Spring Flowers are springing up up and down the river and riverbanks. Coleman and I took a walk on Friday to Riverside Park and Greenway, I was amazed at all the beautiful flowers sprouting into bloom.
Here are some of the flowers we came across that are starting to blossom. There are signs that indicate other flowers will blossom in the next week or so.
God Bless. Take time to enjoy the Beauty in Nature. Be thankful for your blessings. Have a wonderful week ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy Easter Everyone! Have a wonderful day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Fluffy cotton-like cloudscapes scattered our late afternoon/early evening skies. I’m not sure which type of clouds these are. Hammad, how are you on deciphering cloud formation types? Are they Altocumulus or possibly cirrocumulus stratiformis?
The cloudscape makes an interesting view flowing across the skies above us. What do y’all think?
Coleman loves to play in the sand by the river. He’ll also climb anything he sees worthy of his climbing capabilities. Yesterday, his climbing took him up an American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) tree toPull Up a Seat.
The ascending progression …
The Sitting Adjustment:
And Back Up a Tree again to perch on a limb …
Where did Coleman disappear? … See his legs dangling up so high like a monkey in a tree?
Location: By the South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Do or did you like to climb trees like Coleman does? Where is your favourite place to Pull Up a Seat? Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
One of the cars at this past week’s Cruz-In was this 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ. The Mercury Cyclone was marketed by Ford’s Mercury Division from 1964-1971. The Mercury Cyclone was first introduced in 1964 as the Mercury Comet Cyclone. The Cyclone replaced the S-22 as the performance-oriented version of the Mercury Comet model line. It was positioned as a muscle car representing the Mercury brand in racing as a clone of the Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt.It was often overshadowed by the Mercury Cougar.
The Mercury Cyclone Cobra Jet (CJ) was added to the Cyclone line in 1969. The Cobra Jet’s engine was a 428 cu in (7,014 cc) which generated 335 hp (250 kW). It featured a blacked-out grill; dual exhausts; 3:50:1 axle ratio; engine dress-up kit which included chrome parts; hood stripes; and a competition handling package.
[My maternal grandfather owned a Ford Fairlane. My Dad worked for Ford in the Parts Department for over 35 years.My parents never owned anything but Ford’s throughout their life.]
Location: Parking Lot; First Baptist Church of Cramerton; 235 8th Avenue; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. “May your heart be lifted with the hope of renewal and the joy of spring.” Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
We walked to the First ever Cramerton Cruz-In during the early afternoon in the uptown parking lot of First Baptist Church. The Cruz-In was supposed to go from 10:00am until 2:00pm. We (Coleman & I ) started walking that direction around 1:00pm in hopes of still being able to see the antique automobiles. As we were walking we noticed some of the cars had already started leaving the Cruz-In. We got lucky and spotted this 1931 Ford Model A Coupe driving our way. I did the best I could with a moving auto to capture it with my iPhone.
1931 Ford Model A 5 Window Coupe
I tried to capture most of the Antique Ford’s windows, from front to back and the left side windows. I’m just glad we managed to see it even if only as it was leaving the area. It turned out that most of the cars left at the same time and only a few were left when we arrived. I guess the owners didn’t feel obligated to stay the full length of the Cruz-In.
Stig the Whippet was a visitor at the Cruz-In For Christ which was held on Saturday, 13 April 2025. The Cruz-In had a variety of antique automobiles, a blood drive, a bouncy house, as well as free food, free drinks, free desserts, and a free car wash. All free as a way to minister to the community.
Stig, a Whippet
The Cruz-In Stig visited was held by the First Baptist Church of Cramerton. We missed most of the antique automobiles by the time we arrived, but still captured a few with my iPhone camera and Coleman got to enjoy the bouncy house.
The Whippet dog breed was developed by crossing Greyhounds with Terriers. The Kennel Club officially recognized the Whippet Dog breed in 1891. However, it was actually recognized three (3) years earlier by the American Kennel Club in 1888.
The Whippet was originally bred to pursue and capture small game. They were first brought to America by English mill operatives of Massachusetts. They make excellent watchdogs considering they are not snappy or one to bark a lot. They are a quiet and intelligent breed, and do not bark unnecessarily. They are pretty fast when they run with the capability to reach speeds of up to 35mph.
Whippets are generally gentle and affectionate, but can sometimes exhibit behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, aggression, and nervousness. Whippets are sighthounds and need to have secure environment from preventing them from chasing after things. They tend to form strong with their owners; it is not recommended to leave them alone for love periods of time. If you think about acquiring a Whippet, be prepared to have it right next to you even in your bed. They’ll lay next to you touching you when they sleep.
Living within walking distance to the South Fork Catawba River I figured Riverscape would be a funtastic word to choose for this week’s One Word Sunday Challenge.
These are from the hike Coleman and I took yesterday after the Easter Egg Scramble.
South Fork Catawba River
Coleman always loves spending time playing and hiking near the River. Where do y’all enjoy spending your afternoons?
As we were nearing the end of our hike along the Rocky Branch Trail to head back home; Coleman decided to climb up into the top of the Stack of Rock Slabs (Rock statue) located at the Cramerton entrance to the Rocky Branch Trail portion of the Carolina Thread Trail. As you can tell, if something appears to be suitable for sitting Coleman will find a way to Pull Up a Seat.
Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Take a walk. Relax and have Fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: View from the C.C. Dawson Bridge (aka Lakewood Road bridge); Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Happy Palm Sunday! May the spirit of this day fill your heart. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
On Saturday, the 12th of April the Town of Cramerton held an Easter Egg Scramble for children under the age of Two (2) through the age of Ten (10). The Town announced the event on the Town of Cramerton’s event page, on their Town app, and on their Facebook page.
The announcement asked for anyone interested in participating in the Easter Egg Scramble to Hop on over to Stuart W Cramer High School ( the Town’s high school) for a morning of fun, games, and tons of eggs to hunt!
Our morning started out at the Community Center for Coleman’s T-Ball individual and team pictures at 9:30am to receive his uniform and then to wait for his team’s turn for pictures. Once the pictures were completed, we stopped back by home to have him change back out of his uniform and grab something for him to use to place the eggs he gathered.
Coleman with Brown Easter Bunny HoneybeeWhite Easter BunnyColeman preferred the brown Easter Bunny
We arrived at the high school in time to greet the Bunny’s and the Honeybee prior to his age group’s turn to Scramble for Easter Eggs. The Easter Egg Scramble began at 10:15am for the youngest Easter Egg Scramblers, with the 4-5 years old’s (Coleman’s age group) turn beginning at around 10:45am. For the lack of an Easter Egg basket, I grabbed a grocery bag for him to gather his eggs into once he picked them up.
And they’re off and running …
No parents were supposed to help Showing Coleman running and gathering Easter Eggs
Once the children were finished their turn at the Easter Egg Scramble the children could turn their eggs in for bags of candy (no candy was placed in any of the eggs). All children received the same size bag of candy regardless of how many eggs they acquired. Coleman gathered approximately thirty + eggs.
The Easter Egg Scramble event was partnered with The Town of Cramerton, Stuart W. Cramer High School Student Council, Life Church, Cramerton Church, and Cramerton Christian Academy. The candy bags were packed and donated by Cramerton Christian Academy, Cramerton Church, and Life Church.
The Easter Egg Scramble event was a family-friendly event which enabled families and their children to have a tremendous amount of Fun.
Location: Stuart W Cramer High School; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. “May this Palm Sunday bring renewed faith, hope, and love.” Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Linemen at work Utility Lines Construction Services, LLC (ULCS)
When Coleman and I were walking back towards downtown, we saw these linemen up in the air in buckets working. Not sure why it took two of them or what the problem was they were working to fix, but it was a sight to see. I know I wouldn’t want to be doing their jobs. It is not on my bucket list to attempt to make a career, especially not at this time in my life.
This week I’m asking y’all to show your Which Ways in Black and White in Memory of Cee Neuner (1960-2025). Cee hosted several photo challenges including Cee’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) – currently hosted by Deb L. Waters (aka me) from Gfpacificbee’s Insights and Photography, Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) – currently hosted by Dan Antion from No Facilities, Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge (CMMC), and Cee’s Black andWhite Challenge (CBWC) and Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD) – hosted by Chris Donner (Cee’s Life Partner & wife).
In Memory of Cee’s Black and White Challenge let us all show our Which Ways this week in Black and White for this week’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC). Remember to have Fun and Signs are always welcome.
Here are my entries:
On the Road with Cars and Trucks:
Roads and Pathways with Parked Cars and Trucks:
On Sidewalks and Pathways:
All photos were taken in Downtown Town of Cramerton the end of March.
Next week the theme will be CWWC: Any Which Way with Trains and/or Trolleys (or anything else on a railroad track.) This maybe in combination with Dan’s CFFC.
Check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.
Location: Centennial Center; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy the Spring Sunshine and have fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The last Friday of the month from March through September the Town of Cramerton holds a Concert Event in the Park. The Concerts will feature artists (singers, bands, musicians) from different genres each month. With a different Genre each Concert the Town hopes to please the musical interests of practically every member of the community.
March’s Concert’s main feature was a band entitled Small Town Sunday. Small Town Sunday performed a mixture of Country music, Christian music, and Christian Country music. The group featured a trio of singers; Matt Branch, Holly Branch and Stephen Robertson plus a drummer, a keyboard musician, and guitarist. The music was fantastic, Coleman and I really enjoyed their music. A couple of song titles they performed are “THE DAYS HE CAN BELIEVE” (written in honor of Matt Branch’s father) and “That’s What I Love About Sunday.”
Here are a few photos I captured during the concert from my iPhone in Black and White.
Matt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonHolly BranchHolly BranchMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonHolly BranchMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonHolly Branch & Stephen RobertsonMatt & Holly BranchMatt & Holly Branch and Stephen RobertsonMatt BranchMatt Branch & Stephen RobertsonStephen Robertson with Holly Branch & Guitarist Matt Branch & Stephen Robertson (singing)Stephen Robertson
To find out more about the musical band, Small Town Sunday click here.
Whenever the weather is nice and warm on the weekends and sometimes during the week, Coleman and I go hiking to one of the nearby Greenways. Coleman prefers being outside having Fun in the Sun anytime to being cooped up indoors.
Whenever I go outside into the Sunshine, it is, more likely than not, to watch Coleman having Fun in the Sun.
Now that Spring has arrived, Coleman has Fun in the Sun practicing T-Ball (or if you hear him say it, it would be T-Bat practice).
Coleman at T-Ball(Bat) practice
Some days we go to Riverside Park and Greenway, while there he likes to have Fun in the Sun playing in the Sand or being near the water.
Coleman playing in the Sand.
On other days we hike down to Goat Island Park and Greenway to either hike or allow Coleman to play in the playground. Occasionally we bring along our cornhole bean bags to have some Fun in the Sun playing a round of Cornhole.
Cornhole with Coleman
Most other times at Goat Island he play on the playground equipment swinging & twisting in & out of the ropes or convincing me to push him on the Swings for him to enjoy having Fun in the Sun.
Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250 lens.
Locations: 1-3) C.B. Huss Recreation Center; 4-7) Riverside Park and Greenway; 8-11) Goat Island Park and Greenway
God Bless. Have Fun in the Sun. Enjoy the vast beauty in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.This prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please link your blog in comments below.
In lieu of numbers this week I am choosing a theme of Downtown Concert. The Downtown Concert was held in Centennial Center in Downtown Cramerton, North Carolina on Friday, March 28th.
The Opening Act for the concert was a singer named Trish England. Trish England is a Christian music artist who performs Southern Gospel, Christian Contemporary and Country music. She is originally from Austin, Texas and currently resides in Bessemer City, North Carolina. She has three (3) CD albums and releasing a single sometime this year all recorded under the Son Sound West Records.
I was really impressed by Trish’s performance. I had never heard of her before her performance in Cramerton, however, I soon realized she is an extremely talented artist who loves Jesus and loves to share her love of Jesus through her music to audiences everywhere. A few of the songs she performed were “Jesus in My Country”, “God Did It”, “Christian in the House”, “That’s God”, and “Behold the Beauty of the Lord”. My grandson, Coleman and I really enjoyed her performance and would recommend listening to her sing in concert, via Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music or which ever is your preference for listening to music online or streaming outlet.
Today I decided to post a flower in memory of Cee’s Weekend FOTD. This past year with her declining health Cee combined Saturday/Sunday Flower of the Day into Weekend FOTD. These are three different processing images of my original Petunia Easy Wave Yellow photo image.
Original:
Original
One:
Polaroid2 with Bokeh1 Overlay using PicCollage Photo Editor
Two:
Magic Effects – Watercolor2 using PicCollage Photo Editor
Three:
Atomic Black & White Filter using Pixlr Photo Editing
I’m not usually out at early evening or night time. I have trouble seeing in the dark so Coleman and I are usually always back home before it turns dark. This past Friday, The Town of Cramerton was having a Concert in Centennial Center Park. The Concert did not start until six in the evening, which is still light due to the time change to Daylight Saving Time.
I wanted Coleman to experience the Concert in the park, so we went. We arrived early and found a suitable spot to lay our blanket and sit in the grassy area.
While waiting for the Concert to begin, I snapped shots of the area both with my camera and my iPhone. I shot all these using my iPhone’s fusion camera and captured the area in black and white. Other Special Events will take place the last Friday of each month through the end of Summer. I’ll think about us attending those events when the time comes nearer.
On Sunday, Coleman and I stopped by Goat Island Park and Greenway on the way back home. We were delighted to spot the Canada Geese enjoying themselves on the water of the South Fork Catawba River.
Now that Spring is here and days are approaching the warmer temperatures, we are seeing the Canada Geese more often than we had previously. Sometimes we see larger Gaggle of Canada Geese than we did on this particular day. Most often we see them entering and swimming in pairs. Therefore, seeing three swimming together was a fantastic moment to capture.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy the Spring Sunshine and have fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.”
—Oswald Chambers
May You always be guided by knowledge of God’s Word. We may not always understand the path set before us, but we can always trust His plan is better than anything we can plan ourselves. May You have Strength to follow as He directs your steps.
Location: The Centennial Center; Town of Cramerton; 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.
Brian from Bushboys Worldis the host for the Last on the Card Challenge. The rules are simple, just post the last photo from SD card and/or the #lastphotofrom your phone. It doesn’t matter if it was taken on the 31st or not. It can be The Last Photo whenever it was taken. No editing. No explanations needed. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard.
Here’s my Last Photos for March.
From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Coleman standing on the Porch Railing
From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Waiting for the movie to start … in Centennial Center, Downtown Cramerton
Celebrating Spring with Children’s sports through the C.B. Huss Recreation Center Complex. Spring is time for Baseball or in Coleman’s case T-Ball. Spring is time to Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Coleman’s T-Ball practices began on Saturday, March 8th.
Look closely & you might spot Coleman in the infield.
Coaches hitting balls for the players to practice fielding the ball.
Coleman waiting in the infield, T-ball approaching, and Coleman’s got the ball.
Coleman’s T-Ball Practice
Great job at practice, Coleman. Till next time, have a funtastic week.
On Sunday morning, Coleman and I visited a local church. We were surprised to see one particular parishioner in attendance. His name is Teddy and he is a dog. That’s right I said a dog. I know, you’re thinking what’s a dog doing in a church? I did think it was strange, never saw a dog in a church before. Teddy, the canine parishioner, appeared to be an emotional support dog accompanying the elder gentleman wherever he went. Anyone care toPull Up a Seatnext to Teddy? We sat behind Teddy during the church service.
While Coleman was playing in the backyard he was talking about our landlord’s birdbath and then I noticed the bench sitting within the same Junk Pile. Never know what one might find in a junk pile. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stay Warm. Take care of yourself and each other. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Images were taken this Spring. Have a lovely Spring day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Currently, we do not own any pets, however, Coleman and I see Pets while we are hiking along trails in various Parks and Greenways. Many visitors to Parks and Greenways bring their companions/Pets along with them. Some of the Greenways have Doggie Park sections for the Dogs to enjoy running around and playing with other dogs.
The following are some of the companion Pets we have encountered on our hiking adventures.
Goat Island Park and Greenway Goat Island Park and Greenway Doggie ParkGoat Island Park and Greenway Doggie Park Goat Island Park and Greenway Doggie ParkRiverside Park and Greenway Goat Island Park and GreenwayAnne Springs Close GreenwayGaston County Warlick Family YMCAThe Schiele Museum of Natural History TrailAnne Springs Close GreenwayAndrew Jackson State Park
Cameras: 1-9) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm and Canon EF-S75-300mm lens; 10) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max; 11) Apple iPhone XR
Locations: as stated with images.
God Bless. Thank you Janet for hosting One Word Sunday this week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stay Warm. Take care of yourself and each other. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
On Tuesday after Coleman arrived home from school, his mom and I took him to the Baseball field to practice his hitting and fielding. Coleman just recently been assigned to a team for T-Ball.
Anyway, after his mom was tired of helping him practice Coleman and I took a short hike down to the river. The C.B. Huss River access is located off the Eleventh (11) Street parking lot. The Kayak rack is located at the river access trailhead.
Coleman checking out the Three Kayaks
Last Thursday, Coleman and I hiked the backside of Goat Island Park and Greenway. We hiked along a back road to reach the far side of the South Fork Catawba River. When we reached our starting point, we came upon these three pipes seemingly discarded near the river.
Three pipes near the South Fork Catawba River
Walking a bit off trail, we saw these three tree stems, limbs, or branches sticking up out of the water. It is always intriguing to see what interesting things we can find along our hikes.
Three Tree Stems
These Wild Daffodils were saw near the river while we were walking up the road to begin our hike for the day.
A Trio of Narcissus pseudonarcissus (wild daffodil)
While hiking the C.B. River Access Trail, Coleman and I discovered this elevated building on stilts near the South ForkCatawba River. When the area receives heavy rainfalls or flooding the water rises all the way up the shoreline and under this building and others similar in structure.
The first image is a close-up view depicting the boarded up door.
No Trespassing Town of Cramerton Property
The second image highlights the entire sideview of building.
I am not sure what the building’s purpose might be, but it was fascinating to find on our hike.
Location: C.B. Huss River Access; 480 11 St.; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy a walk. Get outdoors. Nature’s Beauty is Amazing. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Photo Credit: 2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Nature’s Beauty blossoming all around us. Stop and admire the beautiful flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 