This week is a free non-themed week for Monochrome Madness. I took my inspiration from Leanne’s Carousel image. Having just been to the Boardwalk on the Beach for New Year’s, I thought hey, I could show y’all the Ferris Wheel.
Coleman and I walked up and down the beach and down S. Ocean Boulevard enjoying the views. The Ferris Wheel known as SkyWheel soars 200 feet above Myrtle Beach. The amusement park is closed for the winter so no rides were possible. ( I don’t think I would want to be suspended, even temporarily, 200 feet in the air. The views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Grand Strand would be astounding. I’ll stick with my views from ground level, those were awesome in and of themselves.
Here are two (2) images I snapped of the SkyWheel …
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Boardwalk on the Beach; SkyWheel at the Amusement Park; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stay Warm. Stay safe. Take Care of yourself. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Rock Pigeons (Columba livia), aka Rock Doves, are a common non-native species throughout the Carolinas. Rock Pigeons and Ring-Billed Gulls are the two most commonly seen birds in Myrtle Beach. They can be seen in areas like the Boardwalk, around the Piers (especially 2nd Avenue Pier), parks, and as you can see here on the sandy seashore of Myrtle Beach.
The Rock Pigeons are highly adaptable to urban and coastal environments; often seen scavenging for food alongside native species like the gulls we saw an abundance of when we were walking on the beach.
Rock Pigeons come in many different shades and plumage patterns. Some of these patterns have been named; you may spot Bluebars (bluish-gray bird with 2black bands on wings and a black tail tip) – the most commonly seen; Red Bars (with Rusty red colour); Checkers (containing spots on their wings); Spreads (all black or all gray); and Pieds (birds of any colour with splotches of white).
Rock Pigeons on Myrtle Beach’s Sandy Seashore
An interesting fact: Rock Pigeons were once used to carry messages for the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I and II. Their messages provided vital strategic information and helped in saving lives.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: 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.
What we saw as we walked out of our hotel room and walked onto the beach to observe the Atlantic Ocean was different and unique to our surroundings. It was the first time for Coleman to visit the beach and step into the Atlantic Ocean. I hadn’t been to this beach since 2010 or any other beach since 2020.
Here are a few interesting finds seen on our walk the day after New Year’s Day.
Our first sighting after walking out of the hotel …
The outdoor pool area with plenty of places to Pull Up a Seat.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the outdoor pool areas were closed for the season (unheated & closed).
The Pirate Shipwreck Lagoon Kids’ Waterpark
The outdoor pools and kids shipwreck area would not be comfortable to get into without any heat during the wintertime. Moving away from the pools here’s what we discover next …
Coleman checks out the “Dolphin,” a unique design for a trash receptacle.
The next thing Coleman spots is the beach access, and away he goes …
Coleman headed out to the beach
Once out onto the sandy beach, Coleman turns left to see what he might discover.
Naturally, Coleman is anxious to discover what he might find. Maybe some Seashells?
Mostly broken, but a few whole Seashells
We walked quite a ways down the beach before turning around. Coleman was enthralled with watching the Ring-Billed Gulls (just known to him as Seagulls). Here are a few of our Gulls sightings …
Atlantic Ocean Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
And how can we not watch the waves rolling in and out of the Atlantic Ocean, you can’t go to the beach and not . Can you?
Our Walk along the Seashore of the Atlantic Ocean at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
We hope y’all enjoyed walking along Myrtle Beach’s Seashore with us.
Last Friday while we were visiting Myrtle Beach, Coleman and I took a stroll along the beach northward towards the 2nd Avenue Pier. He was looking for seashells by the seashore as we walked along the water.
2nd Ave Pier Wicked Tuna Myrtle Beach, SC
At the 2nd Avenue Pier is a restaurant called The Wicked Tuna. (We did not stop and try out their menu, maybe another time).
The Wicked Tuna is a premier waterfront dining establishment, a place where friends gather for a unique culinary experience. The restaurant offers fresh handmade cocktails (I’ll skip those), the freshest seafood (I enjoy quality Tuna Steaks), steaks, and sushi (not a sushi fan, but my daughter is).
2nd Ave Pier Wicked Tuna Grill • Sushi • Rooftop Bar Myrtle Beach, SC
The Wicked Tuna is known for its “Hook to Plate” fresh seafood philosophy, stunning ocean views and rooftop bar. (The views of the Atlantic Ocean were stunningly beautiful as Coleman and I walked along the seashore down to the pier and back to our resort hotel.)
2nd Ave Pier Wicked Tuna Grill • Sushi • Rooftop Bar Myrtle Beach, SC
The Wicked Tuna has a second location in Murrells Inlet overlooking the MarshWalk. Every week their fishing fleet heads out into the Atlantic Ocean to catch the freshest Grouper, mahi-mahi, sea bass, and snapper off the Carolina coast. They only serve fish caught locally by their own boats which are then cleaned and prepped on-site in their fish house.
Coleman is holding a, Vesicular basalt, volcanic rock he found on the seashore in an area of the beach where he was finding seashells.
According to Google AI, Vesicular basalt is not naturally apart of Myrtle Beach’s local geological shoreline. It suggests that it could”be either Fossilized Peat or Coal (some found near the Grand Strand), “Beach Rot”or Fossilized Marls (Frequently seen near the 2nd Avenue Pier), or Piddock-Bored Rocks.
The Piddock-Bored Rocks appear vesicular since they are covered with small, circular holes. These holes are actually burrows made by piddock clams (rock-boring mollusks) in softer sedimentary rocks like limestone or siltstone.
Therefore, considering our location along Myrtle Beach’s seashore (we were walking along the Grand Strand near the 2nd Avenue Pier, it could instead be any one of these three. I’m inclined to lean towards the Piddock-Bored Rock, the area is covered with clam shells.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: 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.
Walking along the Boardwalk in Myrtle Beach Coleman and I noticed this colourful artwork display for one of the rides at the Family Kingdom Amusement Park.
We went able to enjoy any of the rides due to the fact that it was “off-season” and the amusement park was closed for the winter.
Coleman would have enjoyed going on some of the rides, but that will have to wait for another time and season.
Yesterday, I tagged Debbie’s Six Word Saturday thinking Friday was Saturday. So, I’m posting another on Saturday for Debbie’s Six Word Saturday challenge.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your weekend. Here’s to sunny days ahead. (Our weekend is cloudy & rainy). Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Uniola paniculata, aka sea oats, seaside oats, araña, and arroz de costa, is a tall subtropical grass which is an important component of coastal sand dune and beach plant communities in the southeastern United States of America, eastern Mexico, and some Caribbean Islands. The Sea Oats help protect beaches and property from damage due to high winds, storm surges, and tides. Interestingly, it provides food and habitat for birds, small animals, and insects.
Sea Oats are a crucial component of the area’s hurricane defense strategy. They have helped to thwart damage from tropical storms. (Tropical storms and hurricanes typically hit the Myrtle Beach area before or more so than in our area of the Carolinas.)
Sea Oats are a protected grass in several states along the southeastern Atlantic coast. Think twice before picking or disturbing Sea Oats, that action is punishable by fine in Georgia, South Carolina, and Northern Carolina.
Cameras: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2-3) Canon EOS Rebel 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens & Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: 1) Crazy Sister Marina; Murrells Inlet, South Carolina; 2-3) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Wishing y’all the best life filled with love, peace, and joy in 2026. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
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.
Ring-Billed Gulls
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.
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.
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.
Alex Marina Murrells Inlet 1972
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.
Empty Boats Empty BoatsFull DockEmpty Inlet Empty BoatsEmpty BoatFull MarinaSky Full of Grackles Empty Inlet Waters Full MarinaMurrells Inlet, South Carolina
The afternoon enjoyment was Intentional and was not Empty, but Full of excitement, anticipation, and an Abundance of Amazement and Wonderful memories.
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.
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.
Brian from Bushboys Worldhosts a monthly challenge called Last On the Card. His 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
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.
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).
Sophia Ruthann Wilson Very First Christmas December 24/25, 2025
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.
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.
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.
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 …
Baby Alpacas in Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at Anne Springs Close Greenway
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.