2025 Monday Portrait: 07 July

Bos taurus

Bos Taurus is the scientific name for Texas Longhorns also referred to as American Longhorn. They are a domestic breed of cattle known for their characteristic horns which can extend up to five feet, from tip to tip.

The breed was developed originally as a result of cross breeding between feral and domestic cattle. They are a result from hybrid breeding of Spanish retinto (criollo) stock and English cattle.

Anglo-American frontiersmen brought the English cattle to Texas from southern and midwestern states in the 1820s and 1830s.

The colouring of the Longhorn is the most spectacularly of all cattle. They have shadings and combinations so varied that no two are alike.

Even though Texas Longhorns are primarily associated with the history of Texas, they have a lesser known connection to South Carolina’s past.

Spanish cattle, including those that would eventually be known as Texas Longhorns, were brought to Florida by Spanish settlers. These cattle, along with others brought by British settlers, were captured during raids and taken to South Carolina, where they interbred with existing British breeds. This interbreeding resulted in a distinct cattle population in South Carolina with characteristics that reflected both Spanish and British influences. 

Holstein Friesian and Bos taurus
Anne Springs Close Greenway

Monday Portrait

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

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

2025 Silent (Almost) Cell Pic Sunday: 06.07

A Horse Lovin’ Kind of Day

Anne Springs Close Greenway

Coleman Visiting the Greenway Horses

John’s Cell Pic Sunday 

Silent Sunday

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike. Visit a Farm. Enjoy all of God’s Beautiful Creations. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CosPhoChal — Take a Hike (Through the Woods)

Let’s go on a hike …

Coleman
visiting the Helix
& new Bench area

We can follow up the trails …

Telling stories telling tales … Let’s go see where artists … Learn to write …

Let’s go on a hike … Climbing up above the trees …

Get a view of everything … Let’s go see where artists … Spend their time.

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge-Take a hike

Song Lyrics Credit: ©️Written by Adam Fink

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 6-Star filter attachments.

Location: Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take a Hike. Enjoy Nature. Admire the Beauty all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way with Any type of Signs

Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Hope y’all have had a fantastic week so far. It’s Friday already and time for another Which Way Challenge. This week we are looking at Any Which Ways with Any Type of Sign(s). They can be street signs, trail signs, or any type of sign you see in your Which Ways as you meander around your pathway or roadway.

My Which Ways with Any Type of Sign(s) are mainly trail signs or signs seen from a trail.

Trail Signs at Goat Island Park and Greenway …

Trail Signs at Riverside Park and Greenway …

Trail Signs at Rocky Branch Trail …

Trail Signs at Carolina Thread Trail; Daniel Stowe Conservancy …

Signs on Side of Trail at Anne Springs Close Greenway …

For enhanced/enlarged viewing click on each image. 

Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.

Dawn’s Which Way: The March of the Spotted Lantern Fly

Dawn’s Which Way of the Deer

Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery’s SHEEPS AND GOATS

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Canon EOD Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.

Location: As Stated Above

God Bless. Take a hike. Enjoy a stroll through nature’s beautiful pathways and parks. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

#Simply Red #3 #Red Floral Trios in Memory of Cee

Red Spider Zinnias
Red Zinnia
Macro Red Zinnia

Becky’s Squares-#Simply Red

Thursday Trios 

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Take time to admire the flowers wherever you may wander. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much. 

2025 Thursday Doors: 03 July

Trailer Doors

Horse Trailer Doors

Dan’s Thursday Doors

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

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

Stay tuned for the Which Way Challenge on Friday. This week our theme is Any Which Way with Any type of Signs.

2025 Last On the Card: June 30

Brian from Bushboys World host Last on the Card at the end of each month. His rules for posting the Last Photo are simple just follow his suggestions and you’ll be fine.

The rules are simple:
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’s my Last Photos for June. 

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max …

Help us keep our rivers
and parks clean! an!
Grab a bag, pick up litter,

and dispose of properly.
Thanks! Project by the

Cramerton Community Committee

From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i …

Coleman playing
in the Sand at
Riverside Park
and Greenway

Brian’s Last on the Card

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

Location: Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 CFFC: Photos taken from below—low angle

Good Day! We are in the beginning of July already and it is time to participate in another Fun Foto Challenge. Dan from No Facilities has chosen the theme of Perspective: View from Below—Low Angle.

Here are my contribution entries …

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)

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

Cameras: 1-11) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 12-14) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Locations: Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 OWS: 29 June —Summer

Summer for me used to be about Church Camp, Family Vacation, Beach Volleyball, Waterskiing with friends, however, times change … Life changes with the times.

Now Summer is all about Coleman (actually all my days are with Coleman), hiking in the woods, attending Downtown Concerts, watching Coleman playing with water in his Turtle, running thru the sprays of water from a hose trying to keep cool 😎.

Summer

Water 💦 Play

Fireworks

Hiking & Sand Funtime

Now on to y’all to show your Summer…

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Summer

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment

Locations: 1-2) Backyard; Riverside Community; 3-4) Centennial Center; 5-10) Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a funtastic Summer. Thankful you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monday Portrait: 30 June

R. Warren Cramer

R. Warren Cramer

R. Warren Cramer is the grandson of Stuart W. Cramer, founder of the Town of Cramerton. He is co-authoring a historical fiction trilogy about the Cramer family and the Town of Cramerton. The trilogy delves into the history of the Cramer family and their achievements.

R. Warren Cramer  has been (and continues to be) involved in preserving and sharing the history of his grandfather and the town of Cramerton, North Carolina, which Stuart W. Cramer founded. He has collaborated with author Dixie F. Abernathy on “Cramerton: A Trilogy,” a book series detailing the history of Cramerton and the Cramer family. He provided the research and family history regarding the Cramer family and their significance in American history and culture. He is one of four editors for the “Cramerton: A Trilogy”.

The concept for this book has been developed over decades. When he graduated Duke University in 1981 his father George Cramer encouraged him to write a book about his grandfather, Stuart W. Cramer. The accumulation of efforts to bring the book to fruition began in 2016 with a Cramerton native, Jeff Ramsey introduced author Dixie Abernathy and local historian R. Warren Cramer.

On Saturday, The Cramerton Historical Society Museum held a book signing for the Promise of a Nation Cramerton: A Trilogy Volume I with author Dixie F. Abernathy and R. Warren Cramer.

They shared the ideas behind the trilogy project, the vast number of edits & rewrites and enough to entice interesting buying and reading the first book of the trilogy about the Cramer family and the Town of Cramerton. I look forward to reading it once the ebook is available on the Fourth of July (advanced paperback copies were available at the book signing).

Monday Portrait

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Cramerton Historical Society Museum; Cramerton, North 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.

2025 Macro Monday: 06.30

Hydrangea

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
Limelight Panicle Hydrangea

Click on image for enlarged Viewing

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: 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 Sunday Stills: 29 June Patriotic

Show us your country’s flag,

images of flags

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Patriotic

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura ND & 8-Star filter attachments.

Location: Centennial Center; Downtown; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Happy Independence Weekend America! Thankful for our Freedoms. Enjoy some fireworks if you’re able. [Coleman enjoyed Cramerton’s Fireworks]. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cell Pic Sunday: 29 June

Thankful

for our

Freedoms

Veterans Memorial Room
Cramerton Historical Society Museum

John’s Cell Pic Sunday 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Cramerton Historical Society Museum; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Take time to Remember and Be Grateful for our Freedoms. Happy Independence Weekend America! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Coleman’s #Antics #Expressions One to Three

The challenge is to simply take one photo and get creative with it by processing it in three different ways.

Coleman while Tossing Ball after Water 💦 Play …

Original
Coleman’s Reaction
Coleman
Edit One – Pixlr – Vintage
Coleman
Edit Two – Pxlr –
– Stylized – Subtle
Coleman
Edit Three – Pixlr –
– Boho 3 – Colorize
Coleman
Edit Four – PicCollage –
Magic Effects – Silent Night
Animation Effects – Google Photo Editor

Monochrome Shots of Coleman

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge-June 2025 #2

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Front Porch; Seventh Street; Old Town; Riverside Community; 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 Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky —27/28 June

My Sky photos this week are from this evening just before the thunderstorm hit our area.

Skywatch Friday

Hammad’s Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

Weekend Sky

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. Enjoy your weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Benches, Chairs, and Other seating — Coleman’s Choices (Part Three)

The Trailhead Store

Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Carolina Thread Trail

Continuing with Coleman’s Choices of Pulling Up a Seat at the Daniel Stowe Conservancy, we uncover a variety of seating arrangements Coleman selected to Pull Up a Seat. This week’s Coleman’s Choices are within the Gazebo at The Trailhead Store on the grounds of The Village at Stowe.

Click on each image for enhanced enlarged viewing.

Stay tuned next week for the continuing saga of Coleman’s choices of Benches, Chairs, and Other seating Part Four-The Farmhouse Seating Choices.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 26

Jude’s Bench Challenge Anniversary

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

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments plus Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

Location: The Gazebo; The Trailhead Store; The Village at Stowe; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, 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 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any animal in your which way – Part Two

Good day! I trust everyone has had a wonderful week so far. Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). The theme is Any animal in your which way. Let’s see the amazing Which Ways y’all can come up with to display Animals in your Pathways, Sidewalks, Trails, Roads, or in any Which Way You Choose. Here are my entries …

Dogs on Trails or Pathways:

Turtles on & Seen from the Trail:

Bugs Encountered on Trails:

For enhanced/enlarged viewing click on each image. 

Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.

GERIATRI’X’ Fotogallery – LITTLE ANIMALS

Dawn’s Which Way: Squirrel Moving Up

———————————————————————-———————————————————

Next week we will be discovering Which Ways (CWWC) with Any type of Signs featured in our Which Ways.

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Any animal in your which way – Part Two

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Locations: 1-9) Rocky Branch Trail; 10 & 12) Goat Island Park and Greenway; 11) The Trailhead Store, Belmont; 13-15) Seventh Street; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

Ringing the Bells

Coleman
Ringing the
Church Bell

“Prayer is the rope that pulls God and man together. But, it doesn’t pull God down to us: It pulls us up to Him.”


— Billy Graham

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church; Eighth Ave; 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.

Wordless Wednesday: 25 June 2025

Backyard Summertime Funtime

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Backyard; Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

One-Liner Wednesday – 25 June 2025

Badge by Laura 
@ riddlefromthemiddle.com

Words for Thought

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

—James 4:8a (NIV)

#1LinerWednesday

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. Enjoy Nature. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CosPhoChal: Welcome Summer’s Floral Blossoms

We didn’t do anything different on the 20th than we would normally do on any other day. Coleman and I enjoy being outdoors and wander through the woods whenever we possibly can. Right now in our area the weather is in the mid to high 90’s, much too hot to be out in the sun for any length of time.

With the heat advisory regarding the extreme heat temperatures, we only go out for short periods at a time. In those short periods Coleman likes to check to see what new blossoms have started blooming. These are some of what we have seen within the past week till now.

Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge Shades of #Pink in the Great Outdoors

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Say hello to Summer

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

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

Sunrise Sunset Throughout the Years

This week Terri has chosen a theme of Sunday Stills: Capturing the #Sun in Public Parklands in the Great Outdoors aiming to celebrate the summer and winter solstices which occurred on the 20th of this month.

Sunrise Sunset reminds me of an old song sung by Perry Como entitled Sunrise Sunset. [My dad loved to listen to Perry Como on 45 rpm records, of which I now own].


“Sunrise sunset, sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as they gaze
Sunrise sunset, sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears”


Sunrise, Sunset” by Perry Como was written by Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick.

The Sunrises and Sunsets flow from day to day and throughout the Years. One season following another, where does all the time go? Days, Years, and Seasons swiftly fly by filled with happiness and tears Like Sunrise Sunset.

Here are a few Sunrises and Sunsets from throughout the years …

2017

Sunset
Pisgah Inn
Pisgah National Forest

Canton, North Carolina

2019

Sunset
Andrew Jackson State Park
Lancaster, SC

2020

2022

Sunset Seven Oaks Preserve Trail
Belmont, North Carolina

2025

Sunrise
Cramerton, North Carolina

For enhanced viewing click on each image to enlarge.

Sunday Stills: Capturing the #Sun in Public Parklands in the Great Outdoors

Photo Credit: ©️2017-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. May your week be filled with love, and Happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monday Portrait: 23 June

A Church’s Guest

Plestiodon fasciatus

The Plestiodon fasciatus, also known as the American Five-lined Skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to North America. It is one of the most common lizards in the eastern U.S. and one of the six native species of lizards in Canada.

Calling it the American five-lined skink to distinguishes it from the African skink Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (otherwise known as five-lined mabuya).

They are small to medium in size, growing to approximately 12.5 to 21.5 centimetres (4.9 to 8.5 in) total length (including tail). The young American Five-lined skinks are dark brown to black with five distinct white to yellow stripes (this one’s are yellowish) running along the body and a bright blue tail. The blue color fades to light blue with age, and the stripes also may slowly disappear.

The range of the American Five-lined skink extends in the north to southern Ontario, Michigan and eastern New York. The western border is in Minnesota, Missouri and eastern Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas. 

P. fasciatus is inclined to be most abundant on the coastal plain in the southeastern United States and along the Gulf Coast.

The American Five-lined skink is a ground-dwelling animal. It prefers moist, hardwood areas with a permanent water source such as rivers or streams, as well as sites to bask in the sun. [The church this skink visited sits along the South Fork Catawba River, so it didn’t have to wander to far to meander inside.]

The common five-lined skink’s diet consists primarily of a variety of arthropods, particularly spiders, crickets, beetles and other insects. However, they have been reported to also eat newborn mice, frogs, and other lizards. [Tiny frogs, beetles, spiders, and other insects are easily found along the banks of the South Fork Catawba River, easy feasts for skinks].

Monday Portrait

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church; Eighth Avenue; By the South Fork Catawba River; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 OWS: Movement

Flying Disc:

Coleman in Motion:

Click on each image for enlarged viewing.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Movement

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

Cameras: 1-2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments; 3-5) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

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

2025 Floral Cell Pic Sunday: 22 June

Canna Toucan® Yellow

(Canna Lily)

Aka Indian Shot ‘Toucan Yellow’
Canna Lily ‘Toucan Lily’

John’s Cell Pic Sunday 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location:The Center; Town of Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

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

2025 Sunday Stills: B/W Pathways in the Great Outdoors

This week’s theme for Terri’s Sunday Stills Photography Challenge is Paths and #Trails in the Great Outdoors. This week’s theme is difficult except in deciding which photos to select for the challenge. Coleman and I go hiking along trails and pathways at least once a week, most times several days out of a week.

For this week’s challenge I have chosen to select images from our latest adventure hiking from The Trailhead Store in black and white.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Paths and #Trails in the Great Outdoors

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

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

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments; Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Pathway around the Big Pond; From The Trailhead Store; The Village at Stowe; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 The Numbers Game #77-198

To play along, go to your photos file folder 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 titleThis prompt will repeat each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog in comments below.

Here are my contributions to the Numbers Game Challenge … Click on photos for enlarged and enhanced viewing.

Judy’s Numbers Game #77-198

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 LAPC #353 – Stormy

This week’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge is hosted by Beth from Wandering Dawgs. She has chosen a theme for this week of Stormy.

Here is my entry for LAPC … Click on image to enlarge.

Thunderstorm
Wilkinson Blvd
Charlotte, NC

Beth’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge-Stormy

Lens-Artist Challenge

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Wilkinson Blvd; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stay safe. Drive carefully. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Sunday Trees: 15 June

Acer saccharum

The Northern Sugar Maple is a deciduous tree in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) native to Eastern and central North America from Canada south through the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and west to Minnesota to northeast Texas.

Aka Hard Maple

Here in North Carolina, it is found in the mountains and sporadically in the Piedmont region. Northern Sugar Maple trees may reach around fifty (50) to one hundred twenty (120) feet tall with a dense, spreading crown that provides heavy shade and grows slowly to medium, although it may grow faster in open areas. It tends to grow best in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic, fertile soil in full sun, but it tolerates average well-drained soils in sun to part shade. 

Aka Northern Sugar Maple

This particular tree is located on the grounds of The Trailhead Store, a property of Daniel Stowe Conservancy. It provides shade for visitors to enjoy a respite from the hot sun and humid heat of a sunny summer day.

Sunday Trees #590

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Trailhead Store; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Have a rest under a shade tree. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 One Word Sunday (OWS) : Looking Down

Last week Debbie had us Looking Up, it was fun to see everyone’s take on Looking Up. This week’s theme is Looking Down. There are many different and interesting things available to see all around us if we only Look and observe what’s all around us.

Coleman and I paid a visit to the expanded and upgraded Daniel Stowe Conservancy, formerly known as The Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. Looking all around the trails surrounding The Trailhead Store at the Conservancy there were some interesting views which we Looked Down upon.

…. Such as the Pond down and slightly to the right of The Trailhead Store.

Looking Down upon the
Reflections in the Pond

…. Or this little Pond with a waterfall surrounded by rocks a short distance away from the Dog Park.

Moving along further down the trail we spot an interesting painting on the pathway with a Trail crossing sign nearby.

Looking Down upon
the painted pathway
before crossing the road.

And lastly for today, I’m Looking Down upon Coleman looking down at something on a bench.

Coleman Looking Down on the Bench while I’m Looking Down the small incline at him.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Looking Down

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

Cameras: 1 & 5-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments; 2-4) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Trailhead Store; Carolina Thread Trail; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 SYD: June 15

Clare from Clare’s Cosmos invites everyone to join her in Sharing Your Desktop (SYD). Below are her suggestions for participating in the Share Your Desktop Challenge .

To do so, simply share the photo (not a screenshot) you have set as your wallpaper; Provide as little or as much detail as you wish; Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun; Then finally, share the fun around.

I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.

Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:

From My HP Laptop:

Desktop Background Wallpaper

Coleman looking over the Pond
by The Trailhead Store
at Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Desktop Screensaver

Color Pop of Coleman
sitting on a Fence Post
on The Carolina Thread Trail
by The Trailhead Store
at Daniel Stowe Conservancy

From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: 

Focus

Coleman
sitting on a Cairn
at Rocky Branch Trailhead

Personal Focus

Coleman
sitting on a Bench
inside a Gazebo
by The Trailhead Store
at Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Reading Focus

Coleman
sitting on a Fence Post
on The Carolina Thread Trail
by The Trailhead Store
at Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Hiking Focus

Coleman
by a
Do Not Enter
Trail Post
on the
Rocky Branch Trail

Click on each image for enlarged viewing.

Share Your Desktop – June 2025

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

Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachment; 2-6) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Locations: 1-2 & 4-5) The Trailhead Store, Daniel Stowe Conservancy, Belmont, North Carolina; 3 & 6) Rocky Branch Trail, Cramerton/Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Having a Wonderful Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Even Trees Spread Love ❤️ for Y’all

“Open hearts see Love everywhere…”

Truth Beckons
Pinterest

If you ever feel down …

… Look at Nature

“Hearts are everywhere
in nature.”

Nell Regar Kartychok

If you ever feel unloved …

… Look to Nature

Nature will distinctly showcase love …

“Rest your heart in nature’s warm, and the deepest love of life
will form.”

Angie Weiland-Crosby

… Remember You are Loved

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Backyard; Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Feel the Love. Nature demonstrates Love in abundance. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Madness (MM) — Naturally or Almost

This week’s host Elke from pictures imperfect blog is asking us to select images that are naturally monochrome. I searched my photos and think I came up with a few that might work for this week’s challenge.

DSBG Dog Park Entrance
Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Belmont, NC
Garden Metal Wind Spinner
The Farmhouse Garden Center
The Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Belmont, NC
Airplane Overhead
in Grey Cloudy Skies
Riverside Park and Greenway
Cramerton, NC
South Fork Catawba River
Riverside Park and Greenway
Cramerton, NC
Mostly Monochrome
Adirondack Bird Feeder
The Farmhouse Garden Center

Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Belmont, NC

Elke’s Monochrome Madness-Naturally Monochrome

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #36 – Naturally monochrome

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

Cameras: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2-5) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Locations: 1-2 & 5) The Farmhouse Garden Center, Daniel Stowe Conservancy, Belmont, North Carolina, USA; 3-4) Riverside Park and Greenway, Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Roads with traffic (vehicles of any kind, Etc. Cars,Bicycles)

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen (CWWC): Roads with traffic (vehicles of any kind; eg. Cars, Bicycles, etc) for this week’s theme. The Traffic in Your Which Ways can be heavy or light as long as your Which Ways are clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here. As always remember to have fun.

There are times Coleman and I run across traffic as we walk to our destination or Trailhead. On Saturday we had to walk along a few different roads (some with sidewalks and some without sidewalks) to reach our intended destination to begin our hike for the day.

Here are my entries for this week’s challenge … from our walk …

Bicycles/Bicyclists:

Cars, SUV’s, and Trucks:

For enhanced/enlarged viewing click on each image.

Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to the Which Way Challenge this past week or at any time. Be sure to check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.

Dawn from The Day After’s Which Way: With Random People

Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Roads with traffic (vehicles of any kind; eg. Cars, Bicycles, etc)

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Lakewood & Eagle Road; 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 Thursday Trios: 12 June —

Trios Flowers & Fungi

Carol’s Thursday Trios

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

Camera: 1-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments; 7-8) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton/Belmont, 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.

2025 Thursday Doors: 12 June — Doors at Daniel Stowe Conservancy (Pt 1)

Shed Door in Woods

Coleman and I went to the Daniel Stowe Conservancy to investigate all their new upgrades and additions to what was once known as the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens (DSBG). Along with the name change, many improvements, upgrades, and additions were added to DSBG.

The Farmhouse Garden Center and The Trailhead Store are just two of the many new developments on the grounds of the Daniel Stowe Conservancy. [I’ll discuss more on these facilities on another later post.] There is also an addition of a Dog Park, additional trails and connecting trails encompassing approximately eight plus (8+) miles of hiking trails on Stowe Property.

Trail Map
Click image to enlarge.

Coleman and I began our hiking adventure from The Trailhead Store. We hiked past an extra small waterfall pond, by the Dog Park and around the Big Pond Loop and then crossed the road to continue hiking on the Carolina Thread Trail.

While walking/hiking on the Conservancy property you’ll encounter some concrete paths, crushed concrete trails, natural trails filled with rocks, roots, rises, falls, switchbacks and changes in elevation which inhabits the feeling of adventure.

It was while hiking along the Carolina Thread Trail portion that we noticed a wooden Shed standing amongst the Trees. I’m not sure what the Shed was once used for, but found it interesting to be almost in the middle of nowhere.

The Shed in the Woods
A closer look at the Shed

No, we didn’t attempt to go inside the Shed. We only glimpsed a look at it from the trail … no off trail wandering for a closer look. No need when I could zoom in for a better view.

Dan’s Thursday Doors-12 June 2025

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Carolina Thread Trail; Daniel Stowe Conservancy (DSBG); Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take a Hike/Walk. Have an adventurous day. Nature is beautiful, admire it. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Whataburger Windows & Doors

Kitty by a Window – 2
— AI creation by PR

Whataburger, an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered and based out of San Antonio, Texas, opened its first North Carolina restaurant in Gastonia on May 29th. The opening of the legendary Texas Burger Chain has been a long wait full of anticipation, full of excitement in the expectation of Whataburger finally becoming a reality in North Carolina.

Whataburger Gastonia

The Grand Opening of the Gastonia River Whataburger is one moment of an exciting full year celebration for Whataburger’s 75th Anniversary year. The residents of North Carolina have been excitedly waiting since around 2022 for a Whataburger to open one of its legendary Texas Burger restaurants.

Gastonia Whataburger
E. Franklin Blvd

What’s all the hype about Whataburger? Whataburger serves fresh never frozen beef patties on 5-inch buns, and craveworthy classics like the Patty Melt and Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit – always made-to-order and fully customizable. They serve a grilled chicken sandwich unlike anything you’ve ever eaten before. It is so delicious, it’s amazingly worth the wait and anticipation of finally being able to order a delicious meal from Whataburger.

Those who have never had anything from a Whataburger before were not sure what all the big excitement and hullabaloo has been about. Well, those of us who have eaten at a Whataburger restaurant before know how awesome, exceptional, and sensational Whataburger food truly is mouthwatering delicious.

The lines to enter Whataburger were extremely long with cars, trucks, and SUV’s back up across the parking lot across the road and then some. The parking for dining in was packed and overflowing into the shopping centre parking lot across the street. Lines were monitored by private security and the Gaston County Sheriff’s Department. There were lines to enter the store with a few parties by allowed in to the store at a time to afford overcrowding.

No need to worry about finding a place to sit. Whataburger had that all planned out with extra sitting outside under a tent set up with plenty of tables and chairs. The Whataburger staff brought our food right out to us and everyone else who chose to eat outside.

The demand was so strong that the Whataburger delivery trucks had a difficult time getting into the location to deliver more products for the much needed restaurant.

Other Views of the New Whataburger…

Monday Window

Monday Window

See Monday Window posts in Reader

Dan’s Thursday Doors

Thursday Doors

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 23

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Whataburger; Gastonia, North 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.

A Restful Peaceful Mellow Feeling

The World in its vastness may not seem a calm and mellow place to find peace and rest. However, there are some amazingly wonderful places out there in this big beautiful world where you can find respite from the hectic stressful times life throws your way.

Moon & World
Planetarium Show at
The Schiele Museum of Natural History

Taking time to get away from every day normalcy is a privilege and often a personal necessity.

I feel the most calm and mellow when I am out in nature camping in my favourite campground away from any and all folks or situations which would be stressful.

My Campsite at
Andrew Jackson State Park

Naturally, a bit of rest in a hammock would be nice and relaxing allowing for me to mellow out and enjoy my time in nature’s outdoors.

Hammock in
Andrew Jackson State Park

Of course, whether I am on my own or with Coleman a hike along a trail is sure to be had. Hiking out among the trees in nature always brings about calmness and tranquility. Our hikes sometimes brings about interesting sights and experiences, like gnomes or even Stitch.

Stitch in
Anne Springs Close Greenway

The Vast Outdoors is where Coleman feels calm, relaxed, and mellow. He dislikes being in doors and much prefers being outside and preferably in the woods surrounded by trees and water.

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #352-Mellow

Weekly Prompts Weekend Colour Challenge-Blue

Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP)-Folk

Photo Credit:©️2019-2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Stay Calm. Mellow out and relax. Take Care. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monday Portrait: 09 June

German Shepherd
on the Trail

Monday Portrait

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Cramerton, North Carolina. USA

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

2025 Rocky Branch Benches

Benches on Rocky Branch Trail

Jude’s Bench Anniversary Challenge-08 June 2025

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 23

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy a hike/walk. Commune with Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cell Pic Sunday: 08 June

Hand Capped

Retiboletus ornatipes
Ornate-stalked Bolete

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-07 June 2025

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Belmont, 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 Which Way Challenge (CWWC): Any Which Way with people

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). This week I have chosen (CWWC): Any Which Way with people for this week’s theme. Your Which Ways can be on any pathway, road, step, bridge, and/or sign as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here. As always remember to have fun. 

Here are my entries for this week’s challenge …

Pathways around Centennial Center with People:

Trails with People:

Remember your Which Ways can be any way one travels, whether on foot, or other means. This week we are focusing on people in our Which Ways. And as always, Be sure to have fun.

For other Which Ways, check out the links below. Thank you to all who contributed to the Which Way Challenges.

Brian from bushboys world’s You’ll find it (down this aisle)

Penn from PENPUSHER 4 – THOUGHTS, WORDS, DEEDS, … Open Road

Dawn from The Day After’s Which Way: Bridge from the Mill Window

Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery’s Yellow – Red – Blue

Cee’s Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)— (CWWC): Any Which Way with people.

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

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

2025 Flower of the Day: 05 June

Echinacea x ‘Cheyenne Spirit’

Cutleaf Coneflowers

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Centennial Center; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take time to admire the Beautiful Flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Madness (MM) — Sites Near Bridges along The Catawba River

Even though this is a free week, I followed Leanne and Brian in posting Bridges for this week’s Monochrome Madness.

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #269

Photo Credit: ©️2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Location: Catawba River; Piedmont Medical Center Trail; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA

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

2025 1-to-3: June —Confluence Outdoor Planter Stand

The challenge is to simply take one photo and get creative with it by processing it in three different ways.

This is a planter stand with a variety of flowers in front of Confluence on Center Street in Cramerton, North Carolina.

Here are the contributions for June 2025:

Original:

Original

Edit One:

Watercolor Magic Effects 2
Pic Collage Photo Editor

Edit Two:

Boho 3 Effect
with increased warmth,
saturation, and vibrance
Pic Collage Photo Editor

Edit Three:

Vintage 10 effect
with expansion to 16:9
Pixlr Photo Editor

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: In front of Confluence; Center Street; Cramerton, North Carolin, USA

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

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 04 June

Click to expand for enhanced viewing

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Home; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Do you remember losing your first tooth? I don’t remember when, but I remember only receiving a quarter a tooth from the “tooth fairy.” Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Monday: 02 June

B/W By the River

While Coleman was enjoying playing in the sand near the South Fork Catawba River, I changed the setting my iPhone to Muted B & W for some shots and Stage Light Mono for taking Portraits of Coleman at play. Enjoy watching Coleman in his element.

Monochrome Monday

Monday Portrait

Monochrome Madness

Monday Monochrome 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Big Sand Pit; By the South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have Fun. Enjoy Nature’s beauty in the great outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 MM #35 — Through the Woods

Monochrome Madness

Leanne Cole has chosen the theme of Woods, Rainforests, and Bushland for this week’s Monochrome Madness Challenge. For Coleman and I, every time we go hiking we are hiking through the woods along one trail or another. These are from our hike on Saturday at Riverside Park and Greenway.

There is a dirt trail a few feet away from the main fishing pier which Coleman loves to hike. A few yards down the trail is a large sand area close to the South Fork Catawba River. It has been raining quite a bit here lately, so the trail was muddy but still doable.

Here you can see Coleman hiking along the muddy dirt trail through the Woods pulling his Little Tike Dump Truck/Excavator. He enjoys playing the sand and this trail and sand pit is conveniently close to our home.

Coleman Hiking
through the Woods
beside the
South Fork Catawba River

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #35-Woods, Rainforests, and Bushland

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

Cameras: 1-2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & UV Lens attachments; 3-6) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Dirt Trail; Beside the South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Macro Monday: 02 June

Orange Coneflower

Common Eastern Bumblebee
on an Orange Coneflower

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera 

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

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

2025 Sunday Trees: 01 June

Chamaecyparis pisifera 

‘Filifera Aurea’
Sawara cypress

Sawara cypress

This is a Golden Threadleaf Sawara Cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’ tree. It is sumptuous, perhaps overly so although lovely to look upon. It has a bold, seamless yellow coat of drooping, thread-like foliage that sits like a huge canary-gold Easter Egg. The brilliant color of the Golden Threadleaf Sawara Cypress appeals to everyone mostly, however, its bold yellowish colour may not be pleasing to some folks.

Chamaecyparis pisifera is one of those species that horticultural humanity has fooled with for a very long time, and it is an easily propagated plant. ‘Filifera Aurea’ is an old cultivar of C. pisifera with tightly compressed needles wrapped around pendulous branchlets hence the name, ‘Threadleaf’, to describe the appearance of the foliage. There is also a cultivar, ‘Filifera’, with the same type of foliage that is a nice quiet green. But ‘Filifera Aurea’ stores some of its excess sugars and starches that form in its needles as a bright gold pigment, a glorious gold pigment, a wild, extravagant, take-your-shoes-off-and-dance gold pigment that has to make any gardener smile, even in the midst of the late winter doldrums.

‘Filifera Aurea’ is a good sized plant, eventually reaching 18-20 feet with age, but retaining a relatively formal, broadly conical shape that adds to its bold statement in the landscape. Chamaecyparis pisifera cultivars perform surprisingly well in the hot, wet southeast and ‘Filifera Aurea’ is no exception. It will happily grow a foot a year, if not overly stressed, in a broad range of soil conditions as long as it has full sun and reasonably regular moisture.

Sunday Trees – #587

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Max Fusion Camera 

Location: C.B. Huss Recreation Complex; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

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