Greensboro Daily Photo

Saucer Magnolia

The saucer magnolia is a deciduous tree that blooms early in the spring. They bloom before the leaves emerge. It is a hybrid plant originally bred by the French plantsman Étienne Soulange-Bodin in the early 19th century. They are very popular in Greensboro and are at peek this week. March 20th is the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere and the saucer magnolia is almost always out by then. Greensboro is a breathtaking sight to behold in spring. If you get a chance, please head out and enjoy the landscape- especially in the established neighborhoods.

(We are sorry about the late publication. With no warning, Typepad was down. We were worried, we'd lost 17 years of daily posts!).

Happy Monday!

Saucer Magnolia

The saucer magnolia is a deciduous tree that blooms early in the spring. They bloom before the leaves emerge. It is a hybrid plant originally bred by the French plantsman Étienne Soulange-Bodin in the early 19th century. They are very popular in Greensboro and are at peek this week. March 20th is the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere and the saucer magnolia is almost always out by then. Greensboro is a breathtaking sight to behold in spring. If you get a chance, please head out and enjoy the landscape- especially in the established neighborhoods.

(We are sorry about the late publication. With no warning, Typepad was down. We were worried, we'd lost 17 years of daily posts!).

Happy Monday!

The Difference Church

The building at  4530 Jessup Grove Road has become home to yet another house of worship. February 2023, Michael and Kris Larson founded the non-denominational, Christian church. The religion they practice is Bible based and centered around the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Baptism is the public declaration of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.* According to their website, they offer special ministries for children, men, women, students, and young adults. You can worship in person or through live stream. It seems like they have something for everybody. 

As people seek out a spiritual home, they seek a sense of belonging, a shared spiritual purpose and meaning, in an environment that fosters a connection other humans in the path to connecting  to the divine- something more powerful than the self.  If The Difference Church nurtures those connections surely their church will be there for a very long time. Let us home they are stewards to the cemetery across the street, that has been part of Jessup Grove since the original iteration of a church.

Happy Sunday!

*See their website, HERE. 

Piedmont Triad International Airport

Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI), is referred to at an international airport because it has the infrastructure to handle international travel (customs and immigration capabilities). However, PTI is primarily a domestic airport and, to the best of our knowledge, there are is no international flying out of PTI.  Air Force One, the Boeing VC-25 aircraft  that transports the President of the United States, uses PTI for training, referred to as touch-and-go exercises. The proximity to Washington, D.C. and lack of air congestion, make PTI (with it's unique 3-letter code, GSO)  an ideal spot for these training maneuvers. 

Above, the photo features two boys, playing in a water fountain on the ground level of PTI while their family was securing a rental car. They look like they are almost alone in the airport. Actually, behind them, there was a nice little crowd at the car rental counters. For those few minutes, while their parents were securing a car, the brothers were playing, talking, and imagining in the fountain, as if they had the airport to themselves. Travel can be so good for children. It expands horizons, nurtures dreams, and creates a confidence in venturing out in the world and learning about other cultures and ways of living. Who knows, some day, perhaps these little guys will grow up to fly passengers in and out of Greensboro, or spend the afternoon doing touch-and-go training on Air Force One.

As for us, we love to travel and see the world, but are always Grateful to return to Greensboro.

Happy Saturday!

Spring Cleaning on South Elm Street

With the warmer weather, trees are starting to blossom out, birds are chirping, forsythia is budding yellow and humans are out doing their spring cleaning. The above photo features window cleaning happening at the building that houses Scuppernong Books in the 300 block of South Elm Street. We had to chuckle upon noticing that the woman and the car to the right match the machine lifting the window cleaners to the top of the building. We love the movement in this photo.

Do you have spring cleaning rituals? We wonderful if the whole block chips in on the service at the same time. We wonder what events Scuppernong will be offering this weekend. Perhaps the lady blue wants to find out the same information. Friday and the weekend is a perfect time to get out and interact with people, AND to get a little spring cleaning done.

Happy Friday!

Yum Yum for Ice Cream and Hot Dogs!

Spring has definitely spring in Greensboro this week. trees are starting to bloom out. The above photo features pink blossoms hiding the roof of Yum Yum on Spring Garden Street. This is spring break for UNCG students and all is quiet on campus and at businesses near campus. Soon, students will return, these blossoms will be fading, and Yum Yum will be busy once again.  Yum Yum has been. Greensboro institution since 1906 when it was started by W.B. Aydelette, Sr. This ice cream and hot dog place has been a Greensboro tradition for many families. When students return to Greensboro for college events, when parents bring their children here for freshman orientation, visiting Greensboro is an important event.

As we approach spring and summer, some of the fruity flavors will start appearing on the menu. What is your favorite flavor? On their Facebook page, Yum Yum announced that mint chocolate chip is back on the menu. For many, the flavor conjures up memories of mint chocolate chip Girl Scout cookies. Yum Yum is definitely a place for making memories. It looks like more outdoor seating has been added.

Happy Thursday!

got Sourdough?

This is not an exclusively Greensboro story as much as it is a "slice of life" story. Do you make sourdough bread? Are you the keeper of sourdough starter? The above sourdough starter is one that we are babysitting in our Greensboro home. There are two jars because the mother jar was outgrowing her jar. We made pancakes and bread and then split it, so we could have some when the owner returns. The mother culture came from Europe over 160 years ago; yes, it predates the American Civil War!  That put us under a lot of pressure to not kill something that has thrived since the time of President Lincoln. 

To bring the story back around to Greensboro, we recently learned that Gardner Bob's Homestead Kitchen on Spring Garden Street sells starter for those who are ready to take the leap. Their starter has been active for over 100 years. If you are looking for a good business to start, consider this idea. In Ørestad, Denmark, they have a Sourdough Hotel. Yes, if you are going on vacation, you can take your starter to them and they will keep it going for you (see HERE)!  For about $44 a week, they keep your starter healthy, maintain the temperature at 20ºC, and rehabilitate it- if needed. They also offer pickup by cargo bike! If you have a starter dough story story, please share it with us. Even better, let's meet up and break bread together.

Happy Wednesday!

The Greensboro Skyline

Today's photo features the most prominent part of Greensboro's skyline. We see the iconic Jefferson Pilot/Lincoln Financial Group building to the left of the photo. It is still our tallest building to date.  The photo was taken from the greenway area at the edge of the Dunleath neighborhood. There don't appear to be any new tall buildings on the part of Greensboro's horizon; however, there is significant construction taking place downtown and around Greensboro. Somehow, it is most likely that the JP/LFG Building will be our most recognizable. 

We love the above view of downtown; however, it will be even more beautiful as the greenery returns. If you want to see the changing face of Greensboro, have a look around the baseball stadium, extending up along Battleground to Cycles d'Oro and Green Hill Cemetery over to Joymongers. That northwest part of town has such a new look.

Happy Tuesday!