2026 Thursday Trios: 08 January

A Gallery of

Ring-Billed Gulls

for Thursday Trios

& Bird of the Week CL

We spent the week before New Year’s down south at Myrtle Beach along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We had so many activities going on each day that we didn’t spend all day every day on the beach, but the days Coleman and I spent on the beach were beautiful amazing memory making enjoyable times of the week. We saw an enormous amount of birds at the beach both in Murrells Inlet and by our resort in Myrtle Beach.

On the Friday before we left we saw a tremendous amount of Ring-Billed Gulls flying to and fro as well as walking on the sand by the seashore. Ring-Billed Gulls (aka Larus delawarensis) are medium-sized gulls native to Northern America. They breed in Canada and the northern Contiguous United States. They winter mainly in the United States of America and northern Mexico.

The Ring-Billed Gull’s breeding habitat is near lakes, rivers, or the coast across the majority of Canada and the northern United States. (We live in the Southeastern United States). These seagulls can also be seen in several North American parking lots.

The Ring-Billed Gulls are migratory with the majority of them moving southward towards the Gulf of America (formerly the Gulf of Mexico), and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States and northern Mexico.

The Ring-Billed Gulls we saw were numerous and fascinating to watch. You could walk pretty close to them before they took flight. They tended to stay in groups, surprisingly (to us) in groups of three.

Even though they forage in flight or pick up objects while swimming, walking, or wading; they also steal food from other birds or even people’s unattended food. Some beachgoers consider the Ring-Billed Gulls pests due to their willingness to steal unguarded food on crowded beaches. (We didn’t notice them stealing any food while we were walking alongside the ocean waters or anyone annoyed with the beautiful gulls.) Most were merely enjoying the beautiful day, and time with family along the coastal beaches.

Carol’s Thursday Trios

Bird of the Week CL

Birds of the Carolinas

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Atlantic Ocean; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take care of yourselves. Get Outdoors and enjoy nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025/6 CFFC: Full or Empty of Nostalgia

Good Day Everyone! I am a week late on my Nostalgia post, however, it was not Intentional to do so. I had intended to post about what brought Nostalgia to mind last week, but it fell by the wayside. Enjoying the last week of 2025 at the beach with family was more important.

While on our mini vacay at Myrtle Beach, we took an adventure south down to Murrells Inlet. Our Murrells Inlet adventure was Intentionally planned ahead and also sparked a bit of Nostalgia. You might wonder why Murrells Inlet would spark Nostalgia within me. You see, back in the early 1970’s my family took a trip down to Murrells Inlet with my dad’s sister and her family. We had some similarities, some differences between then and now. Memories are vague, but my dad’s old photographs (in my possession) bring those times back to life.

This past week we enjoyed Nature’s beauty on the water and on the beach. We had an amazing afternoon/early evening on the water on the Crazy Sister Marina’s boat. [Same pier, different boat]. I have pictures with my cousins and family on a Fishing boat for an afternoon of deep sea fishing. [Then a Fishing Boat, Now a Sightseeing Boat].

Back to the here and now, the Crazy Sister Marina was Full of boats, the sky was Full of birds, my view of the waters were Empty/Void of what we were supposed to be seeing. After all, we were on a Dolphin Sightseeing Cruise and I wasn’t able (nighttime visibility impairment) to see the Dolphins like Coleman and others were able to see.

The afternoon enjoyment was Intentional and was not Empty, but Full of excitement, anticipation, and an Abundance of Amazement and Wonderful memories.

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Nostalgia

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-Full and/or Empty

JusJoJan26-Nature

#JusJoJan26-Intentional

Birds of the Week CL

Photo Credit: ©️1-4) 1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad); 5-14) 2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1-4) Minolta XG-7 35 mm; 5-14) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens & Altura CPL Filter attachment.

Location: 1-4) Alex Marina; 5-14) Crazy Sister Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take some time to be Adventurous. Enjoy time making memories with Family and friends. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Wordless Wednesday: 07 January

Coleman at Myrtle Beach, SC

Click on image to enlarge. 

Wordless Wednesday-2026.01.07

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week 1

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Atlantic Ocean; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

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

2026 Macro Monday: 05 January

Brassica oleracea

(Acephala Group)

‘White Peacock’

Aka Ornamental cabbage ‘White Peacock’, Flowering kale ‘White Peacock’

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The #Flower Hour

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment

Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

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

2026 Silent Sunday: January 04

Goldfish Realm
Ripley’s Aquarium
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Silent Sunday

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens and Altura ND Filter attachment.

Location: Goldfish Realm; Ripley’s Aquarium; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take an adventure. Observe the Wonders of God’s Creations. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Have a Seat on a Jumbo Sloth Bench

A Sloth Bench in Ripley’s Aquarium just waiting for someone to Pull Up a Seat.

Ripley’s Aquarium Sloth Bench

Click on each image to enlarge.

Jude’s Bench Challenge-2026.01.04

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 1

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens and Altura ND Filter attachment.

Location: Ripley’s Aquarium; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

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

2026 OWS: 01.04 — Messy – Crowded, Cluttered Beach

Myrtle Beach
Cluttered with
Crowds of People
and Seagulls

Click on image to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Messy

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Atlantic Seashore; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

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

2025 Last on the Card – December

Last of 2025

Brian from Bushboys World hosts a monthly challenge called Last On the CardHis rules are simple to follow if you’re interested in participating. 

Here are The rules:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th or whenever your last photo was taken.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard

Here are mine for December  … 

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

Brachiosaurus
Dinopark
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

Sharkey’s Grouper Tacos
These tacos bring together the rich flavors of grouper, shredded cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheese. Served in a warm flour tortilla with lettuce, topped with house-made pico de gallo, and drizzled with Chipotle mayo sauce.
Sharkey’s Oceanfront Restaurant
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Click on each image to enlarge. 

#Brian’s Last on the Card

God Bless. Happy New Year! Happy 2026! Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

RDP: Evanescent Sea and Sky

Ragtag Daily Prompt-Evanescent

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Skywatch Friday-Last for 2025

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens plus Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

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

2025 Monday Portrait: 29 December

Pig in the Greenway

One Little Piggy
A Little Piggy
looking at me.
One Hungry Piggy

Monday Portrait 

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

Camera: Canon EOS 2000D ( Rebel T7) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment. 

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

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

Sophia Ruthann’s First Christmas — December 25, 2025

This Christmas was the very first Christmas for Sophia Ruthann Wilson; she entered into our family on December 9, 2025 at 2:47 am. Coleman is a proud big brother as can be seen from some of the photos.

Here are a “few” shots I captured to remember her First Christmas … (Sharing with my daughter’s permission).

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Plus; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; and Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens.

Location: Wilson/Waters Home; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Happy New Year! 2026 will soon be here. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monday Portrait: 22 December

Emden Geese

Embden Geese
Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm

Embden (Emden) Geese are a German breed of domestic geese recognized primarily for their pure white plumage and striking bright blue eyes. ( I know it’s hard to see their blue eyes from the picture, but they are blue) The Embden is one of the oldest and most popular breeds around the world.

These Embden Geese reside at the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Children of all ages are welcome to come visit them, but trying to pet them or pick them up is not recommended. Feed for them can be purchased at an extra cost to the entrance fee.

Monday Portrait

Bird of the Week CXLVII

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

Camera: Canon EOS 2000D ( Rebel T7) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Settings: f/5.6 • 1/100s • 70mm • ISO100

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

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

2025 Floral Silent Sunday: December 21

Viola x wittrockiana

Yellow Pansies

Silent Sunday

Terri’s The #Flower Hour

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

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

2025 Monday Portrait: 15 December

Holstein Friesian

Domesticated Cow and Calf

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait

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

Camera: Canon EOS 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

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

2025 Macro Monday: 15 December

Callicarpa americana

American Beautyberry

American Beautyberry is a woody deciduous, perennial shrub native to the southeastern United States including the Carolinas.

Clusters of small flowers bloom on the late spring and early summer. However, what you are seeing here are clusters of vibrant purple berries in the Carolinas that peak in late summer through autumn (August to November). The vibrant berries often persist into early winter providing significant food for birds and wildlife, making it a quintessential fall shrub for the region. The colors vary; most common is the vivid purple, though white and pink varieties exist.

American Beautyberry

The American Beautyberry offers many ecological services. How might you ask does it work? Its seeds and berries provide an important food source for a tremendous amount of songbirds of America. Some of those include American robin, brown thrasher, northern bobwhite, purple finch and eastern towhee. It is also a nectar source for butterflies and has fragrant foliage.

What I found interesting is that the American Beautyberry has been used by farmers successfully since at least the early 20th century to repel biting bugs from mules and horses by rubbing it on their coats and under harnesses. Why did I found this information so fascinating? The location of this particular American Beautyberry shrub is located near the horse stables at Anne Springs Close Greenway.

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The #Flower Hour

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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

Camera: Canon EOS 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

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

One White, One Brown, Baby Alpacas

Six Word

Saturday

On Saturday, Coleman and I were able to borrow my daughter’s car and go down to the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina. It is an hour away from where we currently live, so it is a bit of a drive. Traffic was terrible. I very rarely drive in traffic (I don’t care for heavy traffic, I try to avoid it if at all possible).

Anyway, after we arrived and maneuvered around the Farm to the Alpaca section, we were delighted to discover the new Baby Alpacas born recently at the Greenway. There is One White, and One Brown Baby Alpaca.

Here are a few shots of the Baby Alpacas …

Click on each image to enlarge.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-12.13.2025

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

Camera: Canon EOS 2000 D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

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

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature’s Beautiful Creations. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Madness — 21 November

A Day

in the

Life of Coleman

Reflecting on a typical afternoon with Coleman if he had his chance to choose how it would go.

From beginning near the railroad tracks …

Corner across from
the Railroad Tracks

… Who needs school …

Disc Golf Trail

Let’s go meandering through Goat Island …

Coleman

Can you see me? …

Coleman

Better now? …

How am I doing about blending into my environment?

Disc Golf Trail

Shall we continue meandering?

South Fork Catawba River

The South Fork River is beautiful and has amazing reflections in the afternoons.

AI of Coleman
in the Playground

AI sometimes can remix an image pretty well. At other times you might wonder how it came up with its remix interpretation.

AI remix of Coleman
on a dirt Trail.

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

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

Camera: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2-7) Canon EOS 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens; 8-9) Google Lens AI

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

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

2025 November #Shadows #17

Monochrome

#Shadow Reflections

Shadowy Reflections
in the
South Fork Catawba River

Click on image to enlarge. 

Becky’s November #Shadows #17

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Monochrome

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Monday Monochrome 

Monochrome Monday (MM)

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EG-S55-250mm lens

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

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

2025 Wordless Wednesday: November 12

South Fork Catawba River

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Settings: f/10 • 1/250s • 55mm • ISO100

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

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