Viewing the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains and Hume Lake from Hume Lake Christian Campgrounds.
Hume Lake is a reservoir in the Sierra Nevada, located within the Sequoia National Forest 65 miles east of Fresno, California. It is in the unincorporated community of Hume, California adjacent to Hume Lake.
The 87-acre lake lies behind the world’s first concrete reinforced multiple arch dam, designed by John S. Eastwood and constructed in 1908 by the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company.
Hume Lake is a popular destination for a variety of recreational activities including camping, boating, fishing, hiking, and swimming.
Hume Lake Christian Camps is a non-denominational, nonprofit parachurch organization and is one of the largest operators of Christian camps and conference centers in the world. Hume has camps and conferences for every age group ( for children and adults alike).
My parents,along with other couples from our church, spent a weekend at Hume during the summer of 1979. I’m not sure if they were attending one of the marriage retreats offered at the campground or they were all volunteers for the weekend. It seems they had plenty of leisure time to explore and photograph the Sequoia National Forest and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
I attended weekend at Hume in my late teens with others from my church one winter. Somewhere, not sure where, I have pictures from when I was there. I remember seeing and walking by the lake.
This week we are continuing our adventures from August 1979 allowing y’all to imagine the experience and excitement of Pulling Up a Seat with us … Let’s Ride!
… California’s Great America’s Willard Whizzer Roller Coaster in Santa Clara, California. A transition roller coaster was introduced later on in 1986 called Grizzly Roller Coaster, which helped kids adapt from the kiddie roller coaster versions of Lucy’s Crabbie Cabbies and Woodstock Express to more grown-up thrills.
Willard’s Whizzer’s hills and ground-hugging curves gave riders a heightened impression of speed. Lacking inversions, the coaster has been a favorite of families. In the beginning, the ride didn’t have lap bars or seat belts. Small children rode side by side with a parent helping them to feel comfortable and protected. The forces of the ride were designed to keep well-behaved riders in their seats according to the laws of physics. For many children, at the time, this was their very first “big” roller coaster ride.
A walk back in time to visit a place my mom and dad visited with friends, remembering the love they shared. I believe this was a day trip they took with friends from their Sunday school class.
On this day trip from San Diego, California, in 1979, they ventured to The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens located in San Marino, California. The Botanical Gardens section of Huntington has approximately 120 acres of specialized botanical landscaped gardens, including the “Japanese Garden”, the “Desert Garden”, and the “Chinese Garden”.
Walking through a floral passageway with friends.
The Huntington’s Botanical Gardens showcase plants from around the world. Huntington worked diligently to make them thrive in the generous climate conditions of California. The gardens are divided into more than a dozen themes including the ones mentioned earlier.
Japanese Garden
The Japanese Garden creation began in 1911 with a donation from art dealer George Turner Marsh and was completed in 1912. However, it did not open to the public until 1928. In the Japanese Garden you can find three distinct gardens: the original stroll garden with koi-filled ponds and a drum or moon bridge, the raked-gravel dry garden which was added in 1968, and the traditionally landscaped tea garden.
Japanese Garden Bridge
An interesting side note: the gardens are frequently used as a filming location. Shits can be seen in the Carpenter’s music video, “Only Yesterday” (1975), in Star Trek the Next Generation’s episode Justice (1987), in CSI Miami’s episode of You May Now Kill the Bride (2008) and in many other productions.
The Huntington Botanical Gardens were honored on May 13, 2020 with a postal stamp as part of the American Gardens stamps. The Desert Garden was featured on the postal stamp.
These three Alpacas can be visited at the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm at the Horse Road Entrance to the Anne Springs Close Greenway. The Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm offers a unique blend of education and exploration for visitors of all ages.
Integrating the former petting zoo and adding a pastoral habitat, observation areas for various animals, a half-mile loop trail, gathering lawn, educational garden, and open-air learning center, the Children’s Farm aims to provide daily interpretation and demonstrations on a variety of topics in an immersive learning environment.
Tours of the Children’s Farm are self-guided. On Saturdays and Sundays Animal Care Volunteers may possibly be on site during specified times. If interested, please check the Greenway’s website prior to visiting for further details.
According the Oxford Dictionary, a Pathway is a path which you can walk along or a route you can take and a Passage is a way of exit or entrance; the act or process of moving through, under, over, or past something on the way from one place to another.
For Judy’s “The Numbers Game #30”Today’s number is 151. 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 under that number and include 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.
California Adventures
Since I have been working on digitizing my dad’s old slides more than photographing outdoors in our extreme heat, I decided to share some of my dad’s slides and my memories from our California adventures with all y’all.
Lombard Street San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco Bay Bridge San Francisco, California Turn Off to PCH 1 Doyce Eileen Waters ( My mom) and Myself Redwood Sequoia Sempervirens Washed Ashore at Crescent City During The Christmas Flood Of 1964. Placed Here At The Gateway To The Redwood Empire.Nornal Hule Waters (My dad) Sequoia National Park Three Rivers, Tulare County, California Centennial Stump Sequoia National ForestSequoia National Forest Campground Princess Sequoia Sempervirens Coastal California Redwood Sequoia National Forest
Locations: 1-5) San Francisco, California; 6-9) Sequoia National Forest Campground; Three Rivers, Tulare County, California, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Sharing memories are precious and a delight to behold. I appreciate y’all very much.
Yellow Flowers in April 1979 Marriott’s Great America Santa Clara, California Rudbeckia hirta AKA Black-eyed Susan In July 2024 Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
Clare from Clare’s Cosmos is asking all of us once again to share our desktops. All you need to do is share the photo (not your actual desktop) you have set as your wallpaper. Provide whatever information you desire about the photo. Use a pingback, or post a link to her blog hereso she knows you’ve joined in on the fun. Then, enjoy sharing the fun around.
Here are my July Desktops:
From my Laptop:
Wallpaper:
Catawba River near the Great Falls Dam Great Falls, South Carolina
Screensaver:
Coleman My ❤️ My Grandson
From my Smartphone
(iPhone 14 Pro Max)
Hiking Focus:
Nornal Hule Waters (my dad) and Larry Dean Waters (my brother) taken in Great Falls, South Carolina in July 1963.
Television Focus:
Hawksbill Turtle Ocean Conservancy
Personal Focus:
Coleman playing with his Titan Magnetic Tiles
Reading Focus:
Coleman in his Camouflage Flag Shirt
Come on along and join the fun. Share one or more, it doesn’t matter whether the photos are from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or your smartphone wallpaper(s).
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s desktop photos. Have a wonderful week. I appreciate y’all very much.
With Solvang being the Danish Capital of America, the Businessmen’s Association thought it would be too their advantage to capitalize on their natural advantages and adopt Danish style architecture in their buildings and in the remodeling of old buildings. Danish architectural styles had been developed in Solvang from its earliest stages of development, however, there was a more intensive effort conducted after their business meeting in 1946.
The Round Table Pizza building originally housed the Roeser Milling Company building (built in the 1930s). Back in the late 1970’s, tourists loved to stop for a bite at Round Table Pizza helping to contribute to their booming business. It is no longer in operation in Solvang, California, but there are plenty of other eateries to delight your appetite.
Location: Dairy Barn Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Hope it’s not too hot for all y’all. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
Girasol Anne Springs Close Greenway Fort Mill, South Carolina
The ‘Titan’ sunflower, as the name suggests, is a giant annual sunflower variety with an extra thick stem, supporting huge, alternating leaves, and a massive flower head that can reach 16-22 inches across! Plus Titan sunflowers can grow to heights of 12-14 feet! Blooms from July to September. Sunflowers attract a myriad of pollinators including bees, birds, butterflies and many others as well.
Disneyland’s first parade was held on Sunday, July 17, 1955. The Opening Day was dedicated at an “International Press Preview” event which was open only to invited guests and the media.
The dedication and other special events of the opening were televised nationwide and anchored by three of Walt Disney’s friends from Hollywood: Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan. It was broadcast live by ABC. Even though the Special Event was by invitation only, many people succeeded in sneaking into the park soaring the number of attendees to an astounding 28,000 people.
Disneyland has been having parades at the amusement park since that very first day except during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 when the park was closed. The theme of the parades change periodically with the seasons and significant historical events of the times. The Characters Parade occurred most years, as well as an annual Christmas parade and were popular among the tourists visiting the park.
In 1979, the Dumbo Circus Parade theme featured the same basic “Character Parade” floats with added circus decor. This particular theme parade only ran in 1979.
Although none of the floats were captured by my dad on this particular visit to Disneyland, many of the Characters were captured by his 35 mm camera. I am so glad that I am able to digitize his slides for preservation and am able to share them with all y’all.
Bugs Bunny & Wile E. Coyote at California’s Great America
Since the Opening of California’s Marriott’s Great America in 1976, the park featured appearances from Warner Bros. Looney Tunes characters. Some of the Looney Tunes characters included Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Tweety, and Yosemite Sam. The Looney Tunes characters would roam around the park greeting visitors as well as putting on a fun entertaining show.
Here is my entry for this week. These are from a trip to Solvang, California back in September of 1978. Solvang is known as “Danish Capital of America” because of its Danish heritage and European-inspired culture, architecture, and museums.
Solvang is a sun-soaked slice of Danish culture in the Santa Ynez Valley, where California wine cellars mix with European bakeries and shops. It’s where you can drink, dine and shop like a Dane without ever leaving the California sunshine.
The name Solvang means “sunny fields” in Danish. The city of Solvang was founded in 1911 by a group of Danish immigrants who purchased 9’000 acres of land near the Old Mission Santa Inés and built a community to preserve and promote Danish culture.
An interesting note (especially for Hallmark fans), A still from “A Very Charming Christmas Town,” the Lifetime Christmas movie set in Solvang.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Take Care Cee! Chris thank you for taking good care of our friend. I appreciate y’all very much.
My selections for this week’s challenge were captured on film in 1978 in Solvang, California many years ago.
11270 KM To Copenhagen
This Statue is a milestone marker indicating the distance from Solvang to Copenhagen, Denmark, a mere 11270 kilometers apart.
Hans Christian Andersen Statue
The Bronze Statue of Hans Christian Andersen is located in Hans Christian Andersen Park in Solvang, California. This Park is a tribute to the renowned Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen and was founded in 1970.
Presented To The Community Of Solvang By Friends Of Denmark Sponsored By The Solvang Chapter Of Rebuild National Park Society 1976
Solvang is known as the “Danish Capital of America” with its strong Danish heritage and European-inspired culture. It was founded in 1911. It wasn’t incorporated as a city until May 1, 1985.
Besides the Statue of Hans Christian Andersen there is a museum dedicated to him you might be interested in visiting. The monument of Hans Christian Andersen Denmark’s renowned Fairy Tale Writer was created by Henry Luckow Nielsen of Copenhagen, Denmark.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. Take Care Cee! Chris, thank you for taking good care of our friend. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Whizzer is a steel roller coaster located in the Hometown Square section of Marriott’s Great America. This one pictured here was taken at The California Marriott’s Great America amusement park in April of 1979.
The Whizzer, originally named “Willard’s Whizzer,” was one of two identical roller coasters built for each of the Marriott’s Great America parks. The Whizzer roller coasters made their debut when the parks opened in May of 1976.
The California Great America Whizzer operated from 1976-1988. My family visited the California location of Marriott’s Great America in Santa Clara, California in April of 1979. I am not sure if I actually Pulled Up a Seatand ride the roller coaster or not (I’m not too keen on large high-speed roller coasters.) The second location for Marriott’s Great America (currently known as Six Flags Great America) is in Gurnee, Illinois.
From the very beginning, both versions of Whizzer suffered with problems surrounding the braking system. The braking system would sometimes allow the trains to collide in the station. From 1976-1979, there were at least 11 recorded instances of station collisions on the California’s Great America version, resulting in an unknown number of injuries. The Illinois’ Great America Whizzer also had two station collisions which occurred less than a month apart in 1976. A total of 31 riders were injured in the Gurnee collisions.
The Steel Roller Coasters were manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf of Germany. These two versions of Whizzer were the last “Speedracer” models ever built.
If you want to have a chance to Pull Up a Seat on the Whizzer, you’ll need to visit the Gurnee, Illinois location of Six Flags Great America.
Blue Ridge Mountains North Carolina, USAFountain at Central Ohio Technical College Newark, Ohio License Plates Display NC Transportation Museum Spencer, North Carolina Business Garden Gastonia, North Carolina Grave Marker for Eddie W. Waters ( my Paternal Uncle) Great Falls, South Carolina
A Hodgepodge of Coleman
At the Fort Mill DamAt The Schiele Museum of Natural History At Gardner Park Elementary Playground At Neighborhood Playground
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I look forward to seeing y’all’s pictures for Judy’s Numbers Game. I appreciate y’all very much.
Crows are arguably the most familiar birds in America. Interestingly, what you might it realize is that in much of the eastern part of the U.S., including the South Carolina Lowcountry, there are actually two different species of crows, and they look alike.
One of these is the ubiquitous American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), found across most of North America. The American Crow is the crow most often seen and recognized. It is a large, clever, black bird with a harsh voice and a big personality.
The second type of Crow the Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus), which occurs along the Atlantic coast from southern Maine to Florida, and along the Gulf. The American Crow and the Fish Crow are members of the family Corvidae, which includes many familiar and intelligent birds, including rooks, jays, and ravens.
Here we are concentrating on the American Crow. The American Crow (formerly named the Common Crow) is an iridescent black crow is common throughout the Carolinas and is known for its “caw-caw” call. The are permanent residents with migratory movements. They are especially abundant throughout the winter season.
American Crows are known for being smart, adaptable, and resourceful, and can use tools to find food. They preferably nest in mixed pine and hardwood forests. They forage in open areas such as croplands, pastures and landfills. In urban areas, it is possible for them to use parks and tree-lined streets as roosting and nesting locations.
Crows represent change and transformation which in some cultures are seen as a “bad” omen if you see their appearance. The appearance of one or a flock of crows may indicate temporary and unexpected changes are coming. In Native American culture, crows are signs of knowledge and law. Seeing one of these black creatures is often a mark of good luck, justice, or wisdom.
While most will think of physical means of transport such as cars, airplanes, trains, and similar vehicles used for transportation; I am venturing into a different realm of transport.
The term transport has several different and yet similar definitions. It means an act or process of transporting; to transfer or convey from one place to another; a vehicle (such as a truck or airplane) used to transport persons or goods. It also means to carry away with strong and often intensely pleasant emotion; strong or intensely pleasurable emotion.
Transport applies to any powerful emotion(s) that lifts one out of oneself and usually provokes vehement expression or frenzied action.
“Books are the plane, the train, = and the ROAD. They are the Destination and The Journey.they are home.”
~ ANNA QUINDLEN
When I read books 📚 I am transported into another place and time. I feel the emotions along with the characters in whichever book or story I am reading. Books take me places where I might not otherwise be able to visit, help me to learn and understand what other places and people are all about. I can envision myself there right amongst the people,whether real or imagined by the other, they all seem very real to me. I can feel and visualize the events taking place and I am instantaneously transported to another city, state, or country as if I am one with the book and its characters.
“Books take you places you hope someday to go. They transport you to time in the future or long, long ago. The words paint the pictures, the author’s canvas is your mind. Surreal images greet you, you never know what you’ll find. Books take you places, whether fantasy or real. Some tales make you laugh while others make you squeal!”
~ Kimberly Beatty
What are your thoughts on books as a means of transport? Have you ever felt as if you have been transported to another time or place when you were reading a book?
The Fishing Creek Hydro Station, ( I grew up knowing it as the Great Falls Hydro Station/Dam), is located on the Catawba River in Great Falls, Chester County, South Carolina. It borders Lancaster County, South Carolina. It was built in 1916 by the Southern Power Company, predecessor to the station’s current owner, Duke Power.
Just like the name suggests, the creek is a popular area for fishing 🎣 and recreation. Fishing Creek Lake – created by the dam – has four access point along the 61 miles of shoreline, including Landsford Canal State Park. [Of a side interest, the Catawba River at Landsford Canal State Park is an excellent area for seeing the Spider Lilies each Spring.]
Hydropower provides about one percent of Duke Energy’s U.S. energy production, but the company’s more than 30 stations are able to activate quickly to meet customer demand during extreme temperatures. In addition to reliable power, communities near lakes created by Duke Energy’s stations are able to enjoy fishing, swimming, kayaking, and even photography.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Location: The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Glad you are home and joining in when able with Chris’ help. Thank you Chris for taking good care of our friend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.
This month is going to be a little different for me since I haven’t been anywhere to use my camera this month. I have been busy digitizing my dad’s old slides. I hope it’s alright to post the last picture from the last roll of his I converted to digital format.
From my Dad’s Minolta XG-7 35mm:
My dad’s reflection of him taking the photo is in the mirror.
Dirt Path to the Boat DockDirt Road to the Catawba RiverDirt Pathway between the Trees Dirt Paths along the Catawba River & Great Falls DamBattle of Fishing Creek Sign by Road Great Falls, South Carolina
Location: Catawba River; Great Falls Dam; Great Falls, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Great Falls Dam. Enjoy the beautiful great outdoors. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Huntersville Oaks is a short-term nursing and rehabilitation facility located in Huntersville, North Carolina. Huntersville is in northern Mecklenburg County just north of Charlotte, North Carolina.
My paternal grandfather stayed here receiving short-term medical care during the summer of 1980. When he was released, my dad took him back to his home in Great Falls, South Carolina.
This is be the first in a line of Antique Car Doors and Windows that I’ll be posting from my dad’s photo albums of old slides. My dad worked for FORD most of his adult life except during his service in the U.S. Navy. He loved to attend car shows of any kind. These weekly features will be from an Antique Car Show he attended somewhere in California ( I’m guessing here since all the cars have California license plates.) The cars appear to possibly be from a private collection.
Do you like to attend cars shows? I have attended car shows in the past, however, I do not plan a whole day or outing around a car show like my dad used to do.
Judy’s Numbers Game can bring about interesting results and insights from those who choose to participate. The challenge is alive, let’s join the fun. In searching for the #149 and its variations the results that popped are displayed below in this post.
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 