#ShotonCanon – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

2026 CosPhoChal: October 19 — Repetition

Dale, the host of the Cosmic Photo Challenge, has challenged us to post a few images of Repetition for this week’s challenge. For this week’s challenge I needed to scour through my archives to see what I could find on this week’s theme. When I read Dale’s words that images didn’t necessarily need to conform to recognisable patterns, symmetry, or tessellations, but could be photographs that contained more than one of something it made it more likely that I’d find a few images that I’d like to use. Thank you Dale for the challenge.

Here’s what I found to share …

Looking at Earth in a Planetarium’s show .,,

On to more down to Earth, a look at the sky over Murrells Inlet with flocks of European Starlings flying past a Daytime Moon …

The next image is a combination of two images sent from my daughter. The one image downloaded on my iPhone as a “negative” type image & I combined it with a regular photo image for this unique view of The St. Simons Island Lighthouse …

Now to look at more personal images, first a view of Coleman’s creation using Learning Resources STEM Explorers Pixel Art Challenge …

And lastly, a blast from the past from my dad’s files and digitally uploaded to my computer files. This shows actual World War II fuel oil coupons (Form OPA R-1107 A). These coupons were explicitly issued for “Fuel Oil”, not gasoline for an automobile. They were used to buy oil for home heating furnaces, water heaters, and kerosene for cooking stoves.

There were strict controls for the use of these coupons; Each coupon allowed a family to purchase exactly one (1) gallon of heating oil. During the war, civilian homes had their heat strictly rationed to ensure the military had enough fuel. Families were told to lower their thermostats to 65 degrees during the day (and even lower at night) to stretch their coupons further.

*World War II Fuel Oil*
*Coupons belonging to*
*my dad’s family.*

I’m not sure why all of these were not used, however, possible reasons were my dad’s family practiced strict conservation to save money and stretch their supply. [The coupons were the maximum legal limit the family was allowed to buy, but they still had to pay real money for the actual fuel.] Fuel Oil and gasoline rationing ended almost immediately once World War II ended. At that time they no longer needed the coupons and many families stuck them in desk drawers.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)-Repetition

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.

Sunday Stills 2026 October 11 (on 17th) A Look at Stairs & Steps

Good Day everyone! This week Terri with Second Wind Leisure Perspectives is on vacation and Hugh from Hugh’s Views and News has graciously stepped up to host in her absence. He has given us the prompt of Steps & Stairs for this week’s Sunday Stills Challenge .

There are many ways we can look at Stairs and Steps, every step we take helps us continue on our life’s journey. We take steps every day whether we are just walking on solid ground or climbing a few steps or up the stairs to new adventures.

“For a stairs to be safe, every step on that stairs has to be safe!”
Mehmet Murat ildan

In life we may stumble as we embrace struggles, however, with every difficult step we take we build resilience and character.

“To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.”
~ Author unknown

Nature’s steps & stairs
of rock, dirt & wood

Every Step we take in life shapes who we become, our personal journeys are rarely straight or smooth paths; instead they are built on our actions, unexpected stumbles, and our quiet passes and reflections.

“Every lesson you take from your past immediately turns into a stairs to the light!”
— Mehmet Murat Ildan

*Looking at the Light*
*above the Stairs*
*to the Railroad Tracks*

Focus on each Step in front of you. Looking all the way up to a distant landing can feel overwhelming and draining. It’s best to focus on the single step directly in front of you, making the task manageable.

“It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs,”
spoken by Václav Havel.

*Dog waiting at base of Stairs*
*on an Historic building*

Instead of looking at the stairs of life and contemplating the steps, just take action and climb the stairs. Stop worrying about where each step is taking you, relax clarity will will come as you actively begin your ascent and proceed on your way.

“The greatest adventures often come from taking the smallest steps.”
~ Author unknown

Don’t fret. Every great adventure starts with small consistent actions rather than massive leaps. Remember, every adventure, every journey in life begins when we are brave enough to take our first step.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Hugh’s Sunday Stills – Steps & Stairs

Terri’s Sunday Stills

Good Bless. Pray for clear skies, wildfires to stop spreading. No more Smoky air clouding our atmosphere. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Thursday Trios: 2026 October 15

Old Fashioned Candelabra

Click on image to enlarge.

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.10.15

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

Location: Historic Cabin; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, 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.

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Posting in Remembrance of Cee Neuner

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

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

Monday Portrait – 2026 October 12th

Woolly Mammoth

I thought about telling you all about Woolly Mammoths, but then I remembered something else about this particular Woolly Mammoth Statue. What did I remember? This Woolly Mammoth statue is one (1) of twenty-one Prehistoric Dinosaur statues along the Gaston County Dino Trail. This Prehistoric journey across Gaston County is a way for the county to celebrate The Schiele Museum’s new Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs.

Pick up a map for the Dino Trail at The Schiele Museum or any one of the participating businesses and attractions. At each location you may collect Dinosaur Trading Cards and discover prehistoric surprises.

The Dino Trail runs from September 1st through December 31st. To find out more information about the Dino Trail and/or The Hall of Dinosaurs click here.

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-10.12.2026

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

Macro Monday – 2026 October 12

Rosemary

Rosemary, is one of several herbs grown in the Heritage Garden in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina. Its needle-like leaves are incredibly aromatic and have been a staple in Mediterranean cuisine for centuries. It is often used to flavour meats, vegetables, and bread. Cooking is not the only reason Rosemary is cherished, it is revered for its traditional medicinal properties. It is also occasionally associated with memory and remembrance.

Click on image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Monochrome Monday

Also posting in remembrance of …

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

God Bless. Have a pleasant and funtastic 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 41— At a Museum, Coleman Style #6

In A Pumpkin

No matter where Coleman and I hike/walk you can guarantee he’ll find a place to Pull Up a Seat. Whenever he does you can most likely expect to see a variety of antics, expressions. He likes to have me take his picture, but sometimes he doesn’t. It is Autumn in an our area, so naturally the Schiele Museum has Autumn decor set out in The Farm. This year there is less hay to than in previous years (same affect on my allergies though). After waiting his turn inside the “Pumpkin”, he wasn’t really enthusiastic about my taking his picture as you might could tell.

Here are a few of what I managed to capture … of Coleman Pulling Up a Seat …

Click on each image to enlarge.

XingfuMama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 41

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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.

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour #52 — 2026 October 9th

In a Museum’s Garden

The Garden at the Schiele Museum of Natural History is ever changing with the seasons and years. The Gardens are maintained by museum staff, Community Volunteers and Interns, and the volunteer efforts of the Master Gardener Group of Gaston County.

This season we have plenty of Cosmos sulphureus, aka Sulfur cosmos; Zinnia peruviana, aka the Peruvian zinnia; Ornamental peppers, and Ipomoea coccinea aka Red Morning Glory. They are beautiful flowers to enjoy and admire, but not as many florals as in previous years.

Walking towards The Farm from the parking lot we first spot these lovely Cosmos sulphureus …

Walking around inside The Farm’s enclosed area, after visiting the goats, we spot these lovely Zinnia peruviana flowers …

As we walk through the Garden area in The Farm we notice several Ornamental Pepper plants and then a few Red Morning Glories. The peppers are so pretty and colourful that you can’t help, but be drawn to their natural beauty. While the Red Morning Glories are so small you might miss them if you weren’t truly searching for the wonderful flowers within the garden.

Ornamental Peppers
and Red Morning Glory

Click on images to enlarge.

Terri’s The Flower Hour

Pam’s The Flower Hour

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.10.09

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

God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 CosPhoChal: Moss Fungi, and Ferns …

Dale, the host of the Cosmic Photo Challenge, has challenged us to post a few images of Moss, Ferns, and Fungus for this week’s challenge. For this week’s challenge I needed to scour through my archives to see what I could find on this week’s theme.

Here is what I discovered …

Moss …

Fungi …

*Russula, aka Brittle gills*
*They have a unique, crumbly texture*
*South Fork River Park*
*McAdenville. Gaston, North Carolina*

Ferns …

*Athyrium filix-femina,*
*Aka the lady fern*
*or common lady-fern*
*Kings Mountain State Park*
*Blacksburg, North Carolina*

Now to add a few non-typical Ferns …

*Fern Forest,*
*a loop trail at*
*Anne Springs Close Greenway*
*Fort Mill, South Carolina*

*Fern Trail*
*It is considered*
*an easy short trail*
*that connects to other trails.*
*Crowders Mountain State Park*
*Kings Mountain, North Carolina*

*Fern is the mother*
*of this baby colt.*
*(No longer a baby,*
*born in 2022).*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)-Moss, Ferns, and Fungus

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.

Macro Monday – 2026 October 05

Coleus scutellarioides

The Coleus plants pictured here are located near the Turkey enclosure in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina. It is a tropical perennial grown for its brightly coloured, velvety leaves which come in various shades of red, pink, yellow, green, and deep burgundy.

The Coleus plant is linked with the mint family (Lamiaceae). They are primarily cultivated for their incredibly diverse and colorful foliage instead of their flowers. Besides the colours listed above you may occasionally find them in black. Their intricate design patterns and margins on their leaves make them quite attractive and intriguing to observe.

Click on image to enlarge.

Macro Monday (MM)

Festival of Leaves 2026

Monochrome Monday

Also posting in remembrance of …

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

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

Monday Portrait – 2026 October 5th

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-10.05.2026

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location; The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, 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.

Silent Sunday: 2026 October 04

Ornamental Peppers

Click image to enlarge.

Silent Sunday-2026.10.04

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

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

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

CWWC 2026: Any Which Way with Autumn Leaves [10.02.2026-10.09.2026].

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

Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge (previously hosted by Cee Neuner). This week our theme is Which Way Challenge CWWC 2026: Any Which Way with Autumn Leaves [10.02.2026-10.09.2026]. It will run for two (2) weeks. Your Which Ways can be Outdoors, Paved or Unpaved, Dirt Trails or any natural surface as long as they are in the displaying Autumn Leaves 🍂.

Mine are from 2021 and 2022 as the leaves in our area have not as yet displayed their Autumn colours. These were taken at the Fort Mill Access to the Catawba River and the Fort Mill Dam. Feel free to link to Dawn’s Festival of Leaves or other appropriate links.

Here are my entries …

CWWC
Cee’s Which Way Challenge
**Deb’s Which Way with Autumn Leaves**

Click on images 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 CWWC26 Any Which Way in the Evening

Dawn’s Which Way: Sunset Reflecting in the Rain

Marilyn’s Nighttime Wakens

Which Way Challenge (CWWC) 2026: Any Which Way in the Evening (With or Without Rainy Weather) [09.25.2026]

Also linking with the following Photo Challenges led by fellow bloggers …

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)-Autumn Walk

Dawn’s Festival of Leaves

One Step at a Time #28

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 39

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Location: Fort Mill Catawba River Access; Fort Mill Dam, Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

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

** Note: Next Week we will continue with the theme of —CWWC 2026: Any Which Way with Autumn Leaves [10.09.2026].

2026 Last on the Card — September 30

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 Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

*Sophia Ruthann*
*attempting to stand*
*without holding on*
*in her new shoes.*

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

Click on each image to enlarge.

#Brian’s Last on the Card-2026 September 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 Whatsoever is Lovely: Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #5

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 #5. 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 Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus), one of the many varieties of butterflies maintained within the Butterfly Bungalow at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.

The Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) is a one of the most fascinating butterflies in eastern North America due to its specialized lifecycle, unique hosting plants, and their use of mimicry to survive.

Spicebush Swallowtail
on Anise Hyssop
(Agastache foeniculum)

The Papilio troilus, aka the Spicebush Swallowtail, or Green-clouded butterfly, is a common black Swallowtail butterfly only found in the Eastern United States and Southern Ontario, however, it can sometimes be seen in the American plains states, Cuba, Manitoba, and Colorado. .

It is normally found in deciduous woods, or woody swamps. There they can be seen flying low and fast through shaded areas.

The Papilio troilus has two (2) subspecies, Papilio troilus troilus and Papilio troilus ilioneus. The Papilio troilus troilus is the one seen in this area and pictured in these images. Papilio troilus ilioneus is confined to the Southeastern coastal United States, mainly throughout Florida, along the coast of Georgia, and in places in Texas.

The primary host plants for the Spicebush Swallowtail are most commonly the Spicebush ((Lindera benzoin) or White Sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Despite their preference to primarily feed Lauraceae plants, they do feed on Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), especially here in the Butterfly Bungalow. Anise Hyssop is widely known as one of the ultimate “pollinator magnets” that is typically added to gardens.

The Spicebush Swallowtail love the Anise Hyssop for its perfect landing pads. The dense, structural spikes are composed of hundreds of tiny, nectar-rich tubular flowers. The Spicebush Swallowtail can easily grasp the stalks with their legs while their long proboscis probes from bloom to bloom. They also love the Anise Hyssop for its continuous energy. Anise Hyssop has an exceptionally long blooming window,The plant typically produces fresh flowers from June through September.

This blooming season of the Anise Hyssop provides a vital, reliable energy source for late-summer generations of butterflies preparing to reproduce or move through woodland edges.

*Spicebush Swallowtail*
(Papilio troilus)
on Anise Hyssop
(Agastache foeniculum)

Click on images to enlarge.

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week #38

Monday Portrait

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour-2026.09.28

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.

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour #49— 2026 September 25

A Look

Back into

Autumn Florals

Following along with Terri’s Autumn Floral theme, I took a Look Back into my archives for Autumnal Florals (not just Autumn colours, but taken in Autumn) taken in early Autumn. My selections were all taken at various times and locations during the month of October. I know it’s not October yet, however, it soon will be in only a few more days.

Taken October 3, 2023 …

*Common Eastern Bumblebee*
*on an Orange*
*Sulphur Cosmos*

… at The Garden in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Taken October 6, 2025 …

… by the Bridge at Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton, North Carolina.

Taken October 22, 2024 …

*A Green Aphid on a*
*Yellow Tickseed Sunflower*

… near Lake Haigler along the Haigler Loop Trail at the Anne Springs Close Greenway’s Lake Haigler Entrance in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Taken October 27, 2023 …

*Gulf Fritillary Butterfly*
*on Common Red Zinnias*

… by the Gibson House at the Stables Entrance of the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

That’s all for now y’all.

Click on images to enlarge.

Terri’s The Flower Hour #49-Autumn Colors

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Wordless Wednesday — 2026 September 23

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.09.23

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D)

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina

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.

2026 CosPhoChal: Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds

Dale, the host of the Cosmic Photo Challenge, has challenged us to post a few images of Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds for this week’s challenge. Some Fruits are edible for birds, but bitter or not recommended for humans. Seeds may be in seed pods and reproduce as flowers, while others may still be in fruit and if planted with produce more fruit. Nuts are not just for humans to eat, squirrels and other animals enjoy them as well. Coleman likes to gather nuts and seed pods when we hike along various trails.

Here are my contributions …

Click on each image to enlarge.

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)-Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds

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 Whatsoever is Lovely: Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #4

This week I am continuing with Whatsoever is Lovely to me; Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #4. 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 Dryas iulia, Aka Julia Longwing butterfly, Julia heliconian, the flame, or flambeau.

Dryas iulia is often misspelled incorrectly as julia. It is the only representative in the genus Dryas. It is a species of brush-footed butterfly, native from Brazil to southern Texas and Florida. In the summertime it can sometimes be found as far north as eastern Nebraska. They are considered rare immigrants or temporary strays in both North and South Carolina. That doesn’t mean they won’t be spotted though. During the warm summer months, individual adults occasionally migrate or drift northwards from their permanent breeding grounds in southern Florida and southern Texas.

The Julia Longwing butterfly was are known for their striking bright orange wings. They can have black markings, and their have notably long and narrow forewings which gives them that “Longwing” moniker.

The Julia heliconian butterflies are extremely fast and erratic fliers; they were quite a challenge to capture with my camera. Their fast movements prevented me from being able to catch all of them clearly, however, I still did managed to catch a few good shots with my Canon.

Besides being very fast fliers, they frequent clearings, paths, and margins of forests and woodlands. They feed on the nectar of flowers, like lantanas (Lantana) and shepherd’s-needle. They drink the tears of caiman, the eye of which the butterfly irritates to produce tears.

The Dryas iulia butterfly species is real popular in butterfly houses similar to the Butterfly Bungalow at the Daniel Stowe Conservancy. Their popularity is due to its longevity and its activity throughout the day. They were intensely fascinating to watch them zipping to and fro, hither and yonder faster than your (at least mine) eyes could follow them.

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. The Dryas iulia are a featured seasonal resident of the Butterfly Bungalow at Daniel Stowe Conservancy. Since these butterflies thrive in tropical environments, the Garden imports them chrysalides as part of their summer pollinator exhibition. The warm, humid greenhouse enclosure provides an ideal environment for them to fly alongside other native and tropical species like the Zebra Longwing and Malachite.

Click on images to enlarge.

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week #38

Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge-Orange

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.

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 19 September 2026

Early evening clouds rolling in … Storms are a coming. Look out … Time to be getting indoors.

Skywatch Friday

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia North Carolina, USA

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

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour #48— 2026 September 18

Floral ABCs

Letters S T U V

This week Terri, our host for The Flower Hour is focusing on Floral ABC’s concentrating on STUV. Let’s have some fun. Here are my STUV Florals for this week’s challenge. It wasn’t too hard to locate flowers beginning with S and T, but U was extremely difficult, henceforth, I didn’t find any amongst my photo files. V was hard to locate any type of flowers other than Violets.

Here’s looking at the S’s …

• Salvia farinacea

Black-Eyed Susan

Purple Salsify

*Aka Oyster Plant*
*or Vegetable Oyster*

Sedum

How about a look at the T’s …

Tulipa ×gesneriana Parrot

Trumpet Vine

*Aka Trumpet Creeper,*
*Campsis radicans*

Bull Thistle

Tulipa fosteriana

Sorry, No U’s to be seen.

Skipping to V’s …

African Violets

Viola × wittrockiana

*Aka Viola tricolor var. hortensis*,
*Garden Pansies*

Viola pedunculata

Click on images to enlarge.

Terri’s The Flower Hour #48 – Floral ABC’s-STUV

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 CFFC: The Three W’s of Shopping

Where, What,

When We Shop

Dan with No Facilities, the host ofCee’s Fun Foto Challenge is continuing with the theme of Where/What/When we do various things. This week’s focus is on Where/What/When We Shop. This new series will continue for approximately three (3) more weeks. We are currently in the third week of the Where/What/When CFFC series. This theme was inspired by Dawn M. Miller.

I have gathered a few images of Where/What/When I’ve Shopped over the years. Most of my shopping these days are done online via Amazon, Walmart, and Harlequin. I do still get out for groceries and other necessary or essential various sundries.

Here are my contributions …

Click on images to enlarge.

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge-Where/What/When We Shop

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

Note: Outside the General Store in Ohio, the man on the left is my maternal grandfather. Coleman is outside the door of The Trailhead Store. Outside the Deep Gap Cash Store are my Great Aunt Sophrona (called Aunt Sophie, she’s my grandfather’s sister) and her husband (my great uncle.

2026 LAPC #413 – Bridges,

Highway Bridges, Foot Bridges,

Swinging Bridges, and Trestles

Beth from Wandering Dawgs is this week’s host for the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge. She is asking us to select our favourite Bridges to share. She states that they “ any kind of bridge: natural bridges, foot bridges, swinging bridges, highway bridges, stone bridges, railroad bridges, or any other kind of bridge you can think of.” I’ve gathered a selection of Highway Bridges, Foot Bridges, Trestles, and a Swinging Bridge that I hope y’all will enjoy.

Swinging Bridge at Anne Springs Close Greenway can be trip to cross or fun depending on your outlook.

Swinging Bridge
Lake Haigler Entrance
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Foot Bridges often constructed to accommodate crossing a creek or river to be easier and more accessible for animals, and humans. Coleman and I hike over these types of Bridges quite frequently.

*Baxter Village Trail*
*with Alona & Trisha*
*Fort Mill, South Carolina*

*Glencairn Garden*
*Rock Hill, South Carolina*

*Goat Island Park and Greenway*
*crosses over South Fork Catawba River*
*Cramerton, North Carolina*

Trestle Bridges are made of many short spans supported by close frames. The purpose is usually to transport trains/train lines across a deep valley (like rivers and lakes) or ravines.

Showing both a Trestle and Highway Bridge Situated over the Catawba River
Along the Piedmont Medical Center Trail
from the Catawba River Trailhead
Rock Hill, South Carolina

Other Trestles over the Catawba River …

***Trestle Bridges***
***Over the Catawba River***
***Piedmont Medical Center Trail***
***Rock Hill, South Carolina***

Trestle Bridge over the Mississippi River …

*Trestle Bridge*
*viewed from the*
*Tennessee Welcome Center*
*after crossing the Mississippi River*

Highway/Road Bridges are designed to a road and its traffic over an obstacle such as a river, a valley, or even another road. First, we’ll look at a Road Bridge that crosses over a creek and a trail. The trail is the Blue Star Trail, part of which runs parallel to Steele Creek and under a Road Bridge. The Blue Star Trail in one of 25 unique trails which allows hikers, bikers, and equestrian riders to explore over 40 miles within the Anne Springs Close Greenway.

*Road Bridge*
*over Steele Creek*
*and Blue Star Trail*

Now on to California Highway Bridges …

In the San Francisco-Oakland Area …

And last, but not least, the amazing San Diego-Coronado Bridge which connects San Diego with the city of Coronado. Construction on the Bridge began in February of 1967 after years of debate over the need and logistics of a bridge being built to cross the bay. The Navy feared a bridge could collapse due to an attack or an earthquake thus trapping navy ships stationed at Naval Base San Diego. The Navy finally, in 1964, agreed to support a Bridge if there was a minimum of 200 feet (61 Meters) of 660 feet in the main span for sufficient clearance for the Navy ships operating out of Naval Base San Diego to pass underneath it. [Side Note: Before the Bridge was constructed the only way to Coronado from San Diego or vice-versa was by Ferry.]

The Bridge itself is 11,179-foot-long (3,407 m or 2.1 mi) and ascends from Coronado at a 4.67 percent grade before curving 80 degrees toward San Diego. The Bridge was finally completed and opened to the public on August 3, 1969. It opened during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of San Diego. When it opened, a toll of 60¢ was charged in each direction. The toll charges were supposed to end when the bond was paid, but continued until 2002. This Bridge has five lanes, two eastbound, two westbound, and a reversible middle lane which could switch to correspond with traffic needs.

An interesting fact: Before its official opening to vehicular traffic on August 3, 1969, the Coronado Bridge had a special “Bridge Walk” on August 2, 1969. Thousands of people, including many bicyclists, participated in this dedication event, getting a unique chance to experience the bridge on foot and by bike before cars were allowed on it. I had many friends that road their bicycles across the San Diego-Coronado Bridge on that special day celebrating the bridge’s completion and opening.

Beth’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge-Bridges

Jez’s Water, Water Everywhere

To find out more about the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, please click here.

Click on each image to enlarge.

God Bless. Be Happy. Be Cool. Be a Blessing to those around you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Monday Portrait – 2026 September Seventh (7th)

Brahman cattle originally came from India and are a hybrid of four different Indian cattle breeds. They are well-suited for the hot climates like we’ve been experiencing this summer.

We saw this one and others like it at The Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, North Carolina. Their loose skin, short, sleek hair, and ability to sweat efficiently are the reasons they adapt so well to our hot and humid summer climates. Their distinctive hump on their shoulders is the key feature which helps store fat. They are known to be gentle temperament creatures.

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.09.07

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

Location; The 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.

One Word Sunday (OWS): 2026.09.06

Mr. & Mrs. Mallard

*A Pair of Mallard Duck,*
*a Perfect Couple*
*on the South Fork Catawba River*
*in Goat Island Park and Greenway*

Click on images to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Animals (2026.09.06)

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

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a relaxing pleasant 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 — August 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 my contributions …

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

*Lagerstroemia indica*,
*aka Crepe-myrtle*
*Gastonia, North Carolina*

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

*Angora Goats*
*Walk-thru Petting Area*
*Lazy 5 Ranch*
*Mooresville, North Carolina*

Click on each image to enlarge.

#Brian’s Last on the Card-2026 August 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.

Sunday Stills 2026 August 30 (on 31): #NationalBeachDay

Remembering Fun Times

at the Beach

I do not visit the beach as often as I did in my youth, however, I do have memories of being at the beach with family and friends over the years.

Going back in time to see A vintage family day with my Aunt and Uncle at Springmaid Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

*Aunt Dalline & Uncle Shorty*
*fishing at the beach.*

In 2010, My “children” and I ventured down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to celebrate my daughter’s high school graduation.

*In the foreground is my daughter,*
*my sons are behind the wave*
*waiting for the next one.*

Moving forward in time to 2017, we (my eldest son and I) take a drive to North Topsail Beach from Jacksonville, North Carolina for a relaxing stroll along the waterfront.

*My eldest son, John and myself*
*at North Topsail Beach, North Carolina.*

Let’s take a sidetrack from the East Coast Carolina beaches to visit west coast beaches in San Diego County, California.

*Sea Lions on the beach*
*at La Jolla Cove*
*in La Jolla, California*

*Coronado Beach,*
*Coronado, San Diego County, California*

Now back to the East coast and our adventures at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

*Parks Recreation Sports Tourism Truck on Myrtle Beach*

Well, that’s all folks. Till next time have a splendid week filled with love, happiness, and laughter. God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

One Word Sunday (OWS): 2026 August 30th

White

*Brassica oleracea,*
*aka Ornamental Kale*

Click on images to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-White (2026.08.30)

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

Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

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

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.

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.

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Old Fashioned Candelabra

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Woolly Mammoth

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Rosemary

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In A Pumpkin

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In a Museum’s Garden

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Coleus scutellarioides

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Ornamental Peppers

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A Look

Back into

Autumn Florals

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Floral ABCs

Letters S T U V

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Highway Bridges, Foot Bridges,

Swinging Bridges, and Trestles

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Mr. & Mrs. Mallard

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Remembering Fun Times

at the Beach

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White

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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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