Let’s roam around and embrace numbers in life and in nature. As many of you might know my grandson, Coleman and I enjoy hiking together out amongst the trees, along Greenways, and within our state and local parks. This first image is of a group of about eleven painted rocks some of which display a message which the painter wishes to convey. Others are just for the fun and beauty to hopefully bring you joy and a smile.
“Embrace life with a smile.” Author unknown
“Life is a journey, not a destination.”(Author unknown). As we continue embracing life and nature, shall we stop and enjoy the beauty of five flowers along the pathway.
“Where flowers bloom so does hope.” — Lady Bird Johnson
As the flowers bloom and remind us there is hope for the world and life needs to be embraced wherever and whenever possible.
Embracing the living creatures two by two different yet enjoying the same space and time. Embrace the NumbersTwo Horses sharing the pasture with Two Canada Geese at Anne Springs Close Greenway.,
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” — Stephen R. Covey
Whether one is out in nature or in a classroom, there is unity in numbers. Children learn the importance of Embracing Togetherness. They can learn that even though we are different, we are all the same, united for a purpose.
Nine Students and a teacher all wearing green and embracing togetherness in the classroom.
“The unlike is joined together, and from differences results the most beautiful harmony.” — Heraclitus
Leaving the indoor classroom for the classroom in nature, we can learn to embrace the beauty, the elegance, the love one for another, and the strength and power in unity and in numbers.
We can enjoy the beauty and elegance in every flamingo. We can admire their stance and embrace their uniqueness as we observe Five Flamingos and their reflections.
“Embrace the elegance of a flamingo, and let it inspire your life.” — Unknown
Each friendship is as unique and beautiful as a flamingo.”- Unknown. Every creature whether human or animal is unique and beautiful in their own way. Every family has its own uniqueness. They may have the same numbers as other families or may not. They maybe similar, but still different in their own special way. No two families are exactly alike, that’s why we should embrace our own families with love and respect.
We see and observe various “families” in nature, like this family of Seven Canada Geese sticking together yet apart at Andrew Jackson State Park.
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. — Luciano De Crescenzo
Let’s keep on moving and striving for unity for there is power in numbers. Turtles gather together in numbers sunning on logs and enjoying time swimming together in a river. Fourteen Turtles embracing the warmth of the sun and being together in the South Fork Catawba River by South Fork River Park in Northern section of Gastonia, North Carolina.
“There is power in unity, and there is power in numbers.” From Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech “Keep on Moving.”
Now for each of y’all to embrace the challenge and show us how you Embrace the Numbers.
God Bless. Embrace Life. Embrace One Another. Embrace Togetherness. Embrace the Numbers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy invites us to join in with her to play “The Numbers Game #56.”Today’s number is 177. To play along, she suggests you 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 herNumbers 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:
Judy invites us to join in with her to play “The Numbers Game #55.”Today’s number is 176. To play along, she suggests you 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 herNumbers 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:
Where I live we still have a little over two and a half hours before 2025’s arrival. I do not normally do year end reviews and I’ve long since given up on making any New Year’s Resolutions. This year Sunday Stills is asking us to do an Annual Year in Review. Therefore, I decided to give a few tidbits of my 2024.
951 posts on WordPress
Written a total of 129.2K words in my WP posts
Participated regularly in blogging challenges. (I’ll miss Cee and her Challenges).
Commented on many posts
Had 10,153 views (for some this may not seem like a lot, but to me it is)
Had 4,125 visitors
Had 6,438 likes
Other Activities outside of Blogging:
Read 121 e-books
Read for a minimum of 30 minutes all 365 days
Read all 52 weeks of the year
Visited 5 cities in my area
Visited and Hiked at 14 different parks or greenways
Made many friends here on WordPress
My grandson started Kindergarten ( I’ve walked him to school most days)
My grandson hikes anywhere and everywhere with me
We moved out of an apartment and into a rental house one town over. (Coleman loves it. It is in walking distance to two greenways).
Now for my Floral Year in Review:
January Flowers (sad to say not many):
February Flowers:
Think I made up for only one in January
March Flowers:
April Flowers:
May Flowers:
June Flowers:
July Flowers:
August Flowers:
September Flowers:
October Flowers:
November Flowers:
December Flowers:
I am grateful for each and everyone who has visited, liked, and or commented on my blog. I hope to see y’all participating in the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) in 2025. Happy New Year!
My entries here are from The Lindsay Pettus Greenway’s Lighting of the Greenway. Whenever Coleman and I are hiking in a Greenway, State or National Park, we do not Rush; instead we take our time strolling through the paths and trails in taking everything there is to see. Nature is amazingly beautiful and peaceful, there is never a need to Rush. Take your time, relax and enjoy your journey.
Golden Snowflake
Silver and Gold Lined Pathway
Shining Brightly
Sparkling Snow Droplets Covering a Bridge
Can you sense the Snow ❄️?
Bonus: Gold at the Christmas Market
Please make sure your which way is the main object of your photo. Thanks.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Location: Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Season Greetings. Enjoy your holidays. Remember the Reason for the Season. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons’ invites us to play along with her in her Numbers Game Challenge. Her instructions are simple, just 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.
Let’s first take a look at a couple of image comparisons between an original color versus the converted black and white version of photo imageries of clouds.
The first three black and white photos in the left-hand column are from my archives and the other four phots are from my outlook in Apple iPhone’s Silverstone black and white feature of today’s cloudy skies.
Location: Lake Haigler; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your Yourselves! Don’t let the upcoming holiday season stress you out. Relax it’s not about the presents it’s about the birth of Christ. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
When hiking at Anne Springs Close Greenway there are occasions when you come to an intersection of sorts where more than two trails cross paths. Here Paradise Loop, Tunnel Trail, and Blue Star Trails connect. If you are Red not familiar with the trails, you might want to pick up a trail map at the entrance to the Greenway to help guide you along the trails as you hike. At this three-way crossing, you may continue on the trail (such as Paradise Trail) you are already hiking on or, if desired, you may switch to one of the other trails for further exploration and hiking.
Adventure Road Entrance Paradise Loop, Tunnel Trail, Blue Star Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
Looking at the photo you may wonder where the third hiker is located. It is simple really, behind the camera of course.
For this challenge I went searching through my archives to see if I could find any Bare Branches that I might like to select for y’all to enjoy in this post. Guess what? I found several I liked that I hope you’ll like and enjoy as well.
Crowders Mountain State Park Kings Mountain, North Carolina March 2023
Baxter Village Trail Carolina Thread Trail Fort Mill, South Carolina January 2023
Old Town Cramerton, North Carolina November 2024
Old Town Cramerton, North Carolina November 2024
The Schiele Museum Gastonia, North Carolina March 2024
Nature Trail The Schiele Museum Gastonia, North Carolina March 2024
Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina February 2024
Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina March 2024
Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina March 2024
Most of these were taken in the afternoon, after the weather warmed up a bit, while Coleman and I were out hiking and enjoying nature. Right now as I write it is only 27° degrees outside. I’ve already been out in the freezing cold and gotten Coleman on the bus for school. I’m glad I’m inside now out of the freezing cold. Burr, I wish we didn’t have to go out in the freezing cold for him to get on a bus for school. Winter weather has arrived even it won’t be officially winter till the twenty-first.
Judy invites us all to play along with her each week for her Numbers Game. 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 myNumbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
God Bless. Take time for yourself. Walk around a Park or Greenway. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
I have plenty of photos of Grey clouds, Grey skies, but I chose to choose instead a Grey Zebu located in the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) is a duck native to the Americas. Small wild and feral breeding populations have also established themselves in the United States, particularly in Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, the Big Island of Hawaii, South Carolina, as well as in many other parts of North America, including southern Canada.
Black Muscovy Duck
Muscovy Ducks are large with the males growing to about 76 cm (30 in) long, and weighing up to 7 kg (15 lb). The females are relatively smaller, and only grow to approximately 3 kg (6.6 lb), roughly half the males’ size. They are predominantly black and white, with the back feathers being iridescent and glossy in males, while the females are more drab. The amount of white on their neck and head vary , as well as their bill. Their bill can be yellow, pink, black, or any mixture of these colors. (The Muscovy Ducks we saw all had a pinkish bill with one having a touch of black on the end.)
Black Male Muscovy Duck
The Muscovy Ducks are a non-migratory species normally inhabits forested swamps, lakes, streams and nearby grassland and farm crops, and often roosts in trees at night. ( The Muscovy Ducks we saw are located near Patterson Pond at Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.)
Male and Female Muscovy Ducks
Their diet consists of plant material ( such as the roots, stems, leaves, and seeds of aquatic plants and grasses, as well as terrestrial plants obtained by grazing or dabbling in shallow water for small fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, spiders, insects, millipedes, and worms.
Black Male Muscovy Duck
Muscovy Ducks, one of the oldest species of fowls domesticated in the world, have several spiritual meanings associated with them. They are associated with love and relationships in some cultures and with luck, prosperity, and even new life and fertility in others. The ducks also represent inner strength and courage. thethe Celtic culture that if you dream of a Muscovy duck or spot it while awake, it’s a sign to trust your intuition and strength and not give up in the face of challenges. According to Celtic culture if you dream of a Muscovy duck or spot it while awake, it is a sign to trust your intuition and strength and not give up in the face of challenges.
Black Muscovy Duck Flapping its wings after coming out of the water.
The Egyptians believe the Muscovy duck has healing powers and can resurrect the dead, making it a sacred animal. The Egyptian culture sees Muscovy ducks as a symbol of starting afresh. Therefore, seeing a Muscovy duck in your dream is interpreted as a sign of resurrection.
We enjoyed watching the Black Muscovy Ducks swimming in Patterson Pond, as well as them flapping their wings as they came out of the water, shaking the water off to dry themselves.
Location: Patterson Pond; Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For Judy’s “The Numbers Game #46” Game she invites all to play along. Here are her ideas on how to play along in this challenge. This week’s number is 167. 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.
God Bless. Take Care. Don’t be Upset and Angry about Political Results; Remember God is in Control. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thinking of Cee & Becky. Pray you’re feeling better. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
in primo piano – photos Dan Antion’s Thursday Doors photo
Hiking along Steele Creek Trail at Anne Springs Close Greenway, Coleman and I stopped to pay a visit to the Hobbit’s Homes before continuing on our way. If you’re not looking carefully you could miss seeing the Hobbit’s Homes hidden within the tree.
For the past few months, we have been in unrest. I live with my daughter and grandson whom I take care of while she works. Up until recently (like three months ago) her husband (who never liked my being there) was also in the home. He moved out leaving my daughter with a whole heap of debt and a rental amount she could not afford without his assistance. He really didn’t think he should contribute to the financial obligations before he moved out and definitely didn’t think so afterwards even though his name was also on the lease. this made it difficult for my daughter to find another place to live; one in which she would be able to afford. Thus, creating extreme hardship and high levels of stress and anxiety.
A Pile of Pumpkins Ready for Children’s Pickin’
After much searching and reaching out to anyone and everyone she finally found another place for us to move to. Just one catch, the landlord was still working on the house, and she didn’t have the financial resources to move in immediately. Therefore, we had additional expenses of staying in a motel for a week until everything could be completed to satisfaction. during this transitional period my grandson was missing several days of kindergarten and speech class.
So, what do you think I did? Since we couldn’t provide transportation to his school, I took him to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes, hiking. Coleman and I went hiking three days in a row to his delight. In the mist of trials, it was a blessing to enjoy being out in nature spending quality time with him. Our motel for the week was a short distance from his favorite hiking place, Anne Springs Close Greenway. Therefore, where else would I take him but to the Greenway, of course. These Pumpkins were seen on our fourth day of hiking. They were situated at the Lake Haigler entrance to the Anne Springs Close Greenway. The Greenway also had other fun Fall/Autumn activities set up for the children to enjoy. During this week we visited three of the five entrances to the Greenway. Each entrance offers different trails and activities for visitors to utilize and enjoy.
Who Wants a Pumpkin?
I am extremely grateful for my daughter and her strength and persistence in searching and locating a place for us to live and feel at peace. Home is the nicest word in our vocabulary right now. We are all thankful for having a home to live in. Thankful to be out of the motel. Thankful to be out of turmoil. Thankful to be relieved of a heavy load of stress and worry. I know, all our troubles and worries should be laid in the hands of God, our Heavenly Father. It is difficult sometimes to lay everything at his feet and not continue to worry.
We (mostly me) still have a tremendous amount of unpacking to do but alas, it will all get done in due time. I am still processing the fact that we have a home to live in. Understanding that we are all safe and can relax and enjoy our home (it is a rental, but it is our home for now). Coleman has his own little room, with his own bed (he had been having to share mine). He has a fairly good size yard to play in and we don’t have to worry about him not having enough space to run and pay. This home is a blessing, and I am truly thankful for being allowed to share it with my daughter and grandson.
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.
All my photography this week has been done with my Apple iPhone as we have been in transition, moving from one place to another and having to stay at another place in between locations further a week. Therefore, I am choosing a theme of Coleman in the Greenway fur this week.
Coleman has been fascinated with “Flychines” (better known as Airplanes) since he was about two (2) years old. He loves to watch “Flychines” fly through the skies. He enjoys watching them takeoff and land whenever possible. Yesterday he had a terrific view and ability to observe “Flychines” flying into Charlotte-Douglas International Airport while his mom was working at the airport.,
Airplanes ✈️ Flying into Charlotte-Douglas International Airport
The video was created through Google Photos Highlight Video creator. In watching this video you’ll be able to see what Coleman was seeing and possibly understand his fascination with “Flychines.” Be sure to look closely, if you do you might just notice the windows on the Airplanes.
in primo piano – photos Dan Antion’s Thursday Doors photo
As Coleman and I were hiking toward Lake Haigler on Tuesday afternoon, we saw a work truck in the middle of one of the wider trails. We paused to speak with the men from the truck. They were there to repair the railings on a bridge damaged by Hurricane Helene. They stated that it took four days to cut and clear Seventy-Two trees which had fallen due to the strong winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Helene. The workers have a tremendous amount of work to still do to continue repairing the damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene here at the Anne Springs Close Greenway.
These Rustic Wooden Horses were in a fenced off area near the Children’s Schroering Forest Playground at the Lake Haigler Entrance of the Anne Springs Close Greenway.
I’ve been missing Cee’s posts this week. I pray she is doing alright. This week I am again posting a Which Way My Wayshowing Which Ways in Monochrome. My grandson, Coleman and I had the privilege of hiking in our favorite Greenway on Tuesday. I only had my smartphone with me; I chose to take some of our adventures in monochrome and silvertone via my smartphone features. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
Coleman Enjoying Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
Hurricane Storm damage is heard all over the news and online media. What you hear about are the most heavily affected areas communities and immediate surrounding areas. What you do not hear about is how the storms affected other areas within the outlying areas of the Hurricane’s path. Trails in the Piedmont region of the Carolinas are southeast of the majority of heavily damaged areas, but still affected at a lesser impact level.
The Trails still need maintenance and repairs even though they are not as horrific as those in Western North Carolina. South Carolina Trails still endure erosion and other damages caused by the strong winds and heavy rains that occurred during Hurricane Helene’s passing through the area. The photo above pictures just one of the hiking trails that suffered severe weather damage erosion in South Carolina not far from where I live.
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Smell the Flowers. See the Beauty in Simplicity. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week Cee is allowing us to post any type of road, path, step, bridge or sign. I have chosen to post some paths, steps, dirt trails, and wooden paths and bridges along the Lake Nature Trail at Andrew Jackson State Park. I took these photos when was camping there the summer after my mom passed. It was a relaxing, peaceful, meditative experience of communing with nature.