God Bless. Thanks y’all for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate and am grateful for every one of y’all.
Birthday: 19 May
2025 Monochrome Monday: 19 May
Water 💧 Play 💦
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion & Ultra WideCamera
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; 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 Sunday Trees:
Juglans nigra
Eastern American
Black Walnut
Eastern American Black Walnut
The Juglans nigra, Eastern American Black Walnut is a species of deciduous tree in the Walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to central and eastern North America. Black Walnut trees are used commercially for its rich deep brown colour and is easily worked.
The Walnut seeds (aka nuts) are cultivated for their distinctive and desirable taste. Walnut trees are grown for lumber and food. An interesting note is that in 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture valued U.S. Walnut timber at $530 billion. Also noted that a significant portion is grown in Missouri.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Max Fusion Camera
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; 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.
2025 Silent Sunday: 18 May
Hanging Around
C.B. Huss Recreation
Center Playground
Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Hang
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with (1-3) Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; (4) Canon EF-S18-55mm lens
Location: C.B. Huss Recreation Center Playground; 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 Cell Pic Sunday: 18 May
Gander at a Gaggle of Geese
on the Banks of the
South Fork Catawba River
Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-17 May 2025
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera
Location: Banks of the South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a Gander of your surroundings. Enjoy nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monochrome Madness (MM) #34 — Street Lights Early Evening
An early evening walk through downtown is about the latest I can manage, I try to be home before dark (I don’t see well at night).
These are my entries …
Downtown
Town of Cramerton
approaching
Eighth Avenue
North Main Street
and Eighth Avenue
All taken at 5:20pm this evening – Friday, 16 May.
Brian’s Monochrome Madness #34 (Street-lights by day or at night)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Downtown; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a delightful evening and weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 LAPC #348: Serenity
“Tranquility, serenity, and beauty of nature taught me how to find happiness in life and in the silence of eternity.”
— Debasish Mridha
Where do I find Peace, Serenity, and a sense of Solace? More likely than not, I find it out in the wonderful abliss of nature’s beauty and tranquility.
For example … In a Campground or by a Lake
Lancaster, South Carolina
Or possibly by the Ocean …
Del Mar, California
Or with a relaxing peaceful stroll through a Botanical Garden …
(now called Conservancy)
Belmont, North Carolina
Perhaps we’ll visit the serenity of a different lake …
Cane Creek Park
Waxhaw, North Carolina
Lens-Artists Photography Challenge #348: Serenity
Photo Credit:©️2018-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Have a wonderfully relaxing and peaceful weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 LAPC #347 — Breaking the Rules
Breaking the Rules? Whoever said one had to follow Rules in photography? Up, Down, Sideways, it doesn’t always matter if you shoot straight, point and shoot vertical or horizontal. Instead follow your own instincts, make your own interpretations on your shooting style. After all, you are the one you need to please.
What’s your angle?
Shooting across the river from a laying down position …
Shooting Subject Slightly off-center … background slightly blurred ( might be a rule though – who cares, I don’t read rules).
Not actually diagonal lines …
Lens-artists Photography Challenge #347 – break the rules!
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: 1-4) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera; 5-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Locations: 1-4) Riverside Park and Greenway; 5-6) Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a terrific weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Spring Festival #9 —
Zantedeschia
Calla Lilies
Welcome to my Week #9 Floral contribution to Dawn’s Spring Festival. This week I am displaying Calla Lilies at various stages from my neighbours garden. Coleman stops by their garden every day on the way to and from the school bus to see which flowers have blossomed from one day to the next.
Zantedeschia, (Calla Lilies) is the sole genus in the tribe Zantedeschieae in a 1997 classification of the Araceae. There are currently eight (8) recognized species. Portrayed here are the White, Yellow, and Pink Calla Lilies.
They are herbaceous, bulbous perennials with long, arrow-shaped leaves; some species have leaves with beautiful, window-like translucent spots. The uniquely shaped flower heads, consisting of small flowers in a spadix surrounded by a spathe, make great cut flowers. The spathe is usually white or green, but cultivars exist with yellow, pink, red, and purple hues. They bloom from late spring to early summer.
Calla Lilies can be grown in pots or in the ground. These images are of Calla Lilies grown in a small garden. ‘Calla lily’ is a member of the Arum family and is poisonous if eaten.
Calla Lily
Genus Zantedeschia
Calla lilies generally prefer full sun to partial shade, with full sun being ideal for cooler regions and partial shade being more suitable for warmer areas. They are perennial plants which may grow back every year and continue to produce beautiful blooms under the right conditions.
Calla Lilies may multiply spreading through their underground rhizomes, which develop additional growth buds and can be divided to create new plants. These particular Calla Lilies have been divided and multiplied continuously over time.
Dawn’s Spring Festival 2025 #9
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. 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 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way (Your Choice)
Cee’s Which Way Challenge
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen Any Which Way (Your Choice) for this week’s theme. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road 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.
My Choice of Which Ways for this week’s theme are in two segments. The first Which Way being a paved pathway, aka nature trail) some with people and some without.
My second segment of Which Ways are of a dirt pathway within a baseball field.
Here is my first Which Ways segment:
And here is my second Which Ways segment:
Down the Baseline
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.
gwh photos2’s Which Way Challenge-Shadows: May 9, 2025
Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Your Choice
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Locations: Segment One) South Fork River Trail; Carolina Thread Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Segment Two) C.B. Huss Recreation T-Ball Field; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike/Walk. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with e. I appreciate y’all very much.
Note: Next Week’s Theme => CWWC: Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails
2025 Cee’s FOTD: 15 May
Yucca gloriosa
The Yucca Gloriosa, also known as Spanish Dagger, is a native evergreen yucca in the southeast USA on the coasts of North Carolina south to Florida. [This plant is in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.] It grows as a shrub or small tree and can grow up to 16 feet tall but is relatively slow-growing.
The leaves are in a basal rosette on younger plants and are sword-shaped with sharp tips. Eventually, it will develop a woody trunk with a more tree-like form. [This particular Yucca plant is a shrub with bayonet like leaves which are crowded in the lower area and spread outwards at the top. The plant is heat, humidity, drought and salt tolerant and can tolerate some cold and snow.
Spanish Dagger,
Spanish Dagger Yucca
The Yucca gloriosa (Spanish Dagger) attracts the Yucca moth (Tegeticula yuccasella) for pollination as well as the larva feeding on the seeds. It is said that the Yucca plant flowers also attracts bees and hummingbirds, however, I have not seen them around it as of yet.
Winter – January 2025
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: 1-2) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 3) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stop and enjoy the flowers. Have a lovely day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Thursday Trios: 15 May
Canada Geese
It is Springtime, the Canada Geese are flocking to the rivers. In the past few days as Coleman and I have visited the South Fork Catawba River and Goat Island Park and Greenway, we have noticed more and more Canada Geese enjoying the riverbanks as well as swimming and gliding in the waters of the South Fork Catawba River.
Here are a few photos of Canada Geese Trios captured this week.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: 1-2) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 3-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
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 I am allowing y’all to choose your own Which Ways to share with us all.
2025 Throwback Thursday Doors: 15 May
Ford Model T
Ford introduced the Model T in 1908. It was Ford’s universal car that put THE WORLD ON WHEELS. Henry Ford wanted the Model T to be affordable, simple to operate, and durable. The vehicle was one of the first mass production vehicles, allowing Ford to achieve his aim of manufacturing the universal car.
This particular Ford Model T was owned and operated by my late maternal grandfather, Harvey Martin Watson. It is one of the earliest automobiles which I have photos of that were given to me by my maternal grandmother after his passing in 1968. I cherish all of my grandfather’s photos, they contain so much family history within them.
with my Maternal Grandfather,
Harvey Martin Watson
and oldest son
Marvin Houston Watson
On another note; my Paternal Great Grandfather, Thomas E. Waters also owned a Ford Model T. I have a photocopy (somewhere in my files) of a newspaper article from June 1928 which states that my Great Grandfather, Thomas E. Waters was racing his Model T against a car my Grandfather, John Thomas Waters drove. They were racing down the old country road between Lancaster and Bethune, South Carolina when the Model T flipped killing him and injuring his daughter, Francis Penelope Waters (My Paternal Aunt). This is a sad, but true story which I hadn’t known about until I began researching our family history. Model T’s were not designed for speeding down old country back roads.
God Bless. Be careful driving through the back country. Be safe. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 SYD: May 15
Clare from Clare’s Cosmos invites everyone to join her in Sharing Your Desktop (SYD). Below are her suggestions for participating in the Share Your Desktop Challenge
To do so, simply share the photo* you have set as your wallpaper;
Provide as little or as much detail as you wish;
Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun;
Then finally, share the fun around.
I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.
Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:
From My HP Laptop:
Desktop Background Wallpaper
in
Goat Island Playground
Desktop Screensaver
South Fork Catawba River
Goat Island Park and Greenway
From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:
Personal Focus
Goat Island Park and Greenway
Reading Focus
sitting on a pipe
at
Goat Island Park and Greenway
Hiking Focus
Tree Climbing
at
Riverside Park and Greenway
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment
God Bless. Having a Wonderful Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
One Thousand Days … Consecutive Posting … Wow
Wow, Oh Wow. One Thousand (1,000) consecutive days of posting on WordPress. That is a minimum of one post per day. I know on some days I only posted one (1) post, but on many a day I have posted two (2) to three (3) posts on any given day especially when joining several challenges that are scheduled for the same day of the week.
I received this notification the other day from WP marking this a significant milestone in my blogging journey. This may not seem like much of an accomplishment to some that have been blogging for years and years, however, to me it is a major achievement.
I started out back around 2022 or so to see if I could manage to post a minimum of one blog post per day not knowing if I could actually make that happen or not. Then, thanks to Cee’s challenges and her list of other bloggers challenging, I began posting entries to several challenges a week. I don’t write as much of my thoughts as what come to mind; it seems sometimes like the ideas pop into my head, but expressing my thoughts, feelings and or emotions into words and getting the down on “paper” is more difficult, even though important, than I ever imagined when I first started writing in my blog.
Over One thousand consecutive days of blog posting is posting every day for over two and a half years straight. It has helped to accomplish this feat by learning from other bloggers about scheduling posts ahead of time as well as participating in blog challenges that occur on different days of the week.
I want to express my sincere appreciation for all of you who have taken the time to read, like, and/or comment on my posts. I continue to learn and grow as I continue on this blogging journey of mine. I’m grateful to consider many of you my friends. Thank you for allowing me to share a portion of my story, my life, my world with all of you.
I will live y’all with who has my heart and the center of my world.
my ❤️, my love, my world.
Debbie’s Six Word Saturday (sorry a few days late).
Photo Credit:©️2025 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.
2025 Numbers Game #72 —193_12 May
Good Day everyone! I pray everyone and everyone is blessed, safe, and happy.
Judy from LifeLessons is the host for The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 193. Her instructions on how to join the Game and play along our 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 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.
Helianthus tuberosus
Click on images for enhanced viewing.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Wordless Wednesday: 14 May
Pond Slider
South Fork Catawba River
Goat Island Park and Greenway
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; South Fork River Trail; River Link Greenway; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a sunshiny day. Observe Nature. Thankful for local wildlife. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monday Portrait: 12 May
Plus Birds of the Carolinas
/Bird of the Week CXVI
Anas Platyrhynchos
The Anas Platyrhynchos also known as Mallards are one of several varieties of duck species, which include both resident and migratory birds. The Mallard is the most abundant duck in North America, often found in a variety of habitats. Even though apparently abundant, we have not seen many of the Mallards in or around the Catawba River.
The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is a widespread dabbling duck with a long body and high tail. The Mallard is easily identified by the male’s iridescent green head, white neck collar, and black tail curl. Females and juveniles have mottled brown bodies and dull orange bills. Both sexes have iridescent blue wing speculums. Mallards breed in fresh marshes surrounding lakes, ponds, beaver ponds, impoundments, open swamps, and such like areas, however, they do have a propensity to avoid nesting in brackish marshes.
in the
South Fork Catawba River
Coleman and I went hiking on the South Fork River Trail, a part of the Carolina Thread Trail, in Goat Island Park and Greenway on Saturday watching a partial day without rainfall (it rained again after we were safely home). While hiking the trail, Coleman and I were looking for the Turtles that often sun themselves on logs in the South Fork Catawba River. What were spotted prior to the Turtles were a pair of Mallards standing on a log checking out the River area. [This was the first time we’ve seen the Mallards in this region of the South Fork Catawba River.]
As we continued our hike we did encounter a lone Turtle sunning on a log which dove quickly into the river. But alas, we ventured on down the trail to find more Mallards on logs and in the river. It was fascinating to see and watch them especially since we had not previously seen the Mallards in this section of the Catawba River before.
Mallards feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on underwater plants. They almost never dive. They can be very tame ducks especially in city ponds, and often group together with other Mallards and other species of dabbling ducks.
Mallards are able to live in almost any wetland habitat, natural or artificial. Look for them on lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers, and coastal habitats, as well as nearby city and suburban parks and residential backyards.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Settings: f/6.3 • 1/320 • 250mm • ISO800-2000
Location: South Fork Catawba River; South Fork River Trail; River Link Greenway; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get outdoors and enjoy nature’s beauty and natural wildlife. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monday Window: 13 May — Camaro Windows
— AI creation by PR
The last of the cars we were able to see at the Cruz-In was this stunningly beautiful Classic Red Camaro. The sun shining down upon it was like it was saying look at me … am I not the best car you’ve ever seen.
Location: 151 8th Avenue; Downtown Town of Cramerton; 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
2025 Macro Monday: 12 (on 13) May
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 Numbers Game #71 – 192
Judy from Life Lessons hosts The Numbers Game. I’m a week behind, but I figured better late than not at all. Her number for the Numbers Game Challenge #71 is 192. I didn’t have any luck finding photos matching 192, so I am doing as suggested in showing images of a common word.
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.
My Word I am using is Coleman. I am posting the images in a video format for your enjoyment.
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.
Location Riverside Park and Greenway; 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 CFFC: Things Made of Plastic
For Children’s Entertainment
Aka Coleman’s Funtime
Plastic is rampant throughout the world. It is used in everything from tarps, bottles, food containers, to our automobiles, to our clothing, to makeup, and even in gum.
Alas, we are not here to discuss the various types of plastic, their uses, or whether or not the use of plastics are advantageous or disadvantageous.
In this post I am simply going to show you some of the many examples of Children’s entertainment (aka toys) which use plastic in their manufacturing and packaging of children’s toys.
Here are my entries …
To join in the Fun Foto Challenge click on the link below for further information & details about participating.
Photo Credit:©️2024-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Locations: In Gastonia and Cramerton, Gaston County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Looking forward to y’all joining in the Which Way Challenge on Friday (your choice). Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Flower of the Day: 12 May
Lonicera japonica
Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: River Link Greenway; South Fork River Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; 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 OWS: 11 May — Lines
Water Lines …
Andrew Jackson State Park
Plant Lines …
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fence Lines …
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Building Lines …
Horizontal, & Vertical
The Farm
The Schiele Museum of Natural History
Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Lines
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Flower of the Day: Sunday, 11 May
Digitalis purpurea
Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 18
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers and those as close as a Mother, and those soon to be Mothers. Treasure your family and remember the Mothers who only remain in our hearts. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Silent Sunday: 11 May
Holding On
& Holding On
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: Goat Island Playground; Goat Island Park and Greenway; 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 Cell Pic Sunday: 11 May
Ligustrum sinense
(Ligustrum sinense)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Along South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; 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 Flower of the Day: 10 May
Beautiful Garden Rose
Rose Bare Root
“A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.”
– Leo Buscaglia
God Bless. I cherish y’all’s friendship. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Skywatch Friday/ Weekend Sky
These were all taken at various times on Thursday, May 8th showing the vast differences our sky may exhibit in less than twenty-four hours.
Thursday Morning – 6:35 am
Thursday Afternoon – 2:38 pm
Thursday Evening – 7:18 pm
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, colourful, and amazing to see the changes the sky displays from minute to minute and throughout the days and weeks. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Spring Festival — Week #8
Lilium ‘Tiny Parrot’
Spring’s Lilium ‘Tiny Parrot’ eight day blooming progression in a local neighbourhood garden.
Dwarf Asiatic Lily
Dawn’s Spring Festival 2025 #8
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Seventh Street; 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 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way with Shadows
Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen Any Which Way with Shadows for this week’s theme. Shadows can be on any path, sidewalk, trail, or road 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.
Here are my entries for this week’s Which Way Challenge – Any Which Way with Shadows …
My Which Ways with Shadows are a mixture of paved pathways, sidewalks, and dirt trails. Hope you enjoy the hike with Coleman and myself.
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’s Road trips (through the windscreen #2)
GERIATRI’X’ FOTOGALLERY’s HIGHWAY SIGNS
Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Any Which Way with Shadows
Photo Credit:©️2024-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Locations: Gastonia and Cramerton, Gaston County, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a hike/walk. Enjoy nature’s beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Thursday Trios: 08 May
Triple ‘Tiny Double You’s’
Coleman and I have been watching these lilies slowly begin to bloom each day we walk past them on our way to and from his bus stop.
Here are a few more to show the progression from Saturday through today.
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 Joyous Holy Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Thursday Doors: 08 May
Boathouse Doors
The Boathouse is located in McAdenville, North Carolina. It is the focal epicentre for Catawba Riverkeeper’s outdoor recreation. The Catawba Riverkeeper’s mission is to preserve, protect, and restore local water quality.
Many activities are available to do at or around The Boathouse like …
Playing Outside …
- Renting a kayak, canoe, or standup paddleboard (or bring your own to enjoy an afternoon on the River.
- Take a walk, run, or bike ride down the South Fork River Trail.
- Go fishing along the banks of the South Fork River.
Relaxing … you may relax inside The Boathouse and enjoy the air conditioning while having a soft drink, beer, and/or snack. Or you may sit and relax outdoors around a picnic table.
Jam at the Dam … listen to fantastic live music at one of the Catawba Riverkeeper’s live outdoor events such as once held last weekend while the Goat Island Games were being played. [Coleman and I missed this live music event, but we do listen to their live music shows at Confluence which is run by the Catawba Riverkeeper.]
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Location: The Boathouse; 115 Willow Dr, McAdenville, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outside and Enjoy the vast beauty in the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 SYW: Week of 05 May
There are two ways in which you can participate:
Leave your answers to this week’s questions in the comments box below or create your own post and link back to this one.
Ping-backs are activated, but don’t always work properly, so to play safe, leave a link in a comment or if you prefer, leave just the link so that I can see it.
Here are this week’s questions:
- Have you ever danced round a maypole?
The only time I can remember dancing around a Maypole was one year in elementary school. - Does the month of May hold any specific memories or events for you?
The month of May holds memories and events special or significant to me.- 1) 8th — my sister-in-law’s birthday
- 2) 2nd Sunday — Mother’s Day
- 3) 10th — Loss of my Maternal Grandfather
- 4) 19th — My Day
- 5) 24th — My Dad’s Special Day
- 6) 30th — Birth of my Daughter
- Does your country celebrate a May Day holiday?
I haven’t heard or seen anything regarding May Day holidays here in America. I think it is more of an individual or family event with some giving out May Day baskets. - Have you booked a vacation for this year?
I have not booked a vacation for this year. I have dreamed about the possibility of taking a vacation. We all know that is not the same as actually taking a vacation. In reality, I have not had a vacation since 2020.
Gratitude:
“Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.”
– Deepak Chopra
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in my world. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Wordless Wednesday/FOTD: 07 May — Echinacea
(Echinacea)
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Centennial Center Park; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a sunshiny day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Words for Thought #59: 05.06
Set Your Mind
On Things Above …
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.”
—Anne Lamott
Take time to get outside, unplug, let go of your worries, trust God and rest in the promises that Everything will work out.
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. 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 CFFC: Transportation—Bridges and Ferries
Thank you Dan for keeping Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge alive, challenging, and inspiring. This week Dan is continuing with the Transportation theme. This week’s theme focus is on Bridges and Ferries.
I have so many photos of Bridges and Railroad Trestle Bridges that I could fill multiple posts with multiple images of Bridges. Instead of doing that, I have decided to make my entry selections of Bridges and Ferries from what I have within my archive files.
First off, I am selecting Bridges and a Ferry from our trip to San Francisco a long, long time ago (back in 1979). I do not exactly remember if this trip was strictly a family trip or one taken with my church youth group. I do remember that our church group visited and performed a Christian musical at a few churches up in the San Francisco and San Jose area some year.
On this trip we took the Harbor Emperor Ferry sightseeing around the San Francisco Bay Area viewing the Bridges, the infamous Alcatraz Island, and simply experiencing a wonderful time together as a family.
San Francisco Bridges & Ferry:
Next and lastly, I am travelling further back in time to the 1960’s. My family moved back to San Diego in 1958 shortly before I turned two (2) years old. During the 1960’s the only way to travel from San Diego to Coronado was by Ferry. The Ferries transported passengers and vehicles to and from San Diego and Coronado. They were they only source of transportation to visit the Hotel del Coronado, the Coronado Beach, the military installations including the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB), and the Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island.
The Construction of the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge began between 1967-1969. The Bridge was dedicated on August 2, 1969, with Governor Ronald Reagan providing the dedication address.
I remember travelling on the San Diego Ferries crossing over to Coronado to walk along the Beach with a group of friends. I remember riding the San Diego Ferry with my parents (my dad driving our car onto the Ferry). I remember riding the San Diego Ferry during its last days of operation in 1969 after the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge was completed. [Side Note: I have a certificate and poster verifying I rode the ferry on its last day somewhere in storage.]
Ferry service began once again in April of 1986. The current Ferry service is operated by Flagship Cruises & Events. They currently have two ferries in use, the Silvergate and Cabrillo.
CFFC: Transportation—Bridges and Ferries
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #268
Photo Credit: San Francisco) ©️1979 Nornal H . Waters … All Rights Reserved; San Diego; 1-2)©️Tiffany Waters; 3-6) San Diego Historical Society
Be sure to check out this week’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way with Shadows coming up on Friday (posting just after midnight Early Friday morning).
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Sunday Stills: Monthly Colour Challenge — #Pastels in Florals
Good Day to everyone! It is a cool spring morning and I’m wishing I was still asleep. However, that’s not possible when it’s a school day for Coleman. Instead of falling back asleep after arriving back home from the bus stop, I’m here writing and fixing to upload another post. Who needs sleep anyway? I’ll probably fall back asleep after arriving a little bit of reading 📖.
Now before I begin reading it is time to show y’all some lovely pastel florals from my neighbours gardens.
Stop and Smell the Flowers. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty.
God Bless. You are Beautiful. Share your beautiful smiles and love to everyone in your path. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Monday Window: 05 May — Reflective Church Windows
— AI creation by PR
As Coleman and I were walking up from the River by the White Church Coleman noticed a wind chime. He decided to go check it out & see how the chimes sounded.
the Wind Chimes
Reflected in the Window
of Cramerton Independent
Presbyterian Church
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; 2-3) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: 151 8th Avenue; Downtown Town of Cramerton; 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
2025 MM: Mirror, Mirror Reflections
Margaret from From Pyrenees to Pennines is the host for this week’s Monochrome Madness . She has chosen to select Mirror as the theme for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness.
Here are my contributions for this Monochrome Madness Challenge.
Mirror and reflections in the Mirror at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Water in the South Fork Catawba River
Reflecting the Landscape like Nature’s Mirror.
Nature’s Mirror
Building Windows sometimes reflect their surroundings like Mirrors Reflecting back at you.
walking past a window
reflecting what it sees
similar to a Mirror.
Margaret’s Monochrome Madness-Mirror
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 OWS: 04 May — Favourite Capture (this week)
looking out over the
South Fork Catawba River @GoatIslandParkandGreenway
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment.
Settings: f/4 • 1/320 • 55mm • ISO100
Location: Centennial Center River Access and Observation Pier; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a lovely day. Relax and enjoy the outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
2025 Sunday Trees: Coastal Redwoods
In my youth my church youth group would go camping 🏕️ up in the Sequoia National Forest and sleep in big green military tents amongst the “gentle giants.”
aka Giant Sequoia
Girls would be in one or two small army tents and boys would be in separate tents in a separate area of the camp. Each tent had a capacity of up to 21 people, however, I think we only had about a dozen teenagers plus 1-2 adult chaperones per tent. [Side Note: when I camp I still sleep in tents].
aka Coast Redwood
It is amazing to walk amongst the Giant Sequoias often referred to as Coastal Redwoods, Coast Redwoods, and “Gentle Giants.” To look up at the sky through the center of a California Pacific Coast Redwood and walk amongst the trees so tall as if reaching up towards the heavens is mesmerizing.
aka California Redwoods
Photo Credit:©️2025 Fred Blackburn … All Rights Reserved.
Location: Avenue of the Giants; Humboldt Redwoods State Park; Weott, California, USA
God Bless. Do you have any giant trees in your neck of the woods? Coleman and I love to walk in the woods enjoying nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Benches around Centennial Center
Downtown Town of Cramerton
Coleman’s Bonus Seating
Mayworth’s Public House
115 Center Street
Jude’s Bench Anniversary Challenge
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 18
Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion & Ultra wide Cameras
Location: Center & Eighth Streets; Downtown Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Pull Up a Seat — Wherever You Desire and Enjoy a Time of Relaxation. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 