2025 CFFC/JusJoJan25 — January 16 — Week 3

Embracing Numbers

in Life

and Nature

Let’s roam around and embrace numbers in life and in nature. As many of you might know my grandson, Coleman and I enjoy hiking together out amongst the trees, along Greenways, and within our state and local parks. This first image is of a group of about eleven painted rocks some of which display a message which the painter wishes to convey. Others are just for the fun and beauty to hopefully bring you joy and a smile.

“Embrace life with a smile.” Author unknown

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”(Author unknown). As we continue embracing life and nature, shall we stop and enjoy the beauty of five flowers along the pathway.

“Where flowers bloom so does hope.”
— Lady Bird Johnson

As the flowers bloom and remind us there is hope for the world and life needs to be embraced wherever and whenever possible.

Embracing the living creatures two by two different yet enjoying the same space and time. Embrace the Numbers Two Horses sharing the pasture with Two Canada Geese at Anne Springs Close Greenway.,

“Strength lies in differences,
not in similarities.”
— Stephen R. Covey

Whether one is out in nature or in a classroom, there is unity in numbers. Children learn the importance of Embracing Togetherness. They can learn that even though we are different, we are all the same, united for a purpose.

Nine Students and a teacher all wearing green and embracing togetherness in the classroom.

“The unlike is joined together,
and from differences results
the most beautiful harmony.”
— Heraclitus

Leaving the indoor classroom for the classroom in nature, we can learn to embrace the beauty, the elegance, the love one for another, and the strength and power in unity and in numbers.

We can enjoy the beauty and elegance in every flamingo. We can admire their stance and embrace their uniqueness as we observe Five Flamingos and their reflections.

“Embrace the elegance
of a flamingo,
and let it inspire your life.”
— Unknown

Each friendship is as unique and beautiful as a flamingo.”- Unknown. Every creature whether human or animal is unique and beautiful in their own way. Every family has its own uniqueness. They may have the same numbers as other families or may not. They maybe similar, but still different in their own special way. No two families are exactly alike, that’s why we should embrace our own families with love and respect.

We see and observe various “families” in nature, like this family of Seven Canada Geese sticking together yet apart at Andrew Jackson State Park.

We are each of us angels
with only one wing,
and we can only fly
by embracing one another.
— Luciano De Crescenzo

Let’s keep on moving and striving for unity for there is power in numbers. Turtles gather together in numbers sunning on logs and enjoying time swimming together in a river. Fourteen Turtles embracing the warmth of the sun and being together in the South Fork Catawba River by South Fork River Park in Northern section of Gastonia, North Carolina.

“There is power in unity,
and there is power in numbers.”
From Dr. Martin Luther King’s
speech “Keep on Moving.”

Now for each of y’all to embrace the challenge and show us how you Embrace the Numbers.

Dan’s CFFC-Embrace the Numbers

#JusJoJan25

#1linerWeds

Becky’s GeometricJanuary 

God Bless. Embrace Life. Embrace One Another. Embrace Togetherness. Embrace the Numbers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Throwback Thursday Doors: January 16

Also Monochrome GeometricJanuary

These Throwback images are from my maternal grandfather’s collection of photos I was given from my maternal grandmother after his passing back in 1968. The photo images were originally on personal post cards.

Old Coal Trucks in early 1900’s.

Not sure, but
I think this is
my maternal grandfather
next to the truck.
Original image

I have always thought these were taken in Deep Gap, North Carolina, but I am not one hundred percent (100%) sure. My maternal grandfather did work for a time for a coal mining company.

Remember for enhanced viewing click on each image.

Dan’s Thursday Doors 

Throwback Thursday

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Becky’s GeometricJanuary 

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

2025 Geometric Shapes In Ordinary Places

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

Plenty of variety
in Geometric Shapes
within the Neighbouring
House and Yard

Becky’s GeometricJanuary 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Stay Safe. Keep Warm. Be Observant. Geometric shapes are all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYW: January 6

Posting a week late, but still sharing my world.

Here are this week’s questions:

1.  What is the weather like today where you are?

Today our high was 49° with a low of 26°. It was warmer than the weather we had over the weekend which dipped down into the upper teens and brought us a wee bit of Snow ❄️ (not enough make a Snowman ☃️ and lots of freezing rain overnight. But alas when the Sun came out the next day (even though still cold – low 40’s°) the Snow ❄️ and Ice 🧊 melted.


2.  Have you booked your annual vacation yet?

No, I have not booked a vacation yet. Hopefully we will have one this year. Haven’t really had a vacation since 2020.


3.  Do you have a passport, and when does it expire?

I do have a passport which I obtained in 2020 and is valid until 2030.


4.  When was the last (or first) time you went abroad?

The first time I went abroad to another country was riding a church bus into Tecate, Baja California, Mexico with our church youth group to volunteer and minister to children at the Tecate Mission Orphanage. For this trip crossing into Mexico in the early 1970’s I didn’t need a passport; only needed my U.S. Birth Certificate.

The last time I went abroad was on the Enchantment of the Seas Caribbean Cruise Ship in February of 2020. While on this cruise we docked in Costa Maya, Mexico and Cozumel, Mexico. While docked at the port, I disembarked and wandered around the ports checking out the shops and other places of interest.

Gratitude:


“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.”

— Anonymous

Share Your World

SYW

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

2025 Wordless Wednesday: January 15

Looking Beyond

&

Through the Trees

Chugga chugga Choo Choo

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

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: Looking Westward from 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 Share Your Desktop: January 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 

  1. To do so, simply share the photo* you have set as your wallpaper;
  2. Provide as little or as much detail as you wish;
  3. Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun;
  4. 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 Smartphone Wallpapers:

Personal Focus

Coleman & Muscovy Duck
in Riverside Park and Greenway

Hiking Focus

Coleman
checking out the
Disc Golf Catcher at
Goat Island Park and Greenway

Reading Focus

Coleman
playing in the Sand
at Riverside Park and Greenway

Here are my Wallpapers from my Laptop:

Laptop Desktop Wallpaper

Coleman sitting
on a Tree Limb
Goat Island Park and Greenway

Laptop Screensaver

Taken at
Goat Island Park
and Greenway

Clare’s Share Your Desktop-January 2025 

SYD

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

Cameras: 1-3) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max; 4-5) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: 1-2) Riverside Park and Greenway; 3-5) Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Numbers Game #56–#177

Judy invites us to join in with her to play  “The Numbers Game #56.”  Today’s number is 177. To play along, she suggests you 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 her 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 Numbers Game Challenge:

Judy’s Numbers Game #56-177

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Throwback Thursday

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

2025 January 14 — GeometricJanuary

On the Ground & Underfoot

Coleman on his way to Confluence
… following the brick pathway
Coleman checking out …
… the different brick patterns

Becky’s GeometricJanuary #14

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & Star filter attachments.

Location: Carolina Thread 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 Words for Thought #50: 01.14

Love Each Other

John 15:12-13 (NIV)


“The impulse of love that leads us to the doorway of a friend is the voice of God within and we need not be afraid to follow it.”

—Agnes Sanford

Think About It Tuesday

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & Star filter attachment. 

Location:Goat Island Park and Greenway; 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 GeometricJanuary #13

On the Riverbanks

Coleman’s Circles & Craters
Coleman
constructing craters
to clench & cradle
his measuring cups.

Becky’s GeometricJanuary #13

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV and Star filter attachments.

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

God Bless. Count your blessings one by one. Be Grateful for all you’ve been given. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monday Portrait: 01.13 — A Dog on the Shore

Cockapoo
on the Shore
by the
South Fork Catawba River

Monday Portrait

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV and Star filter attachments.

Location: Riverside 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 Monday Window: January 13

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Monday Window

To join the challenge, release a post featuring a window or windows any time during the week.

► Tag your post “Monday Window” (NOTE: Put a space between Monday and Window, no “s”, Window is singular.) The WordPress Reader will show most of the recent posts tagged this way (alas, not all).

► Add a comment to the latest Monday Window post and include a link to your latest Monday Window post.


Please visit the participating blogs. You will be delighted and astounded by the rich and imaginative offerings by the bloggers from around the world.

See Monday Window posts in Reader

2025 RDP: Tuesday! — Goat!

Goat at
Confluence South Fork
Town of Cramerton

Ragtag Daily Prompt-Tuesday! Goat!

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Outside Confluence South Fork; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Be Kind. Love One Another as Yourself. Don’t let anything get your Goat. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CellPic Sunday: 01.12

A Beautiful Relaxing View

South Fork Catawba River
Riverside Park and Greenway

John’s Cell Pic Sunday

XingfuMama’s Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 2

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #254

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Relax by the River. Be inspired to be You. Nature’s Beauty is amazing. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 01.12 —

Lingering Holiday Decorations

Bridge at
Goat Island Park
and Greenway

Silent Sunday

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV and Star filter attachments.

Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

Snow Gone too Soon, Now Icy

For some snow last longer than others depending on your location. In the southeast, snow is not a yearly occurrence. The last Snow we saw was in late January of 2022, three years ago. This year we only received a dusting of snow before it changed to a wintry mix ending with freezing rain.

Now for a look at The Day After …

For my friends in Atlanta, Georgia, they welcomed the snow. They had plenty for their to be played in, but alas it won’t last for long there either.

And my friend’s view in Van Wyck, South Carolina …

©️2025 Donnie Hicks
Van Wyck, South Carolina

Here’s a view of it snowing from Fort Mill, South Carolina …

©️2025 Maria De Jesus
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Contrasting with our views …

Six-Word Saturday

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

God Bless. Stay Safe. Keep Warm. Be Observant. Geometric shapes are all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cee’s Weekend FOTD: January 11

Camellia japonica 

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Cee’s Weekend FOTD

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens

Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Weekend Sky: Week 2 — January 10

❄️Snow 🌨️ Snowing ❄️ Snowfall 🌨️❄️

Thursday Afternoon, 01.09

Blue Skies with an Afternoon Moon

Thursday was cold with lows in the low twenties (21°) warming into the low 40’s.

Friday Afternoon, 01.10

Currently, it is 29° and snowing where we live. Normally, if we get snow ❄️, we don’t get it until near the end of January/early February. We haven’t seen snow since mid-January 2022. WSOC 9 Now reported that this is the “First snow in Charlotte in 1076 days.”⁦ [The Town of Cramerton is just 18-20 minutes southwest of Charlotte International Airport.]

As you may have noticed, Coleman managed to scoot past me without proper attire to see our first drops of snow ❄️. Don’t worry, I didn’t let him stay out for very long with no jacket or shoes.

It is supposed to keep snowing until around 6:30 (more or less) and then switch over to a wintry mix throughout the evening and on into early Saturday morning.

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

2025 Floral Friday: 01.03— Colouring Flowers #50 (2nd for 2025)

“Each time a flower blooms, the world is reminded that there is beauty in new beginnings.”

Matshona Dhliwayo
Zen Color App

“The seeds of kindness that you plant today will one day bloom in the hearts of all that you touch.

Author Unknown

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

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.

2025 Numbers Game #55-176

Judy invites us to join in with her to play  “The Numbers Game #55.”  Today’s number is 176. To play along, she suggests you 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 her 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 Numbers Game Challenge:

Judy’s Numbers Game #55-176

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Throwback Thursday

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

2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Cee’s Which Way Challenge

Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge … this week’s challenge is CWWC: Roads with any signs. For further information about the Which Way Challenge check out the new Which Way Challenge page here.

Signs can be found on almost any road, dirt road, trail or greenway. When Coleman and I go hiking we usually see a sign or two. It doesn’t matter if we are walking through town or hiking along a trail or greenway, signs help guide the way or possibly warn of danger. No matter the sign or location one can gather pertinent information and notice the different geometric shapes the signs represent.

Here are my entries for this week …

On the Road
to the Historic
Baltimore Fishing Pier
Share the Road
Sign on
Cramer Mountain Road
Fishing Line Recycling Bin
Sign on left Park &
Greenway Rules and

Regulations Sign on right
located on side of
entrance to the
Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier
Warning: Recommended Flow
by the Catawba Riverkeeper
Sign by the Ramp
to the Fishing Pier

Now over to y’all to post your Which Ways (CWWC) Roads with any signs.

Which Way’s from this past week:

WoollyMuses

Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Roads with any Signs

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

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

2025 Thursday Trios: 01.09

Nature’s Trio

Ilex opaca

Ilex opaca, also known as American Holly, is a holly species which is native to the Eastern and South-Central United States. This Holly was loaded with its red berries bringing a bit of colour to the nature trail.

Seen while Coleman and I were hiking the Disc Golf Trail at Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton.

Thursday Trios

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: Disc Golf Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Be Observant. Show Gratitude. Love to all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Throwback Thursday Doors: 01.09

Throwback Doors with Coleman

This week has been pretty cold ( low’s in the low 20’s), I know that’s not as cold as some of y’all see but it’s freezing for us. Therefore, I chose to go through my archive file of doors. Look out all the lines, angles, squares, and rectangles. Can you spot other Geometric patterns/shapes? Hopefully you’ll enjoy viewing Coleman’s antics as I fondly remember them. I am also linking up with GeometricJanuary and Throwback Thursday.

Coleman
trying to open
Refrigerator Door
when he was two (2).

In this last photo (animation) we had a “lock” on the Refrigerator Door to try to keep him from getting into it. As you can see it didn’t keep him from trying.

Dan’s Thursday Doors 

Becky’s GeometricJanuary 

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️2021 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: Lake Wylie, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. I’m Grateful for being allowed to watch Coleman grow up with all his antics, experiences, and expressions. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 01.08

Water Reflections

South Fork Catawba River
South Fork Catawba River
South Fork Catawba River

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #253

Photo Credit: ©️2024 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; 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 Monochrome Madness #25: Places of Worship

Churches in Monochrome

This week’s Monochrome Madness is hosted by Dawn from The Day After Blog. She has given us challenge theme of Places of Worship. For this challenge I selected a few from current and archived photos to use this week.

Here are my selections:

The first three were taken in 2020 when I went walking around my Aunt’s town while I was visiting her in Abilene, Texas.

Church of Christ
5th and Grape St
Abilene, Texas
The Episcopal Church
of the Heavenly Rest
Abilene, Texas
The Galilee Baptist Church
was built in 1963.
Galilee Baptist Church
1011 Briarwood St
Abilene TX 79603
The Westfield Presbyterian Church
Westfield, New Jersey
Cramerton Independent
Presbyterian Church
51 8th Ave,
Cramerton, NC 28032, USA

This last church is the church I attended all through my growing up years (from Kindergarten through College). It is currently known as Grace Church San Diego. When I attended this church it was known as Scott Memorial Baptist Church and was pastored by Dr. Tim F. LaHaye, co-author of the Left Behind series of books.

Grace Church San Diego
Formerly Known as
Scott Memorial Baptist Church
4637 Oregon Street
San Diego, CA 92116

Dawn’s Monochrome Madness-Places of Worship

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

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

2025 CFFC: Wide & Narrow Buildings

Also Posting for GeometricJanuary

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (Dan’s CFFC)

For this week’s challenge by Dan’s CFFC I decided to search through my archives to see what I could select for his challenge of Wide and Narrow. I believe these from my time in San Diego will work nicely.

El Cortez

The El Cortez was built from 1926-1927. At the time it was built, it was the tallest building in San Diego. It is located on top of a hill at the north end of San Diego.

When it first opened in 1927 and on through the 1950’s it was a renowned apartment-hotel. The large “El Cortez” sign (which is illuminated at night) was added in 1937 and could be seen for miles.

When I was in high school, several groups like the Kiwanis Club of San Diego would hold luncheons with guest speakers at the El Cortez. My American Government teacher allowed a few students during various weeks to attend the Kiwanis luncheon. He had one requirement for those who attended, that was to give a report regarding the speaker messages to the class the next class session. I was fortunate enough to have been given the privilege of attending of the Kiwanis Club luncheons at the El Cortez Hotel.

View of San Diego High-rises from across San Diego Bay. The Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel is one of several High-Rises located near Seaport Village.

The Manchester Grand Hyatt consists of two towers, the 40-story Harbor Tower built in 1992 and the 33-story Seaport Tower which was added in 2003. The taller of the two towers stands as the highest waterfront building on the West Coast.  It has 40 floors and 1,628 rooms. It is also considered the largest hotel in Southern California.

Dan’s CFFC-Wide and Narrow

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

Throwback Thursday

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

2024 SYW: December 30


Here are this week’s questions:

1.  Would you consider 2024 to have been a good year?

I would consider 2024 to be a mixture of good and bad. We had some hard trying times with difficulties, but with perseverance we made it through with the Lord’s strength and guidance.


2.  What has been the highlight of 2024 for you?

I am not sure what I would consider the highlight of 2024 to be, however, the best of times I experienced throughout 2024 were the many hiking adventures I had with my grandson, Coleman.


3.  Did you keep any New Year resolutions if you made any in January?

I gave up making New Year’s Resolutions a long long time ago. I’ve tried setting goals, but even those are sometimes not met. I did make my reading goal though.


4.  Are you looking forward to 2025?

I am actually, for once, looking forward to experiencing new adventures with Coleman and possibly with my daughter on occasion. Hopefully, we can make the trip we’ve been wanting to take since June of 2018. The trip would be to go out to Boulder City (just southwest of Las Vegas), Nevada to pay our respects at burial site of my husband and my children’s father. And hopefully as down to San Diego, California to visit with his only living brother.

Gratitude:

“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Share Your World

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

2025 Words for Thought #49: 01.07

God’s Loving Mercy

South Fork Catawba River
Riverside Park and Greenway


“God’s love never ceases. Never… God doesn’t love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God’s love never ceases.”

— Max Lucado

Think About It Tuesday

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & Star filter attachment. 

Location:South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; 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 GeometricJanuary #7: 01.07

Airport Geometrics

Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

My daughter snapped this photo while at the airport the day after New Year’s Day. It seems like a Geometric Field of wondrous shapes and objects.

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

Photo Credit:©️Trisha L. Wilson (my daughter) … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Plus

Location: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Good Bless. Take time to be Grateful. Appreciate your Blessings. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monday Portrait: 01.06

Sasquatch & Coleman

This (PPAC) of Bigfoot ( also known as Sasquatch) is located on the Disc Golf Trail at Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton, North Carolina. This is the first time Coleman and I hiked this trail since Hurricane Helene. After the flood damage to the trail in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene; the trail was blocked off prohibiting access temporarily until repairs could be completed. We did not recall seeing Sasquatch previously. Coleman was fascinated by the Bigfoot and had to check it out.

Monday Portrait

Photographing Public Art Challenge (PPAC)

Photo Credit:©️Deb L. Waters .., All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max; Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment

Location: Disc Golf 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 Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge – Blanc

Blanc in Nature

Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge-Blanc

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

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.

Monday Window: 2025 January 6

Monday Window
AI creation by PR

Geometric Windows

& Scaffolding

One week of the New Year is done and gone, looking forward to all there is to discover as we continue moving forward in 2025. Here is my First Monday Window for 2025 …

New Home Construction
shows Geometric Designs

Monday Window

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

Monday Window is a weekly blog post challenge featuring one or more photos of windows, prominently or as the main subject.

Monday Window posts are published each Monday morning at 3:15 UTC.

To join the challenge, release a post featuring a window or windows any time during the week.

► Tag your post “Monday Window” (NOTE: Put a space between Monday and Window, no “s”, Window is singular.) The WordPress Reader will show most of the recent posts tagged this way (alas, not all).

► Add a comment to the latest Monday Window post and include a link to your latest Monday Window post.


Please visit the participating blogs.You will be delighted and astounded by the rich and imaginative offerings by the bloggers from around the world.

See Monday Window posts in Reader

2025 Weekend Sky: January 5 – Week 1

Beautiful Skies

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #253

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV & Star Filter attachments

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

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

2025 Silent Sunday: January 5

South Fork Catawba River
Riverside Park and Greenway

Silent Sunday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #253

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & Star filter attachments.

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

God Bless. Relax by the River. Be inspired to be You. Nature’s Beauty is amazing. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cell Pic Sunday: 01.05

South Fork Catawba River
Riverside Park and Greenway

John’s Cell Pic Sunday

XingfuMama’s Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 1

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #253

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Relax by the River. Be inspired to be You. Nature’s Beauty is amazing. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

GeometricJanuary Floating Down the Catawba River

Coleman was playing with his small soccer ball on the bank of the South Fork Catawba River. He tried making a blockade to keep it from sliding into the water, but alas it failed. His soccer ball with its geometric shapes rolled down into the river.

These depict the travel of his soccer ball floating down the South Fork Catawba River, lost to him forever. Bye, bye soccer ball. Click on each image ( if desired) for larger enhanced viewing.

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday 

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #252

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

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV and Star-6 Filter attachments

Location: Riverside 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 Pull Up a Seat with a View by the River

& a Companion

When Coleman and I visited the Greenway on New Year’s Afternoon we actually Pulled Up a Seat on a bench on the other side of the Pier. Couldn’t resist taking a picture of this one with the resident Muscovy Duck sitting nearby.

This Muscovy Duck was friendly with no qualms about approaching Coleman. ( Those pics are for a future post). It would come really super close to Coleman. When we first arrived Coleman sat down with his construction trucks and dinosaurs near his favourite tree. The Muscovy Duck seemed to think that tree was its spot. It appeared to be saying “Why are you in my area?” It walked all around Coleman and decided he was friendly enough, so he would share the area.

It wasn’t until some people came to the river with a dog that the duck switched locations to the area pictured above.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 1

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #252

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Talk a Walk. Pull Up a Seat and Relax in Nature. Enjoy the Views. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 GeometricJanuary Squaring #4

Becky’s GeometricJanuary Squares

On January 1st, Coleman and I hiked a short ways to the Riverside Park and Greenway. While Coleman was playing in the sand by the South Fork Catawba River, snappy few shots with my camera. Being observant of my surroundings, I captured some fascinating GeometricJanuary shapes.

Here are my Squares for GeometricJanuary #4 linking to Becky here. I’m also linking to RDP Wednesday-Radiant and FOWC-Joint.

Riverside Park and Greenway
Fishing Pier

Look at all the joints holding the pier together. Amazing what you find when you look underneath.

Another angle 📐
of the underside
of the fishing pier.

If you thought the architectural design of the joints on the underside were fascinating, then you would be astounded by the sun’s rays radiating over the water. Don’t you think it looks radiant ?

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC)-Joint

Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP):Wednesday-Radiant

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #252

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Location: Riverside Park and Greenway Fishing Pier; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton. North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take time to relax and enjoy yourself. Get Outdoors and admire the beauty in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Monochrome Madness #24 – The Best from 2024

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #24 – The best from your year

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

2024 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails

Cee’s Which Way Challenge

This week’s Which Way Challenge theme is Any Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails. You may post one or as many as you like, just make sure your Which Way is clearly distinguishable. Remember signs are always welcome.

Here are my Which Ways for this week …

These are leaf covered dirt trails at the Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier location in Cramerton, North Carolina. Coleman and I hiked them, on Christmas Day, to see where they’d take us. Unfortunately, due to unrepaired damage to the trails from Hurricane Helene, parts of the trails are unrestored and nonfunctional at this time.

This Bridge was barricaded declaring it was unsuitable and hazardous rendering it off-limits to hikers/pedestrians.

Many thanks to WoollyMuses, for their Which Ways. You might want to check out their Silver and/or Gold Which Ways.

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

Cameras: 1-5) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max; 6-7) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura NP filter attachment.

Location: Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier Trails; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Hope to see your Which Ways showing your Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Floral Friday: 01.03— Colouring Flowers #49 (1st for 2025)

“Each time a flower blooms, the world is reminded that there is beauty in new beginnings”.

~ Matshona Dhliwayo
via Goodreads
Zen Color App

“May this New Year add a burst of colors and fragrance into your life just like a new blooming flower!”
Alex Montt
Flowers BloomHope.com

~ Alex Montt
Flowers BloomHope.com

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

God Bless. Happy New Year to one and all. 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.

2025 GeometricJanuary Squaring: 01/03

Finding Geometric Patterns in ordinary objects is easy to do if you’re observant. Here is my entry for Becky’s GeometricJanuary for day three …

Geometric shapes
in, on, and around
a golf ball in the sand.

Becky’s GeometricJanuary-2025.01.03

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Stay Strong. Take Care of Yourself. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Thursday Trios: January 2

Rabbits in Garden

It takes Three
to Watch
over the Garden

Carol’s Thursday Trios-01/01/2025

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Side Garden; Cramer Memorial United Methodist Church; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. May your blessings abound throughout this New Year. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Thursday Doors: January 2

GeometricJanuary

NC Transportation Museum

Be Careful
The Back Shop
The Back Shop
North Carolina Transportation Museum

The Back Shop is the largest building on the grounds of the North Carolina Transportation Museum. When it was constructed in 1905 for Spencer Shops, it was the largest industrial building in the state. It was used for the complete overhaul of steam locomotives. The North Carolina Transportation Museum is located in Spencer, North Carolina. It is a great place to visit for “Kids” of all ages. Coleman enjoyed it when he was only two.

Dan’s Thursday Doors

Becky’s GeometricJanuary

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️2021 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: The Back Shop; North Carolina Transportation Museum; Spencer, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. I’m Grateful for the friendships I’ve made through the various blogging challenges on WordPress. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Wordless Wednesday: January 1

Leaves Hanging On

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment

Location: Riverside Park and Greenway on Route to the Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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