We managed to have a beautiful clear day yesterday (almost), so Coleman and I rode the bus to the Y for some fresh air and a bit of hiking.
All aboard, we’re on our way.
Before we begin our hike, it’s Coleman swing time. If we waited till later the school kids would have taken over and he couldn’t have been able to play.
Cameras: iPhone 14 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens with Altura UV & NP filter and also Altura Wide-Angle Fisheye attachments.
Location: Gaston County Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Our Beautiful Earth. Thank you for traversing the trail with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Red-headed Woodpeckers have an entirely red head, and their belly is white and unstreaked. It is a mid-sized woodpecker found in temperate North America. Its breeding habitat is open across southern Canada and the east-central United States. One should not confuse the red-headed woodpecker with the red-bellied woodpecker. Even though they are similar in size, the red-bellied woodpecker is named for the pale reddish blush of its lower belly and has a distinct patterned black and white back whereas the red-headed woodpecker has the solid black back and a vibrant orange-red crown and nape. These Red-headed woodpeckers were spotted at the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
My father, Nornal Hule Waters (often spelled Norman in military paperwork.) joined the U. S. Navy on September 24, 1948. He enlisted in South Carolina and had his training in San Diego, California. He attended the U.S. Naval Hospital Corps School and is listed as graduating from the School on July 4, 1950. These photos were scanned from his graduation ceremony program. [My dad saved everything.]
Close-up of the U. S. Naval Hospital U. S. Naval Hospital and Hospital Corps School Taken from the Program U. S. Naval Hospital and Hospital Corps School San Diego, California
Whoever said ROCKS needed to be shared for What Rocks Your World? Hey there everyone, I gotta to be one that’s different … willing to Rock the boat (per se.)
Yes, I could do a whole post about Rocks and places of Rocks, however, why should I ? Especially when What Rocks My World isn’t a What but a Who.
Clare @ Clare’s Cosmos invites us each month to share our desktops on the 15th of each month. Can you believe it the month of April is half over already? Here it is time once again to join Share Your Desktop. I like to share my wallpaper for my iPhone as well as for my Laptop. For my iPhone I use different wallpaper’s for the different focuses I use; personal, hiking, and reading.
Colo was born in captivity at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and lived at the Zoo for her entire life. At the time of her death in 2017, she was the oldest known gorilla in the world living in captivity. She lived to the age of 60 years and 26 days.
She was named Colo after the Columbus Zoo.She was rejected at birth by her mother and was hand-raised by Zookeepers.
Interesting Fact:
Colo was a mother to three, a grandmother to 16, a great-grandmother to 12, and a great-great-grandmother to three.
My daughter and I visited Colo in April of 2012 when we visited cousins and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio during Easter vacation.
There are times when we look up at the sky above, the clouds seem to appear into objects we are familiar with such as birds, or airplanes, or elephants, angels or other objects. Sometimes we see nothing in them other than them being : cirrus, cumulus, and stratus, or nimbus. What do you see when you look at clouds?
This week, I’m asking you to share your day, April 1st, and what it entails.
Q1. Will you be playing tricks on someone seeing as it’s also April Fool’s Day?
April 1st this year was not only April Fool’s Day, but also Easter Monday. My daughter had to work and the day was just like any other day with me taking care of my four year old grandson, Coleman.
I did not play any tricks on anyone and was also not the recipient of any April Fool’s Day tricks.
Were you ever a victim of an April Fool’s prank?
I do not recall ever being the victim of any practical jokes or pranks on previous April Fool’s Days. Then again I could have been in my youth and just not able to bring any occurrences to memory.
Q2. Will it be a normal working day for you?
The day was a normal “working” day for my household. I watched over and took care of my grandson’s needs as I would any other normal day.
Q3. If you have children, are they of school age on Easter break, or toddlers?
My children are grown working adults and my grandson is four and not in school yet.
Gratitude:
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”
Before we head out on the road I suggest we stop and fill up the car with some good old fashioned gasoline ⛽️. I doubt you’ll find these prices nowadays though.
I Spy Something Red
I Spy Red on the Gas Station Sign
Now that we’ve filled up the car 🚘 and made sure we have everything we need, let’s get going on our adventure.
I Spy Red Street Lights
Where are we going you might ask? It doesn’t really matter as long as we have a bit of fun along the way.
I Spy Red Trail Signs
How about we pull over for a while and go on a hike. These signs might direct us on our way.
I Spy Coleman Wearing a Red Shirt
Oh Look, Stairs. Shall we go down them? What might we see when we reach the bottom? Who knows, but let’s go on down and discover what we can find.
I Spy Coleman Looking Out Over the Water at a Dam
Wasn’t that fun? Did you enjoy our little game of I Spy? I know Coleman and I had a great time together on our adventures.
Cee’s Which Way Challenge is fun to join and exciting to see everyone’s take on the challenges. No two people have the exact same perspective and I look forward to seeing y’all’s perspectives. Click Hereto link to Cee’s blog.
God Bless. Thank you for traveling with us. I truly hope you enjoyed the adventure. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Solar Eclipse as seen on Tiles Sesquicentennial State Park Columbia, South Carolina Riverbanks Zoo Columbia, South Carolina Andrew Jackson State Park Lake
Sleet on Storm Door From Cousin Marsha HayesWaterfall Linville, North CarolinaLittle Glade MillPond Blue Ridge Parkway Glade Valley, North CarolinaWaterfallsBirds in WaterIn PondIn Aquarium Turtles Throwback Photo Disneyland Anaheim, California
Good Day everyone! Welcome to my blog. The following are my entries for this week’s Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge. The challenge is asking for photos depicting the colour BLACK.
Black CowsChildren’s Blackboard Black and White Photography
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens with Altura CPL filter attachment.
Location: Lake Haigler; Lake Haigler Loop; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA.
God Bless. Enjoy your week and have a fabulous weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Good or Bad Luck? According to Norse mythology, finding a double-yolk egg is very bad luck. That bad luck is said to result in a relative’s life coming to an end very soon. ( I hope I do not receive bad luck after cracking a double-yolk egg this morning when I was fixing my breakfast.)
I would hope I would have good luck instead. In some beliefs a double-yolk egg signifies good luck, and may symbolize prosperity and abundance. It can also indicate nourishment for your journey and the strength to preserve until you reach success.
In Chinese folklore and Islam, finding a double-egg yolk is stated to denote good luck, increased finances, and good fortune coming your way.
In Christianity, double-yolk eggs can symbolize new life, rebirth, or that life is about to change. That change can be a positive change whether in gaining or losing something or someone. Losing someone or something that has been toxic for you would be a positive change. Often in life we encounter changes in our lives. Embracing change can help us remember that Christ is always there to guide and protect us.
God Bless. May your life be filled with prosperity, positivity, and happiness. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Opening Day for the Schroering Forest Playground was on March 30th. The Playground is a new addition for Anne Springs Close Greenway. Being its opening day list of families came to visit the Greenway the check out the new Playground. Children young and old alike investigated and explored the many different features and structures within the playground.
The number of people on the climbing structure varied throughout the day with the greatest impact of visitors being early in the morning and dwindling later on in the afternoon.
When Coleman and I first walked around the playground and the Climbing Structure it was intimidating with so many people in and on the various structures. Overwhelming especially for Coleman, so we chose to hike around the lake and come back later hoping for fewer children to be in the playground.
Coleman slowly getting the courage to try climbing on the Climbing Structure.
After climbing a short distance, Coleman sits down and looks around unsure of what to do next.
He eventually decides he was to get down, but was uncertain about how to go about climbing down. After watching for a little bit I realized he wanted help getting down. So we went hiking back up towards the car visiting the historic cabins, cows, and horses along the way.
Traveling across the United States off and on over the years I have seen and visited many different locations with crosses on display.
This first cross is one Coleman and I came across as we were hiking in Westminster Park. We noticed it after we parked and started hiking. We hadn’t hiked very far before we noticed it, but we didn’t stop to check it out until we completed our hike along the Catawba River. With its location being close to the parking area we chose to save it for last. You can see spectacular views standing by the cross and looking outward towards River.
Living Water Chapel at Westminster Park Rock Hill, South Carolina
This next cross is one dear to my heart. It sits beside my 2nd great grandfather’s, John Thomas Waters, gravesite. It is the Confederate Maltese Cross. These crosses are often located on the site of those who served in the Confederate Army during the United States Civil War.
Confederate Maltese Cross Memorial Brannon Family Cemetery Bethune, South Carolina
When I traveled to Texas in 2020 I came across the Discovery Center Creation Museum in Abilene. During the time I was visiting my Aunt Irene (Erma Irene Watson) I would often go out for walks about the neighborhood for exercise and to relieve my curiosity about what interesting things and places I could discover. On this particular day I discovered the Discovery Center Creation Museum. Intrigued by the sign and dinosaurs portrayed outside the building I decided to go inside and have a look around. “The Miracle of Israel” exhibit is the location for the three crosses, a representation of the Resurrection.
Discovery Center Creation Museum Explore•Discover•Believe Abilene, Texas
This last cross, the Padre Cross, is one of my favorites. Having lived in San Diego for most of my childhood I often visited El Presidio Real de San Diego. It was established on Presidio Hill on July 1, 1769.
The San Diego Presidio was built to protect the original colonist from American Indian attack and became the military headquarters for continued Spanish exploration of the interior lands, and throughout Northern California.
The San Diego Presidio is a National Historic Landmark and part of San Diego’s Presidio Park. Presidio Park enables you to walk in the footsteps of California’s early European settlers. The popular attraction is the location where Gaspar de Portola and Junipero Serra constructed the San Diego Presidio and the Mission San Diego de Alcala in 1769.
The Padre Cross also known as Serra Cross was erected in 1913 and is made up of tiles from the Presidio ruins. It is located east of Presidio Drive across from the Junípero Serra Museum.
Padre Cross Junípero Serra Museum Presidio Hill San Diego, California
As Coleman and I were hiking along Steele Creek Trail back towards the car we spotted this little Fairy Garden tucked away in the base of a tree. I have seen pictures which other hikers have taken before, however this was the first time we had ever spotted the Fairy Garden. If you weren’t looking at the surrounding landscape you could possibly miss seeing it.
Spotted along Steele Creek TrailFairy Garden Time to Swing and Relax
On this hiking adventure I parked at the Dairy Barn Entrance to the Anne Springs Close Greenway. After exiting the car we proceeded to hike along the fencing before hitting the trails. Following the fence line we were able to view the horses, some of which trotted over to our location. [More on horses later].
Our first stop along the Blue Star Trail was to take a look at the Faires/Coltharp Cabin. To our surprise and delight it was open to the public (first time we’d seen it open). So naturally, Coleman with me following went inside to see what was inside.
A Look inside the Faires/Coltharp Cabin
After leaving the cabin, we hiked further along the Blue Star Trail towards the Swinging Bridge and the Schroering Forest Playground located on the other side of the Spillway.
Blue Star Trail
When the Spillway is up and streaming with a steady flow of water, the only way to cross it is to walk across the Greenway’s Swinging Bridge. Since our destination was on the far side of the Swinging Bridge we/I slowly walked across. Coleman used to walk across it when he was younger, but now if no one else is on it he’ll run across.
Coleman crossing the Swinging Bridge
We made it safely across the Swinging Bridge, walked around the Artisan Market, ordered lunch from the Greenway’s Canteen and rested a bit before heading to the Schroering Forest Playground. We had a clear view of the Playground from where we chose to sit. This was the first official day the Playground was open. They had been working on it all fall and winter. Being its opening day, the playground was crowded with children from all age groups.
Coleman hiking the Blue Star Trail
Upon completion of our lunch we noticed there were still a lot of children on the playground. I decided to have Coleman wait to play in it until it wasn’t nearly so crowded. Therefore, we continued on with our hiking and headed down to Lake Haigler.
Blue Star Trail Almost down to Lake Haigler
We hiked along the narrow side pathway towards the lake. The straight pathway is wider and more widely traveled by the majority of visitors to the Greenway.
We hiked a short loop with great views of Lake Haigler and then hiked back up to the Playground. Coleman climbed up on the Climbing structure and wasn’t sure about what to do after climbing up a short ways and just sat down for a few minutes. [The all natural wood climbing structure seemed to puzzle Coleman. He’ll probably climb more next time we visit.]
Steele Creek Trail
After a full afternoon of hiking and Coleman playing I decided it was time to head home. Hence, we proceeded to hike back up to the car. Instead of hiking the exact same trail we hiked down, we started out hiking on the Steele Creek Trail. The Steele Creek Trail is a narrow trail that leads up towards the Graham Historical Cabin.
From the cabin we traverse back onto the Blue Star Trail. After short distance from the cabin, Coleman starts searching for the cows. Sometimes they are up close to the fence line, but on this day we really had to look for them. Searching the pasture as we hiked up the trail, two of the cows came walking towards our direction from the far end of the pasture. That made a Coleman’s day. He was then ready to go home.
Take a walk with us inside Faires/Coltharp Historic Cabin. You can see Coleman has no qualms about going through the door to check everything out. He is extremely inquisitive and loves to investigate everything he sees and comes across.