Take a Ride with Us on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
After a scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is nice to take a stroll or a crawl down the Scarecrow Pathway in Millstone Park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Bonus for October: Any Halloween themed Which Way Photo:
This challenge is different for me. Compared to others most of my moon 🌙 shots seem rather small and insignificant. I do not have proper equipment to get really close up photographic shots of the moon, however, I capture what I am able. The really close-up images were taken by a friend of mine or taken via a planetarium show of the moon 🌝 . I decided to post the photos through a video instead of individual images. I hope y’all enjoy the show.
Moons over the years Moonlight Sonata (by Beethoven)
I mostly see Spider Webs. It is a rare occasion when I can see and capture a Spider 🕷️ in its web. I’m not well mastered in the art of capturing Spiderwebs when I’m snapping photos out in nature. That being said; here is my contribution for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #29.
I have to admit I only see some “wild” animals in zoos since they are not native to my area. Therefore this first few are animals I’ve seen in various Zoos.
Wildlife in Zoos:
African Bush Elephant Reticulated Giraffe ZebrasKittens
The best time of the year to photograph water lilies or spider lilies in the Carolinas is mid-May through early June. That is when they are at their peak and estimated in 100% full peak of magnificence. These Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies were shot at Landsford Canal State Park. The Landsford Canal State Park is the home of the world’s largest population of Rocky Shoals Lilies. They bloom annually on the shoals along the Catawba River. You can get a closer look at the Spider Lilies if you access the river via a canoe or kayak. There is a 1.5-mile roundtrip Canal Trail you can hike which will take you to an overlook where you can get a panoramic view of the botanical white wonder of the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies. Landsford Canal State Park is located in Catawba, Chester County, South Carolina.
Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, South Carolina Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) Kings Mountain State Park Blacksburg, South Carolina Fern Forest Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina Fern Trail Crowders Mountain State Park Kings Mountain, North Carolina Whatever We May Face We Have NOTHING TO FEAR And Everything To Hope For In Christ
Huntington Botanical Gardens San Marino, CaliforniaPrickly Pear Cacti Fort Mill, South Carolina Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Belmont, North Carolina Metal Prickley Pear Cactus Décor Abilene, Texas
Nature’s Pollinators More than just Bees Lindsay Pettus Greenway Lancaster, South Carolina Clover, South Carolina Mason Bees 🐝 McDowell Nature Center and Preserve Charlotte, North Carolina Xylocopa virginica, sometimes referred to as the Eastern Carpenter Bee 🐝 Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina Pollinator Habitat Eastern Bumble Bee McDowell Nature Center and Preserve Charlotte, North Carolina Eastern Carpenter Bee 🐝 Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina Town Hall Busy Bees Fall Scarecrow Display Fort Mill, South Carolina My Granddaughter, Alona, in a Bee 🐝 Outfit April 15, 2014 Charlotte, North Carolina
The place I consider my Haven of Peace would be around the lake at Andrew Jackson State Park. Whenever I feel stressed and need a breath of fresh air and communion with nature, AJ State Park has been my go to place for years. It used to be a short distance from where I lived, not so much now.
Nowadays,my circumstances have changed. I do not have ready access to a vehicle anymore, so I can not just jump in a car and go to AJ like I used to.
What I do lately is to go out to a park, a greenway, or any place out in nature where I can be amongst the trees, creeks, rivers, or lakes. I often (when I have transportation) go hiking with my grandson. He loves being out in the woods with me. It is so peaceful. We enjoy gazing out upon the water wherever we might wander. When we are out in the woods the trails we hike are more likely than not next to or parallel to a lake or river.
When near a lake or river we stop, relax, and breath it all in and let the stress or worries flow out of us. The waters emanate a soothing, calming affect which is extremely peaceful.
These are all photos taken around the lake at Andrew Jackson State Park, my Haven of Peace.
Trees 🌲 in Anne Springs Close Greenway Horse 🐎 Stables Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina Coleman amongst Trees along the Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway Blue Star Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina Trees 🌲 and Tree 🌲 Reflections Anne Springs Close Greenway Lake Haigler Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina (Photo Credit: Larry Underwood)Hammock all set up for Relaxation Surrounded by Trees 🌲 Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, South Carolina Coleman hiking along Persimmon Trail lined with Trees 🌲🌲 Belmont, North Carolina Where did Coleman go? Is he hiding within the Trees 🌲? He’s hard to keep up with, I always have to tell him to slow down & wait for me to catch up. Persimmon Trail from Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Belmont, North Carolina
Ducks are not seen in my area as much as Geese are, but I managed to find a few to share:
Female Mallard DuckA pair of Mallard Ducks. The male is front and center. The males are more colorful than their female counterparts. Duclair Ducks seen while visiting the Greenville Zoo Greenville, South Carolina Mallard Duck Cane Creek Park Waxhaw, North Carolina
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 