Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Let’s not be in a Conundrum. Let’s be Content. God is in Control. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Coleman used his MagnaTiles to construct a bridge over his Brio Railroad Track so his Hot Wheels cars could drive over the track while his Brio trains chug chug chugged down his track.
Monday Window is a weekly blog post challenge featuring one or more photos of windows, prominently or as the main subject.
Geometric Construction Windows
► Tag your post “Monday Window” (NOTE: Put a space between Monday and Window, no “s”, Window is singular.) The WordPress Reader will show most of the recent posts tagged this way (alas, not all).
I wish I had a telescope 🔭 and could take pictures through it. This week the evening sky is delightful. Several planets are visible and a rare planetary parade is coming to the skies on the 21st. That’s why I wish I had a telescope, six planets (maybe seven) will be visible including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus.
Enough of my wishes and here’s to show you what I could see just through my iPhone tonight.
Original
Reel Filter effect
Vista Monochrome filter effect
According to Google Lens Search what I captured is the Constellation Orion.
Now to show you what stylized creation Google Photos Al created of my evening sky.
Google Al Stylized effect
Before you ask, I will tell you that I really do not comprehend how Al arrived at this interpretation of my evening sky. Your guess would be as good as mine.
Location: Our Backyard View; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Look up and enjoy the fantastic wonders of the 🌌. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very my.
On Monday, after our weekend winter weather, was a delayed start for school for Coleman. Therefore, we were at the bus stop an hour later than normal and were treated with an amazing Red Sky. I am not sure if we need to take warning, that bad weather is coming or not. The weather forecast keeps changing from possible more winter weather to only rainy days ahead.
Welcome to the third Which Way Challenge for 2025. This week I have chosen a theme of Any Which Way with People in it. It can be where you capture people unaware as your out and about on the road, path, or trail. As always, signs are welcome in your Which Ways.
Coleman and I went hiking along the Disc Golf Trail at Goat Island Park and Greenway before the freezing cold weather it our area. The Disc Golf Trail is a natural dirt trail, mostly smooth with some tree roots and lots of leaves this time of the year.
Coleman on the trail
Coleman loves to lead the way and is often ahead of me. I allow some lead way as long as he’s in my line of sight.
Looking across the river at another trail, we spot a small group of visitors checking out the fishing access.
Moving along the way we came across several of the disc catchers. This is number 10 of 20 along the trail course.
Coleman checking out the disc golf sign and catcher.
While hiking along the trail Coleman spots a downed tree and decided to climb up And investigate. He hence Pulls Up a Seat waiting for me to catch up.
Crossing over onto another section of the trail we encounter a man jogging through the trail.
A Lone Jogger
Continuing on our hike we try to maneuver around to reach the bridge.
Coleman heading towards the Bridge
We managed to reach the bridge and were able to venture on towards where we began.
Coleman crossing the bridge & noticing the shadows
As we near the end of the bridge heading back to the entrance, we see a family approaching our way. One of the little girls is attempting to ride her bike up the hill.
I am looking forward to seeing y’all’s Which Ways with People. I am grateful for those who have chosen to participate and support this challenge. Won’t you take the initiative and join the Which Way Challenge? For more information on the Which Way Challenge Check out the new Which Way Challenge Page here.
Let’s roam around and embrace numbers in life and in nature. As many of you might know my grandson, Coleman and I enjoy hiking together out amongst the trees, along Greenways, and within our state and local parks. This first image is of a group of about eleven painted rocks some of which display a message which the painter wishes to convey. Others are just for the fun and beauty to hopefully bring you joy and a smile.
“Embrace life with a smile.” Author unknown
“Life is a journey, not a destination.”(Author unknown). As we continue embracing life and nature, shall we stop and enjoy the beauty of five flowers along the pathway.
“Where flowers bloom so does hope.” — Lady Bird Johnson
As the flowers bloom and remind us there is hope for the world and life needs to be embraced wherever and whenever possible.
Embracing the living creatures two by two different yet enjoying the same space and time. Embrace the NumbersTwo Horses sharing the pasture with Two Canada Geese at Anne Springs Close Greenway.,
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” — Stephen R. Covey
Whether one is out in nature or in a classroom, there is unity in numbers. Children learn the importance of Embracing Togetherness. They can learn that even though we are different, we are all the same, united for a purpose.
Nine Students and a teacher all wearing green and embracing togetherness in the classroom.
“The unlike is joined together, and from differences results the most beautiful harmony.” — Heraclitus
Leaving the indoor classroom for the classroom in nature, we can learn to embrace the beauty, the elegance, the love one for another, and the strength and power in unity and in numbers.
We can enjoy the beauty and elegance in every flamingo. We can admire their stance and embrace their uniqueness as we observe Five Flamingos and their reflections.
“Embrace the elegance of a flamingo, and let it inspire your life.” — Unknown
Each friendship is as unique and beautiful as a flamingo.”- Unknown. Every creature whether human or animal is unique and beautiful in their own way. Every family has its own uniqueness. They may have the same numbers as other families or may not. They maybe similar, but still different in their own special way. No two families are exactly alike, that’s why we should embrace our own families with love and respect.
We see and observe various “families” in nature, like this family of Seven Canada Geese sticking together yet apart at Andrew Jackson State Park.
We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another. — Luciano De Crescenzo
Let’s keep on moving and striving for unity for there is power in numbers. Turtles gather together in numbers sunning on logs and enjoying time swimming together in a river. Fourteen Turtles embracing the warmth of the sun and being together in the South Fork Catawba River by South Fork River Park in Northern section of Gastonia, North Carolina.
“There is power in unity, and there is power in numbers.” From Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech “Keep on Moving.”
Now for each of y’all to embrace the challenge and show us how you Embrace the Numbers.
God Bless. Embrace Life. Embrace One Another. Embrace Togetherness. Embrace the Numbers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
These Throwback images are from my maternal grandfather’s collection of photos I was given from my maternal grandmother after his passing back in 1968. The photo images were originally on personal post cards.
Old Coal Trucks in early 1900’s.
Not sure, but I think this is my maternal grandfather next to the truck.
Original image
I have always thought these were taken in Deep Gap, North Carolina, but I am not one hundred percent (100%) sure. My maternal grandfather did work for a time for a coal mining company.
Remember for enhanced viewing click on each image.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Stay Safe. Keep Warm. Be Observant. Geometric shapes are all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
To do so, simply share the photo* 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 Smartphone Wallpapers:
Personal Focus
Coleman & Muscovy Duck in Riverside Park and Greenway
Hiking Focus
Coleman checking out the Disc Golf Catcher at Goat Island Park and Greenway
Reading Focus
Coleman playing in the Sand at Riverside Park and Greenway
Here are my Wallpapers from my Laptop:
Laptop Desktop Wallpaper
Coleman sitting on a Tree Limb Goat Island Park and Greenway
Cameras: 1-3) Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max; 4-5) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: 1-2) Riverside Park and Greenway; 3-5) Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Keep Warm. Stay Safe. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy invites us to join in with her to play “The Numbers Game #56.”Today’s number is 177. To play along, she suggests you 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 herNumbers 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 Numbers Game Challenge:
To join the challenge, release a post featuring a window or windows any time during the week.
► Tag your post “Monday Window” (NOTE: Put a space between Monday and Window, no “s”, Window is singular.) The WordPress Reader will show most of the recent posts tagged this way (alas, not all).
► Add a comment to the latest Monday Window post and include a link to your latest Monday Window post.
Please visit the participating blogs. You will be delighted and astounded by the rich and imaginative offerings by the bloggers from around the world.
Location: Outside Confluence South Fork; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Be Kind. Love One Another as Yourself. Don’t let anything get your Goat. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Relax by the River. Be inspired to be You. Nature’s Beauty is amazing. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For some snow last longer than others depending on your location. In the southeast, snow is not a yearly occurrence. The last Snow we saw was in late January of 2022, three years ago. This year we only received a dusting of snow before it changed to a wintry mix ending with freezing rain.
Now for a look at The Day After …
For my friends in Atlanta, Georgia, they welcomed the snow. They had plenty for their to be played in, but alas it won’t last for long there either.
God Bless. Stay Safe. Keep Warm. Be Observant. Geometric shapes are all around. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Thursday was cold with lows in the low twenties (21°) warming into the low 40’s.
Friday Afternoon, 01.10
Currently, it is 29° and snowing where we live. Normally, if we get snow ❄️, we don’t get it until near the end of January/early February. We haven’t seen snow since mid-January 2022. WSOC 9 Now reported that this is the “First snow in Charlotte in 1076 days.” [The Town of Cramerton is just 18-20 minutes southwest of Charlotte International Airport.]
As you may have noticed, Coleman managed to scoot past me without proper attire to see our first drops of snow ❄️. Don’t worry, I didn’t let him stay out for very long with no jacket or shoes.
It is supposed to keep snowing until around 6:30 (more or less) and then switch over to a wintry mix throughout the evening and on into early Saturday morning.
Judy invites us to join in with her to play “The Numbers Game #55.”Today’s number is 176. To play along, she suggests you 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 herNumbers 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 Numbers Game Challenge:
Signs can be found on almost any road, dirt road, trail or greenway. When Coleman and I go hiking we usually see a sign or two. It doesn’t matter if we are walking through town or hiking along a trail or greenway, signs help guide the way or possibly warn of danger. No matter the sign or location one can gather pertinent information and notice the different geometric shapes the signs represent.
Here are my entries for this week …
On the Road to the Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier
Share the Road Sign on Cramer Mountain Road
Fishing Line Recycling Bin Sign on left Park & Greenway Rules and Regulations Sign on right located on side of entrance to the Historic Baltimore Fishing Pier
Warning: Recommended Flow by the Catawba Riverkeeper Sign by the Ramp to the Fishing Pier
This week has been pretty cold ( low’s in the low 20’s), I know that’s not as cold as some of y’all see but it’s freezing for us. Therefore, I chose to go through my archive file of doors. Look out all the lines, angles, squares, and rectangles. Can you spot other Geometric patterns/shapes? Hopefully you’ll enjoy viewing Coleman’s antics as I fondly remember them. I am also linking up with GeometricJanuary and Throwback Thursday.
Coleman trying to open Refrigerator Door when he was two (2).
In this last photo (animation) we had a “lock” on the Refrigerator Door to try to keep him from getting into it. As you can see it didn’t keep him from trying.
God Bless. I’m Grateful for being allowed to watch Coleman grow up with all his antics, experiences, and expressions. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week’s Monochrome Madness is hosted by Dawn from The Day After Blog. She has given us challenge theme of Places of Worship. For this challenge I selected a few from current and archived photos to use this week.
Here are my selections:
The first three were taken in 2020 when I went walking around my Aunt’s town while I was visiting her in Abilene, Texas.
Church of Christ 5th and Grape St Abilene, Texas
The Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest Abilene, Texas
The Galilee Baptist Church was built in 1963. Galilee Baptist Church 1011 Briarwood St Abilene TX 79603
The Westfield Presbyterian Church Westfield, New Jersey
Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church 51 8th Ave, Cramerton, NC 28032, USA
This last church is the church I attended all through my growing up years (from Kindergarten through College). It is currently known as Grace Church San Diego. When I attended this church it was known as Scott Memorial Baptist Church and was pastored by Dr. Tim F. LaHaye, co-author of the Left Behind series of books.
Grace Church San Diego Formerly Known as Scott Memorial Baptist Church 4637 Oregon Street San Diego, CA 92116
For this week’s challenge by Dan’s CFFCI decided to search through my archives to see what I could select for his challenge of Wide and Narrow. I believe these from my time in San Diego will work nicely.
El Cortez
The El Cortez was built from 1926-1927. At the time it was built, it was the tallest building in San Diego. It is located on top of a hill at the north end of San Diego.
When it first opened in 1927 and on through the 1950’s it was a renowned apartment-hotel. The large “El Cortez” sign (which is illuminated at night) was added in 1937 and could be seen for miles.
When I was in high school, several groups like the Kiwanis Club of San Diego would hold luncheons with guest speakers at the El Cortez. My American Government teacher allowed a few students during various weeks to attend the Kiwanis luncheon. He had one requirement for those who attended, that was to give a report regarding the speaker messages to the class the next class session. I was fortunate enough to have been given the privilege of attending of the Kiwanis Club luncheons at the El Cortez Hotel.
View of San Diego High-rises from across San Diego Bay. The Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel is one of several High-Rises located near Seaport Village.
The Manchester Grand Hyatt consists of two towers, the 40-story Harbor Tower built in 1992 and the 33-story Seaport Tower which was added in 2003. The taller of the two towers stands as the highest waterfront building on the West Coast. It has 40 floors and 1,628 rooms. It is also considered the largest hotel in Southern California.
Location: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Good Bless. Take time to be Grateful. Appreciate your Blessings. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This (PPAC)of Bigfoot ( also known as Sasquatch) is located on the Disc Golf Trail at Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton, North Carolina. This is the first time Coleman and I hiked this trail since Hurricane Helene. After the flood damage to the trail in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene; the trail was blocked off prohibiting access temporarily until repairs could be completed. We did not recall seeing Sasquatch previously. Coleman was fascinated by the Bigfoot and had to check it out.
One week of the New Year is done and gone, looking forward to all there is to discover as we continue moving forward in 2025. Here is my First Monday Window for 2025 …
Monday Window is a weekly blog post challenge featuring one or more photos of windows, prominently or as the main subject.
Monday Window posts are published each Monday morning at 3:15 UTC.
To join the challenge, release a post featuring a window or windows any time during the week.
► Tag your post “Monday Window” (NOTE: Put a space between Monday and Window, no “s”, Window is singular.) The WordPress Reader will show most of the recent posts tagged this way (alas, not all).
► Add a comment to the latest Monday Window post and include a link to your latest Monday Window post.
Please visit the participating blogs.You will be delighted and astounded by the rich and imaginative offerings by the bloggers from around the world.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Relax by the River. Be inspired to be You. Nature’s Beauty is amazing. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
When Coleman and I visited the Greenway on New Year’s Afternoon we actually Pulled Up a Seaton a bench on the other side of the Pier. Couldn’t resist taking a picture of this one with the resident Muscovy Duck sitting nearby.
This Muscovy Duck was friendly with no qualms about approaching Coleman. ( Those pics are for a future post). It would come really super close to Coleman. When we first arrived Coleman sat down with his construction trucks and dinosaurs near his favourite tree. The Muscovy Duck seemed to think that tree was its spot. It appeared to be saying “Why are you in my area?” It walked all around Coleman and decided he was friendly enough, so he would share the area.
It wasn’t until some people came to the river with a dog that the duck switched locations to the area pictured above.
Location: At the South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Talk a Walk. Pull Up a Seat and Relax in Nature. Enjoy the Views. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Side Garden; Cramer Memorial United Methodist Church; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. May your blessings abound throughout this New Year. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Back Shop North Carolina Transportation Museum
The Back Shop is the largest building on the grounds of the North Carolina Transportation Museum. When it was constructed in 1905 for Spencer Shops, it was the largest industrial building in the state. It was used for the complete overhaul of steam locomotives. The North Carolina Transportation Museum is located in Spencer, North Carolina. It is a great place to visit for “Kids” of all ages. Coleman enjoyed it when he was only two.
Location: The Back Shop; North Carolina Transportation Museum; Spencer, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. I’m Grateful for the friendships I’ve made through the various blogging challenges on WordPress. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Where I live we still have a little over two and a half hours before 2025’s arrival. I do not normally do year end reviews and I’ve long since given up on making any New Year’s Resolutions. This year Sunday Stills is asking us to do an Annual Year in Review. Therefore, I decided to give a few tidbits of my 2024.
951 posts on WordPress
Written a total of 129.2K words in my WP posts
Participated regularly in blogging challenges. (I’ll miss Cee and her Challenges).
Commented on many posts
Had 10,153 views (for some this may not seem like a lot, but to me it is)
Had 4,125 visitors
Had 6,438 likes
Other Activities outside of Blogging:
Read 121 e-books
Read for a minimum of 30 minutes all 365 days
Read all 52 weeks of the year
Visited 5 cities in my area
Visited and Hiked at 14 different parks or greenways
Made many friends here on WordPress
My grandson started Kindergarten ( I’ve walked him to school most days)
My grandson hikes anywhere and everywhere with me
We moved out of an apartment and into a rental house one town over. (Coleman loves it. It is in walking distance to two greenways).
Now for my Floral Year in Review:
January Flowers (sad to say not many):
February Flowers:
Think I made up for only one in January
March Flowers:
April Flowers:
May Flowers:
June Flowers:
July Flowers:
August Flowers:
September Flowers:
October Flowers:
November Flowers:
December Flowers:
I am grateful for each and everyone who has visited, liked, and or commented on my blog. I hope to see y’all participating in the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) in 2025. Happy New Year!
Brian from Bushboys World invites everyone to post their Last Photo on the Card or smartphone. Here are Brian’s suggestions regarding his Last On the Card Challenge…
Your last photo doesn’t have to be on the very last day of the month if you didn’t take any photos on that day. Maybe it was earlier in the month when the last photo was taken.
Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 31st or whenever your last photo was taken. No editing. No explanations needed. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments on Brian’s Post. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 