Greensboro Daily Photo

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church

Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church has been patiently enduring the road construction at the corner of New Garden and Jefferson Roads for a very long time. With the widening and straightening, hopefully it will soon be easier to traverse New Garden Road. St. Barnabas is tucked away from the road on a wooded lot off of Jefferson Road, beside Bryan Boulevard. 

The first service of the congregation that eventually evolved into St. Barnabas was held in Guilford Elementary School in 1967. Ninety-one people attended. In 1968, the fifteen acres on Jefferson Road were purchased and became the home to St. Barnabas Episcopal. The church, a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion and a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, makes every effort to be inclusive and non-discriminatory. See our year of Sacred Sunday religious posts here. Hey Louis LaVache, this road is looking pretty bridge-y!

 

Newman Machine Company-- RIP

Since 1837, Newman Machine Company, recently operating as Newman-Whitney, manufactured machinery for industrial purposes: textiles, wookworking, composite materials, plastics (read here). On March 25th, 2010, a public auction was held and everything was sold. On April 6, 2010, Greensboro's City Council approved the demolition of the College Hill industrial site to make way for a 219 student-housing apartment project (read here). Many College Hill residents did not welcome this change. However, with the developer agreeing to clean up underground contamination from leaking storage tanks and his commitment to revitalizing the vacant property, council approved the development 8-0. Wrecking company D.H. Griffin got the demolition contract and demolition is in full swing. Seems as if the ocean of buildings were here  yesterday and will be gone tomorrow. Presently, do not cross tape frames the perimeter. The windows glow from sea glass green to antique white as the sun sets literally and figuratively on Newman Machine Company.

We're sharing this with Weekend Reflections where, reflection in some form, is seen in all the photos.

 

Aggieland

Now that North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is back in session, East Greensboro is hopping with activity. Students walking to and from classes with books. A group of guys playing soccer in practice fields.  So many freshmen with hopes of a bright future. Lots of sophomores, juniors, and seniors back to continue their studies. This photo was taken on Market Street where so much has been compressed into this single frame. The graffitied train car is crossing on the old trestle above Market Street at North Church. Can't you almost hear it chug, chug, chugging by? The Aggieland smoke stack is in the center of the sky. The vertical letters promote Aggie Pride.

We've just got to share this with Skywatch Friday! Have a great weekend folks!

 

220 NORTH-- Battleground Avenue

Recently, a passenger in our car commented about a new sign in Irving Park where Lawndale, Battleground, and Westover Terrace converge. Do you notice anything different about this sign? Well, if you are a typography aficionado, you will notice the font right away. Traditionally, the Federal Highway Administrations fonts have been sans-serif (see here). The US Federal Government and Pentagon have been in the business of highway fonts since the early 1940's. Lately, serifs, or the "semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols" have been creeping into road signs. Historically, consensus has been that plainer fonts are easier to read, especially when zooming down the highway. Personally, we did find the "new and improved" font in the sign above a little harder to read. How about you? 

There are lots of websites where you can identify fonts, if you like the "name that font" game. When we went to identafont, the font above looks like impressum. If you're loving this font talk, likely you've seen the 2007 movie, entitled, HELVETICA.

 

"F" is for Fordham's

Here we see a photo of all that remains of Fordham's Drug Store on Elm Street-- the façade. As indicated by the lettering on the window, Fordham's opened in 1898. Unfortunately, it closed in 2002. The building is one of the classic, Italianate brick stores so popular in America's towns in the late 1800's. At one time, doctors' offices were located above Fordham's. You could visit the doc and head downstairs to purchase a remedy for whatever 'ailed ya'!

 Here is a link to the city's website that tells how customers could know if drinking alcohol were available for purchase during prohibition (click here). In the early years, short story writer O.Henry worked here as a soda jerk. Another soda jerk from the early years was Charlie Sharpe. Charlie's son Chip donated his dad's house to the non-profit share-a-home of Guilford County. Earlier this year, Jim Schlosser wrote an article on the Sharpe house called A house full of memories. If you like Greensboro history, the article is well worth reading!

It is time for ABC Wednesday and "F" is for Fordham's!

 

Ready to Serve

These busses, parked at Grimsley High School, are cleaned, serviced, and ready to transport the students of Guilford County Schools in less than 24 hours! Our hats are off to those bus drivers who work so diligently to keep children safe. Grimsley High School is about to start its 111th year of teaching students. When Grimsley first opened students mostly walked to school. Now, if they aren't driving themselves to school, many of them take Thomas Built busses, built in our very own HIgh Point, NC.

Please allow time for school traffic when commuting and always, always, wait until the children are safe and the red stop sign is no longer out!

 

Sun Tea

A fun, practical summer activity is making sun tea. However, drinking sun tea can come with some risks if there are bad bacteria in the water. Above, we are using a glass pitcher to make sun tea because our old, glass container-- specifically designed for brewing sun tea-- broke. When we went the big box store, we learned that today's sun tea containers are only available in plastic. While plastic is safer than glass around children, we were concerned that it could be unhealthy to drink tea brewed in plastic in direct sunlight. The average summer temperature in Greensboro is in the mid/high 80's and we were well above average this summer; so, we must confess, much sun tea was brewed and consumed at the Greensboro Daily Photo household with no known gastrointestinal issues!

Tea is ahead of coffee and second only to water with respect to beverage of choice around the world. Tea plant's scientific classification is camellia sinensis. Regardless of whether tea is white, green, black, or oolong, the leaves were harvested from camellia sinensis. No matter how you make it or drink it, tea is a pleasing beverage that is popular worldwide.

We're sneaking into Mellow Yellow Monday with that singular YELLOW millefiori decoration on the pitcher. Oh, a couple of tomatoes and marigolds on the left margin are approaching yellow!
 

Sun Setting on Summer

Seeing the sun set to the west of Mt. Pisgah Methodist Church reminds us that sun is also setting on summer for students in the Guilford County Schools. Students on the traditional calendar begin their 180 day count on Wednesday. Sundown today closes the last weekend of summer vacation.

Mt. Pisgah Church, featured in the above photo, is 165 years old, with records dating back to 1845-- well before the Civil War. It located at the corner of Battleground Avenue and Pisgah Church Road. The present location is 1/2 mile west of the original location; the building has changed more than once; the congregation merged with Bethel United Methodist Church; and, above all, the congregation has grown. Just as the sun is always setting somewhere in the world, conversely, it is always sunrise somewhere. Let's look at the beginning of school year as a sunrise, the dawn, of a new school year! Even if you don't have school-aged children, please remember to re-link your grocery store cards to a school community that you support.

 

Replacements, LTD

Replacements, LTD was founded in Greensboro in 1981 by Bob Page. He turned his attic collection into an extensive showroom between Greensboro and Burlington. According to their website, the company has the world's largest selection of old and new dinnerware including china, glassware, and crystal-- over 300,000 patterns. Here, we see the wall of plates, where you can stroll and identify patterns or select a new one to collect. For example, the pattern on the top row on the left, with the green leaves (just behind the blue plate), is known as  'tobacco leaf' and the blue one is 'Canton.' Mr. Page is proof positive that if you are passionate about what you do and are good at it, you can build an empire. His company is known for its people and pet friendly policies. Their motto states: We replace the irreplaceable.

This is our contribution to Weekend Reflection. If you look closely, you can see me taking this photo!

 

Take Me Home......Country Roads

This rural scene, once common all over Guilford County, is getting a little harder to find these days. Over the last ten years, Greensboro's population has increased 29% and with that population increase, we are losing farmland. The above farm is actually out of town, Near Oak Ridge on Route 150. The majestic oak, barn, tin roof and rolled hay look so nice together. It is Friday and we'd like to say we're heading out of town. However, locals will recognize that this is actually a scene leading INTO Greensboro.

We're sharing this with Sky Watch Friday, a meme where people all over the world share a photo of the sky above. We found a great website where where you can identify hues of blue. We're labeling today's sky Maya Blue. It's not exact but it is close! If you posted a Sky Watch, what color is your sky? Check here!

 

Red Oak Brewing Facility

The Red Oak Brewing Facility is located off of I-85/I-40 Between Greensboro and Burlington on Konica Drive, up the road from ZINK. This home-grown Greensboro business has an interesting history. Red Oak Brew Pub was a dream realized by a young student who spent a year abroad in Switzerland and developed a liking for Bavarian style lagers. Red Oak has been in several establishments from the Guilford College area to Spring Garden Street near UNCG. The brewery's website traces the origins back to Franklin's off Friendly 1979.  Most recently, in 2007, the above facility was opened. It has expanded the company's capacity for brewing lager. After much research, state-of-the-art equipment was imported from Bavaria. The brewery follows strict guidelines for brewing so that they can boast, "the Freshest, Purest, Bavarian Lagers in America. So, if you see a Read Oak, know that its origins are in Greensboro, North Carolina.(Read more here). 

We were impressed that to access their website the reader must know whether or not the following is a true statement: You must be at least 21 to enjoy Red Oak Beers (YES   NO) Try it!!!

"E" is for Entrance (& Exit)

This is a view of the entrance to Greensboro's Historical Museum, quite a feast of color and geometry. The banners that fade from red to yellow all have a different important date in Greensboro's history. The museum presents history in such a visually appealing way. We know we've featured it several times before, but not this exact view. We never tire of sharing community resources that are educational and FREE. If you haven't gone since the renovation, hop in the car and see for yourself how wonderful it is. See how quickly you can find this exact view (and this view; and this view; and this view; and this view!)

This is our contribution to ABC Wednesday "E" is for "entrance/exit" Read here to see more E's from around the world!!

 

Journeys by Frank Russell

The artwork above, Journeys, was created by local Greensboro artist Frank Russell. The "found objects" sculpture was installed fall 2009 at Carolina Pediatrics. The Greensboro medical community does a wonderful job of supporting local artists. This four piece treasure incorporates a brass horn, a violin, a diploma, and so much more with a sign that says it is OK to touch CAREFULLY! How wonder for children to see such creativity and learn about recycling, upcycling, repurposing and fine art as soon as they are old enough to talk! 

Frank Russell is a well-rounded artist who has gained international attention, especially for his "found objects" pieces. Many of these pieces are related to sea life and can be seen here. Frank can take old violin parts, guitar tuning pegs, fruitcake tins, bicycle horns, you-name-it and turn them into sea turtles, lobsters, and sharks faster than you can get them in the recycling bin! We seem to remember Frank commenting that, frequently,  people drive by his house and leave scraps on his porch for him to transform! And transform, he does. Hats off to Frank Russell for his creativity and to Carolina Pediatrics for bring art into the lives of children!

Today, we're sharing this with our Ruby Tuesday friends who celebrate red every Tuesday!

 

Bloomin' Kudzu

Kudzu, nicknamed, "the vine that ate the south," is in full bloom now in Greensboro. Kudzu comes by this nickname honestly as it is a menacing vine that takes over everything in its path and can regenerate years after you think it is gone. In 1876, the vine was introduced to the USA from Japan. It is a member of the legume family, a relative to the pea with fuzzy pea pods. Kudzu can be used to feed livestock; to make soap, lotions, jelly, and compost. The starch from the root can be eaten. In Vietnam, it is used as a summer drink. In Japan, kudzu tea is known as 'kuzuyu." The Chinese consider it one of the fifty fundamental herbs. Harvard Medical School is actually investigating the possibility of controlling alcoholic cravings with kudzu. If Outback Steak House can serve a blooming onion, perhaps Bloomin' Kudzu can have its debut at the North Carolina State Fair. Regardless, we're still bundling it and kicking it to the curb for yard-waste day!  

After spending the afternoon removing kudzu in our back yard, and since it hasn't made us rich yet, we figured we might as well get a Mellow Yellow Monday photo out of our effort!  Wikipedia has lots of interesting kudzu information, much of which we posted above and more is available  (here). Post your 101 uses for kudzu idea here!  -->  -->  -->

 

Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church

Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church is located at the corner of Burlington Road (East Wendover/US 70) and Mt. Hope Church Road. The church is located in McLeansville and was the inspiration for Helen Paisley Sockwell's book entitled, Life, Lore & Legend of McLeansville (published 2009). Sockwell, a retired English teacher, and yearbook editor, from Eastern Guilford High School expanded the project from a church history to a history of the town. Last winter, the News & Record published an interesting article on the project (here). We own the book and can assure you that Mrs. Sockwell is a great inspiration to anyone who hopes to publish information about their community! She is quite the archivist!

The church itself is very typical of rural churches is America. As evidenced by the on-site playground and cemetery, for members, it is the cornerstone, anchor, and hub of activity from cradle to grave. We're betting Mrs. Sockwell has a lot reserved and we're hoping she doesn't have to use it for a VERY LONG time!

Today, our Catholic friends around the world are celebrating the feast day of the Assumption of Mary.

 

Fishing at Country Park

Country Park is located behind the Natural Science Center and at the back end of the parking lot with Spencer Love Tennis Courts. Established in 1934, Country Park is the first park in Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department. Here, we see a family fishing in one of two fishing lakes found on the park's property. Many special events take place in this park. We love to attend Pow-Wow  there in the fall. This year, Pow-Wow will be help September 17-19. The event is a photographer's dream come true! If you are local and are looking for some green space, picnic shelter, place to walk your dog, etc, Country Park is wonderful. We featured another monochrome in this park last March (here).

The trees reflecting in the water leave a white space that looks like our neighboring state to the north, Virginia. It is as if the people are sitting on the VA/NC line! We're sharing this with Weekend Reflection and Weekend in Black and White.

 

Pomona Park

In the previous century, Pomona had a lot more identity as a separate community than it does today. Located between the Highland Park community and Spring Garden Street, Pomona boasted a ceramic tile factory and a cotton mill. As with much of the industrial, manufacturing side of Guilford County, Pomona has been repurposed. Gone are the mill and tile factory. Here are businesses, fast food restaurants, small offices, and rental properties. The photo above was taken at Spring Garden Street at the edge of Pomona Park. The lack of color in the bottom half of the photo, against the intense blue sky, adds elegance to the area. We're sharing this with our friends from Skywatch Friday. Have a great weekend folks!!!

 

The Isley House

Sorry we're a little late in posting but our Internet service was out during last night's thunderstorm. Technical difficulties, for sure! Most thunderstorms are usually an hour or less. In our end of the county, we saw lightning and it rained for at least four hours! Now, back to the post...... If you are local, before reading, see if you can guess where this log cabin is located.

This log house is located downtown on the property of the historical museum next to the Central Library and across from the Greensboro Children's Museum on busy Church Street. From this view, all is tranquil. The Isleys, German immigrants, moved to Greensboro from Pennsylvania in 1788. They settled in the eastern part of Guilford County on Bethel Church Road. In 1972, the log house was moved from its original location when the historical museum took it apart and reassembled it here. If you are a real history buff, Christian Isley's estate records, dating back to 1845, the time of his death, can be found here. To us, the photo is the calm after the storm. 

 

"D" is for Dog Days

"Dog days" are the hottest days of summer. In our part of the world, the southeastern United States, August is prime time for dog days. People say that wounds take longer to heal and infection is more likely during this time when the air is sultry and stagnant. According to Wikipedia, "Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time 'when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies' according to Brady's Clavis Calendarium, 1813." In Greensboro, yesterday was one of the DOGGONE hottest, muggiest days yet. Maybe there is something to those dog days! 

In the photo above, these dogs, getting acquainted at a recent Dog Walk, don't seem a bit concerned! Perhaps the beautiful canines (Sirius and Sirisita) are planning to meet at Greensboro's Bark Park, quite a popular canine destination! 

For ABC Wednesday, "D" is for "Dog Days."

 

Take Me Out To the Ball Game

The Greensboro Grasshoppers are at home tonight everybody! Let's all buy a ticket and head to town. For those of you from elsewhere, we have a Class A team that plays in the South Atlantic League. Since 2003, the Grasshoppers have been a farm team for the Florida Marlins. Our stadium was built in 2005 and it seats 7,499 fans. Our baseball team has had several nicknames (Patriots, Hornets, Bats, and now, Grasshoppers). According to Wikipedia, the team first played at Cone Park on the property of Cone Mills. Then it moved to War Memorial Stadium; now, the team plays in NewBridge Bank Park (seen above) at 408 Bellemeade Street. You can follow them (here) on Facebook!

Greensboro's baseball history is actually pretty interesting and available on Wikipedia where we found most of this information! This is our entry for Ruby Tuesday. In case the brick isn't red enough, the lady in the bulls eye red shirt in the center of the photo has us covered!

 

Maestro

Every once in a while, we like to feature vanity tags, those license plates where drivers wear their heart on their bumper. We noticed MAESTRO and wanted to get to the bottom of the Maestro-bug-mobile. As it turns out, the car belongs to the owner of Maestro Barbershop (Hair Studio) in Kernersville. The vanity tag is not for vanity but in remembrance of the original 'maestro,' a hair stylist in Belgrade. According to the website, Belgrade's maestro valued customers and always expressed his appreciation for their support. Maestro (of Belgrade) passed away in 1998 but he is remembered as the mentor of a barber/stylist, not far from the Guilford County line, who now calls North Carolina home. Maestro of NC has a great slide show of his friend. Today, we salute North Carolina's MAESTRO and, if you follow all of his slide shows, may see people you recognize. 

This photo kicks off the week with Mellow Yellow Monday.

 

At Wendy's Request

At Greensboro Daily Photo, we get lots of lookers but not many requests. When Wendy L. asked for us to show the five panels of stained glass on the left of the sanctuary, with great pleasure we obliged! Remember, we showed the other five panels last week (here). Now the tour of stained glass is complete.

 

Crepe Myrtle

Crepe myrtle, also known as lagerstroemia, is abundant in North Carolina this time of year. The plant can be bush- or tree-like, depending on the owner's pruning. The flowers are crinkled, or crepe paper-like, hence the name crepe myrtle. In photos, they are beautiful;  on the tree, they are even prettier. However, when they fall off in your yard,  they can be as annoying as confetti on a wet day! Here we see our car just covered with the droppings after a rain.

Crepe myrtle has been cultivated in the US for over 200 years when the plant was first planted in Charleston, South Carolina. There are a number of cultivars and most do well, even in the heat of summer. In North Carolina people are inclined to prune crepe myrtles aggressively, sometimes leaving stubby trunks that are several inches thick. Although not recommended, plants usually rebound. Seeing that reflection on the car trunk qualifies us to participate in Weekend Reflection where it is all about the-- reflection.

Highland Park: Spanish Revival

 

This stucco house is located at the corner of United and Yale Streets in the Highland Park neighborhood of Greensboro. It was built around 1925 in the Spanish Mission Style and is featured in a 1976 booklet entitled: An Inventory of HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE Greensboro, Inc.. Not many stucco structures were built in Greensboro in the 1920's so this house is significant.  The palm trees are a great match!

At the center of Highland Park, just down the street from this house, is a small park with playground equipment. Another interesting fact about Highland Park is that many of the streets in the neighborhood are named after ivy league universities: Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. We'd love to know the story behind the "ivy" names as well as the original owner of this house. Highland Park is bordered by West Market Street and Wendover Avenue, just west of Holden Road. 

This is our contribution to Skywatch Friday where people from all over the world will drop by to see the sky above Greensboro today and will share the slice of blue in their town.

 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Lantana

Butterflies seem to love lantana. Here we see a female eastern tiger swallowtail enjoying a meal. You can tell it is a female because of the blue around the bottom of the lower set of wings. Female tiger swallowtails can also be black. This is the first time we got close enough to notice that the bodies are striped too. Lantana and tiger swallowtails both do exceptionally well in Greensboro. We planted lantana because the flowers turn into dark purple balls which eventually look rather silver. They add great visual interest to the garden and keep humans, AND butterflies, interested in them all summer long. Butterflies have contributed significantly to pollinating  our garden this year.

 

C is for Community College-- GTCC

This is the Guilford Technical Community College, the East Wendover Campus. It was founded in 1958 as the Guilford Industrial Education Center. In its inception, the education center served mainly to train people for the technical & manufacturing jobs in our county. Today, GTCC still trains people for the job market; however, they have expanded to offer "93 degrees, 26 diplomas, and 78 certificates" (GTCC Website). GTCC has a great culinary program and offers several classes in Spanish as well as English for Speakers of other Language. The East Wendover Campus is one of three campuses and two centers. We've already featured the Davis Aviation Center. 

This is our post for ABC Wednesday. "C" is for "community college" and boy do we have a great one.

 

 

The Home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Bryan

The above home is where Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Bryan lived in Irving Park on Sunset Drive on the Southeast Corner of Cleburne Street. Mr. Bryan was one of Greensboro's most well known and revered businessmen who was extremely civic minded and financially generous to the community. After his wife, the former Kathleen M. Price, lost her battle with Alzheimer's Disease in 1985, Mr. Bryan lived in the house for ten more years, until his death in 1995. In 1996, renovations were made and UNCG's Chancellor Patricia Sullivan moved into the residence.  Mr. Bryan designated his home for that purpose. The Bryan name features prominently in Greensboro: Bryan Boulevard, Bryan Park, and, most recently, The Bryan Foundation Gallery in the Historical Museum are named for him. 

The Joseph M. Bryan papers are archived at UNCG where 50 linear feet of material is available. Not only details of his business history but also family history right down to details like his communication with artist Marcus Blahove who painted Bryan's portrait.

This is our contribution to Ruby Tuesday, hopefully brick red is red enough to qualify!

 

 

West Lee St. Tire & Automotive: Vintage Chevrolet

Here we see a mid-1950's vintage Chevrolet parked at West Lee Street Tire & Automotive. Even better, we're standing in the parking lot of Beef Burger  being totally transported back to mid-20th century America! Bet the owners of this car enjoy driving around town because it commands attention. If the folks at the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America don't know about this canary yellow beauty, they need to! If you are a vintage Chevrolet fan, you will appreciate this Chevy video advertisement from 1950. Watch it (here) and you will be convinced that Chevrolet's are the best vehicles in America! If a 1950's voice exists, this announcer has it! If the service at Lee Street Tire and Automotive is anything like this video, we're wheeling it today!

This section of West Lee Street still has so much character and is a photographer's dream. It is near the Army Navy Surplus Store, the Carolina Tattoo Company, and the Little Sprinkle Gas Station. Today, we're posting this photo over at Mellow Yellow Monday so that the world can enjoy this bit of nostalgia.

 

Beth David Synagogue: Stained Glass

As you may already know, Greensboro Daily Photo (in North Carolina-- some people ask) is a member of the City Daily Photo Community. The first day of every month is theme day with the CDP community and August's theme is Bright Colors. Since we also like to post something related to religion on Sundays, these stained glass windows at Beth David Synagogue were perfect for both themes! This picture was taken during our photo shoot last week when we also took this photo. There are at least ten of these panels in the sanctuary. Each window has great symbolism in the Jewish faith. Having a few minutes of repose in this colorful, sacred place is something we will remember for a long time.

Regarding City Daily Photo's Theme Day, Click here to view thumbnails for all participants. Not everybody participates in theme day but there are almost 1,500 City Daily Photo sites now. About 300 existed when we started two years ago.

Have you Seen (Heard) the VOICES OF A CITY?

Run, don't walk, to The Greensboro Historical Museum to see the new Voices of a City exhibit. There is no entrance fee and the visit is worth every dollar of your time. The above photo was taken in the first hallway at the beginning of the exhibit. And so begins the museum's informational and visual feast, in the Ben and Eugenia Bowers Gallery. Ben was editor of the Greensboro News & Record; both were involved community members. 

Every person, place, and event on this entrance wall has contributed significantly to the fabric of life in our city. While in the room, it is fun to try to see how many people and places you recognize before referring to the laminated charts provided.

 

Zinnias in Cobalt Blue Vase

We started the week with okra and are ending it with zinnias. Zinnias are originally from the American Southwest, South America and Mexico. The brightly colored tissue paper flowers in Mexico are inspired by zinnias. There are over 100 cultivars produced today. Summer is such a kaleidoscope of color in North Carolina and zinnias are very sun and heat tolerant. They grow well in Greensboro; plus, butterflies love them. The genus gets its name from the 18th century German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn.

Here, we've pulled two zinnias from our yard and put them in a cobalt (a la Vicks VapoRub) blue bottle against the Carolina blue sky. We hope you enjoy this little snapshot of flora in our neck of the woods.This photo is posted on Sky Watch Friday where hundreds of people worldwide share a slice of the sky in their town.

 

Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum

Charlotte Hawkins Brown was a native North Carolinian who opened the Alice Freeman Palmer Memorial Institute in 1902 in Sedalia, just east of Greensboro. After 69 years of operation, this co-educational preparatory school for African Americans closed in 1971 but is now a state historic site. Dr. Brown's educational philosophy encompassed a "Triangle of Achievement." Students in her program were mentored to be "religiously sincere, culturally secure, and academically efficient."  Teachers at the Palmer Institute were available to students 24-hours a day. Teachers ate with students, played sports with students, took them to cultural events, traveled with them, tutored them in study halls in the evening and, still, were enthusiastically prepared to teach bright and early in the morning.

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum is North Carolina's first state historic site honoring the contributions of its African American citizens. The visitor's center is open Monday-Saturday from 9-5. Additionally, it is possible to participate a walking tour of some of the property. However, the campus is being renovated and much of it is under construction. The work should be finished in October 2010. This is a "must see" historic site. If you visit, take time to watch the 12 minute video. It really helps you appreciate Dr. Brown's indelible mark on the education of African Americans in North Carolina at a time when segregation kept many doors closed. Dr. Brown is an inspiration to us all. 

 

B -- Boating on Belews Lake

We've featured boating on Belews Lake before. However, with the hot weather we've been having in Greensboro lately, a photo of a nearby lake was long overdue. Belews Lake was created in 1973 by Duke Energy for the purpose of providing water to cool their coal-fired power plant. At one time the water was contaminated by selenium. However the fish consumption advisory was lifted ten years ago and the lake is no longer considered dangerous. 

The black circle on the edge of the photo is from a lens cover to protect from sun flare got. It got in the way!  We like the effect if the boat appearing to exit a tunnel. Our goal is to post a picture every week on ABC Wednesday and "B" is for Belews and boating! Hey, this works for Watery Wednesday, too!

 

 

Midway Diner

The Midway Diner is located in Sedalia half way between Greensboro and Burlington on East Wendover (US 70). This photo makes the wooden rail car, built at the turn of the PREVIOUS century, look like it is in a secluded, wooded setting. In actuality, the defunct diner is a stone's throw from the bustling Rock Creek Dairy Road and Stoney Creek Crossing. This architecturally significant wooden rail car has been sitting in the present location since 1937 and, in its diner days, attracted customers from all over. They served hot dogs, pimento cheese sandwiches and other diner fare. It is rumored that Elvis Presley dined here. Greensboro's cultural historian Jim Schlosser featured a great article about the diner in the News and Record this past March.

We're sharing this with Ruby Tuesday where photos with at least a touch of red get shared with the world. (The diner looks redder in real life).

 

Growing Okra

Here we see two okra blossoms. Don't they look like perennials growing in a the flower garden? Okra is a relative of the hibiscus family (along with cotton and cocoa). As we just learned (here), okra is a fruit!  The blossoms are bright white with maroon centers (hard to photograph in the strong mid-day sun). Above the flower on the left is a baby okra in the making. The interesting thing about growing okra is that you once you harvest a pod or cluster of pods, no new pods will form below. You might as well just cut off the lower leaves and save the energy for the part of the plant that is stretching out to the sun and still bearing fruit. 

We've had a few nice servings of okra so far from our Greensboro garden and have discovered that it is delicious steamed. In the south, most people put it in gumbo or bread and fry it. If you like okra, try steaming it for a heart-healthy alternative. Okra is one of those foods that either you HATE or you LOVE. Kind of hard to be on the fence with its unique texture, flavor, and those seeds. This would be a great plant for a flower bed for people who try to plant as much edible as possible. The leaves are very ornamental, the flowers pretty, and, in the end, and edible fruit is your reward.

 

Tackling Religion

Today is Sunday, the day we try to present a fresh look at religion in Greensboro.  We've featured Friendly Baptist Church before (here); however, what we didn't mention is that it is a dynamic church with meetings, events, and practices of some sort daily. The church is alive with activity well beyond the direct preaching from the pulpit. Here we see a football team practicing on the church lawn on a very hot afternoon. Just after this sprint back to the church, the coach instructed the guys to take off their helmets and get water. He knew their limits. Two other teams were practicing in different corners of the grounds. This is a very common practice in the United States.

First we took a picture of the guys running toward the camera but decided that the message of running in the direction of the church was more powerful: Tackling religion. It is, after all, not always an easy topic to broach and we couldn't resist the play on words. Other than reading this blog, how are you spending your Sunday?
 

Vicks VapoRub

Well, it is high time we feature the Richardson family and make sure the world knows that Vicks VapoRub was first compounded in Greensboro (see sign above) in the late 1800's. In 1912 the menthol salve got renamed Vicks VapoRub. The flu pandemic of 1918 really made Richardson's product a household name as it was the most popular croup/cold/flu remedy at the time. Sales of the inhaled breathing treatment soared from $900,000 to $2.5 million in that year. While Proctor and Gamble bought Richardson-Vicks, Inc. in 1985, we are proud to say that America's #1 inhaled breathing treatment got its start in Greensboro, North Carolina. There aren't many commercial products around today that were thriving 100 years ago: VapoRub is one of the elite! If you want to learn more about the history of Vicks VapoRub, go to the 100 year interactive timeline here! (Click on the pictures of the produces and information pops up). If you want to learn more about Mr. Richardson, read this article archived at the North Carolina Museum of History. The article is called, "The Man Who Helped the World Breathe Easier."

We made sure to get a slice of sky in the background so that we could share today's post with the world on SkyWatch Friday! We tried to capture the sky on a night when it was close to the color of VapoRub's cobalt blue jar.

 

Willie Wonka Day!

All is quiet on the set of Willie Wonka, the Musical at Grimsley High School. However, at 10 am TODAY and various times this weekend, the stage will come alive with oompa loompas, snotty kids, a bed full of grandparents, and one brilliant chocolate factory owner! If you are interested in attending, check here for details. 

This production is a collaborative effort between The Community Theater of Greensboro and The Guilford County Schools. Willy Wonka is played by Brian Kilpatrick who is a parent-volunteer at Peck Elementary. All the students and cast members are affiliated with the Guilford County Schools. The Community Theater of Greensboro provides the leadership, including being directed by CTG's Executive Director Mitchell Sommers. The Tanger and Bryan Foundations are sponsoring this school/community partnership. This is a family-friendly summer activity for all to enjoy!

Hope to see you there!

 

A is for Aviation-- T.H. Davis GTCC Aviation Center

Forgive the gloomy photo, taken in the dead of winter but it's high time to feature the T.H. Davis- GTCC Aviation Center. Today, we're participating in Round 7 of ABC Wednesday and this week's letter is A. A is for 'aviation.' People from all over the world are sharing their 'letter A' photos through Denise Nesbitt's meme. The aviation center is deserving of this international visibility.

The 36,000 square ft. training center is located at Piedmont Triad International Airport. According to their website, the center's maintenance school offers "a Federal Aviation certified Airframe and Powerplant curriculum, with Associate Degree, Diploma or Certificate options." They graduate approximately sixty A&P certified students a year. GTCC has an articulation/partnership agreement with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, allowing students to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics without having to leave the Greensboro area. This spring, we met a young man who was enrolled in this program and he loved it. Perhaps you know someone who would be a good fit for this fabulous, highly-competitive program. 

The center is named for Thomas H. Davis who founded Piedmont Aviation, Inc.  Click here to read more about the accomplished Mr. Davis and it will become clear why the aviation center is named in his honor. Mr. Davis died eleven years ago at the age of eighty one.

 

 

Triad Stage

Here we are in the lobby at Triad Stage, at the will-call window, on the inside looking out. This theater has fantastic productions of not only tried and true plays but also original plays. The most recent one that we attended, Providence Gap, was yet another collaborative effort between Preston Lane and Laurelyn Dossett. 

Triad Stage has an interesting history. The 300-seat theater opened on Elm Street in 1999 in the former Montgomery Ward building which had been vacant for almost forty years. Triad Stage is now in its tenth anniversary season. If you are interested in learning more about Triad Stage or even becoming a season ticket holder, you can access their website here. They have contributed significantly to the revitalization of downtown Greensboro.

We are thrilled to share this photo with our friends at Ruby Tuesday who love to see red on Tuesdays!