One Day Walking Through the Woods

One Day while hiking along a trail Coleman and I came across a section with textured wood that had seen better days.

Trail near
Gardner Park Elementary
Gastonia, North Carolina

One Day while hiking in Anne Springs Close Greenway we spotted a mysterious hole within a rotting tree stump that drew our attention.

At Anne Springs Close Greenway
in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

One Day we decided to take a break in the shade to catch our breath before contour hike. (Coleman was just under 2 at the time.) we found some interesting shadows and a Dragonfly.

Chestnut Trail;
McDowell Nature Preserve;
Charlotte, North Carolina

One Day during a hike to Coleman’s favourite sandpit in Riverside Park and Greenway we noticed some interesting texture of Hypnum cupressiforme, (the cypress-leaved plaitmoss or hypnum moss).

Textured hypnum moss growing on a tree Coleman enjoys climbing.

One Day at Riverside Park and Greenway I was trying to locate the log I usually sat on while Coleman played in the sand. It took some looking around before we spotted it. Someone had decomposed our log by using it as a fire log. (No fires are to be built in the park especially during the summer fire season.)

Burnt Log destroyed by fire.
So much for my sitting on it.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Textures

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Decay

Becky’s #NovemberShadows #30

Weekly Prompts The One Day Prompt-(19 )

Patti’s Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #375-Mysterious

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

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

2025 Silent Sunday Stills …

Whatsoever Is Lovely

Is Bright and Beautiful

Click on image to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-All Things Bright and Beautiful

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 47

Silent Sunday

Sunday Trees-2025.11.23

Ragtag Daily Prompt-Variegated

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, 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.

2025 Sunday Stills: Monthly Colour Challenge — Black as Seen in Nature

Widow Skimmer
(Libellula luctuosa)
Anne Springs Close Greenway,
Fort Mill, SC

Common Raven
(Corvus corax)
Saki Monkey
Riverbanks Zoo
Columbia, SC
Norfolk Southern Railway
Cramerton, NC
Ebony jewelwing
(Calopteryx maculata)
Anne Springs Close Greenway,
Fort Mill, SC
Coleman holding
a Wild Blackberry
Crowders Mountain State Park
Kings Mountain, NC
Clyde Wilson (my father-in-law)
with a black horse

Terri’s Sunday Stills: Monthly Colour Challenge- Black (and/or White)

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

2025 Monday Portrait: 06 October

Sunday Stills/

Monday Portraits

for

World #Animal Day

October 4th was World #Animal Day. This year’s theme is “Save Animals, Save the Planet.” The idea behind the theme is to highlight how protecting animal lives supports a healthier, sustainable planet. 2025 marks the 100th Anniversary of World Animal Day.

Many of us (speaking specifically for myself) do not see Safari, exotic, or any non domesticated animal species other than perhaps in one of the many Zoos around the world.

Here are a few photos I have captured of Animals living in a Zoo or Safari Park environment.

Lemur
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
Columbia, South Carolina
Baboons
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Columbia, South Carolina
Giraffes
Greenville Zoo
Greenville, South Carolina
Chuma and Saied (2022)
Greenville Zoo
Greenville, South Carolina

Sadly, Saied, one of the African Lions who called the Greenville Zoo home since 2010 is no longer amongst us. Saied was a 15-year old African Lion who had a rapid and irreversible worsening of degenerative joint disease and spinal neurological issues. After much discussion, testing, and constant monitoring the Greenville Zoo staff had the hard decision to consult and come to an agreement on what was best for Saied. It was with a heavy heart that the consensus reached was to euthanize Saied and relief him once and for all of his suffering.

It is extremely important for us to recognize the value of the Animals which share our planet. They cannot speak for themselves, so we must speak for them. Each species which exist here on earth have unique ways in which they help to support life.

World #Animal Day is a reminder for us to maintain and continue protecting animals. Without the animals our very existence and survival would be nearly impossible and meaningless. When we protect the animals, we are essentially protecting ourselves.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-World #Animal Day

Monday Portrait

Photo Credit:©️2017-2022 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Remember we must protect the Animals to protect and preserve the earth and ourselves. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Sunday Stills — Fountains and Waterfalls

This week Terri is challenging us to display images of Waterfalls and/or Fountains we have seen. In our area we do not have any really huge waterfalls, but I have managed to visit a few smallish ones and fountains around the Carolinas.

Here are my entries … click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Fountains and Falls

Photo Credit:©️2017-2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

2025 Sunday Stills: 14 September

Monthly Monthly Color Challenge

Vibrant Yellow

and Orange Hues

When I originally looked at the theme for September’s Monthly Color Challenge, I read Ocher, saffron (yellow hues), plus burnt orange so I went searching for more neutral shades of yellow. Today, when I checked Terri’s post it shows Vibrant Yellow and Orange Hues which is quite the contrast. Therefore, I might have chosen a mixture of both colour palettes.

Yellowish Florals …

Common Eastern Bumblebee
on Wingstem
Verbesina alternifolia,
aka Wingstem
Dahlia ‘Ms Kennedy’
Yellow Roses
Marigold

Orangey Florals …

Orange Day-Lily
Orange Zinnia

Non Floral Yellows and Orange

Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge

Terri’s Sunday Stills

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2022-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

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

2025 Sunday Stills: 08.31 — Things (Home) under Construction

Home Renovation

Under Construction

Our neighbour’s home has been under construction for a major renovation project since springtime. The whole inside was gutted and renovations began with brand new plumbing, wiring, electrical, and such forth (basically taken down to the bare roots of the building).

We’ve been quietly watching the workers coming and going every day except Saturday and Sunday until recently. Now workers are working almost every single day. The owners come by every Thursday/Friday evening to check on the construction progress. I know they are anxious to be able to get back into their home.

Neighbour’s Home
under Construction Renovations

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Things under Construction

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

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

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

2025 Sunday Stills: Time Spent Amongst Trees are Treasurable

“A grove of giant redwoods or sequoias should be kept just as we keep a great or beautiful cathedral.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

Giant Redwoods in the Sequoia National Forest.

Living and hiking amongst the Trees is my favourite places to be, trees are calming and refreshing to my soul bringing in inner peace and quiet.

“In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.”

— Paolo Coelho

From the time Coleman began walking I have had him hiking out in the woods amongst the Trees teaching him to love nature and the importance of Leaving No Trace. Emphasizing the importance of carrying out what we bring into the woods, carrying out our trash if no disposal contains are available and what is in nature naturally stays in nature. We may take pictures, but leave only footprints.

“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

~ John Muir

I am extremely grateful that Coleman loves being out in nature amongst the Trees as much as I do. I hope and pray he always will love, respect, and protect nature.

“Learn character from trees, values from roots, and change from leaves.”

— Tasneem Hameed

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Trees

Photo Credit:©️1979-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Footprints. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Sunday Stills: Monthly Colour Challenge — #Pastels in Florals

Good Day to everyone! It is a cool spring morning and I’m wishing I was still asleep. However, that’s not possible when it’s a school day for Coleman. Instead of falling back asleep after arriving back home from the bus stop, I’m here writing and fixing to upload another post. Who needs sleep anyway? I’ll probably fall back asleep after arriving a little bit of reading 📖.

Now before I begin reading it is time to show y’all some lovely pastel florals from my neighbours gardens.

Stop and Smell the Flowers. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty.

Terri’s Sunday Stills

Cee’s Flower of the Day

God Bless. You are Beautiful. Share your beautiful smiles and love to everyone in your path. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

All about Bugs, Squares, & Games

#Seven Bugs/Insects for September

Instead of separate posts I decided to combine Terri’s Sunday Stills with Judy’s Numbers Game and Becky’s Squares Challenges. Therefore, instead of using the number 158, I have chosen to use the Words Bugs and Insects to use for Judy’s Numbers Game this week. Oh, of course, going along with Becky’s Squares Challenge they will all be Squared. The words Bugs and Insects fits right into Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge-All about Bugs.

Uno (One, 1):

Ebony Jewelwing
(Calopteryx maculata)
AKA Black-winged Damselfly
June 2017 on Canon EOS Rebel T3i Sesquicentennial State Park
Columbia, South Carolina

Dos (Two, 2):

Acanthocephala Declivis
Giant Leaf-footed Bug

Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Tres (Three, 3):

Argiope aurantia
AKA yellow garden spider
Black and Yellow Garden Spider
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Cuatro (Four, 4):

Melanoplus differentialis
Differential grasshopper
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Cinco (Five, 5):

Libellula luctuosa
Widow skimmer
Species of dragonfly
July (7) 2023
Canon EOS Rebel T3i
Lake Haigler
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill, South Carolina

Seis (Six, 6):

Siete (Seven, 7):

Scolia dubia AKA
 Two-spotted Scoliid Wasp 
or a Blue-winged Scoliid Wasp
& Megachile montivaga
Silver -tailed Petalcutter Bee
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Warlick Family YMCA
Gastonia, North Carolina

Terri’s Sunday Stills- All about Bugs

Judy’s Numbers Game: #37-158

Becky’s Squares-#Seven for September

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

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

2024 Sunday Stills: #Color challenge: Diamond, Quartz, Crystal, and/or Purple

Purple I have, not so much in the way of Diamonds, Crystals, or Quartz. Therefore, I showing y’all some of my favourite purples.

Viola × williamsii, 
Purple Pansies
Glandularia,
 AKA Mock Vervain 
or Mock Verbena
Buddleja davidii
 Butterfly Bush
Digitalis purpurea,
AKA the foxglove 
or common foxglove

Now for Quartz, (not what you had in mind, I bet.)

Coleman
holding the
Quartz Trail Sign

Terri’s Sunday Stills

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

Photo Credit: ©️2022-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Cameras: 1 & 3) iPhone 14 Pro Max; 2 & 4) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm and Canon EF 75-300mm lenses; 5) iPhone 13 Pro.

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