This week’s Ragtag Daily Prompt of Trail fits perfectly into the activities which Coleman and I enjoy the most. This Trail is one we haven’t hiked in a while, but always enjoyed.
The Piedmont Medical Center Trail (a part of the Carolina Thread Trail system) runs adjacent to the Catawba River in Rock Hill/Fort Mill, South Carolina. The header image is of the Catawba River as seen from the Trail on the Rock Hill side.
The Trail on the Rock Hill side of the Catawba River is predominantly a smooth paved surface trail. The Trail on the Fort Mill side of the Catawba River is a natural surface trail. Coleman and I have hiked the Trails on both sides of the Catawba River. Coleman loves to be near the river, as well as in the river, whenever and wherever possible.
Location: Piedmont Medical Center Trail; Carolina Thread Trail; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike/Walk along a Trail. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Dan from No Facilitieshosts the Fun Foto Challenge at and this week he is asking for our The Crayola Box of 8 – Blue . I have gone into my recent and archive files to see what I could locate to best represent this week’s theme. I will also be sharing Blue Along Trails as part of Friday’s CWWC post (Stay tuned to more Blue and feel free to share your blue with Cee’s Which Way Challenge as well as Dan’s CFFC challenge this week.
Here are my entries …
Blue Glove made into a Balloon The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia. NCEarly Explorers The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia. NCColeman sliding at Warlick YMCA Gastonia, NCLake Crandall AnneSprings Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCBlue American Agave Plant Abilene, TXColeman Trekker Loop Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCRobinwood Lake Warlick YMCA Gastonia, NCColeman on Trail Warlick YMCA Gastonia, NCBlue Mask 2020 Abilene, TxThe Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium Gastonia, NCRobinwood Lake Warlick YMCA Gastonia, NCAmerican Airlines Flying through the Blue Skies Blue Leisure Suit My dad and Pawpaw Great Falls, South Carolina
Coleman on Trail Warlick YMCA Gastonia, NCColeman playing in sand Warlick YMCA Gastonia, NCCommelina communis, aka Asiatic dayflowerThe Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium Gastonia, NCCee’s Fun Foto Challenge Dan’s CFFC -Blue
God Bless. Enjoy your week. May it be filled with love, joy, laughter, and lots of fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Catawba River; Catawba Indian Reservation; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Enjoy your Lovely surroundings. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Have a safe and funtastic weekend. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Centennial Center Congregating for a ConcertCongregating for a Candlelight Service Anne Springs Close Greenway Waiting for MonksCousins Congregate Around the Tables My Cousins Congregating together Ragtag Daily Prompt Congregating (of Friends and Family)
Congregating of Canada Geese …
Goat Island Park and Greenway Cramerton, NCAnne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCGoat Island Park and Greenway Cramerton, NCGoat Island Park and Greenway Cramerton, NCGoat Island Park and Greenway Cramerton, NCRagtag Daily Prompt Congregating Canada Geese
God Bless. Appreciate Friends and Family. Congregate together whenever and wherever possible. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week’s host for Monochrome Madness is Brian from Bushboys World. He has chosen a theme of Jugs for this week’s challenge. Jugs have been around for ages and made from varies materials like clay, glass, and even plastic. I much prefer sun-dried clay or glass-blown jugs to the more modern lightweight high-density polyethylene (plastic) jugs.
These are a few of the Jugs I have found in my archives to share with y’all.
Located in Fairies-Coltharp Cabin Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCNative Indian Pottery Jugs Catawba Cultural Center Rock Hill, SCUsed for Barbecue Sauce Carolina Barbecue display at The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, NCLocated in The Farm The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, NCCatawba Indian Village Pottery Jugs The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, NC3-Jug Fountain Farmhouse Garden Center Daniel Stowe Conservancy Belmont, NCJugs of All Kinds and Purposes Monochrome Madness
Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm & EF-S18-55mm lenes; Apple iPhone 13 Pro; Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Locations: As stated above.
God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Anyone wishing to join in and participate, please go to the Monochrome Madness page to find out how.
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game.This week’s number is 746. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Live life to the fullest. Make lasting memories. Take Care. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Mural pictured below is of an historic landscape which is painted on the side of a shipping container. It is located right next to the nature park’s gardens and playground.
McDowell Nature Center and Preserve
The Mural depicts a vintage steam train locomotive traveling along a railroad track chugging along beside a flowing woodland creek.
The Mural’s artwork serves as a historical callback to the early railroad lines that ran through the Piedmont region of Mecklenburg County, blending local transit history with the natural creek environments protected by the preserve.
Location: McDowell Nature Center and Preserve; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thankful for the freedom to live and hike in God’s amazingly beautiful landscapes and forests. Thankful you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
These images came up in my memories … a look back to 11 years ago in 2015. This was of a quality time I was able to spend with my eldest granddaughter, Alona. Sadly, that’s not possible nowadays due to conflicts between my daughter and her father, who prevents her spending any time with us.
Photo Credit: 2015 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone XR
Location: Dinosaurs Alive Exhibits; Carowinds; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Have an Adventure. Spend quality time with family and friends. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Why go for the ordinary shot when you can capture the exceptional, unconventional, and unique beauty from a different and unusual perspective? I like to capture views from underneath bridges and/or trestles. The structural integrity and design in each bridge or trestle are unique and some with intricate characteristics and features.
Looking at the structural design underneath a Footbridge in Goat Island Park and Greenway, Cramerton, North Carolina
The Beauty of the Catawba River Flowing underneath a Street Bridge and the Structural Design, Strength of Lines, and the Sound Engineering System. Founder’s Trail, Fort Mill, South Carolina
Sound Structural Engineering Design strengthens the supporting interlocking network increasing the lasting Capabilities of the Trestle Bridge. Founder’s Trail Fort Mill, South Carolina
The beauty of black and white/monochrome photography brings a unique perspective on how we see and experience the world around us. What will you photograph in monochrome this week?
Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; 2-3) Apple iPhone 13 Pro Ultra Wide
Locations: As stated above.
God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Anyone wishing to join in and participate, please go to the Monochrome Madness page to find out how.
While on a trip to Abilene, Texas to visit my maternal aunt (my mother’s sister) I went walking around her neighbourhood. I started out walking to try to get my 10,000 steps in like when I worked. (I got tired of just sitting around in her small home, I guess you could say I was restless.) Turned out that to reach my 10,000 steps I had to walk several blocks and keep walking some more. Now you’re probably wondering what all this has to do with the prompt Twelve.
It took walking more than Twelve long blocks to achieve my goal. Anytime I go walking, especially in a new area, I try to be observant of my surroundings and snap pictures of anything I find interesting. On this the Twelfthday of my visit, I came across a building called The Discovery Center. It had a wall mural of a dinosaur with a caption above it “In the Beginning God.” This captured my attention, so I thought why not go inside and see what it was all about.
12 Tribes of Israel Banner
The Discovery Center in Abilene is a Creation Museum dedicated to teaching the Bible and is based on a Creationist viewpoint of the Beginning of the world. It was established in 2001, featuring exhibits on biblical artifacts, fossils, Jewish history, and the RMS Titanic, alongside an onsite bookstore. One of the rooms inside the Discovery Center is called the Israel Room. The room has several displays depicting the history of Israel. The image above depicts a banner displaying symbols representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Each panel includes a name in Hebrew and a corresponding emblem based on biblical descriptions and traditional blessings.
For this week I chose one of my maternal grandfather’s photos of his Ford Model T. After he passed, when I was only 12, my maternal grandmother gave me many of my grandfather’s picture post cards. The post cards were significant because the had pictures of family, his military service, the family cemetery, and of places they lived. Those post cards are apart of our family history and I’ll treasure them always.
Location: My Maternal Grandparents home; Stoney Fork, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have an adventurous week filled with love and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Deep Gap Fire Department provides fire protection and medical first response to Deep Gap, Rutherwood, Stoney Fork, and Cranberry Springs in Watauga & Ashe Counties in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. [This Fire Department services the areas where my ancestors lived and are buried. I have cousins whom still reside in the Deep Gap and Stoney Fork areas of Watauga County.]
Deep Gap Fire Department Station 23 Upper Level Deep Gap, North Carolina
The Fire Department was formed in 1964 as one of the first rural fire departments in Watauga County. The station has part-time paid firefighters staffing it between 8am -6pm Monday through Friday. It also has approximately 25 volunteer firefighters and EMT’s.
Bottom Level
This current building was built in 1991 after outgrowing its previous station. The Bottom level consists of bay floor, admin offices and exercise room. The Top level is consists of a training room, Board of Directors meeting room, bunk room with bathrooms. Community Center, kitchen, Red Cross shelter, and Board of Elections polling station.
The main room used as a Community center is rented out by local groups for reunions and other such gatherings/events. My maternal relatives gather here every August for a reunion which is fun to attend when I am able.
Cameras: 1-2 &4)Apple iPhone 14 Pro Ma; 3) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Locations: As Stated above.
God Bless. May you have a Stable of Love, Friendship, and Joy. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week’s Monochrome Madnessis hosted by Leanne Cole. She haschosen to challenge us to post images which show water flowing. Mine not only includes waterfalls, but also Spillways, Oceans, Dams, Lakes, Rivers and Garden Fountains. Water flows in many different ways from straight upwards to upstream and downstream, including over rocks and barriers.
Now to show y’all my entries …
North Topsail Beach Onslow County, NCFountain at Glencairn Garden Rock Hill, SCThe Spillway at Kings Mountain State Park Blacksburg, SCSpillway at Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCFort Mill Dam Fort Mill, SCThe Spillway at Kings Mountain State Park Blacksburg, SCNorth Topsail Beach Onslow County, NC Catawba River The Riverwalk Trail Rock Hill, SCSpillway at Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, SCCatawba River The Riverwalk Trail Rock Hill, SCThe Spillway at Kings Mountain State Park Blacksburg, SCSesquicentennial State Park Columbia, South CarolinaUpper Widow’s Creek Falls Stone Mountain State Park Roaring Gap, NCFountain at Glencairn Garden Rock Hill, SCLeanne’s Monochrome Madness #FlowingWater
God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Anyone wishing to join in and participate, please go to the Monochrome Madness page to find out how.
Where has the time gone? Years have flown by and now you’re a grown woman with children of your own. I’ve watched you grow, mature, and become an amazing mother. We may not always agree, but I will always be there for you and love you forever and always.
May 30, 1991199420222025May 2026May 2026Patricia (Trisha) Lynn Wilson May 30th — 35 Years
God Bless. May your day be filled with love, peace, happiness and an abundance of laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
It’s been amazing to visit Baby Horses born at Anne Springs Close Greenway over the years. I was lucky to have captured Murphy and Forest with their mothers.
Fern and baby Forest (Born in 2022)
Baby Alpacas …
Greenway Baby Alpacas
My Grand-babies …
Coleman (6 almost 7) and Sophia Ruthann (5 months)
God Bless. Treasure your “babies” always. Capture the memories. Love to y’all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). I trust everyone has had a good week and able to spend some time to take a walk or hike in the vast outdoors. This week we are continuing with the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way with Signs – Part 2. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. As always signs are always welcome.
For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.
For this week’s Which Way Challenge I am tying into Dan’s CFFCtheme of Leftover Signs. You may use any road, pathway, sidewalk, trail, paved or unpaved as long as your Which Ways are clearly visible. Signs are always welcome and this week recommended in your WhichWay.
The week I’m doing something different for my Which Ways. I am showing a gallery of Which Way Collages.
Here are my entries …
CWWC + CFFC Any Which Way with (Leftover) Signs
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.
For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
*** Note Next Week’s theme: CWWC: Any Which Way Along a Nature Trail (Paved or Unpaved, or natural surface) [05.29.2026]. ***
It is a stunning 14th-century Roman Catholic parish church that serves as an architectural anchor for Nuremberg’s main market square, the Hauptmarkt. This church was visited by my parents as my brother took them around touring near where he was stationed in Germany.
The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) Nuremberg, Germany
“Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
From The Shawshank Redemption
Rose 🌹
Orange …
“The sky takes on shades of orange during sunrise and sunset, the colour that gives you hope that the sun will set only to rise again.”
Ram Charan
Calendula officinalis, aka Mary’s gold, common marigold, pot marigold
Yellow …
“I really just want to be warm yellow light that pours over everyone I love.”
Conor Oberst
Dahlia pinnata, aka Garden Dahlia
Green …
“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.”
Martin Luther
Helleborus viridis, aka green hellebore
Blue …
“Good things are associated with blue, like clear days, more than singing the blues. Just the word ‘blue’ in the singular is full of optimism and positive connotation to most people.”
David Carson
Blue-Winged Wasp Scolia dubia
Purple …
“Be different. Be original. Nobody will remember a specific flower in a garden filled with thousands of the same yellow flower, but they will remember the one that managed to change its color to purple.”
Cameras: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max; Apple 16 Pro Max; and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm & Canon EF-S55-250mm lenses.
God Bless. May the Sun shine upon you, may you be filled with love, hope, and joy throughout your journey. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). I trust everyone has had a good week and able to spend some time to take a walk or hike in the vast outdoors. This week’s theme is CWWC: Any Which Way with Signs. This theme will run for two weeks [05.15.2026-05.22.2026]. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. As always signs are always welcome.
For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.
For this week’s Which Way Challenge I am tying into Dan’s CFFC theme of Informational Signs. You may use any road, pathway, sidewalk, trail, paved or unpaved as long as your Which Ways are clearly visible. Signs are always welcome and this week recommended in your WhichWay.
We encounter signs wherever we go. We might not always notice them or recognize their importance. Sometimes Signs can inform us of where we are or where we’re heading. At other times Signs can give us an informative history of a location. Still other Signs let us know what we should/can or cannot do. Let’s take a look at some examples …
Signs let us know our location …
Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
City of Rock Hill River Park Rock Hill, South Carolina
Tunnel Trail Two Way Traffic Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
Piedmont Medical Center Trail No Motor Vehicles Rock Hill, South Carolina
Ed Yount Trail Watch For Wildlife South Fork River Gastonia, North Carolina
Now we’ll take a look at a couple of more informative Signs about the history or nature of an area or trail …
Nation Ford (Gives an historical perspective of the area) Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
DSBG Eastern Bluebird Trail (Gives Information regarding Bluebirds and the nesting boxes they use.) Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Belmont, North Carolina
Lastly, but not least, we’ll look at a gallery of images of Signs that let us know what we should/can or cannot do …
Lake Haigler Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway Attention No Swimming No Wading No Diving Ramsey Creek Park Lake Norman, SCBR-3 Lost or Injured Call 911 Stay Put Rocky Branch TrailCan/Cannot Do’s/Don’t’s South Fork Park By Stuart W. Cramer High School Cramerton, NCHaigler Loop Anne Springs Close Greenway Share the Trail Speed Limit 10 Riverwalk TrailWalk Bike Thru Tunnel Avon/Catawba Creeks GreenwayInformative Signs Stating Do’s and Don’t’s
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.
For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
*** Note: Next Week we will be continuing our exploration and sharing the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way with Signs Part 2 [05.22.2026]. This will also tie in with Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) – Leftover Signs. Feel free to link to his post as well next week. ***
This week is a free week for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness. I took my inspiration from Brian’s MM post on cemeteries. I decided to share some of the cemeteries my ancestors are buried within. They are spread from coast to coast and from sea to shining sea.
Greenlawn Cemetery Great Falls, South Carolina, USABrannon Family Cemetery Bethune, Kershaw County, South Carolina, USASt Thomas a Becket’s Church, Hampsthwaite, North Yorkshire, EnglandRoscoe Cemetery Coshocton, Coshocton County, Ohio, USAGreenwood Memorial Park; San Diego, California, USAFort Rosecrans National Cemetery Point Loma, San Diego, California, USAGreenlawn Cemetery Great Falls, South Carolina, USALaurel Springs Baptist Church Cemetery Deep Gap, Watauga County, North Carolina, USABrannon Family Cemetery Bethune, Kershaw County, South Carolina, USAOld DuQuoin Cemetery Du Quoin, Perry County, Illinois, USA
Location: Gardens of the Waxhaw; Andrew Jackson State Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). I trust everyone has had a good week and able to spend some time to take a walk or hike in the vast outdoors. This week’s theme is CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice). The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. As always signs are always welcome.
For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.
Coleman on a wooden path crossing Lake Haigler
For this week’s Which Way Challenge I have chosen to share a Which Way Coleman and I hiked back in 2022 when he was three years old. The hike along Lake Haigler Loop Trail at Anne Springs Close Greenway came up in my photo memories, so I thought y’all might enjoy seeing it as well.
Here are my entries …
Cee’s Which Way Challenge (Your Choice) Coleman on Lake Haigler Loop Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.
For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.
Location: Lake Haigler Loop Trail; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
*** Note: Next Week we will be exploring and sharing the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way with Signs [05.15.2026]. This will also tie in with Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) – Informational Signs. Feel free to link to his post as well next week. ***
This week’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge is hosted by Beth from Wandering Dawgs. She has chosen to have us Look Back to John’s LAPC #155 – On the Water. (I know I’m a little late posting for this challenge, having a grand-baby to take care of during the day hinders my ability to search through my archives for photos depicting “On the Water.” I finally managed to find a selection I hope you’ll enjoy.
I wonder, Does in the water count as well as on the water?
Springs Park Lancaster County, South Carolina
How about a hydroelectric plant?
Great Falls hydroelectric plant Great Falls, South Carolina
This one may or may not count …
Fishing on the shore of the Catawba River (In Great Falls, SC) with Fishing lines Cast on the water.
If that doesn’t work, then I know this one will …
Fishing from a Kayak on the water Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, SC
And lastly, let’s take a look at other recreational activities on the water …
Recreational “boating” on the water in Lake Wylie seen from McDowell Nature Preserve Charlotte, North Carolina
God Bless. Take time to enjoy nature on or off the water. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: The Cultural Center Trail; Catawba Nation Greenway Trail; Carolina Thread Trail; Catawba Indian Nation; Catawba Reservation; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless Enjoy Nature. Hug a Tree. Peace be with you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Shining Star Fellowship Church is a Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) affiliated church whose focus is on equipping believers and leading community members to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Shining Star Fellowship Church 301 Palm Street Abilene, Texas
This church is located a few short blocks from my maternal aunt’s home where I visited in the Spring of 2020. This is one of many churches I saw as I walked about my aunt’s neighbourhood.
The Republic Textile Mills Company was founded in Great Falls, South Carolina around 1905-1910 by the Southern Power Company (later became known as Duke Power Company). It was founded to capitalize on Catawba River water power. The Republic Textile Mills Company expanded to three mills by 1923.
Republic Textile Mill #3
[My paternal grandfather worked in the #3 Mill located on Argonne Avenue kitty-corner from Walnut Street where my paternal grandparents lived. When he worked there the Mills were owned by J. P. Stevens and Company.]
J.P. Stevens Mill #3 (previously known as Republic Textile Mills Company)
The Republic Textile Mills Company operated as a major textile producer in the region, complete with a company town, before being sold to J. P. Stevens and Company in 1946. The #3 Mill opened in 1923. The company town included a company store, where workers could charge goods against their wages.
Republic Textile Mill #3 (Aka JP Stevens Mill #3)
The Mills ceased all operations due to the broader decline of the textile industry. The last of the Mills closed its doors around 1985.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Love & Peace to y’all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Dan from No Facilities hosts the Fun Foto Challenge at and this week he is asking for our Something that Took You Higher. I have gone into my archives to see what I could locate to best represent this week’s theme. Approximately half of the images are within this decade, while the rest are more on the vintage side.
Here are my entries …
Carowinds Charlotte, NCLineberger Park Gastonia, NCFerris Wheel Myrtle Beach, SCSwinging Rope (my mom’s Swinging) Hume Lake Christian Campground Hume, CaliforniaColeman being Lifted Higher by his mom’s feet Lake Wylie, SCColeman swinging higher at T Jeffers Center & Park Gastonia, NCSky Whirl Triple Ferris Wheel California’s Great America Santa Clara, CaliforniaAmerican Eagle Flying High Charlotte, NCBuck Rock Lookout Campground in Hume, California ( My dad’s in the yellow shirt)Coleman climbing higher and higher to reach a deer stand Lake Wylie, SCCee’s Fun Foto Challenge Something that Took You Higher And Higher From Hereand Over Yonder
These images are from last year. This year’s Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies are not in full bloom yet. The Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies bloom each year along the Catawba River and can be viewed from Landsford Canal State Park. The best time of year to view the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies is from May through mid-June. To view them from land, you may choose to hike the 1.5 mile, round-trip down either the Nature Trail or the Canal Trail to the overlook. There is another option to view the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies, that option would be to kayak the Catawba River and wind your way through the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies where you’ll have an upclose view.
Aka Cahaba lily, Shoal lily, or Shoals Spider-lily
The latest report on the Lily Watchis that the green leaves are reaching full growth and the Rocky Shoals in the river are looking lush. There are a view early bloomers out in the Catawba River with more flowers coming into full bloom soon. This year the rainfall has been insufficient, however, the plants still are looking healthy and are expected to reach peak bloom around the middle or end of May.
Location: Landsford Canal State Park; Catawba, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Camera: 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. Have a funtastic weekend. Enjoy the Spring Florals. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Love & Peace to y’all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Ports O’ Call Los Angeles; San Pedro, California, USA
God Bless. Have an adventurous week filled with love and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Lower Trailhead; Stone Mountain State Park; Roaring Gap, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Capture the beauty all around you. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains; Wilson Hwy; Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Playing around with an old image from the 1960’s …
Original Digital scan of a photo ~ Approximately 1968 in San Diego, California
Adjusted contrast & slightly blurred background
Increased warmth of image
Adjusted lighting, contrast, and added color to the girl’s sweater
Enhanced image. Strengthen quality. Adjusted lighting and contrast. Also changed the background to one of my favourite places of my youth, Mission Beach.
This week PR from Flights of the Soulis the host for the Monochrome Madness Challenge. For information about the challenge check out Leanne’s Page about how to participate in Monochrome Madness by clicking here.
PR has chosen a theme of Minimalism for this week’s Monochrome Madness theme challenge.
God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Catawba River; Landsford Canal State Park; Catawba, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Love & Peace to y’all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
When I think about Easter, I do not think about the Easter Bunny, Egg Hunts, or Easter Baskets. What do I think about? I think and reflect on the real reason for the Easter season.
Beginning with Good Friday, remembering the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot with a kiss. Reflecting and Remembering Jesus willingly took my place on the cross to die in my place. Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, who knew no sin (no wrong) gave up his life so I might live abundantly.
Who else would ever be willing to trade their life for mine? No one comes to mind that would be willing to make that sacrifice.
I recall the trial of Jesus, the thrashings Jesus took, and his carrying his own cross. That must of been a hard agonizing experience. He would have already been in excruciating pain from his harsh treatment and exhausted. He never gave up. He willingly endured the heavy weight of the cross for over approximately seven hundred (700) yards all the way to Golgotha. His Enduring the crowds and the people mocking him the entire way.
I remember Jesus’ Resurrection, sorrow turning to joy. He is Risen! I remember reading about Mary Magdalene discovering the empty tomb where Jesus was laid. I recall the Angels reassuring Mary Magdalene and the other women at the tomb to not be afraid. The angels saying “He is not here; He has Risen.”
When we/I celebrate Easter, I celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. I believe Jesus lives. I do not celebrate the Easter Bunny (even though many do). I do allow participation in Easter Egg hunts (they are fun activities for children), but I also try to explain about Jesus and his sacrifice as the real reason Easter is celebrated.
I also recall early morning sunrise services at the cross. For 109 years, Mt. Helix Park in La Mesa, California (located within San Diego County) has held an Easter Sunrise Service beginning at 6 am.
The Memorial Cross atop Mt. Helix in La Mesa, California
The sunrise service atop Mt. Helix began in 1917, long before the amphitheater was ever built. The amphitheater was created around 1924-1925 by the Yawkey and Fletcher families. The first sunrise service to be held in the amphitheater in Mt Helix Park was in 1925. The Mt. Helix Sunrise Easter service is the second longest-running Sunrise Easter service in the United States of America. The service is an historic celebration and also has an awe-inspiring beauty as you face the rising sun and the panoramic views of the city, the mountains, and the Pacific Ocean.
The Memorial Cross is situated directly above the amphitheater on the summit. The Cross is made out of stone and is thirty-five (35) feet in height. It is Mt. Helix Park’s most prominent landmark and is visible from the amphitheater seats. I have never been to another sunrise service that ever came close to the experience of an Easter Sunrise Service atop Mt. Helix Park.
God Bless. Happy Easter! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Get Outdoors. Have a fabulous week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
First off, let me tell you I don’t do public transportation that often and when I do it is rare.
Let’s look at Past Public Transportation…
San Francisco Trolley (Not exactly a Bus, but still Public Transit)
Inside a Charter Bus
Looking at a Charter Bus from another Charter Bus
Now to see what can be seen from a Greyhound Bus …
Seen from a Greyhound Bus Passing through Louisiana
Moving on toward the Present …
Waiting Riding the Gastonia Public Transit
Coleman and I rode the Gastonia Transit Buses for approximately two (2) years before Gaston County disbanded the County Transit system and replaced it with Gaston Go Vans (which I still haven’t figured out how to arrange rides on them). The Buses were really convenient for Coleman and I to hop on and off (reduce fair for under 5 (under 3 was free) and seniors. We used to ride the buses all over Gastonia to various destinations such as: the library, The Schiele Museum of Natural History, Lineberger Park, Edwin Center, Warlick Family YMCA, Avon and Catawba Creek Greenways, and even to Walmart or Food Lion if we desired.
Last, but not least …
Coleman’s First Grade Class Edward Sadler Elementary Field Day Photo In front of Gaston County, North Carolina Public School Bus
Cameras: 1st Set: Minolta XG-7 35 mm; 2nd Set: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 3rd Set: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
God Bless. Can you spot Coleman in the last picture? Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
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