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.
Clare from Clare’s Cosmos is asking all of us once again to share our desktops. All you need to do is share the photo (not your actual desktop) you have set as your wallpaper. Provide whatever information you desire about the photo. Use a pingback, or post a link to her blog hereso she knows you’ve joined in on the fun. Then, enjoy sharing the fun around.
Here are my July Desktops:
From my Laptop:
Wallpaper:
Catawba River near the Great Falls Dam Great Falls, South Carolina
Screensaver:
Coleman My ❤️ My Grandson
From my Smartphone
(iPhone 14 Pro Max)
Hiking Focus:
Nornal Hule Waters (my dad) and Larry Dean Waters (my brother) taken in Great Falls, South Carolina in July 1963.
Television Focus:
Hawksbill Turtle Ocean Conservancy
Personal Focus:
Coleman playing with his Titan Magnetic Tiles
Reading Focus:
Coleman in his Camouflage Flag Shirt
Come on along and join the fun. Share one or more, it doesn’t matter whether the photos are from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or your smartphone wallpaper(s).
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s desktop photos. Have a wonderful week. I appreciate y’all very much.
Blue Ridge Mountains North Carolina, USAFountain at Central Ohio Technical College Newark, Ohio License Plates Display NC Transportation Museum Spencer, North Carolina Business Garden Gastonia, North Carolina Grave Marker for Eddie W. Waters ( my Paternal Uncle) Great Falls, South Carolina
A Hodgepodge of Coleman
At the Fort Mill DamAt The Schiele Museum of Natural History At Gardner Park Elementary Playground At Neighborhood Playground
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I look forward to seeing y’all’s pictures for Judy’s Numbers Game. I appreciate y’all very much.
While most will think of physical means of transport such as cars, airplanes, trains, and similar vehicles used for transportation; I am venturing into a different realm of transport.
The term transport has several different and yet similar definitions. It means an act or process of transporting; to transfer or convey from one place to another; a vehicle (such as a truck or airplane) used to transport persons or goods. It also means to carry away with strong and often intensely pleasant emotion; strong or intensely pleasurable emotion.
Transport applies to any powerful emotion(s) that lifts one out of oneself and usually provokes vehement expression or frenzied action.
“Books are the plane, the train, = and the ROAD. They are the Destination and The Journey.they are home.”
~ ANNA QUINDLEN
When I read books 📚 I am transported into another place and time. I feel the emotions along with the characters in whichever book or story I am reading. Books take me places where I might not otherwise be able to visit, help me to learn and understand what other places and people are all about. I can envision myself there right amongst the people,whether real or imagined by the other, they all seem very real to me. I can feel and visualize the events taking place and I am instantaneously transported to another city, state, or country as if I am one with the book and its characters.
“Books take you places you hope someday to go. They transport you to time in the future or long, long ago. The words paint the pictures, the author’s canvas is your mind. Surreal images greet you, you never know what you’ll find. Books take you places, whether fantasy or real. Some tales make you laugh while others make you squeal!”
~ Kimberly Beatty
What are your thoughts on books as a means of transport? Have you ever felt as if you have been transported to another time or place when you were reading a book?
This month is going to be a little different for me since I haven’t been anywhere to use my camera this month. I have been busy digitizing my dad’s old slides. I hope it’s alright to post the last picture from the last roll of his I converted to digital format.
From my Dad’s Minolta XG-7 35mm:
My dad’s reflection of him taking the photo is in the mirror.
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.
Cool cats like to keep cool by hiding in the underbrush in shady areas. Can you spot me?
Maybe if I move a little bit you’ll be able to see me. However, I would appreciate it if you keep the dog away from me. I prefer to stay where I am at and not get in an entanglement.
Enjoy your day! I’m just gonna stay here and relax for a while longer.
Lemon daylilyYellow daylilyHemerocallis lilioasphodelus grows in big, spreading clumps, and its leaves grow to 75 cm (30 in) long. Its scapes each bear from 3 through 9 sweetly fragrant, lemon-yellow flowers.
Location: New Hope Acres; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. Enjoy the beauty all around you. Take time to admire nature’s wonderful creations. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week’s Pull Up a Seat selections were determined by Coleman. We walked around the neighbourhood and after walking for several blocks he decided he wanted to Pull Up a Seat at the picnic table outside of the Walmart Neighborhood Market which is used mainly by employees.
We get up and continue on our walk where he sees a rock he figures would be a nice place to Pull Up a Seat. We hadn’t walked far when he chose to sit a spell, but I was fine with that since I had taken a tumble upon the uneven torn up asphalt.
After catching our breath, we continued walking ending up at the school playground. Coleman always finds places he can Pull Up a Seat in a playground.
Sometimes he chose the slide …
… Or at the top of a climbing structure …
… Or on a Swing.
It doesn’t seem to matter to him where he Pulls Up a Seat. He’s having fun, so it doesn’t matter to me either.
Everywhere you go there are signs to Welcome your presence. Welcome you to come into a store, Welcome you to a town, Welcome you to a Greenway, and even Welcoming children to a Playground.
Let’s start with our Welcome to a favourite store in Amish Country, Ohio called Lehman’s. Lehman’s provides products that Amish and Englishers alike desire to purchase and meets the needs of those desiring a simpler lifestyle.
Lehman’s East Entrance Kidron, Ohio
Next up is a Greenway constructed in the last five years in Lancaster. The Lindsay Pettus Greenway was intentionally designed as a hard-surface trail to ensure that people of all mobility levels can smoothly access the trail. By doing so, everyone can connect to places of interest and engage with nature. This Greenway is a place where everyone can freely enjoy over two traffic-free miles of nature in the heart of Lancaster County.
Welcome to The Lindsay Pettus Greenway Lancaster, South Carolina
On one of our visits to the North Carolina mountains we stayed in West Jefferson while attending a family reunion in Deep Gap. After the reunion, we walked around the Historic Downtown area of West Jefferson and discovered many interesting places and sights including the Ashe County Cheese Factory. The Ashe County Cheese is just a short ways down a side street from this sign. There you may watch cheese being made & then go straight across the road and buy some freshly made cheese in any flavour that suits your palate.
Welcome to Historic Downtown West Jefferson West Jefferson, North Carolina
Here we are in the city we currently reside. Welcome to our area of the world.
Welcome to Downtown Gastonia Main Avenue Gastonia, North Carolina
One of the places my grandson, Coleman, likes me to take him to is the Playground at the local YMCA. Approaching the Playground we notice the sign Welcoming us (especially children) to the Playspace.
Welcome to Your Playspace! YMCA Gastonia, North Carolina
Time for us to go home and relax. You are Welcome to visit our area anytime.
My eldest son and I took a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway back in the Fall of 2017 as a way to celebrate his birthday. During our drive we stopped at several overlooks prior to stopping at Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina. At Stone Mountain State Park there is the Upper and Lower Waterfalls you may hike towards.
We hiked along Stone Mountain Loop Trail to view the Upper Waterfalls. I took several photos along the route as we watched the Waterfall cascading down over Stone Mountain.
Enjoy the view, however, I would prefer you not to YAWN during the viewing. I would hope it would not bore you but rather enable you to dawn a smile instead.
Can you just visualize the water streaming down over the stones?
The Waterfall slowly increases its strength and speed as it continuously cascades down the Mountain.
Location: Stone Mountain State Park; Roaring Gap, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for viewing the Waterfalls at Stone Mountain State Park with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
In Monochrome Playing around with Photoleap Tried to create water droplets on petals. This is the effect I received. Harrison Effect in Pixlr with a touch of splash
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 weather has been hot and Sunny 🌞 during the day and stormy at night. Decided to switch out the sand in my grandson’s “Turtle” for Water 💧 to allow him to enjoy 😊 water playtime in the Warm Sunshine.
This well-known rhyme has been around since the mid- nineteenth century when the number of magpies seen foraging together was regarded as forecaster of future events. Even though no bird is mentioned in this rhyme most people know it refers to the magpies.
Magpies are members of the Corvidse family. They are smart and clever birds which sometimes leads them into trouble, however, that doesn’t deter them since they are great problem solvers. The Pica hudsonia, the Black-billed Magpie’s scientific name, is also referred to as the American Magpie. It was once thought to be found only in the Western half of North America, However, its habitats may range into the far eastern parts of the United States including occasionally into the South despite the high temperatures and humidity.
Black-billed Magpies are black and white, with the wings and tail showing black areas and iridescent hints of blue and blue-green. It is a medium-sized bird that measures 45–60 centimeters (18–24 in) from tip to tail. It is largely black, with white scapulars, belly, and primaries, and the wings and tail are an iridescent blue-green.
Eurasian magpies are visually very similar to black-billed magpies; however, Eurasian magpies are slightly larger and have shorter tails and wings. They can also be distinguished based on their different vocalizations, as well as by their non-overlapping ranges.
Black-billed Magpies are known talkers. Their vocalizations consist of a number of calls variously described as tweets, coos, purrs, shrills and squawks, but the most common is an alarm call, called a chatter, that is described as a ka-ka-ka-ka, sometimes preceded with a skah-skah. They have the unique ability to mimic sounds from other birds and even from humans they are around. [Interestingly, I have heard them mimicking me as I whistle. Their ability is amazing to hear as they mimic my exact tunes.]
Trifolium pratense Fabaceae Red cloverPanaeolus foenisecii, AKA the mower’s mushroom, haymaker, haymaker’s panaeolus, or brown hay mushroomAntheraea polyphemus, the Polyphemus moth, is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths.Canada Goose
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.
Rain lily, Atamasco lily, Zephyranthes atamasca, is a native Southeastern member of the regular “old” amaryllis family.
Rain Lilies
These were taken at Landsford Canal State Park while hiking the Canal Trail. The Canal Trail is an easy 1.5 mile hiking trail that runs alongside the Catawba River.
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.
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.
Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Sending y’all my birthday wishes of happiness, good health, peace, and an abundance of love throughout 2024 and beyond. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 