location: Sandbox; Playscape; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, 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 sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Hope y’all had a pleasant Leap Day. I know Coleman and I did. First day in a while with no rain, so it was a good day to venture outside and visit the Schiele Museum, one of Coleman’s favourite places.
Conveniently, it gave me an opportunity for capturing some interesting moments on this Leap/Last Day. Therefore, here are my last on the card shot for February.
From my iPhone 14 Pro Max:
Formosa Azalea
From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i:
Rhododendron simsii
Last on the Card-February 2024
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Flowing From Flowering Weeds to Wonderful Serenity of Calming Blue Waters; here is my entry for
Cee’s CMMC this week.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-February Alphabet W or X anywhere in the word
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Ink Art — Tattoos
These tattoos all have meanings behind them. I do not remember my husband, Terry’s meaning for his tattoo. Regrettably I do not have a better quality photo of it. May he continue to Rest in Peace.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 