Greensboro Daily Photo

Happy Easter

Happy Easter is one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar. Our spiritual Sunday photo takes us to Alamance Memorial Park on the Alamance/Guilford County lines- 15 miles due east of Greensboro. Easter weekend, has been extremely busy there. Families are out cleaning the graves of loved ones and replacing the flowers. In the photo above, if you look closely to the right of the small, white, flowering tree, two women are seated and working at a grave site.

The Easter/Passover season is a time of great reflection and a time to remember what our loved ones have experienced and sacrificed. As we heard one person say in the cemetery, "we pray to Jesus for the living and give thanks to Him for those who came before us." 

As Lent draws to a close, Christians are entering into a fifty day period called Eastertide. Do you or your friends observe Eastertide? To many, Easter is over on Sunday and, by Easter Monday, they have started counting down until Memorial Day. To others, there are seven more Sundays of observance. By then, even this tree in the cemetery will be green and teeming with life.

Food Truck at the Greensboro Children's Museum

Today, we're featuring the King Creole food truck. Yesterday, it was parked outside of the Greensboro Children's Museum, on Church Street, across from the Central Library. Allowing food trucks in downtown Greensboro has been controversial. People who own brick and mortar eating establishments are concerned that these meal mobiles will take away from their stationary eateries. What do you think?

Traffic was heavy all around Greensboro yesterday, perhaps because, for many, it is a three day weekend. Guilford County school students who are on a traditional calendar are celebrating spring break. People were out shopping for groceries and clothing. We hope that King Creole got enough business to make the day worth his while. It is nice to see businesses being successful, whether they are on wheels or solid foundations! The bright red truck sure does look festive in front of the already-colorful  museum.

Spring Blossoms at EUC

Here we see some tree blossoms blooming in front of the Elliot University Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While it has been too cold for students to spend much time outside, the trees are trying their hardest to put their winter starkness behind them.  According to the union building's Facebook page, it has been considered the center of the university since it opened in 1953. And a hub of activity it is. This week has been Student Entrepreneur Week and students have lined the interior hallways of the building  with tables, products, and trifold boards. Today, a man who crocheted hats was selling his hats inside.  Recently, a spring housing fair was held in the commons. From the multicultural center to the galleries and event rooms to student services, restaurants, the bookstore, the cash machines, the walkway to the library, and so much more, it seems as if one could live at the union building. 

As busy as EUC is during the week, it will feel abandoned this evening when students take Friday off to celebrate Easter with family. Easter is early this year, a lot closer to the recent spring break than in some years. Before you know it, the above cafe tables and chairs will be occupied with people using free wi-fi and wrapping up the semester. Oh to be a student again. 

If blossoms bloom on a tree and nobody is there to see them, are they beautiful?

K is for Kids

The above photo was taken at the tennis courts in Sunset Hills; last year, when it was warm at the end of March. The children look so unencumbered with their absence of shoes and winter garmets.  It is heartwarming to see children enjoying the out of doors. At first glance, you will see a trio of children. Look closer and find the fourth.

Yellow, blooming forsythia in the forground frame the photo and distance the children from the street. Forsythia are flowering plants in the Oleaceae or olive family. Befitting to photograph children with this plant, given the olive branch is a symbol of peace- dating back to the 5th century BC.  As Jews enjoy Passover and Christians prepare to celebrate Easter, let us hope that the world can become more harmonious and peaceful and that children and nature alike can be nurtured. Today is ABC Wednesday;  for this A-Z round, our theme is GO GREEN GREENSBORO and K is for KIDS, happy, healthy kids, playing outside and enjoying nature in all its glory. Peace...

While You Were Sleeping...

            While You Were Sleeping was a 1995 romantic comedy, featuring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. This photo shows a scene of what was happening on North Battleground Avenue last night, likely, while you were sleeping. Road crews worked through the night as part of the multi-million dollar highway project taking place on Highway 220, or North Battleground. Fortunately, the police were on the scene making sure that traffic made it through the intersection smoothly. It will be interesting to see how the intersection looks today. We wonder if that giant mound of dirt/sand that is beside the road is still there. Whether you are a day or night sleeper, it is interesting to think about what is going on in the community while you are resting. 

    

            Between the widening of Horse Pen Creek Road, The Urban Loop (formerly known as Painter Boulevard), and the widening of 220 and at the rate property has and is being acquired. We probably won't recognize the area a few years from now. Hopefully, the empty drug store, partially visible below the green traffic lights, will be replaced by another store. As for the current construction, it looks eerily attractive in the still of the night. The site would make an interesting photo shoot for someone who is in the position to stay up all night. The lighting, ranging from green to blue to purple to white is very attractive.

Spring Delayed; Locals Impatient

            In Greensboro, the persistent rains kept many people inside on Sunday. However, on Saturday, a lot of people were out enjoying the day- even though a little snow tried to fall. The above photo captures a scene at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market on Yanceyville Street, a place that is sure to brighten your day and bring a little color into your life, regardless of what mother nature is doing outside.

            For the last two years, spring was in full swing by this time. Not this year. At the moment, winter is lingering and making Ms. Spring wait patiently. She is unable to flaunt her spring greenery, which is almost always breathtaking in Greensboro. A few bold plants such as the pastel flowering hyacinth, golden daffodils,  and milk white pear trees are starting to  blossom. If we are lucky, blueberries and other edibles will a wait a week or two before they start opening. 

            Everyone is anxious for spring to arrive and tired of being cold. Before you know it, we'll all be complaining about the heat. Let's be patient, now. Happy Monday, dear readers.

Reflecting on Emerson & Transcendentalism

The above photo, taken in the theater inside the Weatherspoon Art Museum, is a picture of Ralph Waldo Emerson. At the Al-Hadid talk at the Weatherspoon, guest lecturer Gregory Volk  made  connections between Al-Hadid's art and the world view of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Volk mentioned transcendentalism, a philosophical movement that was developed in the 1830's. At the core of the philosphy is the belief that man and nature are both inherently good.  Emerson and his fellow transcendentalists were of the conviction that people were at their best and most spiritual when "self-reliant". Organized religion, institutions and politics could detract from the purity of individuals. Emmerson believed that nature was the most direct path to experiencing the presence of God and that to appreciate nature one must be able to feel it in one's senses.* As the above photo aludes, the audience was captivated.

As we enter Holy Week and Passover, with spring knocking on our door, nature in Greensboro is about to reach peak beauty. Regardless of what religion you practice, or even if you do not, we encourage you to find some green space and experience the spiruality of being one with the earth. It is a precious resource.

* references here & here. 

Diana Al-Hadid at Weatherspoon Art Museum

The above bronze sculpture, by Diana Al-Hadid, is currently on exhibit at the Weatherspoon Art Museum on the campus of UNCG. The photo features Syrian-born, Ohio-raised Al-Hadid's statue of a Florida coed having been melted.

Yesterday, New York art critic and curator Gregory Volk spoke about Al-Hadid's art at the Weatherspoon. This was a culminating event after his meeting with UNCG art faculty and students earlier in the day. Volk says that Al-Hadid's work is mobile in time; looking as if it were unearthed three hundred years ago while at the same time the drippy bronze looking as if it is left over from a post-future catastrophe. Volk says Al-Hadid brings motion to static work. The art represents her state of in-between-ness, between the Middle East and mid-West; with a sense of freedom and a sense of woundesness. He says her art merits repeated viewing; something deeper and more meaningful emerges each time.* The 32-year-old Al-Hadid is in Utah at the moment; however, she was here in February at the opening of the exhibit.

Because Greensboro is a community with many institutions of higher education, we have access to many events free and open to the public. If you get a chance, stop by the Weatherspoon and see what you think about the Al-Hadid exhibit. Some people find it inspiring; some find it depressing.  Go and form your own opinion.  We have the feeling that the next time we see Al-Hadid's work, it will not be at a free museum in our own back yard!

*all loosely quoted.

Goodbye, Winter

Winter skies  can be so beautiful as a backdrop to the barren winter landscape. In spite of the recent cold snap, Greensboro has experienced a relatively mild winter. Also, we seem to have been spared an early spring icestorm. We took this photo a couple of weeks ago in northwest Greensboro and reslized if we didn't use it soon, we would have to tuck it away for a year. Officially, spring arrived on Wednesday, March 20th; winter is not just waning, it is GONE.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend to revel in the freshness of spring, we suggest heading to the Children's Museum tomorrow for the Festival of Colors, celebrating the colors of India and Indian culture. From there, you could walk from that to the Best Little Train Show at the nearby Gaylon Depot on Washington Street. If you finish those events by 2:00 p.m., you could walk  from the train depot to the Central Library for the free matinee (Aladdin). If you still want more to do, you could bike on the downtown greenway and stop by Deep Roots, welcome them to downtown and visit our friend Elizabeth who works there.

Whether you do attend one of the events we mentioned or do something else this weekend, please open your front door, allow some fresh air to flow through your house and shout at the top of your lungs, "Goodbye, Winter!". 

Friendly Center Face Lift

The "Old" Friendly Center is getting a facelife. The above photo was taken on the side with Radio Shack, The Animal Clinic, Chuck E. Cheese, Catherine's, and the now-closed camera shop formerly known as Ritz. A new façade is in the making and we happened to catch a worker on a sunny day. The material on the front near the roofline just happened to match the sky perfectly, creating an optical illusion. In all, the renovations will take take as long as ten months and will cost upwards of ten million dollars- a million a month! This renovation will make the older, east side part look more like the new side of Friendly, with each store having a unique appearance, as opposed to the former, generic front with nothing more than signs to distintuish individual shops.* 

From the general contractor, D.H. Griffin, to sub-contractors, to building materials, Friendly Center is making a real effort to support local people, businesses, and agencies (read here). Seems like Friendly Center just keeps getting friendlier and friendlier.

*reference and more here. See before and after photos here.

J is for Juice Shop

Anybody who is trying to maintain a healthy diet, likely has participated in some sort of juice regimen for the purpose of cleansing or  providing nutritional supplements or adding antioxidants for health. Juice can be healthy or junky, depending on the quantity and quality. Today is ABC Wednesday. We've selected J for juice for our Go Green Greensboro series and have photographed the Juice Shop in Friendly Center. While there is not any stand out green factor from the Juice Shop (no solar panels,  recycled building materials, or LEED certification, etc. that we know of), they are worth mentioning for the following reasons.

Their business model is simple, one fairly-nutritious product, one size, cash only, good money value. The shop provides college scholarship money to employees who have worked there a certain number of hours. This is a locally owned business that has been giving back to the community and to employees way before all of those concepts were trendy. The Juice Shop opened in 1997 and is owned by Colin and Rick Streng. They have three stores: One on Lawndale; one in Friendly Center; one in Winston-Salem. Please stop by if you like smoothie/juice drinks that are yogurt-based. While you are there, look at the scholarship wall and thank them for this fine tradition. Hats off to Juice Shop and thank you, dear readers, for stopping by on J Day for Go Green Greensboro. See A-I here.

Captive Audience..... on the Road

Driving back from Washington, D.C. this weekend, as we were approaching Greensboro, we saw this truck on the road: "best coffee on the Interstate", Pilot travel centers. On the side, the truck's tank had written, "flammable". Somehow, we don't think the liquid inside was coffee. This was a brilliant piece of advertisement from which one cannot escape. Seeing the coffee-bean shaped sign made us want to stop for coffee. However,  the closest Pilot (Flying J) travel center to Greensboro is in Mebane and we had already passed it. We settled for getting back to town 15 minutes earlier and brewing coffee at home.

Seeing this photo and looking at photos from this time last year,  we notice spring is a little later in arriving this year. Perhaps it is for the best as we don't want any beautiful blossoms to get damaged. If you want to learn about trees that will be blooming soon, look here. Do you have any in your yard? Something a little farther away from home is this 1:32 video about early blooms of spring in the Chicago Botanic Garden. At any rate, as we look at the dull, almost colorless, photo above, we can hardly contain ourselves, anticipating another beautiful spring in Greensboro. Spring, hurry up! Please!

 

Fleece... Going, Going, Gone!

Last week, we took you to Stoney Mountain Farm where professional shearers were on site to give the sheep their "North Carolina summer cuts". Today, we share a close up of sheep in the catching pen.  In the photo, some of them are shorn (fleeced- we joke) and some are still awaiting their annual cut. It is amazing how being shorn makes the sheep behave differently. They jump for joy and wiggle around and then resume their normal stance.  They are like poodles at a grooming. As with poodles, you almost don't recognize the sheep in the before and after shots. The sheep in the front row center was about the same color as the sheep immediately behind his backside. Once the wool was gone, she looked so bright.

While life in North Carolina is not quite like it was in medieval England where it was a June event culminating in a feast, it can be a fun event when farms like Stoney Mountain share the experience with the public. The largest sheep shearing and handling contest is the Golden Shears event held in New Zealand. If you are left wanting to know more, visit here.  With this weather change, these creatures were probably cold last night. We know we were!

Knights of Columbus on St. Patrick's Day.......

For today's Sunday-religious post, we're featuring The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal service organization that was founded in Connecticut in 1882. Worldwide, there are nearly two million members of this men's club. The clubs, from local to international, are very involved in philanthrophy; however, at their core is support for the church and its members. When someone dies, the men don full regalia and are there from death to grave to pray for the soul of their departed brother and to assist and console the family*

The Knights of Columbus were founded by an Irish-American Catholic priest, Father Michael J. McGivney. In addition to their rituals, oaths, and prayers, they form a great support system for each other and value their fellowship together. Their motto, "In service to One, in service to all." Social events provide the earthly bonds that stay with members until their transition to the other world.

The above building is the Knights of Columbus branch at 2780 Horse Pen Creek, near St. Paul's Catholic Church. We're betting since today is St. Patrick's Day, there will be a few Irish Catholics hanging around there sporting green outfits. Maybe they'll even find something green to drink. Perhaps, they'll make Horse Pen Creek flow as emerald green as the Chicago River. Today, we'll leave you at the Knights of Columbus and with the following quote by Adrienne Cook, "St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time- a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. Happy transforming .......

*reference and more informaiton here &  here.

 

 

Battle of Guilford Courthouse

The Reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse is happening this weekend. If you are local, head over to the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park and see a living history event, FOR FREE. Everything from the music to the lectures to the battles to the talking to reenacters is educational and free to the public. The reenactors will be there rain or shine. People who like to reenact usually go to the same events as their uniforms are expensive and costly to maintain. If you have committed to outfitting yourself as a redcoat, likely you will play that role when and where you can. 

This year is the 232nd anniversary of a battle that was said to be a turning point in the Revolutionary War (see more here). Greensboro's namesake, Nathanael Green fought in this war. If you can't attend on Saturday, they'll be back on Sunday. As a matter of fact, they camp out in the park in tents that haven't changed much in the last two hundred years. We love the way, in the above photo, that the woman seems to be giving the men their marching orders.

Between ACC basketball and the battle, we don't know how we'll fit everything in! If you are out and about, please make our out of town guests feel welcome!

ACC Men's Basketball Tournament 2013 Underway in Greensboro

March Maddness is well underway. Greensboro is  hosting the 2013 ACC Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. We are also lucky to live in a state with such great basketball teams: Duke, Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest (to name a few [in alphabetical order]).  The above photo was taken yesterday, Day 1. Today, Day 2 is a big one because both Duke and the University of North Carolina are playing. Those are the the much-coveted tickets- especially the Carolina game. Tickets get more expensive as the field narrows. We can't imagine what people will actually be paying for these tickets.

If you are local, you should try to go see a game. It is so much fun to be part of the excitement. Plus, next year, the ACC Tournament is in Atlanta, GA. We will really miss what has come to feel like a backyard brawl. While our town doesn't have any professional sports teams, we make a mighty fine host when golf and basketball tournaments come to town and we are gaining a national reputation for hosting great swim meets. Let's all be good sports and do what we can to keep people using Greensboro as a tournament town!

Stoney Mountain Farm

On Sunday, our ride out Highway 150 landed us at Stoney Mountain Farm in Alamance County. The Brewer family opened their farm to the public for their annual sheep sheering day. In the above photo, you see a professional shearer (on loan from West Virginia) getting the fleece from a sheep in two minutes. Once the shearer finished, he put the fleece in a 39 gallon garbage bag and untethered the sheep from between his knees. The sheep invariably did a quick run, a shimmy hop, and then headed back to their pack, unencumbered with their winter coat.

Stoney Mountain Farm has an eco-friendly, wool product line that they care for from the minute the wool starts growing on the sheep until it is shorn, carded, spun, and made into something special to wear. By chance, they have about the same number of sheep as they do acres (mid-60's) to tend. Typical of old, North Carolina farms, the Brewer's land has several outbuildings. Not so typical, one of the buildings is a house that was built in the 1800's. Above, you see the old barn where the sheep live. If you even get a chance to visit one of our area's working farms, we suggest taking advantage of the offer. A picture is worth a thousand words and a farm visit will yield a thousand pictures. That's a lot of fun. That's a lot of words....... and a lot of photos..........

 

I is for Individual

Yesterday, at Geeksboro Coffee House, we ran into our young, old-friend, Elizabeth Perrion. We first met Elizabeth several years ago when she was a Page High School student working at Earth Fare Supermarket. As a teenager, Elizabeth was health-conscious and loved talking about health and well-being with the store’s customers. Today, as a young adult, she is still passionate about healthful living. Now, Elizabeth works at Deep Roots Co-Op and is so excited about the opening of the new store. When she isn’t working, she attends GTTC, finishing an associates degree and hoping to continue her studies in nutrition, health, and wellness. 

 If you get a chance, stop by Deep Roots on North Eugene and let Elizabeth help you with your healthful living needs. With individuals like her, the younger generation may break the death-by-food cycle. For this round of ABC Wednesday, our theme is Go Green Greensboro. Greensboro can only be “green” and healthy if we have individuals who take health and wellness seriously. I is for individual citizens all doing what we can to keep our community healthy in every way. Elizabeth is one such INDIVIDUAL!

 

The Old Farmhouse

Today's photo is of the old farmhouse where yesterday's Fordson tractor is parked, across from Faucette Farms. We were struck by the symmetry of the farmhouse. At first glance, it is as if the two sides of the house are the same. If you look closely, there are minor differences. For example the window on the left-middle is smaller than the one on the right; the chimney's are different colors. Regardless, it is a fine example of a symmetrical, wooden structures of rural North Carolina. As with  the tractor, it has seen its day; however, it is nice to be able to show our children the way grandma used to live. Wouldn't it be nice to have the this old farmhouse restored. It could be one of those places where Sunday dinner is served. A nice portion of fried chicken and lots of country vegetables would keep people coming from miles around. The best part would be if veggies were walked from the farm across the street. Now that would be eating local.

Leonardo da Vinci's paintings accentuated the symmetry of the human body. In the book Symmetry: A Journey into the Patterns of Nature, Marcus du Satoy explores symmetry in nature and points to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain as a great example of symmetry in architecture.* Somehow, they could incorporate identifying different types of symmetry into the dining experience. It is a good thing we don't have limitless disposable income or we'd be investing in all kinds of dream ventures. Happy Tuesday, dear readers! We're sharing this with Our World Tuesday.

*reference.

Fordson Tractor on Highway 150

The weather was so lovely this weekend, it called for a Sunday drive. We hadn't spent much time in the northeastern end of Guilford County lately so, yesterday, we got on Highway 150 at the end of Strawberry Road and drove east until we ended up in Caswell County. If you live in the city limits and surrounding areas of Greensboro, it might be hard to remember what rural North Carolina looked like.On Highway 150, once you cross under Highway 29, you start seeing lots of tobacco barns, plowed fields, and other signs of yesteryear. The above tractor was no exception. It is an early model Fordson parked near Faucette Farms.

Fordson was a brand name for general-purpose tractors produced by Henry Ford & Son, Inc. The first Fordsons were made in 1917 and the name was last used in 1964. Ford experimented with using automobile components in the tractors. The Fordson was the first affordable, small, lightweight, mass-produced tractor in the world. * From the looks of the above relic, we could well have one of the early prototypes right here in Guilford County.

It is hard to believe that it is already time to start working the soil. Spring has started sprouting up in Greensboro. Wonder if the Faucettes ever fire up the Fordson. Imagine getting behind that beauty on a Sunday drive!

*reference.

First Friends: A Greensboro, NC Quaker Church

The above church is the First Friends Meeting House at 2100 West Friendly Avenue. The view is the Whittier Drive Side. It looks about five times bigger than the Friendly Avenue side. All people are welcome to attend a Quaker meeting. The Quaker religion is a faith of personal experiences and beliefs, as opposed to doctrinal creeds. The religion dates back to the English Civil War in the 1640's. Checking First Friends' website, we couldn't find a timeline of church history so, if you want to learn more, consider attending a service at First Friends. We did learn form the website that the current administration is a bit of a matriarch. That would be a great thing to see anytime, but it would be especially meaningful in March, Women's History Month. 

First Friends seems to be very busy and dynamic. Last evening when we were on site taking pictures, (what appeared to be) a large youth group was standing behind the church in the parking lot.It is Sunday and this, we share, as our Sacred Sunday post. See our previous religious posts here. Here's to welcoming daylight savings time. 

Deep Roots Co-Op

On March 20th, Deep Roots Co-Op will be opening at the location featured above, 600 North Eugene Street. While this isn't the most attractive photo of the building, we wanted to show you its location in relation to downtown. Look to the right and you can see the JP building and the downtown Marriott. The baseball stadium is just down the road. It will be interesting to see how having a grocery store downtown changes the dynamics of the area. The former location will be missed; however, the new store will be larger.

Deep Roots is member owned and it elects a board of directors from within the membership. It has by-laws and governance policies. They have principles, values, and green initiatives. They try to buy local, haven't used plastic bags in over four years, and they stock the most wholesome products possible.  Deep Roots started as a little buying club at Guilford College in the 1960's. Over fifty years later, the concept seems as relevant as ever.

Blue Oasis at Greenway at Fisher Park

The Greenway Apartments at Fisher Park have been built and people are already living in them. Here we see a photo of the swimming pool on the Smith Street side. On a hot summer day, we can't imagine anything finer than going for a swim before heading over to a baseball game. Poolside, without leaving home, residents will be able to enjoy the stadium's Friday night fireworks.

These 4.2 residential acres, that used to be part of North State Chevrolet, are less than a year old but already seem as if they have been part of the Greensboro landscape forever.  The apartments are a stone's throw from the downtown Greenwary and a mere block away from the new Deep Roots Coop. We've been thinking about purchasing a hybrid car this week. Even better, we could just live close to everything and walk. Soon, in Greensboro, it is going to start seeming like spring- and we're ready. Maybe we can rent a night on one of these lounge chairs and pretend like we are on a blue oasis...

Hybrid Frame of Mind

When we were looking for yesterday's photo to feature a hybrid, it seemed as if we couldn't find a Prius anywhere. Now, it seems as if they are everywhere. Last night, we were heading home rather late and spotted this Prius in a Greensboro parking garage. Seeing this vanity tag, we got a big grin. What kind of sayings would you expect to find on the vanity tag of a hybrid vehicle? What are some good ones that you have seen?

Just maybe our summer highway hobby will be documenting the words on vanity tags of the environmentally conscious. MOTHER'S MILK, less the vowels, seems befitting for an environmentally conscious Prius owner. So clever! We're ready for a road trip.

H is for Hybrid

This hybrid beauty, a Toyoto Prius, commanded a little section of Friendly Center all to itself this weekend. The Prius is one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles sold in the USA. The first mass-produced hybrid Prius was first sold in Japan in 1997 and has been available worldwide since 2000.

The word "Prius" comes from Latin meaning "before" because it was released before the environmental awareness craze (reference). The Prius is currently in its third generation and keeps getting cleaner and cleaner. Have you considered joining the hybrid generation? They get even better gas mileage around town than they do on the highway. The best numbers we've seen are 95 miles per gallon.

Today is ABC Wednesday and "H" is for "hybrid". See our A-G "go green" Greensboro entries, here.

Harlem Shake UNCG, Not

On Saturday, March 2nd, UNCG tried to join the Harlem Shake craze and make an official video like the students at Appalachian State (and many other universities)*. However, the UNCG, campus police informed organizers that they didn't have all the right permits. By 1:10 pm, as noted on the clock above, the dejected crowd dispersed. The coed in the photo, dressed in neon and black was scheduled to be a "highlighter". She was going to be one of the people to get her 15 seconds of fame by being part of the epicenter that starts shaking before the masses join for the final 15 seconds. The dance has been around for a long time; it originated in Harlem in 1981. It became an internet meme that went viral in February 2013.

By the time the local students get everything in order, likely, the fad may have lost momentum. We were impressed that the students dispersed without any disorderly conduct. Civility and respect are important qualities. As the group broke up, two "highlighters" headed into quad dorms and the one above went to the union building. The felt-tipped, transparent/flourescent ink highlighters have been used by students since 1963.  Those highlighter-colored outfits are new to the scene. If you see someone wearing one, you might want to ask them if they were in a Harlem-shake video. Oh, to be young again!

* If you aren't sure what we are talking about, see App's example here. Beware, movements are PG-13.

Lida Witherspoon

Lida Witherspoon is another one of 205 Collaborative's many talented artists. Lida, whose background is theater, attended UNCG as well as the North Carolina School for the Arts. Lida has done any exciting things relating to theater. In 2002, she was in charge of painting the first set for Triad Stage, Tenessee Williams' classic, "Suddenly Last Summer."

These days, Lida mostly focuses on painting her giant, Asian-themed tapestries and pondering the great stories behind them. Evident in her art, Lida loves storytelling and folk tales. When she is not painting away at 205 Collaborative, she is often seen at local music festivals, which she enjoys organizing as well as attending.  Her translucent 9' tapestries-  full of dragons, earth, water, and fire-  are even more beautiful in person. If you stop by to see them, make sure to visit during the daytime when the natural light filters through the cloth, bringing her scenes to life. 

Given her love of Chinese art, Lida  hopes to study the Chinese language, possibly at UNCG. Let's hope Google translate didn't play a trick on us and that "好运/ Hǎo yùn" really does mean, "good luck".

Christ Church Greensboro

Today's photo takes us to another repurposed, industrial, brick building. This is Christ Church, located on Smith Street, in the back yard of the baseball stadium and in view of the JP building. It is in the downtown area that used to have car lots and dealerships, directly across the street from the all-new Greenway Apartments at Fisher Park.

According to the Christ Church website, they are congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. The Christ Church community is a diverse group of people, from university students to young parents with toddlers to seniors and everything in between. We'll have to try to visit someday and see what it looks like when it is brimming with people. Between services,  it as quiet and haunting as an abandoned textile mill.

Karen Bjork Dischell

Karen Bjork Dischell was the featured artist at last night's First Friday at 205 Collaborative. Karen, originally from Massachusetts, has been in Greensboro for twenty years. Her professional training was at the School of the Worchester Art Museum and the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she studied drawing and printmaking.

In the above photo, Karen is surrounded by her recent work, inspired by the trees and greenery of her neighborhood. Karen paints with oils, adding layers of paint and glazing until the light and texture are just perfect. In addition to 205 Collaborative, Karen also sells her artwork locally through Fat Cat, Ltd. in Oak Ridge. Karen, recipient of a 2009 United Arts Council grant,  is generous to the local community, often donating artwork for schools and non-profits for their fundraisers. She even donated a mural to a local elemetary school. We are so lucky to have her living and painting in our community.

If you get a chance, stop by 205 Collaborative at 205 Lyndon Street in the historic 1927 building that was formerly Crutchfield Plumbing. Karen's work doesn't take up the full 18,000 square feet of the building, but it does bring a tremendous amount of warmth and cheer to the cavernous, industrial space.

Café Chairs at New York Pizza

We've been experiencing technical difficulties at GDP, but today, we think we are back online. Thank you faithful readers for not your patience. Today, the City Daily Photo theme is "café chairs". The café chairs we are sharing can be found at New York Pizza at the corner of Tate Street and Walker Avenue. Even more delightful than the chairs is the brilliant artwork at this establishment. How fun to eat among Pac-man and the riot of color. The scene makes an otherwise gray day feel a little brighter. Hats off to New York Pizza for their commitment  to the artwork. We were told it changed frequently. We'll need to stop by this weekend to see if that is, indeed, the case.

Happy weekend, folks. See you at First Friday!

This Old Barn

This is the small, old barn that goes with the old house from Monday. It is a classic, North Carolina structure of yesteryear right here on North College Road. A  large apartment complex is in the backyard and commercial structures are found on the other three sides. However, for this little slice of land near Guilford College, time stands still. The white cat in front of the hedges seemed mighty proud of her abode. Perhaps she was on her way to look for a mouse or two. While this probably isn't a tobacco barn, it is an example of the old rural structures that are disappearing before our eyes. If you are interested, here is a preservation site about barns shared by the National Park Service. We are lucky to have so many barns in the Greensboro area. If you are nostalgic for North Carolina barns, there is a whole flickr group dedicated to them (here).

Tomorrow, the March 1 theme for the City Daily Photo community is cafe chairs. We're try to get out and feature some. At any rate, we'll have something for you tomorrow. Also, if you are local, this will be a might big "First Friday" in downtown Greensboro. Please stop back and see what we can uncover; please stop downtown and help us kick off a great event for art lovers. 

G is for Golf

Golf is to Greensboro as basketball is to Chapel Hill. According to Golf Link, there are 33 golf courses within 20 miles of downtown Greensboro. One of the cover stories featured in the March 1960 Golf Digest was one entitled, North Carolina Wonderland of Golf." The first course in Greensboro opened in 1909 at the corner of Summit Avenue and Deway Street out near St. Leo's Hospital, ( reference). Since the early 1900's, Greensboro has contributed significantly to North Carolina's being associated with golf.

Today's post takes us to the Farm Course of the Greensboro Country Club at Carlson Farms off Carlson Dairy Road. This private course represents 18 holes with a par of 72 and over 7,376 yards, making it the longest in Greensboro. It was redesigned in 2013 and remains a beautiful, hilly course. We're using golf for our ABC Wednesday "G" entry. "G" is for "golf."  GDP's theme this round is GO GREEN.  (See our A-F GO GREEN entries here).

 In one way, golf courses are tied to the perception that a community is green. The courses provide lovely, open space that appear natural and are protected from commercial or residential development. Unfortunately, the un-green aspect of keeping golf courses green is their excessive use of water. On a positive, environmental note, the US Golf Association is keenly aware of this issue and is making an effort to decrease water use to irrigate golf courses (read here).

North Carolina Basketball

Today, we're going to cheat a little bit and take you 50.3 miles, mostly east and slightly south, from Greensboro to Chapel Hill. This past Saturday, NC State came to the Dean Smith Center to challenge UNC-Chapel Hill to a game of basketball. Earlier in the season, NC State won the first game. This weekend, UNC, "Carolina" won in a game that was tied several times throughout. The above photo shows the "Dean Dome" awash in a sea of Carolina blue. Greensboro's own power forward P.J. Hairston (Dudley High School) is one a sophomore starter for UNC, and he had a great game Saturday, helping lead the Tarheels to victory.

While we don't have our own ACC team, Greensboro is proud of the fact that the Atlantic Coast Conference Headquarters is located here, as is the ACC Museum. From March 14th-17th, we will host the ACC Tournament, right here in the Greensboro Coliseum. From Duke to Wake Forest to UNC to NC State, we have fabulous college basketball in our neck of the woods. And for four days in March, the games will be as good as they get. Hope to see you there! 

This Old House

This house is located in the 500 block of North College Road, across from Cheryl David's law office. It is amazing how rural this property looks, a main house with two outbuildings, considering it is so near Quaker Village and all of the professional offices in the neighborhood. This photo was taken in an asphalt parking lot of an office building looking onto the property. It is just down the road from Guilford College and, as the crow flies is not much more than a mile from Coble Farm on West Friendly.  We imagine the neighborhood looked a lot more like the scene above as recently as thirty years ago. Now, the road from Friendly to West Market street is slowly becoming lot to lot retail and professional buildings. It would be nice to keep a homestead or two like this preserved in the area so that children could know the way their ancestors lived in rural America. Next time you drive down North College road, look for this place. It is perched on a hill, beyond a cement wall. It has a lovely front porch and nice gingerbread detailing. It is so cozy...... and within walking distance to practically everything!

WMSUMC Sanctuary

            Methodists have been holding meetings in Greensboro since the 1820's, but it wasn't until 1851 that a church referred to as the "West Market Street Methodist" was completed. In 1892, at the 300 block of West Market Street, the groundbreaking took place for the above sanctuary. Much history has transpired since these early years; churches have come and gone and merged. It was not until 1968 that the name West Market Street United Methodist Church was adopted. This name was adopted after the Methodist and the Evangelical United Bretheren Church merged. Greensboro's own Gayle Fripp is on the History Committee of WMUMC. If you are interested in a little more history, read the church's website here.

            The church is a downtown icon. The above photo is a view from the second floor looking down on the pews.  Three and a half years ago, we shared this view of the organ and pulpit (see here). This is a  church that has interesting history and architecture at just about every turn. They have a very moving collection of the Stations of the Cross and a very moving chapel. Finally, here is a view of the building itself. From the people to the childcare center to the community outreach to the services to the art and architecture, everything about this church is just beautiful.

On East Wendover

Today's photo is looking towards Wendover Avenue from Church Street at Bessemer. Just to the right is the bridge leading to the Aycock Historic District and Summit Avenue. To the left is the eastern edge of Fisher Park. In the background, you can see a professional medical building. This part of Church Street is filled with medical offices. This vantage point is at the crossroads of East Greensboro and the downtown area. Here is another view of the same area.

Bessemer used to be the gateway to Greensboro before Wendover was built. It is a lot of fun on the weekends to drive around these areas and see all of the growth and changes in the city. When the Office Depot opened a few years ago, the families in the Aycock Historic District were thrilled to see the lot being used for an office supply center. Stop by and check out this part of town if you haven't been over here lately. Regardless of what you end up doing, have a great Saturday and, as always, thank you for reading Greensboro Daily Photo.

Gone With the Wind

For some reason, this photo of a desolate tree at Lake Higgins reminds us of a scene from Gone With the Wind.  It stands tall and alone on the horizon in the December sky, like something Scarlett O'Hara would fight to hold on to. It is hard to believe that spring will be here within a month and, before you know it, the trees will be putting on leaves.

Lake Higgins is a 226-acre municipal reservoir. The lake is one of a trio of water reservoirs: Lakes Higgins, Brandt, and Townsend. It is not always clear when you are leaving one lake and approaching another. They are located in the north end of the county. Fishing, kayaking, and hiking around the lakes are especially fun ways to exercise and enjoy our beautiful community. Since these next few months GDP is sharing posts of an environmental "Going Green" theme, this article about trees is especially appropriate. Please read a tree story,  here... a little sappy, but timely with Earth Day and Arbor Day coming up in April!

Warnersville Center

Today's photo was taken at Warnersville Recreation Center, 601 Doak Street, overlooking the community swimming pool. Pools always look so tired and desolate in the wintertime as we look at them, longing for the months when the water will be crystal clear and children will be splashing with delight. Almost everyone can remember where they were when they first learned to swim and we're betting that many children have learned to swim here.

Warnersville Center is located behind Jones Elementary School, in the heart of the Warnersville neighborhood. The center, maintained by the city, offers an afterschool program and many recreational opportunities for the community. Preservation Greensboro reminds us that Warnersville is a community with a deep history, yet they don't have many historic places. They also point out that Warnersville was Greensboro's first suburb when it was established in 1867. The historically African-American community got its start when local Quaker Missionary, Yardley Warner, purchased the land to be subdivided for African American families who had been freed from slavery. In 1965, this neighborhood became the first federally-funded urban renewal project in North Carolina. As African-American history month enters its last week this year, let's wish this historic, historically-black neighborhood a good rest-of-the-year, decade, century........

F is for Fresh Fish and Fresh Food

Greensboro is a great place to fish for bream. The above fish was hooked locally in a private pond, when the weather was a little warmer. Lakes and private ponds are filled with these edible panfish. Americans are trying harder and harder to eat local food and Greensboro is involved with that initiative. One way to eat local is to fish. Greensboro's Parks and Recreation Department is very involved with the Community Fishing Program. As one example, they deliver fish to lakes (read one example here).

Another way to help sustain our feed supply is by planting more edible landscaping (see here). We hope you are making some effort to eat fresh food. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our Go Green Greensboro series, we're saying F is for Fresh... fish and food! Let's all take one day a week and try to eat completely from food that is grown locally.

Man and Dog II en Route to Southside

Today we are on Greensboro's Southside neighborhood, walking down Martin Luther King Drive near South Elm Street. We are behind a responsible pet owner who not only has his dog on a leash, he also has a plastic bag, just in case..... As the man talks on the phone, the dog is obediently heeling and walking in step with his owner. If all the dogs were this obedient and all of the owners this responsible, Greensboro would be darn near perfect! 

The duo are headed in the direction of the horseshoe-shaped building that used to house the Vintage 301 Restaurant. The new restaurant in this spot is Dame's Chicken and Waffles. The parent location is in Durham, NC.  Read a little about their history, here. Their tag line is "almost famous." It might be nice to try the dish now. Who knows what will happen if Dame's becomes FAMOUS. As for Southside, with a new restaurant and a park in-process, this part of town seems to be generating interest again. Hopefully, they will have some venues for First Friday, on March the 1st.