Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography
This blog is for my insights on life, the Bible, hiking adventures with my grandson and whatever is important to me
All photos were taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina back October of 2017 when my eldest son and I took a scenic drive on the Parkway to delight and enjoy the amazingly beautiful autumn views.
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) Saturday Challenge
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
God Bless. Thank you! I appreciate y’all.
My entries for Cee’s FOTD Challenge. I hope you enjoy them.
God Bless. Thank you! I appreciate y’all.
I think this is my favorite photo from today’s hike. Captured with my iPhone 13 Pro Wide Camera — 26mm f1.5.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
God bless. Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate y’all.
Thank you! Remember I appreciate y’all.
Nature Trail
God Bless. Thank you! Remember I appreciate y’all.
Tuesday Ramblings with Coleman through the woods and across the meadows we went hiking and traversing through nature observing God’s beauty and marvelous creativity.
The following link is to a video of our Tuesday Rambling hike Coleman, and I enjoyed together.
http://www.relive.cc/view/v8qVBnmNd3q
God Bless. Enjoy nature. Get Outdoors. Go for a walk or a hike and spend time with a friend. Thank You! I appreciate y’all. Hope you enjoyed your visit and come again soon.
This is Love the Greenway month for the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Today, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend time at the Greenway with my grandson, Coleman. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, with no rain in sight. It was truly a blessing to get ourselves outdoors to enjoy nature and do a little bit of hiking.
Anne Springs Close Greenway has 2,100 acres to enjoy and explore. It is a natural preserve that offers activities such as hiking, horseback riding, biking, picnics, and much more. They have 36 miles of hiking trails that can be used for hiking, biking, and /or horseback riding.
The Greenway also has a 28-acre lake. Lake Haigler has a fishing dock for those who like to fish. If you wish to fish at the lake, you must possess a South Carolina fishing license. The lake has beautiful views to enjoy, Geese swim freely upon the lake and occasionally come out of the water to greet you. You can observe turtles sunning on logs, or you can rent a kayak for an adventure of your own on the lake.
The top ten things to do at the Greenway for an enjoyable day with friends, family, or by yourself are as follows:
Our afternoon hiking in the Greenway took place at the Lake Haigler Entrance. We started our hike by the canteen and proceeded walking down to Lake Haigler. It was a beautiful sun shiny day. We walked part way around the lake, past the kayaks, and over to the spillway, traversing the Billy Walk and Wagon Loop trails. We took a short jaunt on Muscadine Trail and back to Wagon Loop and Billy Walk. Then we hiked over to the Swinging Bridge where my grandson ran back and forth across the bridge. The swinging didn’t faze him at all this trip. The first time he walked on it he was scared, but that was a year ago.
God Bless. Get outdoors. Stop by the Anne Springs Close Greenway if you get to the Fort Mill, South Carolina area. If you, do you won’t be sorry. You’ll have a fantastic time. Thank You for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
A different perspective of trails at Andrew Jackson State Park. Black and white captures of wooden portions of the lake trail.
Have a blessed day! Always good to look 👀 at things differently occasionally. Brings about new perspectives and admiration for the beauty around us.
My grandson, Coleman loves to be in the outdoors. He loves to hike through the meadows, forests, or wherever you’ll let him wander.
And off we go on our Monday meanderings. It is a bright sun shiny day. Beautiful morning to spend hiking in nature. Upon entering the trail by our home, we come across the chickens letting us know they roaming free range today.
Let’s hurry on by……Don’t want to get pecked.
We came across down tree branches from the latest rain/windstorms. Bright blue skies, puddles, and an old shed were among our discoveries today.
Coleman decided to check his height against a stack in the middle of the meadow. Now on to more discoveries and enjoying being outdoors.
On the way back, a turn, a smile, more puddles, and an interesting metal squirrel.
Do you think the hike tired him out? No way, he was still full of energy and ready for some swinging.
I hope your day was filled with God’s beauty and were able to enjoy some warmth from the sun shining down upon you. Always know the Son, Jesus Christ, is shining upon your day.
God bless. Try to Get Outdoors, enjoy nature, and be amazed by all that God has created. Remember I appreciate y’all very much. Feel free to like, comment, and follow.
Visited: July 2020 Duration: 2 hours
McDowell Nature Preserve is the largest public park in the Charlotte -Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. It spans hundreds of acres along Lake Wylie’s eastern shore. The preserve encompasses a nature center, hiking trails, onsite camping and public boating access. It also contains an untouched piedmont prairie restoration and bird sanctuary. When I visited the preserve the Nature Center was closed due to COVID-19 guideline restrictions.
The Preserve has more than seven miles of hiking/walking trails that anyone can enjoy. The is one paved trail which is accessible to those in wheelchairs and strollers. You can spend a short time at the preserve or all day. There is a tremendous about of things to see and do. It is an appropriate outdoor activity for families and people of any age.
Dogs are welcomed at the Preserve but must remain on a 6-foot or shorter leash at all times. There are doggy stations in various locations for dog owners to use and dispose of their dog’s waste. Remember when in nature…what you bring in you must also carry out.
There are trail signs to help guide you along you hike. There is also a downloadable map online. Public restrooms are available at the large shelters, the nature center, campground, and waterfront. There is also a shaded playgrounds and a variety of picnic areas for use on a first come first serve basis. If you desire to ride a bicycle through the Preserve you will be restricted to the paved roads. The dirt trails are reserved for walkers and hikers and are not well suited for bicycles.
The McDowell Nature Center is a proud member of the North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers. Feel free to visit the Preserve if you are ever in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. It is a great place to get outdoors, walk, hike, or just relax and enjoy the views.
As always thank you! I appreciate y’all. Feel free to like, comment, and follow.
We are still twelve days away from it officially being Spring, but we have been enjoying springtime weather here in the Carolinas. Since morning was so beautiful, my grandson and I went for a short hike in the woods near our home. My grandson, Coleman loves the outdoors. He would rather spend all day outside having fun than cooped up in the house when it rains. Coleman loves to hike, so into the woods we went.
I’ve been studying about Walking with Jesus and sharing my thoughts with y’all. One thing I’ve learned is Walking and Talking with Jesus can take place anywhere, anytime, and while we are doing anything. Walking and talking with Jesus while hiking with my grandson is natural and beautiful. Being in nature amazing and I Praise God for all He has created, the trees, the woods, the deer, the heavenly sky and even the rain when it comes. God created it all and I am in awe of HIs mighty power, His creativity, and His love.
As we began our journey today, we first encountered the chickens. The chickens and beautiful creatures, sometimes they can be noisy but not today. My grandson loves to stop and observe them anytime we go for a hike. I allow Coleman to lead the way. I try my best to keep up with him. He has so much more energy than I do. I don’t know where he gets it all.
Next up was a boat, a shed, and a solar powered contraction (I’m not actually sure what it was or what it was for), and a deer stand. We came across more than one deer stand as we traversed through the woods. Did I say Deer stand? Besides hiking Coleman loves to climb. Height is no problem for him, he seems fearless. Now on the other hand, I am fearful he might fall sometime when he is climbing, especially when he decides to climb really tall deer stands as shown in the next photo collage.
I’m not sure if you can picture the height of the deer stand, and I’m not sure what its height is, but it’s super tall. So, you can imagine why I might be a tad bit fearful of him falling. Thankfully he hasn’t ever fallen yet, and I pray it stays that a way.
My grandson loves to pick up sticks. He loves to use them as hiking sticks. He knows that I have a hiking stick I use when I go to State Parks or Greenways to hike. He mimics me in that aspect. I’m thrilled he enjoys the outdoors so much. I hope he will always love the outdoors and being in nature. I pray he will one day realize that nature, the outdoors if all a part of God’s miraculous design.
While walking and talking with each other and talking with Jesus I used an app called Relive. The app tracks our distance and records any pictures taken through the app. At the end of the hike, a video can be created of your hike or whatever activity of your choosing. We hiked just under a mile at 0.7 miles today. Not too bad for hiking with a two-year-old. The following link is the video created by the Relive app of our hiking adventure today.
www.relive.cc/view/vDqgM1LW7GO
God bless. I trust you have enjoyed our hiking adventures. Remember you are able to Walk and Talk with Jesus anytime, anywhere, no matter what you are doing, God is always willing to listen.
It was such a beautiful sunshiny day. The Sun ☀️ glistening over the pasture as deer grazed in our sights. God blesses us with wonderful views of nature and his creations right from our own backyard. Isn’t God great? God is Good.
Whatever your day was like, I trust you had a blessed day. Know that you are beautiful. You are loved.
God bless. Remember I appreciate y’all. Feel free to like, comment, and follow. Thank you!
God Bless. Be happy. Listen and Learn. Nature and Deer 🦌 are God’s creatures too. Learn from them. Do not be afraid. You are beautiful. You are Loved.
This is the fifth and final segment on “Would you rather go camping or to the beach? Why?”We’ve discussed the advantages and disadvantages of going to the beach. We’ve deliberated about the advantages and disadvantages of going camping. In this segment we’ll compare the advantages and disadvantages of going to the beach with those of going camping. And in conclusion I’ll let y’all know where I would rather go.
There are many amazing and exciting benefits of going to the beach 🏖 and of going camping 🏕. It’s up too you to decide which benefits are best for you. Now to see the comparison of the similarities between going to the beach and going camping.
The benefits of going to the beach and going camping are similar in the following ways:
Similarities between the disadvantages of going to the beach and going camping are:
Do the similarities make it more difficult to choose between the beach or camping or easier? If not, maybe the differences between to two will help you decide which you would prefer. The following is a list of differences that going to the beach has that camping does not.
Beach Benefits:
Beach Disadvantages:
What Camping has to offer that the Beach does not.
Camping Benefits:
Camping Disadvantages:
My list may or may not be similar to your list for the advantages and disadvantages of going to the beach as compared to going camping, however, that is perfectly alright. I encourage you to make your own lists, weight the pros and cons of each, and decide for yourself or with your family which is a better fit.
In conclusion, what do I prefer? When I was younger, I lived closer to the beach and went often. I used to play volleyball and go waterskiing. It was lots of fun. I often went with friends or met my church youth group there. My junior high and high school summers were usually spent at church camp. My youth group did not go to “Christian” campgrounds for the most part. Instead, my youth pastor took us to state or national parks. Those were some fabulous times communing with nature and being with friends.
I’m not so young anymore and do not live close to the beach. The beach is a minimum of a three-hour drive if not longer depending on the beach. There are plenty of local or fairly close state and national campgrounds with easy access for camping. I fell in love with the outdoors and nature as a teenager and that is the choice, I prefer to this day. And in case you were wondering, I still tent camp and love it.
I love to cook over a blazing campfire day or night. Cooking breakfast, lunch, and supper every day is terrific. It might take work to build the campfire and keep it stoked, but it so worth it.
God Bless. Go Camping. Go to the Beach. Just get away and get outdoors. Enjoy the fresh air and the night sky. Have fun.
Please like, comment, and follow. I appreciate y’all.
Andrew Jackson State Park is a wonderful place to spend outside whether it is for a day trip or for camping. It is one of 47 State Parks, Historic Sites, Resort Park, and Recreational area within the State of South Carolina. These areas are protected by the South Carolina State Park Service.
There are many interesting areas and fun activities to do in the State Park. From visiting an old schoolhouse similar to what Andrew Jackson would have attended, to various statues like the Boy of the Waxhaws. A museum is on site which includes the campground office and a small gift shop. There are 2 hiking trails with a length of one mile each. 1 trail begins at the meeting house and the other begins to the left of the fishing dock. The second trail is the one I use the most. It makes a loop around the lake with a moderate dirt path.
Other activities that you could choose to do would be to go fishing, canoeing, row a boat on the lake, enjoy the gardens, and camp in one of the sites in the campground. There are 25 camp sites available to rent. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. When I visited on Saturday with my grandson only a few sites were open for rent. Reservations can be made online and there is a discount for seniors 65+. There is also a playground children can use to play. I know my grandson loves to play on the playground.
The State Park has two picnic shelters that can be rented out to groups or family gatherings. The Friends of Andrew Jackson along with the State Park host an annual Andrew Jackson Birthday Celebration. The celebration is free with park admission. It is a day filled with reenactments, living history demonstrations, and a chance to learn more about Andrew Jackson, our Seventh President of the United States. For the past two years the celebrations had to be cancelled due to CDC guidelines and the Covid-19 pandemic. In years past, I have helped with the various needs and planning which takes place to make the celebration a success. This year it is taking place on March 19, 2022, from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
In November, Life in the Waxhaws Lantern tour is held in the evening usually beginning around 6:00 pm and lasting until approximately 7:30 pm. It is wise to bring flashlights with you if you plan to attend the tour. Tour groups are lead every 30 minutes. The Lantern Tour is designed so you can understand what life was like back in the 18th century. Each event gives you a glimpse of what it was like for Andrew Jackson and the events that helped shape the community.
While you walk or hike around the park you might have chance encounters with animals that roam the park. Bicycles are allowed on the paved roads throughout the park. Whatever your mode of transportation you choose, you’ll love getting around the park and enjoy the serene atmosphere of being in nature.
God Bless. Get outdoors and enjoy nature. Visit State Parks. Visit Andrew Jackson State Park whenever you travel through South Carolina. I know you’ll be glad you did. It is a wonderful experience.
I trust you enjoyed seeing my visit to Andrew Jackson State Park. Till next time, Stay safe. Stay Healthy. Enjoy Living.
Words and Photos are mine @gfpacificbee.
Welcome to Part Four of Would you rather go camping or to the beach? So far, we have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of going to the beach and the advantages of going camping. Today we’ll discover some of the disadvantages of going camping.
Camping will be fun they say…. It’ll be great, you’ll see. Nobody tells you in advance how much work goes into camping. First of all, you need to decide what kind of camping you are going to do. Are you going to be tent camping? Are you going to camp in a recreational vehicle? If you do not have the equipment or the RV, you’ll either need to purchase them or rent them.
Disadvantages of Camping:
Before you go camping, you’ll need to decide if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and if it is the right thing for you to do. You’ll also need to plan ahead. Decide which type of camping you’ll be doing, what equipment you’ll need, and what food to bring along with you. You’ll also need to decide if you’ll be going alone or bringing family and/or friends along. Whatever you decide, plan on having fun.
God Bless. Get Outdoors and enjoy nature. Have fun and don’t forget to bring the sunscreen. Please feel free to like, comment, and follow. I appreciate y’all.
Camping is an outdoor activity which involves staying overnight away from home. One could camp without any shelter or use basic shelter such as a tent or a recreational vehicle. A person or group of people could camp for one night or several nights, possibly a week or longer.
Camping as a recreational activity became popular around the early 20th century. Campers tend to frequent public natural resources such as national and state parks, wilderness areas, and commercial campgrounds. Campers leave the cities or other developed areas to spend time in nature and to pursue activities that provide enjoyment for them like canoeing, hiking, nature walks, or just relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere.
The health benefits of camping are extensive for adults and children alike. The following is a list of benefits you can gain from camping.
There are many other benefits of camping, regardless of whether you go camping by yourself, with your family, or a group of friends. Camping simply stated makes you happier. I know I am much more relaxed when I’m camping than when I’m cooped up in a home.
God Bless. Stay tuned for the next segment of Would you rather go camping or go to the beach. We’ve discussed the advantages of camping, therefore, next time we’ll elaborate on the disadvantages of going camping. No matter what your choice is camping or the beach, get outdoors. Enjoy the sunshine, commune with nature, bond with your family. Be sure to unplug occasionally, you’ll feel better for doing so.
The Lindsay Pettus Greenway located in Lancaster, South Carolina is a fairly new greenway having opened to the public not quite two years ago on November 21, 2020. The Greenway is honored to be a segment of the Carolina Thread Trail. The Thread Trail is a developing network of regional greenways, trails, and blueways reaching millions of people in 15 counties across North and South Carolina. The Thread Trail is committed to preserving natural areas and is designed to be a place for exploring nature, culture, science, and history.
The Greenway was established to enable residents a safe space to enjoy being outdoors. It was envisioned as a place for accessibility to public art. It has a tunnel underpass with an exquisite “Nature’s Delight “ mural. I was not able to see the mural on my visit this time, but plan on seeing it on my next visit.
Currently the Lindsay Pettus Greenway has three trail access points. Comporium Communications Trail Access is located at 459 Colonial Drive. Parking is available across the road to the entrance in the Lancaster High School football visitors lot. This is the trail access point that I used on my visit Saturday with my grandson.
The Founder’s Federal Credit Union Trail Access is located at 610 E. Meeting Street. Parking is available behind the Barr Street Learning Center. This access has a tree canopy, covered bike rack, and a family friendly rest area.
There are also Neighborhood and Downtown Access Points which make connection to local businesses, schools, and downtown. These access points, however, do not contain public parking. This access points are:
Phase One of the Greenway is fully open to the public with additional phases in progress. This first phase is 2 miles in length. It mostly consists of pavement and boardwalk. It has 0.3 miles of natural path that you can walk. The path is 10 feet wide and is easily accessible to everyone of all abilities.
Greenway’s are excellent areas, located in local communities, to get outdoors and safely go for a walk, jog, or bicycle ride. The only motorized vehicles allowed are motorized wheelchairs. They are areas to explore nature and learn about the environment without needing to travel a great distance. They encourage physical fitness by providing accessible paths to enjoy.
I encourage everyone to get outdoors and enjoy nature. Visit a Greenway near you soon. God Bless. Stay Safe. Enjoy Life.
If you find yourself near Lancaster, South Carolina feel free to come visit, walk, run, or ride on the Lindsay Pettus Greenway. You’ll enjoy the views and get a fantastic physical workout at the same time.
The weather is warming up and spring is approaching. Are you enjoying spring like weather? Or perhaps where you’re at you’re still in the midst of crazy winter weather. No matter which I hope you’re able to enjoy some quality outdoor time.
Outside watching my grandson enjoy playing is a wonderful thing. I love ❤️ to see him enjoying himself. The smile 😊 on his face, his energetic enthusiasm, lifts my spirit.
God bless. Be energetic. Be full of life. Have fun.
Please feel free to like, comment, and follow. I appreciate y’all.
Deer come a traversing through the yard almost every day here. We enjoy watching them, at least my grandson does. He can sense whenever they’re in the yard and runs up to the sliding glass door yelling Dee, Dee. He doesn’t quite day deer 🦌 yet but he tries.
Hope you enjoyed today’s deer 🦌 sittings.
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Nature’s wild animals enjoyed from the comforts of own backyard.
What does your ideal day look like? Ideal is a standard of perfection. It can exist as a mental image or concept of what you perceive to be perfect for you. What one person imagines their perfect ideal day to be can be totally different than what you or I think would be a perfect day. An ideal day would consist of all your required or desirable elements, or characteristics wish to have as part of your day. What are some of the elements that you would need to exist to enable your day to be perfect?
What would my ideal day look like? What are some of the qualities that would facilitate my day to become ideal? I love to have peace and tranquility in my day. My ideal day would begin by rising to the sunrise welcoming me to the great outdoors. In my ideal day I would be walking through the trees, the forest and watching the sun’s reflection off the water at Andrew Jackson State Park. It is my favorite place to commune with nature and enjoy a peaceful, calm, relaxing day. After a nice enjoyable walk around the lake, I would be relaxing in my camping chair reading a book. For me reading helps calm my mind and releases tensions and anxiety. Ending my day would be reclining by a serene, peaceful campfire eating a meal cooked over the open fire. That would be genuinely satisfying.
I enjoyed reflecting on my ideal day. Hope you enjoyed my day with me. Let me know what your ideal day would be like. Please like, follow, and or comment. I would love to hear from y’all.
I have more than one favorite photo if that is even possible. This photo was taken at my favorite place to visit, hike, and camp. The place that I like to spend my free time when possible is at Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster, South Carolina. I enjoy walking around the lake and enjoying the sun reflecting off the water and the “visitors” that, sometimes, show off their beauty. The lake is where I like to spend time in nature, reflect on my life. It is the place I enjoy observing the beauty and wonders which God has created.
Why do I consider this photo my favorite? I love how the sun is reflected off the water and the visibility of the water ripples. I photograph the lake and the nature trails each and every time I visit the state park. No two photos are ever alike and the views even though the same are different. It might be the same location, but the glimmering of the sun is different on each visit.
To find out more about the lake or about Andrew Jackson State Park, visit https://southcarolinastateparks.com/andrew-jackson .
This post is one of several I am posting as part of the bloganuary challenge. Feel free to like, comment, and or share my blog with your friends. #bloganuary
Parades made a good subject this week Deb
[…] CWWC: Any Which Way with People […]
Thank you Dan! Happy New Year to you!
I love the photo of Coleman on the cart! Happy New Year, Deb.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 
Thank you Brian! Next week is a “free week” (your choice). Mine will be some from our mini vacay.