Greensboro Daily Photo

Singing in the I-40 Rain!

Here is a photo of iconic, green, made-in-the-USA road signs, taken on I-40 just west of Greensboro during a summer rain.  Since reading Ampersand 7's 4/11/09 blog entry on typography, we have been noticing fonts, including fonts on road signs. The signs above are an example of the FHWA Series fonts, informally known as Highway Gothic.  Can you believe that Highway Gothic was developed by the Public Roads Administration over 60 years ago, during World War II.

Regarding local driving, we are finally getting used to Greensboro's new highway, the I-40 bypass-- or not. If you are local, you know the controversy about signage and whether to encourage traffic to go through Greensboro or around the city. We find ourselves asking, Are we on I-40 or the I-40 bypass? Business 40? Was I-40 relocated? Or, is this I-840? I-73? Painter Boulevard? The Greensboro Urban Loop?....... And now you, dear reader, are thinking, not only do I have to figure out the interstate's name, Greensboro Daily Photo wants me to figure out which font NCDOT is using!! 

We thought this would be good Skywatch Friday humor because just about everyone who has been to Greensboro has I-40 stories to tell! 

Addendum: On the same day we posted this photo and text, the News&Record had a front page article on mapping for the GPS systems with all of these changes. It was just by chance that our feature ran the same day as theirs!

The Jamestown General Store

Here we see the Jamestown General Store. Although only open since 2003, this family business seems like it could have been around since the 1950's. They serve ice cream, hot dogs, sundry products, local artwork, and oldtiques. They are very open to trying new products and making available items that their customers request and love getting to know their customers. We hope you enjoy supporting these locally-owned businesses as much as we do.

Located just a few minutes down the road from Greensboro, the Jamestown General Store is definitely worth a visit. We like to go on Saturday when people are out selling fresh produce and in the summer when nearby City Lake Park is open. If you are a train fan, we heard and saw two in the hour we were in downtown Jamestown. 

If you notice, we are publishing with one comment already.  Bill B., and perhaps others, saw this post when it was mistakenly published for three hours, yesterday. Bill B., if we ever run in to you in public, we owe you a cup of coffee!

Fishing and Boating on Lake Higgins

Lake Higgins is a 226-acre municipal reservior in Greensboro. It was built in 1956 and named in honor of then City Councilman, Vic Higgins. The lake is located off Highway 220 at Hamburg Mill Road. You can fish or boat on the lake. The surrounding area has wonderful hiking trails as well as picnic tables available. This photo was taken late in the day when lighting was not the best. However, we were struck by the peacefulness of the scene with the man in the photo enjoying his moment of solitude. 

In preparing this post, we learned that there is a North Carolina angler fishing forum specifically for people who fish at Lake Higgins and other Greensboro lakes! One of the advantages of our establishing Greensboro Daily Photo is that we are always learning something new about our city. We got another little chuckle when we learned from the city's website that Lake Higgins can accommodate up to 6,000 fish. Who would have the heart to tell fish # 6,001 that there was no room for him and that he had to go? Enter the fisherman.....

We posted this photo today to provide a you with a breath of fresh air for mid-week Wednesday. Imagine you are enjoying music from the nature store, hearing wild birds calling, relaxing to the sound of a fish jumping. If you like this image, chances are, you'll like the other watery images from around the world on this, our Watery Wednesday!

Chair Park Exhibit at High Point Museum

At the High Point Museum, just down the road from Greensboro, current exhibits feature the history of the local furniture industry-- complete with a very informative timeline. Off in one room is a chair park. Featured above are two of the chairs on display. Following, is information from the exhibit's plaque:

" Take a Seat! Chairs were the main product of High Point's early furniture factories. They continue to be a topic of lively conversation with today's designers, who have found many ways to reformat the most common piece of furniture in our homes. Take a seat, watch the videos, and read about these chairs on the label attached to each of them. Learn about their designers, compare their designs, and think about the chairs you encounter every day."

The chair on the right is from the Uwharrie Chair Company. Unfortunately, we didn't get the information about the yellow chair on the left. If you are local, we hope you get by the museum at 1859 Lexington Avenue, High Point,  to enjoy all it has to offer. Don't forget, admission is free! If you need a new chair, you will already be in High Point and have plenty to choose from!

Tuesdays, many bloggers participate in theThat's My World meme and in this part of North Carolina, the furniture industry truly is OUR WORLD! The High Point Furniture Market has been a major event for us since the early 1900's. Today, twice a year, furniture retailers from all over the world come to the showrooms in High Point to purchase furniture, wholesale. The website from the furniture market AND the High Point Museum are great places to learn about this facet of our community.

Stucco House on Walker Avenue

The Spanish stucco house featured today is located on Walker Avenue, across from Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Likely, the house is owned or rented by someone affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). This type of architecture is not common to Greensboro; however, it fits with this eclectic neighborhood. In recent years, the façade has been spruced up and this house is a charming casa near campus, just down the street from the little log cabin we featured in January. We're wondering if the chair on the right is a Uhwarrie Chair Company product made in nearby High Point!

This photo is our contribution to the Monochrome Weekly.

Ebenezer Lutheran Church on Sacred Sunday

For our Sacred Sunday shot this week, we offer Ebenezer Lutheran Church. On the right, you see the older part of the church, dating back to 1929. To the right, you see the 1998 addition incorporating more areas for fellowship (kitchen, fellowship hall, gymnasium, narthex, and storage area). While the plaque on the side with the blue doors reads 1929, actually the church was incorporated in Greensboro in 1907 as Ebenezer Lutheran Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession. The church has a very interesting history which is documented extensively on their website. The church is located at 310 South Tremont Drive, at the corner of Walker Avenue, very near UNCG. The Ebenezer Lutheran has a history of racial integration and tolerance. The church has a long tradition of outreach to the community. As a matter of fact, in Hebrew, Ebenezer means, "stone of the help."

According to their website, Ebenezer centers its beliefs on the Sacred Scriptures and key words providing insight into the theology include: "justification, forgiveness, the sovereignty of God, love, grace, cross, covenant community, Body of Christ, true presence, hope, love, faith salvation, new life, fellowship, and the Holy Trinity." 

The photo above captures a tiny part of the church on the Walker Avenue side. The actual address is Tremont Avenue where there is a very long extension and entrance leading to the main sanctuary. 

Music in the Air: Eastern Music Festival & MUSEP Concerts on Sunday

 

Summer is the perfect time for playing music outdoors in Greensboro and there are many opportunities to enjoy music for FREE! The above photo was taken on Sunday, July 12, 2009 on the Guilford College Campus. The Eastern Music Festival Student Orchestra gave a concert that through the free MUSEP series. The center of the photo features the guest conductor for that concert, Chelsea Tipton, who is originally from Greensboro.

Tomorrow's free, outdoor MUSEP concert (July 26th) will again be held at Guilford College, starting at 6pm. It is also part of the Eastern Music Festival featuring The New Familiars. Allow plenty of time to park, walk, and set up your own picnic space to enjoy while watching the concert! If you follow our link to The New Familiars'  my-space page, you will see that Sunday's FUN, GREAT, acoustic concert will be fringe-like and informal! 

Greensboro is celebrating our 30th year of free, outdoor music concerts in the summer. If you have a chance, follow the links to read more about opportunities to enjoy music this summer; it isn't too late. Of course, for those in the position to lend financial support to these well attended events, donations are greatly appreciated and can be arranged through the EMF and MUSEP websites!

Blue Sky over Blandwood Mansion

We started the week with a silhouetted interior photo of Blandwood Mansion and are closing the work week with a view of the façade of this historic Italianate villa. Architect Alexander Jackson Davis designed the prototype for Governor Morehead in 1844 and it was completed two years later, a year after he left office. You may recall our June 4th post of the house on Isabel Street in Greensboro with a similar façade.

If you have not visited Blandwood, please put it on your "to do" list. If you are not local, please follow the above link and visit it virtually. For those of you who are history buffs, do you know how many governors came before Gov. Morehehead and his political affiliation?  (He was the twenty-ninth governor and was a Whig). For those of you who are visiting through the Sky Watch Friday group, we hope you like the way the blue sky and white clouds frame Greensboro's oldest example of Italianate architecture!

Honey Bee Colony Saved

If you read the News & Record, this is old news. However, the story is so fabulous, we want to share it with the world. People like Diane in Texas and Mark in Korea, just might appreciate a little hometown news!

Last week, part of this giant oak tree, located on Cypress Street, on the campus of Aycock Middle School, came crashing down. Inside was a colony of 50,000 honey bees. The local community worked together to save this thriving colony and relocate it to beekeeper George Sudderth's farm in southeastern Guilford county. Fellow beekeeper John Sabat was instrumental in getting the bees out of the tree by using a vacuum cleaner. Nobody was stung; not even once, and you can be sure those bees were HOT about the loss of their habitat! However, word has it that they are happy in their new home. Also good news... the remaining part of the tree is healthy and it shouldn't need to be removed. 

We took the above photo on Monday, the day before the bee relocation. That dark spot at the top is where they were living. If you want to see more photos, you should be able to access them through the News & Record. They got some great ones in a series of photos they've dubbed, The Lost Colony. Click on the little icon of squares at the bottom of the black screen to access the pictures. It is worth seeing these photos! They are so thorough that teachers could use them to teach expository writing and sequencing! Thank goodness for newspapers like the News & Record and photojournalists like Nelson Kepley.

Get Outdoors in GSO on Lee St.-- on Lake Brandt, Lake Higgins...

Approaching August, the sun is starting to settle in a little earlier and the thermostat has been creeping down. This scene reminds us that summer will not last forever and we need to take advantage of the nice weather we are having and "GET:OUTDOORS." 

Formerly Pro Canoe & Kayak, GET: OUTDOORS is a North Carolina grown business, beginning in Raleigh in the 1980's. At one time, many of their kayaks and canoes were made in North Carolina. Perhaps they still are. This company offers classes, demos, and night trips and maintains an events calendar and paddling blog to keep you informed on everything that it has to offer. The store has been located on Lee St. near Aycock since we can remember. Regardless of where you get your kayak or canoe, we encourage you to purchase one and try it out on one of our nearby lakes.

As photographers, we love the visual appeal of all the kayaks on dry land! The stripe on the top of the building blends perfectly with the cloudless sky! 

Tyler White Gallery on State Street

One of the reasons my husband and I undertook Greensboro Daily Photo was to build community, not only in cyberspace but right here in our own back yard, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Well, The Tyler White Art Gallery tries to build community not only in the art world but also on State Street. This Friday July 24th from 6-9, Tyler White will host a great art event, the Summer Sizzling Party. Additionally, a dozen or so nearby businesses will hold extended hours and offer great summer savings.

Greensboro Daily Photo will be there cheering for the State Street Proprietors and perhaps indulging in a little art purchasing, jewelry and art glass admiring, coffee drinking, and restaurant hopping. As you can see from the photo above, State Street has the character of beach shopping or hanging out in a little New England town. Come on down and join us and let's help increase the foot traffic on one of the cutest shopping streets in town. If you are one of our blog visitors from elsewhere, please post a comment letting us know about your favorite shopping district in your town. We just may be in your neighborhood!

(Other business with extended hours and possible special discounts that night: Carolina Coffee & Tea; Earnhardt Optical; Eclectic By Nature, Hearthside Home Care, Lillo Bella Shoe Store; Mechelle's Resale Shop; Spoiled Hair Salon; The Pewter Place; Yamamori, Ltd.; The Salt Box; Aesthetic Images; Secret Tea Room; Cafe Pasta; Napoli).

Blandwood Mansion

The Monochrome Weekly Theme picture was taken through a side window, late one afternoon, at Blandwood Mansion on 447 West Washington Street in downtown Greensboro. It was the time of day when color begins to drain from objects due to the low light. Black and white emphasizes the silhouette of personal objects such as the punch bowl and small tables.

Blandwood, former home of Governor John Motley Morehead, was completed in 1846. It is billed as America's oldest Italianate villa. Blandwood is open Tuesday- Sunday. Additionally, throughout the year, several events take place on the lawn and in the carriage house. The day we were on location photographing, the director/curator Ashley Crayton Poteat was leaving work for the day. In our brief conversation, the energetic and dynamic Poteat proudly informed us that she was beginning her sixth year as director. While August will be a rather quiet month at Blandwood, September is full of events from bluegrass music the last three Sundays of the month, a National Preservation Institute Workshop, and a Museum Day sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine. Make it a point to stop by and take advantage of this local treasure. As always, guided tours of the interior, the museum shop, the carriage house, and gardens-- featuring native trees and plants-- are available to the public through the summer and into the school year.

Check back on Greensboro Daily this upcoming Friday as we'll showcase the exterior, Italianate architecture of Blandwood Mansion in front of a fabulous Sky Watch Friday Carolina blue sky!

In God We Trust

In May, We featured the Friendly Avenue Baptist Church and do so again for today's "Sacred Sunday" shot.  If you look back at that photo, you will notice this painter on a ladder high off the ground painting the trim. We were struck by the fact that he was so close, literally, to the stained-glass Jesus and thought the title "In God We Trust" fit the moment. Because the sky was so white by the painter's head, it plays a little trick on the eye in this close up shot, seemingly severing him from the main building.

Lyndon Street Artist: Dai Rees

Yesterday we featured Lyndon Street Artworks for Sky Watch Friday. Today, we take you inside the studio with Dai Rees and his "found object" art piece, entitled, "Electric Kiwi Chia." Dai likes to take found objects and upcycle them into works of art. Often, he selects items from the on-property yellow quonset hut where people donate "junk" for artists to use. Dai likes to use items that have been sitting around for a while. The base of the Kiwi Chia is one such item, a dentist's lamp. The fibers are weed-eater string and inside are lights which give the three-dimentional piece a luminous effect at night. 

On the day we visited Lyndon Street, during the Fourth of July week, most artists were on vacation. Dai arrived just as we were leaving and offered to give us a full tour and to leave the studio open for as long as we wanted to wander about. He patiently answered every question and showed us around. 

We want to stop back when Karen Bjork Dischell in working on her batik-like, "Chaotic Appearance of Trees" paintings and when other artists are present. Sounds like First Friday would be a good time to stop back. Thank you Dai for serving as our personal tour guide! If "Electric Kiwi Chia" is available on First Friday, we just may need to bring her home!

Sky over Lyndon Street Artworks

Lyndon Street Artworks and Artworks Collective Gallery is a collection of studios, @ Lyndon Street, featuring over forty local artists. The gallery is open to the public and the first Friday of every month, from 6:00- 9::00 pm, they feature special exhibits and an opportunity for the public to come out and meet local artists. These human-sized butterflies are perched near the entrance to the gallery. We thought they made a great addition to our Sky Watch Friday contribution.

Belews Lake Steam Station

Yesterday, you saw one side of Belews Lake. Here you see the side that reminds us that the lake was built as a cooling system for this coal-fired steam station.  As stated on Duke Energy's website, "(u)nlike most Duke Energy lakes, there is no hydroelectric generation at this dam so Belews Lake is not under FERC license. It is used as cooling water for the Belews Creek Steam Station." If you happen to hit the stream of water ejected from the plant, you can swim in its warmth even in December.

This week's Thursday Theme is POWER!

Belews Lake

For summer water fun near Greensboro, try driving a few miles north to Belews Lake. The lake, completed in 1973 by Duke Energy, boasts a surface area of 3863 acres and a shoreline of about 88 miles. The lake is located between Stokes, Rockingham, and Forsyth counties, making it easily accessible. The water is almost unseasonably warm as it is used to cool the coal-burning power plant at Belews Creek Stem Station. Boating, jet skiing, and swimming are permitted in the lake with a public boat ramp and access through Carolina Marina and Humphrey's Ridge.

This is our contribution for Watery Wednesday.

Railroad History in Greensboro

This is part of the North Carolina Railroad system which was built in 1849 as a 223 mile stretch of track connecting Goldsboro to Charlotte, stopping in Greensboro along the way. As a city, Greensboro flourished with the construction of the railroad. Here we see the track near Davie Street, Elm St. and Martin Luther King Drive. In the distance you see the back side of the Southern Railway Station, restored as J. Douglas Gaylon Depot, our multi-modal transportation center. The city's nickname, Gate City, came about in recognition of our rail-hub position.

On his blog, Jim Schlosser talks about the colorful train engines and cars seen passing through Greensboro. Preservation Greensboro Incorporated writes about the Elm St.Train Station. Faithful reader Sue, whose father worked for the railroad in Greensboro, has been requesting photos of trains, tressels, and train stations. We finally got out to take a few; so, here's to you Sue, a part of your world that we're including in the My World meme!

The High Point Museum

The High Point Museum, just a few miles down the road from Greensboro, is one of Guilford County's little treasures. The museum houses an array of permanent and temporary exhibits, from an interactive display about the life of jazz musician John Coltrane, to an historical timeline of the High Point end of Guilford County; to a chair exhibit and display about the making of furniture. On property is an historical park with two houses, one from 1786 and another in 1801, and costumed interpreters providing living history demonstrations and guided tours of the grounds.

In the photo above, shared with the Monochrome Weekly crowd, we see one of the interpreters quilting. She is living her dream at work, home, and at school. She is studying history in college and works at the museum interpreting the past. If you have the time and interest, she and her mom, also an interpreter at the museum, will fill you with information about colonial times and everything authentic to the area. They also have great expertise in genealogy, know how to sew authentic period costumes, and, in their spare time, the participate in historical reenactments. Also on property is a blacksmith shop and, on certain days, a blacksmith providing demonstrations.

This museum and the people working there are invaluable assets to Guilford County. Perhaps best of all, the entrance is free. Check the schedule before going to know what will be going on when you plan to visit.

American Hebrew Academy: Religion and Scholarship Together

The American Hebrew Academy is the only Jewish Pluralistic College Prep Boarding School in the United States. The Academy is located on 100 acres at 4334 Hobbs Road in Greensboro, across the street from Temple Emanuel. Here we see a night shot of a small corner of the soccer field fully lit at 10:30 p.m. with students practicing. This sprawling campus is stunning on rolling hills with many beautiful buildings. However, campus security is high with a gatehouse and checkpoint at the only entrance and the entire campus is fenced around the perimeter. We took this picture through the wrought iron fence because it looks so beautiful at night. Next time we feature the campus, we'll go by day and try to get an appointment to go inside.

The school's goal is to develop students' academic potential while helping them learn to become tomorrow's Jewish leaders.  Building a sense of community is emphasized. As stated on their website, "(a)t sunset every Friday, students and teachers gather for Shabbat. There are Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv prayers followed by a family-style meal complete with Zamirot (Shabbat singing), Birkat ha-Mazon (grace after meals), and Israeli dancing. Shabbat morning services follow a late wake-up call. Students often lead morning and evening prayer services held every day at the Academy.

Marshall Art Gallery: Advertising on the Go

Tracey Marshall of Marshall Art Gallery is living her dream, working full time as a professional artist. Her gallery, located at The Village on North Elm, houses a fabulous frame shop and features many fabulous local artists, like Dawn Ashby, as well as international artists from as far away as Moldova. The post today, however, is about Tracey's Art-Gallery-Mobile, a roving advertisement, brilliantly wrapped in her own artwork on all for sides. Here, we see the van parked across from her gallery.

Tracey, we LOVE the van and only hope you never need to drive around town incognito. Word in the store is that everyone is saying, "I saw Tracey today." "I'm driving down Battleground Ave. behind Tracey Marshall." What a great way to advertise and celebrate your artwork, as well as your passion for art. What a great way to ensure that you are making good choices while in traffic!  So far, the advertising on your van seems to be money well spent! 

(We featured one other wrapped car on 2/6: Kneaded Energy).

Late Afternoon Sky over Bur-Mil Park

While enjoying the Bur-Mil Park area this week, we took this photo. Bur-Mil Park is located below the flight path for several North Carolina airports so condensation trails are common. On Monday, close to sunset, we looked to the heavens and saw this unbelievable sky. It was as if the contrail was bursting into Fourth of July fireworks. Bur-Mil Park a great, free, city park where you can enjoy spending time outside not just photographing but also swimming, golfing, hiking, biking, having a picnic. 

Contributing to the Sky Watch Friday this year has caused us to pause and look at the sky almost daily. We find ourselves saying things like, "Oh, those clouds will be a vibrant pink in about an hour."  "Where can we go to have the best vantage point for photographing the sky?"  If you are not already a skywatcher, start photographing the sky and see how much more you pay attention to the sun, clouds, and horizon line in your part of the world! 

Friendly Park Pool and Tennis: July 4th Swim for Cancer Event

Here we see a picture of the Fourth of July Celebration at Friendly Park Pool, a big day for their Swim-for-Cancer fundraising. Kids were bouncing around on the inflatables, supporting a good cause. As we approached the pool, we noticed a lot of Friendly Frogs walking around with pink streaks in their hair. Carrie Drees of Orrell Design volunteered her time and supplies to pink-streak hair for a small donation to Swim-for-Cancer. This was only one of many local businesses donating time and materials for the cause. We will find out at the annual City Swim Meet, which of the area club teams raised the most money for Swim-for-Cancer. 

City Meet, by the way, is held today through Saturday at Lindley Pool. We cannot say enough about the wonderful swim programs at our local community pools. Children have fun with their respective team's events; they learn to swim competitively;  they learn to fundraise for good causes; and they get plenty of great exercise. Boy do they get plenty of exercise! Backstyle, breast stroke, butterfly, free, IM, relays......

This is our contribution to Theme Thursday: Celebration! Hope you enjoyed it!

Fountain at Friendly Center

This fountain in the new part of Friendly Center provides Greensboro with a little bit of European charm. Sitting here and chatting with friends on a warm summer night is some of the most charming and least expensive entertainment around. I slip into Anthropologie while Mr. GDP hangs out in the Apple store. Next, we head off to Harris Teeter for a "to go" Starbucks, then over to Ben & Jerry's shop just behind the fountain. We like to sit with a cup of coffee or scoop of sherbet and chat about all the wonders of the day. If you read yesterday's post, you'll know that, right now, we're talking a great deal about how what we're going to do with all of our fresh produce. Last year, with only about six tomato plants, we had 85 tomatoes ripen at virtually the same time! This year, we knew better than to plant determinate tomatoes, the variety in which all of the tomatoes ripen within a very short window of time. Great for canners. Not for us. See, just looking at a picture of this fountain has us off-topic, writing about the garden! Relaxing. Peaceful.

Greensboro has made significant strides in the last few years in providing great, outdoor, public spaces. The fountain at Friendly is one such place. Whether you are local or from elsewhere, why don't you post a comment on places to go with friends and family on balmy summer nights. In the meantime, happy Watery Wednesday!

It's Fruit and Vegetable Picking Time in the Piedmont

In the Piedmont Region of North Carolina, many fruits and vegetables are ready to eat. In our yard, blueberries are ripening daily, lavender is growing (a little past peak), mint is wildly rampant, cucumbers are available by the dozens, tomatoes are starting to turn red, pole beans are growing in front of our eyes, and okra is putting up a good fight against the deer. Unfortunately, watermelon blossoms are being eaten by rabbits or deer as soon as the buds open! At the farmers' markets, peaches arrive daily from the Sandhills (Moore and Richmond County). Our part of the world is full of the wonderful flavors of summer. Nothing beats fresh produce. 

A few years ago, we decided to convert our property to an edible landscape. It is amazing what can grow in a small amount of space, especially if you consider the use of poles to grow vines vertically. Once you are accustomed to fresh produce, you will not want to return to salty, processed, packaged foods. Mr. GDP works hard on getting plants in the ground; we all weed and harvest; Mrs. GDP spends afternoons finding nic nacs and dishes that will photograph well with the fruits of our labor. That's what is going on in our world. To learn about others, check out the My World themed postings.

The Greensboro Arboretum: Relaxing on a Bench

If you haven't been to the Greensboro Arboretum yet this summer, please make an effort to visit. With all of the rain this spring, the gardens are in full splendor. The hydrangeas, cone flowers, bee balm, walking trails, mature trees, fountains, and open green space, make the Arboretum one of the most photogenic places in town. Take your tennis shoes as it is a great place to exercise. The women in the photo are fanning themselves and taking a break from the heat.  If you like sepia and black and white, view more photos at Aileni's site.

St. Pius X Church: Under Reconstruction on North Elm St.

Saint Pius X Catholic Church, located at 2210 North Elm St., is being rebuilt from the ground up and, as seen above, is a work in progress. The parrish electively chose to demolish the 1954 sanctuary to build something that will accommodate their 21st century needs. In the meantime, services are held in the gymnasium of their adjacent parochial school. Through the process, the bells, seen above, have remained firmly in place, but the mammoth "crux cuadra" has been relocated to the school side of the property. 

St. Pius X Greensboro is blogging about the construction process. If you are interested, you can see how builders weathered the seemingly monsoon rains of spring and read the adventures of their rescuing five beautiful, feral kittens. While the ecclesiastic purple insulation is a stunning color, somehow, we don't think it is the chosen color for the outer façade!

Santa of Chapman Street Remembered on July Fourth

If you are a Greensboro local, likely, you visited Santa of Chapman Street at Christmastime. He was on this earth from 1932-2003 bringing happiness to children far and wide. Today, on the Fourth of July, we see his legacy being celebrated by his sons, Roger and Jacky. Happy Fourth of July, Santa.

Across the window on the left is an "it's a girl" banner. Santa, may someone step up to the plate and bring your granddaughter the holiday happiness you brought to other children for so many years. Those of us in Greensboro, drive by 507 Chapman Street and honk for "Grandaddy Santa" as you are en route to Fun Fourth!

Army & Navy Surplus Store on West Lee St.

Today, we are featuring the ARMY & N VY SURPLUS  at 1116 West Lee Street. They don't have a website to link to and we don't know much about them. However, we love the red, white, and blue façade on their store. It really put us in a "Fourth of July"  frame of mind. Several years ago, we were inside and, as we recall, the store is  a traditional American Army/Navy store-- uniforms, knives, general items related to military; understated and utilitarian. 

The cloudless, Carolina Blue Sky above is our contribution to Skywatch Friday. Let's hope the skies are sunny for all of the Fun Fourth festivities in downtown Greensboro tomorrow. This is the 34th year for the community event. Your spending time and money downtown will send the message that this event is worthwhile!

Finally, today is the 184th day for our blog and, with this post, we're officially into the second half of our first year. We hope you are enjoying the blog! As always, your comments are welcome! Your comments motivate us to spend hours roaming the city with camera in hand!

Weaver Academy Art at S.H. Kress & Co. on Elm St.

(Celebrating 6 months of Greensboro Daily Photo with this post)!!!!!!!!

The beauty of downtown Greensboro is that it is ever changing. Here we see the storefront window from the now-defunct S.H. Kress Store serving as a venue for art by students from one of our alternative public high schools, Weaver Academy for Performing/Visual Arts and Advanced Technology. Art students from Weaver designed the display from items secured from the Teachers' Supply Warehouse. To learn more about the project as well as how you can donate to the warehouse, visit this website. Watch a short video about the creative process with 30 rolls of clear packing tape. What a wonderful way to bring attention to a very worthwhile cause-- getting supplies to teachers. Also, what a way to give back to the community through art. Kudos to the advertising and public relations agency, Bouvier Kelly Inc. for making all of this possible. Just so much giving!

Finally, a friend of ours said this post reminded him of the band DEVO and their song, "Are We Not Men?"

It's Firecracker Time in North Carolina

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

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

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

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

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