Greensboro Daily Photo

I Have a Dream

Martin Luther King had a dream and today is the holiday set aside to remember his dream. Regardless of ethnicity or belief system, we owe it to ourselves to reflect on Dr. King's message.For the first time ever, we are publishing the same photo twice. As we looked through our photographs, we simply could not find another one more appropriate than this one to feature on the Martin Luther King Holiday. Besides, we have so many new readers with whom we would like to share this photo.

The bust, made by Wilbur Lee Map in 1994, is located on the southeast corner of South Elm Street and Martin Luther King Drive. The plaque on the statue reads, "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was scheduled to speak at AME Zion Church in Greensboro (a few blocks from here) on April 4, 1968. He canceled his visit to remain in Memphis where he was assassinated on that day." As we watched this 55 second video clip of Dr. King's final speech, we are struck by how exacting this bust captures his facial features in his final hour of life.

Finally, Seattle Daily Photo has a great tribute to MLK today! 

 

Walking to Town on New Year's Eve Day

Well, 2009 has come and gone. We are walking into town to celebrate New Year's Eve in Downtown Greensboro. That skyline and sapphire blue sky are beckoning. We're on Market Street. We've passed UNCG's new school of music building and the State Employees' Credit Union. We took a photo of the ornamental cabbage and have just finished admiring the Nativity Scene at Greensboro College. What will the New Year in Greensboro bring? What does 2010 have in store for you? What will GDP find to photograph in 2010?  Thank you for a great year. Readership has grown. We look forward to hearing from you in the upcoming months.

Miles to go before we sleep........ Miles to go before we sleep........

 

Nativity Scene @ Greensboro College

Today, we bring you Sacred Sunday direct from Greensboro College. Greensboro College is a methodist-affiliated, private, co-ed college that was founded in 1838. For over seventy years, they have featured this depiction of the birth of Jesus on the West Market Street edge of campus. In 2007, the creche was vandalized. Fortunately, a new one is in place and, although on the Biblical calendar, technically the wise men have not yet arrived, we wanted to share this scene on Sacred Sunday. This nativity scene looks majestic with the snow around it.

If you are looking for a year-end tax write off, Greensboro College has been struggling with the economic downturn. Please consider dropping a few dollars in their coffer. See details here. This little college attracts the nicest students and has some fabulous faculty members.
 

White Christmas (a Week Early)

Merry Christmas from Greensboro, NC. 

We at Greensboro Daily Photo hope you are with family and loved ones today. Greensboro doesn't usually have snow before Christmas, so Christmas 2009 arrived with great fanfare. This house in Lake Jeanette, with the light in the entrance hallway and wreaths on every window, looks quite inviting. Soon after taking the photo, giant snowflakes covered the bushes and silenced the roads. Today, with a cup of hot chocolate and fresh gingerbread cookies, snowflakes are long forgotten and we are watching wrapping paper stack on the floor around us. We love the gifts but are even more grateful for our beautiful city, our family & friends, our faithful readers and above all, this special holiday. A heartfelt embrace from us to you. 

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Grandpa & Grandson

It was late afternoon, almost dark, light was working against us. Although fuzzy, this photo captures a tender moment between a Grandpa & Grandson. Grandpa was encouraging a little stomping in a snow pile; stalling so that Santa's helpers could shop for this little guy. If you sit back, squint, and imagine, likely you can imagine yourself in that little red jacket bursting with energy, hanging out with a grandparent, waiting for Santa to arrive. 

Only three more days folks! Whether you are a big box store kind of person or a lover of one of a kind shops, Greensboro has plenty places for last minute Christmas shopping. 

If they'll accept a blurry image, we're offering this one up to the Ruby Tuesday gang!

 

Merry Chihuahua Christmas

Merry Chihuahua Christmas! Today, we feature Sassy the Chihuahua decked out in her Christmas garb. If you frequent Greensboro's Arts and Crafts festivals, likely, you have met Miss Sassy. She loves dressing up and traveling with her owners who sell wonderful vintage jewelry. We got tickled when we noticed that the fish necklace was as big as Sassy.

The chihuahua is a centuries-old breed originating in Mexico. It was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1904. The AKC prefers that chihuahuas, the world's smallest breed, weigh between 2-4 pounds and Sassy is indeed within that range. If you attend a local craft show and see Sassy, please stop for a visit. Her owners are very nice and she loves the attention! Who knows, next time we feature her on GDP, she may be dressed up as a lepechaun, an Easter bunny, Uncle Sam...........

We are delighted to share her with the pet loving world on Camera Critters!!!

 

Life-Sized Nutcrackers

Nutcrackers have been made famous by the Nutcracker Ballet, which was adapted from a story by E.T.A. Hoffman in the 19th Century. This German author brought dolls to life, including the Nutcracker soldier who came alive on Christmas Eve to the delight of young Clara. Tchaikovsky breathed life into the tale with his great music score.

These Nutcrackers, ranging from a few inches to five feet tall,  reside year-round in a storefront on South Elm Street in Greensboro. According to the Russian Nutcracker (front left), on Christmas Eve, precisely at midnight, he will lead his wooden comrades in The Russian Cossack Dance!

Our skies have been a little dull these days, so we're using this little slice of sky in the upper left-hand corner as our Skywatch Friday!

      

North Carolina Fraser Fir Trees

With all of the rain, 2009 is a great year for Christmas trees. They are plump, green, and healthy. Here we see two men wrapping a live tree and just about to hoist it on the truck. This was taken at Fred & Dot Wagoner Christmas Trees at the New Garden Location. The Wagoners have been selling Christmas trees in Greensboro since 1969. In an article a few years ago, they discuss the fact that people are buying their trees earlier and that they usually clear their lot by about December 20th. So if you still want a live tree, time is of the essence!

We hope to link this photo to Ruby Tuesday. Red is EASY to find this time of year!

            

Greensboro's Littlest Angel

If you read yesterday's post, you'll recognize this little angel as one who is preparing to be photographed with the the Holy Family in the nativity scene at Christ United Methodist Church in Greensboro. This little child seemed to be an angel even without the costume. Childhood is such a magical time and memories like this one, last a lifetime. For those who celebrate it, Christmas is such an easy time to do special things with our little ones. Greensboro is a great city for December activities, secular as well as lay!

This is our contribution to Monochrome Weekend which makes us pause and ponder. Will heaven be monochrome or in color? Oh, and will there be tennis shoes and bobby socks on angels in heaven?

 

Salvation Army Kettle

The Salvation Army.. give to the Salvation Army. The bell rings and the big red kettle reminds us to help those who are less fortunate. My grandmother's first, and maybe ONLY, baby doll was given to her by the Salvation Army; so, the organization holds a special place our family's memories. Last Friday night, the Salvation Army was set up at the intersection of McGee and Elm Streets at Greensboro's kickoff to the 2009 holiday season. Tree lighting, indie arts and craft market, singers, and other performers, people of all ages came out in droves enjoying the festivities. 

With the prominence of the big RED kettle, we just had to select this photo for Ruby Tuesday. A few weeks ago, our photo of the sea of red shoes leading to the Salvation Army Select store led people to our blog in droves. May this photo lead people to the kettle.

 

Moravian Village & Nativity Scenes

Onlookers marvel at the intricate details of the Moravian village and nativity scenes displayed at the First Moravian Church on S. Elam. The village and nativity scene is known in the original German as "putz", meaning to clean or to decorate. Usually, they are  found under Christmas trees in homes of people of the Moravian religion. These scenes usually depict a manger scene and its surroundings in Biblical Bethlehem.

Our local newspaper, The News and Record, featured an interesting story on the elaborate process and longstanding annual tradition of installing this scene on a little stage in our local Moravian church's fellowship hall. We selected this photo for Monochrome Weekly because it could have been taken fifty years ago in black & white; save the woman in a hoodie, the scene hasn't changed much!.

 

Moravian Star

As Monastery Daily Photo reminds us, we are well into the Advent Season. During this spiritual time for Christians, Moravians decorate with their iconic symbol, the Moravian star. The first Moravian star dates to the 1830's at a Moravian school in Niesky Germany. Not always an Advent symbol, the first star had 110 points and, given the beauty and intrigue of this polyhedron, likely, was part of a geometry lesson. Most of the stars today contain 26 points. As an Advent symbol, the Moravian star represents the Star of Bethlehem. 

If you are in the Christmas spirit and want to see Moravian stars in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, first, you can travel to the Moravian Church on S. Elam where this photo was taken. Additionally, you can head about 35-miles west to the historic town of Old Salem where the Moravian Star is the official Christmas decoration. The City of Winston-Salem also decorated with them.  Finally, a 31-foot Moravian star is displayed on the North of Tower Wake Forest's Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

To see the First Moravian Church of Greensboro and learn a little more about it, please refer to our  November 15th Sacred Sunday photo. Since that post, we have learned that the original location of the Moravian Church was on East Lee Street, constructed in 1908.

 

Black Friday

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is much anticipated by retailers. Today marks the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season and the day retailers just may turn a profit for the year. The above photo is a scene from Four Seasons Town Center, our local indoor shopping mall. If you like chain stores, the convenience of parking your car once, and walking free from the elements, this is the place to be! 

We love the Willy-Wonkaesque view of our mall's elevator as it looks like it will magically pass through the glass ceiling and fly out into our Skywatch Friday sky!

 

S is for Santa

Santa has already arrived at Four Seasons Town Center Mall. He seems kind and patient. He is really looking forward to hearing all of the dreams and requests of children over the the Thanksgiving weekend. We were a little shocked to see Santa in town last weekend; however, Christmas is just around the corner.  

We offer this photo for ABC Wednesday. "S" is this week's letter. We were planning on post this photo anyway, so, perhaps we should say "S" is for serendipity, not just Santa! 

 

Freedom is...

November 11.. Veterans' Day... was originally designated to honor veterans from WWI. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. The holiday officially became celebrated as Armistice Day in 1938 and in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law to make the holiday honor Veterans of all wars. The above photo shows drawings of Greensboro elementary school students. Their collective effort reminds us that patriotism and appreciation for the servicemen who fight to defend our freedom starts young. May we all reflect on this day, regardless national origin and hope that the world may all find a way to live in peace.

Happy Halloween Greensboro!

Meet Trick and Treat! They're staying inside this Halloween and waiting patiently by the window to see who will stop by. Time to stir some witches brew and get the candy ready for the little ones.

Halloween on a Saturday is good for teachers as students don't come to school the next day with excessive sugar in their bloodstream. Unfortunately, weekend Halloweens allow more time for tricking. Keep your house well lit. Drive safely and watch for pedestrians!  What was your favorite costume this year? What is your favorite Halloween candy? Which neighborhoods have the most festive houses?

Our favorite Halloween memory is the scene in To Kill a Mockingbird where Scout is traipsing through the woods in her Halloween costume. Another is visiting the NC Zoo's "Boo at the Zoo." Another is the Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad; finally, there is the "Zoo Boo Bash" at Greensboro's Natural Science Center!

Today, we are participating in Camera Critters-- the home of adorable animal photos!

Pumpkin Patches for Charities

Greensboro has a great tradition of churches, especially youth groups, selling pumpkins as a fall fundraiser. Here we see a man and his daughter purchasing pumpkins at the Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church at the corner of Battleground and Pisgah Church Road. The daughter carried a small pumpkin and daddy carried the large one. "Just one," he reminded her and kudos to her dad, he stuck to it! Even we couldn't leave with just one apiece. The gourds were so fabulous and unique that we left with a bag full-- enough for a centerpiece for only $7.50. 

According to the members of the youth group, they anticipate selling almost 70,000 pounds of pumpkins and gourds. The supply looked fresh and abundant when we were there a couple of days ago. So, happy Saturday, why not head out and support a local youth group?  Make your house look like FALL and, if you celebrate Halloween, carve away! 

International Civil Rights Museum

In Greensboro, the Civil Rights Movement is an important part of our history. In this very Woolworth Building, at 301 N. Elm St., the sit-in movement was launched. On February 1, 1960, four North Carolina A&T University freshmen refused to leave the lunch counter where they were refused service. The International Civil Rights Museum and Center has struggled with funding and for years was only a dream. It seems that the museum is closer to becoming a reality as can be seen with the construction in this photo. The sit in movement has a website. To enter the website, you have to decide if you want to enter through the "white" or "colored" entrance. If you want to learn more, we suggest you visit the museum's site.

Visit My World Tuesday to learn about other parts of the world!

Halloween Inflatables

Driving through the neighborhood behind Earthfare Grocery Store tonight, we stumbled upon this yard decked out for Halloween. Here we see only about a fourth of the decorations; this small yard was covered! Plump and wildly entertaining by night, these inflatable decorations transform into unplugged, collapsed  flat clumps by morning. Bats, pumpkins, ghosts, goblins,haunted-houses and skeletons will take over our thoughts until October 31st when the Halloween season comes to an end. By Thanksgiving, those dedicated to inflatables will change over to the Christmas theme. 

If you see wildly decorated yards that deserve some camera time, please let us know. We'll be happy to drive by and share them with all. Tell us your favorite activities for Halloween in Greensboro. Oh, and happy haunting!

Pumpkin Time

It's pumpkin time in Greensboro. Youth groups at local churches will set up their pumpkin patches to sell for fundraisers. Families will make an afternoon out of selecting just the right pumpkins to carve. The photo above was taken at the Fresh Market Grocery Store. These pumpkins look mighty fine and, at three for $10, won't break the bank for a little decorating fun. What are your pumpkin purchasing/carving traditions?

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?

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.

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!

It's Firecracker Time in North Carolina

Happy July, a month of pure summer fun in North Carolina!  

In Greensboro, we're about equal distance from the mountains and the beaches, and many of us ride up and down I-40 all month long enjoying nature, festivals, and getting away in our state. Also, it is that time of year when the ubiquitous FIREWORKS tents appear in just about every parking lot in town! Here we see the back side of one at Wal-Mart. The tent, parking lot, and stores are located under a Carolina blue sky on the property of the former Carolina Circle Mall. How nice to experience the retail revival of northeast Greensboro, in the neighborhood of Cone Blvd. and US-29.

The Fourth of July is the only day of the year when North Carolinians are allowed to use fireworks. This rule can be a hard one to obey with South Carolina, "the mother of all fireworks," as our southern neighbor! For North Carolinians, South Carolina was the original "South of the Border." If your neighborhood is anything like ours, you've been hearing "boom, boom, sizzle, pop, boom" all week-- a prelude to July 4th, legal or not!

Have a safe Fourth of July and if you aren't sure which fireworks are legal in NC, check out USFireworks. 

Finally, today's City Daily Photo theme is "empty." Here, we see an "empty" fireworks tent! Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Happy Father's Day, Yesterday

If you are a dad, we hope you had a wonderful Father's Day! Here we are, back on the lawn on Holden Road, across the street from Starmount Country Club. The lifesize letters say it all: DAD!

Memorial Day 2009 at Friendly Center

Last Monday, we had the good fortune to attend the Memorial Day Service at Friendly Center. Each year, promptly at 8am, veterans began the ceremony of putting up the flags. (The flags remain at half mast until after 12 noon). The event is sponsored by the Marine Corps League of Greater Greensboro. Here we see attending veterans lined up and saluting as three marines raised the flag on the main flagpole. In the back left,  Major Gregory A. Wynn can be seen participating in his final ceremony in Greensboro. He has been promoted to lieutenant colonel and will relocate to New York with his family.

Peggy Longmire wrote an informative article about the recent event in the News and Record. Several people in the crowd commented that they only learned of the event thanks to Mr. Longmire's article the day before. Veterans commented that this year's ceremony was the best attended. This is one of many examples of how a community depends on a local newspaper to stay informed. Major Wynn gave an inspiring speech during the ceremony in which he acknowledged the family of a Greensboro soldier who recently lost his life serving in the US Military. Additionaly, Major Wynn urged us all to contribute to our community in some capacity.

We learned that, to participate in the ceremony, the only required part of the uniform is a hat. Finally, you will see a man in a kilt. The USMC has an official tartan, the Leatherneck Tartan, which, likely would be the pattern of choice for the Marine Corps Pipers. The kilt in the picture closely resembles the official USMC tartan.

Memorial Day 2009

Memorial Day, a holiday since the Civil War,  is a time to pause and remember the men and women who have died while in military service to the United States. The words in the flag above so aptly describe the sentiments of those being remembered... "land that I love. Stand beside her......"  This flag/blanket hangs at the Kiwanis Kiddie Camp in nearby Lexington, NC. If you have the day off today, we hope you will do at least one thing to remember the reason for the holiday. Several years ago, we heard a woman ask a group of youngsters waiting in line to get their face painted on another patriotic holiday. 

"Who knows why we celebrate the Fourth of July." 

Out of a line of about 20 children of all ages, a boy of about six years old piped up, "We're celebrating America's independence. We fought a war with the British and we won our independence." 

The woman taking the money for face painting said, "Son, you just made your teacher really proud. We will paint your face for free." 

Stories like this are common throughout North Carolina as adults take great pride in seeing that children remember our country's history, our state's history, their own history, local culture, traditions and lure. 

Today, ask a young American why Memorial Day is celebrated and reward those who know the answer!