One, Two, Three Ducks running away from Coleman. Now that we live next door to chickens and ducks 🦆, Colemanhas a penchant for pursuing and chasing our neighbours chickens and ducks.
We spent the week before New Year’s down south at Myrtle Beach along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We had so many activities going on each day that we didn’t spend all day every day on the beach, but the days Coleman and I spent on the beach were beautiful amazing memory making enjoyable times of the week. We saw an enormous amount of birds at the beach both in Murrells Inlet and by our resort in Myrtle Beach.
On the Friday before we left we saw a tremendous amount of Ring-Billed Gulls flying to and fro as well as walking on the sand by the seashore. Ring-Billed Gulls (aka Larus delawarensis) are medium-sized gulls native to Northern America. They breed in Canada and the northern Contiguous United States. They winter mainly in the United States of America and northern Mexico.
The Ring-Billed Gull’s breeding habitat is near lakes, rivers, or the coast across the majority of Canada and the northern United States. (We live in the Southeastern United States). These seagulls can also be seen in several North American parking lots.
Ring-Billed Gulls
The Ring-Billed Gulls are migratory with the majority of them moving southward towards the Gulf of America (formerly the Gulf of Mexico), and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States and northern Mexico.
The Ring-Billed Gulls we saw were numerous and fascinating to watch. You could walk pretty close to them before they took flight. They tended to stay in groups, surprisingly (to us) in groups of three.
Even though they forage in flight or pick up objects while swimming, walking, or wading; they also steal food from other birds or even people’s unattended food. Some beachgoers consider the Ring-Billed Gulls pests due to their willingness to steal unguarded food on crowded beaches. (We didn’t notice them stealing any food while we were walking alongside the ocean waters or anyone annoyed with the beautiful gulls.) Most were merely enjoying the beautiful day, and time with family along the coastal beaches.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Atlantic Ocean; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Take care of yourselves. Get Outdoors and enjoy nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
My daughter (Trisha), my grandson (Coleman), and my future granddaughter (Sophia).
This was taken on Tuesday evening at the entrance to Goat Island Park and Greenway as we were preparing to head back home. This was a rare occasion for us. My daughter normally doesn’t care to go walking and I do not see well at night to attempt walking anywhere.
However, my daughter is so ready to be over being pregnant that she decided she needed to try to start walking some on her days off. She is trying Curb Walking to try to speed the process up of Sophia being ready to make her entrance into this world. [I’ll be discussing Curb Walking further in a future post soon.]
Coleman loves to go walking/hiking at any given opportunity. He loved having his mom come along on an evening walk with us.
I know I’m a day late, but still wanted to share these trios with y’all.
Autumn Leaves
Hydrangea paniculata
These Hydrangeas change colors from seasonally, They change from white to limelight to brown tones in late autumn through winter. They are beautiful regardless of the colours they are displaying.
Five days a week as I wait at the bus stop before (with Coleman) school and after school (waiting for Coleman), I watch the Norfolk Southern Trains chug chug chugging up and down the railroad tracks. Coleman loves to watch the trains (he would love to ride in one one day). Sometimes when I am waiting for him to arrive back at the bus stop in the afternoon I’ll capture the Norfolk Southern Trains chug chugging along with my smartphone. Then he’ll watch the train later in the afternoon.
Here is a trio gallery of the Norfolk Southern Trains as they zoom past me standing on the corner.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy your week and always be observant of your surroundings. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
This night we were disturbed and confused by the loud sound of dogs barking continuously. The loud noise was disturbing during the time of evening we were trying to get Coleman to go to sleep. The extremely loud and constant barking was preventing him from getting to sleep. We were confused and did not understand where the excessively loud barking was coming from until our neighbours two doors down knocked on our door. It turned out our landlord brought them to the backyard of the house next door to us and chained them up. We were confused and disturbed by this knowledge and did not understand why he would do such a thing.
A Trio of Barking Dogs
Our neighbour, Chris, called the landlord and asked him to come get the dogs. He let him know he did not want to hear the dogs barking all night long. He was called around 8pm after the dogs had already been barking for over three hours. When we found out where the barking was coming from we discovered that no food or water was in sight for the dogs. Randy, the landlord, told Chris he’d be there to take care of the situation at 9:30 (another hour and a half of continuous barking). He didn’t actually show up until almost eleven (11) pm. So a total of a minimum of six (6) hours of continuous barking with the trio of dogs chained and left with no food or water. Very Disturbing indeed.
Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a peaceful, relaxing day/week/weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. May you have a Gardenof Love, Friendship, and Joy. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. May you have a Gardenof Love, Friendship, and Joy. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Goat Island Entrance; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Throughout the month of July we have seen many Red Squares to pique our interests and delight us uplifting our spirits. Keep Calm you still have a few hours yet to join in and share your Red Squares.
Keep Calm Sign at Señor Frog’s in Cozumel, Mexico
I know myself and others have shared Red flowers in honor and in memory of Cee Neuner. What a beautiful way it has been to remember Cee in Becky’s #SimplyRedchallenge.
Call a friend and have some fun. Squaring may be almost over for now, but alas Becky will host another Square Challenge again before you know it. The time will pass quickly, however you can still join in on this one for a few hours more.
Pay Phone in Stone Mountain State Park Roaring Gap, North Carolina
Stop and enjoy a beautiful Red Sunrise …
Andrew Jackson State Park Lancaster, South Carolina
Red Sunrise
And Raise your flags proudly over the land …
United States of America Flag, North Carolina Flag & Gastonia Flag Warlick Family YMCA Gastonia, NC
Thank you Becky for hosting the Squares Challenge and challenging us with this month’s #SimplyRedtheme.
Location: Cramerton Fire Department; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Smile. You are loved. Take Care. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Greenway Stables; Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Take time to admire the flowers wherever you may wander. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
The Farmhouse Garden Center is located at The Village at Stowe, a part of the Daniel Stowe Conservancy. It is more than just a Garden shop, it is a delightfully warm and inviting destination for those who love and admire plants and flowers regardless of you are a home gardener or not. The flowers are beautiful and displays are enticing.
The Farmhouse Garden Daniel Stowe Conservancy Belmont, North Carolina
The Farmhouse offers educational opportunities such as workshops on wreath-making, floral arranging, gardening, and any and all other aspect related to plant care.
For more information about Thursday Trios check out Mama Cormier’s page by clicking here.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.
Location: The Farmhouse Garden Center; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Take time to admire the flowers wherever you may wander. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Canada Geese are quite often spotted on the banks or in the waters of the South Fork Catawba River. These are just a few of the trio shots, mostly I captured the large number (about a dozen or more) of CanadaGeese along the river’s banks.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fabulous week. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Be sure to check out Friday’s Which Way Challenge. This week’s theme will be (CWWC): Any Type of Road, Path, Step, Bridge, or Sign. Looking forward to seeing the Which Ways y’all share with everyone.
Pond Sliders are a species of common, medium-sized, semiaquatic turtles. The most recognized species are the Red-eared slider (T. s. elegans), which is popular in the pet trade and has been introduced to other parts of the world by people releasing it to the wild.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens
Settings: f/5.6 • 1/250 • 187mm • ISO100
Location: The Pond; The Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have an adventurous weekend. Discover the wonders of Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
It is Springtime, the Canada Geese are flocking to the rivers. In the past few days as Coleman and I have visited the South Fork Catawba River and Goat Island Park and Greenway, we have noticed more and more Canada Geese enjoying the riverbanks as well as swimming and gliding in the waters of the South Fork Catawba River.
Here are a few photos of Canada Geese Trios captured this week.
Camera: 1-2) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 3-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter attachment.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Have a fabulous week. Get Outdoors. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Be sure to check out Friday’s Which Way Challenge. This week I am allowing y’all to choose your own Which Ways to share with us all.
Brian fromBushboys Worldis the host for the Last on the Card Challenge. The rules are simple, just post the last photo from SD card and/or the#lastphotofrom your phone. It doesn’t matter if it was taken on the 31st or not. It can beThe Last Photowhenever it was taken. No editing. No explanations needed. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments. Use the tags The Last Photo and#LastOnTheCard.
Here’s my Last Photos for April.
From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
A Trio of Canada Geese Goat Island Park and Greenway
Location: Centennial Center; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy the Spring Sunshine and have fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
On Sunday, Coleman and I stopped by Goat Island Park and Greenway on the way back home. We were delighted to spot the Canada Geese enjoying themselves on the water of the South Fork Catawba River.
Now that Spring is here and days are approaching the warmer temperatures, we are seeing the Canada Geese more often than we had previously. Sometimes we see larger Gaggle of Canada Geese than we did on this particular day. Most often we see them entering and swimming in pairs. Therefore, seeing three swimming together was a fantastic moment to capture.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy the Spring Sunshine and have fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Springtime in the Carolinas brings kayakers to the river for Funtime paddling in the water with rays of sunshine bringing warmth and tranquility to their lives.
Hey, Wait for me … I’m coming …
Okay, y’all who’s taking the lead?
Just let me finish maneuvering and I’ll by straight to follow y’all.
I’m ready now, shall we venture on?
Three kayakers in kayaks as seen from the banks of the South Fork Catawba River as Coleman and I were hiking the Disc Golf Trail parallel to the river. We watched the fellow in the red kayak maneuver his kayak away from the River bank and paddle to catch up with the other two kayakers to continue joining them on their adventure downstream.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachments.
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy the Spring Sunshine and have fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
On Tuesday after Coleman arrived home from school, his mom and I took him to the Baseball field to practice his hitting and fielding. Coleman just recently been assigned to a team for T-Ball.
Anyway, after his mom was tired of helping him practice Coleman and I took a short hike down to the river. The C.B. Huss River access is located off the Eleventh (11) Street parking lot. The Kayak rack is located at the river access trailhead.
Coleman checking out the Three Kayaks
Last Thursday, Coleman and I hiked the backside of Goat Island Park and Greenway. We hiked along a back road to reach the far side of the South Fork Catawba River. When we reached our starting point, we came upon these three pipes seemingly discarded near the river.
Three pipes near the South Fork Catawba River
Walking a bit off trail, we saw these three tree stems, limbs, or branches sticking up out of the water. It is always intriguing to see what interesting things we can find along our hikes.
Three Tree Stems
These Wild Daffodils were saw near the river while we were walking up the road to begin our hike for the day.
A Trio of Narcissus pseudonarcissus (wild daffodil)
Location: South Fork Catawba River; Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Be Observant. Show Gratitude. Love to all. Thank you for visiting and 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. Enjoy Nature. Be Observant. Show Gratitude. Love to all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Ilex opaca, also known as American Holly, is a holly species which is native to the Eastern and South-Central United States. This Holly was loaded with its red berries bringing a bit of colour to the nature trail.
Seen while Coleman and I were hiking the Disc Golf Trail at Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.
Location: Disc Golf Trail; Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Be Observant. Show Gratitude. Love to all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: Side Garden; Cramer Memorial United Methodist Church; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. May your blessings abound throughout this New Year. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Coleman and I spotted these flowers while hiking along the trail in Central Park the other week. There’s not much in this Wildlife Habitat that we could see, but maybe it’ll seem more appealing in the Spring.
Location: Wildlife Habitat; Hiking Trail; Central Park; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. As we approach 2025, may God watch over you, keep you safe, fill you with hope, joy, peace, and love. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.
Coleman and I visited a “new to us” park this past week. The name of the park is Central Park located here in Cramerton. According to the Cramerton website, Central Park prides itself natural surface mountain biking trails, walking trails and a natural stream running the length of the park.
While we were hiking along the trails, we had a difficult time distinguishing between the walking trails and the mountain biking trails. Some of the trails had water running across them from the creek (stream).
Alongside one of the trails we came across this unique seating arrangement with tall mushrooms which provide shade for hikers taking a bit of a rest.
Central Park Trail Map
Remember for larger enhanced viewing you may click on each image.
Cameras: 1-3) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF75-300mm lens and Altura CPL filter attachment; 4-5) Apple iPhone Pro Max
Location: Central Park; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA
God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Walk amongst the Trees and/or alongside a creek, river, or lake. Happy Holidays. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us.
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.
These Rustic Wooden Horses were in a fenced off area near the Children’s Schroering Forest Playground at the Lake Haigler Entrance of the Anne Springs Close Greenway.
My dad snapped this photo, probably since they parked next to a similar Ford Thunderbird, before heading into the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.
Location: Parking Lot; Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation; Dearborn, Michigan, USA
God Bless. Thank you for visiting The Huntington with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a fantastic week. I appreciate y’all very much.
Location: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; San Marino, California
God Bless. Thank you for visiting The Huntington with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. Have a fantastic week. I appreciate y’all very much.
Click on each photo for enlarged viewing of images. These were taken at Hume Lake Christian Campgrounds in Hume, California by my dad back in 1979 with his Minolta XG-7 35 mm camera. Fun and relaxing times can be had at Hume Lake.,
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.
In Monochrome Playing around with Photoleap Tried to create water droplets on petals. This is the effect I received. Harrison Effect in Pixlr with a touch of splash
The photo of these Wizard of Oz Sculptures were taken in the Summer of 1972 at The Land of Oz Museum at the Land of Oz Attraction in Beech Mountain, North Carolina.
Original Slight Colour PopBlack and White Monochrome A Bit of Colour Splash, a bit of Dean effect, a bit of brightening, a little of this – a little of that …
Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 