Greensboro Daily Photo

Rain and Sun and Rain

Yesterday Greensboro's weather was a day of rain, rain, rain, and SUN, and rain and rain.  Oh, and more rain. During that brief time when the sun was peeking through, the rain resumed, leaving a few moments of sparkling beauty.  In our effort to capture this mood in the above photo, you see big drops of rain falling through sunshine.  The scene reminded us Georges Seurat and pointillism. Seurat's is the 19th century version of pointillism. If you want to see the 21st century version of pointillism, go here.

As the rain abated, we found ourselves wishing it would linger. It can be pretty hard to top the beauty of nature. By the end of the week, temperatures may actually reach 80 degrees and we just may be wishing for those cooler days of early May.

Listening for the Crack of Dawn

Sunrise was so beautiful on North Battleground this week, we had to pull off the road and snap a photo. The sky was only this intense for a brief minute before the color faded and everything turned gray-white. We couldn't help but think of North Carolina storyteller, Donald Davis who has a story called, "Listening for the Crack of Dawn." We just sat there in a parking lot, marveling and listening for the "crack" of dawn to happen. All we heard was an ambulance which broke the magic  and promptly snapped us back to reality. Off to our respective jobs we drove.

Davis tells the stories of his childhood,  the ones handed down to him from his grandmother. Before becoming a professional storyteller, he was a Methodist minister in High Point for over twenty years. So, while he wasn't in Greensboro proper, he was in Guilford County. Imagine having a master storyteller as a preacher. Sleeping through his sermons would be impossible. Now that we think about, his stories, much more powerful when heard than read, have the structure of a sermon. We've had some technology glitches this week  (one of which was that it would take 789 more hours to transfer our digital photos to an external hard drive and that the interaction couldn't be interrupted). Today is Friday and, this weekend, we're not going to do much more than listen for the crack of dawn!

Super Bowl Fun!

Yesterday, the gray skies parted and Greensboro got a healthy dose of winter sunshine and some of the prettiest clouds ever.  Cold, sunny, winter days can be glorious.

From the looks of the box store parking lots (like this one on North Battleground), it seemed as if all of Greensboro were out buying snacks for Superbowl parties. Whether your team won or lost last night- or you didn't watch at all- hopefully, you can appreciate one of the few instances of the Nation coming together to watch a show simultaneously.  As for the Superbowl.... well..... you know a TV event must be important if it gets the Downton Abbey crowd recording the episode! 

As for Super Bowl XLVII, it could have used a little of that sunshine during the power outage.

Cold and Icy

        Sometimes weather reports are accurate. Yesterday was one such day. In Greensboro, as predicted, early afternoon, the icy rains descended. Windshields froze over about as fast as one could pull off the road and scrape them. Getting home was harrowing. Fortunately, the public schools closed three hours early and it seemed as if most busses were off the road well before dark. The low only dropped to about 21 degrees; however, it seemed much colder.

        The record cold temperature, ever in Greensboro, over the last 77 years,  is a temperature of minus eight degrees.*  We don't expect those below-zero temperatures any time soon; but it sure feels like it. As for the GDP family, we made a big pot of chicken and vegetable soup and just stayed inside. As for today, we're anxious to get outside and take some pictures! How about you? What have you been up to? What plans do you have?

* see temperatures, here.

Market Street at Elm, Facing east

Here we are on Market Street approaching Elm Street, the street that splits east and west Greensboro. Market Street splits north and south. So, the corner of Market and Elm is something of the epicenter for the city. In the early years of the city, the courthouse stood at the corner of Market and Elm. Back in the early 1800's, our city grew slowly, radiating from this downtown area. In 1829, there were less than 500 residents. By 1833, there was a steam-powered cotton mill nust north of this spot. Today, the Guilford County population is approximately a quarter of a million residents and we are not just a town "on paper." Look our beautiful city. Aren't you glad you live here?

Even since the early days, residents were hoping for bad weather to bypass our community. Hopefully, the skies will be blue; however, if it does snow.... well, we'll all be glad we've already been to the store for bread and milk! People have been anticipating inclement weather and predicting an early release from school for today. We'll see..........

Winter Wonderland

Greensboro, NC got its first blizzard of 2013.

Last night, our city experienced thunderstorms during the snow storm. The evening sky flashed blue, almost like an explosion,  as the snow continued to fall. Many people were without power (may still be). Today, it is a winter wonderland outside. Schools are closed and people are home wondering what to do.  If it is safe for you to drive, consider heading to the local parks and seeing them in a blanket snow. The above photo was taken at the statue of Greensboro's namesake, Nathanael Greene, in Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, off of Old Battleground Avenue. If you click through here, you can see the 27 foot statue on a warmer day. The 1915 statue of the horseman stands as a reminder that our community has been strong since the days of the Revolutionary War. A little snow will not hold us back. Onward ho-- to the Martin Luther King weekend. Time for some community service and remembrance of Dr. King's great deeds.

A is for Air

This past weekend, most of North Carolina was covered in fog. Greensboro was eerily foggy. The above photo shows a street scene on Guilford College Road where it crosses Hilltop Road and becomes Piedmont Parkway. We share this photo in relief that, in Greensboro, we are talking about fog and not smog and air pollution like they are in China this week.* China's air is keeping people inside and, in Bejing alone thousands of people a day are being treated for respiratory problems.

If you want to keep up with Greensboro's air quality, our city givernment maintains a page here.   If we consider what keeps a community healthy, air quality is a key component. For this NEW round of ABC Wednesday, we're going with another theme, "Keeping Greensboro Green." Today we are featuring A for air quality. Let's do everything we can to keep Greensboro green and to keep our air clean!

 

*see a fascinating NASA photo and read more here.

Carolina Office Machines

It was beautiful in Greensboro this weekend. A little fog, a little sun, a LOT of warmth. Here we see a photo of Carolina Office Machines on Mill Street, taken from the parking lot of Starbuck's. Winter skies are usually fabulous on sunny days, so keep your camera handy. Carolina Office Machines sells not only machines but also office furniture. We wish this local company had a little company history on their website. Part of the charm of buying local is knowing your proprietors. From the look of the signage, the company has been around for a while. Their lettering is fabulously bold and prominent in front of the buttery yellow building and against the blue sky. Carolina Office Machines might need to call Sign A Rama (another Greensboro company) and see about getting a new "C" since we don't live in AROLINA! Happy Monday, dear readers!

Camellias in Bloom!

In Greensboro, the camellias are in full bloom. They are a lovely, flowering bush, related to the tea plant. Camellias were cultivated in Asia for centuries before arriving in Europe or America. The flowers range from red to pink to white. The plants with their woody stems and evergreen leaves do well in acidic soil alongside other acid loving plants- like rhododendrons.* In Greensboro, tey bloom at a time when, short of holly and nandina berries, the local landscape can look pretty bleak. The blooms, surrounded by those waxy green leaves, look especially lovely when peeking out from a fresh dusting of snow.

While admiring the bloom above, consider ordering a copy of Alexandre Dumas'  The Lady of the Camellias. If we get snowed in, all of Greensboro can read the book and have an online discussion- right here on GDP! Every time we think about that book, we are reminded that Guiseppe Verdi put the story to music and called it La Traviata. So, next time you look at those pretty little blooms, think about the fact that they have quite a botanical and artistic history.

*If you are interested, read more about camellias, here.

Reedy Fork Elementary

Reedy Fork Elementary is located in the heart of the Reedy Fork Ranch neighborhood, off of the Reedy Fork Parkway exit of Highway 29- just north of Hicone Road. The above photo of of the school was taken on Veterans Day, just as the rains transitioned from a drizzle to a downpour. The school is not only new and modern, it has many environmentally friendly and useful features.  Here are some examples of green solutions that are innovative and educational:

* a daylight lighting design system unique to Guilford County;

* rainwater used for toilet flushing;

* energy efficient exterior and solar reflective roofs;

* underfloor air distribution system;

* 3D experimental learning centers.

With the completion of this project as well as several other new schools, the Guilford County School system has established itself as a leader in green design They encourage architects and engineers to incorporate not only eco-sensible, but also curriculum-relevant features into the design.

Our favorite feature is a giant sundial located on the outside of the school (see below). Everywhere you look in this school, you are surrounded by somthing of interest; from bio-swales to wetlands, every minute outside is potentially a teachable moment. Read here for more details about this fabulous structure.

  

Autumn Leaves on Horse Pen Creek

Seeing this view alongside Horse Pen Creek Road, just south of Greensboro Country Club's Farm Course, reminds us of Emily Dickinson's poem, The name- of it- is "Autumn".* While the meaning of her complex poem is  believed to reference the Civil War,** for us, it evokes the image of veins and arteries as we see orange, scarlet, and vermillion leaves on trees, completely sheared of limbs on one side. In Greensboro, Duke Energy performs this tree cutting, near power lines, because they are certified to do so and can preform the task safely. Agressive pruning is an evil necessity since so many of our power lines are above ground.

Here is Dickinson's poem:

        The name- of It- is "Autumn".

        The hue- of it- is Blood.

        An Artery- upon the Hill-

        A Vein- along the Road-

        Great Globules- in the Alleys-

        And oh, the Shower of Stain-

        When Winds- upset the Basin-

        And spill the Scarlet Rain-

        It sprinkles Bonnets- far below-

        It gathers ruddy Pools-

        Then- eddys like a Rose away- away-

        Upon Vermillion Wheels.

 

Before you know it, the wind will blow and the time will be upon us to get leaves hauled away. In the meantime, we'll just enjoy the great globules of colorful leaves as they cling to the arteries and veins of the trees. Should you see trees near power lines that need work, read what the city can and can't do to help (read here). Happy Monday to all!

 

*http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emilydickinson/10608

** http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/edj/summary/v012/12.1cody.html

Autumn is Upon Us

Fall is upon us in North Carolina. In the mountains, the leaves are moving into peak season, a little past at the highest elevations. Greensboro is not quite at peak; however, this weekend would be a great one to take a day trip and enjoy the season. Appalachian State University's biology department maintains a fall color report to help estimate the timing of fall color peaks for the various NC regions.

Above, you see the native persimmon, diospyros virginiana, nicknamed the possom apple. In North Carolina, the Scotch-Irish families have been enjoying persimmon pudding and other dishes since moving into the state in the 1700's and the Native Americans were eating the sticky, glue-like pulp long before colonial times. Fullsteam Brewery in Durham puts a different spin on the fruit, making it into beer. They will even pay $3 a pound for fruit, as long as it is picked at peak readiness and they don't have an overabundant supply. 

With the loss of farmland in the Piedmont area around Greensboro, the native persimmon is not readily abundant. Consider planting a few trees on your property if you are in the position to do so. Unfortunately, the native persimmon doesn't like to be crowded and it takes a male and female tree to get fruit. As fussy as nature can be, it is hard to believe that these these used to be everywhere.

Sorry for the late post. Time Warner Cable is coming out a second time today to see why we don't have internet access at our house.( Thanks to wi-fi at a local coffee shop, we're able to post). If the TWC worker gets our internet fixed, we just may fix him a 'simmon puddin.'

just waiting to be made into persimmon pudding, lest they be devoured by birds.

Autumn Vegetables

In Greensboro, the temperature dropped significantly yesterday, from what felt like 80 degrees on Saturday to in the 50's on Sunday. Above, you see the produce that we harvested from our back yard yesterday. Chez Mr. and Mrs. GDP, we've opted to nurse along our summer garden a little more, as opposed to being good southerners and planting cold crops (turnips, collards, radishes, mixed greens, broccoli, etc.). We still have okra (purple & green), a few cherry tomatoes, and eggplant.

Additionally, the fruit on our saijo persimmon tree is now ripe. It was so abundant this year that the top snapped off under the weight of the fruit. Saijo means "the very best one" in Japanese and rightfully so. The saijo persimmon doesn't need a pollinator tree, is disease resistent and is hardy in our planting zone. Wish us luck that the remaining half of the two-year-old tree will continue to grow. The photo shows about 1/4 of the fruit from the little tree so you can see what we mean by abundant. We have already turned the pulp from these persimmons into persimmon cake. Although we've enjoyed the fruit, we regret not pruning the tree back and learned our lesson the hard way.

One of Mr. GDP's favorite childhood foods was persimmon pudding, made with wild, native persimmons. The wild variety is labor intensive to prepare for use in the kitchen. The seeds are large and the amount of pulp significantly less than the Asian varieties. It is getting harder to find native persimmons. If you see some for sale, or better yet, free for the picking, please let us know. With each generation, there are fewer and fewer memories of seasonal foods. Just about any food one wants can be imported from somewhere these days. However, nothing beats the spicy tastes of fall... consumed in October and November! Making native persimmon pudding is a North Carolina tradition and is still on our to-do list.

Flying through Rainbows

Earlier this week, Greensboro was blessed with a rainbow. By the time we had our camera in position to photograph it, little light was left. However, by that time, an airplane appeared overhead. (We were close to the airport). We loved seeing the airplane fly past the rainbow. From the ground, we could see what looked like the airplane going past the rainbow; however, from a plane, you can't have the sensation that you are passing through a rainbow.

Last Friday, Moscow Daily Photo posted a rainbow and referenced a rainbow view from the Netherlands. It would be so fun if you can link your photo of a rainbow to our photo and, then, someone can link to your picture.  Let us know if you link and we'll let MDP know that we've linked to them! Pass the rainbow on.

While we'd love to see another rainbow in Greensboro today, we'd like even more to see rain. Happy Friday folks. What does the sky look like above your head?

Name that Vegetable.....

Can you name this vegetable? This is one of our favorites and it grows well in our back yard. It likes the hot, sunny weather in Greensboro. Above, you see the hibiscus-like flower as well as the pods that are beginning to form. Have you guessed what vegetable this is yet?

Well......it is okra, a flowering plant in the mallow family. Okra is related to cotton and cocoa. It is a popular health food that is high in fiber, vitamin C and oxidants. This year, we planted the reddish/purple variety, instead of the green pods. We were shocked that, when you steam it, the reddish/purple pods turn green. The whole plant is beautiful. The broad leaves are large and attractive. It is nice to plants that are both attractive and edible! Happy Monday, folks. Thank you for reading and let us know how your garden is growing. Let us know if you have suggestions for our edible landscaping adventure.

Walkerfest 2012 (Year II)

Walkerfest 2012 was fabulously fun this past Saturday (Year II). The annual neighborhood event is a combination music and arts and crafts festival intended to build community in the Walker Avenue/Elam area, seen in the photo above. Unfortunately, temperatures were over 100 degrees and the sun was relentless. In the above photo, you see an attendee walking through a water sprayer to cool off. 

The music was "live, original, and local" and many of the crafters looked like people we'd seen selling at other Indie events in the area- great wares. We were there mid-day. Hopefully it got busier later in the afternoon when all of the familes participating in the city swim meet had a break between morning and afternoon swim sessions. However, we're not sure it ever really cooled off.

It would be nice if every neighborhood had an annual festival. It is a great way to get out and meet new people. We can't wait to pick up the latest edition of the Lindley Park Gazette to read about the highlights of Walkerfest, from the locals' perspective.

Sun, Solstice and Salamanders

The morning after the last hard rain in Greensboro, we found this critter in our yard. We think it is a salamander and not a hellbender as the above anphibian had four hind toes, not five. We were hoping to find a hellbender after reading this great News & Record article. Still, to find a salamander when we don't have a stream in our yard was a pretty curious event.

This week, the sun is rising around 6:00 am and the sun is setting around 8:40, with a little over 14 1/2 hours of daylight. According to THIS convenient length-of-day chart, June 20th and 21st will have exactly the same amount of daylight: 14 hours, 36 minutes, and 44 seconds.  The summer solstice days give us an opportunity to turn over rocks and enjoy nature by day more than any other time of year.

Try going outside on a nature hunt and seeing how many different creatures you can find. Another way to spend your solstice days this week is to attend Greensboro's 2012 Summer Solstice event this Saturday from 2:00- 10:00 pm.* In the meantime, we're gonna keep searching for the elusive hellbender.

*see our photo of a previous Summer Solstice event here and here.

T is for Tolerance

Today, we are at Guilford College celebrating ABC Wednesday. After reading the article in Sunday's News & Record by Guilford College President Kent Chabotar, we were inspired to use Guilford College to represent "tolerance." Chabotar, who has been president and professor of political science at Guilford College since 2002, reminds us that the college's Quaker founders risked so much to promote peace and tolerance. He also quoted President Kennedy, saying that "(t)olerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the opression or persecution of others."  

Increasingly, it is getting harder to find people who tolerate people with beliefs other than the ones they hold. We are a society dichotomized into democrats/republicans; liberals/conservatives; on and on. Chabotar says that to promote diversity of ideas, you need to "(t)hink it possible you might be mistaken" and we need to "(p)rotect the rights of others to be different." Finally, he quotes Voltaire about dissent: "I do not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it" (N&R, 5/27/12, p. H3, col. 3). As Greensboro becomes increasingly diverse, how can we maintain that core Quaker value- TOLERANCE?

Thank you, President Chabotar, for getting us to ponder: TOLERANCE.

At the Corner of South Elm and Lee Streets...........

Montana may be nicknamed "Big Sky Country" but Greensboro's skies were pretty "big" this week. We love this sky view heading south on Elm Street, crossing over Lee Street at twilight on Thursday. The golden glow of the clouds was noteworthy. Uplifting. As you look around the photo, you will notice a white building on the right, close to the telephone pole. It is North State Milling Company (featured on GDP here). The words DAILY BREAD FLOUR & CORN MEAL remain on the side of the building-- evoking memories of a bygone era.

As open and expansive as this view appears, you are just a stone's throw from all of the activity of South Elm Street. Here is the Elm/Lee view from the exact point where the white car is stopped (here). It is just a matter of time until Greensboro figures out what the best use of these lots will be and South Elm/Lee will take on a whole new character. For now, we're perfectly happy to bask is this spacious view. On a different note, Greensboro Daily Photo (GDP) is supplying photos for Triad Local First. They are a network of local business owners who are committed to supporting the local economy and enhancing the our community; the very mission of GDP.

Midway Auto Sales

For as many used car lots as we've been in lately, you'd think GDP was looking for a used car. That is not the case; however, when that magical 10 minutes before sunset strikes on a glorious, golden evening, we cannot help but to stop and admire the beauty overhead. Such was the case last night at 8:22 pm on West Lee Street at the Greenway. We went to see the greenway and were disappointed that the brilliant display of color was not working. Instead, the panels were all white. However, the sky was beautiful in that part of town and made stopping all worthwhile.

If you look closely, you will see three chairs on the corner of Midway Auto Sales at 502 West Lee Street. This is the very spot where, during business hours, you will likely find the owner and employees sitting to solve the world's problems with a good friend, prospective customer, or both. You may recall two and a half years ago when we took a photo of Sprinkle Gas Station, just down the street from Midway (see here). Well, they have the requisite chairs on the side of the building-- a real must if you are an old-time southern business. You've got to be willing to sit and develop a relationship with people who come your way. Fellowship and friendship are at the very core of the success of these old-time businesses. We'd love to be a fly on the wall and listen to just what gets communicated in those three chairs! Happy Thursday folks. Time permitting, consider driving or biking around town and seeing just how many businesses have their chairs outside.... almost as important as hanging a name shingle.

Merrill Lynch on Green Valley

Merrill Lynch is the wealth management part of Bank of America. The company was founded as a Wall Street company in 1914. The above Merrill Lynch office is located near Women's Hospital in Greensboro on Green Valley Road. Green Valley is a 'cut through' road, connecting Battleground Avenue with Friendly Center, Friendly Avenue, Market Street, and Wendover. Green Valley is pretty busy during the work week and can look like a ghost town on the weekends.  Are you more of a fan of newer glass and steel buildings, or are you more partial to old, brick buildings? We have both in Greensboro.

The above photo was taken as part of our 'glass buildings' series as we want to show the world that Greensboro has modern architecture, too. We love the way the building looks almost as if it is floating across an ocean of clouds. The clouds, reflected in the glass, add intrigue to the building. The clouds also resemble steam being emitted from a steamboat.

We're hoping workers are inside managing everyone's money well!

Spring Green

Our white hyacinth are just about to bloom. The green shoots are at that fresh, tender, translucent stage. There is nothing that can surpass or even dulpicate the beauty of a warm spring day. Spring is such an optimistic and hopeful time of year; rebirth is all around us. Spring green is interesting from a color perspective, too. It is halfway between cyan and green and is a pure chroma with a hue of 150 degrees. Its complementary color is rose (reference here). No wonder spring green is so compatible with rose colored flowers.

As for green and spring........ Greensboro has the word 'green' in it and 'spring' is a word that appears on many names in our city: Spring Garden Street; Lee Spring (springs);  Spring Place, Spring Arbor, Wellspring Retirement Centers; A Breath of Spring Carpet Cleaners, and Spring Place Apartments-- to name a few. As a community, we are very excited about the 2012 Spring Nationals for the U.S. Master Swimmers, being held the end of April at our own aquatic center (here). For sure, spring is knocking at our door.

Better hurry! Just about the time it takes you to blink, signs of tender spring green will be gone...... only to come out again, the next spring.

Cherry Trees in Bloom!

Saturday (2/25/12) was the first day that we noticed cherry trees in bloom. Other than daffodils, hyacinth, and the other bulbs, cherry trees, redbuds and forsythia, are the earliest bloomers in Greensboro.  The above cherry trees are located at the top of the hill in the Jewish cemetery on High Point Road. They looked so beautiful, yet it was so ironic to see the first signs of life springing forth inside a place that symbolizes death. You can see the majestic tree in the left-hand corner still in in the middle of its winter nap-- but not those eager trees with the red blossoms. It is not uncommon in Greensboro to have an ice storm in March. Let's hope that either spring arrives early and stays or that it will get cold enough to keep more plants from blooming prematurely. February 25th is a little early to expect winter to be completely over.

On GDP, we try to capture a photo of early bloomers every  year. Here is a redbud photo from 2010. We've picked up quite a few followers who like the flora pictures. Please feel free to add comments if you know some facts about the above tree. Happy Monday, dear readers.

Note: We've changed this post after learning that the trees were likely cherry trees and not redbuds! Thanks Mike, Jane, and others!

Snow Day

Sunday night's snow in Greensboro resulted in the first weather event of the winter. School was cancelled yesterday due to the snow. The northern end of the county had more snow than downtown or the southern part of the county. Given that our county and city school systems merged about 20 years ago, the Guilford County Schools must check that it is safe for busses to transport children through every nook and cranny of the county. Especially in the more rural areas, it can take a while for the roads to clear.

While snow days can delight students and teachers, especially at a time when there is approximately two months without a scheduled holiday/work day, teacher work days come at a cost. The cost for yesterday will be extending the school year by a day in June. At any rate, a little weather event or two makes it seem like winter. Yesterday's dose was sufficient (and proves the groundhog right). 

We're only 52 days into 2012 and already dreaming of spring!

Shiloh Baptist Church

Here we see a view of Shiloh Baptist Church located at 1210 South Eugene Street, near where the street turns into Elm-Eugene.  According to the News and Record's archives, Shiloh Baptist has been experiencing internal strife for the last fifteen years as evidenced by their frequent turnover in leadership. However, Shiloh Baptist, located in the Warnersville community, has a rich history and held a legendary place in the civil right struggles of the 1960's (reference and here). It would be great if the church would develop a website and post their history and share photos from their archives.

Shiloh Baptist has such an interesting roofline and adds to this view of a sunny Greensboro sky full of fluffy clouds. Have a great Sunday everyone. 

Coffee Shop Temperatures

The crisp air makes it perfect coffee shop weather. Time to download a good book and head out for a fresh cup of java. The above photo was taken in the Starbucks at Jefferson Village. We like to feature the independent coffee shops at Greensboro; however, Starbucks provides their employee with benefits and the customers with a good dose of personal service. We stopped by to try the blonde, light-roast, coffee-- something fun to do. 

In Greensboro, a high of 41 and low of 25 is predicted for today. At least we're not dealing with record snowfall like in Alaska. As a matter of fact, we really haven't had any snowfall at all, just a little cold snap. Perfect coffee weather. Do you know the temperature of an average cup of coffee?  From about 165-185 degrees-- perfect for warming you up quickly. Have a great weekend and let us know how you are spending this three day weekend.

Fall is For Football..... and the Grimsley/Page Game

Fall is the season of football, from high school to college to the pro games, most Americans have vivid memories of attending and watching football in the fall. Football transitions us from hot sunny days, where one gets a stadium sunburn, to chilly days where plaid woolen blankets and hot chocolate are about the only thing keeping spectators in the stands. In Greensboro, this past Friday's fall weather was just perfect for the annual Page/Grimsley game, held at Jamieson Stadium. Page and Grimsley are arch rivals and while in some sports (like ladies' varsity volleyball) Grimsley dominates, for sure, Page dominates in football.

The 54-game rivalry found Page victorious Friday. It was the fifth year in a row for the proud Pirates. Grimsley blue was dominated by Pirate red every step of the way right down to the 49-0 final score (read more here). On both sides of the stadium, the crowd was well behaved and school spirit was mighty strong. Here's to fall football, healthy rivalries, gracious winners, gracious losers and respectful fans. Regardless of which of our 17 high schools with foodball teams* wins at the local level, let's hope that Greensboro is well represented in the state playoffs so we can all cheer for our district. Happy Monday, everyone; happy fall football, aficionados. 

*(Guilford County has so many special programs, we hope our count of 17 is accurate. If not, please let us know and we'll come back in and correct the number).

September Weather Events

Across the USA, September has been a month of extreme weather events. Some cities had their wettest day in history. Binghampton, NY got 7.49" of rain in one day (9/7/11). Houston's 9/13 temperature of 102 was the hottest on record so late in the year. On 9/15, International Falls, MN had a record low of 19 degrees. These record busters go on and on (more here). As for Greensboro, September 7th was a gulley washer (video here) and yesterday was a little wet, too. However, in all, September has been sunny and dry in Greensboro-- with a little wind thrown in.

As fall knocks on the door, our garden looks dehydrated, scruffy and overgrown. The leaves at the top left of the photo are eggplant that has stopped producing. The marigolds are just about ready to call it a season and the legumes have flat, empty pods. The tomatoes were barren. We're decided to plop ourselves down on the above bench and herald the arrival autumn which comes, like it or not, tomorrow.

Produce Stand

It is late summer and makeshift produce stands around Greensboro are becoming less frequent. However, this one at the Citgo/Quik Mart on Battleground Avenue near Target is still quite busy. And, the melons and heirloom tomatoes look tasty. About 4:15 yesterday afternoon, a strong thundershower hit Greensboro. We don't know if the vendors at this produce stand had to batten down the hatches; however, all seemed in good order when we drove by just after the storm. The couple in the middle sat down, likely to weather the storm together. To see two people sit a minute and truly enjoy each other's company was a good, grand finale to a busy work day.

If you like these makeshift, roadside produce stands,  here is a link to a directory of pick-your-own farms, roadside farm markets, and farmers markets throughout North Carolina. Eat Wild is another great resource. The first thing we thought about this photo was that it was a "Norman Rockwell moment." As it turns out, that is the name of a business, licensed by the Norman Rockwell Estate, to turn your portraits into "Norman Rockwell Moments." 

Dog Days of Summer

 

Dog Days are "the hottest, most sultry days of summer." They refer to a time period that is hot, the air is stagnant, and it can be "marked by dull lack of progress."  Humans tend to sit around "dog-tired" hoping for rain. Some believe that wounds heal more slowly at this time. Dog Days are named for Sirus, the Dog Star because the Romans believed that Sirus' close proximity to the sun was the cause of this oppressive weather event (Wiki).  "The Romans sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of dog days to appease the rage of Sirus" (Wiki).

Climate and latitude influence when Dog Days take place in a given community. In the Southeast, they have been going strong since July-- maybe letting up a little the past day or two.  August 16th also happens to be the Feast Day of Saint Roch, the patron saint of dogs. So, today is a DOUBLE dog day for us! We couldn't resist the opportunity to share this photo of two canines resting beside their respective owners in the Greensboro Arboretum. The brown dog at the right is thinking....... "I hope there aren't any ancient Romans in Greensboro!" The gray one, as vigilant as the gander who holds his head high guarding the flock, says, "don't worry, man, I got ya covered."  Neither is aware that 34 years ago today (8/16/77) Elvis Presley died.

Have the dog days of summer affected you at all? Are you looking forward to Indian summer?

The Yin and Yang of Daily Living

As our faithful readers know, on Fridays, we usually participate in Skywatch Friday, showing you a little slice of the sky above Greensboro. This week, we share a sight that has been fairly typical this spring. To the north, you see a dark, foreboding sky. To the east, and off on the horizon, you see the sky breaking open with sunny, blue and white warmth. Cold/warm, wet/dry, destructive winds/calm air; Just when you think you can put your wool sweaters away, you need to dig them back out. Just when you think the April showers are behind you, you need your umbrella.

Spring 2011 in Greensboro has been characterized by weather extremes.  The Chinese explain this with yin/yang, asserting the polar and opposite forces in nature are interconnected, giving rise to each other. The dichotomy is not as much good and bad as it is a balanced, mutual whole. The plant grows so that it can bloom and produce and then it falls to the earth awaiting a new cycle. So, as we enter the weekend, regardless of the weather, ponder how it fits with the balanced whole. As for the yin/yang of daily living, life is usually easier towards the center of the continuum, as opposed to listing at one of the extremes. Here's to a balanced, Mother's Day Weekend, celebrating mom if she is living in the lower half of the photo and remembering her fondly if she has already drifted to the upper half.

Winds of Change

"The wind of change is blowing through this continent." This quote is associated with the 1960 speech made by British Prime Minister Harold Macmillian in reference to Britain's intent to grant independence to their territories in Africa. Today, we evoke the quote in reference to the recent tornadoes and damaging winds worldwide.  In the South, Alabama and North Carolina were hit especially hard. Before that, Japan experienced the tsunami and earthquake. It will be a long time before these communities recover. The world is interconnected in this Internet age, and, as Thomas Friedman will be quick to tell you, adversity in one corner of the world affects communities near and far.

As the winds come and go, Greensboro's skies have gone from blue to gray, from filled with cumulonimbus clouds to zero visibility. Here, we share a few of the international flags flying over Uniworld Auto Sales at the corner of Patterson Avenue and Holden Road. Japan's unfurled, red-dot flag stands between the British, French, Italian, and North Carolina flags  to remind us of our interconnectedness.

If you have a chance, visit some of our international friends at Skywatch Friday or the City Daily Photo Community where you can continent-surf without leaving your desktop in Greensboro.

After the Storm in North Carolina

This weekend, North Carolina experienced its worst storm system in two decades: High winds, and excessive rain, too fast, were the main culprits. For the most part, Greensboro was spared; however, throughout North Carolina, 22 people are dead, 100 injured, and 800 homes need repairing (read WFMY story here). This photo was taken on Saturday at Latham Park and Wendover, just after the waters receded. Earlier, Latham Park was flooded. As bottles, cans, logs, yard debris, and other random items floated by, birds were flying low, from branch to branch, enjoying the fresh air and warm sun. Birds are a symbol of the soul, "flying free of the earth-bound body and seeking the heavens" (reference here), 

This week, as we reflect on the spirit of God's passing over homes during the Jewish Passover and on Jesus' ascending to heaven during Easter, birds hover, swoop, and soar, reminding us there is beauty and hope in a new beginning. Please hold in your hearts those who have lost loved ones and homes this week.

True Vine Baptist Church

True Vine Baptist Church is located across from the McIver Education Center at the Corner of Textile Drive at 1404 Summit Avenue. The ranch-house church is readily identifiable as a Christian institution by the cross nailed to the brick on the north side of the facility. The congregation is led by Pastor Jerry A. and First Lady Vanessa Allred. The congregation's motto is, "We are family; we care, we share and work in love together" (see website). While in existence since 2000, True Vine has only been in the present location since they purchased the property in 2003.

Surrounded by this past week's icy, crisp snow, the church has the illusion of being located in rural, peaceful silence when, in reality, it is located in a bustling area of East Greensboro not too far from Highway 29 and Wendover Avenue. The scene evokes the lyrics from George Bennard's Christian hymn, "Old Rugged Cross." "On a hill, far away stood an old rugged cross.." Read the lyrics and isten to the piano part at HymnSite.com (Scroll through GDP's previous religious photos  here).

A Bennett Belle en Route

We're thinking this young woman is a Bennett Belle as she was walking down Pastor Anderson Way in the direction of Bennett College with a backpack in tow. Belles are the mascot of Bennett College, a small historically-black, women's college established in 1873. Belles have many great traditions and a very rich history. One of their next big events is a January 28th dance at Proximity Hotel which they are co-sponsoring with UNCF. Bennett College is one of the great institutions of higher education mentioned in a 2008 YES! Weekly article about "boutique" schools in the Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem region-- the Triad (read more here).

As we reflect on this week at Greensboro Daily Photo, we are thankful that Sheryl Lieb taught us more about her father's life in the produce and deli business in Greensboro. We are glad to have chatted with a Proximity Public School alumna, as she inspired us to photograph the school. Finally, we enjoyed the Lawrence Welk dialog evoked in the comments for the ZINK post.

We're glad that the weather has eased up a little bit and it is not so cold and icy out today. Stop back tomorrow for our Sacred Sunday feature. Thanks to those who helped a local scout troop with cookie sales. Our biggest order was one for twenty boxes.

M. Lieb and Son Gourmet Foods

The back view of a brick building, located at the corner of Washington St. and Pastor Anderson Way in East Greensboro, reads "Deli M.LIEB & SON Gourmet Foods." The business must have come and gone as an internet search produced no results. One reference to a local "Lieb" is Paul Lieb.  Paul Lieb partners with Jeff Gorelick in the Foster-Caviness Produce Business and formerly, he owned Greensboro's Best Wholesale Foods with his father. We're betting M. Lieb was the grandfather. The building looks like it supported a business around three generations ago and appears to have been built in the early 20th century. It is amazing what one uncovers walking around Greensboro on a snowy day. The van and trucks have owners who were at a nearby business, Thermal Controls Corp, which we will feature soon.

Coble Farm on West Friendly Avenue

Locals will recognize this farm on West Friendly Avenue, just past Guilford College Road. The snow really evokes yesteryear. This is an image of what Friendly used to look like-- before townhouses, apartment complexes and Friends' Home West sprang up. All around this property are modern buildings; however, this barn and silo are reminders of all the farms that used to be in the area. If you are interested in rural farm land & related NC links, here is an interesting link. Guilford County is the third largest of North Carolina's 100 counties and, until the last few years, seemed considerably rural (as evidenced by all of the roads ending in _______ Dairy Road [Gallimore Dairy Road, Carlson Dairy Road, Thacker Dairy Road, Williams Dairy Road, etc.]) . To learn more about preserving open space in Guilford County, this is the link for you! 

This Skywatch Friday post is our last photo for 2010. As you count down to New Year's Eve, please remember to be safe. Likely, the GDP family will be seated in the living room watching the ball drop from Times Square in NYC as we plan our year-in-review post for January 1st. All of the City Daily Photo sites are encouraged to post their best photo of 2010 tomorrow. Stop back and see what we selected!

Mixed Blessing

Well, as it turns out, a White Christmas, for many, was a mixed blessing. Travelers were stranded all up and down the east coast. Atlanta saw a White Christmas for the first time since the 1880's.  Greensboro has several inches of snow on the ground and the roads are still icy. At least schools are out and children are warm and safe at home with their families. We hope you are making the most of the inclement weather. We're ready get out and take some photos.

For New Year's Day each of the city daily photo group of 1,200 + cities worldwide is supposed to post their best photo of 2010. We have a photo in mind but are always open to the suggestion of our readers. We're about to start our third year of Greensboro Daily Photo and look forward to another year of getting to know our city and readers even better!

Fire Station Number 5

Saturday, December 4th, Greensboro saw its first snow. The day started out with snowbirds (buntings) pecking around and, sure enough, by early afternoon, big flakes came our way. Since the snow came mid-day on a Saturday, people were already out driving around. Usually, with the slightest hint of snow, we Southerners run to the store for bread and milk and retreat to the TV screen!

City-wide, firefighters were on high alert as car accidents and house fires are not uncommon in times of inclement weather. Here we see Fire Station #5, located at the corner of Wendover Avenue and Westover Terrace. To celebrate the first snow, somebody at the station made this life-sized snowman. This first snowfall was the perfect texture for making snowmen and snowballs. While the snowman in the photo doesn't have a corncob pipe, a button nose, or two eyes make out of coal, he DOES have buttons, eyes, ears, and a mouth all made out of Chips-Ahoy cookies!

First Frost

On Sunday, we woke to a time change (fall back) and the first frost. Greensboro was blanketed in a light, but undeniable, frost. The above photo of a fall rose and a rose hip was taken in our yard on Saturday. The roses were an unexpected, November gift. By Sunday, the gentle frost made the roses look soggy and wilted. 

Our fall roses evoke memories of when they bloomed in June, adding a touch of summer pink in November. The rose hips, however, are the burnt orange of fall. They are important to the plant because they send a message to the rose that it is time to prepare for winter. If you haven't prepared your roses for winter, read here. We were caught off guard and have done nothing to get our plants ready for winter (mulch and water are needed). 

We're sharing this bokeh photo with Mellow Yellow Monday. Have a great week everyone! And winterize.... inside and out!