I’ve been missing Cee’s posts this week. I pray she is doing alright. This week I am again posting a Which Way My Wayshowing Which Ways in Monochrome. My grandson, Coleman and I had the privilege of hiking in our favorite Greenway on Tuesday. I only had my smartphone with me; I chose to take some of our adventures in monochrome and silvertone via my smartphone features. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
Coleman Enjoying Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
I once lived very close to Southern California beaches, but I have not lived there for many years. Pacific Beach, Mission Bay, Coronado Beach, and La Jolla Shores are some of my favourites and hold precious memories.
For years I have enjoyed the peacefulness of God near the shorelines of a couple different lakes. One of my all time favourites is the lake at Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Another lake my grandson and I have enjoyed relaxing, observing nature, having fun is Lake Haigler at the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
One last “lake” to share with y’all is one we visit and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the beautiful atmosphere is at Little Glade Millpond off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the North Carolina Mountains.
I could sit at the shore of a lake anytime anywhere. I dream of walking along the shores of the California coastline. I have fond memories of doing just that. Someday, I hope to take my grandson to see & play in the Pacific Ocean. What shoreline do you wish you could walk along everyday? Click one of the links below to join the challenge & link your own adventures along Shorelines.
I’m hoping to have some sunny sunshine anyways. We’ve been having a tremendous amount of rain and wind from the outskirts of Hurricane Debby/Tropical Storm Debby ( now Tropical Depression Debby). At least I can dream of sunshine even if we do not get it for several days yet.
For One Word Sunday this week Debbie has chosen Framed. She is not referring to placing a photo in a frame, but rather using nature to frame a scene or subject.
One-sided framing Sequoia National Park A Bit of Blur Using Nature’s FrameworkDouble Framed
For Cee’s Which Way doing it My Way I have chosen to select Dirt Trails from our favourite Greenway with Coleman. If desired, you can click on each photo for enlarged viewing.
Location: Dogwood Trail; Horse Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your Dirt Roads, Pathways, and or Trails with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Brian from Bushboy.blog asks us to post our last photo on our SD card or phone on the last day of the month. No editing. Explanations not necessary. Create a Pingback or leave a link in comments to Brian’s blog. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard. Your last photo doesn’t have to be on the very last day of the month if you didn’t take any photos on that day. Maybe it was earlier in the month when the last photo was taken.
From My iPhone:
Coleman in his new Grave Digger shirt
From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i:
Patterson Pond Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
From My Dad’s Slides taken with his Minolta XG-7 35 mm Via My Wolverine Digital Converter:
San Diego Wild Animal Park San Diego, California, USA
Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thankful for a slight break from all the rain. Wish we could have a break from this extreme heat. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy the flowers. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
These three Alpacas can be visited at the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at the Horse Road Entrance to the Anne Springs Close Greenway. The Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm offers a unique blend of education and exploration for visitors of all ages.
Integrating the former petting zoo and adding a pastoral habitat, observation areas for various animals, a half-mile loop trail, gathering lawn, educational garden, and open-air learning center, the Children’s Farm aims to provide daily interpretation and demonstrations on a variety of topics in an immersive learning environment.
Tours of the Children’s Farm are self-guided. On Saturdays and Sundays Animal Care Volunteers may possibly be on site during specified times. If interested, please check the Greenway’s website prior to visiting for further details.
Yellow Flowers in April 1979 Marriott’s Great America Santa Clara, California Rudbeckia hirta AKA Black-eyed Susan In July 2024 Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
Location: Dairy Barn Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Hope it’s not too hot for all y’all. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Girasol Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
The ‘Titan’ sunflower, as the name suggests, is a giant annual sunflower variety with an extra thick stem, supporting huge, alternating leaves, and a massive flower head that can reach 16-22 inches across! Plus Titan sunflowers can grow to heights of 12-14 feet! Blooms from July to September. Sunflowers attract a myriad of pollinators including bees, birds, butterflies and many others as well.
Judy’s Numbers Game can bring about interesting results and insights from those who choose to participate. The challenge is alive, let’s join the fun. In searching for the #149 and its variations the results that popped are displayed below in this post.
Clare at Clare’s Cosmos hosts the Share Your Desktop Challenge. She invites us all to share our desktops; whether that be from our desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones it does not matter. Join in the challenge and let us all see what you look at every day.
Here are my desktops, wallpapers, wall savers, from my Laptop and my iPhone:
From my HP Laptop:
Laptop Wallpaper:
My Grandson, Coleman Anne Springs Close Greenway
Laptop Desktop:
Patterson Pond Anne Springs Close Greenway
From my iPhone 14 Pro Max:
Reading Focus:
Alpaca Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm Anne Springs Close Greenway
Television Focus:
Horse Drinking Water Greenway Stables Entrance Anne Springs Close Greenway
Personal Focus:
Coleman with the Horses Greenway Stables Anne Springs Close Greenway
Hiking Focus:
Coleman Hiking Dogwood Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway
The Barred Owl is often spotted in the various Greenways throughout South Carolina. Two of the Greenways they have been seen in are; 1) Lindsay Pettus Greenway located in Lancaster and 2) Anne Springs Close Greenway located in Fort Mill.
The Barred Owl (Strix varia) is the most commonly seen owl in South Carolina since they are often active during dawn and dusk. It is a large, round-headed owl with no ear tufts and a reasonably long, rounded tail. Its back is a mottled brown, the belly is buff coloured with vertical streaking, and the chest is horizontally barred. It has a yellow bill and dark eyes.
The barred owl is distributed throughout most of the eastern United States, as well as much of southern Canada. Barred Owls live in large, mature forests made up of both deciduous trees and evergreens, often near water. They nest in tree cavities. They usually choose cavities six to twelve metres above the ground in tall trees.
Barred Owls can be found in many areas around the state. Still, the best places to find this owl are Sumter National Forest, Francis Marion National Forest, and Clemson Experimental Forest. In Lancaster and York Counties the Barred Owls are seen in the area Greenways near Lakes, Creeks, and Rivers. Most often spotted nestled high up in trees along the water banks.
Lesser Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosa)ZinniasThe Farm Anne Springs Close GreenwayLake Haigler Anne Springs Close GreenwayColeman & Goat Schiele MuseumColeman Schiele Museum
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm Sign at Entrance Patterson Pond on the pathway to the Farm Animals Canada Goose Swimming in Patterson PondCanada Geese Flying away from the PondA 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 reconstructedChildren’s Farm.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
I’m not sure if these are actually Cobalt Blue or not, but they’re the closest I have for this month’s color challenge for Terri’s Sunday Stills.
Here’s looking at the Blue Sky as we begin hiking on Dogwood Trail. Another day, another beautiful blue sky When we hike around Patterson Pond we spot a Canada Goose swimming in the Blue Waters.This is one of the views we saw when we were searching the skies for the Northern Lights.
Luckily we had a beautiful sunny day on Sunday which enabled me to capture plenty of signs, and shots with words in them as Cee’s CMMC – Pick a Topic from my Photorequests us all to post.
Our visit to Anne Springs Close Greenway is extremely accommodating in the aspect of Signs and various Objects with Words.
Signs can be found all around the Reconstructed Children’s Farm ..,
Ducks Signage by Patterson Pond
Along all the various Trails …
Trail Signs
In front of buildings such as The Hangar …
The Hangar
Or on and in front of an Historic Tack Shed …
Historic Tack Shed
And even in a flower bed informing everyone about the Sylvia Epps Baker Metal Sculpture.
Getting out in nature always helps to renew my mind, refresh my spirit, and rejuvenate my soul. This view is from the side porch of the Gibson House.
On Sunday, Coleman and I drove into Fort Mill to visit the newly renewed and reconstructed Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at the Anne Springs Close Greenway. The newly reconstructed children’s farm is accessible through the Greenway Stables Entrance. We are moving forward ( I know you can’t see our movements, but you can imagine them) to visit the Farm animals (chickens, rabbits, alpacas, and cattle.)
After visiting the farm animals, Coleman and I went back to the car to grab our snacks and put my backpack in it as my camera battery had died. So then I continued taking photos with my iPhone as we proceeded to Move Forward through the horse stables on towards the trails for a bit of hiking. We hiked along on the Dogwood Trail, made a loop onto Peach Loop to watch out over Lake Haigler before heading back to the car and home.
While gazing out over Lake Haigler, I reminisced for a short while remembering a time of apple picking, fresh apple cider, and fresh bread with a dollop of fresh homemade apple butter in Julian, California.
Now that I have your mouth watering for the delicious delightful aroma of fresh homemade apple delicacies, I trust you’ll have a wonderful rest of your weekend and a blissful weekend.
Lake Haigler is one of the most favourite areas for hiking and fishing at the Greenway. Love to see the many beautiful views and reflections around the Lake.
Patterson Pond
This previously unnamed Pond has recently been given the name of Patterson Pond. It is located at the Children’s Farm accessible from the Greenway Stables Entrance. Beautiful day for observing amazing reflections.
Steele Creek
Steele Creek can be seen from several of the Greenway trails while one is hiking. Here you can see the shimmering ripples and the beautiful reflections of the trees.
Lake Haigler
Lake Haigler is a 28-acre lake in the Anne Springs Close Greenway. It was built in 1952 by Colonel Elliott W. Springs. It was named for a great Catawba Indian King.
The Lake is periodically restocked with Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Shellcracker, and Channel Catfish.
The Lake Haigler Loop is a 3.3 mile pedestrian-only loop which wraps around the 28-acre Lake Haigler. It is generally considered an easy hiking/walking route. It takes approximately an average of 1 hour 10 minutes to complete the entire loop. This extremely popular area is excellent for birding, fishing, and hiking. You’ll have plenty of opportunities for exploring and photography at this location if you’re ever in the area to visit.
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.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 