Greensboro Daily Photo

Southside Apartments

The above apartments, City View,  are located in Southside, parallel to the railroad tracks that cross Elm Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. They have one of the best views of downtown Greensboro. Their smallest, lowest-price-point apartment is called the O'Henry. The other names for the different floor plans and price points are: Elite, Wick, Norfolk, Spencer, Wabash, Morehead, Southside, Greene, Accolade, and Pullman. Some of the names are more obviously linked to Greensboro than others. At least one of the buildings "GreenLine" has "green" features like a rooftop solar system and many energy saving features.

In the evening, residents can sit on their balconies and hear the sounds of our thriving city. They are a stone's throw from Hamburger Square and the many downtown events. The apartments are clean and inviting and, on a sunny day, they look great against a bright blue sky.

862 South Elm Street

862 South Elm Street is a beauty of an old brick building, built in 1924. This 15,000+ square ft. property, zoned industrial, sits on a little over a half acre of land. From researching online, it appears that All State Restaurant Equipment occupied the building from 1980, until they relocated a few doors down. Currently, the building appears to be vacant. According to city data, the building and land are worth about $200,000. The structure looks like it has potential and with all of the construction in that area, hopefully, it will be used for some great purpose- and open to the public. The details are nice. It needs someone to come along and add a little something to the ".CO.INC."

If you know anything else about the building, please share with us.

C is for Caryl

Caryl Cheeseman is President of Caryl's Pool & Spa. In the above photo, she is featured with husband and CEO, David Cheeseman. They, along with their staff, work tirelessly to see that Greensboro's pools and spas have sparkling water and balanced chemicals. When you frequent their shop, located at 2616 Lawndale Drive, you realize quickly that Caryl and her staff are helpful, service oriented and friendly. Caryl has worked in the pool and spa business in Greensboro for 38 years. If she looks familiar and you don't have a pool, you may recognize her from her Christmas store. For many years, the pool shop transformed into a Christmas store during the winter months.

When asked what she likes about living here, Caryl told us the story about her first impressions of  Greensboro. She was in a small plane one Thanksgiving, about 40 years ago, en route to Williamsburg, Virginia. Due to bad weather, they had to divert and land in Greensboro. While here, they took a taxi downtown and Caryl commented that she would love living in Greensboro. It would be a great place to raise children, having a small town feel with big city amenities. Little did she realize, the very next year, she and her family would relocate here. She went from moving almost every year- for business reasons, to staying in Greensboro permanently. Caryl says, no matter where she vacations or travels, she always loves coming home to Greensboro. It is so clean and beautiful. She loves the city, her job, and all the friends she has made here. Caryl also enjoys spending time with her family and knitting.

Today is ABC Wednesday, and for our ABC People Series, "C" is for "Caryl." Lucky for Greensboro, she landed here! 

Eastern Music Festival

Tis the season of the Eastern Music Festival (EMF). The above photo is of Dana Auditorium on the Guilford College Campus. The banners, between the columns, announce the EMF festival. It is a summer training program for talented musicians from across the country. They come to Greensboro and study music for six weeks over the summer, while gaining experience by performing for the local community.

In 1961, Sheldon Morgenstern established The Guilford Musical Arts Center, which became the Eastern Music Festival. The first summer camp for student musicians was held in 1962 and continues to this day. The 200 musicians stay on the Guilford College campus, but travel throughout the Greensboro community bring music to people from all walks of life. The EMF program places considerable emphasis on outreach. In other words, it is important that the musicians have a presence in Greensboro, whether they are performing for a retirement community, a religious organization, or at MUSEP. Here is the full calendar of events. They began on June 29th and will conclude on Saturday, August 1st. There is still a little time to enjoy one of their performances!

MUSEP EMF Fringe

Yesterday, early evening, the MUSEP concert was held at Guilford College, on the lawn in front of Dana Auditorium. The very talented Meldavians played on stage as part of the Eastern Music Festival Fringe. People socialized and enjoyed picnics on the lawn as they listened to the "rock and roll, jam, jazz, blues" music of the Meldavians. Greensboro is so lucky to have these free-and-open-to-all music events throughout the summer.

As we were leaving the concert, we caught up with the Kusiak, party-of-nine group, plus their trusty canine, Shadow. Phil, in the center with the large-brimmed hat, has a natural talent for bringing people together. From planning whitewater rafting trips to bicycle rides along the Greensboro Greenway to seeing that customers get their hydraulic hoses on time at Pirtek Piedmont Triad, you can always count on Phil Kusiak. He makes detail work seem effortless. He is one great example of the people you see at MUSEP. Hats off to Phil for making everyone feel so welcome. Hats off to the City of Greensboro for continuing to make MUSEP possible.

As always, a fun time was had by all- including Shadow, who gives MUSEP four paws UP! Now, Happy Monday, back to the grind! See you next Sunday for MUSEP at Lindley Park.

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Greensboro is getting a new church. The New Zion Missionary Baptist Church is being built just south of Southside, in the Old Ashorboro community at Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. ADW Architects out of Charlotte are responsible for the design of the building and Davie Construction out of Clemmons is the general contractor. The 29,000 square foot structure is being built on 5 acres of land.

Currently, New Zion's home is at 1319 MLK Drive in a building that was constructed in 1929.* The new church will be completed sometime in 2016.  It is well positioned to meet the needs of a part of town that is gaining population, especially in light of the fact that UNCG has expanded nearby on Lee Street (Gate City Boulevard). It will be fun to chart the progress of this new church. Happy Sunday. Oh, and to the kayaker above, happy day on the water!

*reference.

Praying Mantis 2015

Time for the annual praying mantis photo on Greensboro Daily Photo. About once a year, we see the critters out on flowers. In the above photo, a praying mantis is crawling around on a hydrangea blossom in Greensboro. In the background, a small swimming pool adds a contrasting splash of blue to the photo. While we all tend to welcome the mantis into our yards, it is a little creepy to think that they are cousins of termites and cockroaches. Mantises protect themselves by camouflage, and in the above photo, you can see how the insect had changed to match the hydrangea.

As we stated earlier in the week, now is the time to get out and enjoy nature in Greensboro. From the people to the skies, to the buildings, to the flora and fauna, Indeed, beauty is all around us, even if it is hard to see. Happy Saturday!

Chamber of Commerce

Today's photo is of Greensboro's Chamber of Commerce at 342 North Elm Street. The view is especially clear without any buildings to the right of it. Those of you with businesses will likely know all about the role of a chamber of commerce in a community. As explained on the website of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., they are the eyes and ears of businesses and they advocate for businesses and look out for their bottom line. They listen to needs, convey messages in the political arena and take action on legislative issues that impact business.*

Many of Greensboro's businesses, like the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship and the Teacher Supply Warehouse, got their start through our own Chamber. Our Chamber was established in 1877 and was one of the first groups of its kind in North Carolina. If you log on to their website, you can track upcoming events. Ribbon cuttings, celebrating new businesses, are especially popular. If you own a small business, it sounds like a place you should know well. Happy Friday, whether you are a small business owner and/or frequenter!

*reference, here.

Beauty All Around!

Summer in Greensboro is a great time for nature walks. We have lovely parks and greenways here. The Greensboro Arboretum, on Ashland Drive, and the Tanger Family Bicentennial Gardens, off of Hobbs Road, are two of the many places where you can see an abundance of natural beauty. However, you don't have to go somewhere special to interact with nature. Walking through Greensboro's neighborhoods, you can find diverse flora and fauna. The above photo was taken on the east end of State Street. The street was behind us, cars were driving by; however, for that brief moment, when the eye was behind the camera lens, this beautiful scene appeared.

We encourage you to take time out of your day today and look at nature at the micro-level. Children love nature walks, especially if you take a magnifying glass and a camera. Children love to talk about what they are seeing, with or without prompting. For example, in the above photo, it is interesting that the morning glories are closed tightly and the yellow flowers (buttercups?) are wide awake. Wonder what a child would say about that! Here are some tips for nature walking from the Wilderness Society. Remember, "wilderness" can be an urban garden, your own backyard, that little strip between the street and the sidewalk, and beyond!

B is for Betty

A post featuring Betty Cone is long overdue on Greensboro Daily Photo. In Downtown Greensboro, Betty Cone's name is synonymous with leadership, community involvement, and volunteerism, especially in the arts. She is known for her ability to take ideas from concept to completion, managing everything from finding sponsors to venues to volunteers. She is in her element when giant community events, like the Eastern Music Festival, Fun Fourth, and the Festival of Lights, are teeming with people from all walks of life. Inclusivity is important to Betty and something she finds appealing about Greensboro. Betty will see to it that anyone who wants to volunteer  has an opportunity to do so, and she has always been impressed with the high level of volunteerism within the Greensboro community. 

We caught up with Betty one day last week, in front of her beloved Carolina Theatre. She spearheaded the raising of more than half a million dollars to restore the Carolina Theatre. This vibrant theatre, built in 1927, is North Carolina's only remaining historic theater. Today, it is a thriving venue that attracts over 90,000 visitors annually.

While many associate Betty with the arts, not many know that professionally, she was a scientist; a math major in college and a computer programmer for Lockheed-Georgia Aircraft Company, back in the 1960's when few corporations had even one computer. In a nutshell, Betty Cone can do it all; however, lucky for us, she chooses to bring community events to Downtown Greensboro. Today is ABC Wednesday  and for our A-Z People 2015 Series, "B" is for "Betty," the indefatigable Betty Cone.

Atlas Fence

Atlas Fence Company is a full-service fence company, located on South Elm Street just south of Gate City Boulevard. They have been owned by the Malloy family since 1952. According to their website, to date, they have installed over 42,000 fences in Greensboro and the surrounding area. That is a lot of fencing. 

If you drive by their office, in the 800 block of South Elm, you can see many samples of fencing set up on the property. Also notice the no-frills look of the façade of the building, which is usually an indication that they are mindful of spending.  We are especially fond of the font of their sign. Cursive with print makes for an eye-catching sign. The day we were there, the blue sky framed the building beautifully. Congratulations to the Malloy family; may they have at least another 63 years, and then some!

400 Gorrell Street

400 Gorrell Street is a gem of a Victorian home in Greensboro. From the detailed paintwork to the wraparound porch to the meticulous landscaping, the above property exudes love and care. The two-story, five-bedroom, 2,300+ square ft. home was built in 1921.* On the edge of a once-neglected neighborhood, 400 Gorrell Street has been transformed it into the glorious beauty that you see today. Located just east of all of the southside development, several of the houses on the blocks surrounding this home reflect urban gentrification of a south-eastside neighborhood at the crossroads of Gate City and Murrow Boulevards.

If you have not been in this part of town lately, we encourage you to drive around on a sunny day and enjoy the beauty of the area. You will be very impressed and inspired. Hats off to the people who believe in our city, enough to take these older homes and return them to their original splendor- and then some!

*stats according to zillow.

 

Awaken City Church

This building, with the Awaken City Church sign,  is located on South Elm Street, just after Lee Street, or, as it is now called, Gate City Boulevard. However, the above building is for sale and in checking their website, it appears that Awaken City Church has moved to 2100 Fairfax Road, Suite 102C, over near I-40 and Merritt Drive. In addition to regular services, the church has an active youth program as well as breakfast for the homeless. They provide breakfast in Center City Park on Sunday mornings at 8:00 am, serving approximately 100 people.

The church believes in God and Jesus and is part of the Global Legacy church network. They appear to be non-denominational. The staff and congregation seem very committed to their ministry to the homeless and to seeing that people in need are helped. They probably moved because they outgrew the above location. We'll have to head over to the Fairfax Road facility to see.

Happy Sunday and, if you know someone in need to a good meal, tell them about the Sunday breakfast in Center City Park. Happy Sunday.

21st Century Poodle

Third Thursday is another one of Greensboro's fun, inclusive, community events held at the Railyard in the parking lot between Lewis and Barnhardt Streets. As can be implied from the above photo, it is very child and dog friendly. The white, standard "hippie-minded, feeling-groovy" poodle was quite a hit. From dreadlocks to a peace sign to hair coloring, this trend-setting dog eschews the traditional poodle cut for a more au courant vibe.

The fun thing about Greensboro's free, community events is that you always see something new and different. As a matter of fact, you have the opportunity to set a trend yourself. For the event, people were dressed from casual to elegant, to everything in between.  As for the dogs, as predicted, they tended to match their owners.

It was a balmy evening; a great time to be out for a stroll. We capped off the evening with some refreshing,  DnD's New Orleans style Hawaiian ice that was close to the color of the poodle's hocks. We can't wait to see what August 20th will bring!

Line Installation and Repairs

Have you noticed all of the wires and lines being installed in Greensboro this summer? Between construction of the bypass, new construction- especially on Battleground Avenue, and additional street lights being added on South Elm Street, there seems to be as much happening above eye level as on the ground. The man in the cherry picker, in the above photo, shows a workman at the corner of North Battleground and Old Battleground Avenue. He worked for several hours in the brutal sun and didn't seem to be complaining. 

Have a great weekend, and if you are driving around town, allow a little extra time. We always get excited to see what new things we will have in Greensboro. For example, have you noticed the streetlights that have the school-bus yellow strip around them to make them more noticeable. See if you can find some this weekend. They do seem safer. Happy Friday, dear readers!

 

Summer Adventure

To add to the theme of summer adventure, today's post features another view at the Greensboro Science Center. In the above photo, a group of children in a summer school program have just finished with their visit of the human body exhibit and are off to visit the Adventure Theater. It was wonderful seeing elementary-aged children looking at the inner workings of the heart and carrying on conversations about the skeletal system. They didn't want to leave when their teachers called them to line up. 

The Greensboro Science Center is such a fabulous community resource, it would be wonderful for someone to write a grant so that every child in the city could get to the center at least once a year. Engaging with science is so easy in a place like the above-featured facility. If you haven't been lately, regardless of your age, we urge you to go and see this great use of our tax dollars! By the way, when the kids learned they were off to Adventure Theater, they were thrilled. 

A is for April

April Dunovant is a fabulous social studies teacher for the Guilford County Schools. In the above photo, she is in her classroom, at the Middle College at UNC Greensboro, on the day she taught the Roaring 20's in U.S. History. She brings the decades and events alive, not only by what she says and what she has the students doing, but also in the props. For the Roaring 20's lesson, students could only enter if they knew the special knock and said the password- as if the classroom were a Speakeasy. Students love learning history and civics from Ms. Dunovant. With the use of cooperative activities and engaging protocols, students learn civic rights and responsibilities and history in a way they will remember for a lifetime.

Ms. Dunovant's father was in the military and he taught her to be trustworthy, hardworking, organized, and so much more. Those qualities shine through in her classroom. Were he alive, he would beaming with pride to see how much students learn from her. He would also like the fact that they clean up after themselves, push their chairs in, and leave the classroom in good order at the end of each lesson. Her mom, equally influential in her life, always encouraged her, inspired her to go to college and, to this day, remains a driving force in her life. Ms. Dunovant says she knows her mom is always in her corner.

Today initiates a new round of ABC Wednesday. And on GDP, we're not only working through the alphabet, but also featuring a Greensboro resident each week. We're asking what each person likes about Greensboro. Here is what "Ms. D" said, "Greensboro is a melting pot of people and cultures. I enjoy everything about the city and am excited to see it grow even more." Today is ABC Wednesday, Round 17,  and we start the series with "A" is for "April" who is an A+ in our books!

Wild about SKYWILD!

If you are looking for  a treetop adventure in Greensboro, look no farther than the Greensboro Science Center. In the above photo, we're featuring SKYWILD, the science center's above-ground ropes course that opened May 2015. There are seven routes and sixty elements, rated from beginner to challenging. If you are interested, the price is $48 for a two hour session. All gear is provided and you are invited to stay the entire time or just part; and you have access to all of the routes and elements. The determining factor for how you spend your time is your fitness level, especially sense of balance, and upper-body strength. The elements range from 10- 45 feet above the ground.  Children as young as eight may be eligible to participate, at the managers discretion.*

How wonderful that Greensboro has this course. It encourages people to be outside and to interact with nature. It would be a great team building activity for your school, corporation, religious group, group of friends; you name it! Oh, and if you are driving along Lawndale Drive and see people jumping around in the trees, remember that you are at SKYWILD. 

* Rules and pricing, here.

If you want to see more, local journalist, Rosemary Plybon has a 4 minute YouTube video is you want to learn more about SKYWILD.

Glorious Downtown Greensboro

Greensboro's iconic skyscraper, representing several businesses over the years, made a fabulous backdrop this year during the Fun Fourth celebration. The above view, between Greene and Elm Streets at McGee, shows some bouncy rides that popped up for children to enjoy. The complex began and the Jefferson Standard and then, with a merger, became Jefferson Pilot. Today, it houses the Lincoln Financial Group. While the name of the business inside may change, the outside remains the anchor of downtown Greensboro. It looks so beautiful, couched between a Carolina-blue sky and the colorful bouncy rides.

Well, this week, we are half way through July. It is time to review your calendar and, you may want to review your "to do" list; so that, summer doesn't get away from you, before you know it. This should be a rather quiet summer week in Greensboro and a peak week for produce. Time to visit a farmers' market or two and find some fabulous heirloom tomatoes. Have a great week!

 

VBS

Do you remember vacation Bible school (VBS)? Was it a part of your childhood? VBS is really popular in Greensboro. As a matter of fact, you could probably find a different VBS every week of the summer. Above, is a photo of the Grove Church on Jessup Grove Road, near Pleasant Ridge and Lewiston Roads in Greensboro/Summerfield. This year's theme for VBS is Journey off the Map. At this church, VBS starts on Sunday, July 19th and ends on Thursday, July 23rd. The time is from 6:30- 8:45 and you can register online on the church website.

If you are looking something fun and related to Christianity for your child this summer, VBS is usually a memory-maker. The plain architecture reflects the laid back atmosphere of the congregation of this church. Happy Sunday!

 

Vintage Vehicles, Downtown

Last weekend, on Lewis Street, we were baffled at how all of the cars parked there were so beautiful. Featured in the above photo are a vintage Carolina-blue Thunderbird and a Mary-Kay, pink Dodge Charger, plus a late model, maroon GMC. The vehicles were parked between the Lotus Lounge and Gibbs Hundred. Greensboro-ians love their vehicles, and it seems like the amazing vintage vehicles are a popular mode of transportation on the weekend. There are two Thunderbird Clubs in North Carolina, one in Durham and one in Statesville, but none in Greensboro. We're betting that the owner of the above Thunderbird belongs to an organization to celebrate the car.

July 19th, the Triad Sports Car Club will hold an event at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds. It would be a great start, if you are interested in seeing and showing vintage vehicles. In the meantime, we're betting that you could learn a lot, just by visiting Lewis Street. People who are fortunate enough to have these beautiful vehicles LOVE to talk about cars. Bring out your vehicle and share it with us.

Stay-cation, Crafted

This summer, if your vacation is limited to staying in Greensboro, you can still craft a fine vacation for yourself. Start by visiting places new to you. From the city parks,  our public libraries, the ever-expanding greenway, to some of the new businesses cropping up, there is plenty to do in this great city. Craft a little fun for yourself and try Crafted's assortment of street food while you are at it.

Featured above, is a street view of Crafted, The Art of Street Food and Preyer Brewing. This little corner- located at the point where Smith Street, Battleground Avenue, and Eugene Street converge- has transformed over the past few years. New housing, Deep Roots Co-op, and the above businesses, all located a block from Newbridge Baseball Park, make it possible to have a full day of entertainment without getting in a car. If at all possible, invite a few friends. Regardless of where you are, or what you do, it will be friends and family who help make the best memories. Happy Friday!

Blueberries in Season!

Blueberries are in season in Greensboro. Not only are they plentiful in stores and at farmers' markets, there are also places you can go to pick them for yourself. It is so much fun to pick blueberries and the bushes are fairly hardy, perfect for the fingers of young and old alike. The above bowl of berries is from our yard. If you live in Greensboro, we encourage you to plant blueberry bushes as landscaping shrub. Edible landscaping is so much fun. And blueberries don't attract the bees and bugs like fruit. The leaves of the shrubs get a reddish cast in the fall. So, they really do look nice in a yard. Even if you can't grow blueberries, they are as reasonably priced as you will find them for the year; and, you can freeze them!

The mint in the above photo is also from our yard. You have to watch mint, as it can be invasive. We have it confined to a flowerbed (so far). With the heat over the past couple of weeks, the mint is trying really hard to go to seed! We also like eating off of local pottery. The above bowl is by Charlie Tefft, a local potter who teaches pottery at Guilford College. So, today's photo is 100% local and about to be 100% consumed; well, all but the bowl, of course!

Z for Zaytoon

Zaytoon is a Mediterranean café, located in the building at 301 North Elm Street. You access Zaytoon by walking to the back of the office building at 301 N. Elm, past the plaza with the O. Henry statues. From the door of Zaytoon, you can see the JP/Lincoln Financial building and the parking deck on Bellemeade. Zaytoon is open for a late breakfast and early lunch, catering to the business community. They also cater private events. People really like the food and say great things about the service. On a warm, breezy, summer day, eating at the courtyard in front of Zaytoon is enjoyable.

If you haven't been before, it can be a little hard to find the entrance; the office building camouflages it. We're betting the name Zaytoon is a play on the word for olive, which is aceituna , in Spanish. Today is ABC Wednesday, and for our A-Z local series, Z is for Zaytoon. That closes out another round of ABC Wednesday. We love this meme; however, at GDP, we try to add a theme to the series, which adds another level of challenge for us. Stop back next week for a new round. See what A-Z theme we will pick next!

More Summer Fun

Carley Sassman (photographed above) and her mom, Susan, do so much for the performing and visual arts in Greensboro. In addition to all the work they do for Greensboro's Summer Solstice event, you can count on them both to create a visually stunning outfits for the event. Carley's pose, with wings outstretched, reminds us all to spread your wings in summer and make the most of the opportunity to be outside. Her mom may be Head Faerie at the Solstice event, but Carley is the ever enthusiastic Butterfly Queen. On their website, Carley reminds us that "Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." That outfit, with the body paint and diaphanous wings, is pretty magical!

Go here to read about all the great people who bring us the Summer Solstice. Likely, these people were out out spreading a little magic at Fun Fourth. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Summer Fun

You don't need to go to the beach to have summer fun on the water in North Carolina.  Greensboro doesn't have a river or whitewater rafting, but we do enjoy our lakes. In the above photo, you see people kayaking and paddle boarding on Lake Higgins. It is so fun to spend a few hours on the lake, and good exercise, too. Sometimes, people do yoga on the stand-up paddle boards. You can rent equipment at the marina on Hamburg Mill Road and rates are reasonable.

In July, the lake is open from 7am- 8:30 pm, except for Sundays when they open at 8am and on Mondays, when they are closed. Head on out and have a little summer fun!

Stormy Weather

Greensboro has had some strange thunderstorms this summer. They hit parts of the city and in other parts of Greensboro, it doesn't even rain. Late Tuesday afternoon, the winds were really strong downtown.  In the above photo, you see the former First Presbyterian Church in the background. In the foreground, you see a pear tree that broke at the O. Henry Monument. Storms remind us that humans are not always in control. 

The scene, with the church and storm, evokes the following Old Testament Bible verse: "It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain." Isaiah 4:6. There are days when places like the Old First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, now the Greensboro Historical Museum, become shelter and shade from the heat of the day. Also, they are a great place to go to hide from the storm and rain, whether the storm is literal or imagined.  In the photo below, you see a view, a few feet to the right, with all of the newspaper boxes that had blow over. Happy Sunday! We hope you had a great Fourth of July and that today is a calm, storm-free, day of rest. If there is a storm, the historical museum is open.

July Fourth on Morehead Street

Greensboro residents love the Fourth of July! The above Victorian home on Morehead Street is very tastefully decorated with red, white, and blue pleated fans that are a perfect touch to the large front porch and iron fence. Morehead Street is located just off Spring Garden at Fulton Street between College Hill and Gate City Boulevard. Drive by and have a look if you are headed to town for Fun Fourth. (If you look to the right, you see the new apartment housing on the property where Newman Machine was located for years).

Many Greensboro families establish traditions for decorating during the holidays. Also around town, of course 104 North Holden is displaying their beautiful, plywood Statue of Liberty.  Today is an especially fun day to wear red, white, and blue. You will see plenty of it if you are out at the parade, Fun Fourth, or at the fireworks this evening. Whatever you are wearing and however you celebrate Independence Day, we hope you have a happy, safe, fun Fourth of July!

Greensboro's Chagall

Did you know that Greensboro has an etching by Marc Chagall? Actually, it belongs to UNCG's Weatherspoon Art Gallery and is part of their Dillard Collection. The above etching and drypoint on paper is entitled Dispute between Pliouchkine and Mavra. It was an illustration for Nikolai Gogol's "Dead Souls." The characters represent duplicitous and cloudy thinking. According to the plate beside the work of art, Chagall took 25 years to complete the above piece (1923-1948).

Today is First Friday so there will be a lot to do in Greensboro. If you get a chance head out and enjoy our city. Include a trip to the Weatherspoon on your to-do-for-fun list. It is free and open to the public. They have off street parking in the rear. Be sure to see the Burckhardt exhibit. He constructed an entire artist's studio (from tubes of paint to a toilet) out of cardboard.* Children LOVE it.  Finally, remember Fun Fourth tomorrow, a Greensboro tradition for forty years!

*see a photo of that exhibit, here.

Sweet Magnolia

Magnolia, azalea, dogwood, and holly are the harmonious quartet of southern landscaping. Magnolia blooms were glorious a couple of weeks ago in Greensboro. The blooms on these evergreen trees are so beautiful and, while leathery to the touch, they are extremely fragile. Little scrapes quickly turn brown and, once cut, they don't last long. In the above photo, the translucent quality shines through.

If you have a mature magnolia tree in your yard, chances are, you have a lot of beetles, too. Magnolias pre-date bees and their original pollinators were beetles. The friendship remains. If you have a magnolia in your yard, you also know they are always shedding something. Sometimes at night, we hear a rustling in the tree and realize it is just a leaf or seed pod dropping to the ground. We have, however, seen an opossum in the tree. Likely, there is a lot more than a few beetles and a lone marsupial living in the tree.

Those beautiful white blooms are the visual "palate cleansers" of the flower world and, fortunately, are plentiful in Greensboro's older neighborhoods. Happy, happy, Thursday!

 

Y is for Yum Yum

Yesterday, during Greensboro's torrential downpour, we had the pleasure of waiting out the deluge at Yum-Yum Better Ice Cream and Hot Dogs at 1219 Spring Garden Street. Clint was there to wait on us. He is a member of the Aydelette family that started Yum-Yum in 1906. How incredible to have a family business that is 109 years old! Generations of Aydelettes have been serving ice cream to generations of Greensboro residents. Not only do people who live in Greensboro love Yum-Yum, but when people move away, this little ice cream shop, on the western edge of UNCG's campus, becomes a must-visit destination. Yesterday, we were also lucky enough to get a scoop of watermelon ice cream. If you like watermelon ice cream, hurry, they will only have it for about three weeks.

Today is a double theme day for Greensboro Daily Photo. First, we're participating in ABC Wednesday. Today's letter for our ABC Local Series is "Y" and "Y" is for Yum-Yum! Also, for the City Daily Photo community, the July 1st theme is "upside down."  Clint very graciously agreed to our seemingly-silly request to be served a watermelon ice cream cone upside down. So, we've got both themes covered, and we had the pleasure of spending a little time at very special business that works so hard to serve Greensboro with a smile. By the way, if you order an ice cream cone, it will be served to you right side up (see below)!  By the way, that giant portion is only one scoop! Follow Yum Yum on Facebook to keep up with news, like what seasonal flavors are being featured.