Two Buds of Rhododendron indicum is an Azalea Rhododendron species. Allium stellatum, AKA: the autumn onion, prairie onion, cliff onion, or glade onion, is a North American species of wild onion in the Amaryllidaceae family.American Bison times TwoTwo Hands up from Big Dipper
In a maze one chooses to go this way or that way. Sometimes the way you choose leads to a dead end and sometimes other choices lead you on the path that leads you out of the maze. In life it is similar; we decide which pathway we want to venture on. Sometimes the choices we make lead us to no where and other choices lead us to a more fulfilling path for our lives.
Tiny White CloverTrifolium repens, the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae.Tiny Roly-PolyThe common woodlouse, pillbug, or roly-poly (Armadillidium vulgare). It can roll itself into a ball (thus “pill bug”).Little House Fly – Fannia canicularisSmall FeetSmall/BigSmall Boy with his Small Cars
Please don’t troll on by, stop and have a look. Trolling doesn’t always have a negative connotation. Fishermen troll the waters while trying to catch fish. Bargain Hunters troll Flea Markets and Yard Sales for terrific finds to take home.
This troll I’ve had for a very long time. My small trolls are packed away somewhere in a box. This is a Troll I bought for my daughter when she was a little girl.
Have you ever seen a metal driver’s license? I had never seen one before myself until I started going through my dad’s old photo albums. This particular album had various items my dad saved over the years.
My Dad’s SC Driver’s License Expires June 30, 1957
According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, from 1933 to 1957, motorists were required to carry their South Carolina driver’s license on a stamped brass tag, usually carried on a key ring. This required drivers to turn off the ignition to show an officer their license. The brass tags were not used during the time immediately before and after World War II when metals were scarce.
Expires June 30, 1953 Nornal H. Waters South Carolina Drivers License
The stamped brass South Carolina Driver’s License Tag included the year of expiration on top, followed by the driver’s name, address, city, & state. On the bottom of the Brass Tag is stamped South Carolina Driver’s License.
My dad’s Brass South Carolina Driver’s License tag was definitely an interesting item for me to discover. I have barely started going through this photo album with the various items he saved over the years. Stay tuned for more interesting discoveries.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all so very much.
Double the Warning South Fork River Access McAdenville, North Carolina ( Shot on iPhone 14 Pro Max)It takes 2 to practice Jousting Mallard orwild duck and a White Pekin Duck
My grandson kept watching the skies today. He has amazing vision and can see much better than I, so much so he’ll point to where things are in the vast sky when I can only hear and am unable to see. He recognises the sound of airplanes ✈️ and wants me to capture them on camera. Unfortunately I only had the camera on my iPhone today. You’ll need to click on each photo and look closely by zooming, if necessary, to be able to the various images of aeroplanes.
Italian Arum Botanical name: Arum italicum Other name(s): Italian or Large Cuckoo Pint, Italian Lords-and-Ladies Family: Araceae Edible: no, all plant parts are toxic.In early summer, white spathes of flowers are followed by spikes of bright orange red berries. Noteworthy Characteristics: Note that the berries may cause severe discomfort or illness if ingested. Contact with sap may irritate skin.
Venus Fly TrapThe Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorousplant native to subtropical wetlands on the East Coast of the United States in North Carolina and South Carolina.The English botanist John Ellis, who gave the plant its scientific name in 1768, wrote that the plant name tippitywichit was an indigenous word from either Cherokee or Catawba.
These particular Venus Fly Trap plants are on display in an aquarium in The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Gastonia, North Carolina.
3 Jolly Ball Horse Toy Hung in the Goat Area The Schiele Museum Farm Gastonia, North Carolina Trio of Picnic Tables Anne Springs Close Greenway Dairy Barn Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina Three Grazing Horses Anne Springs Close Greenway Dairy Barn Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina A Trio of Donkeys Anne Springs Close Greenway Dairy Barn Entrance Fort Mill, South Carolina
Location: Natural Amazement, The Schiele Museum of Natural History’s Nature Trail, The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Gastonia, North Carolina
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Natural Amazement with Coleman and myself. I appreciate y’all.
After a week of solid rainfall Coleman and I were itching to get outside to roam around in nature. It was decided on Friday that we should be adventurous, after errands were completed. Our errands took us down to Lancaster which is an hour and a half away from our current home. Coleman was being extremely patient, he deserved a break on the way make home. Therefore, to relieve his itch to run around, we stopped at one of his favorite places.
What is that favorite place, you ask? It is the expansive Anne Springs Close Greenway. It was an extremely hot 🥵 and humid summer day. We walked around along the trails, across the swinging bridge, and up to the Wildflower Meadow to observe which flowers were thriving.
Rudbeckia hirta L. AKA: Black-eyed Susan, Common Black-eyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, Blackeyed Susan Asteraceae (Aster Family)
These coneflowers are common in the Mountains and the western Piedmont of the Carolinas. They are abundantly growing throughout the Greenway’s grounds.
We took a short break for a bite to eat at the Greenway’s Canteen. Enjoying the cool air was nice, but Coleman was itching for a different kind of relief from the hot 🥵 sunny summer weather. What kind of relief do you think he was desiring?
He was itching to get relief splashing in the water at the Greenway’s Spillway. The Spillway was low, however, it still produced enough water flowing across for many to cool 😎 off and enjoy a splashing 💦 wonderfully amazing good time. Coleman delighted in sloshing and splashing through the Spillway’s water 💦.
Lagerstroemia indicathe crape myrtle (also crepe myrtle, crêpe myrtle, or crepeflower)It is a species of flowering plant in the genus Lagerstroemia of the family Lythraceae. It is an often multi-stemmed, deciduous tree with a wide spreading, flat topped, rounded, or even spike shaped open habit. The tree is a popular nesting shrub for songbirds and wrens.
The Misadventures to our Adventures began on Late Sunday morning, 2023 June 25th. Deciding not to use to much of my daughter’s gas (No car of my own), I chose to take my grandson to the South Fork Trail and Blueway Access to do some hiking. However, when we arrived, we encountered the Danger Trail Closed signs preventing us from hiking the South Fork Trail.
Upon seeing the Danger Trail Closed signs, we climb back into the car, and I search for where to go next to try to accomplish our hike for the day. I looked up the Carolina Thread Trail and it was closed for the day as well. The next stop on our Misadventure to Adventures was the McDonald Field at the Pharr Family YMCA. There didn’t appear to be a trail that we could hike at that location just a short Fit-Trail. Therefore, we decided to get back in the car and figure out where to try next.
Pharr Family YMCA(c)Deb L. Waters
After a short drive Coleman and I arrive at our fourth destination of the day, The South Fork River Park. This location looked more promising. So once again we climb out of the car, load ourselves with our backpacks (mine with camera equipment, his with snacks) and proceed to locate the trailhead. We found the trailhead with no problems and proceeded to hike on the natural surface trail which was approximately 1.25-mile loop trail and also included 800 feet of river frontage. The day was hot and humid; however, I believe Coleman enjoyed his time hiking by the riverfront.
Coleman enjoyed hiking by the river. He probably would have liked it better if I had allowed him to get in the river, but we were not prepared for that adventure. Even though this was a wonderful adventure, our day was not over yet.
On our way back to the car, Coleman heard some noise and thought we should investigate what was making the bleat or baaing sound. Located just across the road from the parking lot was a farm with several goats. I was not sure at first how close to allow Coleman to get to the goats. Turns out the farmer was out in the yard and heard Coleman approaching the gated area. The farmer was friendly and gave permission for him to pet the goats. He liked that idea but was a little shy about doing so.
This turned out to be a pleasant day even though it started out with a few mishaps. Once back in the car, the afternoon was still bright and calling for more adventure. I drove us to another park for more hiking and adventure. I will leave those tells for another day.
North 321 Vol. Fire Dept. Coleman peeping in the Firetruck DoorColeman checking out the inside of Firetruck Equipment DoorA Four year old telling Coleman all about what is kept in this Equipment DoorColeman investigating the Firetruck Generator Door A Look at Coleman through a Firetruck DoorInside a Firetruck Door, Who do we see? Coleman Smiling Ear to Ear
Gaillardia pulchella AKA: firewheel, Indian blanket, Indian blanketflower, or sundance It is a North American species of short-lived perennial or annual flowering plants in the sunflower family.The common name, Indian Blanket, may refer to the resemblance of the inflorescence to the brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans, or to the ability of wild taxa to blanket the ground with colonies.
For Coleman and me, The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium is just a short jaunt of a bus ride away. The bus stop is an even shorter jaunt away from our place than the Planetarium.
Bus StopColeman
The following is what we saw at the Planetarium when we jaunted out for an amazing adventure.
Trifolium pratense, red clover, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalized in many other regions.
Interesting Facts:
Red clover is a good pollen and nectar source for bumblebees.
Red clover’s flowers and leaves are edible, and can be added as garnishes to any dish.They can be ground into a flour.
The flowers often are used to make jelly and tisanes, and are used in essiac recipes. Their essential oil may be extracted and its unique scent used in aromatherapy.
It is widely grown as a fodder crop, valued for its nitrogen fixation, which increases soil fertility. For these reasons, it is used as a green manure crop.
Slender Vervain is a perennial that spreads by rhizomes and is native to South America. Is an annual north of zone 7 but needs winter protection in that zone. It has naturalized from southeastern North Carolina to Florida and is very tolerant of heat and drought.
These Verbena rigida are in the garden in front of The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Coleman trekking along the trails at Crowders Mountain State Park Kings Mountain, North Carolina
It was a beautiful day for hiking until the rains came pouring down. Luckily Coleman and I completed our hike and were headed to the car before the rains began pounding down upon us.
These Vintage Oars and Paddles are just a few of the ones on display at the Warlick YMCA located in Gastonia, North Carolina. These evoke the memories of summers on the lake canoeing and kayaking and having the most fabulous time of one’s life.
The Weekend Sky changed throughout the day as my Grandson, Coleman, and I were hiking 🥾. By the time we were finishing our hike around the Lake at Crowders Mountain State Park; the gray clouds started rolling across the sky and later the rains 🌧️ began pouring down upon us.