Greensboro Daily Photo

Pleasant Ridge Golf Course

Pleasant Ridge Golf course, located on Pleasant Ridge Road, is an 18-hole course that opened in 1969. The course has a rating of 70.5 and a slope rating of 111 and features 6,432 yards of golf.* Since opening 47 years ago, Pleasant Ridge Golf has seen a lot of changes. At one time, it seemed like this facility was out in the middle of the country-- a rural respite. 

Now, with Highway 68 widening and all of the new construction, it seems like it is in the city. Yet, when you are actually out on the course, it is easy to forget all of the work waiting for you back at the office. Pleasant Ridge Golf Course is another great option for those hoping to enjoy the great outdoors this summer. It would make a great stay-cation!

*reference and more information, here.

Greensboro Distilling Co.

Greensboro Distilling Company is a craft distillery located at 115 Lewis Street. It is locally owned and operated and, if it isn't open yet, it is about to open. They are making vodka, gin, rye, whiskey, and bourbon. According to their website, Bill, Andrew, Shelly, and Lesley Norman have all trained and received certification in the distillation process through a program in Colorado* and they are looking forward to bringing their organic spirits to Greensboro.

This corner of Lewis Street, near Gibbs Hundred, is quickly becoming known as a place for local spirits and, while nobody under 21 is allowed to drink, the establishments are all trying to keep the atmosphere tame (family friendly). They are providing opportunities to do things other than just drink-- like eating at food trucks, listening to good music, milling through an urban garden shop, and attending special events. If only Helen B. Snow, the woman who ran Lewis Street Antiques out of these buildings, were still alive today, she would marvel in what her former spaces have become. It is hard to believe that Helen, the feisty, independent octogenarian with the bold glasses and great stories, has been gone since Dec. 2010. In the meantime, Bill Norman, above, is well on his way to becoming the next iconic character of Lewis Street. Best of luck!

*more information, here and here (well worth a look).

O is for Obelisk

Green Hill Cemetery is located on 51 acres on Wharton Street in downtown Greensboro. It opened opened in 1877, making it the oldest of our city cemeteries. The diversity of flora in the cemetery is impressive; so much so that a local botanist has made a spreadsheet of its hundreds of different trees and plants (here). Between the planting, the irregular spacing of the monuments, and the stone and cement borders marking family plots, upkeep of Green Hill is a daunting task. However, thanks to the volunteer organization, Friends of Green Hill Cemetery, the space is looking more beautiful than ever.

As the above photo hints, Green Hill Cemetery is filled with obelisks. The one above is unique in its ribbed texture. This obelisk is one of the highest in the cemetery; it is part of the plot where members of the Gray family are buried, just down from Julian Price's final resting place. From the small to the tall, we estimate a dozen obelisks in the cemetery. They seem like feats of geometry, with some bases appearing too small to support the height. Somehow, they are still erect.

 Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Urban Finds Series, "O" is for obelisk.

 

Construction Downtown-- LeBauer City Park

Today's view of down construction takes us to the site of the future LeBauer City Park. In 2012, upon her death, Carolyn Weill LeBauer's assets from her estate were directed to the creation of a public park open to all. The 3.3 acre park is located on land between the Downtown Public Library on Church Street, behind the Greensboro Historical Museum on Summit Avenue and Lindsay Street, and the Cultural Arts Center on Davie Street. This is the former location of the YWCA and Festival Park. It will be just across Summit Avenue from the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. If you look closely in the middle of the upper third of the photo, you can see the performance stage at the heart of the park. There will also be plenty of walking lanes, play areas for children, courtyards, gardens, a produce market, a restaurant, plenty of room for food trucks, a space arts and crafts shows, and more. In short, there will be something for everybody.

It sounds like the vision for LeBauer City Park is for it to be easily accessible, open, and inviting. The plans try to make it as versatile as possible. For example, outdoor seating will be portable. If you need more space in one area and seating in another, it can be rearranged. If you are interested, you can see the online book about the park, here. It is heartwarming to see a plan with so much thought behind it and that is so community oriented. What a legacy for Carolyn LeBauer, a space to be enjoyed by the community for generations to come. To be sure, we'll stop back and provide you with updates, dear readers.

Construction Downtown-- Bellemeade Village

This week, we're featuring construction in downtown Greensboro. If you haven't been downtown lately, it is changing almost daily. The above photo features progress on Bellemeade Village, a complex of luxury apartments, hotel, and conference center. For the photo, our vantage point was a leafing-out tree at the corner of Eugene and Bellemeade. If you look closely, on the left, just under the traffic lights, you can see the eastern edge of the baseball stadium. Across the street, are the foundation pillars and scaffolding for the Bellemeade project. With respect to construction, this 50 million dollar mixed-use development appears to be right on schedule. While the view of the baseball stadium will be beautiful from the village, the view from the stadium will be impressive, too. Part of the 4-acre complex includes a rooftop pool. Imagine watching a Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game, or one of their Friday night fireworks displays, while floating in a sparkling rooftop pool.

Eternal Life Baptist Church

Six years ago, we featured the Eternal Life Baptist Church on Greensboro Daily Photo (here). There has been so much development on North Church Street over the last few years, we wanted to see if the small Baptist church was still there and indeed, it is. With American Flag Storage, an apartment complex, a Kotis construction project, and a strip mall down on the corner of Lee's Chapel, Eternal Life has managed to endure. As we drove on to the lot at 3614 North Church at sunset yesterday, with the fresh spring greenery all around, the simple white church seemed to be glowing. The neighbors across the street have seeded their lawn, and what we've affectionately dubbed "the world's smallest house" is still standing. This little neighborhood seems to be holding its own. 

If you are local and interested, Eternal Life has Sunday School at 9:45, worship at 11:00 and Thursday Bible Study at 7:00. The pastor is P.T. Noble. As best we can tell, their only web presence is the photo we took six years ago. Something about a simple, country church where time stands still, seems very comforting with this hectic world we live in. If we check in on Eternal Life in another six years, the year will be 2022.  Let's hope they are still standing... and we are too. 

 

 

Prom Season 2016

Prom season is upon us. Last night, all of the early and middle colleges in Guilford County held their prom at Castle McCulloch in the Crystal Garden Ballroom (featured above). The capacity crowd danced through the night. The beveled, leaded-glass walls, crystal-chandelier, Grecian columns, terrace, and French doors collectively created a dazzling effect. The ballroom is built on the grounds of what was originally the McCulloch Gold Mill. While the mill has been around since before the Civil War, the Crystal Garden was not added until 1996. It adds quite a bit of charm and an additional option to the venue. The round structure looks like a place Liesl and Rolfe would have rendezvoused in the Sound of Music.

We hope everyone had a fun, safe night and that the policemen in the above photo only had to serve as a visible reminder that it pays to make good choices. A big thank you to the Guilford County School personnel who volunteered their time to make sure that students had a fun, memorable prom. Have a great weekend, dear readers!

Family Time Along Elm Street

It is the weekend! Time for family and friends. The above family attended first Friday in April. Unfortunately, we didn't get any names or have the chance to get to know them. However, we walked half the length of Elm Street behind them and were mightily impressed at how well the children were behaving and how much they seemed to be enjoying each other. If you notice, the tallest child is embracing two of the younger ones, who are holding hands. Perhaps they went out to dinner and the adult (mom?) is holding the leftovers.

It was so refreshing to see this group of kids taking advantage of First Friday, a Greensboro tradition. Along the way, people would look at the young woman, smile and make comments like, "Good luck!". Well, it seemed as if she was having more than simply good luck. Their behavior stems from a lot of love and hands-on child rearing. Here's to a great weekend and to noticing good people all around us. Greensboro has many. Happy weekend, dear readers!

616 South Elm Street... and So Much More

Charlie and Ruth Jones opened PB& Java at 616 South Elm Street in a building they purchased and have lived in for several years. They hold special events in their living space upstairs and bring great food and fellowship to the public in the storefront area, featured above. Unfortunately, they closed their PB&Java restaurant in March. Perhaps Greensboro wasn't quite ready for Thai-spiced peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the many other unique creations they dreamed up. Fortunately for Greensboro, they will rebrand and reopen in June with a place sure to delight and be full of surprises. 

In the above photo, Charlie can be seen in the background, facing the camera and under the spotlight. The keyboard player in front was creating great mood music. Unfortunately, we didn't get his name. Charlie and Ruth surprised us and opened their restaurant for the April, First Friday. We're hoping they will do the same in May. If you ever get a chance to attend an event hosted by Charlie and Ruth, please do so. They were both traveling actors and picked Greensboro as their place to settle down. Their actions to build community, like their Greensboro Grub dinners, do so much to create fellowship and lasting memories. When you are buying coffee from them, you feel as if you are meeting an old friend. To be continued...

N is for News

News vans, reporters, and camera persons were downtown on Monday afternoon in front of the court house. They were covering redistricting. New voting districts for City Council elections are supposed to take effect in 2017. We haven't been following the issue thoroughly; however, we do know the issue has generated a lot of controversy and that there seems to be a lot of that going around in North Carolina these days. The above vans were parked on West Market Street, right across from the West Market Street United Methodist Church.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Urban Finds Series, N is for News. Downtown is always a great place to keep up with news and WRAL, with its coverage from the Triad to the Coast, was covering the news live. A big thank you to all TV stations and community newspapers for keeping us informed!

Tanger Center for the Performing Arts

The Tanger Center for the Performing Arts is a 3,000-seat facility, being built downtown. The façade will be glass and limestone and a rooftop terrace with a stunning view. The architect's drawings make it look very glamorous. It will make uptown sparkle. The project website reports that $35 million dollars of private donations have been raised so far-- the most ever for a single, public project in Greensboro.* So far, the construction crew is still leveling the lot. In the background, you can see the Wrangler headquarters. In the photo below, you can see beyond the constructing webbing. The mountains of sand currently dominate the property.

We hope to get inside the United Guaranty Corporation building to get an aerial view. For now, we'll have to pretend that we're in the desert, trapped between the dunes. We kind of hope they leave the some of the sand. It reminds us of Maya Lin's "Groundswell," dunes of glass sculpture, at the Wexner Museum at the Ohio State University. What would it take to arrange a photo shoot here? Imagine staging beach photos without leaving town!

 

* see reference and more information, here and here.

Sunset Hills Home

Today's Sunset Hills home is located on Ridgeway Avenue, in the heart of the neighborhood with the extensive Christmas display. This house is located right on the path of the Running of the Balls and just down the street from the Smiths, who started the annual tradition of suspending the giant chicken-wire balls wrapped in strings of Christmas lights. It is hard to believe the neighborhood's transformation into a spring paradise of azalea and dogwoods. Those giant trees are the only clue that, come winter, light will be suspended as high as three story buildings.

It is also hard to believe the transformation of the house in the above photo. A year ago, it was a modest, one story red brick home and, through the course of a year, it became a spacious, two story home. We see that a lot in popular neighborhoods in Greensboro. New buyers take existing homes and transform them. We don't know who did the work, but they did a nice job of making the house blend in with the style of the neighborhood. HGTV would have a field day in Sunset Hills.

Well, Happy Monday, dear readers. Hopefully, this cold snap hasn't been too hard on your landscaping. 

Summerfield Baptist Temple

Summer field Baptist Temple is located along 220 at Winfree Road, north of Greensboro in Summerfield. Their pastor's name is Rick Church. The church attracts people from Guilford and Rockingham Counties.  It is one of those churches that look like it grew and grew and had wings added on. The architecture and the construction materials, as well as the pointed, white steeple, give this church the look of so many churches in the Greensboro area. 

Unfortunately, we cannot seem to find out much about this church through the internet or social media. We don't think we've featured it before on our seven years of Sundays; so, we've taken a photo in the hopes that our readers can help us learn more about it. Have a happy Sunday!

On the Fence

This bronze sculpture, On the Fence (1998), is located in Greensboro's Bicentennial Garden on Hobbs Road. As we enter into prom season, countless couples and friend groups will head to the gardens to take pre-prom photos. The bronze teenagers on the fence, frozen in time, will be watching the photo shoots transpire. Many parents will be there wondering how time passed by so quickly as they see their children transitioning into the adult world.

The sculptor of the above piece of art is Michiel Van der Sommen. He was born in the Netherlands, earned a degree in engineering and also earned a helicopter and fixed-wing pilot's license. However, sculpting has always been his passion- in spite of the reticence of his parents. Van der Sommen has spent time as an artist in Europe, Canada, Virginia, and Greensboro. * In addition to making beautiful art, both public and private, he also teaches and conducts workshops.

If you have a chance, this weekend, head over to the park and enjoy not only the sculptures and nature, but also all of the young couples who gather in Bicentennial Park to document a chapter in their lives. Happy Saturday!

* see more information about Van der Sommen , here.

Outdoor Living

It doesn't get much prettier than Greensboro on a sunny, spring day. The above photo features the Greensboro Country Club, located off Sunset Drive in Irving Park. The day we were there, the water on the golf course was still, reflecting a woman practicing her chipping-- short shot. The main clubhouse, above, was built in 1975, yet the origin of its first golf dates to 1909 in east Greensboro.* The "club" started, at the corner of Summit Avenue and Dewey Street, as a place to practice golf and socialize. It was a "men's club" of sorts, one that didn't have member ship fees.

Indeed, golf has been an important game in Greensboro for over a century. Looking at the above photo, one can see the peaceful aspect of being outdoors, playing golf. Then again, some of the tranquility is lost if you don't make your shot. Happy Friday! May this weekend be restful and energizing.

* read more about the history of the country club, here.

The Driving Hope Mobile

Varooom, it is DRIVING HOPE time again in Greensboro.  Driving Hope is a vehicle that people sign as part of a fundraiser to support earlier detection of breast cancer. For the donation of a dollar, you sign this car that will be auctioned off as a fundraiser for earlier.org, an organization created to help detect breast cancer early. The organization, was started by Martha Kaley, whom we photographed last year during one of the signings of the Driving-hope-mobile (see here).

Martha has a great story about how she actually attributes her dog to helping detect her breast cancer (story here). Next Saturday, April 16th, the second annual 5K Sherlock Dog Walk is taking place at Country Park (register here). Martha, her family, and friends, work tirelessly to help put a stop to breast cancer. You may recognize the Kaley from Kaley Orthodontics. They are a wonderful, community-oriented family. We're betting they will be at the dog walk and the many other events on the 2016 calendar. We're betting the Driving-hope-mobile will be at the run, and you can sign it and learn more about the organization. A big thank you to Martha for starting earlier.org and being such an inspiration to us all, and to Crown Honda, for donating the car for this very worthy cause. If we win the car, we're organizing an annual DRIVING HOPE ride across the USA and inviting each year's winning car!

M is for Mask Maker

As you can see in the above photo, Kathy Clark is an amazing mask maker. Recently, she gave us a tour of her home studio and walked us through the multi-step process of mask making. Kathy uses everything from paper mache, to leather, to fabric in creating these theatrical beauties. Kathy can custom make just about any form, but especially likes her nutcracker and animal masks. In addition making masks and costumes, Kathy also produces and directs theatrical productions. She just finished bringing to life three of Carl Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories at the Ruby Slipper Fringe Festival in Winston Salem. This weekend, she will be a living statue, outfitted in solid gold from head to toe, dropping golden glitter at the Azalea festival in Wilmington. Kathy earned a BA in Drama from UNCG and, with the commitment to the profession, is making her professors and mentors proud! 

Kathy sells her masks through Etsy, at craft fairs, and private commissions. Soon, she will start selling at Greensboro's, Third-Thursday, City Market between Barnhardt and Lewis Streets. If you want to purchase a mask, or need help with a theatrical production, see Kathy's contact information below. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Urban Finds series, "M" is for Mask Maker (and masks)! If you'll notice, Kathy even wore her M shirt for today's "M" photo.

 

*contact information 336-409- 9195; [email protected]; oneeyedjanes.etsy.com

 

 

                                     

 

Edible Redbud Blossoms

Recently, we learned that native eastern redbud blossoms are edible and so we ran outside to harvest some, just in the nick of time. As seen in the above photo, the buds are waning, being replaced by those lovely heart-shaped leaves. They tasted great as a salad topping and, to the palate, were virtually indistinguishable from bean sprouts. According to the North Carolina Folklife Institute, North Carolinians have been eating redbuds for centuries. Native Americans ate them raw and also boiled them. The blossoms also make great jelly. They are one of the first trees to blossom in spring. This sweet-pea pink color looks fabulous on a bed of greens.

Unfortunately, the redbud blossoms are mostly gone already. However, we can still enjoy the tree's beauty from now until fall.  As the "eat local" trend continues to grow, we expect to see these blossoms appear on more and more menus in Greensboro. The redbud tree has a shallow root system and can be difficult to cultivate. However, once one is established, you have a beautiful, edible addition to your yard. Let us know if you plant one!

NCAA Men's Championship

UNC North Carolina is playing in the NCAA Men's Basketball Champ Game tonight against Villanova. If you follow college basketball at all, you are well aware of this event. If you live anywhere in North Carolina, from Murphy to Manteo, you will likely be watching the game tonight. Even those who are Duke, Wake Forest, and NC State fans will likely put aside their differences for a night to cheer on the ACC team from Chapel Hill. From the humblest of apartments to the most elegant of homes Carolina blue is a pretty common color in Greensboro these days. 

The above house is located on Sunset Drive in Old Irving Park, across from the Greensboro Country Club. They have a larger-than-life, Rameses the Ram, on their front lawn making their UNC allegiance visible from the street as well as the golf course across the street. Just north of downtown and on the western edge of Elm Street, Irving Park is one of Greensboro's wealthiest and most established neighborhoods- thriving since early in the last century. We're betting, at many of those tree-lined estates, there will be some fabulous "Go Heels" parties tonight. The game doesn't start until almost 9:30 p.m. so, regardless of outcome, there will be some tired children at school and adults dragging their heels at work tomorrow.

Unless Villanova is your team, wish us luck!

DayStar at Night

Several people were out, walking along Elm Street in downtown Greensboro,  enjoying the nice weather during First Friday. In the background, our JP/Lincoln Financial Group building acts as a beacon at dusk. In the foreground, young adults from DayStar Church were offering free refreshments as well as free conversation about their congregation. They had a station set up just south of the railroad tracks for the evening. Home base for DayStar is 908 Westover Terrace, just across the street from Grimsley High School.

The photo is representative of Greensboro's First Friday vibe. Downtown has plenty of lighting and people are seen walking along Elm Street. While taking the photo, we noticed for the first time downtown's helpful signage. On the right is a sign pointing the way to various attractions (and parking) in the city. From musicians and visual artists, to sales staff and proprietors, to people sharing information about their faith, there is something for everybody downtown on the first Friday of the month. The serendipity of the evening will make you want to return every month.

Happy Sunday! See our photo of DayStar Church, from a few years ago, here.

 

Alley Rabbits

Last night, the Alley Rabbits played their hearts out during First Friday at Scuppernong Books. This Greensboro-based acoustic folk/rock band's members are Keith Buckner,  Nancy McCurry, Bobby Dolittle, Bill Payne, and Tim Barkley. The musicians are very talented and seem capable (and willing) to play a variety of genres. They did a good job of bringing in an audience and keeping the audience entertained.

Greensboro's First Friday events encourage people to get out and meet others in the community and to find out what Greensboro has to offer. We have a very robust music scene and the Alley Rabbits are likely to be a part of it for a very long time. How wonderful for Scuppernong Books to provide so many community events like these mini-concerts each month. When you are in the back of the bookstore, it almost seems like you are visiting friends in an older part of town.

Thanks to those reflections in the windows (and off the shiny bass) we're sharing this photo with the folks at Weekend Reflections. Happy Saturday! 

Vacc Bell Tower

Yesterday, the joke was on us. We had a 4:00 meeting in a building right beside the Vacc Bellower on the campus of the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Ambling along, close to the bellower, we heard the bells start to play an elaborate song, which made us think that it had already struck four o'clock. We picked up our pace, wondering how on earth we got behind schedule. Looking up, we saw it was five minutes until four. As it turns out, they were simply programming the bells now that there is a full carillon. With 49 bells, the set is complete.  The tower and bells were a gift of Dr. Nancy Vacc, who donated them in remembrance of her husband, Dr. Nicholas Vacc. Both were professors at UNCG.

If you look in the center of the tower, you see a person programming the keyboard console to use the full  range of octaves of the bells. Our guess is that the man on the lift is making sure that the keyboard console is linked correctly to the bell clappers. For a brief moment, as the song played yesterday, we thought that canonical hours had been implemented on campus and it was time for mid-afternoon prayer. We're betting noon will be a good time to experience the euphony and timbre of the Vacc Belltower. 

Hibachi Cafe

Hibachi Grill, at 362 South Elm Street serves Asian and Chinese food, meats and vegetables with Asian sauces. They have combos and bowls and serve food fast, without seeming like fast food. Many people opt to eat in, and when they do so, they are surrounded by a wall of brightly colored fish. While there is crab and shrimp on the menu, we didn't see any fish. When dining in, it does seem as if the fish are watching you eat.

Hibachi is a traditional Japanese heating device and the grills can be elaborate. In the USA, hibachi style food is often cooked with great fanfare from a knife wielding chef. While they don't cook at your table, the cooks behind the counter at Hibachi Grill work with great speed and efficiency in a way that busy downtowners demand. Your food is ready with the speed of a food truck. The man in the above photo, was taking a brief break from work. The counter help seemed to know him well and almost had his meal ready when he walked in the door. Even the fish on the wall seemed to recognize him!

L is for Lane

Just east of yesterday's featured porch, still on Spring Garden Street, we see this bicycle lane leading to the greenway and then on to town. The city of Greensboro is making a commitment to adding more lanes for bicycles and for providing greenways for off-road routes. According to the city's website, in 2007, Greensboro established a new bike route system that includes a map with roads, greenways, and other information to help cyclists plan the safest routes possible. In 2006, the Greensboro Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) adopted the Greensboro Urban Area Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenway Master Plan, which incorporated ideas from public input for getting from Point A to Point B.The resulting plan was over 300 pages. Today, plans for bicycle protected lanes are being updated and adjusted as new greenways and highways are constructed. The Moses Cone-Wesley Long Health Care System has contributed funding  and been a key player in our city's transportation plans.*

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Urban Finds Series, "L" is for lane, as in the above bicycle lane. You know you are close to downtown Greensboro when you can see the JP Building (Now Lincoln Financial Group). Dare we say all roads, and LANES in Greensboro, lead to the JP Building-- our iconic skyscraper?

Happy ABC Wednesday, dear readers!

* reference and more information, here.

Porch Time in College Hill

In Greensboro, spring, or, porch time, is upon us. Front porches invite company and are an opportunity for great fellowship. This porch is located on Spring Garden Street, near Joyner Street and downtown. the log table is very creative and the orange painted furniture and orange columns add symmetry to the scene. Most of the houses in Greensboro's older neighborhoods, near downtown, have porches. They predate backyard decks as a place for people to gather. The above porch is in College Hill where inviting front porches are a way of life.

Settled in the mid-1800's, College Hill was Greensboro's first neighborhood. The above home may not be as elegant as the Queen Anne-style homes in the neighborhood, but is has the great energy of the students' homes and residents who enjoy the company of others.

Blossoms Galore

Easter was a bit rainy this year in Greensboro. Fortunately, the weather seemed to hold out in the first part of the day and; hopefully, you were able to do your church/family activities without getting wet. It is hard to believe that Passover isn't happening for another 3 weeks and that Orthodox Easter is not for a month. We'll have to mark our calendar for more pictures. 

The above photo was taken on Friday in Brassfield Shopping Center off Battleground Avenue. If you look closely, you can see the roof of what was formerly Pizza Hut. The franchise still has locations in Greensboro; it seems this one just didn't make it. The Chick-Fil-A behind it is thriving and the Gold's Gym in this plaza, formerly a RUSH Gym, seems to be doing well. Unfortunately, the SRI Shoe Warehouse is closing in Brassfield. Hopefully, some of the energy from Midtown-Battleground Avenue will trickle up to Brassfield. It seems like a great location. We were there on Friday, mailing a package at Fed Express, and the stores seemed pretty busy. 

Getting in the car, we were struck how the sun faded the parking lot and the white blossoms extended the pastel look into the sky. We really like the way something as simple as car roofs on an asphalt parking lot can be an interesting subject. (If you are a lover of photography, we'll share the we were inspired by this 1912 photo by Russian photographer Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky). Happy Monday!

Happy Easter!

For Christians around the world, today is the most sacred of holidays, Easter. Many churches will start the day with a sunrise service. The sunrise service for the First Presbyterian Church, downtown, starts at 7:00 outside by the Columbarium, off Fisher Park Circle. The First Baptist Church has a sunrise service in Country Park. Both offer breakfast afterwards. Those are just two of many services around the Triad today. The only Christians not celebrating Easter today are the Orthodox. Their Easter comes really late this year, May 1st. 

The above photo features a hyacinth growing in a northwest Greensboro yard. Hyacinths are at peak this week, dogwoods are blooming, the azaleas have popped this week; all of these flowers and blossoms are adding glorious scents and visual beauty, just in time for Easter. Fortunately, North Carolina winters are mild enough that flower bulbs usually winter over in the ground. How beautifully they echo the spirit of Easter: Rebirth! 

Sam Frazier & Common Grounds

Common Grounds Coffee Shop was hopping last night. Hometown musician, Sam Frazier with Eddie Walker and Andy Ware packed the house last night. The weather was warm. The music was great. And the crowd was happy.

Common Grounds is located at the corner of Walker and Elam in Lindley Park. The Lindley Park neighborhood is such a local, neighborhood place, but has started attracting people from all over town. Sam's music had an American, improvisational vibe within the purview of jam band sound. Sam, a local Grimsley High School graduate,  has been making good music for several decades. Look him up on Facebook if you want to hear him play. In the meantime, head over to Lindley Park, especially on the weekend and see what fun can come your way. Happy Saturday!

Don's Music City

Music City is located on Lawndale Drive, in the strip mall with the new Hops Burger Bar and William Magnum Fine Art. It was rather curious driving by the other day and seeing a man on top of the building. He appeared to be spring cleaning and blowing leaves off of the awning. One doesn't expect to see someone leaning over the façade of a building during rush hour. Looking closer, the man's outfit matches the acoustic guitar to the right.

If you have been to Don's Music City, you will know that, in addition to selling instruments, they repair instruments and give music lessons. Founder of Don's Music City, Don Miller started selling guitars out of his dad's jewelry store and in 1968, built his first store in Burlington, NC.* Don continues to give customers good service and provides young kids with a place to develop a lifelong passion and skill in music making. If you are looking for non-candy options for Easter baskets, you could fill the basket with guitar picks and strings, and a new strap. Here is to a great weekend for all of us-- even those of us who are musically challenged.

We're wondering if that is Don up on the roof.

* (reference from Don's Music City)

Easter Bunny, Not!

Above is a pet bunny who has come to live with us. We love her so much that we want to share information for those who may consider bringing a bunny into their life. First and foremost, buyers beware! Please do not purchase a bunny unless you know what you are taking on. Here is our bunny tale...

We purchased our bunny at Friendly Pets and she arrived happy and healthy to our home. Max was already very tame and liked interacting with humans. The one slight glitch was that we purchased her from the "boy bunny" bin, but when we got her to the vet to be neutered, learned Max was a girl. We also learned that the cost to neuter a bunny locally ranged from $500 (IV, bloodwork, monitoring, etc.) to $50, what we affectionately call the "just get it done" procedure. Max was spayed at Sheets Pet Clinic on Chimney Rock Court. The cost was approximately $70 to spay her. For female rabbits, it is "spay or expect spray." Female rabbits can be very messy when they are in heat.

Max was very healthy for five months, until she went to live in the apartment of one of our children. The transition must have stressed her out as she got an infestation of ear mites. If you "google image" ear mites in rabbits, you will see some pretty disgusting images. Fortunately, rabbit mites only stay on rabbits and are treatable. Unfortunately, many vets in Greensboro don't treat rabbits. After several calls, we found Veterinarian Dr. John Wehe, owner of Downtown Greensboro Animal Hospital. He  has a lot of experience with rabbits and treated our Max. After the second topical application, Max appears to have her mite colony under control. So, for about $130 (appointment and medicine), she is on the mend. When you factor in initial cost of rabbit and set up, monthly food, litter, and hay, and vet bills, the first 6 months of owning a rabbit has cost us over $500.

Finally, from the above photo, you can see that Max loves, and expects, a lot of out of cage time. She is curious and does the happy-bunny-hop when she is exploring. However, Max loves to jump on things. Above, she is on top of a wood stove, devouring our aloe vera plants. She completely ate one and moved on to the next. She eats houseplants, roots and all. She loves fresh food. We grow mint and basil to share with her and keep carrots and cabbage for her. She also loves to chew electrical chords, leather shoes, and things that do not belong to her. We have rearranged our house to be rabbit friendly.  Max is so sweet and comes when we call her and lets us hold and pet her. That affection is the result of a lot of time interacting with her. Usually, Max uses a litter pan. However, the last time she came home for a visit, she picked a new spot. It was very messy!

In conclusion, do not impulse-purchase a rabbit ever, especially not just for Easter. Be prepared to spend a lot of time and possibly several hundred dollars on your new pet. As with all pets, rabbits can bring so much to your life; however, they can also be too much for a busy family. A healthy rabbit can live for a decade. Think twice about that soft, cute rabbit. If you are really ready, enjoy!

 

 

 

K is for Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme is a global doughnut company that was started in Winston-Salem in 1937. Founder, Vernon Rudolph, bought the original doughnut recipe from a chef in New Orleans. Rudolph chose Winston-Salem because his favorite cigarettes, Camels, were headquartered there. The company has quite an interesting history, with ups and downs, and interesting facts like doughnuts made with North Carolina's own Cheerwine soda.

Krispy Kreme has been in Greensboro for several years now. Since 2010, the above store, located on Battleground Avenue in Greensboro, provides a delivery service to local businesses. That sounds like a service with tremendous potential. As of 2015, Krispy Kreme had 1,000 stores and, continues to be comfort food to many of its customers. They have even developed new ovens so that the "Hot Now" neon sign can be lit longer. Doughnuts are like sushi, every second counts with respect to freshness.

Today, for ABC Wednesday, for our A-Z Urban Finds series, K is for Krispy Kreme. As far as we can tell, the Battleground Store is the closest to downtown Greensboro.

Happy Spring Planting

Spring is upon us and, in Greensboro,  it is time to start planning our gardens. The above photo shows a gardener getting the early spring, ornamental beds ready for the North Battleground restaurant, TESSA, Farm to Fork.

We featured one of their chefs recently (here) and returned to indulge in a farm to fork breakfast this past weekend. Indeed, the breakfast was tasty and the poached eggs were cooked to perfection, which is not always easy to do. We got a little tickled when the people sitting next to us wanted something reheated and the waiter explained that they don't even have a microwave on site. At that point, we realized that the restaurant, indeed, is committed to fresh.

From the looks of the small garden plots on the north side of the property, it appears that they may be growing some herbs on-site. We encourage to plant as much edible as you can, even if it is container gardening. There is a great nursery for edible landscaping about 3 hours north of Greensboro on US-29 in Afton, Virginia. The nursery is called Edible Landscaping. Also, between the farmers markets, garden centers,  and the April 14th plant sale of the Herb Society (details, here), there are plenty of opportunities to get great plants locally. You can establish your own, personal, farm to fork!  Happy spring planting.

Carefree on a Country Road on the First Day of Spring!

The above photo was taken 17 miles north of the Piedmont Triad Airport, just of of Highway 220. It is probably just north of the Guilford County Line. This is the road where Camp Carefree is located. Camp Carefree is an organization that provides one-week camping experiences for chronically ill children. It was started in 1986 and brings in teams of health care professionals from the Triad and Triangle to manage the treatment, medicines, and general health care needs of camp participants.

As we drove down the road, on the first day of spring, in spite of the cold weather, we could not help thinking about how beautiful it must seem to families that have had been surrounded by pain and illness, in and out of doctors' offices. The camp comes by its name honestly, Camp Carefree. Due to generous donations of individuals, churches, civic organizations, and medical personnel, Camp Carefree is  debt free. A heartfelt thank for everyone who helps keep us this road solvent and paved with happiness. 

Today, we share this literary excerpt. Barbara Kingsolver in The Lacuna (p. 457) is describing the protagonist's drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just outside of Asheville, NC. It reminds us, however, of the above photo and the more rural parts of Greensboro at this time of year. We're a couple of weeks ahead of the mountains of NC, with respect to spring rolling in. " (T)he April trees lit up with pale green flames... [Car] Windows wide open, the full breath of spring of dirt of new life stirring in the breast of whatever was left for dead, all that rushed at us now."  Indeed, this time of year feels like breath, new life, and trees lit up with pale green flames. Happy spring!

Church, Battle of Guilford Courthouse Style

Around 9:30 a.m., on the Sunday of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse (last week), participants gathered to sing spiritual songs as they prepared for battle. They tried to keep even the religious service authentic to the 18th century. Hearing the lovely voices down by the lake, when the park was calm and the lake still, was hauntingly beautiful. Re-enacters of many religions came together for a few minutes of considering a force greater than themselves.

When the singing ended, one re-enacter commented, "Well, I guess I can get out my tobacco now that the service has ended, so I won't feel like a heathen."  Surrounded by the persistent smoke of the campfires, church-goers would not likely have noticed the extra smoke. But then again, respect is a good thing, and has been well before the 18th century. While the above service is not meant to be part of the re-enactment "show", spectators and photographers were not turned away.

A Walk in Park

Country Park, between the Greensboro Science Center and Spencer Love Tennis Facility, is extremely popular on the weekends. In the above photo, we see some dog lovers en route to Bark Park. The dogs on the photo were on leashes; however, when they arrive at the Bark Park at the top of the hill, there is a fence and they are allowed to be off-leash. The official name for the park is "Stephen M. Hussey Bark Park at Country Park." Stephen M. Hussey was one of the fundraising committee's founding members and one of the reasons the park exists today. Bark Park was established in 2003. It is hard to believe that it has been around for thirteen years. 

As goal oriented as the above dogs were last weekend, we're pretty sure they have been to Bark Park before. Have a great weekend, readers. We hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy Greensboro- with our without canine companions.

SKYWILD

Sky Wild is one of the newest attractions at the Greensboro Science Center. This is the Lawndale Drive view of the venue. Soon, the trees will be leafed out and it will be hard to see it from the road. Now, you have a clear view of the property. Skywild is meant to be a place where you can observe the animals in the center while getting a good workout. According to their website, Skyward encourages you to imitate animal actions like "waddling, leaping, brachiating, and crawling" to appreciate, more fully, the ways of the animal kingdom. Skyward will celebrate its one-year anniversary on May 2nd. They have several routes from beginner to advanced.

An annual membership is $280 for science center members. Imagine the workout you would get if you progressed through the courses here. The height ranges from 15 feet to 45 feet and you can zipline through the property to your heart's content. Sounds like so much fun! Let us know if you try it.

Spring Blossoms on St. Patrick's Day

If you live in Greensboro, likely, you are noticing just how beautiful our city is in springtime. Greensboro is fortunate to have four distinct seasons and spring is absolutely glorious. These ornamental cherry tree blossoms will be past peek within a few days. However, as for today, just about anywhere you look, you can see something in bloom.

Thursdays are usually pretty quiet around Greensboro. However, since today is March 17th,  St. Patrick's Day, there are plenty of events to attend, especially downtown (see examples here). Since we Greensboro doesn't have a river, we won't be seeing green water, like they do in Chicago. However, there will be plenty of green libations going around this evening. We hope you remember to wear green and greet your Irish friends! Maybe even take them a sprig of spring cheer. The above pink blossoms were photographed specially for you.

J is for "Juice" Flask

The above flasks were spotted at the tent vending area of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. They commemorate the battle. They are made of recycled wine and beer bottles, by a man whose family has been blowing glass for generations. From the lip on the vessel to the rough pontil mark in the front, they are made to look as authentic as possible.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Urban Finds Series, "J" is for "juice flask." The more we look at it, the more we wish we'd purchased one. The vendor lives in Virginia, so, hopefully, he'll be back next year. He had several interesting vessels, but this "juice flask" impressed us, because it is specifically dedicated to our community and a local battle. 

Primary Election Tuesday

How timely that the Battle of Guilford Courthouse was held the weekend before the primary elections in the downtown courthouse. The above photo, of Guilford County Court House, was one of the early voting sites in our community. If you are a North Carolina resident, hopefully you are registered to vote; know where you go to vote; have transportation to the polls; and have identification. It is very important for us to exercise our right to vote and will be interesting to see which candidates get the vote in our local community. Watching the results roll in is much more interesting when you have voted.

We wonder if the election results in North Carolina will have an impact on the election at large.

Today, March 15th, is also the Ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was assassinated and a turning point in Roman history. 

Reenactment Children at Battle of Guilford Courthouse

This photo from yesterday morning was taking in Country Park on Day 2 of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. This young father, in his coat of blue with red facing, is ready to go to Battle for General Greene. Walking back from the bath house to camp, he was having a serious conversation with his younger son. The older son didn't have as many questions; likely, he has been at this re-enacting business longer than his little brother. Imagine growing up, participating in these living history events. AP American history should be a breeze for these guys. 

To the right, in the background, you see other park users, in 21st century garb, also enjoying their walk in the park. Greensboro is so lucky to have such a great park system. Reenactment, or not, on the weekends, our parks experience heavy use. It makes us proud to see our tax dollars put to such good use.

Well, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse weekend has come and gone for another year. We're betting the above dad has transitioned from a weekend in the 18th century to celebrating the mathematical constant Pi, 3.14, today. Happy Pi Day!