2024 CFFC: September – Piles or Stacks

Here are entries for this week’s CFFC:

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) – Piles or Stacks

Photo Credit: ©2019-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1 & 3) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 2, 4-5) Canon EOS Rebel T3i; 6) iPhone XR

Locations: 1-5) Gastonia, North Carolina; 6) Babyland General Hospital; Cleveland, Georgia, USA

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

2024 Wordless Wednesday: 09.25

Squirrel 🐿️ Watching

Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern gray squirrel

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Photo Credit :©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History Nature Trail; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Seven Pebbles for #Seven for September

Seven Pebbles
Seven Pebbles +
a few more

Becky’s Squares

Macro Monday

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

Monochrome Cell Pic Sunday/Monday Portrait

John’s Cell Pic Sunday

Becky’s Squares 

Monday Portrait

Monochrome Monday

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max 

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

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

Flashback Seven Years to 2017 —- A Fun Drive

Destination Fun

Blue Ridge Parkway

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway from South Carolina to the Virginia Border and back down to Pisgah National Forest and then on into South Carolina once again was a trip I’ll always remember.

It has been seven years since I made that trip with my eldest son. We took the drive on his birthday weekend in October 2017. We stopped at various milestones along the Blue Ridge Parkway to see the beautiful views and tour a few different places along the route. We stopped at Stone Mountain State Park in Roaring Gap, North Carolina and hiked the Stone Mountain Loop Trail beginning at the Upper Trailhead. We continued driving the Blue Ridge Parkway once we left Stone Mountain State Park; we drove to Wilson, North Carolina (Wilson was my married name & the surname of my children.)

On the adventure South on the Parkway, we took a detour to my Cousin Jim’s Produce Market for some fresh produce & a break to stretch our legs. Before we arrived at Jim’s Produce, we stopped for a photo by the Doc and Merle Watson Highway sign ( Doc & Merle Watson are my fourth cousin & fourth cousin once removed respectively).

Venturing further south, we stopped at several more milestones to enjoy the beautiful scenery and views overlooking the valley. We stopped for supper at The Pisgah Inn’s restaurant. The food was delicious and the views were spectacular. The Pisgah Inn is located in the Pisgah National Forest amongst the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway (Blue Ridge Pkwy Milepost 408.6, Waynesville, NC).

It was a lovely and enjoyable trip, not just for the scenery, but always for the quality time spent with my son. Click on each photo for enhanced viewing. Have a wonderful day!

Lens-Artists Challenge #316 – Destination: Fun

Becky’s Squares 

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Memories

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Location: Various locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway; North Carolina

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in our adventure memories. If you have the opportunity I’d recommend driving the Blue Ridge Parkway. You’ll enjoy the scenery as much as we did. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CPC: The nights are drawing in

Soon Nightfall will begin earlier and earlier, as Autumn approaches the sunsets come more quickly (or so it may seem) and we adjust accordingly. These are some of my favourites, hope you enjoy them. Click on each photo to enlarge for enhanced viewing.

Cosmic Photo Challenge

#CosPhoChal

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

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

Words for Thought #35: 09.17

Don’t Worry … God’s Got It.

He Cares for You!

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Think About It Tuesday

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much. 

2024 SYD: September 15

Clare from Clare’s Cosmos hosts the Share Your Desktop Challenge. She invites everyone to share what is on the desktop and/or our smartphones wallpapers and/or screensavers.

Here are my wallpapers and screensavers for September.

From my iPhone 14 Pro Max:

Personal Focus

Coleman

Reading Focus

My Mom at Gateway Arch

Hiking Focus

Sequoia National Forest

Television Focus

Coleman-Magnetic Tiles

Work Focus

Coleman in the Kitchen

From my HP Laptop:

Laptop Screensaver

San Diego Wild Animal Park

Laptop Wallpaper Background

Washington D.C.

Clare’s Share Your Desktop

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit: 2-3 & 6-7)©️Nornal H. Waters; 1, 4-5)©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Minolta XG-7 35 mm & iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

Numbers Game—Seven Years Ago Memories

Here are my entries for Judy’s Numbers Game for this week. These are all from 2017, seven (7) years ago. Previous Memories.

Judy’s Numbers Game #38-159

Becky’s Squares-#Seven for September

Throwback Thursday

Pull Up a Seat

Six Word Saturday

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

2024 Thursday Trios — Flags in the Park

American Flag, POW Flag,
North Carolina Flag
Lineberger Park
Gastonia, North Carolina

Carol’s Thursday Trios-09.12

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Lineberger Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 Monday Window: 09.09 — Government Windows

Gaston County

Department of Social Services

Department of
Social Services facility

This DSS facility, the County Courthouse, Sheriff’s Office, and County Jail were all designed by Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects and were constructed simultaneously. These facilities firm the Gaston County Governmental Complex.

The Department of Social Services facility is approximately 127,890 square feet and contains all the Social Services offices and functions which were previously scattered throughout Gaston County.

Ludwig’s Monday Window 

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Seen from the Bradley Station Dog Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 Macro Monday: 09.09

Butterfly-bush

Pink Butterfly-bush

Macro Monday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Lineberger Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 CellPic Sunday: 09.08 — Lineberger Park

Lineberger Park
Gastonia, North Carolina

John’s CellPic Sunday

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Lineberger Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God bless. Get out and enjoy the outdoors. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Seven Butterfly-bush blossoms delight your Saturday

Butterfly-bush

Becky’s Square Challenge

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Lineberger Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Take time to enjoy the beautiful flowers. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Weekend FOTD: 09.07/.08 – #Seven (7) for September—Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus

Aka Yellow Day-Lily
Yellow Day-lily

Cee’s Weekend FOTD

Becky’s Squares

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

All about Bugs, Squares, & Games

#Seven Bugs/Insects for September

Instead of separate posts I decided to combine Terri’s Sunday Stills with Judy’s Numbers Game and Becky’s Squares Challenges. Therefore, instead of using the number 158, I have chosen to use the Words Bugs and Insects to use for Judy’s Numbers Game this week. Oh, of course, going along with Becky’s Squares Challenge they will all be Squared. The words Bugs and Insects fits right into Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge-All about Bugs.

Uno (One, 1):

Ebony Jewelwing
(Calopteryx maculata)
AKA Black-winged Damselfly
June 2017 on Canon EOS Rebel T3i Sesquicentennial State Park
Columbia, South Carolina

Dos (Two, 2):

Acanthocephala Declivis
Giant Leaf-footed Bug

Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Tres (Three, 3):

Argiope aurantia
AKA yellow garden spider
Black and Yellow Garden Spider
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Cuatro (Four, 4):

Melanoplus differentialis
Differential grasshopper
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Cinco (Five, 5):

Libellula luctuosa
Widow skimmer
Species of dragonfly
July (7) 2023
Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Lake Haigler
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Seis (Six, 6):

Siete (Seven, 7):

Scolia dubia AKA
 Two-spotted Scoliid Wasp 
or a Blue-winged Scoliid Wasp
& Megachile montivaga
Silver -tailed Petalcutter Bee
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Warlick Family YMCA
Gastonia, North Carolina

Terri’s Sunday Stills- All about Bugs

Judy’s Numbers Game: #37-158

Becky’s Squares-#Seven for September

Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

A Look Back to February 2017 — #Seven for September

Looking back to a trip I took seven years ago to Jacksonville, North Carolina; I visited with my sons. My eldest son, John and I toured the Lejeune Memorial Gardens on February 2017. The Lejeune Memorial Gardens honors those who serve our country and is a place to gather to remember those who have given the greatest sacrifice for our freedom. It is home to the Beirut Memorial, the Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Montford Point Marine Memorial, and 9/11 Memorial Beam from the World Trade Center.

Beirut Memorial 
Taken at 3:47pm
in February 2017
(Also was the 7th photo
I took at the Gardens)
Eagle, Globe and Anchor Sculpture
at Lejeune Memorial Gardens
Taken at 3:27pm
in February 2017.

Whenever I visit Veterans Memorial Gardens I reflect on the men and women in my family who have served in the United States Armed Services. I thank God for their services and sacrifices they made to ensure the Freedom I am so freely able to enjoy today.

Becky’s Squares-#Seven for September

Photo Credit: 2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Location: Lejeune Memorial Gardens; Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, USA

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

Birds of the Carolinas #17/Bird of the Week #LXXIX

Anas platyrhynchos

The Anas platyrhynchos is commonly known as Mallard or wild duck. The males (also called drakes) have green heads, while the females (called hens) have mainly brown speckled plumage.

The Mallard is approximately 50-65 centimeters (20-26 inches) long, the body making up the majority (about two-thirds) of their length. They are oftentimes slightly more heavier than the most othe dabbling ducks, weighing 0.7-1.6 kilograms (1.5-3.5 pounds).

Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes. The Mallards shown here are quite commonly seen at Rankin Lake and other local lakes and parks in the vicinity.

They are a very adaptable species in that they are able to live and thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localised, sensitive species of waterfowl before development.

The name Mallard originally referred to any wild drake, and sometimes it is still associated in this way.

Mallards tend to frequently interbreed with their closest relatives in the genus Anas, which for example might be the American black duck. They might possibly interbreed with other species, such as the northern pintail or various hybrids that could be fertile.

In North America, Mallards winter in the south to southern United States and Northern Mexico. [The Mallards here were shot on camera in January, mid-winter for the southern United States.]

In summer, a combination of hot temperatures and reduced water levels place mallards at an increased risk of contracting botulism. Outbreaks of botulism among mallard populations can lead to mass die-offs.

Birds of the Carolinas

Birds of the Week LXXIX

Photo Credit ©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Location: Rankin Lake Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA 

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

2024 Squared Macro Monday

Begonias

Pink Clubbed Begonias
Shot at 7:17 am

Macro Monday

Becky’s Squares-#Seven for September

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 Last on the Card – August

Brian’s Busboys World is the host for Last on the Card requests us to share our last photo on our SD cards or on our phones for August 31 or whenever your last photo was taken. No editing — just however it came out in focus, blurry, or whatever it may be. No explanations necessary. Be sure to create a pingback to Brian’s post or leave a link in his comments. Be sure to tag your post with The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard.

Here are my Last on the Card photos for August:

From my Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max:

Coleman’s Brio Railroad design

From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i:

From my Dad’s Minolta XG – 7:

The last photo I digitized in August.

Brian’s Busboys World is the host Last on the Card

God Bless. Have a great week and join in on the fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Splendid Array Of a Sweetly Scented Garden

Becky has resumed her Square Challenge for September with the theme of Seven for September. It has been Seven (7) years since the first Squaring Challenge Adventures began, thus remembering the good times of Squaring for Seven.

I have not been Squaring for Seven years, however, I have enjoyed being apart of Becky’s Square Challenge. I will do my best with this new theme of Seven for September.

As Becky so cordially reminded us that September was originally the Seventh month of the year in the Roman calendar; it is fitting to see what everyone decides to post for Seven for September. September comes from the Latin word septem which means, you guessed it, seven.

Here is my first selection for this month’s Becky’s Square Challenge:

Garden of Flowers
Taken on July 7, 1978 at 12:07pm

Becky’s Square Challenge

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️1978 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm

Location:Huntersville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a Sunny Square September Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Weekend FOTD: 08.31/09.01 — HT Landscape Begonias

Begonia cucullata

Begonias landscaped around the entrance to Harris Teeter (local grocery store).


Begonia cucullata are also known as clubbed begonia and wax begonia. When grown as groundcover, the flowers of the plant are red, pink, or white that bloom in summer or year-round in warmer places, and the fruits have three wings. [This time of year it is extremely hot here (I know it could be hotter) in the mid-nineties. These begonias thrive where we (Coleman and I) are overwhelmed by the extreme heat and are rolling in sweat just walking him to school and back home.

Cee’s Weekend FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Harris Teeter; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 CFFC: Square or Rectangles

My entries for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge I acquired from searching in my archives are shown below.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

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

2024 FOTD: 08.27 —

Pink Velour Crape Myrtle

The Pink Velour Crape Myrtle is a type of Lagerstroemia indica crape myrtle tree. The flower colouring changes with the season. In the summer its blooms are a bright Hot Pink changing to a burgundy in the fall.

One can find the Lagerstroemia all across the Southern Atlantic States. Similar to the southern Magnolia, the crape Myrtle has come to symbolize the American South due to its extensive planting and ability to thrive in hot, humid summer climates with regular precipitation. It has brilliant color in late summer and autumn unlike other trees/shrubs which have already exhausted their blooms.

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Floral Macro Monochrome Monday: 08.26 — Liriope muscari 

Liriope muscari is commonly referred to as big blue lilyturflilyturfborder grass, and monkey grass. It has grass-like evergreen foliage and lilac-purple flowers which produce single-seeded berries on a spike in the fall.

It is late summer here, however, these Big Blue Lilyturf can be spotted around all over the city in landscape manicured gardens. They are one of the few plants in bloom right now besides the varieties of Crape Myrtle.

Being an easy plant to grow, landscapers tend to use the Liriope muscari as groundcover for borders along sidewalks, trails, driveways, shrubbery, and trees. It is one of the most popular groundcovers in the southeastern United States.

Monochrome Monday

Macro Monday

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Monochrome Monday 

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

Amazing Beach Finds for Monochrome Madness

West Coast — East Coast Finds

The majority of beaches are more than three hours away from where we live except for around the lakes. It has been awhile since I’ve been to any beaches, so I combed through my archives to see what I could sea.

Here are my findings from out along the WEST Coast and Pacific Northwest Coast.

Moving back to the East Coast, we can Sea these beautiful and interesting beach finds.

Brian’s Monochrome MadnessFound(on the beach)

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #15-At the Beach

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Throwback Thursday

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

2024 Weekend FOTD: 08.24/.25 — Lagerstroemia indica

Lagerstroemia indica,
AKA Crape Myrtle

Cee’s Weekend FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

2024 FOTD: 08.24 — Catawba Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica ‘Catawba’

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gardner Park Elementary School; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 OWS: Lime or Lemon

—- Out in Nature

Good Day y’all! For this week’s challenge I dug into my archives to see what Lime or Lemon colours I could find to fit the theme. Hope y’all enjoy the selections I found.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Lime or Lemon

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit: ©️2020-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

Words for Thought #32: 08.20

Rooted & Grounded in Love

Ephesians 3:17-19

Think About It Tuesday

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Russ Adair ( My cousin ) … All Rights Reserved. 

Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the flowers. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much. 

2024 Judy’s Numbers Game #35 — 156

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 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.

Here are my 156 & variation contributions for this week of Judy’s Numbers Game #35-156 (Hope the numbers right—I got in a hurry, sorry).

Judy’s Numbers Game #35-156

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

1-2-3 Cell Pic Photo Processing — August 2024

Macrolepiota procera

the parasol mushroom

Original
Monochrome

John’s CellPic Sunday

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge-August 2024

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Photo Processing done via Pixlr

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

2024 SYD: August

Clare from Clare’s Cosmos is asking all of us once again to share our desktops. All you need to do is share the photo (not your actual desktop) you have set as your wallpaper. Provide whatever information you desire about the photo. Use a pingback, or post a link to her blog here so she knows you’ve joined in on the funThen, enjoy sharing the fun around.

Here are my August Desktops

From my Laptop:

My Laptop Screensaver Wallpaper-

Coleman

My Laptop Wallpaper Background-

Vincent Thomas Bridge
Only Suspension Bridge in Greater Los Angeles area.
Links San Pedro with Terminal Island
Los Angeles Harbor
Port O Call
Los Angeles, California

Photo Credit:©️1979 Nornal H. Waters ( My dad)

From My iPhone 14 Pro Max

Personal Focus-

Coleman in the Playground

Television Focus-

Coleman with his Magnetic Tiles

Hiking Focus-

Lindsay Pettus Greenway

Reading Focus-

Alaskan Brown Bear
Photo Credit:©️2024 John Palone (cousin)

Work Focus-

Coleman in the Kitchen

Come on along and join the fun. Share one or more, it doesn’t matter whether the photos are from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or your smartphone wallpaper(s). 

Clare’s Share Your Desktop-August 2024

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s desktop photos. Have a wonderful week. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 FOTD: 08.12 — Rosa ‘Anuschka’ 

Rosa ‘Anuschka’ 

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens.

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

2024 Weekend FOTD: 08.10/11

Loropetalum chinense 

Loropetalum chinense 
Plum Delight
Chinese Fringe flower

Weekend FOTD

Photo Credits: ©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens

Location: Martha Rivers Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Birds of the Carolinas #15

House Sparrows

The House Sparrow is a common to abundant resident throughout the Carolinas. These birds can be found nesting almost everywhere people live. They are often strongly associated with man-made habitats. They are found in the Piedmont region year-round in good numbers with counts sometimes as high as 300 in a single day.

The House Sparrow is a small bird with a typical length of merely 16 centimeters (6.3 inches). Females and young birds are colored pale brown and grey. The males have brighter black, white, and brown markings.

The House Sparrow feed on almost any type of seed or grain, and also enjoy eating insects. Even though insects are considered highly nutritional being rich in protein calcium, and low in carbohydrates; I think I will pass.

South Carolina Ornithologists consider the House Sparrow to be noisy, quarrelsome, and aggressive. I have not noticed them being aggressive. I have seen them flighty and a little noisy, but then I like hearing the variety of sounds from different birds.

The House Sparrow, having originally been native to Eurasia, has adapted to and thrived within man-made environments throughout the world for hundreds of years.

Birds of the Carolinas

Bird of the Week LXXIII

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters (except where noted) … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Martha Rivers Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 Weekend Sky: Cloud Ripples and Sunset

Gastonia Sky
Lancaster Sunset

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

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

2024 Macro Monday: 07.22

Coneflower

Centaurea cyanus
AKA Cornflower

or Bachelor’s button

Macro Monday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

2024 One to Three Photo Processing—July

Daucus carota L.

Queen Anne’s lace

Original
Monochrome
Google Alpaca Filter
Pixlr Blur + Watercolor + Sharpen & Smooth Effects
PicCollage Editing Filters: Watercolor + Retro 1 + Sparkle 4 Overlay + Vibrance 16

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge-July 2024

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

2024 Judy’s Numbers Game #29 — 150

A Hodgepodge of Pix

Blue Ridge Mountains
North Carolina, USA
Fountain at
Central Ohio Technical College
Newark, Ohio
License Plates Display
NC Transportation Museum
Spencer, North Carolina
Business Garden
Gastonia, North Carolina
Grave Marker
for Eddie W. Waters
( my Paternal Uncle)
Great Falls, South Carolina

A Hodgepodge of Coleman

Judy’s Numbers Game #29-150

Cee’s Flower of the Day

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I look forward to seeing y’all’s pictures for Judy’s Numbers Game. I appreciate y’all very much.

Birds of the Carolinas #14

American Crows

Crows are arguably the most familiar birds in America. Interestingly, what you might it realize is that in much of the eastern part of the U.S., including the South Carolina Lowcountry, there are actually two different species of crows, and they look alike.

One of these is the ubiquitous American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), found across most of North America. The American Crow is the crow most often seen and recognized. It is a large, clever, black bird with a harsh voice and a big personality.

Photo Credit: © 2017 Henry Burton

The second type of Crow the Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus), which occurs along the Atlantic coast from southern Maine to Florida, and along the Gulf. The American Crow and the Fish Crow are members of the family Corvidae, which includes many familiar and intelligent birds, including rooks, jays, and ravens.

Here we are concentrating on the American Crow. The American Crow (formerly named the Common Crow) is an iridescent black crow is common throughout the Carolinas and is known for its “caw-caw” call. The are permanent residents with migratory movements. They are especially abundant throughout the winter season.

Photo Credit: © 2021 Melissa Hafting
Macaulay Library

American Crows are known for being smart, adaptable, and resourceful, and can use tools to find food. They preferably nest in mixed pine and hardwood forests. They forage in open areas such as croplands, pastures and landfills. In urban areas, it is possible for them to use parks and tree-lined streets as roosting and nesting locations.

Crows represent change and transformation which in some cultures are seen as a “bad” omen if you see their appearance. The appearance of one or a flock of crows may indicate temporary and unexpected changes are coming. In Native American culture, crows are signs of knowledge and law. Seeing one of these black creatures is often a mark of good luck, justice, or wisdom.

Birds of the Carolinas

Bird of the Week LXXII

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

2024 Monday Portrait: 07.08

A Boy & His Dog

Tippy & Ray

Monday Portrait

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 CellPic Sunday: 07.07

Eulithis diversilineata

Eulithis diversilineata

Lesser Grapevine Looper
Our Backyard Visitor

John’s CellPic Sunday

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 Weekend FOTD: 07.06/.07 ——

Dianthus

Dianthus (Telstar Carmine Rose)

Weekend FOTD: 07.06/.07

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Glad you are home and joining in when able with Chris’ help. Thank you Chris for taking good care of our friend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Floral Friday: July 5th —- Colouring Flowers #27

Sunny Sunflower Sends

Sunshine to your Soul

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Take time to Smell the Flowers. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

2024 FOTD: 07.04

Hospital Gardens

Huntersville Oaks

Huntersville Oaks is a short-term nursing and rehabilitation facility located in Huntersville, North Carolina. Huntersville is in northern Mecklenburg County just north of Charlotte, North Carolina.

My paternal grandfather stayed here receiving short-term medical care during the summer of 1980. When he was released, my dad took him back to his home in Great Falls, South Carolina.

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️1980 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Minolta XG-7 35mm

Digitally converted using Wolverine digital converter.

Location: Gardens at Huntersville Oaks; Huntersville, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 Numbers Game #28 — 149

Judy’s Numbers Game can bring about interesting results and insights from those who choose to participate. The challenge is alive, let’s join the fun. In searching for the #149 and its variations the results that popped are displayed below in this post.

#149. Around the Greenway

#149 Deviations Around Gastonia

Judy’s Numbers Game#28-149

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

2024 OWS: 06.30 — Star

Star Reflections

Debbie’s One Word Sunday’s word this week is Star. Here are my interpretations on Star for this week’s challenge.

Using a Star Filter

Canon Photography

Altura ⭐️ Star Filters

Star Reflections

in Robinwood Lake

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Star Flowers

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Star

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Photo Credit: 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i and iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

Birds of the Carolinas #13

Passerina cyanea

This week we are discussing a different yet unique bird in the Cardinal family. Last week I talked about the Northern Cardinals; this week we’re going to discover the distinct qualities of the Indigo Bunting.

Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea, also known as Indigo Bunting is a small seed-eating bird in the Cardinal family. It is a migratory bird, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter.

It often migrates by night, using the stars to navigate. Its habitat is farmland, brush areas, and open woodland. The indigo bunting is closely related to the lazuli bunting and interbreeds with the species where their ranges overlap.

The indigo bunting is a small bird, with a length of 11.5–13 cm (4.5–5.1 in). The male is vibrant blue in the summer, with brightly colored  plumage during the breeding season to attract a mate. Unlike summer, the male is brown during the winter months. Contrastingly enough the female is brown year-round. The females are solely responsible for the nest-building and incubation of their offspring.

The diet of the indigo bunting consists primarily of insects during the summer months and seeds during the winter months.

The Habitats for the Indigo Bunting are brushy pastures and bushy wood edges. For nesting favors roadsides, old fields growing up to bushes, edges of woodlands, and other edge habitats such as along rights-of-way for powerlines or railroads. Also in clearings within deciduous woods, edges of swamps

Birds of the Carolinas

Bird of the Week LXXI

Lens-Artists Challenge #306 – Habitats

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

Words for Thought #25

Beautiful Sunset
Charlotte, North Carolina

Think About It Tuesday

God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much. 

Photo Credit ©️1978 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm

Location: Huntersville Oaks; Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA

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