Greensboro Daily Photo

Beth David Synagogue

Beth David Synagogue, located at 804 Winview Drive, is a conservative egalitarian synagogue. The congregation dates back to 1944. In addition to Friday night services, they have Shabbat morning services, daily minyans, and many other services celebrating holy days and important life celebrations. Built in 1982, the exterior of the synagogue resembles an office building; however, on the inside, the artwork, the stained glass and holy spaces are spectacular. The above photo is a vertical mosaic of people with a Star of David in their heart. An attached plaque on the this artwork reads: 

TO REMEMBER THE PAST

TO LIVE THE PRESENT

TO TRUST THE FUTURE

ABBA KOVNER

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR

The Greensboro Jewish Community has been contributing significantly to our city since the arrival of the first Jewish families in the 1890's. If you are interested in learning more about Greensboro's Jewish community, read here.  As stated in this article, a component of the great philanthropic tradition, the mitzvah, is centered around the belief that a better community as a whole is good for the Jewish residents too. Shabbat shalom and may this beautiful synagogue be with us for many generations to come! (Dina in Jerusalem, this one's for you)! Finally, we just can't resist sharing today's post with Weekend Reflection!

 

Inside J. Douglas Gaylon Depot

If you are in Greensboro and have never gone inside the J. Douglas Gaylon Depot, we suggest putting it on your "to visit" list. It was built in 1927 as the replacement facility for Greensboro's train terminal on Elm Street. The mural behind the clock depicts the Southern Railway network in the 1920's, in the era when the facility was built. Today it is known as a "multi-modal transportation facility" because not only trains but also busses-- local, regional, and national-- provide transportation here. With good reason, it is billed as one of Greensboro's treasured places. The extensive 32 million dollar restoration project took over four years to complete. Wouldn't it be wonderful if every child in Greensboro would have the opportunity to take a train ride to and from this depot?

In case you can't visit in person: To the left, just beyond the viewfinder, are what must be the original benches for passengers to wait. Down the hallway from the clock and mural are the platforms train platforms. To the right are the ticket counters. Just beyond the view on the right is the new Carolina Blues Coffee Shop. While on site for our photo shoot, we just had to go and treat ourselves to a bagel and coffee. The atmosphere is so inviting. The staff is friendly, the coffee is good, and the shop fills a much needed void in the depot. Previously, the only beverages available were the vending machines. Now, travelers and visitors alike can head on in for a cup of coffee and chat with locals. Also on site is an information center. 

We're sharing this with our Weekend Reflection friends. The marble floor is clean and shiny, we could see our reflection in it.

 

526 A South Elm Street

Here we see a vintage building at 526 South Elm Street being transformed from an antique store into a restaurant. It was near Lion's Crown Antiques, which has moved. In the last ten years, downtown Greensboro has transformed from a low rent to prime real estate area. When the new business is established, we'll show you an updated shot.

For now, we encourage you to look back through the photos from the previous week and to leave a comment on this, our Mellow Yellow Monday photo!

 

David Caldwell Park

David Caldwell Historic Park is located on the grounds of the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden between Hobbs and Holden Roads. According to the park's website, "(t)he Reverend Dr. David Caldwell (1725-1874) was a Presbyterian minister, a self-trained physician, and an early educator in colonial North Carolina. At this site in 1767, he opened an academy for young men. The academy produced five state governors!" 

The interpretive center, shown above, was dedicated April 20, 2007. The center is dynamic, offering several programs for people of all ages. It is believed that the property may be a wealth of history waiting to be unearthed. If you look to the right, you can see a couple out walking the trails and enjoying the warm, fall day under the sapphire blue sky.

UNCG's Bryan School of Business

Correction, thanks to reader! This is the Bryan School of Business and Economics, not the administration building. We STILL do not have a picture of the Administration Building. The day we photographed Yum Yum Ice Cream Company, all we had to do was make a 180* turn to snap a picture of the Bryan Building.

When we arrived, we hadn't anticipated the construction. On the Spring Garden side of the building, the university will construct a new School of Education, likely a project in the pipeline well before Chancellor Sullivan retired to battle, quietly, the cancer that would bring her life to an end. 

We love this photo in black and white because the geometric shapes are so prevalent. This is our contribution to Monochrome Weekly.

Cathedral of HIS Glory

Cathedral is a 26-acre, 2,000 seating-capacity church located on Lake Jeanette Road. Their pastor, Dr. C. Paul Willis is an ordained minister of the Southern Baptist Convention. While the literature does not state explicitly that the church is Baptist, the do state that they are Christ centered, inspired by the Bible, and believe in the laying of hands for healing. The church has an extensive website and their television ministry reached millions each week. Pastor Willis can be followed on Twitter!

Today, on Sacred Sunday, we elected to post a photo of the sign as opposed to the gigantic, angular, geometric building. We like the peaceful, inviting look of the well- landscaped sign.

J. Spencer Love Tennis Center

James Spencer Love, 1896- 1962, was the founder of Burlington Industries, and considered one of the most influential businessmen in North Carolina. Love built the largest manufacturing firm in the world. He built a textile empire in North Carolina and made rayon "artificial silk" a household name.

Spencer Love Tennis Center, located at 3110 Forest Lawn Drive, named for the businessman, is a public facility and used by players of all ages. Here we see a Thursday night ladies league having a blast and getting great exercise. Prices to participate in clinics, private lessons, and camps are very reasonable.

"Field of Dreams" Bookmobile

The Greensboro City Library system serves our community in so many ways: books, other media, literary events, learning software, tutoring programs, special exhibits to name a few. On Monday, August 3rd, this bookmobile arrived in the Lake Jeanette, parked in the field where the future library will be built. The bookmobile is parked next to the fire station on Lake Jeanette Road. Mostly, services are limited to checking out children's books and picking up books that you request to be sent to this location. We couldn't resist quoting the 1989 baseball movie Field of Dreams with its saying "build it and they will come." If the other branch locations prove true, once the Lake Jeanette Public Library is built, it will be well used, FREE, and open to the public.

This is our contribution to Sky Watch Friday. We loved the way the color of the blue bus matches the color of the sapphire blue sky! This is a case where using a flash actually enhanced the photo. Please follow our link if you want to see the sky in almost 400 other locations worldwide!

At Grove & Portland, The Beat Goes On

This music venue is located at the corner of Grove and Portland in the Glenwood neighborhood. Glenwood is making a real effort towards gentrification. As you can see, the building is beautifully painted with a snazzy banner of musical notes and instruments framing a plywood window and a bedsheet-curtain. This neighborhood is starting to spark to life on the weekends. Optimistically, wikimapia says about Glenwood, "A historic and very diverse lower-middle class to middle class neighbourhood in the southwest corner of Greensboro. It has seen some tough times in the years, but through local community efforts, the neighbourhood is to be expecting a revitalization. This will be like Greensboro's downtown."  Wikimapia, we sure hope you are right! If you follow that site, you can see a google map of the actual neighborhood-- very 21st century!

Halloween on Battleground

When Halloween is just around the corner, empty retail businesses fill temporarily with Halloween costume stores. This year, among other venues, there are costume stores in Brassfield Shopping Center on Battleground and in Friendly Center near Pier 1 Imports. In today's photo, Spiderman and the Purple Pumpkin Eater are featured lurking on the corner of Battleground Avenue and New Garden Road. At first you wonder what is going on, then you realize-- costumes! Side-of-the-road characters have been very popular as a way to garner the attention of consumers during this economic downturn. These guys seemed rather flattered to have their picture taken, to be noticed and to have someone say something positive. 

Watch out! Halloween is on a Saturday this year. In many neighborhoods, the trend has been for people to attend private or church parties with less children going door to door. Does your neighborhood have any special traditions? Anything that GDP should try to get out to photograph?

Yum Yum Ice Cream-- Since 1907

Yum Yum Ice Cream in its first incarnation was sold from a cart beginning in 1909 in downtown Greensboro. An early Greensboro postcard features the ice cream cart in front of the Courthouse. In the 1920's, the business was moved to a free-standing building at the corner of Forest and Spring Garden Streets. Since the location was at the western limit of the city, the owner called the business West End Ice Cream. Around that time, he introduced the ice cream flavor Yum-Yum, a flavor that is believed to have included grapes, raisins, a grain. At any rate, people began saying, "Let's go get some of that Yum-Yum ice cream."  The name stuck and became the official name for the store.

The shop is actually an ice cream factory with the product made in a back room, the old-fashioned way with vintage 1920's equipment. They have had the same ice-cream maker for 25 years now.  He is very picky about the source of his ingredients as well as quality and consistency. The proof is in the taste of the ice cream. Currently, they feature 18 flavors at $2.00 a scoop. The store is, perhaps, equally famous for its tasty, bright red hot dogs which start at $1.00 for a basic dog and cost $1.60 for one "all the way." Yum Yum is surrounded on all four sides by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Let's hope the university remains a good neighbor and allows this century-old business to continue in this prime location. 

We don't usually do a Tuesday meme; however, today we're posting on Ruby Tuesday! Visit there if red is your color!

Village Tavern

Village Tavern, located at 1903 Westridge Road at Battleground Avenue, is a Greensboro institution. Although there are locations in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, and Colorado, Village Tavern has that small town, one-location feel. You sort of expect Ted Danson and the whole Cheers crew to walk past while you are having dinner, to clap for you when you walk into the bar. They have great specials, affordable fixed-price, multiple-course meals, award winning brunches, great food, and reasonable prices. The above photo shows the happy hustle and bustle of the main dining room, especially cozy on a cold or rainy day. 

This is our contribution to Monochrome Weekly. Go here if you like black and white photos and want to see more!

Christ United Methodist Church

Christ United Methodist Church, located at 410 N. Holden Road, with the tall cross-topped structure and sprawling campus, has been one of our most challenging Sacred Sunday photo shoots yet! The church, organized in 1956 met initially in neighboring Sternberger School and had 246 charter members; amazingly, 40 of whom are still members today. Christ United was sponsored by West Market United Methodist Church when it was determined that Greensboro needed a Methodist Church west of the city. Groundbreaking for the first building took place in 1958. Over the last 50 years, the church has expanded significantly not only the physical facility but also the mission and outreach programs. Fitting with today's trend, they offer a range of services from traditional to contemporary.

Driving along High Point Road

We started our week in traffic and we so we end our week. Here we see the  section of High Point Road, near the Habit for Humanity Restore and with the Khoury Convention Center in the background. High Point Road has grown from a sleepy little road to a busy place dotted with businesses!

We hope you are having a good weekend.

Stone Bluff Court: Blaze of Color

This blaze of color on Stone Bluff Court, anchored in this breathtaking sky, is proof positive that summer has yet to relinquish its hold. Last Sunday was such a gift to us in Greensboro. Warm with sunny skies. The weather did take a turn for the wetter and colder on Wednesday. We do, however, need the rain.

Regarding the flowers in the foreground, up close, they resemble poinsettias. Unfortunately, we're not entirely sure what they are. If you know, do share! And here's to a great Sky Watch Friday!

North Carolina Railroad in Greensboro

This eastward view of the railroad tracks over South Elm Street looks like a scene out of a classic movie. No signs of modernity and fully expecting Clint Eastwood to walk across the tracks any minute!

Near this part of the tracks is an historic marker (J-102) with the following inscription: "North Carolina Railroad _._ Opened interior of N.C. The groundbreaking took place nearby, July 11, 1851. First president, John Motley Morehead." According to the North Carolina Railroad Company's historic timeline, for the grounbreaking ceremony, Senator Calvin Graves lifted the first shovel of dirt. Quickly, Greensboro became known as the Gate City, the great crossroads between Goldsboro and Charolotte.

Golf in Greensboro, NC

Golf is a major sport and form of recreation in Greensboro, North Carolina. We have at least 12 courses: Bryan Park, Bur-Mil Park, Cardinal Golf & Country Club, Forest Oaks Country Club, Gillespie Park Golf Course, Grandover Resort's West and East Courses, The Greensboro Country Club's Ross and Maples Course, Pleasant Ridge Golf Course, Sedgefield Country Club, and Starmount Forest Country Club.

Historically, we are perhaps best known for the Greater Greensboro Open, first played in 1939 with Sam Snead winning. The tournament has been renamed more than once and played at Sedgefield, Forest Oaks, and Starmount Country Clubs. 

During this hot, dry, drought-like fall in Greensboro, we had to practice great restraint not to run through this starburst of water to cool off! We post this picture of a hole being watered  (NOT a watering hole!) for Watery Wednesday.

Edward McKay Used Books & More

Edward McKay Used Books & More, located at 1607 Battleground, has been "feeding your head since 1975." Of the four locations (Greensboro, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, & Fayetteville), the Greensboro location is the largest with over 10,000 square feet of inventory. Books, games, DVD's, game systems, Kindles, CD's, this story is a candy store of used media. Reasonable prices, unbelievable selection, and an atmosphere that encourages you to stay a while is the reason the parking lot is always full. They even have a free section for discarded, unwanted, and slightly damaged books. We usually purchase a book or two and head to nearby Starbuck's or Ghassan's for something to drink and a place to sit and peruse our acquisitions. We especially love the store credit earned for books and media we are no longer using.

The photo above represents a tiny, tiny part of the inventory, but gives you an idea of the no-frills, all books and media atmosphere. Are you a used bookstore aficionado?

Traffic Gridlock on Battleground

As we sit in Greensboro's version of gridlock traffic where Battleground intersects Holden Road, Cone Boulevard and Benjamin Parkway, a Saturday letter to local paper comes to mind. Marilyn Trivett writes about the memories of her 81-year-old Aunt Libby. Aunt Libby recounts catching a trolley into downtown Greensboro from old Red Road, the road's name before it became sprawling West Wendover. She tells niece Marilyn about the building on Elm Street where Natty Greene's Pub is now located. Decades ago, it was a "beer hall" where children could order hot dogs and hamburgers from a window to the street, but only wonder about the appearance of the building's interior. Our friend Alice tells similar stories of catching the trolley and heading east to the Bessemer and East Wendover (Old Burlington Road) area after shopping in town with her dad. 

Somehow, it sounds much more charming to be riding a trolley to and from town, with your fate in the hands of the able conductor, than it does to be beating the clock, gridlocked, with the traffic light seemingly interminably red! 

Marilyn, we hope you will listen to as many stories of yesteryear as Aunt Libby cares to tell and that you continue to share them with the rest of us. The 20th century is starting to feel like a century ago! 

Visit Monochrome Weekly for more black and white photography-- a real holdover from yesteryear!

Bell Tower at Guilford College UMC

The Bell Tower at Guilford College United Methodist Church is the highest point of the sprawling church complex located at 1205 Fleming Road. The bell tower was built as part of the 1988 construction of the new sanctuary under the supervision of then pastor Dr. J.C. Groce. We believe it was dedicated to the memory of his daughter, Jennifer, who died in a car accident. 

For centuries, bell towers have been found on church grounds and attached to civic buildings worldwide. They are used to mark time or to announce present and imminent danger. Bell towers can also be referred  to as a belfry or a campanile. The GCUMC belltower in the photo above, against the backdrop of the sizzling blue sky, is reminiscent of something found in California. The white tower glows in the afternoon setting sun. 

In June, the church celebrated its 50th anniversary. While  the first worship service was held in the Guilford College Student Union in 1959, with 57 persons in attendance, it is not affiliated with Guilford College, a local institution of higher education started by Quakers. We had the good fortune of meeting current Pastor Tom Gibson and his wife. Pastor and Mrs. Gibson were hospitable and welcoming to us, as we were traipsing about the church grounds snapping photos right and left. Guilford College United Methodist Church congregants are lucky to have this charming, energetic husband and wife team at the helm. 

We hope you have a restful, reflective, and spiritually renewing Sacred Sunday-- regardless of your belief system.

Father & Daughter Walk

Saturdays are father & daughter day in Greensboro. Here you see a dynamic duo strolling on Elm Street in Downtown Greensboro. The pre-schooler followed her daddy imitating his every move. Both took their stroller pushing very seriously. What are you up to today?

SPLURGES Fashion, Accessories, and Gifts on Sky Watch Friday

Splurges is a fashion, accessories, gift store with locations in at 2207 Fleming Road in Oak Ridge and on Main Street in Kernersville. This is a photo of the fluffy, white clouds hovering above the Oak Ridge store during their Labor Day Second Anniversary Event. This business is another example of the importance of a proprietor on site. From the minute you enter the store, owner Susie Blackwell makes you feel welcome with a personal greeting, something to drink, and a promise that, at the very least, you will receive a 20% discount on one item. 

We loved the store and we were quite taken with the way the clouds framed the building. Now that we're faithful a Sky Watch Friday we're always noticing the sky. Click here to enjoy sky shots from around the world.

Bryan Family YMCA

 

Here we see a photo of the downtown branch of the YMCA of Greensboro. The YMCA was founded in London in 1844 and, today, has more than 45 million members worldwide. According to their website, the YMCA began serving downtown Greensboro in 1859. The Kathleen Price Bryan YMCA, located at 501 West Market Street,  opened in 2003, replacing the Central YMCA Branch. From childcare to silver-sneaker yoga, the YMCA offers services for members of all ages. If you haven't been to a Y lately, turn crank up this original 1978  Village People tune/ video and head over for a tour. You won't regret it! No matter how tired you are, you can walk into one of the Y yoga classes and be transported to a restful state of mind.

 

The YMCA has an interesting history and if you are interested, is available here.

Sailboating on Belews Lake

Sailboating on Belews Lake is a load of fun-- and work!  The area surrounding the nearly 4,000-acre Belews Lake has experienced a tremendous surge of construction in the last few years. Just a 30 minute drive from Greensboro, Belews Lake is Duke Energy's gift to aficionados of water sports. This photo is our contribution to Watery Wednesday .

Elon University Law School

Here we see Elon Law School, located in downtown Greensboro on 201 North Green Street. Originally, the building was the Central Branch of the Greensboro Public Library. When the new library was built, the building housed city government offices like the Water Resources Department. When the new facility for the water resources department was build near I-85, the building in the photo above became the School of Law for Elon University. The school has been tremendously successful in its few years of being open and graduates have a good success rate in passing the bar. While Elon University is located in Elon, NC, just outside of Burlington, Greensboro was lucky to have the new law school open in our downtown.

Labor Day-- Transition to Fall

Happy Labor Day!. Today, we have one last hurrah with family and friends, our white shoes get put away, community pools are open for one last day, and children ponder school resuming tomorrow.  Perhaps more than anything else, Labor Day reminds us that fall is upon us. We hope you are having a restful Labor Day. 

In the photo above, we see a young man sitting in Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport waiting for his flight. We don't know if he was leaving home or returning; however, he captures that pensive look of moving on, just as Labor Day captures the transition from summer to fall. 

This is our contribution to Monochrome Weekly.

Sanctuary of West Market Street United Methodist Church

Happy Sacred Sunday! Recently, we published an exterior view of the West Market Street United Methodist Church in downtown Greensboro. Several commenters thought the exterior of the building looked German. 

Today, we take you inside to see sanctuary. The beautiful Dobson-Rosales organ sounds even better than it looks-- and it looks stunning!  The stained glass windows are said to be Tiffany. The rounded pews wrap around the sanctuary and soften the look of the interior. In person, the rounded shape and minimal hard edges is even more apparent. Truly, the building is a feast for the eyes and the soul outside as well as inside. In future weeks we will share examples of the artwork. Fortunately, this downtown church continues to thrive. Hopefully it will be here for another century, or two, or three...

If you are visiting the blog today for the Sacred Sunday post and want to see our earlier posts in this category, please click here for eight months of Sundays!

FM 107.5 WKZL Mobile Frequently Seen Around Town

The FM 107.5 WKZL mobile was driving around town yesterday. This photo was taken where MLK Drive, McGee, Elm, and Church Streets all converge. It was a lovely day to be downtown as shops, galleries, and restaurants celebrated First Friday as well as the first Indie Arts and Crafts Night downtown. 

We don't know what 107.5 was doing downtown; however, according to their schedule, they stay quite busy. The way the van is decorated gives you insight into the peppiness of the radio station. 

We hope you are enjoying your Labor Day Weekend!

Rainbow Car Wash on Battleground

Rainbow Car Wash, located at 2606 Battleground Avenue, is a burst of cheerful color on a busy road that gridlocks during rush hour. Imagine our delight when stuck in traffic only to look up and see the sign of the RAINBOW beside fluffy white clouds. The sign is much larger than it seems in this photo. We also took this picture at Rainbow Car Wash.

We are one of 340+ people participating in Sky Watch Friday where you can enjoy photos of the sky from around the world! At least four North Carolinians participate: here!

Caryl's Pool & Christmas Shop

Caryl's Pool & Christmas Shop, located at 2616 Lawndale Drive, is in the process of transitioning from a pool supply and service store to a Christmas shop. The stuffed diva in a bathing suit all tangled in Christmas lights, on the floor of Caryl's shop, says it all. It is as if she were too tired to open another shipment of decorations. You've gotta have a sense of humor when you are clearing out bags and bags of pool chemicals and other supplies to make room for dozens of stunning, designer-decorated Christmas trees. 

Caryl's store has survived several economic downturns because of her great service, her expertise on swimming pools and their needs, and her reasonable pool-maintenance rates. Additionally, around October, the store becomes a winter wonderland of lighted trees with ornaments. At some point in the year, you should stop by and look around this great store and meet the people working there. Nothing beats an on-site proprietor. Caryl, let us know when you are decorated for Christmas and we'll get back for another photo!

The Natural Science Center of Greensboro

The Natural Science Center of Greensboro, located at 4301 Lawndale Avenue, is a tremendous community resource. In addition to the engaging permanent exhibits and the zoo, the center continually offers special programs. The current traveling exhibit is, "Extreme Deep: Mission to the Abyss."  

In the photo above, you see three of the taxidermied animals on display in the hallway of the museum. Within the past year, the museum acquired a privately-owned, local collection. The collection is reminiscent of the efforts in the 19th century to provide specimens. The taxidermied animals were studied in an era when living, exotic, zoo animals were not widely available.  

If you haven't been to the Natural Science Center lately, and you live in Greensboro, you really must stop by and see how the place has transformed in the last few years!

BIG Rock on the Campus of Greensboro College

Here we see the BIG painted rock on the Greensboro College campus. The back side says "Have a Great Summer." The side visible above looks like a graffitied, foil-covered baked potato! On many school campuses in the USA, these rocks are installed so that students spray paint their messages in an approved area. Many campuses have their own BIG ROCK traditions. For example, usually graduating seniors post a message for their class; students who have died tragically are remembered; competing teams paint unwanted messages on the opponents' rock. Now that the fall semester is underway, likely this BIG ROCK at Greensboro College has a new look. What are your school's traditions for students making their mark? Have you ever been involved in painting one? Would you like to have one in your yard?

This is our contribution to the City Daily Photo theme day. The theme for September is BIG. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants. 

Foucault Pendulum in Greensboro

A Foucault pendulum is used to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. In the above photo, we see the Foucault pendulum at the Natural Science Center in Greensboro. The Paris Observatory displayed the first one publicly in 1851. Perhaps the most famous Foucault pendulum is the one in the Pantheon in Paris, named after the French physicist who conceived the experiment. Wikipedia has a complete list of Foucault pendulums in the world categorized by country and by state for the USA. From this list, we learned that Greensboro actually has two: one at the Natural Science Center and one at NCA&T University. There are four total in North Carolina, one in nearby Winston-Salem and another in Fayetteville. According to the Wikipedia list, 39/50 US states boast at least one pendulum. 

This is our contribution to Monochrome Weekly. The monochrome theme recently celebrated its first anniversary. 

Union Grove Baptist Church: Sin and Salvation in one Field

Union Grove Baptist Church looks like the typical brick and white-steepled church in the American south. However, Union Grove Baptist has the distinction of being located behind a tobacco field on Highway 150 and Union Grove Road in northwest Guilford County. Therefore, for today's Sacred Sunday, we have combined salvation and sin in one photo! 

The website for the church is very informative with respect to church events, beliefs, and mission. Unfortunately, they don't have a page telling about the history of the building and the congregation. Otherwise, we would share more.

By the way, we're pretty sure the church does not own the tobacco field!

Greensboro Masonic Temple

The Masonic Temple, located at 426 W. Market Street in downtown Greensboro, is home to the Greensboro York Rite Bodies. Their annual fall festival will begin this Wed., September 2, 2009. According to Wikipedia, Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that began in the 16th century. Freemasonry is a system of morality based in belief in a Supreme Being. The highly-secretive organization is veiled in allegory and symbols. 

The Greensboro building is very attractive. However, we find the sign, featured today, with the iconic Masonic square and compass surrounding the letter "G" to be extremely intriguing. The weathered copper sign is a landmark on West Market Street.

Tobacco Road Fading in Guilford County

The history of growing tobacco in North Carolina dates to 1586; that's right, over four hundred years ago! Tobacco company headquarters, family fortunes made, famous cigarette brands advertised, smoking permitted everywhere, tobacco barns dotting the fields, tobacco markets and auctions, all of theses images of the mighty dried brown leaf and the white rings of smoke are drying up in North Carolina. Today, you are as likely to read about tobacco-free initiatives in Greensboro as you are to to see a tobacco field. For those who have lost loved ones to tobacco-related diseases, diminishing tobacco use is great news. However, for those whose land has grown tobacco for centuries, this change is bittersweet. As an example of the decrease in tobacco crops, we share the following statistic. In nearby Richmond County, a rural area known for its large farms and fresh produce stands, the number of people growing tobacco, as of 2009, is: Two. 

The above Sky Watch photo was taken in a tobacco field on Highway 150 in northwest Guilford County. As you can see, tobacco is a beautiful green plant before it is dried becoming an evil weed. You can also see the red clay soil in which the tobacco is growing. Oh, and then there is that stunning Carolina blue sky!

Carolina Tattoo Company

As fall semester gets underway at local universities, we have many new faces in Greensboro. For parents of incoming freshman, likely, it has been hard to let go and trust that their children will thrive independent of the family unit. Here we see one of the ways students announce their newfound freedom: tattoos. Carolina Tattoo Company, located 1029 West Lee Street, just a block away from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro was established in 1993. It is the oldest tattoo shop in the area and has seven tattoo artists. Likely, many a student will cross the threshold this fall.

While some of us will be gearing up to spend Labor Day weekend out of town, many people will be coming into Greensboro for the 15 Annual NC Tattoo Convention to be held at the Downtown Marriott September 4-6, 2009. At least 70 tattoo artists will be available to provide tattoos and body piercings. Little John's Tattoo shop sponsors the event. Little John was known far and wide for his amazing tattoo artistry. Unfortunately, he died a few years ago. However, his store is still going strong and many people still sport his tattoos. Next time you see an interesting tattoo, ask the "owner" about it. Often, there are fascinating stories about a tattoo's meaning and symbolism. By the way, is tattooee a word?

Modern Upholstery Company

The Modern Upholstery Company, 1101 Greensboro Road, offers these brightly colored rugs. As our county prepares for the Fall 2009 International Furniture Market, many businesses, small and large, hope to attract buyers from all over the world. Market dates this fall will be October 17-22 and the venues are many. 

High Point's furniture industry began in 1889, with the opening of a furniture factory. The first Southern Furniture Market, located in High Point, opened in 1909 and, according to the market timeline, attracted over 100,000 guests for Spring Market 2006. The International Furniture Market in High Point, North Carolina, is famous for its southern hospitality, quality furniture, great selection and bargain prices. 

Before this fall's show, we'll share some iconic pictures, like the furniture pieces that are several stories tall; however, this bright rug display got us in the "market mood." The color just pops out of nowhere. Needless to say, we pulled off the road and grabbed this shot. Usually we share our photos as they are taken without much enhancement or cropping.Today we worked with the color, clarity, & temperature a little bit.

Back to School in North Carolina

Today is Back to School Day for many North Carolina students, including the K-12 public school students in the Greensboro/Guilford County Schools. Here we see a path leading to James Benson Dudley Senior High School at 1200 Lincoln Street. Likely, by the time you are reading this post, many feet will be walking along this path towards the historic, dynamic, and newly-renovated Dudley campus. Here's to a great school year for our 70,000+ students and 2,500+ teachers in our 111 schools. 

UNCG's Former Chancellor, Patricia A. Sullivan, Remembered

Dr. Patricia Sullivan, the former chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (from 1995-2008), will be buried today. The community mourns the loss.  

While she actually lived on Sunset Drive, in a home donated to the University by the Bryan family, Dr. Sullivan oversaw the complicated efforts to preserve the former chancellor's home, seen in the photo above. This building is now located just west of the Mossman Administration Building where she worked. From the beautiful blooms in the rose garden to the Patricia A. Sullivan Science Building, built durning her tenure and named in her honor, her presence is everywhere on the UNCG campus.