Greensboro Daily Photo

Metal Man and Renaissance Man at Adelaide's

In today's photo, we see the Metal Man, sitting in his truck bed, making a visit to Adelaide's Vintage Home and Garden on Spring Garden Street. He works tirelessly finding, buying, and selling treasures that the original owners no longer want. Many days, he has scrap metal for D.H. Griffin; other days, he has antiques and old furniture. He's been working to diversify his business and to determine the needs of his market. He dreams of a new truck and making it big!  To the left, Antonio, Renaissance Man, tries to determine what they might have room for inside the store.

This is the perfect segue to mention that this is a busy weekend for Greensboro. Remember, the Liberty Antique's Festival continues today. Also, at the Central Library, Children's Book Day is in full swing. If you are local, please get out and enjoy everything that Greensboro has to offer. We're sharing today's post with Weekend Reflections.

Winds of Change

"The wind of change is blowing through this continent." This quote is associated with the 1960 speech made by British Prime Minister Harold Macmillian in reference to Britain's intent to grant independence to their territories in Africa. Today, we evoke the quote in reference to the recent tornadoes and damaging winds worldwide.  In the South, Alabama and North Carolina were hit especially hard. Before that, Japan experienced the tsunami and earthquake. It will be a long time before these communities recover. The world is interconnected in this Internet age, and, as Thomas Friedman will be quick to tell you, adversity in one corner of the world affects communities near and far.

As the winds come and go, Greensboro's skies have gone from blue to gray, from filled with cumulonimbus clouds to zero visibility. Here, we share a few of the international flags flying over Uniworld Auto Sales at the corner of Patterson Avenue and Holden Road. Japan's unfurled, red-dot flag stands between the British, French, Italian, and North Carolina flags  to remind us of our interconnectedness.

If you have a chance, visit some of our international friends at Skywatch Friday or the City Daily Photo Community where you can continent-surf without leaving your desktop in Greensboro.

Sun Trust on Benjamin Parkway

Here we see a view of the Sun Trust Building at the corner of Green Valley and Benjamin Parkway. Sun Trust is a financial services institution, based in Atlanta with branches in North Carolina. However, we're posting the photo to show a busy section of Benjamin Parkway. The parkway extends from Battleground Avenue, going over Wendover Avenue, and turning at Bryan Boulevard to Holden Road and back to Battleground again.

The Benjamins were a prominent Greensboro family. Mrs. Benjamin was a Sternberger and connected to the early cotton mill history of Greensboro. Mr Benjamin was a Harvard educated businessman originally from New Orleans. Together, the Benjamins formed the Starmount Company and owned a considerable amount of land in Northwest Greensboro, developing Friendly Shopping Center, the Starmount Country Club and several nice neighborhoods in Northwest Greensboro. If you want to see the old Benjamin homestead, read our older post. It had such sentimental value to the family, the family home got relocated as businesses were built around it. The Benjamins have done so much for the Greensboro community, their name deserves to be remembered for a very long time. 

O is for Olive Street

It is ABC Wednesday and "O" is for Olive Street,  located in historic Fisher Park just east of Elm Street. The residential part of Olive Street stretches between Wendover Avenue and Isabel Street and has 22 homes. North of Wendover, near Moses Cone Hospital, Olive Street has mostly medical offices.

The houses on Olive Street and the surrounding cross streets exude the enthusiasm of the individual residents. For example, many of the Fisher Park families are wild about gardening, with azaleas and irises everywhere. The family in the above home is passionate about the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Not only do they fly a Tarheel flag, their Mercedes-Benz is painted Carolina blue! We North Carolinians take our university loyalty very seriously as exemplified by this Fisher Park family. 

Fisher Park is one of Greensboro's early 20th century neighborhoods. We've featured it several times over the last three years. See one of the neighborhood's most famous homes, here. The First Presbyterian Church is another great Fisher Park landmark. Finally, to view A-N of The Greensboro ABC Street Project visit here. Stop back next week for "P" and feel free to make suggestions for P-Z! 

 

 

Learning to Golf-- and MORE-- at Bur-Mil Park

Fore!!! Greensboro is a great golfing city and we have several affordable options open to the public. Bur-Mil Park is one such option. The young guy in this photo was practicing his putting this past Sunday with his dad and big brother. All were concentrating on perfecting their game at Bur-Mil, located at 5384 Owl's Roost Road in Northwest Greensboro. The 9-hole golf course opened in 1914, almost 100 years ago! Originally, Bur-Mil Park was owned by Burlington Industries and used as their employee club.  Guilford County purchased the 250-acre park for 4.5 million dollars in 1989. In addition to golfing, Bur-Mil has a clubhouse for meetings and events; eight picnic shelters; a family aquatic center; a wildlife education center; summer camps; tennis courts & lessons; hiking and biking trails; access to the city's greenway, and a lake with fishing.

Burlington Industries has been through many changes since being incorporated in 1923. Gone are the days of the corporate office on Friendly Avenue with employees heading to Bur-Mil on the weekends (read the history of Burlington Industries here). However, private industry's loss has been the public's gain. If you are local, please make an effort to visit Bur-Mil. We especially recommend the educational programs facilitated by the Frank Sharp Jr. Wildlife Education Center.

Finding Beauty Where You Least Expect It

In Greensboro, Sunday was glorious. The sun was shining; the air was warm and breezy. Many business were closed; families were together and the streets were noticeably still.  After the Easter services, picnic shelters were filled with large, extended families enjoying a day at the park together. As parents prepared picnic food, children were playing tag and riding bikes. How can you top such a beautiful day? 

Late afternoon, we went for a walk through Fisher Park, happening upon a lovely rose bush. The sun was perfect for photographing its blooms. First, we took pictures of its fresh rosebuds and roses at peak. Then, we noticed the stem above, with just two petals hanging on and a dried center.  L.H. Bailey in his 1925 "Manual of Gardening," reminds us, "The satisfaction of a garden does not depend on the area, nor, happily, on the cost or rarity of the plants. It depends on the temper of the person. One must first seek to love plants and nature, and then to cultivate the happy peace of mind that is satisfied with little" (p. 1).

For our friends at Mellow Yellow Monday, is this rose half alive or half dead?

Happy Easter!

According to their website, the stained glass windows at the West Market Street United Methodist Church (WMSUMC) were purchased at the Columbian Exhibition at the World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois in 1893. The windows were donated to the church as memorials. From this view of the stained glass windows at the WMSUMC, it is easy to reflect on the glory of the season. Christians, worldwide, are celebrating Easter today. Easter is a time of hope, rebirth, renewal, and reflection. We hope you have are in the position to nurture your spiritual self today as well as finding time to enjoy time with family.

We have featured WMSUMC before, as well as the Stations of the Cross related to Christ's life. If you really love stained glass, you might want to read about other stained glass pieces from the 1893 Fair, commemorating the 400th year of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the new world, by seeing more stained glass here and here. 

If you can't get out to an Easter Service today, this video is the next best thing to being there. Unfortunately, we don't have one from Greensboro but this one from Mt. Olive UMC, Arlington, VA is a great representation of the traditions of the holiday. Pay special attention to how the church transforms and oh, the music............ Feel free to open your windows and sing along!

  

 

Liberty Antiques Festival Next Weekend

The Liberty Antiques Festival is this upcoming Friday and Saturday (April 29-30, 2011). The bi-annual event attracts over 400 dealers from at least 25 states. People come from miles around to peruse the stalls on a 100-acre farm in Liberty, NC, just about 30 minutes south of Greensboro. Equally fun will be the miles of yard sales strung along the highway to and from Liberty. Even for people who don't collect anything, the event is a great way to enjoy a little slice of rural North Carolina, to eat BBQ and funnel cakes, and to see what the treasures in your attic might be worth. We've featured this fabulous festival in previous years here, here, and here because we love, love, and love it-- there, there, there! We're doing a little spring cleaning weekend in the hopes of making room for something special.

Additionally, the Antique Car and Tractor Show will be in full swing on Saturday in Downtown Liberty. The more we prepare posts for GDP, the more we realize just how much there is to do in the Greensboro area. While time and money may be constraints; things to do is not!  We picked this photo for today so that we could share it with James and the Weekend Reflections gang. 

Gateway Gardens: Oh Butterfly

 "Butterflies are self-propelled flowers." R.H. Heinlein

"Love is like a butterfly: It goes where it pleases and pleases wherever it goes."   Unknown

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." Hans Christian Anderson

Today, we offer our final view of Gateway Gardens, one of four butterflies hovering high above the ground. In addition to the trees, many of the pieces of artwork are intended to provide shade for visitors. Each butterfly is 4' tall by 6' wide and extends 12' from the ground, attached by a round, steel tubing arm. The coloring comes from acrylic and polycarbonate. See sculptor Erik Beerbower's 2004 drawing of the four butterflies here. The drawing helps you conceptualize how the quartet looks installed in Gateway Gardens. In 2009, we featured Erik's butterflies BEFORE they took flight (here), when they were still back at Erik's Lyndon Street studio. In case you're wondering, all four of the butterfly sculptures have been sold/sponsored at the $50,000 level; so that naming opportunity has been missed. However, many others are still available through Gateway Gardens' main website under donors and opportunities. If you want to see drawings of the rest of the sculptures, enjoy them here.

Let's hope that some of our friends from around the world who visit today through Skywatch Friday or the City Daily Photo community will actually have a chance to visit Greensboro's Gateway Gardens in person. If you author one of the world's city daily photo sites, we'll make every effort to provide you with a personal tour. Just don't all (+/-) 1,500 of you come at once.... or do!

Fruit Seats at Gateway Gardens

Take a seat; rest a while; enjoy the fruits of your labor. For local school children and their families, it is spring break week! Parks are such great public spaces to enjoy on a nice day. Here we see seating at Gateway Gardens that will surely put a smile on your face as you sit back and admire the rest of the garden. The fruit seats are the artwork of local Greensboro artists Ernest and Lois Rich. They also developed many of the other pieces for the park. 

We featured Gateway Gardens on Monday (here) but are showing you a another image because we're so thrilled to have this community resource. Let's hope the people of Greensboro will do as much as they can to support Greensboro Beautiful and Parks and Recreation in their vision for the park. As one example, the visitors' center is not yet built which makes educational outreach, storage, and bathroom breaks a challenge! If you want to see a list of all the artwork as well as the opportunities to donate, look here. Last time we checked, only one of the three fruit/vegetable seats had been "sold." Purchasing a personalized 4x8 inch brick paver ($100), is another way to lend your name to this piece of Greensboro history here. We don't usually solicit; however, when it is for our city, we can't resist!

Don't you expect to see James from Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach to walk by at any minute?

Start your day at Gateway Gardens and then head over to UNCG for their Sustainable Earth Day Celebration from 10:30- 4:00 pm at College Avenue and Faust Park.

N is for Neal Street

Beep, beep! Hello dear readers, it's  ABC Wednesday and, as you know, we're going through the alphabet with a Greensboro street a week. Today, we're offering "N" for Neal Street. Neal Street is located in the Glenwood neighborhood; it starts at Oak Street and continues a half a mile north to Lee Street. Neal Street is typical of Glenwood neighborhood: smaller, fairly well-maintained homes on a quiet street with a mix of both owner-occupied and rental properties. Notice the vintage Ford Thunderbird, parked on the street. As you look down to the end of the street, you can see new student housing for UNCG. 

One cannot mention Neal Street without recognizing the Salvation Army Boy's Club located at 840 Neal. The large, red brick facility, while not visible in the photo, has been in the current location since 1957. However, the Salvation Army has been helping children in Greensboro since the 1930's. See their facebook page here.

Greensboro has 43 streets that start with the letter "N." View A-M streets here.

After the Storm in North Carolina

This weekend, North Carolina experienced its worst storm system in two decades: High winds, and excessive rain, too fast, were the main culprits. For the most part, Greensboro was spared; however, throughout North Carolina, 22 people are dead, 100 injured, and 800 homes need repairing (read WFMY story here). This photo was taken on Saturday at Latham Park and Wendover, just after the waters receded. Earlier, Latham Park was flooded. As bottles, cans, logs, yard debris, and other random items floated by, birds were flying low, from branch to branch, enjoying the fresh air and warm sun. Birds are a symbol of the soul, "flying free of the earth-bound body and seeking the heavens" (reference here), 

This week, as we reflect on the spirit of God's passing over homes during the Jewish Passover and on Jesus' ascending to heaven during Easter, birds hover, swoop, and soar, reminding us there is beauty and hope in a new beginning. Please hold in your hearts those who have lost loved ones and homes this week.

Gateway Gardens and University Research Park

After nearly a decade in the planning, Gateway Gardens is a reality. It is located on 11 acres of land between East Lee and Florida Streets adjacent to Barber Park.  Greensboro Beautiful, the non-profit that brought Greensboro the Bog and Bicentennial Gardens and the Arboretum, brings us Gateway Gardens. They do so, in collaboration with Greensboro's Parks and Recreation Department, as well as with the help of many private citizens. The above entrance from the parking lot is a mere prelude to the colorful, child-friendly space that blends local artwork, especially sculpture, with beautiful flora and walking trails. There is an outdoor classroom as well an many places to sit along the way. We will feature other views on Greensboro Daily Photo this week.

If you look closely at the building in the center of this photo, you will see yet another exciting venture for Greensboro. NCA&T and UNCG, the two North Carolina state universities located in Greensboro, have entered into a joint venture to build Gateway University Research Park. Anticipated to open later this year, the 64 million dollar facility will house the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, one of North Carolina's most exciting 21st century initiatives. For sure, the school will attract students from around the world who are interested in pursuing Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in the nanotechnology fields. In the meantime, with the Gateway Gardens, Gateway University Research Park and Barber Park, East Greensboro will be quite an amazing GATEWAY to the Gate City. If you have about 9 minutes, we highly recommend you watch the video clip put together about the Gateway Gardens project (read/view here). If you are interested in the Gateway Research Park, read/view here. 

St. Stephen United Church of Christ

Open since 1994, St. Stephen United Church of Christ is located between East Lee and Gorrell Streets, not too far from Bennett College. Also nearby is the 6.9 acre city park, Nocho Park, where one can find Levette Ballfield, a playground, a concession stand, and a shelter.  With its roots in Lutheranism, the UCC prides itself in being a pluralistic and diverse denomination (wiki). The constitution of the UCC requires that local churches be given autonomy to generate their own doctrine and worship format. The four main words to describe the generally, theologically liberal religion are: Christian, Reformed, Congregational and Evangelical. According to their website, the precursor denominations to the United Church of Christ had the first African American ordained by a Protestant denomination, Lemuel Haynes, in 1785.

The pastor of this UCC in Greensboro is Eric Griffin, Sr.  Sunday school at the church begins at 8:45 and the main service begins at 11:00. The angular, U-shaped building stands on a small hill, for all to admire, as they approach Greensboro from the east. We offer this photo for our Sunday religion series. We sure wish St. Stephens had their own website to tell us more about the history of their congregation.

Aliens on Elm Street

Greensboro artists Leanne Pizio and Paige Cox have collaborated on an alien art show/sale. Leanne does the pottery and Paige is the fiber artist. Together, they have a fabulously creative collection for sale at Just Be in downtown Greensboro. This assemblage in the window is a small part of their work. Inside, you will find plates, prints, and more. Some creatures look haunting, others a little more Shrek-like. One of our favorite quotes from Leanne's alien- who has just arrived on earth- is, "It's not what I had hoped for." That can have meaning on so many levels. If an alien landed in your back yard, what do you think he/she/it would say?

Just Be-cause we can, we're sharing this post with James at Weekend Reflections. His meme seems just perfect for the weekend. Ponder, reflect, and get a little light bouncing back atcha. If you look closely, you can see the photographer's body attached to the alien head in the middle and the local comedy club, The Idiot Box, in the background.

Off And Running at Northern High

This Skywatch Friday photo was taken at a track meet at Northern High School last week. Students are circling the track against the backdrop of one of Guilford County's newest high schools. Were they adults, we'd say the runners were doing the 'woo-hoo" shuffle celebrating the fact that tax returns don't need to be filed today but on April 18th. 

Northern High opened January 3, 2008 with 2003 bond money at the cost of 14.4 million dollars (Rhino Times). On their website, the Nighthawks list their vision as being, "a learning community that nurtures citizens through wisdom for today, hope for tomorrow, and integrity for a lifetime."  In the spirit of having wisdom for the present, today, April 15th, they are promoting the National Day of Silence to bring attention to anti-LBGT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools (Northern's website).

May the Nighthawks and ALL students have hope for tomorrow and integrity for a lifetime. Imagine, integrity for a lifetime. Have a good weekend, doing your taxes-- or not.

 

Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden

Today we stretch Greensboro's borders a little bit and head a few miles northwest to Kernersville to the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden. The site preparation for the garden, at 315 N. Main Street, has been a work in progress since 2005. The charming, horticultural delight recently opened with great fanfare. If this past Sunday was any indication, the botanical garden will be a dynamic hub of activity where people come to learn, see, and connect to the world of plants and flowers. The board is comprised of local volunteers and business owners, two of whom are members of the Ciener family. Locals will identify the Ciener family name with the Ford dealership in Kernersville. Mr. Ciener died in 1998.

The photo above shows the masterful layout of the pattern garden with plenty of space for visitors to get close to the plants and vantage points to stand back and admire it from afar. Not seen in the photo are the education center and the greenhouse. If you need inspiration for your yard or photography, driving to Kernersville would be well worth your while. After spending the day here, we left with the conclusion that floral prints are the new camouflage.

M is for Morehead Avenue

ABC Wednesday has rolled around once again and "M" is for Morehead Avenue. Morehead splits near Fulton and Spring Garden Streets downtown. This well-maintained, pink, Victorian house is located in College Hill at the south side of Morehead near Fulton Street, just across from what formerly was Newman Machine Company.

The street is named for John Motley Morehead, the 29th Governor of North Carolina.  Some consider him the "father" of modern North Carolina. After his term in office, he returned to his home in Greensboro, the Blandwood Mansion, located very near Morehead Avenue. You may also recognize the name Morehead from the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program. According to The University of North Carolina's website, it is the oldest, most prestigious merit scholarship program in the United States. It was established in 1945, "inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University (and it) provides an undergraduate experience without peer." It is a four-year, four-summer, fully-funded scholarship. 

The letter "M" is popular for street names in Greensboro. Two hundred and ninety seven streets start with the letter "M" and they are spread throughout the city. Mcknight Mill Road has 239 homes; East Montcastle Drive has 274; and, if you consider East and West Market Street together, with 304, it wins for most houses. See some of our Market Street posts (near airport and West Market Street UMC). If you are new to GDP, see the A-L properties here.  Thank you for your visit to GDP today. If you are local, try to visit Morehead Avenue. If you have a child in high school, start investigating the Morehead-Cain!

Ronald McDonald Points the Way

Since we mentioned McDonald's on Saturday and yesterday we featured another larger than life character, today, we bring you Ronald McDonald. Ronald seems to have been inspired by "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe." The photo dates back to January when Ronald and the Giant Shoe wheeled down Martin Luther King Drive for the MLK parade. Maybe McDonald's are quick to support the Greensboro Community because the first McDonald's Restaurant in North Carolina* opened in Greensboro in 1959 on Summit Avenue. Last year, we featured that McDonald's here.

In the above photo, Ronald is pointing to beautiful, thriving downtown Greensboro. He also happens to be pointing in the direction of the street we will feature tomorrow, the "M" in our ABC Wednesday street collection. Do stop back. Finally, we would be remiss if we didn't share this photo with our friends at Ruby Tuesday where they just can't seem to get enough RED!

*thank you for catching this error Roch!

Greensboro Grasshoppers Ready for Season Opener this Friday

Here we see Guilford the Grasshopper (mascot for our minor league baseball team) greeting fans at the corner of N. Elm and Bellemeade Streets, a couple of blocks from the baseball stadium. At the impromptu photo shoot, we learned that Guilford was actually en route to the "Walk to Defeat ALS" at Center City Park last Saturday. Guilford reports that turnout was tremendous this year and fundraising goals were surpassed. Thank you, Greensboro!

After the ALS Walk, Guilford the Grasshopper hopped back to the stadium to get ready for this weekend's baseball games. According to their website (here), the 2011 home opener is this Friday evening and after the game there will be a fireworks show.  Also, to kick off the season, the Grasshoppers have 9 nights of home games in a row at NEWBRIDGE BANK PARK. We have a new, conveniently located stadium with comfortable seating, a nice field, a wide variety of concessions, places to find shade when it is too hot, a playground for energetic children, and much, much more. The club is always offering special events, including fireworks shows. The Greensboro Grasshopper baseball games are great, affordable family fun. With ticket prices ranging from 6-9 dollars, attending a game is less expensive than going to a movie! Attending minor league baseball games is quite a Greensboro tradition and Guilford hopes to see YOU there!

Hail Mary (Ave Maria) on North Church Street

This statue of Mary is found on Church Street near Pisgah Church Road. We have driven past it for years but have never stopped to ask the homeowners about this front-yard shrine. The yard decor dates from a pre-covenant era in Greensboro when people showed more individualism in their yards. This yard is across from what we like to call the world's tiniest house (here) and very near Eternal Life Baptist Church (here). Yard decor can be very polarizing. Let's hope the Virgin Mary brings out the best in neighbors and passers-by.

Some Christian religions place more emphasis on the Virgin Mary than others.  While, likely, the keepers of this shrine are Catholic, today, we offer this Church Slavonic version of the Hail Mary (Ave Maria) prayer: "Theotokos Virgin, rejoice, Mary full of grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art though amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for though hast borne Christ the Saviour, the Deliverer of our souls" (from here). Some of the language of the prayer comes from the Gospel of Luke.

If you want to hear a fabulous version of Ave Maria, listen below to this one by eleven-year old Jackie Evancho from Pittsburgh, PA. Can you believe this perfect, angelic, mature voice comes from a young girl........ Ave Maria was inspired by the woman depicted in the simple plaster statue in the yard above.

 

Could MacCulture Surpass McCulture in Billions Served?

Although the store doesn't open until 9:00 am, here we see a line of nearly two dozen people at 7:45 am Thursday morning in front of the Apple Store at Friendly Center. Every day, people line up early to purchase the second generation I Pad. According to the man in the Carolina sweat shirt, daily, a new shipment arrives and sells out immediately. While Apple hasn't disclosed figures, rumor has it that Apple sold about 2.5 million I-Pads in March alone. Supply constraints are everywhere from Best Buy to online with Apple. This reminds us of the Cabbage Patch doll and UGG boot craze in 1983 and 2003, respectively. 

Greensboro is so fortunate to have an Apple store. Young and old alike flock there to sample 21st century technology. One only has to observe for a few minutes to see how Apple is transforming our relationship with technology. From small children to teenagers to adults, access to information, entertainment, and one's social network is a mere fingertip away. Perhaps someday, the Apple stores will get a sign like McDonald's stating how many billions have been served. In the meantime, the man at the back of the line gets the patron/patron award for being both an Macintosh/Apple and McDonald's aficionado.

We're sharing this photo with our friends over at Weekend Reflection. Click "like" if you are reading this on a touch screen.

Hyacinth and Daffodil Friday

Well, the weekend is upon us again. Time to turn to Go Triad to figure out how to enjoy it. There are so many things to do and photograph in our community. For sure, we will stop by the Craftsmen's Classic at the Greensboro Coliseum. We hope to attend: LUNAFEST (short films for women by women); Community Day at the Weatherspoon Art Gallery; the Historical Museum's exhibit of Jewish life in North Carolina; the  Greensboro Symphony's POPS Concert; or a live play-- or two. How will we ever decide?

If you are local, we hope you find some time to head out and smell the hyacinth (they are at peak), listen to the frogs, and admire the sky. This Skywatch Friday view is found in Northwest Greensboro not too far from Lake Higgins. We like the way the flowers are so lush while the trees are in their pre-leaf stage. Did you know that there is a leaf-out study? Go here to follow what leaves have emerged and where. If you have any suggestions for the weekend, please let us know. If we can't attend, surely some of our readers can.

Spring Baseball at War Memorial Stadium

What would spring be without baseball? Here we see a baseball team about to enter World War (One) Memorial Stadium. The stadium was built in 1926 and was semi-retired in 2004 (read more on this previous GDP post). War Memorial Stadium is located at 501 Yanceville St. across from the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market in the Aycock Historic District. The stadium started out as a football field but soon was refitted as a baseball field. The triple arched entrance was featured in the 1988 movie, Bull Durham. If you look closely, on the outer edges of the archways, you will see two bronze plaques. They list the name of those who died fighting in WWI.

While the Greensboro Bats have flown this belfry and morphed into Grasshoppers, Greensboro College and NC A&T University still use the stadium for their games. Last night was senior night for Greensboro College, the last home game of their season. The NCA&T Aggies have games there this Saturday and Sunday (see NCA&T's baseball schedule here). If you are a photographer, here's your opportunity to take some great baseball photos in a vintage stadium.

L is for Lakeview Street

Today is ABC Wednesday and "L" is for Lakeview Street, a small street with only seven houses in the Westerwood neighborhood of Greensboro. Developed in the 1920's, Westerwood was one of Greensboro's first planned neighborhoods. The tree-lined streets have many charming details: sidewalks, granite curbs, and well-thought-out landscaping. Alleyways  were built to accommodate home deliveries of coal, milk, and ice. The bungalows and homes in Westerwood have unique character and architectural details like the roof in the photo above. The close proximity to Greensboro College and the downtown business district add to Westerwood's charm.

Yesterday, we were driving around Westerwood to assess the damage from the windstorm the night before. On nearby Lake Drive, a large tree was uprooted. As we continued up the hill, approaching Lakewood Street, the sun came out and the budding azaleas were glowing in the late afternoon light. It was as if this home were an untouched oasis surrounded by a sea of broken tree limbs. We just had to share its beauty with you and we hope your home was spared.

Greensboro has 224 streets starting with the letter "L."  Lawndale Drive tips the scales with 234 single family homes. However, we did not select Lawndale for this Wednesday's  "L" since we've featured it many times before (as examples: a unique home here, a business here, an artist here, the science center here, a church here, a holiday display here,). If you want to see GDP's A-K for ABC Wednesday, visit here!

Got Moss? Need Herbs?

This wooded, mossy area is located in northwest Greensboro. Some people cultivate moss; others try to get rid of it; many simply ignore it. In Japanese gardens, carpets of moss are calming and represent tranquility. As with the plant itself, the old proverb, "a rolling stone gathers no moss" has positive as well as negative connotations depending on one's interpretation (here). Moss likes dampness and low light and, in North America, tends to grow on the northern side of trees. The delicate plant is soft-walled and fragile. Given the resurgence of interest in terrariums, when moss is sold at Greensboro's local farmers' markets, it sells out quickly. The "moss lady" at the Yanceyville Curb Market brings it is cardboard flats. Perhaps this is her yard.

While moss is not an herb, seeing its lush green color reminds us that this Thursday*, the North Carolina Unit of the Herb Society of America will hold their 25th annual sale at the Greek Orthodox Church from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. We love to stop by not only to purchase herbs but also for the expertise of the members who are more than happy to share their knowledge. Last time we attended, we received several culinary tips and the "lavender man" helped us figure out which plants would best suit our needs. Think about your questions ahead of time, take a photo or two of the area you are planning to fill with herbs, and mark your calendar!

*Thanks, Jane we've corrected this error!

Red Bird, Red Bird, What Do You See?

Even the redbirds are happy that the high winds have abated and the weather is warming up in Greensboro. This male cardinal was spotted in our backyard this weekend. While we enjoyed watching him with his companion twittering around in our yard, we realized that it is high time to get out the yard tools, muster up some muscle, and pull weeds.

Did you know the cardinal is the State bird of North Carolina? Chapter 145 of the the General Statutes of the North Carolina General Assembly addresses State symbols and other official adoptions. 145-2 addresses the State bird and says, "The cardinal is hereby declared to be the official State bird of North Carolina (1943, c. 595.)."  If you want to brush up on your knowledge of North Carolina's official symbols, you can find all the information here. That information might come in handy when playing a game of Trivial Pursuit; once, of course, the yardwork is done!

In the meantime, today's title come from Eric Carle's book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear."  To jump start your Eric Carle trivia, what sees the red bird and what does the red bird see?

JESUS SAVES

The Red Cross Baptist Church is actually located in rural Randolph County, just south of the Guilford County line. It is part of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International denomination of churches. The closest small town is Climax, an unincorporated community claimed by both Guilford and Randolph Counties, at the intersection of North Carolina Highways 22 & 62. Celebrating their quirky names, Native Tarheel Charles Kuralt brought national attention to North Carolina communities like Climax, Toast, and Whynot.  Kuralt would have liked this sign. It is a great way to promote a church that might otherwise go unnoticed along an unassuming country road. 

If you are "on the road" and decide to visit Climax, consider eating at the Backyard Grill next to the Citgo Gas Station. They have great homemade food, fast service, and sell ice cream from the nearby Homeland Creamery. We held an impromptu sports banquet there and the order was 100% accurate for our table of 26 hungry people. Plus, they were able to seat us together.

Thank you for visiting GDP this Sunday as we share our weekly religious post. See previous entries here.

Downtown Farm Market

Today would be a great day to head to the DOWNTOWN FARM MARKET! The market is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) market where you can get food that is not only grown locally but also is good for you. The foods come from eco-friendly farms in North Carolina. This CSA market is located at 505 North Greene Street, between the Marriott Hotel and the First Presbyterian Church. On Saturday's, it is open from 8:00am - 5:00 pm. We  were there the day Tracey from nearby Riva's Trattoria took a group of Girl Scouts to the market so that they could purchase the food for a meal she would teach them to prepare for themselves. All kinds of new aromas and all of the visual appeal made shopping there an interesting adventure for the scouts.

If you are trying to make more healthy food choices, stop by and talk to the people working at the market. If you can't find what you are looking for, you can always head over to the Yanceyville Farmers' Market or the one on Sandy Ridge Road.

You Can Always Go......... Downtown

Today is First Friday and the Indie Market will start up at 4pm. Restaurants and visual arts venues will come alive early this evening. Downtown will be door-to-door fun. While all is quiet in the above photo, the Bellemeade/Greene Street view combines several interesting buildings in Greensboro. The low, one-story building with all the color is Riva's Trattoria, a small family-style Italian Restaurant with great food. Chef Tracey purchases most of the food locally at one of the farmers' markets. Riva's may be quiet on the outside but inside, they are busy preparing exciting meals for you. Next, the round structure is a parking garage, a hub of activity during business hours. The tall, rose colored granite structure in the background is the headquarters for mortgage lender United Guaranty, a company established in Greensboro in 1963.

If this week's weather has you a little down or work has been stressful, being with people can help lift your mood. Petula Clark said it best, "When you're alone and feeling lonely, you can always go downtown ... the lights are much brighter there. You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares. So go downtown, where all the lights are bright. Downtown-- waiting for you tonight. Downtown-- you're gonna be all right now."  Today is not only Skywatch Friday but also theme day for the City Daily Photo Community and April's theme is "edges." 

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants  

Enjoy three minutes "Downtown" here.