#ShotonCanon – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

Monday Portrait – 2026 August Seventeenth

Close Encounter

with a Black Llama

As we rode the Safari Wagon at the Lazy 5 Ranch many of the animals which reside on the property roam freely and tend to follow the Wagons as they bring visitors along the dirt road. It seems like all the animals know that the Safari Wagons have feed buckets aboard for the guests to feed them.

This Black Llama sure made its presence known to us (my family). The Black Llama was trying every possible means to get my daughter’s attention to be able to be handed feed from her feed bucket.

*This is me trying to*
*get your attention …*

The Llama was first domesticated by the Indians of Peru around 4,000 years ago. The Llama is known for its surefooted travels in high mountain areas. It’s docile by nature, but can also be stubborn. When upset, a Llama may spit a foul smelling liquid.

*Maybe if I*
*turn this way*
*you’ll notice me …*

Let me assure you that at The Lazy 5 Ranch if they want feed, they are more than likely to receive it. Llamas are used as pack animals and can carry loads up to 130 pounds for up to 10-20 miles a day over rugged slopes in high altitudes, but they are not ridden. When weary or overloaded Llamas just lie down and refuse to move. The Llama is often referred to as the “South American Camel.” Its long, coarse wool is used in the weaving of textiles.

*Finally,*
*that’s exactly*
*what I wanted.*

Llamas are herbivores with a three-chambered stomach for digesting fibrous plants. They primarily graze on grasses and plants. Llamas are also very social animals, preferring to live in herds, and are known for being quite gentle and intelligent. You might hear their soft humming, which they use to communicate a range of emotions – from contentment to concern – they also have unique warning calls, like a high-pitched alarm, if they sense danger.

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.08.17

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location; Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

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

Monday Portrait – 2026 August Tenth

Ammotragus Lervia

This Aoudad resides at the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, North Carolina. The habitat range for Aoudad’s is northern Algeria to central Mauritania, east to west Egypt & west Sudan. Their height averages around 30-40 inches with the Males weighing approximately 220-308 pounds and females weighing much less at about 88-121 pounds. They have a lifespan of around 20 years in captivity.

Aoudads are expert climbers and are often seen running at “top gun” speeds up very steep slopes. You probably won’t see them near the creek or pond at the Lazy 5 Ranch, but you might just see them on a stump, fallen tree, or running up a steep rocky slope. Aoudad’s can survive up to five (5) days without access to fresh water. Hey are herds animals so when see one most likely more are not too far away.

Aoudad are often referred to as sheep, but they are more closely related to goats. Unlike the young of sheep which are called lambs, the Aoudad and young are called kids.

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.08.10

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location; Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

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

Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way Along a Dirt Pathway, Trail, and/or Dirt Road [08.07.2026]

Last week I said I would share where we went via the transit system and what we saw along the trails. To visit last week’s post as Coleman and I traveled on the transit network for our Which Way click here.

Now to let you know where we traveled to on the Gastonia Transit system (aka the bus) to go hiking. Our destination to the Warlick Family YMCA here in Gastonia for a bit of hiking and communing with nature. Here are a few images showing the trails we hiked and what we saw along the way.

CWWC
Cee’s Which Way Challenge
Deb’s Which Way Challenge

Click on each image to enlarge.

Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.

For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.

Cath’s Which Way… {Watch Your Step}

Suzette’s Pathways For Deb’s Any Which Way CWWC Your Choice Wk-2

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Next week’s theme: Next: CWWC 2026: Any Which Way with Outdoor Steps or Stairs. [08.14.2026]

Cameras: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Ragtag Daily Prompt (#RDP): Wednesday 2026.08.06 — A Hummock or Two

According to Google, a Hummock is a small, low rounded hill, knoll, or a raised mound of earth. Today, I am sharing two different types of Hummock’s from my archives.

The first is a Burial Mound located at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Many stone age peoples around the world buried their dead in mounds of earth or stone. This single-chambered tomb replicates mounds from the British Isles roughly 5,000 years ago. The interior chamber measures just over 7 ft. long and could fit either one individual or the cremated remains of an entire family or clan. It took over 16,000 pounds of earth to build this mound by hand.

The second is a small hill my ancestors was gathered and sat upon enjoying the afternoon and each other’s company.

A **Hummock**
*where my ancestors chose*
*to relax and visit*
*with one another*.

Click on images to enlarge.

Ragtag Daily Prompt:Wednesday-Hummock

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 August 05

Wordless Wednesday-2026.08.05

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge/Monday Portrait — A BROWN Nilgai

*Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge -Brown*
*by Sue W & Gerry C*

We had a really fantastic time the other week when the family visited the Lazy 5 Ranch. With over 700 exotic animals there were plenty to capture. I in no way captured them all with my camera (not that I didn’t try), but there were too many to adequately capture while riding on the guided Wagon Safari ride.

With this week’s Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge colour theme being Brown, I decided I would combine it with the Monday Portrait challenge and show y’all one of the many Brown exotic animals which reside at the Lazy 5 Ranch. Which exotic animal is featured here today? … The exotic animals featured in this post are Nilgai.

Nilgai
Monday Portrait
Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge-Brown

The Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), also called Blueback, is the largest antelope in its native land of India. The name Nilgai comes from the Hindustani word nil, which means blue referring to the slate blue (blue-gray coloration of the adult male Nilgai and the Persian word gaw, which means cow. The females and juveniles are orange to a tawny Brown in their coloration. These shown here are female Nilgai.

It is a large horse-like antelope with sloping back which is found in grasslands and scrublands. Nilgai are herbivores that primarily eat grass, but also browse on leaves and fruits.

They are known for their shy nature and keen senses. Hindus regard the Nilgai as a close relative of the sacred cow. In an era of endangered species, an animal that is protected by religious is considered lucky.

Nilgai cows and calves tend to live in small herds while males live alone except during rut (their mating season). All males have short smooth horns and occasionally females grow horns. Females commonly give birth to two (2) offspring. When being chased a Nilgai can run up to twenty-nine (29) miles per hour (mph).

Click on images to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.08.03

Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge-Brown

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura IV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville , North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stay Cool. Stay Hydrated. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Macro Monday – 2026 August 03

Swamp Water

Buffalo

The Swamp Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is also referred to as Asian Water Buffalo. It is the second largest member of the bovid family. It has great strength and high fat milk content which has led to its domestication throughout the world. These buffalo spend most of the day submerged, sometimes up to their nostrils, in the water of rivers or swamps. Did you know there is a reason for this? It serves two (2) major purposes.

) These Buffalo do NOT possess adequate sweat glands to keep themselves cool through sweat evaporation along, so remaining submersible allows them to regulate their temperature in the hot , humid Southeast Asia climate.
) The water protects the buffalo from all manners of biting insects that also inhabit the jungle. Their hooves developed as widely splayed in order to prevent them from sinking into the thick mud of swamps and river bottoms.

Water Buffalo eat grass, herbs shrubs, tree bark and other available greens. They are exclusively herbivores. At the Lazy 5 Ranch, as well as similar facilities, the Swamp Water Buffalos are fed free-choice, low-protein, high-fiber forage. They also rely heavily on coastal Bermuda grass, orchard grass, or Timothy hay. They provide freshly cut pasture grasses, sorghum, or maize fodder to simulate natural grazing. One other thing they do to guarantee they receive complete nutrition, the supplement the roughage with scientifically formulated pellets from exotic animal feed manufacturers like Mazuri Exotic Animal Nutrition or Zeigler Feed Manufacturing.

The visitors to the Ranch who desire to feed their swamp exotic animals during their tour are given buckets of compressed fiber pellets. The Swamp Buffalos love treats and will come up to the Wagons during a Safari tour to beg for handouts from the “treat” buckets. That is exactly what this particular Swamp Water Buffalo is doing, begging my daughter for treats from the feed bucket near her.

Click on image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Last on the Card — July 31

Brian from Bushboys World hosts a monthly challenge called Last On the Card. His rules are simple to follow if you’re interested in participating.

Here are The rules:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th or whenever your last photo was taken.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard

Here are my contributions …

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

Click on each image to enlarge.

#Brian’s Last on the Card-2026 July 31

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

Silent Sunday: 2026 August 2nd

Hi there. Got Anything for me?

Click on image to enlarge.

Silent Sunday-2026.08.02

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take time to enjoy the flowers. Get Outdoors and commune with nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Ragtag Daily Prompt (#RDP): Saturday 2026.08.01 — Bungalow

Butterfly Bungalow

The Butterfly Bungalow at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. Not what you’d typically thing of when you think of Bungalow, however, it works great for the many Butterflies maintained within its enclosure as well as the flowers that nourish them.

Click on images to enlarge.

Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP): Saturday-Bungalow

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

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

Hey Y’all, Wait Up … I’m Coming

Red Sindhi

Coleman and I found the Wagon Ride at the Lazy 5 Ranch to be very interesting and I’d say educational. Coleman enjoyed seeing the many different types of exotic animals including the Red Sindhi cow which followed the Wagon for quite a ways as if it wanted to have an exciting adventure as well.

Red Sindhi belong to the heat-tolerant Bos indicus (Zebu) lineage. It is a specialized dairy breed originating from Pakistan.

The Red Sindhi yield substantial volumes of milk (averaging 4.5%-5% fat) even under extreme heat and stress (like we’ve been experiencing) and low quality forage. At the Ranch they are well fed and maintained.

The Red Sindhi are compact, smaller and rounder in comparison to the Red Brahma. The hump is well developed in bulls, but much smaller in cows.

Its colouring is a Deep Red, ranging from yellowish-brown to dark brown; males are typically darker than females especially on the head, feet, and tail.

These images were all taken while looking out the back of the Wagon; noticing the Red Sindhi and other animals following behind and eventually alongside the Wagon. They really were delighted when the Wagon stopped off and on during the Safari ride. They knew whenever the Wagon stopped they could get feed from the Lazy 5 Ranch guests.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.08.01

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; 15100 Mooresville Road; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

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

Thursday Trios: (Oops on Saturday) 2026.08.01

Here Little Piggies

While traveling on the wagon Ride around the Lazy 5 Ranch we spotted Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs in groups of three. Imagine that, how nice of them to group themselves as trios for my photographic adventures.

The Vietnamese Pot-bellied Pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) at the Lazy 5 Ranch were originally from the jungles of China and Vietnam. They were introduced into the United States as pets around 1985. Their backbone is bent like a saddle, which causes the abdomen to nearly drag on the ground. It is due to this effect why they received the pot-bellied name. At birth piglets normally weigh approximately one (1) pound (lb). They grow to a height of 10-12 inches (in) and a weight of about 125 pounds (lbs).

Vietnamese Pot-bellied Pigs
Thursday Trios

Pot-Bellied Pigs are intelligent and can be taught to do simple tricks and to walk around on a leash. However, at the Lazy 5 Ranch they are free to roam around the pastures, pathways and around the many, many other exotic animals at the ranch. At the Ranch they are not taught any tricks, they do enjoy the feed. While on the Wagon ride you are allowed to feed the animals roaming about, some even approach alongside the Wagon begging for handouts (they know the visitors have feed buckets which they’ll gladly make disappear).

Click on each image to enlarge.

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.08.01

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Whatsoever is Lovely: Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #3

XingfuMama hosts the weekly challenge Whatsoever Is Lovely. The challenge is simple. Just reflect back over your week and see what is lovely, whether a thing or a moment, share in a post what is precious and lovely to you.

This week I am continuing with Whatsoever is Lovely to me; Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #3. These images were taken on Coleman’s & my recent visit to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. The first area we visited was the Butterfly Bungalow. We had not previously visited the Butterfly Bungalowsince the times we’ve visited Daniel Stowe Conservancy before were in the Springtime.

For this post I am focusing on the Giant Swallowtail (Polygonia comma). The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly located in North America. It is known for its black wings with striking yellow stripes and its large wingspan. The Giant Swallowtails can have a massive wingspan of up to six (6) inches long.

Interestingly, their abdomen and outer wings are a light yellow shade with red and blue markings along the bottom of their wings while they have black and yellow stripes directly above their heads.

These Giant Swallowtails (Polygonia comma) are also referred to as Eastern Comma. They can typically be seen in shaded areas or near bodies of water. The Eastern Comma feed on sap, rotting fruit, dung, salt and minerals. They are a confident , aggressive, and social butterfly.

***#Whatsoever Is Lovely – 2026 Week 29***
***Giant Swallowtails (Polygonia comma)***
***aka Eastern Comma***

These Giant Swallowtails are feasting on Pycnanthemum incanum, aka Hoary Mountain Mint. The Mountain Mint is a hardy, aromatic perennial in the mint family which is native to eastern North America. It is known for its silvery-white foliage with clusters of small white to lavender flowers that bloom during the summertime. It is an excellent magnifier pollinators like bees, butterflies, and wasps. (I prefer watching the butterflies to bees or wasps.)

These pictured here are maintained in the controlled environment of the Butterfly Bungalow inside the Gardens of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina.

Click on images to enlarge.

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week 29

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Bely, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Monochrome Madness #65 — Numbers (In All Sorts of Places)

Sarah from Travel with Me is the host for this week’s themed Monochrome Madness challenge. She has chosen a theme of Numbers (not quantity, but actual numbers) we see all around us in the places we wander around and through in our daily lives.

Here are my entries …

Click on each image to enlarge.

Sarah’s Monochrome Madness-Numbers

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 July 29

Milling Around

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.07.29

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stay Cool. Have a Fun Adventure. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Macro Monday – 2026 July 27

Rudbeckia hirta

Click on image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

God Bless. Take time to enjoy nature. Admire the beautiful flowers and plants. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Monday Portrait – 2026 July 27

Greater Rhea

Lazy 5 Ranch

The Greater Rhea at the Lazy 5 Ranch roam freely amongst the many various Exotic animals within the pathways as well as in the grassy areas. Sometimes you can spot one by itself while at other times they’ll be in pairs, near Elands, or even alongside the Wagons that carry visitors around the Ranch.

Here are a few Greater Rheas we saw during our Adventure …

*A Rhea next to the wagon & Coleman’s hand.*

The Rhea (Rhea americana) is the third largest flightless bird in the world. They are smaller than African Ostriches and have three toes instead of two. The single male bird builds the nest for all the females in his harem to lay their eggs. A single male may incubate up to 50 eggs while in solitude. [Hey, guys how would you like the responsibility to incubate the female’s eggs?] Rheas rapidly run on long legs and travel in family groups of approximately six (6) birds except during the mating season. The mating season is when flocks of about twenty-five (25) congregate. How fast do you think Rheas can run? [Answer noted near end of post.]

Click on images to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.07.27

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

Note: The Rheas can run up to forty (40) miles per hour (mph). Did you guess right? If not that’s okay, then you learned something new.

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

OWS/WWE/Sunday Stills – 2026.07.26

***Sunday Stills***
***#Animal*** ***of the Month***
***#Reflections***

Water Reflections of a Fallow Deer

For this Sunday I am combining Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Water with Terri’s Sunday Stills-#Animal of the Month and her Sunday Stills-Reflections. The #Animal of the Month for me is the Fallow Deer.

Coleman and I were able to observe Fallow Deer at the Lazy 5 Ranch home to over 600 Exotic Animals from more than 6 continents. The Lazy 5 Ranch could be compared to a small Safari Zoological Park. At the Lazy 5 Ranch you can either drive your own vehicle through on a Safari tour of the Ranch or opt to take a Wagon Ride (which we did). With the Wagon Ride, there is a driver guiding the horses pulling the Wagon giving al overall commentary of the Ranch, informing us about the various animals we were seeing, and as well as giving a bit of history on how the Ranch came to be in existence.

Here we spot a Fallow Deer in a pond of #Water where looking closely you can see the deer’s Reflections in the #Water.

***Fallow Deer’s***
***Reflections in the Water***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Water

Terri’s Sunday Stills-#Animal of the Month

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Reflections

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere (#WWE)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire all of God’s creatures great and small. Enjoy nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Silent Sunday: 2026 July 26

At The Cross

Click on image to enlarge.

Silent Sunday-2026.07.26

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter Attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take time to enjoy the flowers. Get Outdoors and commune with nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Coleman Feeds Animals — Lazy 5 Ranch

I’m combining Debbie’s Six Word Saturday with XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat this week while continuing our Adventures at the Lazy 5 Ranch.

Before get into our adventures let me tell you that one of the reasons we went on our adventure was to give Coleman a special outing before his birthday (today’s his birthday). Coleman turned Seven (7). The first gallery of images show Coleman Pulling Up a Seat while waiting for the Wagon Ride.

This next gallery depicts Coleman feeding some of the Exotic Animals that came alongside the Wagon we were riding on during our Safari adventure around the Lazy 5 Ranch.

Coleman Feeds Exotic Animals
at Lazy 5 Ranch

The last gallery illustrates Coleman feeding Giraffes during the Safari Wagon Ride plus showing a bit more of the Wagon.

Coleman
Feeding the Giraffes
on a stop
during the Wagon Ride
at Lazy 5 Ranch

Click on images to enlarge.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.07.25

XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat #30-2026.07.25

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; 15100 Mooresville Road; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

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

Monochrome Madness/LAPC — A Family Adventure in Black and White

This week is a free week for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness; instead of following her lead on Profusion I am combining my Monochrome Madness post with the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge’s theme of Adventures. I’m sharing a few Black and White images of our Adventures at the Lazy 5 Ranch.

Here are my entries …

*Antlers on the wall*
*at the*
*Wagon Loading Area*

*The Horses and Wagons*
*waiting for visitors*

*An Eland*
*following the Wagon*
*we were riding in.*

*An Axis Deer*
*peeking around*
*a tree.*

*Coleman feeding a*
*Scotch Highland Cattle*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness/2026.07.23 (Free Week)

Leya’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge (LAPC) #405 — Adventures

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Which Way Challenge (2026) CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice) Week 1 —07.24.2026 -07.31.2026 Will run for 2 Weeks]

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). I trust everyone has had a good week and able to spend some time to take a walk or hike in the vast outdoors. This week’s I’m allowing y’all to choose your own Which Ways for this week and next with the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice). The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. As always signs are always welcome.

For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.

When I began preparing this post after last week’s went live I had thought of sharing a hiking adventure Coleman and I had two years ago in 2024. However, best laid plans do change occasionally as did mine for this week.

We had an incident with Coleman this week (I won’t go into details, but prays are appreciated). This is a special week for Coleman so his mom chose to take us on a special adventure up in Mooresville, North Carolina to the Lazy 5 Ranch.

I am sharing a few images of our adventures here with y’all.

Arriving at Lazy 5 Ranch …

The Lazy 5 Ranch is approximately an hour’s drive north of us in the City of Mooresville, North Carolina. It is privately owned and operated by Henry Hampton. It receives no federal or state funding. Henry Hampton has been raising exotic animals for over 50 years. He started out with the exotic animals at his own home and allowed school groups to visit viewing the animals from the opposite side of the fence.

In May of 1993, Mr. Hampton’s dream became a reality and The Lazy 5 Ranch officially opened. It opened with just five (5) staff people and only two (2) operating wagons. We chose to have a Wagon Ride with the driver commenting on the animals we were seeing instructing everyone to remain seated as long as the Wagon was moving. We could move around or stand to take pictures when the wagon was stopped.

The Lazy 5 Ranch has grown tremendously since its beginning with over 600 animals from six (6) continents. The animals can be viewed everyday all year long by horse drawn wagon or from your own personal vehicle while traveling along a 3 1/2 mile safari ride. As you can see, I have only shared a fraction of what we saw on our adventure visiting the Ranch.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.

For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.

Suzette’s For Deb’s CWWC Any Which Way Paved [in Black and White]

Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Roads And Bridges

Marina’s Fence

Cath’s Which Way… {Monochrome Roads}

Dan’s Ain’t No Cure — SoCS

Dawn’s Which Way: Train Track in the Weeds

Marilyn’s My Way Or The Highway?

Dawn’s Around the Bend in BnW

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Next week we’ll continue with the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice) [07.31.2026].

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55/250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; 15100 Mooresville Road; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

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

Thursday Trios: 2026 July 23

Cervus axis

The whole family went on an adventurous outing on Monday (unusual for our family). Coleman’s mom and I discussed where we might could go Sunday evening and decided it would be an excellent idea for us all to go with her driving. Where did we decide to go?

We chose to go on a wagon ride at the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, North Carolina. Why did we decide to spend the day together and not just have Coleman and myself go somewhere together? This coming Saturday is Coleman’s birthday. He’ll be turning Seven (7) and we wanted to do something special for him when his mom and baby sister, Sophia, could join us.

Of course, I brought my camera along and not just my iPhone. An outing like this doesn’t happen often; I needed to capture the adventure so we could enjoy the memories.

Here is just one set of trios from our adventure …

As per the Lazy 5 Ranch’s Guidebook this beautiful set of Trios are Axis Deer (Cervus axis). The Axis Deer are also known as Chital Deer which means spotted in Hindustani. Interestingly, the Axis Deer retains its spots throughout its lifespan (approximately 22 years). They are available to be seen at the Lazy 5 Ranch year round.

Click on image to enlarge.

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.07.23

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Lazy 5 Ranch; 15100 Mooresville Road; Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Note: I’ll be sharing more about our adventure at the Lazy 5 Ranch in future posts.

Monday Window – 2026 July 20

Kitty by a Window –
2 – AI creation by PR

Castle Windows

When you think of Castle Windows you probably think of ancient and/or historical castles, however, these windows are in a Castle Playground at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. The Castle Playground is a fairly new playground inside the botanical gardens for children to climb, explore, and basically have an all out Funtime while at the Stowe.

***Monday Window***
***Castle Playground***
***Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden***

On the day Coleman and I were at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden it was extremely hot and humid and we only saw one other child at the playground. Being so hot Coleman only had a short time to play before we moved on to the Tunnel Fountain for him to enjoy some water time.

The gallery of images above show the Castle Windows. The ones gallery below shows what Coleman is looking out the Window at and holding. For an active boy he was skeptical and yet excited to swing out the Window and repel down to the ground.

Coleman
Castle Playground Window
Monday Window

Click on images to enlarge.

Monday Window-2026.07.20

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Castle Playground; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

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

Macro Monday Portrait – 2026 July 20

Monarch

Monarch Butterflies are one of the most familiar and recognized species of butterflies of North America butterflies. The Danaus plexippus, which are widely known as Butterflies Monarch or Monarch Butterfly, are famous for their 3,000 mile annual migration.

North and South Carolina serve as a crucial geographical corridor for the Eastern migratory population. Monarchs are a welcome sight in the Carolinas and a sign of seasonal change. The Monarchs pass through the Carolinas twice a year. Once in the Spring and again in the Fall.

When we see them arriving in the beginning of Spring (late March and April) they are migrating northward. The first generation Monarchs stop to lay eggs on emerging native milkweed. The second generation continues the migration journey all the way into Canada. In the Fall (Autumn)the “Methuselah generation” (aka the “super generation”), the Monarchs born at the end of summer, fly southward towards Mexico from September through mid-October.

This Monarch and ones shown in other posts are maintained in a controlled environment in the Butterfly Bungalow at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. To see more Monarch Butterflies check out my Whatsoever is Lovely post by clicking here.

Click on image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Monday Portrait-2026.07.20

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

2026 Whatsoever is Lovely: Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #2

XingfuMama hosts the weekly challenge Whatsoever Is Lovely. The challenge is simple. Just reflect back over your week and see what is lovely, whether a thing or a moment, share in a post what is precious and lovely to you.

This week I am continuing with Whatsoever is Lovely to me; Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #2. These images were taken on Coleman’s & my recent visit to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. The first area we visited was the Butterfly Bungalow. We had not previously visited the Butterfly Bungalow since the times we’ve visited Daniel Stowe Conservancy before were in the Springtime.

The best time of the year to visit the Butterfly Bungalow is during the Summer. Why do you think Summer is the best time to visit. Let me tell you. It is the best and only season to visit the Butterfly Bungalow due to the fact that it is a seasonal attraction that only operates from late May through early September, the warmest months of the year.

For this post I am focusing on the Monarch Butterfly. The Monarch Butterflies eagerly feast on Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush) because it functions as an elite nectar source. The nectar of Buddleja davidii is rich in sucrose, glucose, and fructose which offers a dense spike of immediate energy. The blooms of Buddleja davidii emit a powerful sweet, honey-like aroma that attracts Monarchs from a distance.

Below are Monarch Butterfly photos I took on our visit …

Monarch Butterfly on Summer Lilac aka Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush)
Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush)

These pictured here are maintained in the controlled environment of the Butterfly Bungalow inside the Gardens of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina.

Click on images to enlarge.

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week 28

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Bely, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

“Coleman’s favorite refreshing garden fountain splash!”

SIX WORD SATURDAY
The Fountain
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Belmont, NC

This fountain at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden looks so refreshing! It is located near the entrance to the Lost Hollow: The Kimbrell Family Children’s Garden. Coleman is having fun playing nearby.

The fountain spray is a powerful, tall column of white, frothy water shooting dramatically upwards. It crests at a significant height before cascading back down, creating a lively splash and ripples in the water below. have loved playing nearby.

Click on images to enlarge.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.07.18

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere (WWE)

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment

Location: Fountain near Lost Hollow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stay Cool. Stay Hydrated. Spread joy and happiness all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week #29 — In a Botanical Garden #2

Welcome! This week I’m continuing with sharing various benches and chairs at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. It is still extremely hot and humid here in our region of North Carolina. Here are a few more benches and chairs that are scattered here and there around the Gardens.

Here are my entries for this week …

***#PullUpaSeat***
***#DanielStoweConservancy***
***Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden***

Click on images to enlarge.

XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 29

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

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

Which Way Challenge (CWWC) 2026: Any Which Way in Black and White On Asphalt Roads or Paved Pathways [07.17.2026]

CBWC/CWWC
Cee’s Black & White Challenge
Cee’s Which Way Challenge

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). I trust everyone has had a good week and able to spend some time to take a walk or hike in the vast outdoors. This week’s theme is Any Which Way in Black and White On Asphalt Roads or Paved Pathways. In choosing the Black and White theme for this week’s Which Way Challenge I am honouring the memory of Cee’s Black and White Challenge. The Which Way can be any paved pathway, sidewalk, paved trail, or paved road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. As always signs are always welcome.

For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.

Here are my entries …

Cee’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)
Cee’s Black and White Challenge (CBWC) Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)
***Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.

For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.

Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Into The Black

Suzette’s For Deb’s CWWC Any Which Way With The Colors Black or Brown

Marina’s Sidewalk with Black

Dan’s Nothing Special Saturday — SoCS

Cath’s Which Way… {Black Angus Cows}

Marilyn’s Brown & Black inThe Which Way

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Cee’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

*** Note: Next Week we will be exploring and sharing the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice) [07.24.2026]

Thursday Trios: (on Friday) 2026.07.17

“Cattleya Orchid”

While these may look like real, they are not. These “Cattleya Orchid” are glass blown orchids created by master glassblower Jason Gamrath. He specifically tailored this highly intricate large scale Cattleya Orchid glass statue for Daniel Stowe Conservancy (formerly known as Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden). His Cattleya sculpture was designed to display all progressive phases of the flower’s life. This statue was originally apart of a Grandiflora Exhibition. Jason created the Cattleya Orchid glass statue by using highly intense, collaborative modelling and glass-blowing process.

Even though Jason calls the sculpture “Cattleya Orchid” according to the Daniel Stowe Conservancy website call these flowers Glass Daffodils. However, in its description it calls the statue an orchid piece stating that Jason’s purpose was to allow people to “observe with the same eyes through which ‘he’ humbly and graciously experiences our natural world” (Quote by Jason Gamrath).

Click on each image to enlarge.

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.07.17

Also posting in Remembrance of:

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: William H. Williamson, III Orchid Conservatory; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Thursday Doors: July 16

*Ritva at*
*Ritva Sillanmäki Photography*

More Doors

at Daniel Stowe

Botanical Garden

Last week I shared the entrance Doors to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; this week I sharing Doors within the Gardens.

Click on images to enlarge.

Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.07.16

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens

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

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

Sunday Stills 2026 July 13th:

Groups of Three (3) or More

in the Gardens of

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Good Day everyone! This week Terri with Second Wind Leisure Perspectives has given us the prompt of Groups of Three (3) or More. I have selected Groups of Three or More in The Gardens at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. Having selected floral Groups of Three (3) or More I am linking this post with Terri’s The #Flower Hour.

Click on rack image to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Groups of 3 or More

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #39

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm and Altura UV Filter Attachment.

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

God Bless. Admire the beautiful Flowers. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Macro Monday – 2026 July 13

Crassula pyramidalis

Succulents in the Garden at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

Silent Sunday: 2026 July 12

Hemerocallis ‘Autumn Minaret’
Aka Autumn Minaret Daylily

Silent Sunday-2026.07.12

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

God Bless. Take time to enjoy the flowers. Get Outdoors and commune with nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

One Word Sunday (#OWS) —2026 July 12 — Bicoloured

Debbie with Travel with Intent has selected the word Bicoloured for this week’s One Word Sunday theme. When I first saw the term Bicoloured, I thought of duotoned images not two distinct colours or shades. Hence the last images has both Bicoloured and Duotoned.

Floral Examples …

One …

Two …

Pink and White Phalaenopsis
Aka Moth Orchids

Duotoned vs. Bicoloured …

One Word Sunday (OWS)
Light blue and brown duotone colorization of the **Prairie Castle Playground’s Net Tunnel.**

Natural light brown and Black are the colours of the Net Tunnel which is made from thick sturdy rope as part of the **Prairie Castle Playground** inside **Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.**

Click on images to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday (#OWS)-Bicoloured

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cameras: 1-2) Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; 3-4) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Admire the Flowers. Be observant of the amazingly beautiful colours found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 CosPhoChal: Close Up with Butterflies

Dale, the host of the Cosmic Photo Challenge, has challenged us to post a few close-up shots for this week’s challenge. Coleman and I had just recently visited the Butterfly Bungalow watching the butterflies fluttering to and fro from flower to flower feasting on nectar and/or pollen till their hearts content. Therefore, I thought it might be worth it to share a few close-ups with you.

First, in the image above we are viewing two Eastern Giant Swallowtails enjoying the tasty delight in the butterfly feeder.

Next, let’s take a closer look at the Butterfly feeder. Not only are the Swallowtails having a delicious feast of the sugar water solution mixed with fruit to provide them with energy, but severe black ants are joining in to sample it as well.

And finally for a close-up view of the Eastern Giant Swallowtails themselves. Observe the delicate line, pattern, and color details in the design of the Swallowtails wings. Notice their distinctive appearance with their prominent antennae that are dark, slender, and distinctively club-tipped. Its legs are also slender, dark, and segmented allowing it to grip the edge of the feeder.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)-Close-Up

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Be observant of all creatures large and small that call our Earth home. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week #28 — In a Botanical Garden

Welcome, I’m thrilled you stopped by for a visit. This week I’m holding off on Further Adventures of Coleman Pulling Up a Seat at Anne Springs Close Greenway. Instead I’m posting a few benches from our recent visit to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina.

It was an extremely hot and humid afternoon here in our region of North Carolina, so a few benches scattered here and there around the Gardens were a welcome relief to hydrate and catch (at least mine) our breath before venturing on around the Gardens.

Here are my entries for this week …

Click on images to enlarge.

XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat 2026 – Week #28

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

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

Thursday Trios: (on Friday) 2026.07.10

Floral Trios

Calibrachoa x hybrida
Aka Million Bells;
*Mini Petunia; Trailing Petunia*

*Summerific® ‘Cranberry Crush’*
*Rose Mallow Hibiscus*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.07.10

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location:

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Which Way Challenge (CWWC) 2026: Any Which Way with the colours of Brown and/or Black [07.10.2026]

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). I trust everyone has had a good week and able to spend some time to take a walk or hike in the vast outdoors. This week’s theme is CWWC: Any Which Way with the colours of Brown and/orBlack. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. As always signs are always welcome.

For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.

For the adventure we parked at the Dairy Barn Entrance to Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina. We hiked down the pathway towards the Spillway, crossed the Swinging Bridge, and on towards Lake Haigler where we hiked along the Blue Star Trail. We encountered many Brown objects along our route and even a few Black one too.

Let’s take a look at our hiking adventure …

CWWC
Cee’s Which Way Challenge
– Brown and/or Black
CFFC
***Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge***
***– Crayola Black***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.

For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.

Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Dirt Track

Brian’s Down the road a piece

Marina’s Path with Brown

Cath’s Camera’s Which Way… {The Muddy Road Ahead}

Cath’s Camera’s Which Way… {Not Just Blue Skies}

Pepper from HeavensSunshine’s Between the Wildflowers

Dawn’s Which Way: Along the Brown of the Creek

Rich’s Brown The Trail

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Dan’s CFFC-Black

Cameta: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250 mm and EF75-300 mm lenses.

Location: Blue Star Trail; Dairy Barn Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

*** Note: Next Week we will be exploring and sharing the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way in Black and White On Asphalt Roads or Paved Pathways [07.17.2026]

The #Flower Hour #38 — 2026 July 07

Carduus nutans

Click on image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #38

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens

Location: Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stop and smell the flowers. Admire them and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour #37: Patriotic Colours in Florals — 2026 July 03

Happy Fourth of July!

RED …

WHITE …

*Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’*
*aka Callery Pear*

BLUE …

Happy Birthday America!

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The Flower Hour #37

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; Apple iPhone 13 Pro; Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Monochrome Madness #63 — Bright As Can Be _2026.07.01

Hosting Monochrome Madness this week is Margaret from Pyrenees to Pennines blog. She has chosen a theme of as Bright as Can Be. How Bright is Bright as Can Be? Maybe my selections are as Bright as Can Be, but maybe yours might be brighter.

Here are my entries …

*Fireworks Brightly Bursting the*
*Night Skies Cramerton, NC*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Cameras: Apple 14 Pro Max; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Canon EOS Rebel T3i, and Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.

Locations: As stated above.

God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Anyone wishing to join in and participate, please go to the Monochrome Madness page to find out how.

2026 Last on the Card — June 30th

Brian from Bushboys World hosts a monthly challenge called Last On the Card. His rules are simple to follow if you’re interested in participating.

Here are The rules:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th or whenever your last photo was taken.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard

Here are my contributions …

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

*Gastonia burgei,*
*skeleton of an herbivorous*
*ankylosaurian dinosaur*
*at The Schiele Museum*
*of Natural History Gastonia, NC*

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

Click on each image to enlarge.

#Brian’s Last on the Card-2026 June 30

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

2026 CFFC: Crayola Blue (in my world)

Dan from No Facilities hosts the Fun Foto Challenge at and this week he is asking for our The Crayola Box of 8 – Blue . I have gone into my recent and archive files to see what I could locate to best represent this week’s theme. I will also be sharing Blue Along Trails as part of Friday’s CWWC post (Stay tuned to more Blue and feel free to share your blue with Cee’s Which Way Challenge as well as Dan’s CFFC challenge this week.

Here are my entries …

*Coleman sliding at Warlick YMCA Gastonia, NC*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Blue

God Bless. Enjoy your week. May it be filled with love, joy, laughter, and lots of fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Sunday Stills: Animal of the Month —Reptiles in the Carolinas

I’m joining Terri Webster Schrandt in her new Sunday Stills theme of Animal of the Month. This challenge will be for posting photos of an Animal, Bird, insect, reptile or other Creature of the Month. This month she also has a subtheme of Wild. I am focusing my images on Reptiles in the Wild areas of the Southeastern United States (mainly the Carolinas).

*Pond Slider*
*The Pond*
*The Schiele Museum of Natural History Gastonia, NC*

Terri’s Sunday Stills: Animal of the Month – Wild

God Bless. Have an adventurous week. Stay Cool. Enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Macro Monday – 2026 June 22

Hydrangea quercifolia

Click on each image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

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

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week 25— At a Museum, Coleman Style #2

Coleman Style

At The Schiele Museum

of Natural History

In the Catawba Indian Village …

XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 25

Camera: 1-2)Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment; 3-4) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

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

Monochrome Madness #62 2026 June 17

Jugs, Jugs, & More

(Inside & Out)

This week’s host for Monochrome Madness is Brian from Bushboys World. He has chosen a theme of Jugs for this week’s challenge. Jugs have been around for ages and made from varies materials like clay, glass, and even plastic. I much prefer sun-dried clay or glass-blown jugs to the more modern lightweight high-density polyethylene (plastic) jugs.

These are a few of the Jugs I have found in my archives to share with y’all.

Located in Fairies-Coltharp Cabin
Anne Springs Close Greenway
*Fort Mill, SC*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Brian’s Monochrome Madness #62-Jugs

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness (MM)

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm & EF-S18-55mm lenes; Apple iPhone 13 Pro; Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Locations: As stated above.

God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Anyone wishing to join in and participate, please go to the Monochrome Madness page to find out how.

Macro Monday – 2026 June 15

Allium fistulosum

Click on each image to enlarge.

Click on image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour-2026.06.15

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

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

2026 Pull Up a Seat Week 24— At a Museum, Coleman Style #1

Coleman Style

at The Schiele Museum

of Natural History

*Coleman*
*Pulling Up a Seat*
*on a*
*Farmall Cub Tractor*

*Coleman*
*Pull Up a Seat*
*on a Tractor*

XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 24

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

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

Close Encounter

with a Black Llama

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Ammotragus Lervia

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Swamp Water

Buffalo

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Hi there. Got Anything for me?

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Butterfly Bungalow

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Red Sindhi

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Here Little Piggies

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Milling Around

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Rudbeckia hirta

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Greater Rhea

Lazy 5 Ranch

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Water Reflections of a Fallow Deer

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At The Cross

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Cervus axis

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Castle Windows

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Monarch

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“Cattleya Orchid”

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More Doors

at Daniel Stowe

Botanical Garden

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Groups of Three (3) or More

in the Gardens of

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

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Crassula pyramidalis

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Carduus nutans

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Happy Fourth of July!

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Hydrangea quercifolia

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Coleman Style

At The Schiele Museum

of Natural History

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Jugs, Jugs, & More