#PhotographyChallenge – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

Happy Mother’s Day! With Love, Coleman

Stem Explorers Pixel Art Challenge is a new Stem learning resource for Coleman.

It develops hands-on critical thinking skills such as problem-solving and spatial reasoning. The kit comes with 10 double-sided challenge cards with activities of increasing difficulty levels.

It is a screen-free learning adventure which engages Coleman in educational Stem play which builds essential coding concepts and mathematical skills through colourful, tactical building experiences. (I limit his screen time (tv) and do not allow him on a computer, hand-held device of any kind at this time.)

It develops Fine Motor Skills enhancing hand-eye coordination and dexterity while he places the pixel pieces to create patterns, designs, and completes structured challenges.

It is an excellent Versatile Educational Tool which can be used for independent play at home, in a home school, or in a classroom. It has multiple difficulty levels that will grow with Coleman as his abilities increase and will keep him challenged for several years.

The kit has Quality Construction which comes with one board and four hundred (400) durable, lightweight foam pieces that stay in place while he is playing/creating, they are safe for his hands and easy for him to manipulate.

Coleman really enjoys playing and creating designs with his Stem Explorers Pixel Art Challenge Kit and we would highly recommend it to any adult who interacts with young children. The age range for this Stem activity is 5+. I can see this being used by adults as well to keep their minds alert and stimulated.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-2026.05.09

Created by: Coleman Leon Wilson (my grandson).

God Bless. Have a pleasant and wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Pull Up a Seat — Coleman Style in a City Park #1

T. Jeffers Park

***Pull Up a Seat 2026***
***Coleman + Sophia Ruthann***
***T. Jeffers Center & Park***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 16-17-18

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour/Spring Festival — 2026 May 08

Happy Mother’s Day!

*Roses to brighten your*
*Mother’s Day Weekend*

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #29

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026 – Week #8

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: Lake Wylie, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers, and men don’t forget to honor the women in your life. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Which Way Challenge 2026 (CWWC): Any Which Way (Your Choice) [05.08.2026]

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). I trust everyone has had a good week and able to spend some time to take a walk or hike in the vast outdoors. This week’s theme is CWWC: Any Which Way (Your Choice). The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. As always signs are always welcome.

For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.

*Coleman*
*on a wooden path*
*crossing Lake Haigler*

For this week’s Which Way Challenge I have chosen to share a Which Way Coleman and I hiked back in 2022 when he was three years old. The hike along Lake Haigler Loop Trail at Anne Springs Close Greenway came up in my photo memories, so I thought y’all might enjoy seeing it as well.

Here are my entries …

Cee’s Which Way Challenge
(Your Choice)
Coleman on
Lake Haigler Loop Trail
Anne Springs Close Greenway

Click on each image to enlarge.

Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.

For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.

gwh photos2’s (CWWC) – Which Way Challenge: Any Which Way Capturing People Unaware

Dawn’s Which Way: Out for a Spin

Deb’s Which Way Challenge (CWWC)

Cameta: Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Location: Lake Haigler Loop Trail; Lake Haigler Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

*** Note: Next Week we will be exploring and sharing the theme of CWWC: Any Which Way with Signs [05.15.2026]. This will also tie in with Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) – Informational Signs. Feel free to link to his post as well next week. ***

2026 Thursday Doors: May 07

Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.05.07

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026.05.07

God Bless. (More about the image in a future post … stay tuned for a future update.) Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

One-Liner Wednesday 2026 May 06

Click on image to enlarge.

#1LinerWednesday

Linda’s One Liner Wednesday

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026.05.06

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.05.06

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: The Discovery Center; Abilene, Texas, USA

God Bless. Have a sunshiny day. Observe Nature. Thankful for local wildlife. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

The #Flower Hour #29— 2026 May 05

“¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!”

Spiraea japonica ‘Walbuma‘

Aka Magic Carpet Spirea, it is a compact deciduous shrub grown in a landscape near the tennis courts at T. Jeffers Center.

It is cherished for its vibrant yellow-gold foliage, intense pink summer (even though it is only spring here) flowers and red fall colour.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #29-2026.05.05

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 7

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Near Tennis Courts; T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 CFFC: Traffic or Caution Signs (On or off the Road)

Dan from No Facilities hosts the Fun Foto Challenge at and this week he is asking for our Traffic or Caution Signs. I have gone into my archives to see what I could locate to best represent this week’s theme.

Here are my entries …

First up are Caution Signs Along Trails …

Now for Traffic or Caution Signs Along Roads …

Click on each image to enlarge.

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)

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

Monday Portrait #15 — 2026 May 04

Sophia Ruthann

She turns Five (5) Months on Friday.

Monday Portrait

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Locations: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Monday Window – 2026 May 04

*Kitty by a Window – 2*
*— AI creation by PR*

City of Gastonia

Fire Headquarters

Monday Window-2026 May 04

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: City of Gastonia Fire Headquarters (Shot from across the street); Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Macro Monday – 2026 May 04

Packera aurea

Aka Butterweed, Golden Groundsel
Golden Ragwort

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The Flower Hour-2026.05.04

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026 – Week 7

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy the Spring-like weather. Ours is bouncing back and forth from the low 60°’s to the low 80°’s. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 2026 May 03

Picturesque Clouds Before the Rain

Click on each image to enlarge.

Skywatch Friday-2026 May 03

Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2026.05.03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Look up. Count you many blessings. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Lens-Artists #395—Taking a Look Back to “On the Water” (LAPC# 155)

This week’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge is hosted by Beth from Wandering Dawgs. She has chosen to have us Look Back to John’s LAPC #155 – On the Water. (I know I’m a little late posting for this challenge, having a grand-baby to take care of during the day hinders my ability to search through my archives for photos depicting “On the Water.” I finally managed to find a selection I hope you’ll enjoy.

I wonder, Does in the water count as well as on the water?

Springs Park
Lancaster County, South Carolina

How about a hydroelectric plant?

*Great Falls hydroelectric plant*
*Great Falls, South Carolina*

This one may or may not count …

*Fishing on the shore*
*of the Catawba River*
(*In Great Falls, SC)*
*with Fishing lines*
*Cast on the water.*

If that doesn’t work, then I know this one will …

*Fishing from a Kayak on the water*
*Andrew Jackson State Park*
*Lancaster, SC*

And lastly, let’s take a look at other recreational activities on the water …

Recreational “boating”
on the water
in Lake Wylie
seen from
McDowell Nature Preserve
Charlotte, North Carolina

Beth’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #395-Looking Back to #155 On the Water

God Bless. Take time to enjoy nature on or off the water. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Last on the Card — April 30

Brian from Bushboys World hosts a monthly challenge called Last On the Card. His rules are simple to follow if you’re interested in participating.

Here are The rules:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th 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

Here are my contributions …

From my Canon EOS T7 (2000D):

*Coleman at*
*Kings Mountain State Park*

From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

Click on each image to enlarge.

#Brian’s Last on the Card-2026 April 30

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

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026 May 03

Visiting T. Jeffers Park

*At T. Jeffers Park*
*with Coleman & Sophia*
*(Look carefully to spot Coleman*
*… might need to enlarge)*

Click on image to enlarge.

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2026.05.03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: T. Jeffers Center and Park; Gastonia, 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.

One Word Sunday (#OWS) —2026 May 03

White

Click on image to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday (OWS)-2026 May 03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Mount Zion Restoration Church; 2311 Crescent Lane; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Silent Sunday: 2026.05.03

Mount Zion Restoration Church

Click on images to enlarge.

Silent Sunday-2026.05.03

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Mount Zion Restoration Church; 2311 Crescent Lane; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Connect with Nature … Hug a Tree

“Be kind. Stay green. Hug a tree.”

“When you hug a tree, you’re not just showing affection – you’re slowing down and reconnecting with nature.”

cultivatinggreenspaces

“Hugging a tree isn’t a strange act — it’s an exchange. A moment of grounding. A way of remembering that we are part of something bigger.”

Author unknown

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Location: The Cultural Center Trail; Catawba Nation Greenway Trail; Carolina Thread Trail; Catawba Indian Nation; Catawba Reservation; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless Enjoy Nature. Hug a Tree. Peace be with you. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour/Spring Festival — 2026 May 01

Happy May Day!

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #28

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 7

Carol’s Thursday Trios-2026 May 01

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Pull Up a Seat — Coleman Style in a State Park #4

I am continuing Coleman’s Style of Pulling Up a Seat in a State Park to show his many selections of where he chooses to Pull Up a Seat.

Here are this week’s entries … On a Trail Bench or whatever and wherever he chooses.

Pull Up a Seat —
Coleman Style
in a State Park #4

Click on each image to enlarge.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 18

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-25mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment

Location: Lake Crawford Trail; Kings Mountain State Park; Blacksburg, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Thursday Doors: April 30

Shining Star Fellowship Church

The Shining Star Fellowship Church is a Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) affiliated church whose focus is on equipping believers and leading community members to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

*Shining Star Fellowship Church*
*301 Palm Street*
*Abilene, Texas*

This church is located a few short blocks from my maternal aunt’s home where I visited in the Spring of 2020. This is one of many churches I saw as I walked about my aunt’s neighbourhood.

Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.April 30

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: Shining Star Fellowship Church; 301 Palm Street; Abilene, Texas, USA

God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Happy May Day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Monochrome Madness — 2026 April 29

Republic Textile Mill #3

The Republic Textile Mills Company was founded in Great Falls, South Carolina around 1905-1910 by the Southern Power Company (later became known as Duke Power Company). It was founded to capitalize on Catawba River water power. The Republic Textile Mills Company expanded to three mills by 1923.

[My paternal grandfather worked in the #3 Mill located on Argonne Avenue kitty-corner from Walnut Street where my paternal grandparents lived. When he worked there the Mills were owned by J. P. Stevens and Company.]

*J.P. Stevens Mill #3*
*(previously known as*
*Republic Textile Mills Company)*

The Republic Textile Mills Company operated as a major textile producer in the region, complete with a company town, before being sold to J. P. Stevens and Company in 1946. The #3 Mill opened in 1923. The company town included a company store, where workers could charge goods against their wages.

*Republic Textile Mill #3*
*(Aka JP Stevens Mill* #3)

The Mills ceased all operations due to the broader decline of the textile industry. The last of the Mills closed its doors around 1985.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

Location: Corner of Argonne Avenue and Walnut Street; Great Falls, South Carolina, USA

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026.04.29

USS CONSOLATION AH 15

*Nornal H. Waters HN*
*(My dad’s hospital ship*
*he served on in the U.S. Navy.)*

Nornal H. Waters HN
USS CONSOLATION AH 15 — *The images on the left are the Originals,*
*on the right are Google AI enhanced images*

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.04.29

Jez’s Water, Water Everywhere

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

2026 CFFC: Something that Took You Higher

And Higher

From Here

and Over Yonder

Dan from No Facilities hosts the Fun Foto Challenge at and this week he is asking for our Something that Took You Higher. I have gone into my archives to see what I could locate to best represent this week’s theme. Approximately half of the images are within this decade, while the rest are more on the vintage side.

Here are my entries …

*Coleman being*
Lifted Higher
by his mom’s feet
Lake Wylie, SC

Click on each image to enlarge.

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

The #Flower Hour #28— 2026 April 28

Hymenocallis coronaria

These images are from last year. This year’s Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies are not in full bloom yet. The Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies bloom each year along the Catawba River and can be viewed from Landsford Canal State Park. The best time of year to view the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies is from May through mid-June. To view them from land, you may choose to hike the 1.5 mile, round-trip down either the Nature Trail or the Canal Trail to the overlook. There is another option to view the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies, that option would be to kayak the Catawba River and wind your way through the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies where you’ll have an upclose view.

*Aka Cahaba lily, Shoal lily,*
*or Shoals Spider-lily*

The latest report on the Lily Watch is that the green leaves are reaching full growth and the Rocky Shoals in the river are looking lush. There are a view early bloomers out in the Catawba River with more flowers coming into full bloom soon. This year the rainfall has been insufficient, however, the plants still are looking healthy and are expected to reach peak bloom around the middle or end of May.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #26-2026.04.28

Macro Monday (MM)

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 6

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Location: Landsford Canal State Park; Catawba, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Monday Portrait #14 —27 April

A Horse is a Horse,

Of Course

*A Work Horse on*
*The Living History Farm*
*Kings Mountain State Park*

Click on image to enlarge.

Monday Portrait-2026.04.27

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: The Living History Farm; Kings Mountain State Park; Blacksburg, 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.

One Word Sunday (#OWS) —2026.04.26

Looking Back in Time

I at t at Fashion

*Late 1940’s or early 1950’s*
*(around 1948 or thereabouts)*

*Approximately Late 1930’s*
*or early 1940’s*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday (#OWS)-Fashion

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

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026 April 26

CLT Airport

*American Airlines*
*Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Charlotte*, North Carolina

Click on each image to enlarge.

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2026.04.26

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Plus

Location: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT); Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

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

Silent Sunday: 2026.04.26

Mt Jefferson Presbyterian Church

Silent Sunday

Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Location: Mt Jefferson Presbyterian Church; West Jefferson, North Carolina, USA

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

Look Out! Future Driver is Here.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-04.25.2026

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour/Spring Festival — 2026 April 24

Bee Calendula officinalis

*Calendula officinalis,*
*Aka Pot Marigold*
*Is a Feast for a Common*
*Eastern Bumblebee*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #27

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 6

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

Monochrome Madness #58 — 2026 April 23

Things Beginning with “P”

This week Monochrome Madness is hosted by Sarah from Travel with Me. She has chosen to challenge us to post images which begin with the letter “P”. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t that difficult to find images in my archives which begin with “P”.

Here are my entries …

Let’s begin by walking out onto the Porch …

Next, how about a trip back in time …

*Pennzoil Indy Race Car*
*captured on 35mm at the*
*Indianapolis Motor Speedway*
*Hall of Fame in*
*August of 1985*
*by my dad.*

Now back to more current “P” images …

*Pump House*
*by the Catawba River &*
*the Piedmont Medical Center Trail*
*in Rock Hill, SC*

*Pig*
*at the Children’s Farm*
*in Anne Springs Close Greenway*
*in Fort Mill, SC*

*Patterson Pond –*
*Canada Geese enjoying a swim*
*Anne Springs Close Greenway*
*Fort Mill, SC*

A Preserved replica
of a Brown Pelican
*in The Schiele Museum*
*of Natural History*
*Gastonia, NC*

*Pretty colourful Petunias*
*The Schiele Museum*
*of Natural History*
*Gastonia, NC*

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #58-Begins with P

Sarah’s Monochrome Madness-Begins with P

God Bless. Have a funtastic week ahead. May your week be filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Thursday Doors: April 23

Beware … Restricted Access

Funny thing happened on the way to write a post … I told my daughter I didn’t think I had any new doors to post. You know what? She up and sent me the following image she took of a mistaken door she went out and couldn’t get back in without assistance. Problem solved. I’m posting a door for your pleasure, my friends.

Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.04.23

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Plus

Location: Below & outside of checkpoint 3; Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT); Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026.04.22

Papilio glaucus

*Aka Eastern Tiger Swallowtail*
*on a Prunus virginiana*
*(Chokecherry)*

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.04.22

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

The #Flower Hour #27— 2026 April 21

Shades of Pink

Last week I shared a pink rose peeking out of garden bush. Ordinarily I don’t share from the same plant two weeks in a row, but I am fascinated with the variety of colours and shades on this rose bush.

As the week has progressed more and more buds have been blossoming. What’s surprising to me is the vast variety of shades on the same plant. The blooms vary from whitish with pinkish centre’s to varying shades of pink and even what appears to be reddish or dark pink buds. I do not recall seeing such a variegated colour scheme on one plant before. For comparison you may check out last week’s roses by clicking here.

Here are this week’s blossoming highlights …

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #26-2026.04.21

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 CosPhoChal: Green Gardens Spring New Life

Dale, the host of the Cosmic Photo Challenge has asked the question “How does your garden grow?”. We haven’t lived in our current location long enough to plant a garden, but nonetheless, a small garden does exist on the property. I have shown a few pictures in other challenges, however, I show other pictures not previously posted.

These are some of the Eastern Skunk Cabbage growing in the garden …

The next set is from our neighbours garden …

***Opuntia cochenillifera***
***Aka Prickly pear cactus***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026

Cee’s FOTD

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Home Gardens; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. May you be blessed with new adventures, new friendships, and an abundance of happiness. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Silent Sunday: 2026.04.19

Old SD Postcard

Broadway, San Diego, California
On Line of the San Diego &
Arizona Eastern Railway

Digitized in 2020.

Location: Broadway Street; Downtown San Diego; San Diego, California, USA

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

One Word Sunday (#OWS) —2026.04.19

Need to Make a Call ?

Use the Black Payphone

Click on each image to enlarge.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday (#OWS)-Black

Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus Telephoto

Location: Lower Trailhead; Stone Mountain State Park; Roaring Gap, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Capture the beauty all around you. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Cell Pic Sunday: 2026 April 19

Cows Grazing

Blue Ridge Mountains
Wilson Hwy
Near New River &
Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

Click on each image to enlarge.

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-2026.04.19

Camera: Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Location: Blue Ridge Mountains; Wilson Hwy; Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, USA

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

Soaring High into the Wild Blue (Yonder)

*Airplane Soaring High*
*into the Skies from CLT*

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday-04.18.2026

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Plus

Location: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT); Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

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

Skywatch Friday/Weekend Sky — 2026 April 18

360° View

Skywatch Friday-2026.04.18

Hammad’s Weekend Sky-2026.04.18

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Pull Up a Seat — Coleman Style in a State Park #2

Picnic Tables

to Pull Up a Seat

in a State Park

*Picnic Table*
*at The Living History Farm*

Picnic Tables

to Pull Up a Seat

at The Living History Farm

Coleman’s Antics and Expressions

While Pulling Up a Seat

Waiting for his mom.

***Coleman’s Antics and Expressions***
**Pull Up a Seat**
**The Living History Farm**
**Kings Mountain State Park**

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2026-Week 16

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-25mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment

Location: By Lake Crawford & At The Living History Farm; Kings Mountain State Park; Blacksburg, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Walk/Hike. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Which Way Challenge (CWWC) 2026: Any Which Way with Outdoor Steps or Stairs.

Welcome back to another Which Way Challenge (CWWC). I trust everyone has had a good week and able to spend some time to take a walk or hike in the vast outdoors. This week’s theme is CWWC: Any Which Way with Outdoor Steps or Stairs. The Which Way can be any path, sidewalk, trail, or road as long as the Which Way is clearly discernible. As always signs are always welcome.

For further information regarding the Which Way Challenge (CWWC) feel free to check out the home page here.

This week I am continuing to show aspects of mine and Coleman’s hike in Kings Mountain State Park, beginning with the Steps to the Bathhouse and continuing along the Lake Crawford Trail and beyond.

Here are my entries …

Click on each image to enlarge.

Thank you to those who have participated and supported the Which Ways Challenge. I appreciate y’all sharing your Which Ways with us.

For an idea of other’s Which Ways from this past week’s challenge, be sure to click on the following links below.

Suzette’s For Deb’s CWWC 2026 and Dan’s CFFC Combined Challenge

Chava61’s CWWC/CFFC/Spring Festival 2026: A Spring Walk Which Ever Way

In Primo Piano’s Spring, Glorious Spring

Camera:Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Kings Mountain State Park; Blacksburg, South Carolina, USA

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

Floral Friday/The #Flower Hour/Spring Festival — 2026 April 17

Symplocarpus foetidus

The Symplocarpus foetidus, aka Eastern skunk cabbage, is growing in a small garden of our rental home. When I first saw the plants in the small garden I wasn’t sure what type of plant they were.

The Eastern Skunk Cabbage is a native North American wildflower. It is known for being among the first plants to emerge in late winter.

It is a low-growing plant that grows in wetlands (Why here, I’m not sure. We definitely don’t live in a wetland area. We did have snow and ice storms this winter though.) and moist hill slopes (the area it’s planted in is more or less flat) of eastern North America.

We moved here evidently after the plants had already bloomed. When in blooming season, the plant produces a foul-smelling, maroon-and-green mottled spathe (hood) that covers its flowers, attracting pollinators like flies and beetles with its heat and odour. Its foul-smelling odour is the main reason it is called “Skunk Cabbage.”

Once the Eastern Skunk Cabbage flowers, then large, cabbage-like leaves unfurl, and the plant is toxic if ingested raw, causing burning and swelling.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #26

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026-Week 5

Also posting in remembrance of …

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Backyard Garden; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

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

2026 Thursday Doors: April 16

The Living History Farm

When Coleman and I went hiking the other week, we hiked from the Bathhouse to The Living History Farm (from one end to the other end) in Kings Mountain State Park. The Living History Farm at Kings Mountain State Park is a replica of a mid-nineteenth (19th) century South Carolina yeomen farm.

Yeomen Farms were run by small-scale independent landowners who worked their own land primarily using family labour. [Much in the same way the Amish farmers work, or farmers in the time period of ‘Little House on the Prairie’.] Yeomen farmers focused on subsistence farming, livestock, and self-reliance.

Enough of the side jaunt about the farmers, now back to The Living History Farm. It is an opportunity for visitors to explore an immersive look into the self-sufficiency lifestyle of the post-Revolutionary War era. It shows the period-appropriate buildings, heirloom gardens, and holds live demonstrations to illustrate how the farmers and their families lived and worked together during the post-Revolutionary War era.

These here are a fraction of the authentic replicas at The Living History Farm.

Anyone ever use one of these?

*A Visiting Dog*
*(not apart of the historical replica*)

*Under this building is a wagon and other equipment used on a yeomen farm.*

Dan’s Thursday Doors-2026.04.16

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.

Location: The Living History Farm; Kings Mountain State Park; Blacksburg, South Carolina, USA

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

Note: This Friday’s CWWC theme will be Any Which Way with Outdoor Steps or Stairs. The Steps or Stairs maybe on any pathway, nature trail, or any other walkway or footpath. Be sure your Which Ways are clearly visible. Thank you for your participation.

Monochrome One-To-Three Photo Processing

Playing around with an old image from the 1960’s …

*Original Digital scan of a photo*
*~ Approximately 1968*
*in San Diego, California*

*Adjusted contrast &*
*slightly blurred background*

*Adjusted lighting, contrast,*
*and added color to the girl’s sweater*

*Enhanced image. Strengthen quality.*
*Adjusted lighting and contrast.*
*Also changed the background*
*to one of my favourite places*
*of my youth, Mission Beach.*

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

XingfuMama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge-April 2026

Location: 228 S. Meadowbrook Drive; San Diego, California, USA

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

Wordless Wednesday — 2026.04.15

Lake Crawford

Click on image to enlarge.

Wordless Wednesday-2026.04.15

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere (WWE)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Lake Crawford; Kings Mountain State Park; Blacksburg, South Carolina, USA

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

2026 CFFC: View from an Airport Employee Parking Lot

Views from
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport’s Employee Parking Lot

Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC)-View from a Plane or from the Airport, airport tram or, for those who don’t fly, a view of a plane

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Employee Parking Lot; Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT); Charlotte, 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.

The #Flower Hour #26 — 2026 April 14

***Peeking* 👀 *through the Bush***

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #26-2026.04.14

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Unity Community; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers and the beauty found in nature. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Share this:

T. Jeffers Park

Share this:

Happy Mother’s Day!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

“¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!”

Spiraea japonica ‘Walbuma‘

Share this:

Share this:

Sophia Ruthann

Share this:

City of Gastonia

Fire Headquarters

Share this:

Packera aurea

Share this:

Picturesque Clouds Before the Rain

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Visiting T. Jeffers Park

Share this:

White

Share this:

Mount Zion Restoration Church

Share this:

“Be kind. Stay green. Hug a tree.”

Share this:

Happy May Day!

Share this:

Share this:

Shining Star Fellowship Church

Share this:

Republic Textile Mill #3

Share this:

USS CONSOLATION AH 15

Share this:

And Higher

From Here

and Over Yonder

Share this:

Hymenocallis coronaria

Share this:

A Horse is a Horse,

Of Course

Share this:

Looking Back in Time

I at t at Fashion

Share this:

Share this:

Mt Jefferson Presbyterian Church

Share this:

Share this:

Bee Calendula officinalis

Share this:

Things Beginning with “P”

Share this:

Beware … Restricted Access

Share this:

Papilio glaucus

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Old SD Postcard

Share this:

Need to Make a Call ?

Use the Black Payphone

Share this:

Cows Grazing

Share this:

Share this:

360° View

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Symplocarpus foetidus

***Peeking* 👀 *through the Bush***