Greensboro Daily Photo

Pumpkin Patches

It is pumpkin patch time in Greensboro and Centenary Methodist Church at 2300 West Friendly Avenue is ready to help you with your pumpkin/gourd needs. White pumpkins are trending this year and people are really getting creative at carving them. Profits will be shared with the Boy Scouts and other groups at Centenary UMC. The church invites preschools and daycares to bring children to have story time in the patch. This activity is especially fun at this centrally-located church- as long as the weather cooperates.

Although you may pay a little more for your pumpkin at a fundraising patch, your money is going to help the local community. Also, you are building memories by picking out a pumpkin from an outdoor patch, as opposed to purchasing from a big box store or supermarket. It is predicted that 145 million Americans will purchase pumpkins for Halloween and spend $377.23 million on pumpkins for carving into jack-o-lanterns.* We're betting the Greensboro does its fair share to contribute to these data!

*reference.

Lake Daniel Park

Lake Daniel Park runs parallel to Benjamin Parkway, at the northern end of Westerwood. The above photo is the stream that meanders through the park. In times of great rain, it tends to flood. The big round rocks along the edge help control the flow of water and help with erosion of the bank. 

We were impressed recently, during our walk along the stream, not a single piece of trash was spotted. As we were leaving the area, we noticed three 8-ish year olds biking towards the stream. One of them made a great kid comment.  He leaned into his handlebars and said, "This spot is where you usually find the best sticks!".  How wonderful that there still children who love playing outside and value knowing the perfect spot to find good sticks. If you see some children wandering around the Westerwood/Lake Daniel area with Harry Potter wands, ask them if they got them in Lake Daniel Park at the special spot for sticks. Happy Friday. May your weekend be filled with great times in Greensboro, especially outside! 

The Not-So Mysterious Bite Out Of the Fig

Fall is here and it is not just the humans who are noticing the changes. Animals are scurrying around looking for food to stockpile for the winter- especially squirrels. The above photo shows a fig tree with lingering fruit. Some critter, likely a squirrel, took a big bite out of the fig and either decided it wasn't ripe or one bite was enough. Figs are very vulnerable to squirrel predation and they provide nourishment through many months of the year. 

This particular fig tree is in Westerwood where neighbors are very intentional about plantings; edibles, micro-prairies, and wildflowers are seen throughout the neighborhood. Trees and plants take on a charming scruffiness in fall, with or without the help of squirrel who are enjoying their last hurrah before winter. 

Bluegrass on the Farm

The Double H Bluegrass Band played at Summerfield Farms on Monday night. They played an assortment of music from Johnny Cash to Delaney Bramlett's "Never-ending Love for You." This harmonizing duo has been a band since 2012. Kirby Heard and Bob Hight are based in High Point. The music on the farm is free and open to the public. They usually have a food truck and a wine bar, plus, you can go inside and purchase eggs, meats, snacks and even pumpkins, gourds, and beverage items in between listening to music sets.

This organic farm hosts events that help us have a life well lived, as they like to explain. Indeed, sitting outdoors on a crisp fall evening, listening to Kirby and Bob, eating Moroccan food from a food truck, purchasing unusual gourds, and spending time with family and friends is about as good as an evening can get. Summerfield Farms on Pleasant Ridge Road will continue to host music as weather permits. You might want to call before you go as daylight gets shorter and air gets cooler. Take a few extra dollars so that you can drop some money in the tip jar, or boot as was the case for Double H. Musicians work so hard and live music is well worth a tip.

Twilight at Summerfield Farms

The above photo was taken last night at Summerfield Farms on Pleasant Ridge Road. Summerfield Farms is a 600-acre working farm and event venue that opened to the public in 2012.  This barn is where many special events are held. The photo shows the beauty of a clear, fall evening, just as late afternoon is transitioning to night.

On Monday and Thursday nights Summerfield Farms offers free music on the lawn. Check back tomorrow to see a photo of Monday's music act. Head to the farm quickly and visit the food market as their beautiful selection of pumpkins and gourds is going fast. 

Lemonade Stand Nostalgia

Did you or your children ever have a lemonade stand? The above photo features Westerwood's youngest entrepreneurs during their recent art tour. They were selling lemonade to people who walked by to tour art studios on their street. 

Children spend so much time inside and on devices these days. It is refreshing to see them out, interacting with neighbors,learning responsibility, and making some money. Adults let the children run the stand, but were always nearby for the safety of the children. For one afternoon, time stood still, and children shared the same experiences of children of previous generations. What a great experience, and what tasty lemonade. Let's all think of something creative that gets us outside today. It is always a good day when we have a chance to interact with each other in Greensboro.

Happy Monday!

Hope Chapel

Hope Chapel is located at 908 N. Josephine Boyd Street in a church building that was formerly Westover Terrace Church. Westover Terrace relocated as it outgrew this location and several other churches have been here prior to Hope Chapel. In 2013, Daystar Church was there.

Hope Chapel (different link) started in 2008, based out of Lindley Elementary. Next, in 2011, they moved to Spring Garden Street, behind the Blind Tiger and have now relocated to the above building. While many churches suffer with declining enrollments, many, like Hope Chapel, Daystar, and Westover Terrace, continue to expand, needing larger facilities. Maybe 908 N. Josephine Boyd Street is a lucky address for religious communities.

Reconsidered Goods Event Space

Reconsidered Goods, on Patterson Street, is a creative reuse center that resells donated goods and teaches people to make things out of items that might otherwise end up in landfills. After a few years of holding classes and make-and-take events in the resale store, they have opened a second space, right behind the first, for classes. What was formerly a Cross Fit box for rigorous fitness is now a space for sparking creativity. Today is the big day! From 12:00 - 5:00 pm, Reconsidered Goods is celebrating the grand opening of their event space. 

In the above photo, taken yesterday, Martha, Paige, and Laura stop for a brief minute to be photographed and celebrate the fruits of their labor. They have worked tirelessly over the past couple of month to transform the space from a square slab of cement into a colorful place full of art with plenty of tables and chairs for the public to come and create. While the make-and-take fee is usually $6.00, it will be free from 12:00- 5:00 pm today during the grand opening celebration. Share with us in a virtual toast to all of the hard work that made this great dream a reality!