Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography
This blog is for my insights on life, the Bible, hiking adventures with my grandson and whatever is important to me
Rubus occidentalis
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.
From Dock to Shining Sea
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Land of Oz theme park based on Frank Baum’s Land of Oz books originally opened in 1970. In 1975 the Carolina Caribbean Corporation, the company who developed Beech Mountain into a tourist destination and built Oz goes bankrupt due to failed investments. The park had closed and after construction of the Emerald City it reopened in 1976 and later closed once again in 1980. The theme park was closed afterwards for many years. Oz then laid abandoned, succumbing to the harsh weather conditions and vandals.
The Land of Oz is a park in North Carolina dedicated to the iconic film Wizard of Oz. It’s a walk-through attraction that was once closed and now opens for the special Autumn of Oz event in the fall each year. The Autumn of Oz festival is currently held in September and the Land of Oz is only open for three weekends a year.
Pull Up A Seat Photo Challenge Week 22
Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Land of Oz theme park; Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Land of Oz with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a wonderful weekend. I appreciate y’all very much.
A Tale of Two Stones
Stone Mountain State Park (NC)
Stone Mountain State Park is located in Alleghany and Wilkes counties 60 miles northwest of Winston-Salem. Within the Park lies a 600-foot granite dome which has been designated as a National Natural Landmark, and the historic Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mid-19th-century farm situated at the mountain base.
Stone Mountain State Park offers nearly all types of outdoor activity to experience a high country landscape adorned with beautiful waterfalls, winding creeks, and bountiful trout streams. A portion of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail runs through the park near the backcountry campsites.
Stone Mountain Park (GA)
Stone Mountain Park is Georgia’s most visited attraction. Its more than three thousand two hundred (3,200) makes the park a unique destination for guests and families to experience and enjoy an exciting variety of attractions, entertainment, and recreational activities.
Stone Mountain in Georgia is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock ( an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain) and is the location of Stone Mountain Park. It is located approximately sixteen (16) miles east of Atlanta, Georgia. The Park is owned by the state of Georgia. It is most famous for its artwork on the north face. An enormous relief sculpture carved on the stone itself depicting Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson, three (3) of the Confederate Leaders.
In comparing the two Stone Mountains one can realize that Stone Mountain, Georgia is larger and is not engaged in a series of ridges like its cousin in North Carolina. The one in Georgia is bordered by an actual city named Stone Mountain. It is also a fully developed park with a wide range of attractions to enjoy. The North Carolina Stone Mountain is a more traditional state park, with limited hours and access. Both Stone Mountains have a variety of hiking trails. The Georgia one has a Summit Skyride for easier access to the top. In North Carolina one would hike the Stone Mountain Loop Trail to access an area with breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I visited Stone Mountain Park in Georgia with my family and extended family during the summer of 1972. I do not recall everything we did at the park, however, viewing & reconstructing my dad’s old slides does help to enable some of those memories. In October of 2017, my eldest son & I visited Stone Mountain State Park in Roaring Gap, North Carolina. One of his wishes that year was to drive the majority of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stone Mountain State Park was just one of many places we visited on that trip.
Please I encourage everyone to be polite and I desire no controversy over this post or regarding Stone Mountain Park itself.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #9-Stone/s
Becky’s #SquareRenew-Reconstruct
Photo Credit: 1-2) ©️2017 Deb L. Waters; 3-4) ©️1972 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the two (2) Stone Mountains with me. Thank you for joining me in viewing my memories of my dad’s reconstructed slides of our visit to Georgia. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Calopogon tuberosus
Simpson’s grass pink and it is in the Orchid family (Orchidaceae) grasspink (Calopogon tuberosus var. simpsonii).
The genus name “Calopogon” is Greek and means “beautiful beard.” It refers to the hairlike structures on the upper petal. It has a bulb-like corm that resembles a tuber, hence the name “tuberosus.” The slender grass-like leaves give rise to the name “grass pink.” It is a stunning wildflower.
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens.
Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take time to renew your body, mind, and spirit. Like the Garden we also need to renew ourselves to further our growth. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Day Trippin’ with Coleman …
… At the YMCA
… At the Schiele Museum of Natural History
… At Anne Springs Close Greenway
Be sure to click on each photo for a larger view. Have a fabulous day!
Photo Credit:©️2022-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm, Canon EF-S55-250mm, and Canon EF 75-300mm lenses.
Locations: 1)Warlick Family YMCA; 2-5) The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina; 6-11) Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for Day Trippin’ with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Fluffy “Cottonball” Clouds
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.
Barn Quilts & Such
Did you know that Barn Quilt Trails are located in 43 states of the United States of America and Canada has 3? Barn Quilts are believed to have originated in Pennsylvania almost 300 years ago when Europeans immigrated to America.
Have you ever wondered what a Barn Quilt is or their significance? A Barn Quilt is a large piece of wood painted to look like a quilt block and hung on the exterior of a barn, house, garage or other building. During the Revolutionary War, “Barn Quilts” were used to show American forces that an area was safe, secure, and supplies were available. Barn Quilts are a popular form of Americana folk art. They help to preserve the country’s quilting tradition and the regional heritage of various communities.
Barn Quilt Trails
The first Barn Quilt Trail was started by Donna Sue Groves. She came up with the idea while working for the Ohio Arts Council in the 1990s. Donna Sue shared her story in “Following the Barn Quilt Trail.” Soon barn quilts spread to other states, becoming driving tours, drawing in tourists and bringing the Appalachian way of life to the forefront. The Barn Quilts in the slideshow are located in the Ohio Barn Quilt Trails and the Appalachian Quilt Trail.
My Favorite Quilt
Even though this Quilt is not a Barn Quilt, it is extremely special to me. It was made by maternal grandmother with remnants of fabric used to make uniforms for me when I worked as a nursing assistant after high school. She lovingly made it with love to fit my bed. It was sewn on an old fashioned black Singer Sewing Machine to make each quilt top. She used colorful yarn to hand quilt and tie-off the quilt.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
For Cee’s CFFC this week I have dug Theo my archives and chose what I hope y’all will enjoy. Sorry, I don’t have any alleys, but I do have Driveways, Parking Lots, and as always Dirt Roads.
Driveways
Parking Lots
Dirt Roads
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Alleys, Driveways, Parking Lots, Dirt Roads
Photo Credit:2)©️Nornal H. Waters (my dad); 4) ©️Trisha L. Wilson (my daughter); 5) Post Card from Harvey M. Watson (my maternal grandfather); All others ©️2017-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Carib Grackle
(Quiscalus lugubris)
The Carib Grackle also referred to as the Common Grackle is a tropical blackbird which is taller and longer than the typical blackbird. The plumage of Grackles are entirely black, however it has a beautiful glossy iridescent body that may display violets, purples, blues, and greens when the sun is shining on them in just the right manner.
Grackles eat almost anything and everything they can find. They commonly eat insects, minnows, frogs, lizards, berries, grains, and even small birds and mice. They will confiscate food from other birds. And sometimes as these Grackles pictured here are exemplifying HOPE for a few morsels of bread crust or crumbs that may get dropped on the ground or scattered for other birds.
The Carib Grackle’s song is a mixture of harsh and melodic musical squeaks, croaks, and whistles which seem to sound anywhere from guttural to high-pitched clear whistles. Some people have compared their singing as sounding like a rusty gate.
If you see them foraging around your yard or picnic table they are scavenging and are hoping you’ll share your food (or at least some bread crumbs) with them.
Lens-Artists Photography Challenge #299- Hopeful
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Huntingtowne Neighbourhood; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. May all your hopes, dreams, and prayers be fulfilled. Take care of yourselves and have a fantastic rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Tipula (Acutipula) luna
When we see an infiltration of these Tipulidae we know summer is approaching and we do not want a burgeoning of them like we’re having with the cicadas.
Crane flies are harmless to people but can cause damage to plants and your lawn. Plus, they can be really annoying if they make their way into your house!
Most species of crane flies have no mouth parts, and the ones that do only drink nectar. Crane flies don’t bite. They don’t sting, either. Though they may show up in large numbers and can be obnoxious, crane flies are harmless.
Crane Flies need a moist environment to survive and we have had more than our share of rain 🌧️ and thunderstorms ⛈️ practically daily as of late.
Becky’s Squares Renew – Burgeoning
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple 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.
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) can be spotted around ponds and lakes. I normally see them around the smaller lakes and ponds in and around Anne Springs Close Greenway.
Great Blue Herons can hunt during the nighttime as well as during the day. Interestingly they have a high percentage of rodents-type photoreceptors in their eyes that improve their night vision. They congregate at fish hatcheries, creating potential problems for the fish farmers.
The Great Blue Heron is a majestic sight to behold. Its subtle blue-grey plumage frequently stands motionless as it scan for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. In flight, look for this widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind.
Did you know that the Great Blue Heron is often seen as a symbol of patience? This I had not previously heard or known. Several Native American Tribes look at the heron as a symbol of patience and good luck. On the Northwest coast, people believe that if Native American fishermen spot a heron, it means good luck is with them, and they will have a successful fishing trip.
I have always considered the Great Blue Heron to be an amazing bird to observe. I did not ever realize that they were considered symbols or omens if you saw them. Evidently they are though.
In China, the Great Blue Heron represents strength, purity and long life. According to Native American tradition the heron symbolizes wisdom and good judgment. In ancient Egypt the heron was a symbol of creation while in Africa and Greece the heron was a messenger of the gods. Watching a heron fish also instructs us in patience.
Another interesting note regarding the Blue Heron is that it is believed to symbolize being calm, presence, being at peace, uniqueness, and balance. When seeing a Blue Heron one should take a moment to look inside yourself and consider nurture all aspects of yourself. Embrace who you are; your flaws (your weaknesses), your uniqueness, and ever your feelings of shame with self-love.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. May you have strength, purity, patience and long life. Take care of yourselves and have a fantastic rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Be Wild
Be Square
Don’t Worry
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday
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 visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit: (c) 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens
Location: Gaston County Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Hybrid Sweetbriar Rose
(Rosa ‘Lady Penzance’)
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max Ultra-wide Camera
Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Burgeoning Wildflowers
Oxalis articulata
AKA Pink-sorrel
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 me. Have a fantastic weekend. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit: (c) 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens with Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: The Heritage Garden; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Pluteus cervinus
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max Ultra-Wide Camera
Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
“After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul’s indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.”
William R. Alger
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.
I’m in the Yellow Car
Photo Credit:©️2018 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone X
Location: Carowinds; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you Brian at Busboys World for the idea. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Some Murky, Some Reflections, Ripples, & Splashes
For Jez’s Water Water Everywhere this week I’m posting a variety of photos taken of Robinwood Lake.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #218
Photo Credit:©️ 2024 Deb L. Waters …. All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens and Altura UV & NP Filter attachments.
Location: Robinwood Lake; Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
American Robin — Eastern Robin
The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is one of the most familiar birds in South Carolina and Southern North Carolina. It is a migratory bird of the Turdidae thrush family. It is commonly spotted in forests, woodlands, suburban areas, gardens, and parks. They are known to build their nests on trees, and sometimes even on man-made structures such as porches and garages.
The American Robin is very energetic and spry. It flits about on the ground searching for food. They fly to and fro from the trees to electrical wires just outside our back patio. It is mostly active during the daytime and gathers in large flocks at night. We can hear their songs way before we can spot the in the sky, in the trees or on our electrical lines.
The American Robin’s diet generally consists mainly of such delicacies as earthworms, beetle grubs, caterpillars, and grasshoppers, and a large portion of wild and cultivated fruits and berries.
We continuously hear them singing throughout the afternoon as we sit out back and Coleman plays in his sand Turtle. They are often among the first songbirds to sing as dawn rises or hours before, and last as evening sets in. One fact I learned recently is that the American Robin sings when storms are approaching and again when the storms have passed.
Interesting Facts about the American Robin are that they are protected throughout the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They are considered a symbol of Spring. A noted Quebec superstition is whoever sees the first Robin of Spring will have good luck. It is believed by some that the first robin of spring means it is a promise of new beginnings and renewal similar to how plants begin to grow and bloom in springtime.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
My CK and CH seen while Coleman and I walked around the neighbourhood.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-April Alphabet_a CK or CH in a word
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: New Hope Road; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Things that are Rough
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens; 2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens; 3) iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: 1-2) Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina; 3) Patio; Gastonia, North Carolina
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Flowing Downstream
Here is my compilation for this week’s Weekly Prompt’s Weekend Challenge. I’m also applying it to Jez’s Water Water Everywhere Challenge.
These are just a few of the ways we see water flowing as we walk through the neighbourhood or as we hike among the trees in and around the Carolinas.
Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Flow
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #218
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1-3) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Bleating to Greet Y’all
Wait a Sec … I’ll Come Closer.
Can Y’all See Me Now?
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.
Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rhododendron japonicum
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens with Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: The Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Can You Spot the Hidden Object?
Hammad’s Weekend Sky #125 – 2024 April 20
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max – Telephoto Camera
Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Weekend Flower of the Day
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: The Heritage Garden; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S75-300mm lens with Altura CPL filter attachment.
Location: The Rooftop Garden; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
We managed to have a beautiful clear day yesterday (almost), so Coleman and I rode the bus to the Y for some fresh air and a bit of hiking.
All aboard, we’re on our way.
Before we begin our hike, it’s Coleman swing time. If we waited till later the school kids would have taken over and he couldn’t have been able to play.
Through the woods along the bank of the lake we traverse. Across the dam and deeper into the woods. Upward, downward, and around and around we go.
Coleman spots the Fitness Challenge area off the Yellow Trail and climbs aboard for some fun before continuing our hike and back up to the Y.
Tired from our hike we’re gonna Leaf it all behind, and venture to the bus stop and head home.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-April Latte Color
Cee’s Which Way Challenge-Any Way
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens with Altura UV & NP filter and also Altura Wide-Angle Fisheye attachments.
Location: Gaston County Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Our Beautiful Earth. Thank you for traversing the trail with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Amazingly Wonderful Beautiful View of Robinwood Lake
Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens with Altura UV and NP Filter attachments plus Altura Photo 58MM 0.35x Fisheye Canon Wide Angle Lens (w/Macro Portion).
Location: Robinwood Lake; Robinwood Lake Dam; Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rubus trivialis
These are small white Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
They are also found all over South Carolina and the Southeastern part of the United States.
The Southern Dewberry, as they are commonly known, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family (Rosaceae).
Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 15
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
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.
Purple I have, not so much in the way of Diamonds, Crystals, or Quartz. Therefore, I showing y’all some of my favourite purples.
Now for Quartz, (not what you had in mind, I bet.)
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Photo Credit: ©️2022-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1 & 3) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 2 & 4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm and Canon EF 75-300mm lenses; 5) iPhone 13 Pro.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Clare @ Clare’s Cosmos invites us each month to share our desktops on the 15th of each month. Can you believe it the month of April is half over already? Here it is time once again to join Share Your Desktop. I like to share my wallpaper for my iPhone as well as for my Laptop. For my iPhone I use different wallpaper’s for the different focuses I use; personal, hiking, and reading.
From my iPhone:
Personal Focus
Hiking Focus
Reading Focus
From my Laptop:
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s desktops. I appreciate y’all very much.
There are times when we look up at the sky above, the clouds seem to appear into objects we are familiar with such as birds, or airplanes, or elephants, angels or other objects. Sometimes we see nothing in them other than them being : cirrus, cumulus, and stratus, or nimbus. What do you see when you look at clouds?
Hammad’s Weekend Sky– 2024 April 14
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max – Telephoto Camera
Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Before we head out on the road I suggest we stop and fill up the car with some good old fashioned gasoline ⛽️. I doubt you’ll find these prices nowadays though.
I Spy Something Red
Now that we’ve filled up the car 🚘 and made sure we have everything we need, let’s get going on our adventure.
Where are we going you might ask? It doesn’t really matter as long as we have a bit of fun along the way.
How about we pull over for a while and go on a hike. These signs might direct us on our way.
Oh Look, Stairs. Shall we go down them? What might we see when we reach the bottom? Who knows, but let’s go on down and discover what we can find.
Wasn’t that fun? Did you enjoy our little game of I Spy? I know Coleman and I had a great time together on our adventures.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge is fun to join and exciting to see everyone’s take on the challenges. No two people have the exact same perspective and I look forward to seeing y’all’s perspectives. Click Here to link to Cee’s blog.
God Bless. Thank you for traveling with us. I truly hope you enjoyed the adventure. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Ragtag Daily Prompt: Monday – Airborne
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Weekend FOTD
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-April Close Up or Macro
Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Location: 1-4) The Heritage Garden; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA; 5)Dairy Barn Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
I don’t have any pictures of glass, or other objects with smooth surfaces, so I hope these will pass for an alternative outlook on the theme.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Things that are Smooth
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Bird on a Wire
The Northern Mockingbird is one of the most plentiful birds in North America. You can identify a Northern Mockingbird by listening to its song. You’ll hear its song which usually mimics several other birds simultaneously. Their song can be heard long before you spot their location.
The Northern Mockingbirds continue to learn new sounds throughout their lifetime. What’s interesting (which I didn’t realize) is that a male Northern Mockingbird may possibly learn around two hundred (200) songs throughout its entire life.
Northern Mockingbirds are medium-sized birds with long legs, small heads, and long, thin bills. They are slightly slimmer than a thrush and have longer tails.
Here’s an interesting fact; The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of five states:
Northern Mockingbirds can be spotted year-round in places with shrubby vegetation like fruiting bushes, thickets, hedges, and open ground. They can be discovered in every state in the United States and parts of Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean.
In the South with our cold and sometimes freezing weather temperatures the Northern Mockingbirds tend to “fly south” for the winter months. I have just recently been able to see them back in our neighborhood. As more often than not, I hear their songs way before I am able to spot their location. When you hear the songs of the Northern Mockingbirds you know Spring has arrived.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Debbie’s One Word Sunday: Yellow
The Cosmic Photo Challenge-The arrival of Spring
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge-03.31
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.
Location: The Heritage Garden; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia. North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy Easter Everyone! Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a Blessed Easter Sunday! I appreciate y’all very much.
Which Ways in Monochrome
For this week I’ve dug into my archives for various selections of which way to travel.
First, let’s make a stop in Raleigh, North Carolina where I attended Ancestry Day hosted by The Friends of the Archives in conjunction with the State Archives of North Carolina, the Government and Heritage Library, and the North Carolina Genealogical Society.
Next, we’ll head over to Lenoir, North Carolina for a Watson/Greer/Trivette family reunion at the Yadkin Valley Community Park.
Then we’ll spend some time in Jacksonville, North Carolina where one of my sons ( my 2nd born, David) was stationed while serving in the United States Marines. While there for the weekend my eldest son, John and I visited the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.
Finally, let’s take another drive. This time let’s drive to Columbia, South Carolina before returning home for some quiet time of rest and relaxation. In Columbia I am joined by my daughter, Trisha and her daughter, Alona. We decided to visit the Riverbanks Zoo to see the animals. We enjoyed the short train ride around a small portion of the Zoo.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge – 03.28
God Bless. Thank you for visiting with us in our memory travels and for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Wisteria floribunda
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Gastonia Erwin Center
Park and Recreation
Cee asks everyone to post photos of Words that contain the Alphabet letters A or E. My selections for this week come from mine and Coleman’s recent visit to Gastonia’s Erwin Center Park and Recreation. As per usual Coleman (notice the Name A & E) is in several of my photos.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-March_Alphabet an A or E in a Word
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Erwin Center Park and Recreation; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Gastonia, North Carolina
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
We are still having a lot of rain several days out of the week. Even so Coleman and I managed to get a little walking in. We walked for a mile and a half before deciding to get on the bus. We rode the bus to a park we had not previously visited.
We visited the Erwin Center Park and Recreation. We rode the Blue line to the station, then switched to the Yellow line. The Yellow line took us to right across the street from the park.
The Erwin Center opened in 1961 in the Highland neighbourhood of northern Gastonia. The Center was named in honour of Dr. Herbert Erwin. Dr. Erwin was Gaston County’s first African American physician. He was a well known advocate for youth sports and activities. The Community Center has a game room, meeting room, kitchen, lounge, and offices.
In 1967 a full-size gymnasium and an outdoor basketball court were added. Today’s outdoor facilities also include a swimming pool, a splash pad (open during the summer months), a grass volleyball court, horseshoe pits, playground, tot play area, a large picnic shelter and a walking track.
In the summer of 2020, a Black Lives Matter Mural was painted on the Erwin Center basketball court by Ezekiel Clay, Jr.
The Erwin Center Park and Recreation outdoor park areas are open daily from Dawn to Dusk.
This park is a little further away from the park we normally visit, however it does have activities and playgrounds which are of interest to the very young as well as older children, teenagers, and adults.
If we were so inclined to travel a little further from home than usual, we would visit the park again. Coleman enjoyed the playground and wished it was already summer so he could have enjoyed the Splash Pad.
Pull Up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 12
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Erwin Center Park and Recreation; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 