2025 Wordless Wednesday: 23 April

Canada Goose
Streaming through the
South Fork Catawba River

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #266

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; 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 Cee’s Flower of the Day: 22 April

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

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

God Bless. Take time to enjoy the beautiful flowers. Enjoy a walk. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CFFC/Numbers Game — Air Travel through the Years

For this post I am combining Dan’s CFFC-Air Travel with Judy’s Numbers Game #69-190. While searching through my photos and archives to find which selections I might like to choose, there’s so many from years back to present it is difficult to limit my choices. Therefore, I decided to combine the two challenges to show y’all some of what I’ve seen in the manner of Air Travel through the years.

Judy with Life Lessons gives us the option of picking a word or words instead of numbers, so that is exactly what I have chosen to do. Dan with No Facilities hosts CFFC (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge) with themes focusing on Transportation. This week’s CFFC theme is focusing on Air Travel . Therefore, my focus for the combined challenges is on Air Travel through the Years.

Let’s begin our Air Travel way back in 1976 … for an amazing Air show by the Thunderbirds.

Moving onto 1984 … we pay a visit to the San Diego Air & Space Museum when my dad took my eldest son to the museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, California.

Nornal H. Waters (my dad)
and his grandson, John
1984

From San Diego, we travel to Tucson, Arizona to the Pima Air & Space Museum. This is one of the many stops my parents took on a cross country road trip in 1985. My dad loved anything to do with automobiles, trains, and airplanes.

We progress to 1987 with a visit to March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California. This was an outing my husband and I enjoyed with our son for him to see the many military Airplanes the museum had on display.

Terry Leon Wilson,
and our son John
1987

Flying way up high in the sky; Up, Up, and Away in Hot Air Balloons we watch the many Hot Air Balloons at the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2002.

Transporting ourselves from one coast to another and through the years we arrive in 2011 at MMS Aviation in Coshocton, Ohio. MMS Aviation is a Christian organization whose mission is to prepare people and airplanes for worldwide missionary service. Friends of ours told my daughter and I about a museum they have we could visit and view the different aircrafts used by missionaries.

Jumping or rather soaring into a new decade to 2023, my daughter, grandson (Coleman) and I stop at the local Gastonia Municipal Airport. Coleman was excited and overwhelmed to be able to see the Airplanes up close. We went into the office to make sure it was okay for him to see the aircraft and were pleased to have one of the pilots give us a tour. She explained about the aircraft and even allowed Coleman to sit in one of the Airplanes.

There are many others I could have selected, however, I think these give a nice variety to Air Travel through the Years.

Dan’s CFFC-Air Travel

Judy’s Numbers Game #69-190

Throwback Thursday

God Bless. Stop on by Friday for the next Which Way Challenge (CWWC) which will be featuring Any Unpaved Roads or Pathways. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monday Window: 21 April

Kitty by a Window – 2 — AI creation by PR

We were able to capture a view of this green Gremlin shortly before it pulled out of the Cruz-In parking lot. I never really considered Gremlins antique before or even seen them in car chows before.

AMC Gremlin’s hatchback

The AMC (American Motors Corporation) Gremlins were introduced in 1970 and were manufactured in the United States between 1970-1978. It was manufactured and marketed in a single two-door body style. The Gremlin was classified as an economy car and competed with the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto, as well as imported cars including the Volkswagen Beetle and Toyota Corolla.

Considering that antique automobiles need to be a minimum of twenty-five (25) – forty-five years old, depending on organization, to be determined an antique; the Gremlins would fit the definition to be classified as an antique.

Monday Window

See Monday Window posts in Reader

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: 8th Street; Downtown Town of Cramerton; 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 Monday Portrait: 21 April

Domestic Greylag Goose

Domestic Geese

Monday Portrait

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Telephoto

Location: Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm; Greenway Stables Entrance ; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

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

2025 Silent Sunday: 20 April

Silent Sunday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Telephoto Camera

Location: Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church; 151 Eighth Avenue ; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

Spring Festival 2025: Along the South Fork Catawba River

Spring Flowers are springing up up and down the river and riverbanks. Coleman and I took a walk on Friday to Riverside Park and Greenway, I was amazed at all the beautiful flowers sprouting into bloom.

Here are some of the flowers we came across that are starting to blossom. There are signs that indicate other flowers will blossom in the next week or so.

The Green Arrow Arum should begin blooming in the next two-three weeks, about the same timeframe as the Spider Lilies.

Spring Festival 2025-Week #5

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 15

God Bless. Take time to enjoy the Beauty in Nature. Be thankful for your blessings. Have a wonderful week ahead. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

One-to-Three Water Abstracts

Spending much time at the river is a wonderful opportunity for water abstracts and one-to-three photo processing.

Here are my contributions:

Original –
South Fork Catawba River
Goat Island Park and Greenway
Watercolor/Grainy smoke effects
Portrait 6/Grain2 effects
PicCollage app
Watercolor 2 Magic Effects
PicCollage

Ragtag Daily Prompt-SATURDAY: ABSTRACT

One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge-April 2025

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm and Altura CPL & 4-Star filter attachments

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Happy Easter to y’all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Cell Pic Sunday: 20 April

Canada Geese

at the River

Canada Geese
South Fork Catawba River
Goat Island Park and Greenway

John’s CellPic Sunday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 LAPC #344: Abandoned

Anne is the host for this week’s Lens-Artist Challenge with the theme of Abandoned

Thinking about what I might want to use for this challenge took some thinking on my part. Then it took some searching through my archives to find exactly what I was looking for to use. The first set of photos are shared photos from a private group I belong to on Facebook called I Remember Springs Park, Lancaster, SC. These images show what the Abandoned Springs Park Pool looks like in recent years.

This next group of images are from a time when my family along with my dad’s brother’s and sister’s families and my dad’s aunts and uncles as well as my dad’s parents all met up at Springs Park to enjoy a summer day filled with fun, swimming and picnicking in the park.

Springs Park has been abandoned since its closure in 1989 and the property is in a state of total disrepair. Springs Recreation Park opened in 1924 and operated until 1989. In its heyday, it was a popular amusement park destination for local residents. It offered a variety of recreational activities, including swimming in an Olympic-style swimming pool, skating in an outdoor skating rink, it had its own bowling alley, miniature golf course and amusement park rides for children of all ages to enjoy.

The Olympic-style pool (16 feet deep) was half-surrounded by an ancient Greek-style amphitheater with a triple-decker high dive platform. It has been stated that the amphitheater was made to house 5,000 onlookers. The Springs Park also featured a Carousel, a small Ferris Wheel and a mini train. I remember the Park also had a “kiddie” pool alongside the Olympic-style swimming pool.

I was young at the time we visited the Park and remember playing in the “kiddie” pool with my younger cousins. I didn’t get to visit Springs Park often because we only visited it when we came to the Carolinas to visit my dad’s family. I still remember getting together with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and having a fabulous fun-filled day playing, swimming, and simply enjoying time with family.

Bonus: My Family at Springs Park

My dad took the photos and it appeared our immediate family didn’t get a group photo.

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge-Abandoned

Throwback Thursday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Photo Credit: ©️1963 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) for all but the abandoned photos.

Location: Springs Recreation Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a blessed Easter and a funtastic Spring Break (if you’re able to have one). 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 (CFFC) Trains and/or Trolleys

Welcome back to the Which Way Challenge (CWWC). It is that time of the week again and here we go. For this week’s Which Way Challenge I am combining it with Dan’s CFFC (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge) with the theme of Any Which Way with (CFFC) Trains and/or Trolleys. You may also include any Vehicle traveling Which Way on Railroad Tracks as seen here in a few of my images.

Here are my entries for this week’s challenge:

Thank you to all who have participated in the Which Way Challenge. For other Which Ways check out the following links.

Brian’s Which way? (use the stairs)

GERIATRI’X’ FOTOGALLERY’s In Black and white

Xingfumama’s Inviting Ways in Suzhou 

Deb’s Which Way Challenge-Any Which Way with Trains and/or Trolleys

Dan’s CFFC (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge)-Trains and/or Trolleys

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. San Francisco Trolley image is credited to my Dad ©️1979 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i; #16) Minolta XG-7 35mm; 17) From a Post Card I own.

God Bless. Have a safe and Blessed Easter Weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Madness (MM) #32: Springtime in the Carolinas

Host this week for Monochrome Madness is Dawn from The Day After. She has chosen a theme of Everything Spring.

Springtime in the Carolinas entails anything and everything from Spring sports like T-Ball for Coleman, to Kayaking through the Catawba River, to simply rolling in the grass at an outdoor concert, to the beauty of Spring flowers. And who can’t forget about the Spring festivities surrounding the Easter Egg Scramble. Let us not forget what this Holiday Season is all about. It is not about the Easter eggs hunts, even though the children enjoy them, it’s about the Crucifixion of Jesus and his Resurrection. We celebrate that “He is Risen!”.

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”

— Anne Frank

Dawn’s Monochrome Madness-Everything Spring

Spring Festival 2025

Cee’s Flower of the Day

To check out the guidelines for Monochrome Madness and/or upcoming themes check out Leanne’s Monochrome Madness page here.

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i

Location: Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. May God bless you at Easter and keep you all year through. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Numbers Game #68-189

To play along, go to your photos file 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 title.This 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 album:

Judy’s Numbers Game #68-189

Cee’s Flower of the Day (Chris)

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #265

Throwback Thursday

Photo Credit:©️2020-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

2025 Thursday Trios: 17 April

Autumn Fire Encore

Azalea Shrubs

A Trio of Red Azalea Shrubs

Thursday Trios

Cee’s Flower of the Day

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

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

2025 Thursday Doors: 17 April

1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ

One of the cars at this past week’s Cruz-In was this 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ. The Mercury Cyclone was marketed by Ford’s Mercury Division from 1964-1971. The Mercury Cyclone was first introduced in 1964 as the Mercury Comet Cyclone. The Cyclone replaced the S-22 as the performance-oriented version of the Mercury Comet model line. It was positioned as a muscle car representing the Mercury brand in racing as a clone of the Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt.It was often overshadowed by the Mercury Cougar.

The Mercury Cyclone Cobra Jet (CJ) was added to the Cyclone line in 1969. The Cobra Jet’s engine was a 428 cu in (7,014 cc) which generated 335 hp (250 kW). It featured a blacked-out grill; dual exhausts; 3:50:1 axle ratio; engine dress-up kit which included chrome parts; hood stripes; and a competition handling package.

[My maternal grandfather owned a Ford Fairlane. My Dad worked for Ford in the Parts Department for over 35 years. My parents never owned anything but Ford’s throughout their life.]

Dan’s Thursday Doors

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Parking Lot; First Baptist Church of Cramerton; 235 8th Avenue; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. “May your heart be lifted with the hope of renewal and the joy of spring.” Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Sinuous

“I realized, watching that supple and sinuous movement, that life was the only magic all humanity could agree upon.”

— Anonymous

According to Dictionary.com the definition of sinuous is having many curves, bends, or turns; winding: a sinuous path. Most of the trails Coleman and I hike have many sinuous paths that twist and turn around bends and hills, up and down going back and forth curving this way and that way constantly winding down or up a sinuous route along the trail.

“Life is full of unexpected twists and turns.
We can embrace, or resist, the journey.
The choice is ours.”

— Kathy Overman

Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Sinuous

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. No use of any kind whatsoever without the express consent of the copyright owner (aka me).

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

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

God Bless. Take a hike. Enjoy the Outdoors. Embrace the journey. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

One-Liner Wednesday: 16 April

1linerWeds
(Badge by Laura
@riddlefromthemiddle.com)

Easter Experiences
Happen Every Day …

One-Liner Wednesday

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Warlick Family YMCA; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Easter! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 16 April

T-Ball Season — Go Comets

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion & Telephoto Cameras

Location: Baseball Field; C.B. Huss Recreation Center; 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 CosPhoChal: Cool Stuff Found with Coleman

Coleman and I go hiking/walking almost every week unless the weather prohibits it, like rain, freezing cold, snow. I’m partial to a mildly warm climate to spend our days outdoors. We see many interesting stuff on our hikes/walks, some cooler than others.

Five Cool Stuff Coleman found interesting on one of our hikes this past weekend.

This Starling kept flying back and forth from the top of The Graham & Gayle Bell Pavilion to a tree on the edge of The Centennial Center Park. It captured Coleman attention seeing it fly to and from.

Spotless Starling

When we were crossing over the Goat Island Bridge, a family was looking out into the water at something. Of course, Coleman was curious to see what they were looking at so he moved closer to where they had been looking. Coleman thought it was cool to see the turtle (Eastern river cooter) sunning on small log.

Eastern River Cooter

Looking over the opposite side of the bridge as we were leaving, Coleman spotted a Kayaker in the water. He finds it fascinating to watch them and probably wishes he could be in one paddling through the river. What made this particular Kayaker so cool, to him, was the man had his son in the kayak with him enjoying an afternoon on the river.

Kayaker & son
in the South Fork Catawba River

Coleman finds cool and interesting stuff even walking home or in our surrounding neighbourhood. Some of our neighbors enjoy decorating their yards for the upcoming holiday. This being the season of Easter approaching, Coleman thought it was cool to spot the large Easter Eggs in one of the yards and had to point them out to me.

Easter Egg Yard Decorations

After visiting the Cruz-In in uptown Cramerton after our hike back from the Easter Egg Scramble, Coleman seemed thrilled to try out his new Bubble Wand that was given to us. It was cool to watch him blow bubbles and then try to pop them. As he kept blowing bubbles he eventually learned to catch them and then release the bubbles back into the air.

Coleman blowing bubbles

Cosmic Photo Challenge-Here’s some cool stuff I found.

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

God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. See if you can find Cool Stuff in your area. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYD: April 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 

  1. To do so, simply share the photo* you have set as your wallpaper;
  2. Provide as little or as much detail as you wish;
  3. Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun;
  4. 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 at his
1st T-Ball Game

Desktop Screensaver

Coleman by the
South Fork Catawba River
Riverside Park and Greenway

From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: 

Personal Focus

Coleman
practicing fielding
for T-Ball

Reading Focus

Coleman at
Riverside Park and Greenway

Hiking Focus

Coleman hiking
on the Disc Golf Trail
Goat Island Park and Greenway

Share Your Desktop – April 2025

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

Cameras: 1,3,5) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2,4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & Star Filter attachments

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

2025 Sunday Stills Monthly Colour Challenge: Lovely Purple Shades

A Hodgepodge of Dramatic Shades of Purple; from lovely flowers to amazingly colourful skies, and a beautiful artwork depicting the Cross on a hill called Golgotha, also known as Calvary. Enjoy the scenery and join in the challenge if you’re so inclined. Check out the Sunday Stills Challenge here.

Sunday Stills-Dramatic Shades of #Purple

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2015-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. May your world be lit with joy and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Monday: 14 April (on 15)

Canada Goose

Monochrome Monday

Monday Monochrome

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Telephoto Camera

Location: On the Bank of the South Fork Catawba River; 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 Macro Monday: 14 (on 15) April

Pink Azaleas
Azalea
Rhododendron genus

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Town of Cramerton; 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 Monday Window: 14 April

Kitty by a Window – 2 — AI creation by PR

1931 Ford Model A

5 Window Coupe

We walked to the First ever Cramerton Cruz-In during the early afternoon in the uptown parking lot of First Baptist Church. The Cruz-In was supposed to go from 10:00am until 2:00pm. We (Coleman & I ) started walking that direction around 1:00pm in hopes of still being able to see the antique automobiles. As we were walking we noticed some of the cars had already started leaving the Cruz-In. We got lucky and spotted this 1931 Ford Model A Coupe driving our way. I did the best I could with a moving auto to capture it with my iPhone.

I tried to capture most of the Antique Ford’s windows, from front to back and the left side windows. I’m just glad we managed to see it even if only as it was leaving the area. It turned out that most of the cars left at the same time and only a few were left when we arrived. I guess the owners didn’t feel obligated to stay the full length of the Cruz-In.

Monday Window

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: 8th Street; Downtown Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Monday Portrait: 14 April

Stig the Whippet

Stig

Stig the Whippet was a visitor at the Cruz-In For Christ which was held on Saturday, 13 April 2025. The Cruz-In had a variety of antique automobiles, a blood drive, a bouncy house, as well as free food, free drinks, free desserts, and a free car wash. All free as a way to minister to the community.

Stig, a Whippet

The Cruz-In Stig visited was held by the First Baptist Church of Cramerton. We missed most of the antique automobiles by the time we arrived, but still captured a few with my iPhone camera and Coleman got to enjoy the bouncy house.

The Whippet dog breed was developed by crossing Greyhounds with Terriers. The Kennel Club officially recognized the Whippet Dog breed in 1891. However, it was actually recognized three (3) years earlier by the American Kennel Club in 1888.

The Whippet was originally bred to pursue and capture small game. They were first brought to America by English mill operatives of Massachusetts. They make excellent watchdogs considering they are not snappy or one to bark a lot. They are a quiet and intelligent breed, and do not bark unnecessarily. They are pretty fast when they run with the capability to reach speeds of up to 35mph.

Whippets are generally gentle and affectionate, but can sometimes exhibit behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, aggression, and nervousness. Whippets are sighthounds and need to have secure environment from preventing them from chasing after things. They tend to form strong with their owners; it is not recommended to leave them alone for love periods of time. If you think about acquiring a Whippet, be prepared to have it right next to you even in your bed. They’ll lay next to you touching you when they sleep.

Monday Portrait 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Parking Lot; First Baptist Church of Cramerton; 8th Street; 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.

OWS — Riverscape

Debbie over on Travel with Intent is the host for One Word Sunday. The theme she has chosen this week is —scape. We may use any word that ends with —scape.

Living within walking distance to the South Fork Catawba River I figured Riverscape would be a funtastic word to choose for this week’s One Word Sunday Challenge.

These are from the hike Coleman and I took yesterday after the Easter Egg Scramble.

Coleman always loves spending time playing and hiking near the River. Where do y’all enjoy spending your afternoons?

Debbie’s One Word Sunday- —scape

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; from the C.C. Dawson Bridge; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. A Happy Palm Sunday to y’all! Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Pull Up a Seat – Coleman Style on a Stack of Rock Slabs

Rocky Branch Trail

As we were nearing the end of our hike along the Rocky Branch Trail to head back home; Coleman decided to climb up into the top of the Stack of Rock Slabs (Rock statue) located at the Cramerton entrance to the Rocky Branch Trail portion of the Carolina Thread Trail. As you can tell, if something appears to be suitable for sitting Coleman will find a way to Pull Up a Seat.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 15

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

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

God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Take a walk. Relax and have Fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 13 April

A Glimpse of a Fishing Pier

Goat Island Pier
South Fork Catawba River

Silent Sunday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #264

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Telephoto Camera

Location: View from the C.C. Dawson Bridge (aka Lakewood Road bridge); Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Happy Palm Sunday! May the spirit of this day fill your heart. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cell Pic Sunday: 13 April

Easter Egg Scramble

On Saturday, the 12th of April the Town of Cramerton held an Easter Egg Scramble for children under the age of Two (2) through the age of Ten (10). The Town announced the event on the Town of Cramerton’s event page, on their Town app, and on their Facebook page.

The announcement asked for anyone interested in participating in the Easter Egg Scramble to Hop on over to Stuart W Cramer High School ( the Town’s high school) for a morning of fun, games, and tons of eggs to hunt!

Our morning started out at the Community Center for Coleman’s T-Ball individual and team pictures at 9:30am to receive his uniform and then to wait for his team’s turn for pictures. Once the pictures were completed, we stopped back by home to have him change back out of his uniform and grab something for him to use to place the eggs he gathered.

We arrived at the high school in time to greet the Bunny’s and the Honeybee prior to his age group’s turn to Scramble for Easter Eggs. The Easter Egg Scramble began at 10:15am for the youngest Easter Egg Scramblers, with the 4-5 years old’s (Coleman’s age group) turn beginning at around 10:45am. For the lack of an Easter Egg basket, I grabbed a grocery bag for him to gather his eggs into once he picked them up.

And they’re off and running …

Once the children were finished their turn at the Easter Egg Scramble the children could turn their eggs in for bags of candy (no candy was placed in any of the eggs). All children received the same size bag of candy regardless of how many eggs they acquired. Coleman gathered approximately thirty + eggs.

The Easter Egg Scramble event was partnered with The Town of Cramerton, Stuart W. Cramer High School Student Council, Life Church, Cramerton Church, and Cramerton Christian Academy. The candy bags were packed and donated by Cramerton Christian Academy, Cramerton Church, and Life Church.

The Easter Egg Scramble event was a family-friendly event which enabled families and their children to have a tremendous amount of Fun.

John’s CellPic Sunday -13 April 2025

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Stuart W Cramer High School; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. “May this Palm Sunday bring renewed faith, hope, and love.” Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

This isn’t on My Bucket List

Linemen at work
Utility Lines Construction Services, LLC (ULCS)

When Coleman and I were walking back towards downtown, we saw these linemen up in the air in buckets working. Not sure why it took two of them or what the problem was they were working to fix, but it was a sight to see. I know I wouldn’t want to be doing their jobs. It is not on my bucket list to attempt to make a career, especially not at this time in my life.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

SWS

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Eighth Street; Cramerton, North Carolina 28032

God Bless. What’s NOT on your bucket list? Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 12 April — Rhododendron

Rhododendron

Cee’s (Chris’) Flower of the Day

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

Birds of the Carolinas/Birds of the Week CXI

Mourning Doves

The scientific name for Mourning Dove is Zenaida macroura. According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Mourning Doves are common throughout North Carolina. However, this is the first time Coleman and I have seen them in our neighbourhood. They are members of the dove family, Columbidae. The Mourning Dove is also known by the American mourning dove, the Rain dove, the chueybird. At one point in time they were once referred to as the Carolina pigeon and Carolina turtledove.

A Pair of Mourning Doves

Mourning Doves are one of the most abundant and widespread North American birds and a popular gamebird. Approximately twenty (20) million birds are shot annually in the United States, both for sport and meat. It is said that one pair may raise up to six (6) broods of two (2) squabs (young) each in a single year in warm climate areas.

Mourning Doves on a Wire

 These birds (the mourning doves) are often found near humans, whether gobbling up seeds under a feeder, perching on a telephone wire, or building a nest in a questionable location. The macroura in its scientific name comes from the Greek words for “long tail.” The Mourning Doves tail is slender, tapered, and has white-tipped outer feathers which is a clue to distinguish it apart from other Doves like the Eurasian Collared-Dove and the White-winged Dove Those doves tails end in square tips.

Mourning Dove
aka Zenaida macroura

Mourning Doves are known to be skittish. They make a sharp whistling sound when they take flight. The noise doesn’t come from their beaks, however, it is actually made by their wings as air rushes through their feathers and causes them to vibrate. 

Mourning Dove

It is interesting to note that when Mourning Doves locate a food source, such as seeds on the ground (and possibly in a bird feeder); they prefer to grab as much as they can manage, storing their haul in a throat pouch called the crop. Then, they’ll fly off to a safe spot to work on digesting.

Good Evening, Mourning Dove

In some spiritual or symbolic interpretations, a mourning dove’s appearance can be seen as a message of peace, hope, or a gentle reminder of loved ones, or even a visit from a deceased person. Some people believe that the sight of a Mourning Dove is a message from God, angels, or other spiritual guides. To hear the cooing of a mourning dove can be understood as a call to seek and find inner peace. Another thought is that Doves may remind us to hold on to hope and not fear death, but instead to think of it as a new beginning.

Birds of the Carolinas

Birds of the Week CXI

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. 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 in Black and White

This week I’m asking y’all to show your Which Ways in Black and White in Memory of Cee Neuner (1960-2025). Cee hosted several photo challenges including Cee’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) – currently hosted by Deb L. Waters (aka me) from Gfpacificbee’s Insights and Photography, Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) – currently hosted by Dan Antion from No Facilities, Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge (CMMC), and Cee’s Black and White Challenge (CBWC) and Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD)hosted by Chris Donner (Cee’s Life Partner & wife).

In Memory of Cee’s Black and White Challenge let us all show our Which Ways this week in Black and White for this week’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC). Remember to have Fun and Signs are always welcome.

Here are my entries:

On the Road with Cars and Trucks:

Roads and Pathways with Parked Cars and Trucks:

On Sidewalks and Pathways:

All photos were taken in Downtown Town of Cramerton the end of March.

Next week the theme will be CWWC: Any Which Way with Trains and/or Trolleys (or anything else on a railroad track.) This maybe in combination with Dan’s CFFC.

Check out other Which Ways by clicking on the links below.

WHICH WAY WITH FLOWERS

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)-Any Which Way in Black and White

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 14

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Downtown Eighth & Center Streets; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy your weekend and have a bit of fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Madness (MM): 10 April

Cramerton Concert

The last Friday of the month from March through September the Town of Cramerton holds a Concert Event in the Park. The Concerts will feature artists (singers, bands, musicians) from different genres each month. With a different Genre each Concert the Town hopes to please the musical interests of practically every member of the community.

March’s Concert’s main feature was a band entitled Small Town Sunday. Small Town Sunday performed a mixture of Country music, Christian music, and Christian Country music. The group featured a trio of singers; Matt Branch, Holly Branch and Stephen Robertson plus a drummer, a keyboard musician, and guitarist. The music was fantastic, Coleman and I really enjoyed their music. A couple of song titles they performed are “THE DAYS HE CAN BELIEVE” (written in honor of Matt Branch’s father) and “That’s What I Love About Sunday.”

Here are a few photos I captured during the concert from my iPhone in Black and White.

To find out more about the musical band, Small Town Sunday click here.

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness 

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: The Graham & Gayle Bell Pavilion; Centennial Center; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Thursday Doors: 10 April

Cramerton Post Office

& Downtown Eateries Doors

Shop Doors

U.S. Post Office
Cramerton. N.C. 28032

Dan’s Thursday Doors

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; Fusion Camera – Muted B&W

Location: Center Street; Downtown Town of Cramerton; 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 LAPC #343 – Seen on my Last Outing with Coleman

Leya is this week’s host for the Lens-Artist Challenge. She has selected a theme of Seen on my Last Outing.

My last outing was on Friday after I picked Coleman up from the school bus stop. After stopping at home to allow him to change into shorts, gather drinks and snacks we proceeded to hike downtown to Goat Island Park and Greenway for a relaxing afternoon of hiking and fun.

What we saw when we first approached Goat Island were the Canada Geese out soaking up the warm sunshine.

Continuing on our way we gaze over the South Fork Catawba River from the bridge as we cross over into the Greenway.

Next up, we saw a bicyclist riding along in front of us on the paved Greenway trail.

Hiking along we saw Sasquatch and more Canada Geese.

Isn’t it amazing the variety of interesting things we see on our various outings we take when we venture outside. The interesting “thing” we saw next was not in our normal per view of subjects seen on any of our adventures previously.

We spoke with the man in the River as curiosity plagued us to know what he was doing standing in the middle of the River. He informed us he was searching for golf discs that might of missed their target and landed in the river instead of the disc golf catcher.

Venturing on, Coleman and I spotted trash discarded by the trail (someone didn’t adhere to the Leave No Trace rule).

Trash by trailside

Before continuing on our hike, Coleman decided to throw sticks in the river. He likes to see the splashes that occur when he throws objects into the water.

And coming back around to the beginning of the trail, we see some newly grown mushrooms and a couple of disc golf catchers.

As we are at the end of our adventure and what was Seen on our Last Outing, you might like to venture over to Leya’s blog to see what she saw on her last outing. Thank you Leya for hosting this week’s challenge. Click here to check out Leya’s post.

Lens-Artists Challenge #343 – Seen on my Last Outing

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #264

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star Filter attachments. 

Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; 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 Wordless Wednesday: 09 April

Tree Replanting

Coleman
trying to replant
this portion of a tree

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #264

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star Filter attachments.

Location: Riverside Park and Greenway; 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 CosPhoChal: April Week One — Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun

Coleman Style

Whenever the weather is nice and warm on the weekends and sometimes during the week, Coleman and I go hiking to one of the nearby Greenways. Coleman prefers being outside having Fun in the Sun anytime to being cooped up indoors.

Whenever I go outside into the Sunshine, it is, more likely than not, to watch Coleman having Fun in the Sun.

Now that Spring has arrived, Coleman has Fun in the Sun practicing T-Ball (or if you hear him say it, it would be T-Bat practice).

Some days we go to Riverside Park and Greenway, while there he likes to have Fun in the Sun playing in the Sand or being near the water.

On other days we hike down to Goat Island Park and Greenway to either hike or allow Coleman to play in the playground. Occasionally we bring along our cornhole bean bags to have some Fun in the Sun playing a round of Cornhole.

Most other times at Goat Island he play on the playground equipment swinging & twisting in & out of the ropes or convincing me to push him on the Swings for him to enjoy having Fun in the Sun.

Cosmic Photo Challenge-Fun in the sun

#CosPhoChal

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

Cameras: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250 lens.

Locations: 1-3) C.B. Huss Recreation Center; 4-7) Riverside Park and Greenway; 8-11) Goat Island Park and Greenway

God Bless. Have Fun in the Sun. Enjoy the vast beauty in nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC): Cars and Trucks

Dan is hosting the CFFC and graciously took it over when Cee was no longer feeling the strength to continue. He has posted a wonderful tribute honoring Cee’s memory. Feel free to read it on Dan’s CFFC’s blog here.

Cars and trucks come in all different shapes. Sizes, and colors. They range from toy cars and trucks to 18-Wheelers. They can be found in museums. On and off the road and sometimes on the back of a tow truck.

Here are my entries for Cee’s Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge.

To help keep Cee’s Challenges alive including Cee’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC) check out what’s happening on the CWWC homepage here. This Friday’s CWWC theme is: Any which way with in black and white.

God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Have some Fun and enjoy the Outdoors. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Numbers Game #67 — 188

Numbers Game

To play along, go to your photos file 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 title.This 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 album.

Judy’s Numbers Game #67-188

Cee’s Chris’ Flower of the Day

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

2025 Flower of the Day: 07 April

Gerbera jamesonii

Aka Barberton daisy,
Transvaal daisy

Flower of the Day Challenge

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Center Street; Downtown Town of Cramerton, 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 OWS: 06 April — Creepy

Witch at Land of Oz
(click on image for enlarged viewing)

This is a throwback photo my dad took back in 1972 on a visit to The Land of Oz. The Land of Oz Theme Park was once a thriving tourist attraction in Beech Mountain, North Carolina. The theme park was inspired by the Wizard of Oz. It operated from 1970 to 1980.

Janet’s One Word Sunday-Creepy

Throwback Thursday

For further information about OWS check out Debbie’s One Word Sunday.

Photo Credit:©️1972 Nornal H. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Minolta XG-7 35 mm

Digitization: Wolverine Convertor

Location: The Land of Oz Theme Park; Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you Janet for hosting these past three challenges. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Monochrome Monday: 07 April

Unusual River Sighting

Searching for Golf Discs

Monochrome Monday

Monday Monochrome

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #264

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

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura CPL & 4-Star Filter attachments. 

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

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

2025 Monday Window/Portrait: 07 April

Kitty by a Window – 2 — AI creation by PR

Looking Outside

at the Beautiful

Afternoon View

Northern Mockingbird
as seen through the
Living Room Window

Be sure to check out other Monday Window posts here.

Monday Window

Monday Window

Monday Portrait

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

2025 Numbers Game #66-187

Judy from Life Lessonsblog hosts The Numbers Game each week. I am posting for The Numbers Game #66-187. Judy’s rules for playing along with her Numbers Game are simple.

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

In lieu of numbers this week I am choosing a theme of Downtown Concert. The Downtown Concert was held in Centennial Center in Downtown Cramerton, North Carolina on Friday, March 28th.

The Opening Act for the concert was a singer named Trish England. Trish England is a Christian music artist who performs Southern Gospel, Christian Contemporary and Country music. She is originally from Austin, Texas and currently resides in Bessemer City, North Carolina. She has three (3) CD albums and releasing a single sometime this year all recorded under the Son Sound West Records.

I was really impressed by Trish’s performance. I had never heard of her before her performance in Cramerton, however, I soon realized she is an extremely talented artist who loves Jesus and loves to share her love of Jesus through her music to audiences everywhere. A few of the songs she performed were “Jesus in My Country”, “God Did It”, “Christian in the House”, “That’s God”, and “Behold the Beauty of the Lord”. My grandson, Coleman and I really enjoyed her performance and would recommend listening to her sing in concert, via Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music or which ever is your preference for listening to music online or streaming outlet.

Judy’s Numbers Game #66-187

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. No reproduction or Reuse without the express consent of the copyright owner.

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

Location: GRAHAM AND GAYLE BELL PAVILION; Centennial Center; Downtown Town of Cramerton; 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.