Deep Gap, North Carolina
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Silent Sunday: 11.02
Deep Gap, North Carolina
Category: #Memories
Deep Gap, North Carolina
2025 CFFC: Cultural Venues (Here, There, and Yonder)
Dan Antion our host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge has chosen a theme of Cultural Venues for the challenge.
Here are some of my intakes on Cultural Venues we have enjoyed at one time or another. Some venues are close by while others are further away, but all are in my opinion interesting Cultural Venues.
Here are my entries …
Let’s first take a look at some Cultural Venues in our surrounding area …
Belmont, NC
in the Comporium Amphitheater
at Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, SC
Birthplace Visitor Center-Museum
Pineville, NC
Charlotte, NC
Now let’s wander a bit further out and a few other Cultural Venues of interest around the country.
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
on the Blue Ridge Parkway
New Braunfels, Texas
Colorado Springs, Colorado
It Once was a Wax Museum featuring Wax Figures of the Presidents of the United States. The Museum was opened in 1969
and closed in 1996
Creation Museum
Abilene, Texas
Julian, California
Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Cultural Venues
God Bless. Hope you enjoyed the tour. Have a fantastic rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: This week’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) will be focusing on Any Which Ways in Monochrome ( Monochrome doesn’t need to be strictly Black and White).
2025 Numbers Game #96-218
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 218. 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.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Here are my entries …
Close Greenway
Schiele Museum
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Take Care. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monday Window: 27 October
— AI creation by PR
Museum of US
& California Tower
and the
Museum of Us
The Museum of Us in San Diego was formally called the Museum of Man. The name was changed in 2020 to be more inclusive and reflect the museum’s commitment to equity, anti-racism, and decolonization.
The large Tower to the left is known as the California Tower. It is a soaring, intricately detailed, portion of the California Building and is an icon of San Diego which can be seen from miles and miles around. The California Building houses the Museum of Us (aka Museum of Man).
Growing up in San Diego, the Museum of Man in Balboa was a favourite and fascinating place to visit. The entire time I lived in San Diego the Museum was called the Museum of Man. [I’ll probably always remember it as the Museum of Man as that is what it was called in the special time I recall in my memories.]
The Museum of Us(Man) traces its starting point to the Panama–California Exposition, which opened in 1915 on the occasion of the inauguration of the Panama Canal. The central exhibit of the exposition, “The Story of Man through the Ages,” was assembled under the direction of archaeologist Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett of the School of American Archaeology (later renamed the School of American Research and since 2007 the School for Advanced Research).
Between 1935 and 1936, the museum’s name briefly changed to the Palace of Science to correspond with the California-Pacific International Exposition. During this exposition, the museum housed special exhibitions from a variety of sources, such as the Monte Alban exhibit, which featured many artifacts on loan from the Mexican government.
In 1942, the museum underwent a name change to the Museum of Man, reflecting its commitment to anthropological pursuits. The addition of “San Diego” occurred in 1978. The museum is housed in four original buildings from the 1915 Exposition. These include the California Quadrangle, which was designed for the Exposition by American architect Bertram G. Goodhue, and the California Tower, one of the key landmarks in San Diego. The main museum is housed in the California Building with its landmark tower.
The museum’s cultural resources and permanent exhibits focus on the pre-Columbian history of the western Americas, with materials drawn from Native American cultures of the Southern California region, and Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Maya.
The San Diego Museum of Us is one of the best anthropological style institutions in the United States. It is centrally located in Balboa Park, at 1350 El Prado. Besides being a popular attraction for tourists that come to visit the city, it is also a wonderful historic landmark. It is a must visit if you ever get to visit the San Diego area.
Click on image to enlarge.
See Monday Window posts in Reader
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Silent Sunday: 10.26
Christian Campground
Hume, California
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: Hume Lake Christian Campground; Hume, California, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Numbers Game #95-217
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 217. 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.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Here are my entries …
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monday Window: 20 October
— AI creation by PR
Then — & — Now
1974 (My Alma Mater)
— San Diego, California
Click on image to enlarge.
See Monday Window posts in Reader
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 OWS: 12 October — (Remember the) Fallen
Our Fallen Brothers is called Marine Corps Interrogator Translator monument, it honours those who died in combat. The monument is a 38,000 pound stone and is etched with the names of nine Marines who died in combat, some in World War II, Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan.
Marine interrogators and translators worked to question prisoners of war in their native language and translate the information for intelligiance purposes.
The Marine Corps Interrogator Translator Monument serves as a symbol of their sacrifice. This Monument is one of several Memorial Monuments honouring Fallen Soldiers located within the Lejeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, North Carolina near Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base.
Always Remember our Fallen.
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Fallen
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Marine Corps Interrogator Translator Monument; Lejeune Memorial Gardens; Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Remember the Fallen. Honour their Sacrifice. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Forty-Three Years Ago …
I became a mom to my first born son and I have loved you since you were a tiny baby growing inside of me. You are my first rainbow 🌈 baby and you may never understand the significance of your birth or the images I still carry in my mind and heart of your sister or brother who never came to live amongst us in this vast world of ours.
I have watched you grow from infancy into adulthood admiring each and everyone of your life’s accomplishments. I have watched you strive to, grow, learn, develop, and thrive in each and every aspect of your life and I am proud of the man you have become today.
I might not have agreed with all of your life’s decisions, but I will stand by you till the end of time. You are my son, a part of me, and no matter what I will always love you forever and always.
Happy Birthday John!
My First Born Son
October 7th, 1982 —-
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Monochrome Castle Ruins in Germany
These ruin images were captured by my dad when he and my mom visited my brother stationed in Germany while serving in the United States Air Force. These are various perspectives of the Heidelberg Castle Ruins they saw during their visit.
Heidleberg, Germany
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #44-Ruins
Sarah’s Monochrome Madness-Seen in Black and White
Photo Credit: ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm camera
Location: Heidelberg Castle; Heidelberg, Germany
God Bless. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 CFFC: September 23 — Subjects Framed by Things
Dan from No Facilities hosts Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge each week beginning on Mondays with a new theme each week. Dan is doing an excellent job since taking over the challenge and is keeping it fresh and alive continuing Cee’s legacy. This week Dan has chosen the theme of Subjects Framed by Things. He has given examples of doors, windows, bridges, and more that subjects can be used to be framed.
Here are my entries …
Gate Bridge
San Francisco, California
Close Greenway
Fort Mill, SC
at Catawba
River Trailhead
Rock Hill, SC
at Anne Springs
Close Greenway
Fort Mill, SC
Seen through a
Bridge & a Trestle in
Rock Hill, SC
at Anne Springs
Close Greenway
Fort Mill, SC
at Goat Island
Park & Greenway’s playground Cramerton, NC
Click on each image to enlarge.
Dan’s Fun Photo Challenge-Subjects Framed by Things
Photo Credit:©️1979 -2025 Deb L. Waters & Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a funtastic rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Hope to see y’all on Friday with the Which Way Challenge (CWWC). The theme for this week will be … Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way (Your Choice).
2025 Monday Window: 22 September
— AI creation by PR
Church Windows
See Monday Window posts in Reader
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Location: Shining Star Fellowship Church; S. 3rd & Palm; Abilene, Texas USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monochrome Madness (MM) — Symmetry
Dawn from The Day After hosts this week’s Monochrome Madness. She has chosen a theme of symmetry. Symmetry refers to an objects balance and harmonious proportions, having its parts similar corresponding to one another. The image below I think is my favourite symmetrical photo I have and even though I have others I’m saving them for another time.
St. Louis, Missouri
Dawn’s Monochrome Madness-Symmetry
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #43-Symmetry
Photo Credit:©️1985 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Thursday Doors: 11 September
I had planned a different post for this week’s Thursday Doors, but then I realized this Thursday is 09.11. I therefore, decided to delay that post until next week and chose instead to Remember our Fallen Heroes from that fateful day on 09.11.2001.
I will never forget that horribly tragically devastating day of loss when 2,977 innocent lives were taken at the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and on Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Remembering the 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, 8 paramedics, and thousands of civilians, each one someone’s parent, sibling, friend, or child.
I Remember the Lives Lost.
I Remember the Sacrifices Made.
I Remember the Heroes Who Answered the Call.
I Will Never Forget.
North 321
Volunteer
Fire Department
I am thankful for our Firefighters, Police Officers, Paramedics, and the many Volunteers that serve to keep our communities safe. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to serve. Thank you for the kindness you demonstrate to everyone, especially the kindness shown to my grandson by several firefighters and police officers.
These were taken at North 321 Volunteer Fire Department in Lincolnton, North Carolina.
the ins and outs
of the Fire Engine
allowed to sit inside
the Brush 100
delighted to see
the inner workings of
the Fire Department Vehicle
Click on images to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Location: North 321 Volunteer Fire Department; Lincolnton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Hope to see y’all on Friday for the Which Way Challenge. This week the Which Ways will be CWWC: Any Which Way Capturing People Unaware. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Thursday Doors: 14 August
Reed Gold Mine
State Historic Site
The Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States. The discovery of gold from this mine gradually influenced gold mining to nearby counties and eventually into other southern states. During the gold mining peak years, it was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed. The estimated value of gold recovered reached over one million dollars a year. North Carolina led the nation in gold production until 1848, when it was eclipsed by the great rush to California.
Reconstructed Building at
President James K. Polk
State Historic Site
The Reed Gold Mine is located in Midland, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark because of its importance and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At this location there is an underground mine that is open for self-guided tours, historic structures, a visitor center, trails, monuments, and outdoor exhibits.
Dan’s Thursday Doors: 08.14.2025
Photo Credit:©️2014 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Location: Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site; President James K. Polk State Historic Site; Pineville, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Hope to see y’all on Friday for the Which Way Challenge. This week the Which Ways will be your choice. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monday Portrait: 08.11
Robert Palone
Palone Barber Shop
Nowata Museum
Who was Robert Palone and Why is the Palone Barber Shop in a Museum? Those are two excellent questions. Let me begin by telling you about the Palone Barber Shop in relation to Robert Palone.
Robert Palone owned a Barber Shop where he was a renowned barber for nearly sixty (60) years. [That’s a long time to successfully run a business and work in a field.] He was admired and respected by his customers and his community. Prior to owning and operating a barber shop, Robert served in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
Delaware, Oklahoma
Besides being a Barber and owning his own successful Barber Shop; Robert and his wife, Lorene (McKee) Palone owned and operated the Landers Brothers Grocery Store in Delaware, Oklahoma. Robert Palone and Lorene McKee were married on June 26, 1950. In 2020 they celebrated their seventieth (70) wedding anniversary, a milestone in and of itself. Robert passed away just two shirt months after their 70th anniversary. [Side Note: I was supposed to be able to meet them in person and join the family in their celebration, however, with the COVID-19 lockdown that occurrence didn’t happen.]
Lorene McKee Palone lived another four years after his passing. After which the Palone family donated everything you see in the second image which was once owned by Robert & Lorene and was used and contained within the Palone Barber Shop to the Nowata Museum. The Nowata Museum is run by the Nowata County Historical Society in Delaware, Oklahoma. Everything that was furnished by the Palone family was used to construct a new exhibit depicting a mid century barber shop.
Let’s now move on to who Robert Palone and his significance to me personally. Robert connects to me through his wife Lorene’s mother’s side of the family. Lorene’s mother was my maternal grandmother’s sister. Therefore, Lorene is my maternal cousin making us family and hence, making Robert my family as well. Do you understand now who Robert Palone is and his story’s importance to me?
Photos were given to me by the Palone family.
Location: Delaware, Oklahoma, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 OWS — Double the Trouble … Twice the Fun?
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Cozumel, Mexico
with matching Canoes
Warlick Family YMCA
Lady’s Glove
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Double
Photo Credit:©️2020-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a Doubly awesome day and week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Cell Pic Sunday: 08.10
Throwback to 2017
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
Remembering a fun family trip with my daughter and granddaughter to the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. This upcoming week my granddaughter will turn twelve (12). These are memories from when she was four (4).
on an
elephant sculpture
Her mom and I took her down to Columbia, South Carolina to visit the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. It was a special time and memories I will always cherish. [She currently lives with her father & he does not allow her to visit with us even though there is a shared custody agreement.]
petting an
Anglo-Nubian goat
Alona enjoyed being able to pet the goats and other animals in the children’s petting area.
riding a Giraffe
on the
Merry-Go-Round
As well as the merry-go-round and all the amazing animals located within the Zoo.
on a
Gorilla sculpture
Every time we came near any of the animal sculptures she thought she had to go up and climb on them. It made for some interesting poses (or lack of posing).
Happy the Tiger
in the
Riverbanks main plaza
After a long tiring day, we stopped at the entrance/exit area for one final photo opportunity before traveling back home through Great Falls, Lancaster, and finally to get home in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Columbia, South Carolina
with Alona
John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2025.08.10
Throwback Thursday (on Sunday)
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Riverbanks Zoo and Garden; Columbia, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Memories are precious. Treasure your memories. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 A Welcoming Bench in a Garden
Roscoe Village
Memorial Garden
Looking back to a trip my daughter and I took to visit (meet in person) cousins from my mother’s side of the family in Coshocton, Ohio.
Roscoe Village
Coshocton, Ohio
There is an area in Coshocton known as the Historic Roscoe Village. The Historic Roscoe Village is an 1830 Restored Canal Town. Roscoe Village began as a small port town in 1816 after a bankrupt merchant bet that rural farmers would rather do business there than have to shell out 25 cents for the ferryboat to Coshocton.
Today, the restored Roscoe Village stands as a testament to Ohio’s bygone Canal era.
relaxing on a
Welcoming Garden Bench
The Frances Montgomery Memorial Garden is one of nine gardens in Roscoe Village and is located near the Visitors’s Center. This Garden is dedicated to honor Mrs. Frances Montgomery and her passion for gardening. The Gardens are planted throughout this restored 1800’s canal town.
The flower beds were created in the early 1970’s by Frances Montgomery out of her love for gardening. Many of the gardens have historical significance and assist in the education mission of Roscoe Village.
Click images to enlarge.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 32
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Commune with Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Thursday Doors: 07 August
Moses Cone Carriage House
The Moses Cone Carriage House is a significant historical structure located within the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and just a short hike from the Cone Manor.
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and the Moses Cone Carriage House is located near Milepost 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Cone Carriage House was part of the expansive Flat Top Manor estate, built by textile magnate Moses H. Cone and his wife Bertha at the turn of the 20th century.
The estate included the manor house, about 500 acres of farmland, Flat Top Mountain, Rich Mountain, and a vast system of carriage trails.
The Carriage House housed carriages and other equipment used to maintain the estate’s approximately 25 miles of carriage trails. The Carriage House has been preserved as a historical structure within the park, it might possibly be used for maintenance or interpretive exhibits related to the estate’s history.
The Carriage House may not be a prominent visitor attraction on its own, however, it contributes to the overall historical and natural experience of the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, which also includes the Flat Top Manor (the Cone’s former residence), orchards, lakes, and extensive carriage trails.
Note: This section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is open for the public.
Dan’s Thursday Doors: 2025.08.07
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Moses Cone Carriage House; Moses H. Cone Memorial Park; Milepost 294; Blue Ridge Parkway; Watauga County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Get Outdoors and enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Wordless Wednesday: 06 August
Hidden Between Green and Brown
to see who’s Hidden
at Andrew Jackson State Park
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday-06 August 2025
Photo Credit:©️2019 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone XR
Location: Andrew Jackson State Park, Lancaster, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy all of Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 CFFC: 28 July —Time of day_Morning …
Hike in the Mountains
Dan Antion is the host for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge. This week he is continuing with a perspective theme of Time of Day focusing on Morning.
We have had several thunderstorms this week, so therefore we haven’t been out and about much. Instead I’m reminiscing about a trip I took a few years ago with my oldest son for his birthday adventure. Since he wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, I was more than happy to ride along with him.
My entries for this week’s challenge are views from just one of our stops we sidetracked on during his Mountain adventure.
(late morning) in 2017
Bluff Mountain Overlook is located at Milepost 243.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a popular destination along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Bluff Mountain is visible from the Bluff Mountain Overlook. It offers breathtakingly spectacular views.
Mountain View
On a clear day, Bluff Mountain’s visibility is remarkably satisfying and amazingly delightful to gaze upon from the Overlook. At this point in our adventure clear visibility was not to be had, but that did not deter ills from looking around or venturing on a short hike along the Bluff Mountain Trail which is easily accessible from the Bluff Mountain Overlook.
Bluff Mountain Trail passes through grassy meadows and includes a challenging switchback ascent called Alligator Back. Alligator Back is a short twenty (20) minute walk from Bluff Overlook.
Until recently Predatory Birds and Mammals, those which preyed on other animals or were in conflict with humans, were termed “Varmints” and killed on sight. Fortunately, modern Ecology proves the vital interdependency of all wild plants and animals. Today Hawks and Owls, Black Bears, Bobcats, Foxes and Snakes continue to roam Parklands like this and help preserve the delicate balance of nature. [Informational notice on sign.]
Bluff Mountain Overlook
We hiked all around the overlook investigating the Predator area scenic views. To the right in the photo above and in the picture below is my eldest son, John. He is not normally into hiking, but he accommodated me in my thrill to explore the sights and perspective landscapes available to observe, explore, and admire.
As we drove further along the Blue Ridge Parkway our visibility improved dramatically unlike when we parked here at this location and the Air Bellows Overlook.
Parkway Milepost 236.9
Looking forward to checking out all your Morning Scenes. Hope to see y’all on Friday for the Which Way Challenge. This week we’ll be including Shadows in our Which Ways. Interested in finding more details about the Which Way challenge click here.
Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Morning
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus Wide and Telephoto Cameras
Location: Bluff Mountain Overlook; Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 LAPC #357 — Into the Woods — Through the Trees
… A Hiking we shall Go
in Kings Mountain State Park
Let’s take our hearts for a walk in the woods and listen to the magic whispers of old trees…
WILD WOMAN SISTERHOOD
Taking a hike through the woods surrounded by encompassing trees is one of the most invigorating and inspiring activities one could experience and one I truly love to undertake as often and as long as I am able to do so.
I find peace and tranquility while I am hiking through the woods. It is a fascinating opportunity to admire and explore all the beauty nature has to offer. It is a time to renew the(my) mind, relax one’s(my) body, and recharge the(my) spirit within you(me).
“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”
John Muir
All the ins and outs, the twists and turns of a trail remind me that my path in life is not always (or necessarily) meant to be a straight pathway on life’s journey. Only God knows what pathway I should be on and whether I venture off the path or not, God is always there to guide me through life’s trials and triumphs.
“It is a surprising and memorable, as well as valuable experience, to be lost in the woods any time.”
Henry David Thoreau
Whenever I go into the woods I seek to obtain peace and tranquility. The woods are an escape from daily routines and aggravation. The calmness I feel amongst the trees is overwhelming and enhances a sense of calming relaxation, reflection, and revitalization.
“In Every Walk
— John Muir
With Nature
One Receives Far More
Than He Seeks.”
This adventure into the woods was a solo (Coleman was on 11 months at the time) outing I took to get away from the stress and tension within my environment. I ventured onto the trails in Kings Mountain State Park for some time in the woods communing with God and nature.
I hiked along the Lake Crawford Trail twisting and turning along the natural path enjoying the beautiful views along the way. I especially liked viewing the spillway cascading downstream and the amazing views looking out over Lake Crawford.
Click on each image for enhanced enlarged viewing.
Egidio’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #357-Into the Woods
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere (WWE)
Photo Credit:©️2020 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Location: Lake Crawford Trail; Kings Mountain State Park; Blacksburg, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy nature’s beauty. Thankful for the freedom to be outside and in the woods. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Numbers Game #82-204
Judy from Life lessons hosts The Numbers Game . She has chosen the number 204 for this week’s #82” Numbers Game challenge. To play along, go to your photos file folder and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title. This prompt repeats each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog post here.
Here are my contributions to the album.
Alex Marina
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Photo Credit:©️1974-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 OWS: 13 July — Seaside
I have not been to the ocean in years, but we venture to lakes and rivers which are nearby. Here’s a look 👀 at our “Seasides”.
South Fork Catawba River
Riverside Park and Greenway
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Seaside
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #272
God Bless. Have a pleasant and funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Birds of the Week #CXXIV —
Nycticorax nycticorax
Black-crowned night heron
The Black-crowned Night Heron was previously described as Ardea nycticorax, based on specimens from southern Europe. The Swedish naturalist, Carl Linnaeus, placed it in the genus Ardea; the same grouping as herons, cranes and egrets.
It is currently placed in the genus Nycticorax that was described in 1817 by the English naturalist Thomas Forster.
The Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and North and South America.
Black-crowned night herons do not fit the typical body form of the heron family. They are relatively stocky with shorter bills, legs, and necks than their more familiar cousins, the egrets and “day” herons. When they are in a resting position their posture is somewhat hunched, but when they are hunting they extend their necks and look more like other wading birds.
These Black-crowned Night Herons can be spotted along Paradise Point at Mission Bay in San Diego, California.
Photo Credit:©️Valerie Williams Jenkins
Location: Paradise Point Mission Bay; San Diego, California, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 The Numbers Game #79-200
To play along, go to your photos file folder and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title. This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments.
Here are my contributions to the Numbers Game Challenge … Click on photos for enlarged and enhanced viewing.
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 The Numbers Game #77-198
To play along, go to your photos file folder and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title. This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below.
Here are my contributions to the Numbers Game Challenge … Click on photos for enlarged and enhanced viewing.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
My Dad — My Forever Hero
HN Nornal Hule Waters
U.S. Navy Veteran
May 24, 1929 – December 31, 1996
My dad is the very first military veteran I ever met. I have of course had other very close friends and relatives who were also military veterans, however, they do not compare to the importance of my very first military veteran.
In honor of the United States Celebration of Memorial Day and in memory of my father’s birthday I am dedicating this post to my late father, Nornal Hule Waters.
Nornal Hule Waters was born and raised in South Carolina. After completing high school he joined the United States Navy on September 24, 1948 when he was nineteen (19) years of age. He attended basic training in San Diego, California at the Naval Training Center (NTC) located in the Balboa Park area. His specialized training was conducted at the Balboa Naval Hospital.
©️Vintage San Diego
After completion of his training at Balboa Naval Hospital he was stationed on the USS Consolation where he served as a hospital corpsman. Nornal dedicated four (4) years of his life to the United States Navy before his discharge on September 12, 1952.
US Navy
1948-1952
Korean War Veteran
He served his country with honor aboard the USS Consolation during the Korean War. During his time of service he was issued fuel rations which he had to use sparingly.
Nornal Hule Waters, my father, my Forever Hero, my Korean War Veteran. He loved his country and his family. He was a man of Honour.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting, for listening, and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Spring Festival #10 —
Limonium perezii &
Calandrinia ciliata
Welcome to my Week #10 Floral contribution to Dawn’s Spring Festival 2025.
Beautiful Sea Lavender and Red Maids of are a Spring delight along the La Jolla Shores for visitors and locals to enjoy and admire. [In my youth I used to spend a tremendous amount of time along the sands and in the water at La Jolla Shores. At that time I didn’t pay no mind to the floral landscape, but I greatly appreciate its beauty nowadays.]
aka Perez’s sea lavender
and seafoam statice
Sea lavender blooms intermittently for months and nearly year round in frost-free coastal climates. Their dry, papery petals retain the colour well, making them an excellent choice for dried arrangements. They are also ideal for seaside gardens or decorative containers.
& Red Maids
Sea Lavender (Limonium perezii) is primarily pollinated by bees, butterflies, and other flying insects. These insects are attracted to the beautiful clusters of small, fragrant flowers that grow on the plant.
Aka Calandrinia ciliata
Red Maids might be considered weeds in some places, however, in the majority of areas they are considered wildflowers. Red Maids sure have beautiful deep pink flowers that open mostly in the afternoon.
The leaves are edible and cattle love them, but the black oil-rich seeds are what made the plant a substantial part of Southern California Indian diets. The leaves, especially the young leaves and young shoots, may be eaten fresh, although due to their content of oxalic acid, should be eaten sparingly.
The wildlife-friendly plant grows up to about 8″ tall and makes a good ornamental in the garden that is easily plantable by seed.
Dawn’s Spring Festival 2025 #10
Photo Credit:©️2025 Ron May … All Rights Reserved.
Location: La Jolla Shores; La Jolla, California, USA
God Bless. Admire the flowers, watch them grow and bloom. Nature is a beautiful artist painting amazingly beautiful flowers and beautifully colourful landscapes. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 CFFC: Things Made of Fabric
We all use and/or see items made of Fabric every day.
From Quilts:
my Maternal Grandmother
Antique Mall
Berlin, Ohio
To Dolls:
BabyLand General® Hospital
Cleveland, Georgia
To Clothes:
And Even Flags:
I’m sure y’all can figure out and find many other Things Made of Fabric. For information regarding joining in the Fun Foto Challenge check out Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge Home Page Here.
Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge-Things Made of Fabric
God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Throwback Thursday Doors: 15 May
Ford Model T
Ford introduced the Model T in 1908. It was Ford’s universal car that put THE WORLD ON WHEELS. Henry Ford wanted the Model T to be affordable, simple to operate, and durable. The vehicle was one of the first mass production vehicles, allowing Ford to achieve his aim of manufacturing the universal car.
This particular Ford Model T was owned and operated by my late maternal grandfather, Harvey Martin Watson. It is one of the earliest automobiles which I have photos of that were given to me by my maternal grandmother after his passing in 1968. I cherish all of my grandfather’s photos, they contain so much family history within them.
with my Maternal Grandfather,
Harvey Martin Watson
and oldest son
Marvin Houston Watson
On another note; my Paternal Great Grandfather, Thomas E. Waters also owned a Ford Model T. I have a photocopy (somewhere in my files) of a newspaper article from June 1928 which states that my Great Grandfather, Thomas E. Waters was racing his Model T against a car my Grandfather, John Thomas Waters drove. They were racing down the old country road between Lancaster and Bethune, South Carolina when the Model T flipped killing him and injuring his daughter, Francis Penelope Waters (My Paternal Aunt). This is a sad, but true story which I hadn’t known about until I began researching our family history. Model T’s were not designed for speeding down old country back roads.
God Bless. Be careful driving through the back country. Be safe. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Numbers Game #72 —193_12 May
Good Day everyone! I pray everyone and everyone is blessed, safe, and happy.
Judy from LifeLessons is the host for The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 193. Her instructions on how to join the Game and play along our 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 that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below.
Here are my contributions to the album.
Helianthus tuberosus
Click on images for enhanced viewing.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 SYW: Week of 05 May
There are two ways in which you can participate:
Leave your answers to this week’s questions in the comments box below or create your own post and link back to this one.
Ping-backs are activated, but don’t always work properly, so to play safe, leave a link in a comment or if you prefer, leave just the link so that I can see it.
Here are this week’s questions:
- Have you ever danced round a maypole?
The only time I can remember dancing around a Maypole was one year in elementary school. - Does the month of May hold any specific memories or events for you?
The month of May holds memories and events special or significant to me.- 1) 8th — my sister-in-law’s birthday
- 2) 2nd Sunday — Mother’s Day
- 3) 10th — Loss of my Maternal Grandfather
- 4) 19th — My Day
- 5) 24th — My Dad’s Special Day
- 6) 30th — Birth of my Daughter
- Does your country celebrate a May Day holiday?
I haven’t heard or seen anything regarding May Day holidays here in America. I think it is more of an individual or family event with some giving out May Day baskets. - Have you booked a vacation for this year?
I have not booked a vacation for this year. I have dreamed about the possibility of taking a vacation. We all know that is not the same as actually taking a vacation. In reality, I have not had a vacation since 2020.
Gratitude:
“Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.”
– Deepak Chopra
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in my world. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 CFFC: Transportation—Bridges and Ferries
Thank you Dan for keeping Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge alive, challenging, and inspiring. This week Dan is continuing with the Transportation theme. This week’s theme focus is on Bridges and Ferries.
I have so many photos of Bridges and Railroad Trestle Bridges that I could fill multiple posts with multiple images of Bridges. Instead of doing that, I have decided to make my entry selections of Bridges and Ferries from what I have within my archive files.
First off, I am selecting Bridges and a Ferry from our trip to San Francisco a long, long time ago (back in 1979). I do not exactly remember if this trip was strictly a family trip or one taken with my church youth group. I do remember that our church group visited and performed a Christian musical at a few churches up in the San Francisco and San Jose area some year.
On this trip we took the Harbor Emperor Ferry sightseeing around the San Francisco Bay Area viewing the Bridges, the infamous Alcatraz Island, and simply experiencing a wonderful time together as a family.
San Francisco Bridges & Ferry:
Next and lastly, I am travelling further back in time to the 1960’s. My family moved back to San Diego in 1958 shortly before I turned two (2) years old. During the 1960’s the only way to travel from San Diego to Coronado was by Ferry. The Ferries transported passengers and vehicles to and from San Diego and Coronado. They were they only source of transportation to visit the Hotel del Coronado, the Coronado Beach, the military installations including the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB), and the Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island.
The Construction of the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge began between 1967-1969. The Bridge was dedicated on August 2, 1969, with Governor Ronald Reagan providing the dedication address.
I remember travelling on the San Diego Ferries crossing over to Coronado to walk along the Beach with a group of friends. I remember riding the San Diego Ferry with my parents (my dad driving our car onto the Ferry). I remember riding the San Diego Ferry during its last days of operation in 1969 after the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge was completed. [Side Note: I have a certificate and poster verifying I rode the ferry on its last day somewhere in storage.]
Ferry service began once again in April of 1986. The current Ferry service is operated by Flagship Cruises & Events. They currently have two ferries in use, the Silvergate and Cabrillo.
CFFC: Transportation—Bridges and Ferries
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268
Photo Credit: San Francisco) ©️1979 Nornal H . Waters … All Rights Reserved; San Diego; 1-2)©️Tiffany Waters; 3-6) San Diego Historical Society
Be sure to check out this week’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way with Shadows coming up on Friday (posting just after midnight Early Friday morning).
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Sunday Trees: Coastal Redwoods
In my youth my church youth group would go camping 🏕️ up in the Sequoia National Forest and sleep in big green military tents amongst the “gentle giants.”
aka Giant Sequoia
Girls would be in one or two small army tents and boys would be in separate tents in a separate area of the camp. Each tent had a capacity of up to 21 people, however, I think we only had about a dozen teenagers plus 1-2 adult chaperones per tent. [Side Note: when I camp I still sleep in tents].
aka Coast Redwood
It is amazing to walk amongst the Giant Sequoias often referred to as Coastal Redwoods, Coast Redwoods, and “Gentle Giants.” To look up at the sky through the center of a California Pacific Coast Redwood and walk amongst the trees so tall as if reaching up towards the heavens is mesmerizing.
aka California Redwoods
Photo Credit:©️2025 Fred Blackburn … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Avenue of the Giants; Humboldt Redwoods State Park; Weott, California, USA
God Bless. Do you have any giant trees in your neck of the woods? Coleman and I love to walk in the woods enjoying nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 The Numbers Game #70-191
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below. Here are my contributions to the album.
Here are my entries for this week’s Numbers Game …
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monochrome Monday Portrait: 28 April
Farm Portraits
Brother & Sister
and a Pony
Marvin Houston And Doyce Eileen Watson
These images were taken in 1934 in Coshocton, Ohio. They are of my mom when she was about two and a half (2 1/2) years of age and her older brother. When my mom was a young child she lived on a farm and as you can see from the bottom photo they had a pony cart they could ride in. My mom rode, my uncle (her brother) held the reins to drive the pony cart.
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 17
Photo Credit:©️1934 Harvey M. Watson … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Coshocton, Ohio, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Sunday Trees: Washingtonia Robusta
The Mexican Fan Palm is known for its slender, columnar trunk that can reach 100 feet tall and swell slightly at the base. Its trunk is brown and bumpy when young, but smooths and grays over time. It has large, fan-shaped leaves that can grow 3–5 feet wide and have sharp spines at the base.
Washingtonia robusta is one of two species in the genus Washingtonia. The other species closely related to it is the Washingtonia filifera (California Fan Palm). Both Washingtonia are grown as ornamental trees. The Mexican Washingtonia has a narrower trunk (which is typically somewhat wider at the base), and grows slightly faster and taller; it is also somewhat less cold hardy than the California fan palm, hardy to about −8 °C (18 °F).
Mexican washingtonia, or skyduster
The Mexican Fan Palm is normally grown in the desert areas of the Southwestern United States. Those areas include California, Arizona, and southern Nevada, as well as the extreme southwestern regions of Utah and Texas.
Both of the above locations for the Washingtonia robusta are located inland a short distance area from the Coast of the Pacific Ocean. The images were taken in Spring and Summer of 1979 by my father when we visited these places.
Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Location: 1) Hearst Castle; San Simeon, California; 2) Ports O’ Call Village; San Pedro, California, USA
God Bless. Have a marvelous week. Explore Your World. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Thursday Doors: 24 April
I haven’t really taken any pictures of doors since the Cruz-In (we’ll get back to those next week), so I went roaming through my archives to see what I might use that I do not believe I have used as of yet. I found a couple of photos my brother took and passed on to me that were taken in 1980 while he was in the Air Force.
Old Jail Cell Doors under bridge
Amsterdam, Netherlands. 1980
Photo Credit:©️1980 Larry D. Waters (my brother) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Old jail cell under bridge; Amsterdam, Netherlands
God Bless. Take Care. Enjoy your Week. Make Memories. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 CFFC/Numbers Game — Air Travel through the Years
For this post I am combining Dan’s CFFC-Air Travel with Judy’s Numbers Game #69-190. While searching through my photos and archives to find which selections I might like to choose, there’s so many from years back to present it is difficult to limit my choices. Therefore, I decided to combine the two challenges to show y’all some of what I’ve seen in the manner of Air Travel through the years.
Judy with Life Lessons gives us the option of picking a word or words instead of numbers, so that is exactly what I have chosen to do. Dan with No Facilities hosts CFFC (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge) with themes focusing on Transportation. This week’s CFFC theme is focusing on Air Travel . Therefore, my focus for the combined challenges is on Air Travel through the Years.
Let’s begin our Air Travel way back in 1976 … for an amazing Air show by the Thunderbirds.
Randolph Air Force Base
1976
Moving onto 1984 … we pay a visit to the San Diego Air & Space Museum when my dad took my eldest son to the museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
and his grandson, John
1984
From San Diego, we travel to Tucson, Arizona to the Pima Air & Space Museum. This is one of the many stops my parents took on a cross country road trip in 1985. My dad loved anything to do with automobiles, trains, and airplanes.
Tucson, Arizona
1985
We progress to 1987 with a visit to March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California. This was an outing my husband and I enjoyed with our son for him to see the many military Airplanes the museum had on display.
and our son John
1987
Flying way up high in the sky; Up, Up, and Away in Hot Air Balloons we watch the many Hot Air Balloons at the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2002.
International Balloon Fiesta
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Transporting ourselves from one coast to another and through the years we arrive in 2011 at MMS Aviation in Coshocton, Ohio. MMS Aviation is a Christian organization whose mission is to prepare people and airplanes for worldwide missionary service. Friends of ours told my daughter and I about a museum they have we could visit and view the different aircrafts used by missionaries.
Coshocton, Ohio
2011
Jumping or rather soaring into a new decade to 2023, my daughter, grandson (Coleman) and I stop at the local Gastonia Municipal Airport. Coleman was excited and overwhelmed to be able to see the Airplanes up close. We went into the office to make sure it was okay for him to see the aircraft and were pleased to have one of the pilots give us a tour. She explained about the aircraft and even allowed Coleman to sit in one of the Airplanes.
Gastonia, North Carolina
2023
There are many others I could have selected, however, I think these give a nice variety to Air Travel through the Years.
God Bless. Stop on by Friday for the next Which Way Challenge (CWWC) which will be featuring Any Unpaved Roads or Pathways. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 LAPC #344: Abandoned
Anne is the host for this week’s Lens-Artist Challenge with the theme of Abandoned
Thinking about what I might want to use for this challenge took some thinking on my part. Then it took some searching through my archives to find exactly what I was looking for to use. The first set of photos are shared photos from a private group I belong to on Facebook called I Remember Springs Park, Lancaster, SC. These images show what the Abandoned Springs Park Pool looks like in recent years.
Lancaster, South Carolina
This next group of images are from a time when my family along with my dad’s brother’s and sister’s families and my dad’s aunts and uncles as well as my dad’s parents all met up at Springs Park to enjoy a summer day filled with fun, swimming and picnicking in the park.
Lancaster, South Carolina
July 1963
Springs Park has been abandoned since its closure in 1989 and the property is in a state of total disrepair. Springs Recreation Park opened in 1924 and operated until 1989. In its heyday, it was a popular amusement park destination for local residents. It offered a variety of recreational activities, including swimming in an Olympic-style swimming pool, skating in an outdoor skating rink, it had its own bowling alley, miniature golf course and amusement park rides for children of all ages to enjoy.
The Olympic-style pool (16 feet deep) was half-surrounded by an ancient Greek-style amphitheater with a triple-decker high dive platform. It has been stated that the amphitheater was made to house 5,000 onlookers. The Springs Park also featured a Carousel, a small Ferris Wheel and a mini train. I remember the Park also had a “kiddie” pool alongside the Olympic-style swimming pool.
I was young at the time we visited the Park and remember playing in the “kiddie” pool with my younger cousins. I didn’t get to visit Springs Park often because we only visited it when we came to the Carolinas to visit my dad’s family. I still remember getting together with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and having a fabulous fun-filled day playing, swimming, and simply enjoying time with family.
Bonus: My Family at Springs Park …
at Springs Park
Lancaster, South Carolina
My dad took the photos and it appeared our immediate family didn’t get a group photo.
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge-Abandoned
Photo Credit: ©️1963 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) for all but the abandoned photos.
Location: Springs Recreation Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a blessed Easter and a funtastic Spring Break (if you’re able to have one). Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 OWS: 06 April — Creepy
(click on image for enlarged viewing)
This is a throwback photo my dad took back in 1972 on a visit to The Land of Oz. The Land of Oz Theme Park was once a thriving tourist attraction in Beech Mountain, North Carolina. The theme park was inspired by the Wizard of Oz. It operated from 1970 to 1980.
Janet’s One Word Sunday-Creepy
For further information about OWS check out Debbie’s One Word Sunday.
Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm
Digitization: Wolverine Convertor
Location: The Land of Oz Theme Park; Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you Janet for hosting these past three challenges. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Remembering Cee — Your Friendship & Inspiration Lives On
Cee Neuner 1960-2025
Even though I only knew Cee for a relatively short time she had been an inspiration, an encourager, an amazing friend, and all around lovely person to call my friend. I will miss you Cee!
I’ve been participating in Cee’s blogging challenges since 2022. Not long, but seems like she’s been my friend forever. I know she’s looking down upon us and her legacy and inspiration will live on forever and always.
(Zinnia elegans)
“Let no one weep for me, or celebrate my funeral with mourning; for I still live, as I pass to and fro through the mouths of men.”
Quintus Ennius
I believe Cee knew we would cry, but also that she wouldn’t want us to wallow in weeping/mourning. I believe she would want us to remember her live and keep her legacy going on into eternity.
aka “hydrangea viburnum,”
Chinese snowball
“People touch our lives if only for a moment, And yet we’re not the same from that moment on, The time is not important, The moment is forever.”
Fern Bork
Cee touched my life as well as many others on and off of WordPress. She will live on through each and every one of us. She has impacted our/my lives with her wisdom, kindness, compassion, and her love.
“Say not in grief ‘
Hebrew proverbheshe is no more’ but live in thankfulness thatheshe was.”
Cee may have left her earthly home, but she is not really gone. She continues to live on in our hearts and minds. Let’s keep her legacy alive and continue on with love and kindness and respect for one another.
aka Indian Blanket
I know my emotions and tears have been overflowing this week after hearing the news regarding Cee. I will never regret knowing Cee & sharing in her photo challenges, sharing comments & soaking in her advice and knowledge. Even though we never met in person, I feel like I knew her (at least a part of her) and know that I loved her, her spirit, her courage, and her passion. May she continue to live on through all of us.
God Bless. Thinking & prayers for you, Chris & family. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
P.S. I’ve tried working on this ever since I read Becky’s guest post from Chris. I’ve cried, I’ve tried to write & I’ve cried some more. I wrote a little more & than I had Chris’ post on Cee’s blog & I cried some more and even as I complete this post. I will always remember Cee and how she touched my life.
2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): March Week 4 — Any Which Way with Bridges
Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge. Another week has passed and we’re almost through with one-quarter (1/4) of 2025. Hope you’re all doing well and will be joining in on the Which Way Challenge .
This week I have chosen a theme of Bridges. As you can see from my images the Bridges can be of a variety of types from Road Bridges to Swinging Bridges to Garden Bridges. Any type of Bridge will be suitable for this post.
Here are my entries for this week’s Which Way Challenge.
Swinging Bridges:
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Road Bridges & Trellises:
Piedmont Medical Center Trail
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Trail Bridges:
Westminster Park
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Throwback Bridges:
Huntington Library, San Marino, California 1979
(My Dad’s Slides)
Be sure to check out these other Which Ways. Thank you for participating in the Which Way Challenge.
Tgeriatrix’s Animals on the road
GERIATRI’X’ FOTOGALLERY’s ANIMALS ON THE ROAD
Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Any Which Way with Bridges
Photo Credit: 1-8) ©️2022-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 CFFC: Fun with Food
Fun with Outdoor Cooking & ??
Thank you Dan for continuing Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, can’t say it enough how much it is appreciated and challenging.
This week Dan has chosen the theme of Fun with Food and I have chosen to taken the Fun with Food Outdoors. My selections vary from cooking on open fires, to eating, and some cooking demonstrations. It’s all good and fun and what more fun can be had then by the fresh air and the smell of hot Food cooking over an outdoor fire-pit.
I enjoy camping and cooking on an open fire whenever feasible. Most of these are from years back when I practically lived in the campgrounds. The two photos from the President James K. Polk Historic Site were taken during a Presidents’ Day Celebration in 2014.
The images taken at Andrew Jackson State Park (AJSP) were taken either while camping in or at the Andrew Jackson Birthday Celebration in 2018-2019. I have spent quite a bit of time camping over the years and a lot of time spent in AJSP. I also whenever I am able volunteer at various events held at AJSP as a member of Friends of Andrew Jackson State Park (AJSP).
State Park
Lancaster, SC
State Park
Lancaster, SC
State Park
Lancaster, SC
Historic Site
Pineville, NC
Historic Site
Pineville, NC
State Park
Lancaster, SC
State Park
Lancaster, SC
State Park
Lancaster, SC
State Park
Lancaster, SC
State Park
Lancaster, SC
Andrew Jackson
State Park
Lancaster, SC
Close Greenway
Fort Mill, SC
a picnic in
Lake Wylie, SC
Anne Springs
Close Greenway
Fort Mill, SC
Hopefully one day in the future I’ll be able to take Coleman camping. He wants a tent and to go camping, I’m just not sure he would stay in the tent at night and not wander off.
Photo Credit:©️2014-2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 OWS: 9 March — Haze
Hazy Skies
Over the
Blue Ridge Mountains
Debbie’s One Word Challenge theme this week is Haze. My entries this week are from a trip with my eldest son in 2017. He had a birthday wish to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We drove to the Parkway beginning our trip in Lancaster, South Carolina driving through Chester to the US-321N. This direction led us through Blowing Rock before traversing over onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. We (He) drove the Parkway from this southern point all the way to the North Carolina/Viginia Border. We did not drive the Virginia portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We stopped at various milestones along the parkway for breaks, hiking, and to check out the scenery. At a few stops we incurred a bit of Haze which impaired the views somewhat.
We stopped more on the way back southbound than we did going northbound. Our northern most stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway was at Stone Mountain Overlook at Milepost 232.5. We stopped here shortly before proceeding to Stone Mountain State Park in Roaring Gap, North Carolina where we hiked the Stone Mountain Loop Trail. We had great views of Stone Mountain, saw the Middle and Lower Waterfalls, and visited the Hutchinson Homestead. The Hutchinson Homestead is a mid-19th century farm with well maintained old buildings, a large meadow with terrific views of Stone Mountain State.
Our next stops were at Devils Garden Overlook at Milepost 235.7; Doughton Park at Milepost 241.1; Bluff Mountain at Milepost 243.4; Raven Rocks Overlook at Milepost 289.5; Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (not pictured) at Milepost 294.1; Craggy Gardens (not pictured) at Milepost 364.6; and Mount Pisgah at Milepost 408.6.
It was a long enjoyable drive and valuable experience full of memories spent with my eldest son. As you can see from the images some of our views were obscured and opaque due to the hazy atmosphere.
Photo Credit: ©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Blue Ridge Parkway; North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have you had any hazy days lately? Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Monochrome Madness #29 – Chair or Chairs
Chairs are Everywhere
The host this week for Monochrome Madness is Brian from bushboy.blog. Brian has chosen a theme of Chair or Chairs for this week’s challenge. Let’s play along and discover what Chairs we can find.
Everywhere Coleman and I go there’s always someplace Coleman can find to Pull Up a Seat …
We might find a Chair to Pull Up a Seat at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden …
Or we might find a Chair to relax in The Center …
We could locate a table and Chairs to Pull Up a Seat and enjoy a refreshing drink and snack before continuing on a hike …
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Then there’s a chance we could spot a couple of Chairs on display in an office setting at a museum …
Gastonia, North Carolina
Coleman and I enjoy Pulling Up a Seat in a camping Chair at a State Park after a long hike around the lake …
Lancaster, South Carolina
But a fond memory of a place of comfort was the opportunity to Pull Up a Seat on my paternal grandparents front porch.
Great Falls, South Carolina
Now over to y’all to show us some Chairs by clicking here.
Brian’s Monochrome Madness #29-Chair/Chairs
XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 9
Photo Credit: 1-5)©️2020-2025 Deb L. Waters … 6) ©️1978 From my Dad’s Slides
Cameras: 1-4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i; 5) Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max; 6) Minolta XG-7 35mm (my dad’s).
God Bless. Pull Up a Seat for a spell. Enjoy the peace and comfort of a day’s journeys ending. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rocky Shores of the Catawba
Greetings my friends and fellow bloggers. We’ve had some days where the weather’s been a bit warmer, but do not be fooled. Some cooler days are still gonna be hanging around reminding us that Winter is in no way over yet.
Sitting here enjoying the peace and quiet of the evening’s (Coleman’s asleep) fleeting moments; I’m reflecting and remembering a Spring hiking adventure Coleman and I took to the Fort Mill Dam. My memories fade from time to time, however, the wonderful feeling my memories of time past spending time together will always remain with me (and hope with Coleman as well.)
On this day in 2021 (Coleman was only one year and ten months old), Coleman and I decided to visit the Fort Mill Dam while his mom was working. We dropped his mom off at work and then using directions she gave me (keyed into GPS) we proceeded to locate the entrance to the parking lot for the Fort Mill Dam.
As usual, for us, we walked down to the water to look around. However, we are never satisfied until we hike around the entire area. Therefore, we wandered past the main access to the Catawba River and ventured downstream to get a closer look at the Dam. The area closest to the dam is rather Rocky according to my memory and these photo images I snapped on the particular day.
The vast amount of rocky shoreline did not prevent Coleman from investigating the area surrounding the Dam. He climbed up and down and all around the rocks. We saw quite a number of Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) on the rocks and in the water. Coleman had an amazing time visiting the Fort Mill Dam and hiking around the river. He loved watching the various species of birds flying to and fro over the water as well as swimming in the river. Oh, it’s good to reflect and recall memories we are forging together.
Photo Credit: 2021 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: Catawba River Access; Fort Mill Dam; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Be Grateful for the Memories and the loved ones you share with them. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Seeking Hands — Helping Hands
… Loving Hands
While I focused a few of my images specifically on the Hands, others I chose to capture the whole experience of Coleman using and/or displaying his Hands.
Here are my entries for week’s Monochrome Madness hosted by the Blog Stupidity Hole.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #28 -Hands
Stupidity Hole’s Monochrome Madness-Hands
God Bless. Take Care of Yourself and Each Other. Help one another. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 