Greensboro Daily Photo

Friendly Avenue Baptist Church

Churches look so different at night. Above, we see a photo of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church on West Friendly Avenue at Hamilton Lakes. Here is the same scene by day. Friendly Avenue Baptist Church got its start in 1899 with seven people meeting in a store on South Elm Street. Today, after many moved, the church is in its current location and it has grow into a large and active congregation. We try to feature something spiritual every Sunday (see here).  Some Sundays, we talk a lot about the church we feature. After crazy weeks like this one with the situation in Boston, you just want to keep it simple:

                                                Eat, pray, love.............

While You Were Sleeping...

            While You Were Sleeping was a 1995 romantic comedy, featuring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. This photo shows a scene of what was happening on North Battleground Avenue last night, likely, while you were sleeping. Road crews worked through the night as part of the multi-million dollar highway project taking place on Highway 220, or North Battleground. Fortunately, the police were on the scene making sure that traffic made it through the intersection smoothly. It will be interesting to see how the intersection looks today. We wonder if that giant mound of dirt/sand that is beside the road is still there. Whether you are a day or night sleeper, it is interesting to think about what is going on in the community while you are resting. 

    

            Between the widening of Horse Pen Creek Road, The Urban Loop (formerly known as Painter Boulevard), and the widening of 220 and at the rate property has and is being acquired. We probably won't recognize the area a few years from now. Hopefully, the empty drug store, partially visible below the green traffic lights, will be replaced by another store. As for the current construction, it looks eerily attractive in the still of the night. The site would make an interesting photo shoot for someone who is in the position to stay up all night. The lighting, ranging from green to blue to purple to white is very attractive.

Sunset HIlls at Christmas

Sunset Hills is THE drive-through neighborhood for Christmas in Greensboro. In the above photo, you see a house on Ridgeway Drive. As seen in the photo, this house alone has more than a dozen of the light-wrapped, chicken wire balls suspended from the trees. These ubiquitious decorations are the hallmark of the neighborhood. Can you imagine driving through a house where almost everyone participates in the elaborate ritual of hoisting these decorations into the trees? Well, tomorrow, about 1,500 people are going to run through Sunset Hills, enjoying the decorations and raising money for charity at the same time. If you are local, you have to see this event, as well as the decorations that brought fame to the neighborhood just southeast of Friendly Center.

Pamplona, Spain may have the Running of the Bulls; however, Greensboro, North Carolina will have an event called The Running of the Balls. The event will be a 5K run through Sunset Hills, with people playing and singing live music along the way, which is being billed as one of the most decorated neighborhood in Greensboro.

Festival of Lights

First Friday and The Festival of Lights were both well attended last night. At first, is seemed like the rain was going to dampen the evening, but the skies cleared and fun was had by all. We walked from Center City Park all the way down Elm to Lee Street and back, enjoying the musicians, arts and crafts stands, artifical snow, ubiquitous, red, foam, News & Record reindeer antleers and all of the stores dressed in their holiday best. Most of all, we enjoyed seeing so many people out taking advantage of everything Greensboro has to offer. What a great sense of community one feels at these intergenerational events. From tired babies to teenagers to adults and seniors, everyone seemed to be happy to be part of the crowd. Facebook was abuzz with the new taco bar downtown. 

Now, it seems like December has arrived. Here's to a great weekend to all. Thanks to the News & Record and Grassroots Productions Limited for your sponsorship. These free (to the public) events were worth every penny. Maybe we can do something for New Year's Eve; perhaps get the "Joy to the World" ball to drop at the stroke of midnight? Maybe Hamburger Square could be our Times Square. Greensboro Daily Photo's first photo ever was of Hamburger Square. Greensboro Daily Photo will be four on January 2nd. Let's celebrate a couple of days early!

(Almost) Full Moon

    Wednesday's pre-dawn moon was almost a full moon. The actual full moon rose on Wednesday evening. It is known as the known as the Full Frost Moon as, by this time of year, there has been a hard frost. Alternatively, November's full moon is called the Full Beaver Moon, stemming from when traps were set for beavers who are busily preparing for winter. Traps are set before swamps freeze. Such is the lore of the North Carolina mountains. Here in Greensboro, we don't do as much bever pelt gathering. In the middle of the last century, beavers were rare in North Caroina. Restocking efforts took place through the 1950's and now, quantity has increase, range has expanded, and beavers are not rare. Beaver trapping is open, statewide, from November 1st- March 31st.

    The last time we shared a moon shot on Greensboro Daily Photo, Mr. Preston Earle posted a comment with us about how to get good moon shots. He was an engineer, which is evident in his comment. Mr. Earle departed earth on January 2nd, 2012 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Local journalist Ed Cone said it best: "Preston Earle had the rare ability to disagree without being disagreeable" (Cone). What a legacy..... to be able to disagree without being disagreeable. The world could use a little more of that trait. Let's dedicate today's moon shot to Mr. Earle, a man who shared a love of Greensboro as well as taking the- ever elusive- perfect moon photo.

* a great article here. 

Night Sky over Greensboro

The night sky just keeps getting longer and longer this time of year. This photo was taken along Dolley Madison Road, under the sapphire sky of late twilight with what appears to be a planet in the night sky. The road, Dolley Madison, is named after the wife of America's fouth president. Her family moved to Guilford County, to the community of New Garden. She was raised in the Quaker faith and although she only lived here the first year of her life, Greensboro can claim her as one of our own.

Locally, we respect our connections to our early history. While the scene above is modern, it does remind us of something one might have seen when rounding a corner 100- 200 years ago in the era of Ms. Madison. Here's to a great weekend. We hope you get out for some adventures in our fine community.

FOURTH = Friends, Fellowship, Food, Fun.......... Fireworks

This year, we watched the fireworks spring to life sitting at the edge of the railroad tracks that parallel Spring Garden Street. We were close enough to the Coliseum to enjoy the show, yet far enough away to avoid the traffic jam at the end of the night. The group that chose the same location was quiet and friendly. One young man shared his truck bed with a family that did not bring chairs. When an especially bright firework would explode, its reflection on the railroad tracks was fabulous.

In Greensboro, the weather was lovely today. All the festive events in the Piedmont area were spared rain, as well as triple digit weather. However, Wednesday is a hard day for a holiday, as, not many people are in the position to take a five day weekend. For those of us still in town, this Friday is First Friday- a great way to continue your July festivities. 

X is for Signing on the Dotted Line

Since it is so close to the Fourth of July, we've decided to post an exploding firework today. Today is ABC Wednesday and we're using the fireworks for X for several reasons. First, this is the a photo from 2010, the last year Greensboro's fireworks display was to be held at Grimsley High School. The school got X-ed as a venue and we now gather at the Coliseum complex on High Point Road.

Also, X can serve as a signature on a document as proof of identity and intent.* Recently, there has been press about Greensboro's non-profits being overwhelmed for the need for food. Local non-profits are stretched financially with so many children out of school and needing food, other basic needs,  and activities to keep them busy. Please consider putting your X on a check and donating immediately to your favorite local charity.

For this whole round of ABC Wednesday, we've featured  ABC causes and non profits of Greensboro. X is for those 'xploding fireworks and letting the sky (and your financial resources) be the limit on your donation of money, food, or time to the non-profit of your choice. 

 

* reference.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game............

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd.* This 1908 song is the unofficial anthem of baseball. While it is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch, the song is on the tip of everyone's tongue when they think of baseball. The Greensboro Grasshoppers won't be playing at home until their Memorial Day game on Monday; however, the above photo reminds us that it is a holiday weekend-- a time for family and friends... and photos galore. The stadium is the perfect place to get a postcard perfect picture with the word GREENSBORO, providing a sense of Americana to your photo.

Currently, the Bryan Foundation owns the stadium; however, the ownership group of the Grasshoppers is hoping to purchase the stadium. The ownership issue has created a little bit of controversy. The important thing is for the stadium to remain the affordable, vibrant place for family-friendly fun. Greensboro loves its baseball. May "take me out to the ballgame" ring loud and clear for decades to come. Happy Friday, dear readers. 

 

*reference.

Center City Park

Here is a view of our glorious Center City Park by night (by day here). We know we feature it often (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 to show a few) but it really is the heart of the city; a nice open space for residents to gather. Tomorrow, the Greensboro Public Library will hold events related to El Día de los Niños in this very spot and the place will be brimming with fun activities for children and adults alike.

Between hanging out in Center City Park and visiting the Liberty Antiques Festival, and a few other events, like Earth Fare's Doggy Wash and Burgers for Bucks, we're going to be busy from morning to night. One of the biggest events is the U.S. Masters' Spring Nationals for swimming at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. If you haven't seen our new aquatic center, this is the weekend to stop by. Breathtaking. And swimmers may be setting records as you read. Finally, Leann Pizio is featuring a Keep It Local art event with multiple artists on her Oak Ridge property.

Please call a friend and see what a great time you can have in Greensboro this weekend. It will be a great weekend for adventure AND photos. Happy Skywatch Friday.

Europa Bar & Cafe

In this photo of Europa Bar & Cafe, we were standing on the Davie Street side wishing we were eating there. Last Friday night, the weather was so inviting; perfect for sitting outside. At that time of night, when the sky is as deep blue, their outdoor patio is absolutely magical. Europa Bar & Cafe is located at 200 Davie Street in the Cultural Arts Center. This is the same building that houses the main offices of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra as well as Greensboro Opera.

Europa comes by its name honestly as the interior decor has Portuguese tile and plenty of hardwood details. The food choices seem great and the Sunday brunch looks good also. We'll have to try it out. They're open until 1 and 2am, a little late for us; however, it is great for a city to have options. Don't you love the lights?

Greensboro Grasshoppers: A Glorious Evening of Baseball

Strike 1,2,3 and you're out at the old ball game!  If you are looking for affordable, family fun, head down to Newbridge Bank Park.This is a view of the Greensboro Grasshoppers playing the Delmarva Shorebirds in the stadium last Friday night. The weather was perfect and the fans were enjoying themselves. There is a free playground for children and, for adults, North Carolina's largest outdoor sports bar, Natty's Hill-- a nod to Greensboro's namesake, Nathanael Greene. With the events held here, our stadium keeps downtown Greensboro hoppin' all summer long. For more fun, get your picture taken with Guilford, the mascot. You don't even have to go inside to take your picture with the larger-than-life baseballs that adorn the entrance. For sure, the venue is the pride of Greensboro.

The Grasshoppers are one of the minor league teams affiliated with the Miami Marlins. Learn more about minor league baseball and purchase tickets here. Batter up! 

Greensboro's Finest Hour

As the planets have aligned in the March night sky, significant events in Greensboro this weekend have aligned as well. First, ACC Men's Basketball is in full swing at the Coliseum. The Southeast Zone Sectional Age Group Championships are underway at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. The Battle of Guilford Courthouse, the turning-point battle of the Revolutionary War, is being reenacted here.

On a smaller scale, the Rothar Turas cycling event is under way. St. Patrick's Day festivities are in full swing. While there is no river to turn green, we've seen plenty of green brew being imbibed. Also, Triad Stage is in the final weekend of fabulous performances of a trilogy of plays by Reynolds Price. These are just a few events in town this weekend. Many of these events attract guests from out of town. One attendee at Triad Stage tonight said that she saw more out of state license plates today than North Carolina plates.

If we all are good hosts, we all behave, and we get a little help from the weather, quite possibly, this weekend could be Greensboro's Finest Hour. Please allow extra time for driving AND help our guests feel welcome! We're sharing this with Weekend Reflections. WELCOME TO GREENSBORO!

F is for Fitness

Above we see a photo of Workout Anytime, located between Cook-out, Krispy Kreme, and Maxie B's on Battleground Avenue. Workout Anytime is one of those stores catering to the latest fitness trend of working out anytime; that's 24/7-- 365 days a year. Regardless of what time you go to or leave work, you can stop and exercise. On their website, this franchise doesn't say how long they have been in business, but they do mention their owners have a combined 40 years of experience in the industry.

According to the state data on death rates from heart disease, Guilford County fares pretty well. The state rate is 439 deaths annually related to heart disease per 100,000 people; the county rate is 368-411 per 100,000. Except for neighboring Caswell County, counties in the Piedmont/triad/triangle area are heart healthier than the North Carolinians living in the he coastal region. Perhaps we are more diligent about exercising; perhaps we eat less fried foods. At any rate, we seem to be doing something right.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for this round, we're featuring causes. Today's cause is F, for fitness. If you want a non-profit related to fitness, there is always the option to join the YMCA. Additionally, on Saturday, March 31, 2012, Greensboro will have a great health and fitness event, a 5K charity walk/run where participants get to raise money for their favorite charity. You get to work on your heart health at the Human Race event while your favorite non-profit gets a little money for their coffer. How do you keep your heart healthy? What do you do to help others stay healthy? Remember, February is National Heart Health month and F is for fitness!

Jenn's Diner

The cold, battleship-gray little place at 3929 North Battleground Avenue, formerly known as Waffle House, just got a facelift and is now Jenn's Diner. Since opening a few weeks ago, it has been non-stop busy and has added life to a little section of Highway 220 that was starting to look and feel empty.  If someone can build on the Laddie and Dukes lot and replace the corner drug store, there will be a nice oasis of activity at the corner of Battleground and Horse Pen Creek.

Looking inside and seeing the warm, orange walls, the artwork, and the TV, it is hard to believe that the place used to be a Waffle House Chain. The home-style, country-cooked entrees and classic diner breakfasts are a hit. This photo, taken at night, reflects the warm, inviting, glow of Jenn's Diner. 

Here's to this young couple making a go of their dream. Nothing beats an on-site proprietor. We've spotted enough of a reflection on the ceiling to feel worthy of Weekend Reflections!

Year Four Begins on Greensboro Daily Photo

January 2nd, 2009, Greensboro Daily Photo began-- quietly with a photo of Downtown Greensboro (here). 1,096 photos and paragraphs later, we felt it was fitting to share a scene on Elm Street to kick off Year 4. Last night, Elm Street was beautiful, quiet and aglow; the JP building was blinking the time and temperature and cars were returning. Indeed, the city appeared to be waking up from an extended holiday season to face the new year. 

We don't know how long you have been following Greensboro Daily Photo, but we are extremely happy that you are here. We hope  you will continue reading our blog for a very long time and that you will encourage your friends to follow us. We'd love to hear your comments and suggestions. If you want to learn more about GDP, yesterday's post is a good place to start. Also, Day 1,000 we share a photo of the two of us (Mr. and Mrs. Greensboro Daily Photo). For 2012, we are looking forward to sharing new places and events in Greensboro. Let's borrow from President Kennedy and say, "Ask not what Greensboro can do for us but what we can do for Greensboro."

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Creche season is upon us and the one above is located at the intersection of Friendly and Ridgeway Avenues at Centenary United Methodist Church.*  From pumpkin patches to membership drives to Christmas festivities, the Friendly Avenue side of Centenary is a year-round tableau of church events for all to see. This nativity scene is one such example.

This time of year, many people travel to and from work in the dark. The gloomy hours of darkness punctuate the beauty of December's holiday decorations.  Darkness...darkness...darkness.... WOW... color and light appear out of nowhere. Thoughts are briefly redirected from rush hour and looming chores to the sights before you:

And the Angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people (Luke 2:10).

Soon, a car pulls up, time for the next driver's moment of solitude at the little town of Bethlehem. You push on-- towards Greensboro. Behold, a few blocks away, appears a nativity scene on the hill at Greensboro College......... a happy Sunday to all (and to all a good night).

*Centenary was the church that lost its steeple to high winds in February 2010 (see here).

Midnight Clear on Elm Street

Elm Street is magical on a cold winter's night. Downtown Greensboro looks like it did almost a century ago-- charming and well maintained with lots of brick façades and nothing ultra modern in appearance from Market Street and to the south. It is as if O Henry, Lunsford Richardson, and John Van Lindley could be strolling along the street listening to carolers and talking to friends.

In the above photo, First Friday was winding down yet the road was still blocked to cars. Pedestrians were making the most of the opportunity to stroll along the street. The evening was so well attended and so many community members were involved, we can't help but think Greensboro could use another event or two like this before the end of the year. If you want to keep up with events downtown, 99 blocks is a great start.

We're sharing this night sky with our friends at Skywatch Friday. 

'Tis the Season

Last night's First Friday in downtown Greensboro must have had record crowds. People from all walks of like were out walking and enjoying the gala event. There was so much festivity and the weather was perfect. Music, dancing, artwork, food, and strolling along Elm Street. It really seems as if our city could support this event every Friday in December. The above photo was taken (last year) at Just Be, a place at the corner of McGee and South Elm that sells arts and crafts, some of which are from local artists. 

Remember that today is the Jaycees Holiday Parade (12-2) as well as the Girl Scouts Candlefest. The Moravian Tea is hosted by the First Moravian Church.  Attending a performance, selecting a Christmas tree, attending parties; officially, 'tis the season. Please make the most of it, but pace yourself. Our one wish for the man in the photo is that he not to use his phone at the expense of enjoying the beauty around him.

This photo is to be shared with our friends at Weekend Reflections. It is an old one from our archives but we loved the subtle warmth, color, and reflection.

Sunset on Autumn

For a few weeks there, it seemed as if autumn would last forever. Locally, fall was especially beautiful this year. Leaves were brilliantly colored, skies were blue, and many days were just perfect for spending time outside: bike riding, festivals, nature walks......... Then, in Greensboro, the temperature dropped over 30 degrees in a 24 hour time period. From Wednesday's tepid, mid-70's balmy tornado-front to driving rain and fog, COLDNESS captured our autumn at one fell swoop. Leaves surrendered their grip and winter coats were brought out of storage. Also, with the time change and days getting shorter, many people leave for work and return in the dark. What? Was there a day today? Did someone see daylight? Sunshine?

Yesterday, just when all seemed about as uplifting as a big bowl of unseasoned broth, this brilliant sunset lingered on the horizon, a carrot dangling, reminding us to see the beauty that lies ahead. First, some snow, slush and lots of gray, but, before we know it, all will be green again. In the meantime, winter is knocking....... Can't you hear it?

We're sharing this with Skywatch Friday and are heading over there to see the sky above a few hundred cities worldwide.

PTI Airport at Night

Piedmont Triad International (PTI) Airport is beautiful at night, especially in the rain. Here is a picture of the Fed Ex side of the airport just after a soaking rain when the asphalt took on the magical reflective quality of a lake. PTI is located eight miles west of Greensboro. The landing field is called Lindley Field, named for the Lindley family who owned it prior to 1927. It was the second official airmail route in the USA. Another great piece of PTI (not so trivial) trivia is the fact that Charles Lindberg brought the "Spirit of St. Louis" here in 1927. This summer, when we interviewed Greensboro lawyer Henry Isaacson, Chairman of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority, he told us how much he enjoyed his involvement with the airport. We're betting he is an arsenal of PTI trivia.

Today, we're bringing you a David- Letterman-style top ten list. The top ten busiest domestic routes out of Greensboro's PTI are #10... Washington-Reagan, DC; #9 Washington-Dulles, DC; #8 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; #7 Detroit, MI; #6 Newark, NJ; #5 Chicago O'Hare, IL; #4 New York- LaGuardia, NY; #3 Philadelphia, PA; #2 Charlotte, NC;..... #1....ta...da...Atlanta, GA (reference). 

This is our contribution to Weekend Reflections.

Industries of the Blind, Inc.

Seven out of ten working age Americans who are blind are not employed (reference). Greensboro has the distinction of having established the first work program in North Carolina for people who were blind. In 1933, the Guilford County Association of the Blind hired six employees to make mops for commercial sale. With the Wagner-O'Day Act in 1938, people with severe vision disabilities had a Federal market for the products they manufactured. Responding to this opportunity, in 1938, Greensboro's organization incorporated, becoming Industries of the Blind, Incorporated (IOB). During World War II, Greensboro's IOB employed 35 workers. By 1962, they landed their first million dollar contract. For over seven decades, Greensboro's IOB has been working hard "to enhance the opportunities for people who are blind to achieve greater vocational, personal, and economic independence" (reference). 

Today, Greensboro's IOB has 238 employees in two locations and, with their government military contracts, annual revenue has soared to 20 million dollars (News & Record, 2009).  Their products for sale include physical fitness pants for soldiers, ballistic nape pads, industrial brooms, household products, pens & refills. Our personal favorites are the 24 lb. mill broom (harkening back to the days of Greensboro's thriving textile mills) and the Sedgefield parlor broom. With the PGA Tours Wyndham Championship 2011 kicking off today at the Sedgefield Country Club, we hope that Sedgefield parlor brooms are put to good use in their namesake community during this great golf event.

The IOB brick building in the photo above is located on West Lee Street near UNCG. We took the photo at night, with glaring lights, fading letters, minimal color, and blurred periphery to provide insight into what the world looks like to many visually impaired. Hats off to IOB for providing their employees with competitive wages and benefits.

Center City Resource Team

If any wrong-doings happened in downtown Greensboro last night, it was not because we lacked police patrolling the area. In the above photo, six policemen on bicycles, who are part of the Center City Resource Team, were congregating in the city parking lot between Design Archives and Bin 33 Restaurant. Two minutes earlier, they had been riding up Elm Street in formation.  Additionally several members of the foot patrol were in Center City Park around its closing time.

With over 20,000 people in the community having  the right to carry a concealed weapon (or with a permit in process) and additional people who have guns illegally, these policemen risk their lives with each turn of a bike pedal. They do so much for our community and make a genuine effort to build rapport with the people who frequent their beat. Property owners in the downtown area pay an assessment to get extra services ranging from additional police to getting hanging baskets watered and having extra garbage pick up. So, if you are downtown, don't assume there is a problem, just because you see a mini-brigade of police.

White Oak Amphitheater

Here we see a view of Greensboro's recently-opened (June 5th) White Oak Amphitheater on High Point Road. It was mostly empty on the Fourth of July when the pops concert got rained out; however, people were still free to enter and see the beautiful facility. It adds so much to our city. The amphitheater is named for the white oak, the official tree of the City of Greensboro. As you will learn if you watch this video clip about the amphitheater, Nathanael Greene's men slept under a white oak on the eve of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse at the time of the Revolutionary War. Greensboro also had a mill, The Cones' indigo dyeing operation, named White Oak; so named for a 200 year old white oak tree on the property. The white oak is one of the largest trees in the eastern U.S.

The White Oak Amphitheater is located at the corner of the Coliseum complex, on what was formerly property of the old Canada Dry plant. It seats 7,666 people. The amphitheater will feature concerts and community events. Refreshing as a crisp ginger ale on a warm summer evening is the fact that White Oak is named for something significant to the history of Greensboro-- a tree-- and is not yet named for a benefactor or corporate sponsor. We leave you with the above night view which includes a giant slice of the dusk sky over Greensboro. We are featuring this view for the world to see on Skywatch Friday. If you get a chance, attend an event at the amphitheater. It will feel like being on vacation in your hometown!

Nathanael Greene Rides Again

Our city's namesake Nathanael Greene is assembling his troops at the round-a-bout downtown on McGee Street. In less than 24 hours, the 230th reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse will be in full swing. For one brief weekend, General Greene will step off his pedestal and come to life. In the American Revolutionary War, Greene was a major general for the Continental Army. The big battle in our area happened on March 15, 1781. Although Cornwallis beat Greene at the battle, it was a turning point in the war. Presently, the battlefield is soaked; however, Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be sunny. Let's hope so because wet wool is neither comfortable nor aromatic! If you are local, you have a great opportunity to interact with history! If you are driving down Battleground and hear gun shots, don't panic!

In the meantime, we're sharing this photo with Skywatch Friday.

Moonrise over Greensboro

Last week's full moon rose early, huge in the winter sky. Here we see a view of the moon and stars sparkling in Northwest Guilford County. It isn't very often that we get to see stars in the night sky. According to Darkstar Astrology, "The full moon on 19 January 2011 at 29 degrees Cancer is trine Jupiter, sprinkling much needed luck and laughter upon us after the dramas and chaos of the Christmas holidays" (read more here). Do you speak astrology-ese? Whether you do or not, you probably fell in love with the night sky last week.

The moon is the only natural satellite of the earth and the same side of the moon always faces the earth. After the sun, the moon is the brightest object in our night sky. The brightness is due to a similar reflectance as coal (Wiki). The moon plays a large part in culture, lore, and language. To end your work week, here are some popular sayings that incorporate the word moon:

Once in a blue moon; it's only a paper moon; ask for the moon, to moon over something; many moons ago; promise the moon; to be over the moon (reference).

We're sharing this with our fellow skywatchers at  Skywatch Friday.

Winter Sunsets

Leafless trees in winter make beautiful, silhouetted sunset fotos. The above trees, photographed from the parking lot of the Battleground Wal-Mart, are dense with neglect. Dormant vines are patiently in place, waiting for spring when they can put out shoots and continue their invasion of the trees. The kudzu vine, which can grow up to a foot a day in the summer, competes for nutrients with trees and blocks sunlight, eventually choking the host tree to death. While the vine adds drama to a winter landscape, since it was first imported from Asia in 1876, kudzu has become quite an invasive menace. For today, however, we're gonna sit back and enjoy the view. If you are longing for summer, see some bloomin' kudzu here.

This is our contribution to Skywatch Friday where you can see a little slice of the sky above from just about every continent.

Happy 2011-- Greensboro, North Carolina

Happy New Year! The City Daily Photo Community encouraged us to post our favorite 2010 photo on New Years Day. For Greensboro, we keep coming back to this photo of Elm Street, the main street downtown. Elm Street, the heart of the city, runs from north to south, dividing Greensboro into east and west. This rainy twilight shot is the quieter side of Elm. We also like the festive, busy view (here).  Did you know Greensboro Daily Photo is one of about 1,300 cities worldwide who have people volunteering to publish a photo & comment a day about their city?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

We hope your New Year's Resolution is to read GDP every day! As you recruit new readers, we suggest referring them to this January 1 post to get an idea of the breath of our effort. In reflecting on 2010, here are some of our highlights:

Each week, we posted an ABC Wednesday photo featuring something unique to Greensboro. Y and Z will spill into 2011; however, to work your way back from X to A, see here. Fridays, we participated in the Skywatch Friday meme.  Scroll through a year of skies over Greensboro here. Our vehicle transportation series was pretty popular (see the year here) and did manage to capture just about every mode of transportation from train to segway. One of our favorite efforts was the Weekend Reflection series. See a couple of those photos here and here. Each Sunday, we posted something spiritual here. Curiously, our most frequently searched photo is still this ornamental cabbage! Happy New Year!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Here we see a singing quartet at First Friday in Downtown Greensboro on December 3rd. What a great way to ring in the holiday with people singing carols. The first known Christmas carols date to fourth century Rome and the tradition has many interesting facets (read more here). Caroling quartets with their a capella, vocal harmonies, bring the holiday season alive. We wish we knew the name of this festive, costumed  group singing on South Elm Street. They were fabulous.

Merry Christmas Greensboro. The best Christmas present for us would be to let us know what we can post for you in the upcoming year.

Festival of LIghts

Greensboro was aglow last night with families out celebrating First Friday and the Festival of Lights. Thousands of people came out to listen to music, shop, skate, perform, and spend time with family and friends. Here we see children enjoying the fake snow piped through Center City Park while parents and grandparents scrambled to take pictures of their little ones. 

Today will be another day packed with family fun in Greensboro. If you get up early enough, you can land a good spot along the parade route (Greene to Market to Church Streets). The Girl Scouts will set up Candlefest in the Arboretum and many businesses will have open houses today. Let us know how you spent the day. Regardless of what you do, save some time for family and friends.

'T' is for Time-- on Elm Street

This is a scene on Elm Street, just north of Friendly Avenue. As evidenced by the time on the clock, it is 5:20pm, the point at which day is ending and night is taking over. Today is theme day for the City Daily Photo community and the theme is TIME-- open to interpretation by the thousand plus members worldwide. We took a literal, here-and-now approach to time and photographed the Rolex clock in front of the Chamber of Commerce. The clock was installed by Carlyle & Company. The high-end jewelry company was founded in Greensboro in 1922 by the Cohen family. While the company survived the stock market crash of 1929, it did not weather the recent economic storm. Sadly, after 87 years in business, Carlysle and Company closed its doors last year. The clock remains a relic of its retail history. The clock ticks and the traffic moves down the road, leading us towards whatever the future brings in Greensboro and beyond.....

Conveniently, "T" is for "time, traffic and tick tock" on ABC Wednesday and, for Watery Wednesdaynature provided us with water too! Other, more Greensboro-related "T's" that we'll feature in the future include: Tanger Outlet, Ten Thousand Villages, Tannenbaum Park, and Triad Stage. As for the wonderful City Daily Photo Community:  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

An Apple A Night

The Apple Computer Store in Friendly Center is a fabulous place to hang out, not only by day, but also by night! Here we were last weekend, at closing time, and low and behold if we didn't land another "Guy Noir" shot. We love NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion" and every time we see someone or something intriguing, we dub the shot, a 'Guy Noir' shot. Here was our last one. Lone, anonymous person...pensive... clutched to car, smoking, nicely dressed...could be a detective on a case= 'Guy Noir' shot. As darkness prevails, we see a tiny reflection on the left side of the car in the background. We're hoping that qualifies the photo for Weekend Reflection.

In the meantime, there is so much to do in our corner of North Carolina this weekend. We want to visit Charlie Tefft's pottery show for sure. We might want to make one last visit to the Renaissance Festival or visit the craft show at the Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in High Point (8-3 today--it is a BIG one). We could go to the Carolina NC State Game (IF we had tickets). We could go to a Carolina Panthers game (IF we had tickets).  Our weekend started on a high note with running into half a dozen people we know during dinner at the Village Tavern last night. Let us know what else is going on and we'll try to get out for a photo. We still haven't decided on a religious institution to feature this Sunday. (Feel free to put in a good word for yours)! In the meantime, wonder what will be happening under the glowing Macintosh Apple tonight!

Suburban Fire Pits

Country folk in North Carolina like to burn a barrel; suburbanites love their fire pits. Here we see a fire ring burning during the last minute before the sky turns from sapphire to black. The other night, we were mesmerized by the warmth and the view.

This is a fast way to get rid of yard waste. Fortunately that is not much of an issue in Greensboro; the city will take just about any yard waste what a city resident can drag to the street. If you haul your yard waste to High Point, they give you credit for when you purchase their mulch. Plus, Greensboro has curb service for leaves, you just blow or rake them into the street and the city will haul them away. So many options that the old-timey choice in North Carolina-- to burn yard waste-- is going by the wayside.Charming as it seems, several restrictions apply to starting open fires. Our recommendation is to check your local ordinances; plus, we recommend taking a fire safety class like the one the scouts offer! 

This is our contribution to Sky Watch Friday.

Vicks VapoRub

Well, it is high time we feature the Richardson family and make sure the world knows that Vicks VapoRub was first compounded in Greensboro (see sign above) in the late 1800's. In 1912 the menthol salve got renamed Vicks VapoRub. The flu pandemic of 1918 really made Richardson's product a household name as it was the most popular croup/cold/flu remedy at the time. Sales of the inhaled breathing treatment soared from $900,000 to $2.5 million in that year. While Proctor and Gamble bought Richardson-Vicks, Inc. in 1985, we are proud to say that America's #1 inhaled breathing treatment got its start in Greensboro, North Carolina. There aren't many commercial products around today that were thriving 100 years ago: VapoRub is one of the elite! If you want to learn more about the history of Vicks VapoRub, go to the 100 year interactive timeline here! (Click on the pictures of the produces and information pops up). If you want to learn more about Mr. Richardson, read this article archived at the North Carolina Museum of History. The article is called, "The Man Who Helped the World Breathe Easier."

We made sure to get a slice of sky in the background so that we could share today's post with the world on SkyWatch Friday! We tried to capture the sky on a night when it was close to the color of VapoRub's cobalt blue jar.

 

Fire Dancing Under the Azure Night Sky

The folks you saw stretching and bending in yesterday's post were also entertainers in the fire dance at the end of the Summer Solstice Celebration. The fire dance was set up on the basketball court at the Arboretum. This was such a nice grand finale and hard to believe it was free! We heard children talking about wanting to learn to dance with fire. Who knows at what point in one's life something sparks a lifelong passion, a career? Those children were captivated. 

On another note, Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, writes about the blue, night sky. The sky is blue just at the point where daylight lets go and night has not completely taken over! Since fire is reflected onto the people in the circle, we saved this blue, night sky photo for the weekend reflection meme.

 

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.

 

Faithway Baptist Church

Faithway Baptist Church, 610 E. Lake Drive, sits at the edge of a city park/walking trail overlooking the area where Bryan Blvd. curves on into downtown. This church is within walking distance to the Lake Daniel and Westerwood neighborhoods. They've had the same pastor, James Bledsoe, for nearly 20 years.

Unfortunately the website for the church does not tell the history of the building and when we were on this night photo shoot, we didn't find a cornerstone with a date. The sign in front reads, "The truth shall make you free.. thy word is truth."  Actually, it reads,  "thywor  dis   truth" but we think they suffered a case of the shifting letters! Happy Sacred Sunday, Faithway! The light on the door looks like a cross!

On a sad note, this week, in Greensboro, a 14 year old boy took his own life. As you look at friends, relatives, strangers, young and old alike, please keep your words kind and inviting. Often it is not apparent who is troubled, self-loathing, and in pain. In closing, please pause to reflect on the week-- regardless of your belief system.

Holden Road in the Rain

Last week, we were driving from the southwestern to northwestern end of Guilford County. The rain was relentless; Haz-mat was cleaning up a spill on I-85.  This is the view from the passenger's seat as we made our ride home on Holden Road.We were all tired and wondering if we would make it home safely. Greensboro was a rainy and muddy mess. 

If you have a teenagers learning to drive, show them this picture and tell them this is the reason you take your drivers' education class seriously. This is one of many reasons why you CAN'T drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Here is our contribution to Watery Wednesday!

Sunset on I-40

This past weekend, we drove from New Bern westward to Greensboro. As the sun set, it created breathtaking views through the windshield glass. Mostly the sunset was spectacular on the south side of the interstate, making it hard to photograph. However, on this stretch, the view was also spectacular in front of us. Since Mr. GDP was driving, I was able to cheat a little bit and use the tint of the windshield glass to add the blue filter at the top. To us, the sunset was a real gift and on this Sky Watch Friday, we have decided to share it with you. 

Roundabout Twilight

Over half of the world's roundabouts are located in France. They are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. However, according to Wikipedia, the first modern roundabout in the United States wasn't constructed until in 1990 in Nevada. Roundabouts require the entering driver to yield to the driver already in the circle. They are supposed to be safer for drivers and pedestrians than traditional intersections. The roundabout in the photo is located at Lake Jeanette. Greensboro also has another one at the shopping plaza at Pisgah Church and one on Greene Street downtown. If you are interested in building one in your community, follow this link to a site that not only publishes articles about roundabouts but also gives you contacts for feasibility studies for your community.

The play on words "roundabout twilight" were selected because today is FRIDAY and we are participating in Skywatch Friday. We'd hoped for a better photo but roundabouts are hard to photograph! Do you like driving in them? Tell us your roundabout stories. We've heard that people who don't want the advances of a suitor arrange to meet in the middle of the roundabout, or better yet, in the center of a traffic circle in a big city!