2025 Sunday Trees: 01 June

Chamaecyparis pisifera 

‘Filifera Aurea’
Sawara cypress

Sawara cypress

This is a Golden Threadleaf Sawara Cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’ tree. It is sumptuous, perhaps overly so although lovely to look upon. It has a bold, seamless yellow coat of drooping, thread-like foliage that sits like a huge canary-gold Easter Egg. The brilliant color of the Golden Threadleaf Sawara Cypress appeals to everyone mostly, however, its bold yellowish colour may not be pleasing to some folks.

Chamaecyparis pisifera is one of those species that horticultural humanity has fooled with for a very long time, and it is an easily propagated plant. ‘Filifera Aurea’ is an old cultivar of C. pisifera with tightly compressed needles wrapped around pendulous branchlets hence the name, ‘Threadleaf’, to describe the appearance of the foliage. There is also a cultivar, ‘Filifera’, with the same type of foliage that is a nice quiet green. But ‘Filifera Aurea’ stores some of its excess sugars and starches that form in its needles as a bright gold pigment, a glorious gold pigment, a wild, extravagant, take-your-shoes-off-and-dance gold pigment that has to make any gardener smile, even in the midst of the late winter doldrums.

‘Filifera Aurea’ is a good sized plant, eventually reaching 18-20 feet with age, but retaining a relatively formal, broadly conical shape that adds to its bold statement in the landscape. Chamaecyparis pisifera cultivars perform surprisingly well in the hot, wet southeast and ‘Filifera Aurea’ is no exception. It will happily grow a foot a year, if not overly stressed, in a broad range of soil conditions as long as it has full sun and reasonably regular moisture.

Sunday Trees – #587

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Max Fusion Camera 

Location: C.B. Huss Recreation Complex; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

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

Pull Up a Seat on a Bench Along the Catawba River

Jude’s Bench Anniversary Challenge

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 22

Photo Credit:©️2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Location: Catawba River Trailhead; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful day. Enjoy a hike/walk in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Last On the Card: 31 May

Brian from Bushboys World gives these rules for The Last on the Card Challenge.
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th April 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 #LastPhotos …

From my iPhone:

Boisea trivittata
Eastern Boxelder bug

From my HP Laptop:

Looking Straight Up

Brian’s Last on the Card

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Looking Up

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2)Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens with Altura UV & CPL filter attachments

Location: By the South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Silent Sunday: 01 June

Watching the Line

Coleman Watching
a Fishing Line

Silent Sunday 

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cram, 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.

2025 Cell Pic Sunday: 01 June —

Cicuta maculata

Spotted Water Hemlock,
Water-hemlock, Beaver Poison

John’s CellPic Sunday – 01 June 2025

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

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

Escorted an Unwanted House Guest Outside

American Green Tree Frog

Have you ever had a child tell you something and you thought there’s no way that could be true? Let be tell you about an incident that happened this morning (yesterday 5/30). We go outside our front door to check to see if we have any mail. No mail, so what else is new. We don’t receive much in the way of snail mail anyway.

We go back inside the house and Coleman informs me there’s a frog in the house. I’m thinking there’s no way that there’s a frog in our house. He’s insistent that there really is a frog in the house. First he tells me that it went under the couch. Then he tells me it is hopping behind the couch.

At this point I’m not believing him. I’m not seeing any frog in the house, so how could there be a frog in the house. I inform him I do not believe him, he must be lying. He insists his not lying, that there really truly is a green groom the house.

After a little bit of time, guess what hops out from behind the couch and into the middle of the living room floor. Yep, you are right. Coleman was right. I had to apologize to Coleman and admit he was right. There was a green frog in our house.

Needless to say that the little green frog went mmm mmm ahhh hopping across the living room floor. The Little Green Frog reminded me of an old children’s song which starts out with “’Mmm Ahh’, went the little green frog one day, “Mmm ahh,” went the little green frog.
“Mmm ahh,” went the little green frog one day,
And they all went, “Mmm mmm AHHH!”. I’m not sure who wrote the song, however, the lyrics can be found online by searching in your web browser or by clicking here.

After my finally seeing the Little Green Frog I proceeded to capture the Little Green Frog and escort him outside. Once outside I set the Little Green Frog down on the porch by the stairs. The Little Green Frog merrily hopped down the stairs and into the vast greenness of our front yard. And we said goodbye Little Green Frog.

Next time Coleman tells me something I think might not be true, I’m gonna believe him that it is true until something or someone proves otherwise. Children may say the darnedest things, but often young people speak the truth.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Our Home; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. God Bless the little children. Love your children/grandchildren. Believe in them. Listen and believe what they tell you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 31 May

Evening Cloudy Skies

Skywatch Friday

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Sky watching can be dramatic, amazing to watch the Sun Rise in the mornings. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 31 May

Yesterday, after talking a long hike along the South Fork River Trail we stopped in Confluence for a bit of respite and to cool off from the high humidity. Luckily it didn’t rain until after we arrived back home.

Sun Parasol® White Mandevilla

On display to the left of the entrance is a Kayak. Normally, it is just the kayak … no decoration inside of it. We found it to hold a pot of White Mandevilla which drew our attention to the beautiful flowers.

Mandevilla Sun Parasol White

Enjoy. Click on each image for enhanced viewing.

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge: 31 May 2025

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Out Front; Confluence; Center Street; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take Care. Be Observant. Admire the beauty all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Thirty-Four Years ago …

Happy Birthday, Trisha!

…. you added joy, sweet smiles, and happiness to our lives.

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.

Patricia (Trisha) Lynn Wilson
May 30, 1991 —

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

2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Type of Road, Path, Step, Bridge, or Sign

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen (CWWC): Any Type of Road, Path, Step, Bridge, or Sign for this week’s theme. Your Which Ways can be on any pathway, road, step, bridge, and/or sign as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here. As always remember to have fun.

Here are my entries for this week’s challenge …

Pathway/Sidewalk:

Roads:

Bridges:

Steps:

Signs:

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.

Brian from Bushboys World’s Exploring (going down Gore Rd)

Sandy from Out of MyWrite Mind’s Follow The Shadowy Path

WoollyMuses’ Cee-WWay-Challenge-Dirt-Paths-Roads

GERIATRI’X’ FOTOGALLERYs DIRT TRACK

chava61 from This and That’s 2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way with Dirt roads/pathways/trails

Dawn from The Day After’s Which Way: Gravel Dirt Roads

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Type of Road, Path, Step, Bridge, or Sign

Photo Credit:©️2020-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

2025 Spring Festival #11 —

Springtime Blossoms

in the Neighbourhood

Welcome to my Week #11 Floral contribution to Dawn’s Spring Festival 2025.

Walking the neighbourhood today, these are some of the flowers we saw in bloom. The Calla Lilies are from different neighbouring gardens.

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2025

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take time to admire the beauty of God’s creations. Observe the Flowers, how they grow and blossom. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Thursday Trios: 29 May

Springtime with Canada Geese

Canada Geese are quite often spotted on the banks or in the waters of the South Fork Catawba River. These are just a few of the trio shots, mostly I captured the large number (about a dozen or more) of Canada Geese along the river’s banks.

Thursday Trios

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max;

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

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

Be sure to check out Friday’s Which Way Challenge. This week’s theme will be (CWWC): Any Type of Road, Path, Step, Bridge, or Sign. Looking forward to seeing the Which Ways y’all share with everyone.

2025 Flower of the Day: 29 May

Table Decor

Narcissus

Narcissus Trumpet Dutch Master
Daffodil tube ‘Dutch Master’

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church; Eighth Avenue; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Thursday Doors: 29 May — Antique Car +

NC Transportation Museum

This week it has been raining all week, so time for Throwback Thursday Doors. A trip back in time to 2021 and a visit with Coleman to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina.

On Wednesday, August 25, 2021 Coleman and I took a drive to visit the North Carolina Transportation Museum. His mom was out of town and we were on our own. All Coleman knew was that we were going for a long drive. He always likes for me to take him places. He doesn’t like to stay home if he doesn’t have to do so. He loves adventures and seeing new places and things.

For this adventure I prepaid for our tickets online. He was able to freely wander about both outside and inside the Museum. He roamed in and out of the many, many antique vehicles, even climbing on a few of them. The NC Transportation Museum houses antique vehicles from various time periods. The antique vehicles are not just cars, but airplanes, trains, wagons & carriages once pulled by horses and also a few motorcycles.

Here Coleman is checking out the black 1958 Studebaker on display. I’m sure if he could have opened the door he would have climbed right on in and tasted it out. Glad he was fine without attempting it. We walked up and down the aisles, not wanting to miss a thing. He was fascinated seeing all the antique vehicles in the Museum.

As we walked through one of the other aisles Coleman was able to get a closer view of the airplane, a Douglas C-53-DO. The aircraft was once apart of Piedmont Airlines fleet. This airplane is also from the 1958 era.

Coleman checking out a
1958 Studebaker Car
& Douglas C-53-DO (in background)

If you ever have the opportunity I would recommend a visit to the North Carolina Transportation Museum. For information regarding current events and tickets to the NC Transportation Museum click here.

Dan’s Thursday Doors

Thursday Doors

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max Ultra Wide Camera 

Location: North Carolina Transportation Museum; Spencer, 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

2025 CosPhoChal: Wildflowers

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.

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2020-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 28 May

Mirror Image

Lake Haigler
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday 

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #269

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Lake Haigler; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South 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.

Spring 2025 Town of Cramerton Concert

Chairmen of the Board

I’m combining this post with Judy’s Numbers Game #74-195 with a theme of Concert.

On Friday evening the Town of Cramerton held a concert in Centennial Center in Downtown Cramerton. The headliner was a Trio called Chairmen of the Board.

Chairmen of the Board is an American-Canadian Soul music group based out of Detroit, Michigan. The group saw their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The group underwent changes over the years and was reformed in 1978 with members General Norman Johnson, Danny Woods, and Ken Knox. In 1980, they founded Surfside Records and began playing beach music.

The Chairmen of the Board were  inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 1999. The group still plays on with the exception of General Johnson (who passed in 2010 from lung cancer) and Danny Woods (who passed in 2018). Ken Knox (a 38 year member), at the request of General Johnson, has kept the legacy strong. He continues to lead the group, Chairmen of the Board, touring with current members Thomas Hunter and Patrick McGuire and  6 musicians.

The Town came out in droves to listen to Chairmen of the Board perform. The Center was packed with people from all age groups, and even a few dogs as well. The group put on a show stomping performance with people dancing, clapping, and really enjoying a tremendous good ole time performance. Coleman and I really enjoyed listening to them sing and play their songs.

Six Word Saturday

Judy’s Numbers Game #74-195

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Telephoto Camera

Location: Centennial Center; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 CFFC: Things Made of Glass/Ceramics

This week’s theme of Things Made of Glass/Ceramics was an interesting one for me to find images that I’d like to share. We’ve had rain this week and Coleman has been feeling under the weather with a bad chest cough, therefore we haven’t been out and about that much. So I decided to search through my archives to figure out what I could possibly come across to use for this CFFC challenge.

Here are my selections:

First off to Remember the Fallen, But Never Forgotten

Fallen Soldier Table
Wreaths Across America

Now for the rest of my entries …

Dan’s FUN Foto Challenge-Things Made of Glass/Ceramics

God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Keep an eye out for the CWWC post on Friday. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 OWS: Reflection(s)

In the Lake

Andrew Jackson
State Park Lake

Water reflections are the most common reflections we see on our adventures. Perhaps, due to being close to the Catawba River or possibly within a short drive of any number of lakes. It doesn’t really matter, I love gazing over the water no matter where we are to see the reflections of the surrounding landscape reflecting over the water.

Andrew Jackson
State Park Lake

Debbie’s One Word Sunday

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 21

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #269

Photo Credit:©️2019 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

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

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

2025 Flower of the Day: 27 May

Amsonia tabernaemontana 

Aka Eastern Bluestar,
Blue Dogbane,
Willow Amsonia,
Woodland Bluestar

The Eastern Bluestar, of the Dogbane family, is  a 1-3 ft., erect-stemmed  perennial forming large, multi-stemmed clumps. The smooth stems are crowded with narrow,  oval leaves which turn golden-yellow in the fall. The rim of the Blue, tubular flowers flare out into a star-shape, appear in loosely conjested clusters at the tips of the stems. These flowers grow in wet to moist and sandy soiled areas. The Blue Star’s growth has naturalized northeast as far as Massachusetts. However, its primary habitat is the southeastern and eastern regions of the United States.

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Settings: f/1.781/843s • 106mmISO64

Location: Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

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

[Just a side note: when I typed in made of glass for Dan’s CFFC this flower popped up in the selected images. So I took it as a sign to use it for Cee’s FOTD.]

2025 Monday Window: 26 May — NASCAR #3 Windows

Kitty by a Window – 2
— AI creation by PR

Thinking about the Coca-Cola 600 today as I work on my blog; I am remembering a time when I took my granddaughter, Alona to Carowinds. She was fascinated to see Dale Earnhardt’s #3 NASCAR race car on display in front of the then “Intimidator” hypercoaster (now called “Thunder Striker”).

Alona
Dale Earnhardt’s #3
Race Car

The iconic “Intimidator” coaster ride at Carowinds opened with great fanfare in 2010. Carowinds had a long standing contract enabling them to license the name “Intimidator” through Dale Earnhardt Inc..

Alona “The Intimidator”

Carowinds “Intimidator” hypercoaster was renamed Thunder Striker after the licensing contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. expired in December of 2023. The “Intimidator” carried its name for over a decade. The name “Intimidator” was the nickname for NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt.

Monday Window

See Monday Window posts in Reader

Photo Credit:©️2018 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone X

Location: The Intimidator; Carowinds; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA 

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

2025 Monday Portrait: 26 May

American Pitbull Terrier

at the Concert

Friday evening Cramerton had a concert in Centennial Center Park. Large crowds of people and a few dogs gathered outside to listen to a mixture of R&B and Soul music from the Detroit, Michigan based group called “Chairmen of the Board.”

This American Pitbull weaved in and out of the crowds and then looked our way as if to pose for his photo op.

Monday Portrait

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Flower of the Day: 26 May — Calla Lilies

Pink Calla Lilies

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max + Google Effects

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

Benches Throughout the Greenway

Avon-Catawba Creeks Greenway

Coleman
Coleman
Coleman’s shady rest area
Coleman
Coleman
Gone to Walk
Coleman
Gotha Greenway
Gastonia Sister Cities

“Where the Green Heart of Germany meets the Gateway of Gastonia”

Dedicated on October 2, 2011

Jude’s Bench Anniversary Challenge

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 21

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Avon-Catawba Creeks Greenway Trail; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful day. Enjoy a hike/walk in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cell Pic Sunday: 25 May

Molothrus bonariensis

Shiny Cowbird

John’s CellPic Sunday-25 May 2025

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Silent Sunday: 25 May

Lancaster Sunrise

Sunrise
Lancaster, South Carolina

Silent Sunday

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Shirley Hunter … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Lancaster, South 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.

My Dad — My Forever Hero

HN Nornal Hule Waters

U.S. Navy Veteran

May 24, 1929 – December 31, 1996

USS Consolation

My dad is the very first military veteran I ever met. I have of course had other very close friends and relatives who were also military veterans, however, they do not compare to the importance of my very first military veteran.

In honor of the United States Celebration of Memorial Day and in memory of my father’s birthday I am dedicating this post to my late father, Nornal Hule Waters.

Nornal Hule Waters was born and raised in South Carolina. After completing high school he joined the United States Navy on September 24, 1948 when he was nineteen (19) years of age. He attended basic training in San Diego, California at the Naval Training Center (NTC) located in the Balboa Park area. His specialized training was conducted at the Balboa Naval Hospital.

After completion of his training at Balboa Naval Hospital he was stationed on the USS Consolation where he served as a hospital corpsman. Nornal dedicated four (4) years of his life to the United States Navy before his discharge on September 12, 1952.

He served his country with honor aboard the USS Consolation during the Korean War. During his time of service he was issued fuel rations which he had to use sparingly.

Fuel Rations

Nornal Hule Waters, my father, my Forever Hero, my Korean War Veteran. He loved his country and his family. He was a man of Honour.

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

2025 Spring Festival #10 —

Limonium perezii &

Calandrinia ciliata

Welcome to my Week #10 Floral contribution to Dawn’s Spring Festival 2025.

Beautiful Sea Lavender and Red Maids of are a Spring delight along the La Jolla Shores for visitors and locals to enjoy and admire. [In my youth I used to spend a tremendous amount of time along the sands and in the water at La Jolla Shores. At that time I didn’t pay no mind to the floral landscape, but I greatly appreciate its beauty nowadays.]

Limonium perezii
aka Perez’s sea lavender
and seafoam statice

Sea lavender blooms intermittently for months and nearly year round in frost-free coastal climates. Their dry, papery petals retain the colour well, making them an excellent choice for dried arrangements. They are also ideal for seaside gardens or decorative containers.

Perez’s sea lavender
& Red Maids

Sea Lavender (Limonium perezii) is primarily pollinated by bees, butterflies, and other flying insects. These insects are attracted to the beautiful clusters of small, fragrant flowers that grow on the plant.

Red Maids
Aka Calandrinia ciliata

Red Maids might be considered weeds in some places, however, in the majority of areas they are considered wildflowers.  Red Maids sure have beautiful deep pink flowers that open mostly in the afternoon. 

The leaves are edible and cattle love them, but the black oil-rich seeds are what made the plant a substantial part of Southern California Indian diets. The leaves, especially the young leaves and young shoots, may be eaten fresh, although due to their content of oxalic acid, should be eaten sparingly.

The wildlife-friendly plant grows up to about 8″ tall and makes a good ornamental in the garden that is easily plantable by seed.

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2025 #10

Spring Festival 2025

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Ron May … All Rights Reserved. 

Location: La Jolla Shores; La Jolla, California, USA

God Bless. Admire the flowers, watch them grow and bloom. Nature is a beautiful artist painting amazingly beautiful flowers and beautifully colourful landscapes. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 24 May — Irises

Iris
Iris

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

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

2025 Floral Friday: 05.23 —Colouring Flowers #63

“Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same.”

– Helen Keller
Zen Color App

“Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”

– Luther Burbank

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

God Bless. 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

2025 SYW: 19 May (on 23.05)

Here are my answers this week:

1. Do you exercise regularly?
Coleman and I go hiking/ walking two (2) yo three (3) times per week weather permitting. Hiking/ Walking is the extent of my exercise routine.

2. Have you ever belonged to/visited a gym?
I belonged to a gym a long time ago. The only membership I currently have is with our local YMCA curtesy of my medical plan.

3. When it comes to diet, what is your greatest weakness?
When it comes to diet my greatest weakness would be eating too late at night.

4. Do you know your waist size?
I do not know my current waist size and have not taken my measurements in like forever.

Gratitude:

“Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks and praise – then you will discover the fullness of your life.”

~ David Steindl–Rast

Share Your World-19th May

God Bless. Be Grateful. You are Blessed and Loved. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time, world, and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way with Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails

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 Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails. Remember to be sure your Which Ways are clearly defined. Remember signs are always welcome in your Which Ways.

School is out for the summer or about to be if not already in your area. Summer is a fitting time to be out in the nature hiking (or taking a walk) leisurely enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.

Here are my entries for  (CWWC): Any Which Way with Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails. Now over to y’all to show us the dirt roads, pathways, or trails you enjoy while you’re hiking or walking about in y’all’s favorite areas.

You might enjoy taking a look at other Which Ways from this past week; check out the links below:

Chava61’s 2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Pepper’s How Far Can You Go Which Ways

Dawn’s A Poplar Which Way

Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Dirt Trail; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take a hike. Enjoy a stroll through nature’s beautiful pathways and parks. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CFFC: Things Made of Fabric

We all use and/or see items made of Fabric every day.

From Quilts:

To Dolls:

To Clothes:

And Even Flags:

I’m sure y’all can figure out and find many other Things Made of Fabric. For information regarding joining in the Fun Foto Challenge check out Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge Home Page Here.

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge-Things Made of Fabric

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

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

2025 Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 23 May

Morning Sunrise

Skywatch Friday

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Sky watching can be dramatic, amazing to watch the Sun Rise in the mornings. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Thursday Trios: 22 May — Trachemys scripta

Trachemys scripta
aka Pond Slider

Pond Sliders are a species of common, medium-sized, semiaquatic turtles. The most recognized species are the Red-eared slider (T. s. elegans), which is popular in the pet trade and has been introduced to other parts of the world by people releasing it to the wild.

Thursday Trios

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

Settings: f/5.6 • 1/250 • 187mm • ISO100

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

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

2025 Thursday Doors: 22 May — Next-Gen Office Solutions Door

Next-Gen Office Solutions is a family owned business in Cramerton, North Carolina that provides office equipment and services to the Charlotte, North Carolina market. Their focus is on serving businesses in the community, particularly small businesses. It was formerly known as B & L Office Equipment, Inc. prior to their rebranding as Next-Gen Office Solutions in 2022.

Next-Gen Office Solutions offers a wide range of office equipment, including including printers, copiers, and other related supplies. They also offer to provide maintenance and repair services for office equipment. Another aspect of their services is offering a free  technology assessment to businesses to evaluate their needs.

Next-Gen
Office Solutions

Dan’s Thursday Doors

Thursday Doors

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Ultra Wide Camera

Location: Next-Gen Office Solutions; 100 Center Street; Cramerton, 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.

2025 Flower of the Day: 22 May — Roses

Bouquet of Roses

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

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

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 21 May

Up, Down, Across,

Back and Forth

Hide and Seek

Coleman’s Way

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday 

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens and Altura Wide Angle Fisheye attachment.

Location: C.B. Huss Recreation Complex; 219 Tenth Street; Cramerton, 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.

2025 Flower of the Day: 21 May — Asiatic Lily

Asiatic Lily
‘Tiny Rocket’
(Lilium)

Cee’s FOTD

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Flower of the Day: 20 May

Zantedeschia elliottiana

Japanese beetle
(Popillia japonica) 
on a
Yellow Calla Lily

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Words for Thought #60: 20 May

Think About It Tuesday

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

2025 CosPhoChal/Numbers Game: By the Water

Dale Cooper hosts The Cosmic Photo Challenge; her theme for this week’s challenge is By the Water. I have chosen to combine this week’s CosPhoChal (Cosmic Photo Challenge) with Judy’s Numbers Game #73-194 using Dale’s theme of By the Water.

Click on photos to enlarge for enhanced viewing.

 Judy’s suggestions for how 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 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.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number.

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge-By the Water

Judy’s Numbers Game #73-194

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Photo Credit:©️2019-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

2025 OWS: 19 May — Conveniently Convenience

On most hiking trails which Coleman and I there are there are sporadically placed benches Conveniently placed for hiker’s Convenience to rest, relax, and rejuvenate to continue one’s hiking adventure.

Here are a few benches Conveniently placed for hiker’s Convenience

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Convenience

Jude’s Bench Challenge Anniversary-19 May

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 20

Photo Credit:©️2022-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

2025 Macro Monday: 19 May

Pink Calla Lily

Zantedeschia rehmannii

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera 

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

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

2025 Monday Window: 19 May — Mayworth’s School Apartment Windows

Mayworth Backside Windows

Kitty by a Window – 2
— AI creation by PR

The buildings the Mayworth School Apartments were once Cramerton’s historic Mayworth School. It was at one time the center of Cramerton’s small community.

The 49,000 square foot building was renovated and now houses 32 affordable apartments for the elderly as well as storage rooms, offices, a laundry room, and computer center. The original auditorium was converted into a community gathering room and two apartments were created in the upper balcony.

The renovation was completed in 2008 with an astounding construction cost of $4,100,000.

As Coleman and I left the C.B. Huss recreation center I snapped a couple of photos of the backside of the Mayworth School Apartments which shares the parking lot with the Recreation Center.

Monday Window

See Monday Window posts in Reader

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Mayworth School Apartments; 236 Eighth Avenue, Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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