#Terri’sSundayStillsChallenge – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

Sunday Stills: 2026 October 25 (on 27) — #Nature’s Scary Animal

***Sunday Stills***
Animal of the Month
What’s #Scary in the Animal Kingdom?

Terri has recently started a new theme for the Sunday Stills challenge called Animal of the Month. This month this theme is focusing on What’s #Scary in the Animal Kingdom?. For this challenge I have chosen the scary or sometimes no so scary (depending on your outlook) of Slithering Snakes.

Here are my contributions …

“There’s a snake lurking in the grass.”
Virgil

*Seen at Wild Animal Park*
*in San Diego, California*

When are Snakes seemingly scary to me? Not when they’re encased in glass or cage encounters, then they are interesting to observe. However, when a Snake slithers across my path close to me, then my scary senses are on high alert.

*By our sliding glass door,*
*seeming to hiss at us.*

“No matter how brave a man is, he will always look twice at a snake.”
—African Proverb

Whenever Coleman and I are hiking along trails in the woods, I keep my eyes on full alert. You never know what might be lurking under the leaves and sticks on the side of a trail.

Seven Oaks Preserve Trail
Belmont, North Carolina

Snakes and Spiders are the animals that humans think are the most scary to them. The smaller, everyday creatures (like snakes & spiders) are the ones that triggers the highest levels of raw, visceral fear and dread.

*Riverbanks Zoo*
*Columbia, South Carolina*

“The snake is an absolute coldness. It has no warmth, no love, no voice. You can never tell what it is thinking, and that is why it terrifies us.”
— Unknown

Would you hold a few Snake in your hand(s)? I’d rather not, regardless if the snake was harmless or not.

*Snake demonstration & talk in The Farm The Schiele Museum of Natural History*
*Gastonia, North Carolina*

“It is the bright day that brings forth the adder, and that craves wary walking.”
– William Shakespeare

Why are some of us scared of Snakes? There are several possible reasons including evolutionary innate perceptual predisposition to quickly spot and easily learn to fear them. Other possible factors are unique physical traits, cultural stories, and learned fears; unfamiliarity with snakes, social conditioning, pop culture and/or movies, as well as myths and folklores about them.

“A snake knows more about what is happening around than any other creature, because it has no ears to listen to gossip – only direct perception.”
Jaggi Vasudev (Sadhguru)

To me, when I see snake on a trail, by my home, or on any path I might walk I am leery, not sure if I should perceive it as scary or whether I should ignore it and keep moving forward. When I see snakes at Zoos, or museums, then I am not afraid. Why not? They are enclosed in cages or glass enclosures and I know I am safe to observe and admire them within a safe environment.

*Burmese Pythons Greenville Zoo Greenville, SC*

My grandson, as yet, doesn’t have fear of snakes, he finds them fascinating and enjoys reading about them in books.

*Slither, Snake!*
*A National Geographic Kids book*
*borrowed from our local library.*

“Kill the snake of doubt in your soul, crush the worms of fear in your heart and mountains will move out of your way.”
– Kate Seredy

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Animal of the Month-What’s #Scary in the Animal Kingdom?

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

Sunday Stills 2026 October: Monthly Colour Challenge — Lava and Black

This week Terri has given us an interesting challenge of coming up with images that depict Lava-like colours and the colour black for this month’s monthly colour challenge.

Here is what I’ve located in my archives …

Sky over the
Railroad Tracks in Cramerton, NC

Click on images to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge – Lava and Black

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

Sunday Stills 2026 October 11 (on 17th) A Look at Stairs & Steps

Good Day everyone! This week Terri with Second Wind Leisure Perspectives is on vacation and Hugh from Hugh’s Views and News has graciously stepped up to host in her absence. He has given us the prompt of Steps & Stairs for this week’s Sunday Stills Challenge .

There are many ways we can look at Stairs and Steps, every step we take helps us continue on our life’s journey. We take steps every day whether we are just walking on solid ground or climbing a few steps or up the stairs to new adventures.

“For a stairs to be safe, every step on that stairs has to be safe!”
Mehmet Murat ildan

In life we may stumble as we embrace struggles, however, with every difficult step we take we build resilience and character.

“To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.”
~ Author unknown

Nature’s steps & stairs
of rock, dirt & wood

Every Step we take in life shapes who we become, our personal journeys are rarely straight or smooth paths; instead they are built on our actions, unexpected stumbles, and our quiet passes and reflections.

“Every lesson you take from your past immediately turns into a stairs to the light!”
— Mehmet Murat Ildan

*Looking at the Light*
*above the Stairs*
*to the Railroad Tracks*

Focus on each Step in front of you. Looking all the way up to a distant landing can feel overwhelming and draining. It’s best to focus on the single step directly in front of you, making the task manageable.

“It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs,”
spoken by Václav Havel.

*Dog waiting at base of Stairs*
*on an Historic building*

Instead of looking at the stairs of life and contemplating the steps, just take action and climb the stairs. Stop worrying about where each step is taking you, relax clarity will will come as you actively begin your ascent and proceed on your way.

“The greatest adventures often come from taking the smallest steps.”
~ Author unknown

Don’t fret. Every great adventure starts with small consistent actions rather than massive leaps. Remember, every adventure, every journey in life begins when we are brave enough to take our first step.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Hugh’s Sunday Stills – Steps & Stairs

Terri’s Sunday Stills

Good Bless. Pray for clear skies, wildfires to stop spreading. No more Smoky air clouding our atmosphere. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Sunday Stills 2026 August 30 (on 31): #NationalBeachDay

Remembering Fun Times

at the Beach

I do not visit the beach as often as I did in my youth, however, I do have memories of being at the beach with family and friends over the years.

Going back in time to see A vintage family day with my Aunt and Uncle at Springmaid Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

*Aunt Dalline & Uncle Shorty*
*fishing at the beach.*

In 2010, My “children” and I ventured down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to celebrate my daughter’s high school graduation.

*In the foreground is my daughter,*
*my sons are behind the wave*
*waiting for the next one.*

Moving forward in time to 2017, we (my eldest son and I) take a drive to North Topsail Beach from Jacksonville, North Carolina for a relaxing stroll along the waterfront.

*My eldest son, John and myself*
*at North Topsail Beach, North Carolina.*

Let’s take a sidetrack from the East Coast Carolina beaches to visit west coast beaches in San Diego County, California.

*Sea Lions on the beach*
*at La Jolla Cove*
*in La Jolla, California*

*Coronado Beach,*
*Coronado, San Diego County, California*

Now back to the East coast and our adventures at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

*Parks Recreation Sports Tourism Truck on Myrtle Beach*

Well, that’s all folks. Till next time have a splendid week filled with love, happiness, and laughter. God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Sunday Stills 2026 August 23: Animal of the Month #2

Insects & Bugs

European Honey Bees

Terri has recently started a new theme for the Sunday Stills challenge called Animal of the Month. This month she is challenging us to share images of insects. Insects include a wide variety of animal species. Common examples of Insects are Bees, ants, wasps; Beetles, ladybugs, fireflies; Butterflies and Moths; True Bugs (Cicadas and aphids); as well as Dragonflies and Damselflies.

In this second Sunday Stills Animal of the Month post I am beginning with the European Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) located in The Farm at The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, North Carolina.

*The Beehives*
*The Farm*
*The Schiele Museum*

North Carolina’s European honey bees are a highly social insect species native to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

They are the world’s primary pollinator for agriculture. The Honey Bees at The Schiele Museum’s Farm pollinate the wide variety of plants and flowers grown in the Garden.

The European honey bee was first introduced to the Americas by European colonists in March of 1622. The English colonists shipped the first hives to Jamestown, Virginia.

The Schiele Museum of Natural History has four live apiaries located on The Farm. [The Farm is an outdoor exhibit showcasing Piedmont agricultural history alongside live farm animals.]

Visitors to The Schiele Museum’s Farm are capable of safely look into an observation hive during the Annual Bug Day. During this special day visitors can watch honey bees crawl across honeycomb structures through an indoor -facing window housing a working observation hive.

The museum integrates their apiaries into seasonal student programming, including specialized “Buzz about bees” summer camps and hands-on pollination lab experiments.

*European Honey Bees*
*(Apis mellifera*)

Enough about Honey Bees, shall we take a look at a gallery of other insects/bugs?

*Eremnophila aureonotata, aka gold-marked*
*thread-waisted wasp*

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills-Animal of the Month

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Telephoto; Gallery various cameras.

Location: The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA ; Gallery various locations.

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

Spring’s Lovely Pink Roses

The Rose bush keeps popping up with new blooms to delight the senses. I love roses and the new blooms are just in time for my upcoming bday.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Colour Challenge-Pink and Pastels

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #30

Dawn’s Spring Festival 2026 #9

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.