WHATSOEVER IS LOVELY – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

2024 Judy’s Numbers Game #47-168

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 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.

Once Silent, Now Lively

The playground at Goat Island Park and Greenway had been “Silent” since the winds and storms caused by Hurricane Helene came through our area flooding many a Greenway including Goat Island Greenway. While there is still work to be done around the Greenway and the playground area, enough has been done to allow the playground to mostly reopen with the exception of the big green slide and a few other insignificant areas (at least as far as the children are concerned). The Goat Island Park and Greenway’s Playground now welcomes children once again inviting them to play, climb, and enjoy its equipment; hence the Playground is Alive and Lively once more.

Judy’s Numbers Game #47-168

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 45

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 45

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #243

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 FOTD: 03.17

Brassica juncea

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens with Altura UV Filter.

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

God Bless. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Papantla Flyers in Costa Maya, México

Looking back in time to Sunday, February 23, 2020; I remember walking off the Enchantment of the Sea Caribbean cruise ship onto the docks of the Costa Maya Port and seeing an amazingly entertaining sight.

When I first saw the ritualistic performance, I didn’t realize exactly what I was watching, however, I later learned that I was observing four men dancing in the sky.

***Would you SIT***
***on top of an***
***80 foot pole?***

These four dancers are tied by their feet with long ropes; they descend to the ground as the ropes unwind and fly around the pole. There is a fifth dancer who remains at the top of the pole, playing the flute and drum. This ceremony is not just for mere entertainment to display bravery and courage, but it actually has a much deeper, more valuable meaning.

The Papantla Flyers are also known as the Voladores de Papantla or Birds from Earth. The Dance of the Voladores or Papantla Flyers is a pre-Hispanic ritual that originated in Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico. The Papantla Flyers is the most famous of the Totonac dances. This ancient Mesoamerican ritual is used to ask the gods to end a drought and bring rain for crops during extended dry seasons. It is said that the brave men falling symbolizes the fall of raindrops from the sky in the search of earth’s fertility. The flute represents the singing of a bird, and the drum resembles the voice of the gods; similar (almost) to the sound of a thunderstorm. In the past, the ritual began by choosing and cutting the tree from which they would take the flying post.

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As a tourist this traditional ritual of the Papantla Flyers was stunning yet seemed dangerous. To the locals, it is a normal common and ancient tradition. It was amazing to watch even though I doubt that I would ever climb that high on any pole. Rest assured that these men who perform the important ceremony have been trained since childhood to perform this ritual. The tourists, like me, in actuality only see the final part of the ceremony.

Six Word Saturday

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 3

Ragtag Daily Prompt – Ti me

John’s Cellpic Sunday

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – Telephoto Camera

Location: Costa Maya Port; Costa Maya, Mexico

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

Lovely Sunny Sunday Reflections

With all our cold and rainy days of late, I am reflecting on a warmer Sunny Sunday when I relished the beauty of God’s handiwork in nature. I have fond memories recalling the beautiful reflections and the enjoyment I had observing the lovely Canada Geese.

***Lake at***
***Andrew Jackson State Park***

Black Geese
AKA Branta canadensis,
the Canada Goose

***Sun Drying***
***The Canada goose***
***(Branta canadensis)***

Sunny Sunday

Silent Sunday

XingfuMama’s Whatever is Lovely Challenge: 2024-Week 2

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #205-2024 #3

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S 55-250mm lens.

Location: Andrew Jackson State Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA.

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

Holiday Laser Lights Show

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Whatsoever Is Lovely – Week 50

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday-Almost

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

Wordless Wednesday: Rhododendron ‘conlec’

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S75-300mm lens

Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

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

2023 FOTD: 5 December – Viola x wittrockiana

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens with Altura for Canon Macro Wide-Angle Fisheye lens attachment.

Location: 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.

Shimmering Reflections in Andrew Jackson State Park

It’s been raining a lot here this year even more so now that hurricane season is here. Where we live we mostly get tropical storms during hurricane season. It’s been raining more so on a nightly basis. Therefore, we we do get a beautiful sunshiny day Coleman and I try to take full advantage of it. We (Coleman) decides where we’re going and we go enjoy our day hiking. It’s definitely more amazing when we are by a lake.