Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography
This blog is for my insights on life, the Bible, hiking adventures with my grandson and whatever is important to me
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness-2025.12.03
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Lake Norman; Pier at Ramsey Creek Park; Ramsey Creek Park; Cornelius, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic rest of your week and weekend ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2025.11.30
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max;
Location: Lake Norman; Ramsey Creek Park; Cornelius, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Take a Walk/Hike. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge. I trust y’all had a lovely Thanksgiving week so far. I know we certainly did. Now we didn’t spend the day cooking over a hot stove or oven, but we did enjoy a delicious turkey dinner courtesy of Bob Evans Restaurant. Let me tell you they were doing a pretty good business on this (yesterday’s) Thanksgiving. I’ll tell y’all more about Bob Evans Restaurant during a future post.
We also didn’t stay home bored to death thinking there was anything to do. We might not have had any family or friends to gather with and enjoy the day together, but we (at least I think) enjoyed a tremendous afternoon together (my daughter, my grandson, and myself) visiting a park we had not been to previously and did a wee bit of hiking.
If you’ve read my posts before, you’ll understand my grandson loves to hike and spend as much time as possible in the outdoors among nature. After devouring our delicious turkey meal (Coleman only ate the vegetables (he doesn’t like meat) at Bob Evans in Huntersville, we (actually my daughter) drove to Ramsey Creek Park which is along Lake Norman in North Carolina.
This being a holiday weekend I decided to make this Friday’s Which Way Challenge theme; Any Which Way (Your Choice). Your Which Ways can be Any Which Way on any Road, Pathways, Walkways, Sidewalks, Stairs, etc. as long as your Which Ways are clearly visible.
Here are my entries for this week … from our Thanksgiving Day Hike …
Click on each image to enlarge.
Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Dawn’s Fisherman Among the Foliage of Passage Creek
Vanda’s CWWC: Any Which Way With People
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion
Location: Ramsey Creek Park; Cornelius, 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.
Click on image to enlarge.
See Monday Window posts in Reader
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 218. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Here are my entries …
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Take Care. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge-October 2025
Photo Credit:©️Trisha L. Wilson … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Plus
God Bless. Take Care. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
There are many ways the term Hanging could be interpreted, such as Hanging around (with friends) Hanging Upside down (like a “monkey”), Hanging In (Being persistent, carrying on under difficult circumstances), or perhaps used as in the expression How’s it Hanging. These types of Hanging are totally different and distinct from Debbie’s example of Curtains Hanging or any other object Hanging.
I’m going to show you some “Hanging” examples of “Like Mother … Like Son.”
Coleman’s Mom’s version of Hanging …
Coleman’s version of Hanging …
Click on each image to enlarge.
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Hanging
Photo Credit: ©️2009-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. (First image-Senior Photo)
God Bless. Have a funtastic time Hanging around this week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 214. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Here are my entries …
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 212. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Here are my entries …
Please click on photos to enlarge.
Photo Credit:©️2018-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Remembering a fun family trip with my daughter and granddaughter to the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. This upcoming week my granddaughter will turn twelve (12). These are memories from when she was four (4).
Her mom and I took her down to Columbia, South Carolina to visit the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. It was a special time and memories I will always cherish. [She currently lives with her father & he does not allow her to visit with us even though there is a shared custody agreement.]
Alona enjoyed being able to pet the goats and other animals in the children’s petting area.
As well as the merry-go-round and all the amazing animals located within the Zoo.
Every time we came near any of the animal sculptures she thought she had to go up and climb on them. It made for some interesting poses (or lack of posing).
After a long tiring day, we stopped at the entrance/exit area for one final photo opportunity before traveling back home through Great Falls, Lancaster, and finally to get home in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2025.08.10
Throwback Thursday (on Sunday)
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Riverbanks Zoo and Garden; Columbia, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Memories are precious. Treasure your memories. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Domtar Forest Porch is located adjacent to the Greenway Gateway (often referred to as the canteen) and alongside the historic Nation Ford Road. It is surrounded by a canopy of trees which provides much needed shade and sometimes a cool breeze for a bit of rest and relaxation to bone weary hikers to enjoy.
Whether you come to the Greenway to hike, attend a concert, or just enjoy the beautiful outdoors, you might like to grab some grub at the Gateway Canteen and Pull Up a Seat in one of many Domtar Forest Porch sitting selections.
On Friday Coleman, his mom (Trisha) and I delighted in quenching our thirst with some iced cold water from the Gateway Canteen sipping them within the Domtar Forest Porch.
The Domtar Forest Porch serves as a gorgeous outdoor site for events nestled in nature. From wedding ceremonies, receptions and parties to picnics and retreats, this venue is perfect for gathering and enjoying the natural surroundings.
The Anne Springs Close Greenway hosts the Rooted Rhythm Concert Series every Thursday evening from the beginning of May through July. The Live Concerts provide a variety of musical artists and genres for guests to the Greenway to enjoy in the beautiful outdoors. There is a small charge for non-Members plus a small parking fee. Greenway members are free, however, if you’re parking at the Lake Haigler entrance you’ll still be charged the parking fee to help with the extra costs for the extra parking lot aides.
Jude’s Bench Anniversary Challenge
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 30
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Ultra Wide & Fusion Cameras.
Location: Domtar Forest Porch; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Get Outdoors and enjoy Nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us.
To play along, go to your photos file folder and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title. This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments.
Here are my contributions to the Numbers Game Challenge … Click on photos for enlarged and enhanced viewing.
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Throughout the years you have grown, matured, and become a wonderful mom and thoughtful daughter. I am proud of the strong supportive woman you have become.
You chose a different type of cake this year, one with Coleman in mind. One you knew he would be able to eat with his allergies, that was extremely special and thoughtful. You chose a No-Bake Eclair Cake and substituted lactose free milk for regular milk, So Delicious non-dairy whipped cream in exchange for regular whipped topping, and made sure the chocolate icing was made without milk. That act was kind and considerate thinking of someone (Coleman) other than yourself. You are a terrific mom and never let anyone tell you you’re not.
No-Bake Eclair Cake
The above is the Non-Dairy No-Bake Eclair cake my daughter, Patricia Lynn Wilson, made for her birthday today.
God Bless. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For this post I am combining Dan’s CFFC-Air Travel with Judy’s Numbers Game #69-190. While searching through my photos and archives to find which selections I might like to choose, there’s so many from years back to present it is difficult to limit my choices. Therefore, I decided to combine the two challenges to show y’all some of what I’ve seen in the manner of Air Travel through the years.
Judy with Life Lessons gives us the option of picking a word or words instead of numbers, so that is exactly what I have chosen to do. Dan with No Facilities hosts CFFC (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge) with themes focusing on Transportation. This week’s CFFC theme is focusing on Air Travel . Therefore, my focus for the combined challenges is on Air Travel through the Years.
Let’s begin our Air Travel way back in 1976 … for an amazing Air show by the Thunderbirds.
Moving onto 1984 … we pay a visit to the San Diego Air & Space Museum when my dad took my eldest son to the museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
From San Diego, we travel to Tucson, Arizona to the Pima Air & Space Museum. This is one of the many stops my parents took on a cross country road trip in 1985. My dad loved anything to do with automobiles, trains, and airplanes.
We progress to 1987 with a visit to March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California. This was an outing my husband and I enjoyed with our son for him to see the many military Airplanes the museum had on display.
Flying way up high in the sky; Up, Up, and Away in Hot Air Balloons we watch the many Hot Air Balloons at the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2002.
Transporting ourselves from one coast to another and through the years we arrive in 2011 at MMS Aviation in Coshocton, Ohio. MMS Aviation is a Christian organization whose mission is to prepare people and airplanes for worldwide missionary service. Friends of ours told my daughter and I about a museum they have we could visit and view the different aircrafts used by missionaries.
Jumping or rather soaring into a new decade to 2023, my daughter, grandson (Coleman) and I stop at the local Gastonia Municipal Airport. Coleman was excited and overwhelmed to be able to see the Airplanes up close. We went into the office to make sure it was okay for him to see the aircraft and were pleased to have one of the pilots give us a tour. She explained about the aircraft and even allowed Coleman to sit in one of the Airplanes.
There are many others I could have selected, however, I think these give a nice variety to Air Travel through the Years.
God Bless. Stop on by Friday for the next Which Way Challenge (CWWC) which will be featuring Any Unpaved Roads or Pathways. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
I’m combining this week’s CWWC with Dan’s CFFC Black and…? — CFFC. For the Which Way Challenge I have selected Any Which Way with the Colours Brown &/or Black. To me, this ties in nicely with Dan’s Black and ? Challenge for this week. Let’s have fun and see what we can all achieve together.
Here are my entries for this week’s challenge:
These were taken back in February of 2023 when Coleman and I convinced my daughter and granddaughter to Tag-along on one of our hiking adventures. For this hike, we chose to visit the Baxter Village Trail which begins near the Library in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Hiking along on the trail we encounter plenty of Brown and a bit of Black as well as some other colours.
The Baxter Village Trail is a part of the Carolina Thread Trail network of trails within North and South Carolina. It is also a part of a 9-mile network of trails within the Baxter Village Community. This particular trail is a 3.3-mile segment of the Thread Trail trail is moderately hilly and features several streams along its length.
The trail consisted of natural surfaces, boardwalks, and some pavement. The rating for the trail is moderate, but for Coleman and I it was rather easy. As you can see we wound through a forest of trees and through tunnel and for my grandchildren over the tunnel as well.
To take a look at other Which Ways from this past week check out the links below:
LinsArt: Friday Catch Up – 7th February 2025
Woolly Muses: WhichWayChallenge25-0207-Paved-Roads-Sidewalks
GERIATRI’X’ FOTOGALLERY: STAIRS WITH PEOPLE
Judy Dykstra-Brown: Walk This Way! (For the Which Way Challenge) Feb 9, 2025
______________________________________________
Which Way Challenge: With the Colours Brown and/or Black
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S15-55mm lens.
Location: Baxter Village Trail; Baxter Village Community; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a wonderfully fabulous rest of your week. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
US Air Flight
1016 Memorial
The U.S. Air Flight 1016 Memorial honors the people who died on board the flight from Columbia, S.C. to Charlotte on July 2, 1994. The Memorial includes a plaque in memory of those who died or were injured and those who helped rescue efforts. The Memorial is located in a section of the CLT (Charlotte Douglas International) Airport Overlook in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The U.S. Air Flight 1016 crashed in Charlotte 30 1/2 years ago. During that horrific crash in 1994 thirty-seven (37) of the fifty-seven (57) people on board died. The people in Charlotte and the surrounding areas have not forgotten.
On July 2, 1994, the flight encountered heavy thunderstorms and microburst-induced windshear while attempting to land, and crashed into heavy trees and a private residence near the airport. The crash and ensuing Fire caused 37 fatalities and seriously injured 20 people.
The New CLT Airport Overlook Memorial was designed to represent Morse Code for CAE (Columbia) and CLT, the origin and destination airports for the flight. It includes a plaque in memory of those who died or were injured and those who helped rescue efforts.
This past Tuesday Coleman, my daughter Trisha, and I paid a visit to the CLT Airport Overlook to allow Coleman to play in the Overlook’s new playground. While there we also visited the U.S. Air Flight 1016 Memorial. The reverse side of the pillar about U.S. Air Flight 1016 lists the names of the thirty-seven (37) people who died in the crash.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16Pro Max
Location: CLT Airport Overlook; Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
One, Two,
Buckle My Shoe …
Nineteen, twenty,
MyPlate’s Empty.
Dan from no facilities has chosen a them of Nursery Rhyme for this week’s CFFC Challenge. There are many variation, but that’s not too important. Look at the rhyme as written and use any or all of the bold words as prompts. If the words are numbers, use them the way you used them earlier. Otherwise, use the words themselves. This should give you lots of opportunities to choose a photo. New or archive photos are acceptable.
[Source: Wikipedia.org]
Here are my One, Two Buckle My Shoe Nursery Rhyme photo selections:
Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge (CWWC), I’m so glad you are enjoying this challenge. For this week I have chosen the theme of (CWWC): Any Which Way with Paved Pathways or Sidewalks. Remember to be sure your Which Ways are clearly defined. Remember signs are always welcome in your Which Ways.
Here are my Which Ways for this week:
On Tuesday my daughter had a day off of work and decided to give Coleman a surprise. After he got off the school bus in the afternoon, she drove us to the Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) Airport Overlook.
In 2024 the CLT Airport Overlook underwent a major overhaul. This overhaul project cost a whopping $8 million. This is the fifth overlook for the Charlotte Douglas International Airport since 1937.
This New CLT Airport Overlook has two (2) age-specific playgrounds with shaded areas. Of course, being at the airport, the playgrounds have an airport theme including runway, a cargo transport vehicle, and a mini air traffic control tower.
The CLT Overlook also has a covered space with ten (10) covered picnic tables plus uncovered picnic tables and benches with LED lighting for pedestrian and parking areas. There are a couple of other features which I will discuss in an upcoming future post.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) Airport Overlook also; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’al very much.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Spatial Setting
Location: Airport Overlook; Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy from Life Lessons Blog hosts The Numbers Game Challenge and invites us all to play along with her. This week’s number is 179.
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below. Here are my contributions to the album.
Here are my 179 photo selections for this week’s Numbers Game.
God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
.
Out of Hardship
Comes Blessings
For the past few months, we have been in unrest. I live with my daughter and grandson whom I take care of while she works. Up until recently (like three months ago) her husband (who never liked my being there) was also in the home. He moved out leaving my daughter with a whole heap of debt and a rental amount she could not afford without his assistance. He really didn’t think he should contribute to the financial obligations before he moved out and definitely didn’t think so afterwards even though his name was also on the lease. this made it difficult for my daughter to find another place to live; one in which she would be able to afford. Thus, creating extreme hardship and high levels of stress and anxiety.
After much searching and reaching out to anyone and everyone she finally found another place for us to move to. Just one catch, the landlord was still working on the house, and she didn’t have the financial resources to move in immediately. Therefore, we had additional expenses of staying in a motel for a week until everything could be completed to satisfaction. during this transitional period my grandson was missing several days of kindergarten and speech class.
So, what do you think I did? Since we couldn’t provide transportation to his school, I took him to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes, hiking. Coleman and I went hiking three days in a row to his delight. In the mist of trials, it was a blessing to enjoy being out in nature spending quality time with him. Our motel for the week was a short distance from his favorite hiking place, Anne Springs Close Greenway. Therefore, where else would I take him but to the Greenway, of course. These Pumpkins were seen on our fourth day of hiking. They were situated at the Lake Haigler entrance to the Anne Springs Close Greenway. The Greenway also had other fun Fall/Autumn activities set up for the children to enjoy. During this week we visited three of the five entrances to the Greenway. Each entrance offers different trails and activities for visitors to utilize and enjoy.
I am extremely grateful for my daughter and her strength and persistence in searching and locating a place for us to live and feel at peace. Home is the nicest word in our vocabulary right now. We are all thankful for having a home to live in. Thankful to be out of the motel. Thankful to be out of turmoil. Thankful to be relieved of a heavy load of stress and worry. I know, all our troubles and worries should be laid in the hands of God, our Heavenly Father. It is difficult sometimes to lay everything at his feet and not continue to worry.
We (mostly me) still have a tremendous amount of unpacking to do but alas, it will all get done in due time. I am still processing the fact that we have a home to live in. Understanding that we are all safe and can relax and enjoy our home (it is a rental, but it is our home for now). Coleman has his own little room, with his own bed (he had been having to share mine). He has a fairly good size yard to play in and we don’t have to worry about him not having enough space to run and pay. This home is a blessing, and I am truly thankful for being allowed to share it with my daughter and grandson.
Ragtag Daily Prompt-Saturday_Pumpkin
Ragtag Daily Prompt-Friday_Thankful
Photo Credit: (c) 2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Pumpkins) Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA; Home) Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting with us. Thank you for sharing your time ana thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
“The Numbers Game #43”. Today’s number is 164. To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below. Instead of using the number #164 I am using a theme of Looking Back and linking it with the Lens-Artist Challenge.
For this week I decided to take a Look Back at a place we visited on our way back from Texas in January of 2019. On our way back to South Carolina my daughter and I stopped at the Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia.
BabyLand General Hospital located in the North Georgia Mountains. It is a Southern Style home filled with Cabbage Patch Kids which will capture the imagination of your entire family.
Cabbage Patch Kids came on the scene in the early 1980’s and were extremely popular with children (and their parents). They were so popular, they became a popular collectible. Cabbage Patch were all the rage for little girls and boys. My eldest son had a boy Cabbage Patch and my daughter had a girl Cabbage Patch doll. There were nine years apart, so when she was little she got to play with his Cabbage Patch as well as her own. For more information about the BabyLand General Hospital click here.
Below are my contributions to the Challenges:
These are some of the photos we took while visiting the BabyLand General Hospital of the many Cabbage Patch Kids and accessories.
Lens-Artist Photography Challenge #320-Looking Back
Photo Credit: ©️2019 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone XR
Location: BabyLand General Hospital; Cleveland, Georgia, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Throwback to 2017
Sundance, the Sunshine Bear
I visited the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina with my daughter, Trisha and granddaughter, Alona back in August of 2017 [Seven (7) years ago]. We were able to enjoy the various zoo animals and the entertaining antics of Sundance, the Sunshine Bear.
Sadly, Sundance passed away on April 30, 2022 due to declining health. He came to the Riverbanks Zoo along with his brother, Butch, at the young age of only nine (9) months old. Sundance had a gentle disposition, kind eyes, and loved to interact with his zookeepers. He was known as the Sunshine Bear, always bringing a bit of sunshine to those who came to see him.
Becky’s Squares-#Seven for September
Photo Credit:©️2017 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Location: Riverbanks Zoo and Garden; Columbia, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Riverbanks Zoo with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness-A Few Favorite Monochromatic Moments
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
West Coast — East Coast Finds
The majority of beaches are more than three hours away from where we live except for around the lakes. It has been awhile since I’ve been to any beaches, so I combed through my archives to see what I could sea.
Here are my findings from out along the WEST Coast and Pacific Northwest Coast.
Moving back to the East Coast, we can Sea these beautiful and interesting beach finds.
Brian’s Monochrome Madness–Found(on the beach)
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #15-At the Beach
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Leaving on a Jet Plane
In the aftermath of Covid, travel has increased dramatically upwards to around 60 percent from the same time last year. This increase is comparable to the amount of travelers in 2019. People are more relaxed and have an increased willingness to travel. My daughter began working at the airport earlier this year and is amazed by the number of travelers traveling by airplane. She is also quite delirious about the items travelers try to get away with bringing onto an airplane and the items which airport TSA agents have to confiscate.
Watching this video of an airplane leaving Charlotte-Douglas International Airport reminded me of a song sung by John Denver called “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”
All my bags are packed
John Denver
I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye … So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Personally, I have not travelled any lengthy distance since 2020. I’m not convinced Covid is over, but believe it is ongoing and will keep being around for a long time. Even though there are not as many, I don’t think, Covid related deaths; the long term effects of the virus drastically affect peoples lives.
With limited resources, I do not do the traveling I imagined I would be doing at this particular stage in my life. I travel vicariously through the reading of books which take me (in my mind) to interesting and fascinating places I’d never dreamed possible. Someday ( hopefully soon), I hope to travel long distance to the west coast once again. Though the traveling will not be on an airplane, most likely will be in a rental vehicle or in my daughter’s car along with a U-Haul. I’m hoping to eventually more out west to be closer to my husband’s gravesite, where I’ll be able to visit often.
Do you travel abundantly? Are you relaxed or skeptical about traveling surrounded by large crowds of people? Me, I do not like large crowds and never really have.
Video Credit: ©️2024 Trisha L. Wilson … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Plus
Location: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for listening. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
To play along with Judy’s Numbers Game simply go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a choice of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.
I have chosen to pick a word to select my photos for this week’s Numbers Game hosted by Judy Dykstra-Brown’s blog. The Word I have chosen is Zoo. My selections come from four different zoos.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
Greenville Zoo
San Diego Wild Animal Park
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2024-Week 31
Jez’s Water Water Evverywhere #230
Photo Credit: Sets 1-3) ©️2012-2022 Deb L. Waters; 4th Set)©️1979 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: 1-3) Canon EOS Rebel T3i; 4) Minolta XG-7 35 mm
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Zoos with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much. Have a wonderful day.
Paris Olympics 2024
The Olympic Games are only held every four years. They are an athletic festival/competition that originated in Ancient Greece. Athletes from all over the world compete in various sports competitions. Athletes train for years for the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games.
This year the Summer Olympics are currently taking place in Paris, France. There has been much controversy surrounding the Opening Ceremonies which took place on Friday. I’m not discussing the specifics or opinions regarding the controversy.
I am interested in discovering whether you are watching this year’s Olympic Games. I am watching/ following how the United States athletes are performing during their Olympic qualifying Trials and Final Medal matches for their respective events. I believe the athletes have worked extremely hard to achieve their goals of becoming an Olympian and should be supported for their efforts.
If you are watching the Paris Olympic Games, are you watching every single game/competition or are you just watching and enjoying specific events? As for me, I am only watching/following specific sporting events like swimming and gymnastics.
Did your children complete/play in sporting activities while they were growing up? My daughter participated in ROTC Drill Team competitions during high school. My eldest son participated in Taekwondo (aka Tae Kwon Do), football, and swimming. He concentrated on swimming and competed in many swim meets from twelve (12) through eighteen (18) years of age. His best events were the 100-meter, 200-meter butterfly even though he competed in all strokes including the individual medley and team relays.
These pictures show him swimming the butterfly in the California Interschlastic Federation’s (CIF) State Swimming Championships in 1999. He was there competing with his High school Swim Team.
These may not be at the same level as the Olympics, but many Olympic Athletes begin their training through local clubs, training programs, or their high school or college athletic programs.
Jez’s Water Water Evverywhere #230
Photo Credit: ©️1999 Deb L. Waters
Location: Long Beach, California
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a fabulous week. I appreciate y’all very much.
For Cee’s CFFC this week I have dug Theo my archives and chose what I hope y’all will enjoy. Sorry, I don’t have any alleys, but I do have Driveways, Parking Lots, and as always Dirt Roads.
Driveways
Parking Lots
Dirt Roads
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Alleys, Driveways, Parking Lots, Dirt Roads
Photo Credit:2)©️Nornal H. Waters (my dad); 4) ©️Trisha L. Wilson (my daughter); 5) Post Card from Harvey M. Watson (my maternal grandfather); All others ©️2017-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
In Memory & In Honor of Mother’s Day
For Cee’s CFFC challenge this week for Indoor Seating I chose a selection to honor the mom’s in my life [My mom, My Maternal Grandmother, My Grand Aunt (my maternal grandfather’s sister).] I also selected a couple which are the reasons I’m a Mom and Grandma. This is also my post for XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Indoor Seating
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Weekly Prompts Color Challenge-Orange
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
May the Force Be with You.
John’s Cell Pic Sunday:24.05.05
Photo Credit: ©️2024 Trisha L. Wilson for (my daughter)
Camera: iPhone 14 Plus
Location: Charlotte Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
St. Simons Island, Georgia
St. Simons Lighthouse is one of only five remaining Georgia lighthouse towers. The Lighthouse and keeper’s Dwelling were built in 1872. The original Lighthouse which this Lighthouse replaced was built in 1810 by James Gould of Massachusetts, the first lighthouse keeper. The original Lighthouse was destroyed by Confederate forces in 1861 in order to prevent the beacon’s use by Federal troops during the Civil War.
The Lighthouse still serves as an active aid to navigation for ships entering St. Simons Sound, casting its beam as far as 23 miles to sea. The Lighthouse is located near the pier on the southern tip of St. Simons Island, Georgia, United States of America. Its purpose is to guide ships into St. Simons Sound and warns them of the many sandbars in the area.
In 1972, the lightkeepers’ cottage was leased to Glynn County. The Coastal Georgia Historical Society spent three years restoring the two-story Victorian light keepers’ cottage at the base of the lighthouse, which was then converted into a museum.
Currently, the public can tour the museum and climb the 129 steps to the top of the Lighthouse for a view of St. Simons Sound and the surrounding area. The admission cost to tour the Lighthouse Museum and climb the 129 steps is $12 for adults; $6 for ages 6-12; $2 Military discount is offered with Valid Military ID. Children under 6 are free.
Some of the spectacular, panoramic views of the coast including Jekyll Island, the mainland (Brunswick), and the south end of St. Simons Island can be seen from the top of the Lighthouse.
The Keeper’s Dwelling is a two-story Victorian structure which was the home of the lighthouse keepers from 1872 up until the 1959’s. It currently houses the Lighthouse Museum and includes interactive exhibits, rare artifacts, and period rooms that reveal the history of St. Simons Island and the life of a lighthouse keeper.
Photo Credit:©️2024 Trisha L. Wilson (my daughter)… All Rights Reserved.
Camera: iPhone 14 Plus
Location: St. Simons Island Lighthouse and Museum; St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Ink Art — Tattoos
These tattoos all have meanings behind them. I do not remember my husband, Terry’s meaning for his tattoo. Regrettably I do not have a better quality photo of it. May he continue to Rest in Peace.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.
No matter where you are or who you’re with, sometimes you just need to sit a spell and have a bit of a REST.
Photo Credit: ©️ Deb L. Waters
Cameras: 1) iPhone 11 Pro Max – Wide Camera; 2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S 55-250mm lens
Location: 1) Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Cozumel, Mexico; 2) The Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much,
Good Hands in the Park:
Family in Good Hands:
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: AllState – You’re in good hands.
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 