Greensboro Daily Photo

Cone Boulevard Underpass

This underpass below Cone Boulevard, at the corner of Battleground Avenue, is part of our greenway system. Walkers and cyclists can now ride without being in traffic. It is bright and clean. The blue walls have dark blue line drawings that will eventually become a wall of public art. The mural of mostly flora and fauna is being developed under the supervision of Greensboro College art teacher Ray Martin and his students. What a wonderful community effort.

The Cone Boulevard sign above is a nice touch as it orients people on the greenway to their location. According to the News & Record, the Yadkin & Atlantic Greenway, its official name, has been under discussion for nearly a decade and it cost over a million dollars and is Phase 1 of the rail trail project. The federal government funded $970,000 of it. By the third phase, we will have a premiere rail trail in Greensboro. We're sharing with Sky Watch Friday. If you live in Greensboro, let's ride. If you are from elsewhere, bring your bicycle when you come to town!

 

Fall Harvest Time in Greensboro

Here we see our native persimmons, diospyros virginiana (translates as fruit of the gods). The leaves on this particular specimen are more leathery than we are accustomed to seeing and the plant looked more bush than treelike. Most persimmons are best eaten when fully ripe and after the first frost when the tannic acid taste is less pronounced. The female trees produce fruit and, of course, they need a male tree nearby to produce fruit. Isn't nature fascinating? Some trees are self-fertile, producing a fruit that ripens as early as August. 

In North Carolina, we are famous for our persimmon pudding. Making it is hard work; between the skin and the bulky seeds, not much flesh is extracted from each fruit. One has to sieve and sieve and sieve to get enough pulp for persimmon pudding. However, nothing tastes more like fall or earthier than persimmon pudding. Persimmon trees are hardy, adaptable, and drought resistant. Let's all run out and plant some today! For more information and a map of the growing area in the US, look here.

"L" is for LORILLARD

Greensboro's own Lorillard, Inc. is the nation's oldest, continuously operating tobacco company and the 18th oldest company of ANY KIND in the USA. Pierre Lorillard I, founded our first tobacco company in New York in 1760. His son, Pierre Lorillard II took over the family business and when he died in 1843, the word "millionaire," appearing in the obituary of Lorillard II, was used for the first time in the United States-- although Mr. Lorillard was not actually the first American to have a million dollars worth of assets. The East Market Street plant, photographed above, opened in 1956. In 1997, the company moved its headquarters from New York to Greensboro. On the days of gentle breezes, the smell of tobacco floats through east Greensboro. One day, we were in east Greensboro and smelled a distinctly chocolate scent. Children were saying "yum, ummmm." A young lady told us that Lorillard uses a chocolate flavor/scent. We haven't substantiated that claim and don't smoke to find out firsthand; however, if that scent was coming from Lorillard, indeed, it was CHOCOLATE!

While we aren't endorsing tobacco products by any means, we feel compelled to present an important part of Greensboro's history. Historically, North Carolina has been a leader in tobacco production and Lorillard has been a leader in cigarette manufacturing. Originally, the Lorillard family came from Montbéliard in Eastern France and Montbéilard and Greensboro are sister cities. Today is "L" day on ABC Wednesday and we salute the business acumen of the Lorillard family across the centuries. Finally, for our local friends who want us to be Greensboro Daily History, we provide the following historical "L's" to be featured later: Latham Park, Lindley Park, Lindley Field, Lowe's Home Improvement Store, Lee Street, Leftwich Street, Lewis Recreation Center, White Street LANDFILL, LIBRARIES, Land Conservancy, Little League, and loose leaf collection, to name a few!!!!!

(A hint for "M" next week. The photo was taken on MARKET street, not too far from Lorillard, Inc.!)

Page High School Stadium

Greensboro city residents know the depth of the rivalry between Grimsley and Page High Schools. Last week, we featured the stadium at Grimsley. This week, we offer a view of the stadium at Page High School, home of the Page Pirates. On Friday, the Grimsley Whirlies will host the 51st regular-season meeting of these two teams. Students on both campuses are putting a crazy amount of energy into theme dressing and expressing school spirit. Revenue from the events centered around this game significantly helps the athletic program. We seem to recall reading the Page High School is slated to receive a new stadium. However, Google searches on Page High School are hard. There are not many Grimsleys out there; however, page is a tag for everything from where you are in a book to what you do when you are trying to contact a doctor in a hospital! Also, we didn't readily find any information about building plans on the Pirates' website. Does anybody know?

If you are an alumnus, you may not know that both schools have impressive Wikipedia sites (linked above). 

We share this today with Ruby Tuesday, the place for all things red.

Feelin' Groovy on Southside

The Southside of Greensboro has experienced a healthy dose of regentrefication and has its very own Wikipedia entry (here). Southside is located conveniently within walking distance to downtown Greensboro. Southside has won many awards, including the Sierra Club's designation of one of the top 12 new developments of 2005. While not visible here, the neighborhood also has several Victorian homes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries-- some are grand! If you enjoy architecture, notice the New Orleans-style ironwork balconies built in the mixed-style neighborhood.

Today we feature a street scene of some interesting vehicles. As we were walking along Martin Luther King Drive in the urban neighborhood, we saw the groovy watermelon van with a vintage, lemon-colored VW beetle parked behind it.  On the other side of the street, you see a modern, conservative car. The vehicles in Southside are as diverse as the residents!  We're tossing this post in the ring with the other Mellow Yellow Monday entries.

Holderness Presbyterian House

Holderness Presbyterian House opened last week at 409 South Mendenhall Street. It is a campus ministry for Greensboro College and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It is sandwiched between the two institutions of higher education on the corner of Walker Avenue. According to their Facebook page, they welcome college students from any campus. This is the Presbyterian version of St. Mary's Episcopal House a block away. Holderness House was built on a vacant, asphalt parking lot and the architecture is in character with that of their College Hill neighbors-- a great improvement!  March 2009, we featured the adjacent house on GDP. This is our Sacred Sunday feature where we offer something spiritual weekly. If you are local and have an idea of a person, place, or thing to feature, leave us a comment. We are open to celebrating all faith groups in the Greensboro/Guilford County community.

Addendum:  My dear friend Jane ferreted out background information. UNCG benefactor Adelaide Holderness and her family provided a  $75,000 gift that made this project a reality.  Additionally there were other individuals, groups, and congregations that sponsored individual rooms in the house. See the “donate” page for more information and a list of donors here!

http://www.pcmgreensboro.org/PCM/Donate.html

Woolly Worm Time in North Carolina

People have been using woolly worms to predict winter since pioneer days. To determine the severity of the winter, you look at the brown band of color on the woolly worms, or pyrrharctia isabella. The thinner the brownish-red ban, the harsher the winter will be. If the colors on the wooly worm in our yard are a prediction, winter will be pretty mild this year. Much brown, little black!

If you are fascinated by this topic, then consider attending the 33 Annual Woolly Worm Festival, just west of Boone, in Banner Elk North Carolina the third week in October. Last year's winner of the Woolly Worm Race was a young boy from Chapel Hill. Maybe we'll pack up our woolly worm and head west!

We're sharing this with Camera Critters and Weekend Reflection.

Cathy Gray & Dig Pink!

Cathy Gray was the breast cancer survivor recognized last night at the annual Dig Pink volleyball match between Page and Grimsley High Schools. Many of the women in Cathy's family have suffered from cancer and she talked of not only losing family members but also surviving cancer herself. Cathy spoke with such passion and grace. She shared her story with the audience last night during the recognition ceremony. After chemotherapy and multiple operations, Cathy has been cancer free for nine years. Thank you so much for stressing the importance of mammograms and self examination to help fight a disease that touches the lives of so many. To be sure, the young athletes were paying attention to you! As stated last night, long after the score of the game is forgotten, the young women will remember that they played for a very special cause.

The Dig Pink fundraising event raised several hundred dollars for the Side Out organization and their efforts towards providing breast cancer awareness and helping patients directly. Here's to Greensboro resident Cathy Gray for all that she does do contribute to our community. This award is much deserved.

Jamieson Stadium and the Grimsley-Page Rivalry

Robert B. Jamieson Stadium was so named in 1975 after Grimsley High School's Coach/Athletic Director. Coach Jamieson retired after 42 years of service. A Grimsley High School timeline of interesting facts can be found here. This is the week of one of the biggest rivalries in town, Grimsley and Page High Schools.  In the above parking lot in front of Jameson Stadium, there will be tailgate parties and other festivities in anticipation of the big football rivalry. All week at the two schools, students will get to dress in "theme based" clothing : wear school colors, imitate the opposing school's fashion, dress like a twin, look like a superhero, to name a few. While we're at Grimsley, we want to mention that Home Depot and its employees spent a great deal of money and person hours providing a picnic shelter for the Grimsley Athletics Program. Thanks to Home Depot, Grimsley's picnic attendees will have a place to eat, rain or shine.

Today, Page will host a DIG PINK/SIde-Out volleyball game to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. We'll try to get a photo of Page High School while we're at the game! These rivalries are taken seriously by the high school students, but to adults, in most cases, they represent good old-fashioned fun!

 

K- Kudos for Matty Sheets and the Blockheads

With seven institutions of higher education in the triad, Greensboro is brimming with talented musicians. Here we see a photo of a great-sounding group, known as  Matty Sheets and the Blockheads, performing at the Tate Street Festival last weekend. They bill themselves as "aquatic garage folk punk country infusion." That's a lot of adjectives. According to their website, they came to be underwater (not unlike Sponge Bob) but have come up for air! Band members include: Matty Sheets, Emily Stewart, Jessica Pennell, Jerrod Smith, Jon Bohlen, & Harrison Barrow (that's a lot of double letters!-- tt, ee x2 ,ss,ll,rr x3). Matty and the Blockheads will be playing at the Green Bean Coffee House tomorrow night (9/30) in case you are local and want a chance to hear them. 

This is our contribution to ABC Wednesday. We're stretching it a bit and saying, "K" is for "KUDOS." Hats off to these young musicians!

Natural Science Center... YES!

The Natural Science center is a great place to spend a sunny OR rainy day. Great intergenerational fun! This is a view of the indoor area where you can see, and sometimes hold, animals like rabbits, ferrets, and snakes. They have giant hissing cockroaches, spiders, an owl, and other animals to enjoy close up. Rocks, minerals, tigers, an anteater, creative play areas, special programs, and so much more can be had for $7 for city residents and $8 for non-residents. The upcoming zoo boo bash is something you won't want to miss. This was bond money well spent! Check out their great website here. Head on over yourself if you want fun science or if you want a place to take great photos.

This photo would fit with a meme of any color and we've landed on Ruby Tuesday.

Tate Street Festival

The Tate Street Festival was held this weekend. Here we see a view of vendors and shoppers. In the background, you can see a few historic buildings on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Everyone who attends, teaches, or works at UNCG is likely to spend time on Tate Street. The beauty of Tate Street is that many of the businesses have their proprietors on site so you actually develop a relationship with the people who sell you coffee, food, jewelry, antique clothing, etc. Not only do they get to know you on a first name basis, they know how you like your coffee, how long you will sit and grade papers, when you are scheduled to graduate, etc. The proprietors organize the festival as a way to build community and to get people who do not normally come to the campus area to visit. One of the best things about this festival is that the entrance and entertainment is FREE. Free is a valuable word to college students.

This photo has been shared with the Mellow Yellow Monday crowd. The yellow umbrella belongs to the local man who invented/is selling his ASKEW game-- the father son team in the foreground is involved in a game of ASKEW.

 

Stained Glass Window in Orthodox Church

This stained glass window on the south side of the Greek Orthodox Church of Greensboro depicts the dormition (sleeping in death) of Mary. The church is called the Dormition of the Theotokos. Dormition of the Theotokos is a feast day representing the day Mary or Theotokos, literally, the God-bearer, is being resurrected to be taken up to heaven. If you enlarge the picture, you can see that Jesus Christ is holding what appears to be a baby. He has returned to earth out of respect for his mother to carry her soul to heaven. The baby is the "soul" of Theotokos. El Greco painted the scene in the 16th century. 

According to their website, the Greek Orthodox Church in Greensboro was established in 1946 and has grown from 40 to 150 families. The present church, at the corner of Friendly Avenue and Westridge Road was built in 1975. We featured it here last week.Their current leader, Father Dionysios Listermann-Vierling is not Greek and he encourages converts of all ethnicities to become members of the church. In Orthodox churches, all music is acapella, as the voice is God's instrument and his gift to us. We've always wondered what would happen if a priest-in-training could not sing on pitch!

This is our contribution to Sacred Sunday.

 

Liberty Antiques Festival

Liberty Antiques Festival is going on right now from 8am to 5pm today. Usually, the location is acres and acres of farmland. Here is a sample of what it looks like when the festival is in town-- rows and rows of tents with an unbelievable amount of antiques for sale. The festival happens in Liberty, a short ride south of Greensboro. We've featured it before here and here . With over 400 dealers from 25 states, the festival has a reputation for being one of the best in the southeast. Here is their official website.

Hope to see you there.

 

Band in Truck Bed at Friendly Center

A couple of weeks ago, on a Friday afternoon, these guys were hanging out in the bed of their truck at Friendly Center playing music. According to the accordion player, his teacher at Weaver Academy got the accordion at a yard sale for a song. The student and his friend were jamming in the sun and attracting a crowd of listeners. Their band was called "Utaratibu" which they said means "The Order" in Swahili. According to Google Translation, it means "Procedure" (order-- of sorts). While we were standing there taking pictures, a student from a different high school brought her mother's business card so that the new band could arrange to play at her mother's bakery. Instant discovery right before our eyes! Utaratibu, you saw them first here on Greensboro Daily Photo!

Guilford County Schools has a reputation for schools of choice which have proven tremendously motivating for students; so much so that the student dropout rate is impressively low! Weaver Academy is one of those successfully, fully-subscribed high schools. Enjoy this post for Skywatch Friday.

You are here

This photo was taken at the J. Douglas Gaylon Train Depot in Greensboro. Actually the 'you are here' is referring to the red 'J. Douglas' letters in the lower right corner. The giant photo/map covers the floor in one of the rooms of the train station. If we still had young children at home, we'd take them HERE to visually navigate Greensboro. Perhaps teens learning to drive should visit here too! For sure, if one of the other city daily photo bloggers visits Greensboro, we will offer to take them HERE! Well, it is Thursday and it we had thunderstorms and rain last night. Fall is knocking at our door!

 

"J" is for Johnson's Peaches

Peach season has long gone in the sunny south: however, we dug this photo out of our archives since 'J' is for Johnson's Peaches on ABC Wednesday. This photo was taken at our Farmer's Market at Sandy Ridge Road just west of Greensboro. Johnson's Peaches is actually based out of Rockingham, NC and is one of the many Sandhills Peach Orchards. Candor, located an hour south of Greensboro,  used to be known as 'The Peach Capital.' Many varieties of peaches are named after little towns in North Carolina: Biscoe, Candor, Windblow, Derby, to name a few.

Peach crops have certain chilling requirements. In North Carolina it is recommended to plant only peach varieties that have a chilling requirement of 750 hours or greater (read more here). We're sure the Johnson family could tell you all about this as an early warm spell or a late freeze can destroy a peach crop overnight. We're sure those chilling hours will arriver sooner than we want! In the meantime, let's enjoy the warm days of autumn and start looking for apple orchards, native persimmons, and other fall fruits!

 

Junkyard Dogs

Tucked away on Roseland Street, just off State Street, lives a metal worker/welder. He makes wonderful animals and signs out of meta scrapsl. Here we see a few of the end products, gnarling works of art. Hanging on the fence, just out of the camera's view is a masterfully-crafted Harley Davidson sign. We decided, however, to show this view because the real dog in the background is very protective of his menagerie, the junkyard dogs. We use this term affectionately. Some of you may remember Jim Croce's 1973 song "Bad, bad Leroy Brown" in which the lyrics "meaner than a junkyard dog" are heard. Then there is the 1980's wrestler, Junkyard Dog, who is said to have gotten his name from that song. We'll those are all thoughts evoked as we stroled past the metal dogs on Roseland Street in Greensboro, North Carolina.

We're sharing these dogs with you today on Ruby Tuesday where a little red goes a LONG way!

 

Greek Dancers

These young men danced at the Greek Festival this past weekend. As you can see by the legs and heels in the background, the girls were dancing in the back row. The entertainment (not to mention the beautiful weather) really added to the festival. Through music and dance, the younger generation had a chance to honor the traditions of their ancestors while learning about their heritage. The older generation felt nostalgic and proud. Nothing beats a happy, intergenerational event! From that little baby in the pink stroller to the grandpa caring for her, and everyone in between, a good time was had by all. Approximately 15,000 people attended the festival in Greensboro this weekend. That's a lot of souvlaki and baklava! Opa!

The yellow piping on the dancers' jackets is our contribution to Mellow Yellow Monday.

 

Orthodoxy 101

Today is Sacred Sunday and we're taking you inside the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church at the corner of Friendly Avenue and Westridge Road. The Greek Food Festival at the church is in full swing (including today from 12-6pm). Not only do they have yummy food and great entertainment, they also give church tours, which are actually Orthodoxy 101 sessions. The Greek word 'orthodox' means correctly believing and, the church is approximately 2,000 years old. The Greek Orthodox Church has not changed much over the years.

The Greek Festival was very purposefully picked to be this weekend because of the Holy Days celebrating the Raising of the Cross. The feast days celebrate the bringing outside the cross of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335 (read more here). At any rate, we encourage you to go and enjoy some great Greek food with or without learning about the religion. See our previous posts on the church here and here.

 

Rainbow Rooster @ Central Carolina Fair

Fifty-one weeks a year, this English rooster is white. Once a year, for the Central Carolina Fair, he sits on the lap of his Burlington, NC owner while she paints him with food coloring. His decorative plumage draws plenty of attention at the fair. Children, who might not otherwise spend time in the poultry section of the fair, flock to see the rainbow rooster. According to one of the men tending the section, this rooster is tame. Roosters live anywhere from 5- 20 years, we plan to stop by the rooster cages every year to see how many years the rainbow rooster makes an appearance. Dying fur has been elevated to an artform with poodle owners (see here and here) but this is the first time we've seen a rooster.

His crowing today announces the nearing of the end to this year's fair. If you can't make it to this local fair, you can still catch the state fair next month in Raleigh. But we don't think the rainbow rooster is scheduled to appear!

 

Skywatch Supershot over Greensboro

Here we see a shot of gleeful, end of summer fun at the Central Carolina Fair-- Riding a ride and being airborne, that point at which you switch from ascending to descending. While some people were inside judging chili and others were admiring the endless variety of (live) chickens, others were outside testing their stomachs with the rides. The fair is quickly coming to an end. Head over to the Coliseum this weekend if you haven't visited yet. Do you think the kids on the right took their sandals off on purpose or if they fell as they lifted up to the sky?

This is our submission to Skywatch Friday.

 

Chili Judging at the Central Carolina Fair

Perhaps the most famous county fair movies are Charlotte's Web and Babe. Well, it is county fair time in North Carolina. As we've been showing all week, Greensboro is enjoying the Central Carolina Fair at the Coliseum. Locals have the opportunity to make memories with friends and loved ones. Above, we see Mrs. Ivey's assembled cast of chili judges. Everybody judging has some experience with food service or with the Cooperative Extension Agency. For sure, they know their chili. Judges were in the process of judging the hot (spicy) chili. They had already awarded the ribbons to the mild entries. People awaiting results sat on the sidelines, literally, gripping the sides of their chairs in anticipation of the results.

You have through this weekend to enjoy the exhibits, rides, games, and the requisite fried foods. Come one, come all. Step right up. What do you think sets a great bowl of chili apart from the mediocre? a good pickle from a bad one? a blue-ribbon rooster from an honorable mention?

 

"I" is for (4-H, the Fair, and Mrs.) IVEY

At first glance, it is obvious the importance of 4-H to Mrs. Barbara M. Ivey. She is a 4-H volunteer- extraordinaire in a local club sponsored by Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church. Here we see a photo of Mrs. Ivey hard at work last Sunday at the Central Carolina Fair. That notebook, held close to her heart, is filled with all of her notes for the fair. At the time of this photo, her assembled judges had just announced the winning mild chili and were in the process of judging the hot chili entries. When we approached the area and asked how judges were picked, all responses were, "Go ask Mrs. Ivey."  We will see a photo of the judging and learn more about the process tomorrow.

Mrs. Ivey moved to Greensboro with her parents in first grade. Not unlike ivy, she put down roots and is firmly planted in our community. Last year, she and Mr. Ivey celebrated fifty years of marriage. The Iveys are passionate about farming and the efforts of the Cooperative Extension Agency and its outreach through 4-H. Read more about 4-H in North Carolina, here. Do you know what the four H's stand for? Heart, Hands, Head, and Health. A HEARTFELT thanks to Mrs. Ivey for her volunteer contributions at the Central Carolina Fair and to 4-H year-round. May we all contribute as significantly to our community, in our own special way, as Mrs. Ivey has!

Today is ABC Wednesday and "I" is for Ivey!

 

 

The Kitchen Sink Fiasco

Today's Central Carolina Fair photo takes us to some local entertainment. Look at these talented young musicians. They are members of a local indie/powerpop band that calls itself The Kitchen Sink Fiasco. Just before they performed on Saturday at the Central Carolina Fair, they struck this pose for Greensboro Daily Photo. If you missed their spectacular performance, check out their Facebook Page here. We were struck by how upbeat and happy the band members seemed. Since getting started in 2008, The Kitchen Sink Fiasco has evolved, adding people and layers of sound-- from an acoustic duo to an electric, full band with five members: Joe Davis, Connor Royals, Katie Wiggins, Drew Watterson, & Gregory McManus. 

Apparently, the sound men wear red shorts so, we're sharing the photo with Ruby Tuesday.

 

Central Carolina Fair 2010

Let the fun begin! This week, Greensboro Daily Photo is broadcasting LIVE from The Central Carolina Fair which is in full swing at the Greensboro Coliseum. This is the 112th year for the fair. It dates back to 1898. We went on Sunday afternoon and the weather was great. It was fairly well attended and the ubiquitous screams came through loud and clear. As you can see in the photo above, the rides are so colorful, fun and inviting-- well worth the $5 entrance fee. And a good money value if you purchase the "unlimited ride" wristband. If you need late summer-early fall photos for your scrapbook, this is the place to go! In the photo above, a family waits patiently for other members of their family to finish riding. The fair is very family oriented.

Most people think of the rides, concessions, games and prizes at the fair; however, equally entertaining is the agricultural, horticultural, garden, and consumer science component where you can see the fruits of our citizens' efforts. The exhibit hall is well worth your time. You've gotta appreciate how hard those 4-H families have worked. Everyone is a blue ribbon winner as far as we're concerned! (See list of categories here). We'll show some shots inside the Pavillion this week. The fair runs through September 19th. With all of the new construction, you have to drive around the side to see the fair. It isn't very visible from High Point Road. 

We found some yellow so we're jumping onto the Mellow Yellow Monday list. As they say over there, "life is better with a splash of yellow."

 

Cast the Net Widely

Centenary United Methodist, located at 2300 West Friendly Avenue, has been casting the net widely and going fishing in mission with their many projects and causes. The colorful fish display is a visual reminder of the good deeds done in the community by the members of the this congregation. Also, this time of year, prospective members can see the extent of outreach at this church. Driving by the church, these fish swim upstream along Friendly Avenue. We're sharing them for today's Sacred Sunday. 

Oh, this is only a small part of the fish. The rest are a few feet east and swimming as fast as they can! Enjoy your day of rest.(For our "Year of Sundays" look here). 

****just in......... Thank you David B. for catching the typo in this post. We've gone in and corrected it. If you are a subscriber, it is too late! You already have the mistake! Sorry net CASTERS!

 

Southern Lights Bistro

After a year in the making, Southern Lights Bistro has now reopened on Lawndale, near Target. Chef and owner John Drees has tried to transfer the local, neighborhood feel of the former restaurant to the new one while adding a fresh face to the restaurant. The menu and waitstaff are similar enough that the vibes of the old place are, indeed, evoked. Enough changes have been made that people feel like they are experiencing something new and fresh. The outdoor dining area is an enjoyable addition.

As soon as the table of five finished eating and the table was cleared, we snaped the above photo inside the back of the restaurant. The five-paneled landscape, entitled Equinox, is by Lori Key. Southern Lights has a long history of supporting local artists. Good luck to John in this new endeavor. John is incredibly generous with his giving of time and goods to community causes. Let's hope in this economy, that quality, talent, and the effects of good karma will serve him well! 

This is our contribution to the delightful, Weekend Reflection meme. By the way, with as many people as we had read the blog yesterday, we can't believe that our call for a good cup of coffee didn't elicit one suggestion!

 

Clear Skies over Greensboro

(If you serve good coffee, read to the end)..... Labor Day skies were nothing short of spectacular in Greensboro this year. The crisp blue backdrop was punctuated by dense, three-dimensional clouds that hovered as if begging the weekend not to end. This was one of may photos we took this past Monday. On the one hand, this photo could have been taken almost anywhere with deciduous trees. On the other hand, this documents GREENSBORO's weather on Labor Day 2010!

We hope your short work week was enjoyable. As for this afternoon, we'll be in search of a great cup of black coffee. Nothing is harder to find than a fresh cup of coffee in the 3-5 pm time slot, especially on a warm, sunny day. If you sell coffee in Greensboro and think you serve the PERFECT cup of happy-hour java, let us know in the comment section. We're always on the hunt and just may feature your place of business on Greensboro Daily Photo if your coffee fits the bill. Black coffee is like sushi; each minute matters!

In the meantime, visit Skywatch Friday to see what big blue looks like in the rest of the world! We'll be sitting in a coffee shop somewhere perusing the skies, virtually! If you haven't seen OUR previous Skywatch contributions, look here.

Rosh Hashanah Begins; Ramadan Ends.....Today

Sound the shofar (animal horn) and let Rosh Hashanah begin! Rosh Hoshanah is the first of the High Holy Days and the start of the Jewish New Year. It began at sundown last night and continues through nightfall September 10th. It is a day of rest and a day for Jews to renew their accepting God as King. The sounding of the shofar is, among other things, a call for repentance.  If you want to learn more about Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish community in Greensboro, the Greensboro Jewish Federation is a great place to start.

Also, today is the end of Ramadan, a very important holiday for Muslims. It has been a month of purification, prayer, doing good deeds, and asking for forgiveness.  Imagine going a whole month of Ramadan abstaining from just about EVERYTHING from sunrise to sunset and then feasting at the end of a month of great restraint. If you want to learn more about Ramadan and the Islamic community in Greensboro, The Islamic Center is a great place to start.

Fortunately, public school students in North Carolina can be absent to observe holidays not on the school calendar. Likely, many students will be absent today as Jewish and Muslim families, pray, reflect, celebrate, donate, and promise to make a positive difference in the upcoming year. Hopefully, teachers will take a minute and inform students in attendance why their Jewish and Muslim classmates are absent.

(This horn, photographed above, has been in our family for over 60 years, but we're not 100% sure it qualifies as a shofar. Nobody has ever verified the animal of origin and a shofar should not be from a cow)!
 

'H' is for Helping Hands

Today is Wednesday, we're already half way through the week. Above, we see helping hands, already half way through making their clay pieces. The photo was taken at an event for children, held in downtown Greensboro at Center City Park, earlier in the summer. We think this was a booth sponsored by Art Quest, Greensboro's art center for children of all ages. The Art Quest Center boasts twelve engaging hands-on stations created by North Carolina artists.

Today is ABC Wednesday and "H" is for Helping Hands. Imagine what all of us could create with a little help from our friends!

 

Gate City Roller Girls

Gate City Roller Girls roll onto the scene when you least expect it. What a bundle of energetic fun. This photo was taken a few months ago on Elm Street in the heart of downtown Greensboro. However, we thought this action shot would be a great way to jump start the work week. By the way, according to their Facebook page, Greensboro Roller Derby will be practicing from 7-9 tonight at Skate South in High Point. See their Facebook site here. The group is very welcoming. All it takes is a willingness to go in circles (fast) on four wheels stuck to shoes! 

With over 500 leagues in 16 countries, this American-invented sport is experiencing a revival. We love this Wikipedia description. "Leagues typically operate on an amateur circuit, and are based on a strong do it yourself ethic which features both athleticism, combined with elements from punk and third-wave feminist aesthetics " (quote found here). We're sharing this with Ruby Tuesday where third-wave feminists are welcomed as long as they're wearing RED!

 

Labor Day-- On Holden Road

Thanks to the family on Holden Road, for laboring over each of these plywood letters to bring Labor Day yard art for all of Greensboro to enjoy. Hot dog, hamburger, a few flags, and the words "Labor day" all come together to remind us that today is the last federal holiday of summer. If you want to see this fun decoration for yourself head down Holden Road from Friendly Avenue to the Starmount neighborhood, just across from Starmount Country Club and on the same side of the street as Christ United Methodist Church.

Labor Day, always the first Monday of September, was first celebrated in the U.S. in 1882. Historically, the holiday was celebrated first with a parade to exhibit solidarity and strength of labor organizations and trade unions followed by a festival for workers and their families. North Carolina is a right-to-work state so labor unions are prohibited by law and the holiday does not have the same character as it does in states like West Virginia where, historically, unions have been strong  (read more here).

In North Carolina on Labor Day you will find families spending time at cookouts or returning home from a weekend of fun. Whether your are pro- or anti- union, we hope that you actually got an extra day off and that your weekend was everything you'd hoped for. A little mustard on our hot dog above qualifies us to post of Mellow Yellow Monday, where the beloved primary color (that makes green &  orange possible) reigns supreme. By the way, don't you think "Oh Holden Road"  is as catchy as "On Golden Pond?"

 

Daystar Christian Fellowship

Daystar Christian Fellowship is located at 908 Westover Terrace, across the street from Grimsley High School. According to their website, they help people come to know Christ as well as maintain their closeness to Christ and God. They put a lot of emphasis on ministering through small group. Small groups become the support group for its members. Additionally, mission work is an important component of a person's relationship to this non-denominational church. Non-denominational churches are becoming increasingly popular in the United States (and in Greensboro). 

This photo is part of our Sacred Sunday series. See previous entries here.

 

Banding Canada Geese

The Canada Geese of Greensboro seemed to have forgotten that their ancestors used to migrate to and from Canada. This generation is content to live in the Wal-Mart parking lot, along Battleground Avenue, and in Country Park. The neck bands are useful in gathering data on a given goose's travels and migratory patterns. The Bird Banding Laboratory has a 1-800 number to report the whereabouts of a banded bird (1-800-327-BAND). We have to chuckle because we're pretty sure K5H7 is content to spend the remainder of her life in Country Park. We doubt she migrates back to Canada. However, if you ever see K5H7 in your neck of the woods, please report the whereabouts of the sighting here, on Greensboro Daily Photo,  (as well as calling the 1-800 number).

Canada geese, on average live 10-15 years. They can live up to 40 years. If you want to hear what one sounds like, listen here. Many people complain, especially owners of golf courses, as each goose can generate up to a pound of "poop" a day (times 20-30 birds times 365 days, wow!). If your yard has been selected for their waste dumping, you may can enlist the help of the poop patrol. Unfortunately, that particular franchise has not yet arrived in Greensboro.

We're sharing this with Camera Critters and Monochrome Maniacs. K5H7 is saying to me, "We're not going anywhere!" She was so tame, I got as close to her are you are to your computer screen. Ever notice how in a flock, at least ONE goose always has her head up to be on guard for the flock?

 

Last Hurrah of Summer

Labor Day, celebrated the first Monday in September, has been a federal holiday since 1894. In the USA, Labor Day weekend is the last big vacation weekend of summer. For many, the holiday helps with the transition from the lazy days of summer to the busy school days of September. Our holiday is not usually as much about workers and trade and labor unions as is the May 1st celebration held in much of the world. Many people from Greensboro head to the beach; however, with Hurricane Earl threatening the coast, this weekend might be spent closer to home. The mountains around Asheville are an option this weekend. We think we'll stay in town and use some of our tomatoes to have our own little Tomatina Festival like they do in Spain, where people literally immerse themselves in tons and tons of ripe tomatoes. What are you doing?

Hope somebody in Spain posted about La Tomatina for Skywatch Friday! 

 

Newman Machine Company-- RIP #2

This is the last shot of Newman Machine Company that we'll post; however, we had a few e-mails from people asking to see the actual building (not just the abandoned insides or the demolition). We thought we'd show the building once as it is about to be gone FOREVER. This industrial brick style, so common in Greensboro 100+ years ago, is slowly disappearing. This building is a long L-shape with additions from over the years-- the brick on the left being the newest. The property has the feel of an old warehouse that John Steinbeck would feature in a novel. Notice the font in the middle, above the open door-- so classy.

One good thing is that DH Griffin will find a way to recycle as much as possible from this building. However, NOTHING replaces a company that has been around since the 1830's. As we think back to products that remain even from 100 years ago, we can think of Ivory Soap, Shredded Wheat, Karo Syrup, Vicks Salve, Welch's Grape Jelly. What products do you know of that have been around since the early 1900's? Older is not necessarily better; however,  the the older we get, the more we appreciate OLDER!!! 

Have a good Thursday folks and, if you have a minute, post something about a place or product that is still around from 100 years ago. If it is in Greensboro, we'll try to get to it to feature.  Finally, we challenge our local artists to make something from this industrial rubble!

 

G is for Growing & Gardening in Greensboro

At the Greensboro Farmer's Market on Sandy Ridge, one vendor sells carnivorous plants native to North Carolina. As the habitat, mostly bogs and wet savannas, gets destroyed, carnivorous plants are threatened. We rely on responsible growers like the man at the Farmer's' Market to raise awareness for and to provide a legal supply of these plants. See a nice series of photos of North Carolina's carnivorous plants from Duke University here. If you want some fun, watch this YouTube video on the ultimate in carnivorous plants in "Little Shop of Horrors"!!!

G is our big week on ABC Wednesday as G  is for GREENSBORO and GUILFORD County where Gardening and Growing are passions for many of us. Additionally, September's theme for City Daily Photo is open air markets so, we've double dipped and found this photo of from Sandy Ridge. 

 Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Watermelon Eating Cat

Here is a photo of our 12 year old cat chomping away at composted watermelon. He ate watermelon for over ten minutes. Although he is healthy, the watermelon must have had some nutrient his body needed. What do you think it was? After an hour or so in the sun, the watermelon had the texture of innards. Maybe he liked that!

We have two cats and their food preferences are completely different. The one who wasn't interested in eating watermelon is overweight and not as healthy as this cat. What quirks do your pets have? For our language buffs, English could use a little morphology here-- to help us in determining what is eating what!  What if it were bacteria eating cat? Would the bacteria be eating the cat or the cat eating the bacteria?

We're sharing this one with the Ruby Tuesday gang that adores everything RED! Also, thank you to Moscow Daily Photo for reminding me that it is nice to comment on the commenters comments once in a while. Finally, Barbara Farr of Phoenix City (Alabama) Daily Photo posted about a Fresh Market that opened in her area. As you know, Fresh Market is a Greensboro Company!! So much to be thankful in this blogging world.

 

D.H. Griffin: On Top of the World

D.H. Griffin, the USA's third largest wrecking company, has the contract to tear down Newman Machine Company. Here we see a photo of one of their machines, high on a hill, on site at the Spring Garden/Fulton Street job in Greensboro. Locally owned D.H. Griffin was also also the company that dismantled the debris left behind after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in NYC. Every September, nearly a decade later, D.H. Griffin's employees still pause to reflect on that terrible tragedy.

The business got its start when D.H. was working on the assembly line at Lorillard Tobacco Company. In 1959, he bought an old church with $600 borrowed from his father-in-law. He built a house from what he salvaged from the church. A city inspector suggested to DH that he get a license so that he could earn $1,700 tearing down an apartment complex. That he did, and the rest is history. The Griffins have been recycling before most of America knew what recycling was! (info obtained here. Read more of their GREAT story). Today, local artists traipse the Griffin's 40-acre scrap yard on Hilltop Road to find material for making sculptures. Some of last year's cars traded in the federal "cash for clunker's" program have found a new life as art projects, by way of D.H. Griffin's scrap-yard.

This is today's contribution to Mellow Yellow Monday, where everyone starts the week with a fresh burst of YELLOW!