A few of our neighbours of their front yards and home decorated with lights for Christmas. When I walk Coleman to the bus stop of a morning the street is illuminating with the homes all lit up for the holidays. Our street is only a small sampling of what one would see if you drove through the streets of Christmas Town USA. We haven’t driven through McAdenville ( which is famously known as Christmas Town USA) yet this year, however, we plan on doing so to allow Coleman to see all the Festive Christmas Illuminations which McAdenville has on display.
Location: Lake Haigler; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your Yourselves! Don’t let the upcoming holiday season stress you out. Relax it’s not about the presents it’s about the birth of Christ. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
God Bless. Take time to enjoy nature. Observe the Flowers. Take Care of yourself. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
These Goats all dressed up for Christmas are located at the entrance to Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton, North Carolina. Coleman spotted the Goats when we first approached the entrance to the Greenway; one was standing and was laying down on it’s side. We stood it back upright, then Coleman wanted a picture. Thus, the photo you see here.
Mayworth’s Public House in downtown Cramerton offers an upscale pub atmosphere and features a menu of classic American favourites. It uses only the finest and freshest ingredients available. Their cuisine is always freshly made to order by their skilled culinary team. Customers, if desired, may choose from a find cocktail menu, a variety of popular wines as well as a fine rotating selection of craft, draft, and local Charlotte and North Carolina beer.
Mayworth’s decorated all three of their front windows similarly with painted white “snow” and red, white, and silver ornaments.
I’m gonna digress for a bit to examine the history behind the naming of Mayworth’s. The town currently known as Cramerton was originally known as Mayesworth in 1906. It was named after John H. Mayes, one of the founders of the Mayes Manufacturing Company. The Mayes Manufacturing Company was a cotton mill built on the banks of the Catawba River.
In 1915, the town name changed its name from Mayesworth to Mayworth. The town was later purchased by Stuart Warren Cramer. In 1922, the town’s name changed once again officially becoming Cramerton. Cramerton became an incorporated town in 1967.
When it came to naming the restaurant and pub the owners chose to name it Mayworth’s in honour of Cramerton’s original founding father.
I have not as yet eaten at Mayworth’s Restaurant and Pub. I have walked past it several times walking through downtown Cramerton and heading towards Confluence. Looking at their menu, I’m not sure they offer any lactose free items, which would be mandatory for Coleman to be able to eat anything from their menu.
Amongst all the Red and Green in the Christmas Parade we saw two Blue vehicles rolling down the Parade Route shining through amidst the bright blue skies.
Location: Downtown; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Don’t let the blues get you down. You are Valued and Appreciated. Have a Merry Merry Christmas Holidays. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This week has been a week for Christmas Parades in our area. Have you been to a Christmas Parade yet this year? Coleman and I have actually been to two different Christmas Parades this week. One was in the neighbouring town of Belmont and the other one was in our Town of Cramerton.
To our amazement, one of the first people was saw as we approached the Parade site yesterday was Mr. Grinch all decked out for the Christmas Parade.
Who do you think kicked off the Parade? Well, what’d you know, it was Mr. Grinch himself. Mr. Grinch made his appearance throughout the Parade in one manner or another. We never knew when or how he would appear. It didn’t matter how or when, people enjoyed seeing Mr. Grinch and the entire Parade. You may click on each photo for enlarged viewing.
Location: Catawba Street; Parade Route; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Tis the Season for Parades and all things Christmasy. Enjoy your upcoming holiday. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Please make sure your which way is the main object of your photo. Thanks.
The Which Way Challenge (CWWC) is all about capturing the means we travel from place to place such as roads, walkways, trails, and rails. The roads could be paved or unpaved, gravel, or dirt. Walkways could cover sidewalks, hallways, or pathways. Trails are paths we travel through Greenways, Local, State, or National Parks. Also permissible are any kinds of signs and any bridge angle. Remember to ensure your “Way” is visible and the main focus of your photo.
My entry for this week:
Belmont Middle School Cheerleaders cheering the crowd.
When hiking at Anne Springs Close Greenway there are occasions when you come to an intersection of sorts where more than two trails cross paths. Here Paradise Loop, Tunnel Trail, and Blue Star Trails connect. If you are Red not familiar with the trails, you might want to pick up a trail map at the entrance to the Greenway to help guide you along the trails as you hike. At this three-way crossing, you may continue on the trail (such as Paradise Trail) you are already hiking on or, if desired, you may switch to one of the other trails for further exploration and hiking.
Adventure Road Entrance Paradise Loop, Tunnel Trail, Blue Star Trail Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
Looking at the photo you may wonder where the third hiker is located. It is simple really, behind the camera of course.
Back in the day before digital photography came into existence, places like the Fotomat Drive-Thru is where I dropped off my 35 mm rolls of film for developing. Back in the early 1970’s there was no instant developing of film unless you did it yourself. I did learn how to develop my rolls of film, but sometimes it was quicker and easier to just drop off my rolls of film and pick the photos up in a couple of days when they would be ready for pick-up.
1972 Fotomat Drive-Thru San Diego, California
Besides the Fotomat, one can spot several automobiles in the parking lot and one driving through the Fotomat either dropping off rolls of film or picking up their photos. Have you ever used a Fotomat or something similar?
Hi! Let me introduce myself to y’all. My name is Debbie, however, I go by Deb. I post several times a week on my blog, Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography.
Many of you may not know that while Cee has been under the weather, I have been continuing the Which Way Challenge. I have recently officially taken over Cee’s Which Way Challenge. I will continue the Which Way Challenge with a theme each week. For now, I will be leaving it as CWWC, but may change it later if I feel it to be for the betterment. I will try to begin posting the upcoming themes in the coming weeks.
Here are a general list of upcoming themes for December:
CWWC: Any which way with people
CWWC: Which way with a Christmas holiday theme
CWWC: Which way with the colors of Red and Green
CWWC: Which way with the colors of Silver and Gold
Possible Upcoming Topics:
CWWC: Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails
CWWC: Roads with any signs
CWWC: Which way with the colors of brown or black
CWWC: Any which way with people in it
CWWC: Roads with vehicles and or traffic
CWWC: Any which way with in black and white
CWWC: Any which way with lines
CWWC: Any animal in your which way
I plan on posting my Which Ways on Fridays, however, sometimes life interferes with the best laid plans. It might be late but it will be posted by late Friday evening/Early (Around Midnight) Saturday morning at the latest.
This week’s theme will be CWWC: Any which way with people. I will be looking for y’all to join me as I lead the Which Way Challenge.
God Bless. Thank you for welcoming me as I lead the Which Way Challenge. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate each and every one of y’all very much.
Location: Our Home; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your Yourselves! Don’t let the upcoming holiday season stress you out. Relax it’s not about the presents it’s about the birth of Christ. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Christmas Music is in the Air at our home. The record player is out and ready to play. I have some very old 45’s that once belonged to my dad. Last week we listened to David Seville’s “Witch Doctor”. This week we have begun listening to Christmas music on newly acquired vinyl records. Coleman didn’t care for his mom and I listening to the Beach Boys singing Christmas Carols. We enjoyed it though. Coleman much prefers listening to Disney’s Mickey Mouse and other favorites singing Christmas songs from “his records.”
Has anyone else started listening to Christmas music? Is it too early for you? For us, the beginning of and all throughout December is the perfect time to listen the wonderful soundtracks of Christmas music. We especially enjoy listening to the classic Christmas songs on our vinyl records via my Crosley record player.
Location: Caribbean Sea; Gulf of Mexico; Enchantment of the Sea; Caribbean Cruise Ship
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy invites us all to play along with her each week for her 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 myNumbers 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.
I searched my archives and found only a few 171 photos, so I switched it up and searched for 117 photos. I found plenty more to choose from for my selections.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Hope to see your selections for Judy’s Numbers Game soon. I appreciate y’all very much.
Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?
Special dishes for the holidays? We have not had any particular special dishes for the holidays in a very very long time. In fact, we have not had large family gatherings since before my maternal grandfather passed in 1968. I used to love going to my maternal grandparents home and not just for the holidays. My grandmother was a fantastic cook and I learned a lot from her. I wish I could remember everything she tried to teach me. Oh if I would have had the insight and forethought to ask more questions about her life and to take notations regarding all the wisdom she tried to I still, it would be wonderful.
This year’s Thanksgiving gathering (probably couldn’t really call it a gather) consisted of just Coleman and myself. His mom had to work. My sons and my daughter do not get along right now, so they were not invited (probably wouldn’t have come anyway.)
Did I let it only being Coleman and myself hinder me from preparing a fantastic fulfilling Thanksgiving meal? No, I did not. By the time I could manage to be able to go to the store for a turkey, all the small turkeys were sold out. I had wanted a small turkey, after all Coleman and I didn’t need a large one especially since he doesn’t like to eat meat. That meant only I would be eating the turkey and his mom when she got home from work.
Instead of a small whole turkey (sold out) or a small turkey breast (sold out), I cooked a Turkey tenderloin with carrots and petite potatoes in the crockpot and let them cook all day long. When the turkey, carrots, and potatoes were almost done, I began cooking sweet potatoes and seasoned Brussel sprouts in the oven. (Coleman loves his vegetables). I also baked crescent rolls (Coleman’s choice) in the oven to go with the meal.
My Thanksgiving dinner plate
After discovering what I thought was a pumpkin pie turned out to be a sweet potato pie; I made lactose free banana cream pudding with vanilla wafers for dessert. (Coleman is lactose intolerant so the dessert needed to be special for him.) I used his lactose free milk to make the pudding. After it thickened, I scooped the banana cream pudding into small individual size Tupperware containers and place four wafers around the edges of the pudding.
Lactose free Banana cream Pudding
Coleman really enjoyed eating his baked sweet potatoes, petite potatoes, carrots, and Brussel sprouts. Oh, I can’t forget he enjoyed his crescent rolls and his lactose free banana cream pudding.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and listening about our Thanksgiving Holiday Meal. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
For this challenge I went searching through my archives to see if I could find any Bare Branches that I might like to select for y’all to enjoy in this post. Guess what? I found several I liked that I hope you’ll like and enjoy as well.
Crowders Mountain State Park Kings Mountain, North Carolina March 2023
Baxter Village Trail Carolina Thread Trail Fort Mill, South Carolina January 2023
Old Town Cramerton, North Carolina November 2024
Old Town Cramerton, North Carolina November 2024
The Schiele Museum Gastonia, North Carolina March 2024
Nature Trail The Schiele Museum Gastonia, North Carolina March 2024
Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina February 2024
Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina March 2024
Lake Haigler Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina March 2024
Most of these were taken in the afternoon, after the weather warmed up a bit, while Coleman and I were out hiking and enjoying nature. Right now as I write it is only 27° degrees outside. I’ve already been out in the freezing cold and gotten Coleman on the bus for school. I’m glad I’m inside now out of the freezing cold. Burr, I wish we didn’t have to go out in the freezing cold for him to get on a bus for school. Winter weather has arrived even it won’t be officially winter till the twenty-first.
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.
So let’s see what you have for November
The rules are simple: 1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 31st or whenever your last photo was taken. 2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate. 3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do 4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments 5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard
For the past month of moving, unpacking, trying to organize our “Sweet, Sweet, Home” (as Coleman calls it); I have only been out photographing with Coleman and my iPhone. So here’s my last photo from November.
Margaret from From Pyrenees to Pennines is hosting the Monochrome Madness Challenge this week. She has chosen a theme of Music. Looking forward to seeing what everyone decides to post regarding this theme. Luckily, Coleman and I attended a Children’s Concert last week in downtown Cramerton’s Confluence. Some words to think about before I add my photos …
“Music speaks what cannot be expressed. It soothes the mind and gives it rest. It heals the heart and makes it whole. It flows from heaven to heal the soul.”
When I first decided to take Coleman to the Children’s concert last Saturday, I thought it was going to be a concert especially designed to appeal to children. I did not expect it to be a children’s karaoke show. Most of the children were hesitant to participate; a few banged on the drums and one brave girl sang a couple of songs for the audience while her proud grandfather filmed her singing. Coleman did enjoy listening to the music, however, he enjoyed playing in the playground at Goat Island Park and Greenway better.
Location: Confluence; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. Have a funtastic weekend. I appreciate y’all very much.
I’ve missed Cee so much and know this is a difficult time for her and Chris. Praying for strength and comfort for them both. I’ve been trying to keep up with the Which Way Challenge even though Cee is unable to do so. I encourage everyone who wishes to show Cee our Which Ways by posting your Stairs, Steps, and/or Ramps this week. . Just post any Which Way you desire and link up to Cee’s Which Way Challenge.
This week I am again posting a Which Way My Wayshowing Which Ways one might use by venturing up or down Stairs, Steps, and or Ramps. This week I chose to post my Stairs, Steps, and Ramp in Monochrome. You may use Monochrome, but not necessary. You may choose any format you desire if you choose to participate.
We begin our Which Way by walking down our front Steps …
Our Front Steps
Journeying on our way Coleman decides to climb the Steps at Cramer United Methodist Church …
Steps at Cramer United Methodist Church
Next, we explore the KayakRamp and Stairs at Goat Island Park and Greenway …
Kayak Ramp & Stairs Goat Island Park and Greenway
Coleman and I continue our wandering around Cramerton, the next day, after he walks down the School Bus 98 Steps …
School Bus 98 Steps
After Coleman exits the school bus, we drop off his school backpack and grab his hiking backpack with snacks and drinks. Then, we head on down to Riverside Park and Greenway for a relaxing afternoon noon of hiking and exploring.
While hiking the trail, we come upon the Stairs to one of several Fishing Piers at the Greenway …
Catawba Riverkeepers Water Recommended Flow Sign by the Fishing Pier Staircase
Lastly, we see interesting Halloween Decorations on each side of a neighbouring house Front Porch Steps …
House #89 Decorations and Front Porch Steps
Hope you enjoyed visiting our Which Ways this Week. I would love to see y’all’s Which Ways. Remember to click on each photo for larger enhanced viewing.
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Plus Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Take a Hike. Relax in a Park. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
What makes me smile? My grandson, Coleman makes me smile. Spending time in any one of our Warm Places makes me smile. Spending time out in nature, especially with Coleman, makes me smile and feeling all warm inside. Coleman loves to spend time by the Catawba River. There are several different areas by the Catawba River we enjoy spending time at. This week we enjoyed spending time on a warm sunny afternoon at Riverside Park and Greenway. It makes me smile when I am able to watch Coleman having a Funtastic time playing by the Catawba River. On this day he was having a fabulous time playing in the sand along the banks of the South Fork Catawba River at Riverside Park and Greenway.
Here are a spattering of photos depicting some of what makes me Smile and Warm Inside in one of our Warm places.
Capturing kayakers enjoying an afternoon on the South Fork Catawba River as seen from the banks at Riverside Park and Greenway in Cramerton, North Carolina. Care to Pull Up a Seat and join the fun on the South Fork Catawba River?
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week and enjoy nature. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
For larger enhanced viewing, please click on each individual photo. Sometimes the Sky seems like God painted a beautiful picture just for us to enjoy and be amazed at His Majestic Creation.,
Always trying for a few interesting shots as I walk up and wait for the bus to arrive bringing Coleman back from school. On this day i decided to use the monochrome feature on my iPhone to see what I could capture in Black and White around the neighbourhood. Looking up the road I spotted a train coming down the tracks, later I took a photo of the tracks from below looking upward; trying different angles and viewpoints than my normal viewpoint.
Since we moved to Cramerton at the end of October; Coleman’s new favourite place to go visit is the Goat Island Park and Greenway. The following are a few shots from our latest visit on Saturday.
Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Take a Hike. Relax in a Park. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Judy invites us all to play along with her each week for her 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 myNumbers 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.
God Bless. Take time for yourself. Walk around a Park or Greenway. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 