Location: Greenway Farm and Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy all of Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
I’m a few days behind, but it’s still Springtime. While Coleman and I were on our long (just shy of 5 miles) hike on Saturday we noticed a few sections of the trail lined with beautiful Wildflowers.
Here are my Wildflower contributions …
Wildflowers on our Hike for National Trail Day June 07, 2025
Also Known as Bee’s Nest-Plant; Bird’s-Nest; Devil’s Plague; Queen Anne’s Lace; and Wild Carrot
Queen Anne’s Lace is a summer biennial wildflower from the Apiaceae (carrot) family. In some states it is considered invasive. It has naturalized in many states and can be found in sun to partial shade along roadsides, old fields, and waste places. In our area of North Carolina Queen Anne’s Lace can be found along trails, in wooded areas, and near the Catawba River.
The 2 to 4 foot tall umbels of white flowers appear in its second year of growth from mid-summer to mid-fall and have a lacy look. The basal rosette consists of 5-inch long arching leaves with a few leaves occurring alternately up the main stem.
Instead of looking straight at these flowers I chose to shot them looking up at them from underneath for a unique perspective.
Wild for Wildflowers, regardless if they are along a walkway, beside the road, or in a Wildflower Garden or Meadow. Flowers are beautiful wherever they blossom.
Here are a few we have captured over the past few years.
God Bless. Please keep Chris in your thoughts & Prayers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Take time to Smell the Flowers. I am Grateful for each and every one of y’all. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy’s Numbers Game can bring about interesting results and insights from those who choose to participate. The challenge is alive, let’s join the fun. In searching for the #149 and its variations the results that popped are displayed below in this post.
One day a year we stop and pause to remember our fallen soldiers. Poppies spring up this time of year and are a tremendously beautiful sight.
Eschscholzia californica, the California poppy, golden poppy, California sunlight or cup of gold is California’s official State Flower. California Poppy Fields are burgeoning with beautiful blooming Poppies and are attracting many visitors.
However, It is the Red Poppy which is a significant symbol of remembrance. Red poppy flowers represent consolation, remembrance and death. The Red Poppy, often considered the Remembrance Poppy, is one of the world’s most recognized memorial symbols for fallen soldiers. It has been a remembrance symbol since the end of World War I. The Red Poppy is worn by millions of people Worldwide to commemorate Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. Here in the United States of America it is also worn on Memorial Day.
Today is the day the United States is observing Memorial Day. It was not always observed on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was first designated to be held on the 30th of May in 1868.
Even though I have not known a soldier who lost his/her life on the battlefield during a war, I still keep the Faith. I have many friends and loved ones who during the course of war lost a little piece of themselves. Those friends and family members never forgot their friends and comrades who lost their lives during the wars they were fighting in. Let us all Keep the Faith and Never Forget those soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“We shall keep the faith
Oh! You who sleep in Flanders Fields, Sleep sweet — to rise anew! We caught the torch you threw And holding high, we keep the Faith With All who died. We cherish, too, the poppy red That grows on fields where valour led; It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies, But lends a lustre to the red Of the flower that blooms above the dead In Flanders Fields. And now the Torch and Poppy Red We wear in honour of our dead. Fear not that we have died for naught; We’ll teach the lesson that we wrought In Flanders Fields”
Common Name(s): Carolina Wild-petunia Wild Petunia
The Carolina Wild Petunia are extremely common in North Carolina. They are found in lawns and woodlands. This Wild Petunia was seen at Anne Springs Close Greenway along the trails at the Adventure Road Entrance. Many times, even though these flowers are beautiful, they are overlooked and sometimes considered a lawn weed. The Carolina Wild Petunia’s flowers only last a day, but they also have a long flowering period which compensates for the shorter blooming time.
Dale of The Cosmic Photo Challenge prompt is Freestyle this week.
Since this is freestyle week I decided to let you visit with me on one of the hikes Coleman and I took this past week. This hike was a little bit different in that we had my daughter, Coleman’s mom, along with us. On Tuesday we needed to be out of the home for awhile because a pest control company was going to come in and spray per the Complex management.
Therefore, we decided to go hiking in one of Coleman’s favorite places. The place we chose was Anne Springs Close Greenway about twenty minutes or so from our residence. Mind you now my daughter is not fond of hiking at all. When we arrived, we should them my membership card and proceeded to park. We thought Trisha, my daughter, was just gonna sit and relax near the canteen while Coleman and I hiked. It didn’t exactly go like we had thought. You see, Trisha brought her dog along with on our adventure ( he had to be out of the home as well).
Lake Haigler
Chewbacca, Trisha’s dog, decided he wanted to hike with us, therefore she had to tag along. We walked down to the lake and proceeded along the trail, Lake Haigler Loop, around the lake.
Haigler Loop
Coleman loves to run along the trail. I prefer a slower pace since I normally take many photos along the trail of the various sites we see. Often we observe different angles around the lake, seeing flowers, butterflies, sometimes turtles, bees, and even dragonflies.
Brazilian Vervain (Verbena brasiliensis)
At other times we see amazing reflections in the water.
Reflections in Lake Haigler
I love seeing various creatures feasting on the nectar of wildflowers her at the Greenway.
Black Swallowtail, Eastern Bumblebee, and Delta Flower Scarab Beetle feasting on Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis.
Further down the trail as we hike around the lake I notice what appears to be a shape of a triangle formed with the reflections in the lake.
Triangle formation from the water reflections. Surrounding Tree Reflections plus water shimmering
As we keep going I slow down observing butterflies flittering to and fro. Naturally I stop to snap a photograph. Meanwhile, my daughter’s trying to convince me to stop taking pictures. Guess what? She didn’t convince me, not one single solitary moment.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Pearl Crescent Butterfly
Next on our hike we come across a dragonfly and several turtles along the edge of the lake.
Widow Skimmer Dragonfly Turtles sunbathing on a log
By this time my daughter is tired and wants to get this hike over with. Naturally, Coleman and Chewbacca want to keep going. They’re enjoying the outdoors adventure. Hence, we keep chugging along.
Water Reflections Water Ripples
After awhile we decide to pull up a seat and relax a bit before finishing our hike. But first there’s more to observe as we near the picnic tables along the backside of the lake.
Trisha, Chewbacca, with Coleman leading the way. [He knows the trails better than most adults]. Ngaro Wīwi Priocnemis monachus delighting on Angelica genuflexa
Finally to a spot to snack relax near the water’s edge.
I hope you enjoyed trekking along with us on our hike around Lake Haigler. God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 