2024 Monday Portrait: 06.03

Bos taurus indicus

Zebu

The Zebu (Bos indicus or Bos taurus indicus), sometimes known in the plural as indicine cattle, Camel cow or humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of domestic cattle originating in South Asia.

Zebu cattle are well known for being resistant to really high temperatures with high humidity concentrations (like we have here in the Carolinas.) They also have a greater resistance to parasites such as ticks, and have maternal behavior that allows them to take care of their offspring from possible predators, however, they are also docile if they are frequently handled.

Brahman are a breed of Zebu. This breed of Zebu is developed in the United States from cattle imported from India and Brazil. There are two distinct types of Brahman cattle; the Red Brahman and the Grey Brahman.

Monday Portrait

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

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

2024 OWS: 06.02 — Three

Up, Up, Up and Away

Skyride to Oz …

At Land of Oz

In Beech Mountain, North Carolina

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Three

Thursday Trios

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Land of Oz; Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA

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

Stunning Views From Atop Stone Mountain

Further Adventures @Stone Mountain

As I continue to look back on time through the digitization process of my dad’s old slides I am reminded and am amazed by the wonderful world we live in and the freedom we have to create/recreate and share our experiences, our memories with others.

The slideshow is a digital representation of our adventures visiting Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. We, my family and extended family all came together to share togetherness while enjoying ourselves at Stone Mountain. My immediate family drove out from California, my paternal grandfather, from South Carolina, joined my dad’s sister and her family from North Carolina to visit the most popular attraction in Georgia, Stone Mountain Park.

We rode the Skyride to the top of Stone Mountain and the views were amazing. We could see the surrounding landscape, the parking lot, the other attractions in the park, blue waters of the lake & the pond, and the blue skies above. The most amazing part is that we were able to see the wondrous views together as a family.

Debbie’s Six Words Saturday

Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge-Blue

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Atop Stone Mountain; Stone Mountain Park; Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA

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

2024 Weekend Sky: 06.02

Rolling in the Clouds

As seen near Houston …

… In the Big State

… Of Texas

Hammad’s Weekend Sky #128

Photo Credit: ©️2024 Jim Elder … All Rights Reserved.

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

2024 RDP: Saturday – Boat

From Dock to Shining Sea

Docked Boats
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA Throwback Photo
Sailboat
In the Caribbean Sea
off the Coast of
Cozumel, Mexico
February 2020 iPhone 11 Pro Max
Boating on Lake Wylie
Taken from
McDowell Nature Preserve

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
July 2020 iPhone 11 Pro Max

RDP Saturday-Boat

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

2024 Weekend FOTD: June 1/2

Zephyranthes atamasca

Rain lily, Atamasco lily, Zephyranthes atamasca, is a native Southeastern member of the regular “old” amaryllis family.

Rain Lilies

These were taken at Landsford Canal State Park while hiking the Canal Trail. The Canal Trail is an easy 1.5 mile hiking trail that runs alongside the Catawba River.

Weekend FOTD

Sunny Sunday

Silent Sunday

John’s Cellpic Sunday

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 21

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge 

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

Camera: iPhone 13 Pro Telephoto lens.

Location: Canal Trail; Landsford Canal State Park; Catawba, South Carolina, USA

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

2024 Last on the Card: May

On my Canon EOS Rebel T3i:

White Sultan Chicken
Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

From my iPhone 14 Pro Max:

Coleman

Last on the Card

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

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

Sitting in the Land of Oz

Scarecrow
Land of Oz
Museum Display
Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA

The Land of Oz theme park based on Frank Baum’s Land of Oz books originally opened in 1970. In 1975 the Carolina Caribbean Corporation, the company who developed Beech Mountain into a tourist destination and built Oz goes bankrupt due to failed investments. The park had closed and after construction of the Emerald City it reopened in 1976 and later closed once again in 1980. The theme park was closed afterwards for many years. Oz then laid abandoned, succumbing to the harsh weather conditions and vandals.

The Land of Oz is a park in North Carolina dedicated to the iconic film Wizard of Oz. It’s a walk-through attraction that was once closed and now opens for the special Autumn of Oz event in the fall each year. The Autumn of Oz festival is currently held in September and the Land of Oz is only open for three weekends a year.

Pull Up A Seat Photo Challenge Week 22

Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Land of Oz theme park; Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 CWWC: 05.31 ———Any Way You Choose

At Stone Mountain Park

We begin our journey in n July of 1972, having made it from California to Georgia we stop for a bit of fun. We were glad to pull into the park and finally be able to get out of the car and stretch our legs. After traveling cross country for days we were more than ready to enjoy some fun and excitement.

Driving into Stone Mountain Park
in Stone Mountain, Georgia

We enjoyed a time of Sun, Sand. and Water Fun relaxing on the beach.

Sun, Sand. and Water Fun

Next, we moved forward to wait our turn for a ride on one of the Paddle-boats. The paddle-boats are large Riverboats which give tourists and guests a thirty minute ride out on Stone Mountain Park Lake. [From what I have discovered, the Riverboats no longer operate on Stone Mountain Park Lake.]

Riverboat Marina Complex
Area to wait for a
Riverboat Cruise
🚢 ride.

Moving forward out into the lake aboard the Scarlet O’Hara, we had an opportunity to see a uniquely captivating side of the park. The Scarlet O’Hara was one of two (2) paddle boats in the Stone Mountain Fleet that once cruised the lake delighting guests with the beautiful scenic views. It was a side wheeler which could carry up to One Hundred Fifty (150) passengers on board.

Scarlet O’Hara

The Henry W. Grady was the name of the other Stone Mountain paddle boat. It was designed to carry approximately three hundred (300) passengers. Its sole purpose was to be used for private party charters.

The Riverboats departed the Riverboat Marina Complex approximately every half hour moving forward into the lake giving guests a chance to enjoy the waterways, and the beauty surrounding Stone Mountain. The short cruise lasted about twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes. While out on the lake on one of the paddle-boats you might have noticed the sunken remains of the very first riverboat, the Robert E. Lee, seen at the bottom of the lake.

Cee’s Which Way Challenge-2024.05.31

Becky’s Squares-Renew/Moving Forward/Reconstruct

Throwback Thursday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #222

Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved. 

Location: Stone Mountain Park Lake; Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in our memories of cruising on a Riverboat. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 SYW: Week of 05.20

Share Your World

Here are this week’s questions:

1.  Do you have a favourite movie you never tire of watching?

There are several movies I enjoy watching over and over again. At Christmas time, my favourite movie to watch is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Other movies would include “Joyful Noise,” “Holiday for Heroes,” “Back to the Future,” and “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.”


2.  Do you have a favourite song or special song as a couple?

When I was a part of a couple, we never had a favourite song. Looking back one of my all time favourite songs is “Amazing Grace.”


3.  How do you relax in the evenings?

In the evenings, I always read before going to sleep. It helps to take my mind off the mundane ordinary stuff or any troubles that occur throughout the day.


4.  Do you celebrate special birthdays or anniversaries?

Birthdays used to be celebrated with a special dinner, but lately not so much with everyone working and schedules not in alignment.

Gratitude:

Share Your World:05.20

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

2024 Monochrome Madness #9: 05.28 — Stone/s

A Tale of Two Stones

Stone Mountain State Park (NC)

Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain State Park
Roaring Gap, North Carolina

Stone Mountain State Park is located in Alleghany and Wilkes counties 60 miles northwest of Winston-Salem. Within the Park lies a 600-foot granite dome which has been designated as a National Natural Landmark, and the historic Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mid-19th-century farm situated at the mountain base.

Lower Falls
Stone Mountain State Park
Roaring Gap, North Carolina

Stone Mountain State Park offers nearly all types of outdoor activity to experience a high country landscape adorned with beautiful waterfalls, winding creeks, and bountiful trout streams. A portion of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail runs through the park near the backcountry campsites. 

Stone Mountain Park (GA)

At the bottom of the trail leading up to the mountain is an American flag and four Confederate flags for all to see.

Stone Mountain Park is Georgia’s most visited attraction. Its more than three thousand two hundred (3,200) makes the park a unique destination for guests and families to experience and enjoy an exciting variety of attractions, entertainment, and recreational activities.

At the center of the park is the largest confederate symbol in the country: a nine story etched carving of Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, and Robert E. Lee. 

Stone Mountain in Georgia is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock ( an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain) and is the location of Stone Mountain Park. It is located approximately sixteen (16) miles east of Atlanta, Georgia. The Park is owned by the state of Georgia. It is most famous for its artwork on the north face. An enormous relief sculpture carved on the stone itself depicting Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson, three (3) of the Confederate Leaders.

In comparing the two Stone Mountains one can realize that Stone Mountain, Georgia is larger and is not engaged in a series of ridges like its cousin in North Carolina. The one in Georgia is bordered by an actual city named Stone Mountain. It is also a fully developed park with a wide range of attractions to enjoy. The North Carolina Stone Mountain is a more traditional state park, with limited hours and access. Both Stone Mountains have a variety of hiking trails. The Georgia one has a Summit Skyride for easier access to the top. In North Carolina one would hike the Stone Mountain Loop Trail to access an area with breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I visited Stone Mountain Park in Georgia with my family and extended family during the summer of 1972. I do not recall everything we did at the park, however, viewing & reconstructing my dad’s old slides does help to enable some of those memories. In October of 2017, my eldest son & I visited Stone Mountain State Park in Roaring Gap, North Carolina. One of his wishes that year was to drive the majority of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stone Mountain State Park was just one of many places we visited on that trip.

Please I encourage everyone to be polite and I desire no controversy over this post or regarding Stone Mountain Park itself.

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #9-Stone/s

Becky’s #SquareRenew-Reconstruct

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit: 1-2) ©️2017 Deb L. Waters; 3-4) ©️1972 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Thank you for visiting the two (2) Stone Mountains with me. Thank you for joining me in viewing my memories of my dad’s reconstructed slides of our visit to Georgia. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Floral Friday #21: 05.31 — Colouring Flowers

Coloured by Trisha Wilson
Via Happy Color App

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

God Bless. Embrace joy, Seek out Light, and always Seek out the Sunlight in your life. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

Moving Forward In & Around …

Murrells Inlet

In the Car … On the Road Again driving from Charlotte, North Carolina to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina for some Deep Sea Fishing.

At Murrells Inlet … Let’s Keep Moving Forward to See What We Can See.

The Marshes of Murrells Inlet …

Moving Forward on a Fishing 🎣 Expedition …

Moving Forward Along the Fishing 🎣 Pier …

South Wind is Moving Forward towards the Dock …

Fishermen waiting
for the South Wind
to Pull Up to the
Alex Marina Dock.

Alex Marina

Boy holding Fish he caught

Moving Forward into the Gulf Stream for some Deep Sea Fishing

The South Wind pulls alongside the pier … excited fishermen watching “patiently” for their turn to go out on the boat.

Young Fisherman with his catch

This was a trip my dad made with my paternal uncle (my dad’s sister’s husband.) Not sure if anyone else went along or not, I do not recall. My dad & Shorty ( my uncle) decided to go deep sea fishing 🎣 and drove the three (3) hours to Murrells Inlet to go out on a charter fishing boat for the day.

Captain Alex’s Marina once stood along the creek front of Murrells Inlet and was first established in the early 1950’s. Murrells Inlet is a fantastic destination just thirty (30) short miles south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It is considered to be the “seafood capital of South Carolina.”

The land around Murrells Inlet has an historical record of human settlement that goes back thousands of years, before written history. The history includes English colonial settlements and plantations which raised various crops from indigo to rice. An interesting note is that the fishing village of Murrells Inlet was once the lair of the infamous pirate Blackbeard. Today, it’s an outdoorsman’s dream.

A tribute to Captain Alex who ran The Alex Marina and took many on tours or fishing excursions in Murrells Inlet and other areas can be read by clicking here.

Becky’s Squares-Moving Forward

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #221

Throwback Thursday

Ludwig’s Monday Window

Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Alex Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for Moving Forward with us as I continue to Reconstruct my dad’s slides and the memories of his adventures. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 SYW: Week of 05.06

Share Your World


Here are this week’s questions:

1.  Have you ever roller skated?

I have roller skated, but not for a very long time. The last time I roller skated in a skating rink was when my children were little and I injured my wrist. When I was growing up we used to skate on our sidewalk with “shoe-skates” which you fastened onto your shoes. The metal sidewalk roller skates strapped onto your shoes needed a skate key to adjust them to fit your feet.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, roller skates typically had a design that included metal wheels and a boot made of leather or canvas. The wheels were attached to the boot with a metal frame. The skate keys were used to adjust and secure the skates to the wearer’s shoes. 

The skate keys were typically T-shaped tools with a small socket or prong at the end. The skate keys were used to adjust the tightness of the skates by turning screws or bolts located on the skate frame. These screws or bolts were often located at the front and back of the skate frame.

To adjust the skates, the skate key would be inserted into the appropriate hole on the skate frame, and then turned clockwise or counterclockwise to tighten or loosen the screws or bolts. This allowed the wearer to customize the fit of the skates to their feet. 

In addition to adjusting the tightness of the skates, the skate key was also used to remove or replace the wheels on the skates. By inserting the skate key into the wheel axle and turning it, the wearer could remove the wheels for maintenance or replacement.


2.  Have you ever ridden a horse (or donkey)?

I have ridden a horse, but not since we lived in Arkansas in the early 1990’s. Coleman, my grandson has ridden a horse when he was three. It’s about time to arrange for him to ride a horse again.


3.  What was your favourite ride at a fun fair?

I actually do not remember riding any rides at a fair. We usually looked at all the exhibits and listened to the musical performances.


4.  Choice of fun fair prizes:
coconut, cuddly toy, £10/$10 cash prize.

No games, no prizes.

Gratitude:

Share Your World

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

Birds of the Carolinas #8

Great Cormorant

The Great Cormorant are most likely to nest in colonies near wetlands, rivers, and sheltered inshore waters. It builds its nest, which is made from sticks, in trees, on the ledges of cliffs, and on the ground on rocky islands that are free of predators.

Great Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax carbo)

The Great Cormorant feeds on fish it dives to capture. It primarily feeds on are wrasses, but will also feast on sand smelt, flathead and common soles. Cormorants consume all fish of appropriate size that they are able to catch in summer and noticeably select for larger, mostly torpedo-shaped fish in winter.

Great Cormorant
Lake Haigler
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

The Great Cormorants were once near extinction due to fishermen hunting them. The fishermen saw them as competition. With terrific conservation efforts, their numbers increased once again.

Even though it is still illegal, in many areas, to kill a bird within a license some are in danger anyway. Fisheries claim that the Cormorants are eating the fish they have in their fish farms. Some licenses are used to reduce and/or control the cormorant population for the purpose of reducing its predation. Cormorant fishing is practiced in China, Japan, and in other areas around the globe. In Norway, the Cormorant is cones traditional game bird. However, in Northern Norway Cormorants are seen as semi-sacred. They are often regarded as good luck for them to gather around or near a village or settlement.

The Great Cormorants are spotted periodically at Lake Haigler in the Greenway. They are amazing to watch and sometimes you can see them diving for their feed. Other times you see them perched on a log or branch in the water or flying off around the lake.

Birds of the Carolinas 

Bird of the Week: LXVI

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

Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max

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

God Bless. May all your hopes, dreams, and prayers be fulfilled. Take care of yourselves and have a fantastic rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 FOTD: 05.29

Calopogon tuberosus

Simpson’s grass pink and it is in the Orchid family (Orchidaceae) grasspink (Calopogon tuberosus var. simpsonii).

The genus name “Calopogon” is Greek and means “beautiful beard.” It refers to the hairlike structures on the upper petal. It has a bulb-like corm that resembles a tuber, hence the name “tuberosus.” The slender grass-like leaves give rise to the name “grass pink.” It is a stunning wildflower.

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Becky’s #SquareRenew

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 time to renew your body, mind, and spirit. Like the Garden we also need to renew ourselves to further our growth. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Words for Thought #20

Think About It Tuesday

Becky’s #SquaresRenew

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Photo Credit: ©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm

Location: Alex Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA

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

Numbers Game #23 — 144

Day Trippin’ with Coleman …

… At the YMCA

… At the Schiele Museum of Natural History

… At Anne Springs Close Greenway

Be sure to click on each photo for a larger view. Have a fabulous day!

Judy’s Numbers Game #23-144

Photo Credit:©️2022-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm, Canon EF-S55-250mm, and Canon EF 75-300mm lenses.

Locations: 1)Warlick Family YMCA; 2-5) The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina; 6-11) Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort South Carolina, USA

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

2024 Macro Monday: 05.27

Fried Egg”

Matilija poppy
(Romneya coulteri)
Aka the fried egg poppy

Macro Monday 

Becky’s #SquareRenew

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

2024 LAPC: Floral #2

Signs of Respect

Flowers are given or sent to funeral homes, services, and placed on graves as a sign of sympathy and respect. Have you ever considered why flowers are given? Who are the flowers are meant for? They are not for the deceased, but in a way they are.

So why do we send them? Why do we bring them to the graves of those we love and care deeply about?

Funeral Flowers are intended as a way to show our respect to the deceased. Sympathy Flowers go home with the family of the deceased. Flowers are for the survivors/surviving family members to know their deceased was loved and cared for as well as a sign of respect for the deceased.

[I remember the flowers in the upper right came back to my brother’s home after my mom’s service. He turned around and sent them home with my mom’s sister. I do not recall what happened to the rest of the flowers.]

Sending Flowers to a funeral is a means towards an expression of love, comfort, sympathy, and respect. The purpose of floral arrangements at a funeral are intended to honor the deceased, and show sympathy to the family. The flowers enable the mourners to feel like the deceased was cared for by many people close to them. 

The placing of Cemetery Flowers or other objects on a grave marker or headstone is a way of paying your respects to the deceased. The flowers on a grave can show recognition of sacrifice of a deceased Veteran or admiration for a lost friend or family member. People have been leaving flowers on gravesites for thousands of years. In Ancient Rome they were used to create a comforting environment for the deceased spirit to wander around the grave.

I often bring flowers with me when I visit the graves of my family members and even place them on my grandparents & great grandparents graves when I visit the cemeteries. I try to honor the fallen soldiers by contributing to Wreaths Across America; an organization which places wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers and deceased veterans.

Lens-Artists Challenge #301-Floral

Ragtag Daily Prompt-Survivor

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

LAPC: Floral #1

Poppies

One day a year we stop and pause to remember our fallen soldiers. Poppies spring up this time of year and are a tremendously beautiful sight.

Eschscholzia californica, the California poppy, golden poppy, California sunlight or cup of gold is California’s official State Flower. California Poppy Fields are burgeoning with beautiful blooming Poppies and are attracting many visitors.

However, It is the Red Poppy which is a significant symbol of remembrance. Red poppy flowers represent consolation, remembrance and death. The Red Poppy, often considered the Remembrance Poppy, is one of the world’s most recognized memorial symbols for fallen soldiers. It has been a remembrance symbol since the end of World War I. The Red Poppy is worn by millions of people Worldwide to commemorate Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. Here in the United States of America it is also worn on Memorial Day.

Today is the day the United States is observing Memorial Day. It was not always observed on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was first designated to be held on the 30th of May in 1868.

Image by Stand for Israel

Even though I have not known a soldier who lost his/her life on the battlefield during a war, I still keep the Faith. I have many friends and loved ones who during the course of war lost a little piece of themselves. Those friends and family members never forgot their friends and comrades who lost their lives during the wars they were fighting in. Let us all Keep the Faith and Never Forget those soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

“We shall keep the faith

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet — to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valour led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honour of our dead.
Fear not that we have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that we wrought
In Flanders Fields”

Moina Michael (1918)

Lens-Artists Challenge #301-Floral

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Becky’s Squares-Renew/Burgeoning

Weekend Writing Prompt #365 – Pause

 Weekly Prompts- One day, hosted by Sue W and GC

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

2024 Monday Portrait: 05.27

Holstein cow

Monday Portrait

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

Monochrome Monday Madness in Flowers

Canna indica,
AKA Indian shot
Caltha palustris 
AKA Ranunculaceae, Kingcup
Chester Thornless Blackberry 
Rubus ‘Chester’

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Monochrome Monday

Becky’s #SquareRenew

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

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

Moving Forward — Wanna Race?

And they’re off …

Hey, What’s that Mini Kart doing on the track?

Look at them Go …

Number 1 is about to Catch Up

Watching Races at the Cajon Speedway was one of my dad’s favourite things to do on a weekend. It is not something he was able to enjoy that often, but he was thrilled whenever the possibility occurred. When he wasn’t able to go to the Speedway, he would watch NASCAR or the Indy 500 when he could get control of the TV away from my mom. My dad would have been 95 this week. He’s been gone now for 28 years, however, I still miss him.

Becky’s Squares -Renew/Moving Forward/Reconstruct

Ludwig’s Monday Window

Photo Credit:©️1970 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Cajon Speedway; El Cajon, California, USA September 1970

God Bless. Thank you for watching the races with us. The Cajon Speedway races don’t compare to the Coca Cola 600 which many people watched this weekend, but for El Cajon and San Diego County it was an amazing pastime. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Weekend Sky: 05.25/6

Fluffy “Cottonball” Clouds

Hammad’s Weekend Sky #128

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

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2024 OWS: Playing Around the Hedge

Original
Vintage plus a little splash , a little blur …
Playing with Monochrome Aspects
Watercolor Effect
Sakura Effect
Holiday Spirit Effect

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Hedge

One to Three Photo Processing Challenge-May 2024

Becky’s Squares-Reconstructed (Processing)

Cee’s FOTD

John’s Cellpic Sunday

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

Camera: Apple iPhone XR Rear Camera

Location: Glencairn Garden; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA

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

2024 Weekend FOTD: Silently Burgeoning

Mountain laurels
(Kalmia latifolia)

Cee’s Weekend FOTD-2024.05.25/26

Silent Sunday

Becky’s Squares-Renew/Burgeoning

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

2024 CWWC: May —- Which Way

Around the Grand Canyon

For Cee’s Which Way Challenge this week I’m taking y’all on a hiking adventure back in time to Nineteen Seventy-One (1971). This adventure was a part of a church youth group outing to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It started off as approximately an 8 hour and 35-minute drive traveling by bus for five hundred sixty-nine miles (569) east northeast loaded with enthusiastic teenagers. [Bus ride not pictured.]

Our first stop at the Grand Canyon was the South Rim where we happened upon the Trans-Canyon Waterline. The South Rim water is pumped up 3200 feet from springs at Indian Gardens, but flow is inadequate for today’s needs (the thoughts in 1971.) Thus the Trans-Canyon Waterline was constructed beginning in 1965 and took until 1970 to complete.

This waterline stretches from the current water intake at Roaring Springs on the north side of the canyon, down to Phantom Ranch, and back up to Indian Garden through extremely rugged terrain accessible only by trail or helicopter. It carries about 190 million gallons of drinking water to over 5,000,000 visitors and 2,500 residents at the Inner Canyon Corridor and South Rim developed area.

Besides the view of the signage, we could see the pipeline which transports the water up to the South Rim and have a terrific view of the Bright Angel Trail. The Bright Angel Trail is the trail which led us to the bottom of the Canyon and the Silver Bridge.

Before we started hiking on the trail we stopped at Hermits Rest to enjoy some spectacular views. Hermits Rest is an iconic and historic stop, at the conclusion of Hermit Road, and the Canyon Rim Trail. It also serves as the gateway to magnificent backcountry hiking trails that originate from the Hermit Trail, a steeply winding path into the canyon that begins 0.25 miles (0.4 km) west of this distinctive building.

Now that we’ve had an overlook of where we are going to be hiking, let’s Move Onward and Forward along the trail. We have a long way to go ahead of us before we’ll reach the bottom of the Grand Canyon and Phantom Ranch.

Once we reach the bottom we had to cross the Silver Bridge to reach our destination. The Silver Bridge is a 500 feet long steel suspension bridge spanning a green river with canyon slopes and cliffs on the opposite side. The Silver Bridge, is located a short distance downstream from the Black Bridge. Both the Silver Bridge and the Black Bridge serve as critical transportation links between the South and North rims at Grand Canyon National Park.

When you visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon don’t forget to stop at Yavapai Point to see some fabulous views. Make sure you have your camera (or at least your smartphone) with you to capture the beautiful scenic views.

Cee’s Which Way Challenge-2024.05.23

Photo Credit:©️1971 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Location: South Rim; Hermits Rest; Silver Bridge; Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing in our memories of hiking the Grand Canyon. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Pull Up a Seat: 2024 Week 21

Zion National Park

In Monochrome

Pull Up a Seat … On the Ground

Resting up before the big hike climbing to the top, the Summit of Lost Peak.

Pull Up a Seat

on the Summit of Lost Peak

Wow, we made it the Summit. It took all our energy and determination, but we did it. Look at the views, they are so amazingly beautiful. It was worth the strenuous hike to see the spectacular view.

Pull Up A Seat Photo Challenge – Week 21

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Becky’s #SquareRenew-Moving Forward

Photo Credit:©️1971 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Zion National Park; near Springdale, Utah, USA

God Bless. Thank you for Moving Forward hiking up to the Summit of Lost Peak with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

A Lovely Day at Lake Haigler

Lake Haigler
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge-2024 Week 20

Six Word Saturday 

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #221

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

Remembering My Dad —- 05.24

Happy Birthday Dad!

Nornal Hule Waters

May 24, 1929 – December 31, 1996

Remembering my dad through the years (in no particular order), the closeness we had, the good times we enjoyed, the one on one time we spent together, and wishing he good have watched my children grow into adulthood and met my grandchildren. I miss him still to this day. Happy Birthday in Heaven Dad!

God Bless. Have a terrific day. Thinking of y’all. Speedy recovery Cee! Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

Don’t Be Greedy Goats — Share With Me …

Billy” Goats Three

Staring at Me? No Need …
To Strain Yourselves

Just You Wait …
I’m Coming Closer …
I Want Some Too

Goats can be interesting creatures to watch, the antics they display anticipating and desiring attention from their caretakers as well as visitors to the Greenway. These goats are domesticated and will often calmly approach people. So don’t be afraid when they come close, lean toward you, or even nibble or lick your hand. Goats are very intelligent and curious animals. You, standing outside their area, entices their curiosity so they just want to explore and investigate your unfamiliarity. It is okay to show them affection, they thrive on the attention.

Mama Cormier’s Thursday Trios

Becky’s #SquareRenew

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

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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

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

2024 Floral Friday: Colouring Flowers #20

Colored by Me
Via Zen Color App

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

God Bless. Embrace joy, Seek out Light, and always Seek out the Sunlight in your life. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.

Birds of the Carolinas #7

Tufted Titmouse

Baeolophus bicolor

This week we are taking a look at the Tufted Titmouse which are common birds of South Carolina. The Tufted Titmouse have a white front with small silver-grey crests on their tops.

Tufted Titmouse
Lancaster County, South Carolina

The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a small songbird from North America which is a species in the Tit and Chickadee family. Its habitat is primarily deciduous and mixed woods. [When these shots were taken we lived in Lancaster County surrounded by Pine Trees and various other trees as well. I (at that time) maintained bird feeders hung in trees in our front yard. It was lovely to watch the variety of birds that would pay our feeders a visit.)

The Tufted Titmouse was once considered non-migratory and native to Ohio and Mississippi River Basins, however, bird feeders and other factors have caused these birds to occupy a larger territory across the United States and stretching into Ontario and Quebec in Canada.

They tend to gather food from the ground and from tree branches. They also enjoyed visiting our bird feeders to gather food. They enjoy a mixture of several varieties of berries, nuts, seeds, small fruits, insects, and other invertebrates. I often purchased bird feed/seed that was geared towards songbirds which contained berries, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

Birds of the Carolinas 

Bird of the Week 2024-65

Becky’s #SquareRenewal

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

Location: Lancaster, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. May all your hopes, dreams, and prayers be fulfilled. Take care of yourselves and have a fantastic rest of your week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 RDP: Quilt

Barn Quilts & Such

Amish Country
Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio

Did you know that Barn Quilt Trails are located in 43 states of the United States of America and Canada has 3? Barn Quilts are believed to have originated in Pennsylvania almost 300 years ago when Europeans immigrated to America.

Have you ever wondered what a Barn Quilt is or their significance? A Barn Quilt is a large piece of wood painted to look like a quilt block and hung on the exterior of a barn, house, garage or other building. During the Revolutionary War, “Barn Quilts” were used to show American forces that an area was safe, secure, and supplies were available. Barn Quilts are a popular form of Americana folk art. They help to preserve the country’s quilting tradition and the regional heritage of various communities.

Barn Quilt Trails

The first Barn Quilt Trail was started by Donna Sue Groves.  She came up with the idea while working for the Ohio Arts Council in the 1990s.  Donna Sue shared her story in “Following the Barn Quilt Trail.” Soon barn quilts spread to other states, becoming driving tours, drawing in tourists and bringing the Appalachian way of life to the forefront. The Barn Quilts in the slideshow are located in the Ohio Barn Quilt Trails and the Appalachian Quilt Trail.

My Favorite Quilt

Even though this Quilt is not a Barn Quilt, it is extremely special to me. It was made by maternal grandmother with remnants of fabric used to make uniforms for me when I worked as a nursing assistant after high school. She lovingly made it with love to fit my bed. It was sewn on an old fashioned black Singer Sewing Machine to make each quilt top. She used colorful yarn to hand quilt and tie-off the quilt.

Ragtag Daily Prompt-Quilt! 

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

2024 CMMC: May —Alphabet a D anywhere in the word

Visiting “D” Places From

California to North Carolina

Movieland Doors
Movieland Wax Museum
Buena Park, California
in May 1966
Moving Forward on
TWEETSIE RAILROAD
Boone, North Carolina

in July 1969
It’s a Small World
Disneyland
Anaheim, California

in June 1970
Hopi House
Pueblo Indian Dwelling
Grand Canyon, Arizona

in January 1971
View from Angels Landing
Angels Landing Trail
Zion National Park, Utah

in August 1971

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge-May Alphabet a D anywhere in the word

Becky’s Square Renew-Moving Forward

Dan’s Thursday Doors

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️1966-1971 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Digital Conversion of my dad’s slides were done using Wolverine’s Digital Converter.

God Bless. Thank you for traveling back in time across America with us. We had fun moving forward with memories reconstructing my dad’s old slides to share and preserve. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 CFFC: Alleys, Driveways, Parking Lots, Dirt Roads

For Cee’s CFFC this week I have dug Theo my archives and chose what I hope y’all will enjoy. Sorry, I don’t have any alleys, but I do have Driveways, Parking Lots, and as always Dirt Roads.

Driveways

Driveway of
Gastonia Fire Station #4
Gastonia, North Carolina
Driveway of Waters home
S. Meadowbrook Drive
San Diego, California

Parking Lots

Parking Lot
Rankin Lake Park
Gastonia, North Carolina
Parking Lot
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte, North Carolina
Parking Lot
Consolidated Aircraft Corporation
San Diego, California

Dirt Roads

Persimmon Trail
Carolina Thread Trail
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Belmont, North Carolina
Dirt “Road”
Persimmon Trail
Carolina Thread Trail
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Belmont, North Carolina

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge-Alleys, Driveways, Parking Lots, Dirt Roads

Photo Credit:2)©️Nornal H. Waters (my dad); 4) ©️Trisha L. Wilson (my daughter); 5) Post Card from Harvey M. Watson (my maternal grandfather); All others ©️2017-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved

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

2024 CosPhoChal: Waterways

Scenic Views of the Pacific Ocean

Walking along the Coronado Beach is a fun, relaxing afternoon pleasure filled with delight and beautiful scenery. The slideshow shows the walkways leading up to the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific Ocean itself, and various interesting sights near and in the water. The USS Midway Museum and, the “Unconditional Surrender” a 25-foot sculpture on San Diego’s embarcadero in downtown are just two of the interesting and impressive examples of the amazing sights that can be seen in beautiful Sunny San Diego.

Cosmic Photo Challenge-Waterways

Photo Credit:©️Amanda Waters Beagles (my niece) … All Rights Reserved.

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

2024 Wordless Wednesday: 05.22

Lathyrus odoratus

Sweet Pea ‘Turquoise’

Sweet Pea ‘Turquoise’
Lathyrus odoratus

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Becky’s #SquareRenew

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

2024 FOTD: 05.21 —

Appalachian Ragwort 

Packera anonyma,
AKA Appalachian ragwort 

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Becky’s #SquareRenew – Burgeoning

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

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

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

Judy’s Numbers Game #22 — 143 (My #2)

Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm
Sign at Entrance
Patterson Pond
on the pathway
to the Farm Animals
Canada Goose
Swimming in
Patterson Pond
Canada Geese
Flying away
from the Pond
A Horse
by the
Greenway Stables
Spotting a Couple
of Horses
in the Pasture

It just happened by chance that all my “143” photos were taken at Anne Springs Close Greenway. My grandson and I love moving forward along the trails and pathways enjoying a relaxing time surrounded by nature and the reconstructed Children’s Farm.

Judy’s Numbers Game #22

Becky’s Square Challenge-Renew/Moving Forward/Reconstruct/Burgeoning

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

Cameras: 1-2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with 1) Canon EF75-300mm and 2) Canon EF-S18-55mm lenses; 3-6) iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Greenway Farm and Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA.

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

Words for Thought #19

Think About It Tuesday

Becky’s #SquaresRenew

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

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Patterson Pond; Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. May your day be filled abundantly with love, peace, and happiness. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 Macro Monday: 05.20

Windows to the Soul

Do you think the eyes being the windows to the soul are only for humans? Have you ever really looked into a horse’s eyes? What do you see? One can tell a lot about a horse by looking into the eyes. You can see his/her strength, calmness, his playfulness, gentleness, and/or her steadfast heartbeat.

Do you see yourself in the horse’s eyes? Does the horse see you as playful, gentle, generous, knowledgeable. and a kind calm steadfast friend?

Horses can sense the type of person you are. They can tell whether you are frustrated, stressed, or irritable. They can also tell whether you are relaxed, calm, trusting, playful, and/or friendly. Horses can sense your mood and respond accordingly.

“The eyes are the mirror
of the soul and
reflect everything
that seems to be hidden;
and like a mirror,
they also reflect the person looking into them.”


Paulo CoelhoManuscript Found in Accra

The horses my grandson, Cole, and I visit at the Greenway can sense our love for them. They respond to his friendliness and calm loving manners. Sometimes they approach much closer than we expect, knowing they will receive gentle loving attention and affection.

I see their strength, their gentleness, their trusting spirit, and their responsiveness to our hearts and our touch. I also see the reflections of the beauty surrounding them within the Greenway. I can also see the reflection of myself in their eyes.

Macro Monday

Becky’s #SquareRenew

Ludwig’s Monday Window

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

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max – Telephoto Camera.

Location: Greenway Stables; Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

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

Moving Forward on a Mine Train

Disneyland’s Mine Train

Through Nature’s Wonderland

Going back to our Disneyland adventure let’s take. Look at another attraction we rode. We are taking a look at our ride on Disneyland’s Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland.

The Disneyland Mine Train was an attraction through Nature’s Wonderland in Frontierland that ran from May 28, 1960 until January 2, 1977. It was previously called Rainbow Caverns Mine Train and later became Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Nature’s Wonderland Railroad

The Mine Train rode past the mining town of Rainbow Ridge where you could observe what a mining town would have looked like with a hardware store, the El Dorado Hotel. It allowed you to feel like you were in the old west. The train would take you through a tunnel and into Beaver Valley, where you could witness beavers at work chomping their wood, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, foxes and other forest animals.

After Beaver Valley the train moved forward going across a bridge by Cascade Peak, where you could feel the mist coming from the waterfall on your skin. At this point you could see jumping fish, mountain goats, and swimming bears.

The narrator would announce where you were coming to and what you would see at each destination. From Beaver Valley the train moved forward into Bear Country where you could see 2 large elk with their antlers intertwined, fighting each other.

From there the Mine Train would continue moving forward taking you in a circular shape around the Living Desert, with the other half being a forest filled with desert cottontails, rattlesnakes, waterholes, tortoises, badgers, and armadillos. The displays made everything seem so realistic and lifelike.

The last portion of the ride took you through Rainbow Caverns. In the Caverns you could see giant stalagmites, stalactites, and colorful falls on every side.And if you looked real carefully, you’d see geyser grotto, and the witch’s cauldron.

Thanks for climbing aboard and joining us for our ride on Disneyland’s Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland adventure.

Ludwig’s Monday Window

Becky’s #SquareRenew – Moving Forward

Pull up a Seat-Week 20

Photo Credit: ©️1965 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Frontierland; Disneyland; Anaheim, California, USA

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

2024 Monday Portrait: 05.20

Close Up with an Alpaca

You wanna See Me?
Here I Am.
Do you Like What you See?
Monochrome Close-Up

This is one of several Alpacas 🦙 in the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm. As you might can tell, he is not afraid of getting close to visitors. He would welcome your visit if you were ever in his neighborhood.

Monday Portrait

Monochrome Monday

John’s Cellpic Sunday

Becky’s #SquareRenew

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

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