Greensboro Daily Photo

Man and Dogs in Motion

Weekends should always include time for ourselves. Even when we have to work on the weekend, we need some kind of transition ritual. The unidentified Greensboro man, above, seems to have made a ritual of getting out and walking his dogs. The trio was seen on Greene Street, just down from the courthouse and the Lincoln Financial Group/JP building. He was working with voice commands and the dogs were fairly compliant. The man had such patience and determination when working with the canines. Patience and determination go a long way in just about anything we do. 

Greene Street extends from Fisher Park to McGee Street; however, this part in the center of town seems to get the most pedestrian traffic-- human and canine. Notice the City of Greensboro banner in the upper left-hand corner. We love it when we can sneek in something that says "Greensboro" into a photo. Happy Saturday, dear readers. May your weekend be everything you want it to be, and then some!

Greensboro Children's Museum

The Greensboro Children's Museum is beautiful inside and out. The above photo was taken from the top floor of the parking deck on Church Street. The museum has been open since 1999, that's seventeen years. The museum works hard to bring families together and to promote and active lifestyles. They now have an edible schoolyard on the north side of the museum. 

Tomorrow from 10- 3pm, the museum has invited in food trucks and they will have several hands-on activities to help their half-acre edible schoolyard. If you are local, we hope you can fit that into your weekend schedule. The event is free. In 2004, it was one of the top 50 children's museum in the united states. Tomorrow would be a great day to stop by and see why everyone loves it so much. 

Clouds Over Downtown Greensboro

This past weekend, the weather was so nice and the sky was rather dramatic. When ambient light is plentiful, skies are blue, and clouds playfully punctuate the sky, even backs of buildings look beautiful. The above photo was taken on Greene Street in downtown Greensboro. The building to the left is the rear view of the International Civil Rights Museum (formerly F. W. Woolworth Co.). The building just below the round, puffy cloud, in the middle of the photo, is the former Meyer's Department Store building on the corner of February 1st Place and South Elm Street. For a very different view of this department store and more information, see our post last month (here). To see the front of the International Civil Rights Museum, see here.

At a reception yesterday, someone asked us if we ever feel like we are running out of things to post. Even after 7 1/2 years, and over 2,500 published photos, there always seems to be something to feature. Yes, some posts are richer and more meaningful than others. However, given all of the new construction and the many events in the city, we are constantly inspired.  Greensboro is such a beautiful city, it is almost as if it is posing for us!

P is for Pullman on the Mighty 611

It is not every day that a Pullman sleeper rail car come to town. However, one was in Greensboro this weekend as part of the train we've been featuring for the last two days. And, this is not just any Pullman. It comes with a great deal of provenance. The car was built by Pullman of Chicago in 1925 as a 12-section, one drawing-room sleeper. In the 1950's it was reconfigured as a fancy office car and operated as part of North Western Railway's office car fleet. In 1996, it was purchased by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It was sold to Dearing Railroad LLC in 2006 and is now part of  he 611 steam locomotive.

In its present configuration, the Pullman Dearing features two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a crew room, a dining room, a kitchen, an observation lounge and platform. *  It sure added a lot of character to the bullet-nosed, vintage 1950's train as it came chugging down the track and parked at the J. Douglas Gaylon Depot. 

 Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z Urban Finds, "P" is for "Pullman." 

*reference and additional information, here.

Train Engineer for the Spirit of Roanoke

Today's photo features the train engineer of the coal fired steam engine, Spirit of Roanoke,  as it pulled out of Greensboro's J. Douglas Gaylon Depot 7:00 am Sunday morning. Being a train engineer requires a tremendous amount of preparation and concentration. Train engineers must be certified by the Federal Railroad Administration as well as have on-the-job training. Unlike the conductors, the engineer does not have ongoing contact with passengers. While he hopes passengers are happy, his job is to ensure they get from Point A to Point B safely and incident free. The round trips between Greensboro and Roanoke, VA were, indeed, incident free.

You can see the concentration on the engineer's face as he navigates the journey. Not seen in the photo were the exuberant spectators, hopping from gravel pile to gravel pile near the track, trying to get a good look and a photo or two of the Mighty 611.  Onlookers were fascinated by the train's bullet-shaped cars, enveloped in steam. Equally thrilling were the sounds of the wheels rolling along the track and the whistle alerting onlookers that the train was in motion. It can easily take a train up to a mile to stop, so knowing what lies ahead is serious business to an engineer. 

Steam Locomotive #611

The weather this weekend was perfect for a train ride. The above photo features the Norfolk & Western #611, a Class J steam locomotive that normally resides in the Virginia Museum of Transportation. However, this past weekend, it loaded up a belly full of coal and water to make the trip between Greensboro and Roanoke.  It holds 35 tons of coal and 22,000 gallons of water. This steam locomotive, from 1950, was one of 14 Class J's to be produced and is the only one still in existence.

Through fundraisers and community support, the #611 was restored to its former glory and makes a few day trips each year. Yesterday, the weather was perfect and the train was full. Round trip fares ranged from $169 for standard coach to $1,299 for a private suite for four with complimentary breakfast, lunch, hors d'oeuvres. Even though we didn't get to ride the train, seeing people board the train, hearing the sounds of pressure released when steam was generated, and seeing its bullet-shaped body chug along through Greensboro, was priceless. To children watching, it was as if Thomas the Train stopped by The Gate City for a visit.

While waiting for yesterday's 7:00 am Greensboro departure, we were worried the view would be obstructed because a seemingly-endless Norfolk Southern train was pulling into the station as the modest 109 foot Roanoker was heading home. Between the cars of the newer train, we caught a glimpse of the steam and coal emissions-- beautiful for nostalgia, but not so good for the environment (see below). Promptly at 7:00 am, the view was restored; to the delight of all of us standing along the tracks.

St. Francis Episcopal Church-- Book Sale This Week

The Annual Saint Francis Book Sale is happening this week from April 28-30. St. Francis Episcopal Church is located on Lawndale Avenue across the street from Lawndale Baptist, between Cone Blvd. and Pisgah Church road. With the trees and the proximity to the road, the church is hard to photograph. An added challenge this year is the construction fence. However, if you are a book lover, they will have 50 thousand for you to choose from. Here is 2 minute video that the church members prepared about the sale.

We're having trouble getting videos to embed, but one of these links should work. It is very informative, if you are considering attending. The layout is slightly different this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCfyUCgW7aw&feature=share

https://youtu.be/bCfyUCgW7aw

Downtown Elm Street at Hamburger Square

The above photo features Natty Greene's Brewing Company and Grey's Tavern. Both are locally owned places  to go for food and drink. Natty Greene's opened in 2004 in this brick building from 1895. Grey's opened four years later in 2008. Do any of you remember prior to the opening of Grey's Tavern, the space housed an art supply store? Just to the right of this scene is Hamburger square, where the street is often blocked off and concerts are held. The photo shows you how nicely the façades are being maintained on Elm Street, downtown.

Yesterday, when this photo was taken, it had just finished raining and the driver of the red car was able to head out without getting wet. The afternoon was rather overcast and wet, which explains why more people were not out walking around on a Friday afternoon. Let's hope more people get out and enjoy our beautiful community today!

 

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day, 2016. Earth Day was first observed 46 years ago and, today, it seems as relevant as ever. Earth Day will be celebrated tomorrow at the Piedmont Earth Day Festival at the Winston Salem Fairgrounds.* I you are interested in sustainability and watching your carbon footprint, this is the event for you. Locally, UNCG is having an event from 3-8pm (here). UNCG is one of only four universities in North Carolina achieving a gold rating from the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System. Last year, UNCG increased annual student fees by $2.22 to fund projects through the Green Fund.

The above photo features bicycles at ReAligned, an antiques and repurposed-items store on East Lewis Street in downtown Greensboro. We think we'll purchase one of those repurposed bicycles and head on over to UNCG's Earth Day celebration. We'd love to learn what we can do to be as impactful as possible with respect to protecting the earth and our resources.  How will you be spending Earth Day?

* if you think you might attend, check, here.

College Softball Season Winds Down

Last weekend, UNCG girls played Furman in softball. This Southern Conference, Division 1 match up on Saturday found the two teams splitting the double header, but on Sunday, Furman took the series, 2-1. In the above photo, UNCG is up to bat. If you like watching softball, heading over to the UNCG softball field at the corner of Aycock St. and Walker Avenue is well worth your time. The seating is comfortable and you are close to the action. UNCG's final at-home match up will be against Chattanooga on the last weekend in April (see schedule, here). Mark your calendar.

The Spartan softball team is excited to have added Danielle Bieberle as the fifth signing member to their 2016 signing class. Danielle hails from Auburndale, Florida and is described as a "left-handed slapper" who in quick in the outfield. Spring signing is always such a hopeful and happy time, once the signing is done. We are lucky in Greensboro to have so many institutions of higher education. They bring us great sports viewing options and many events are free.  If you ever run in to any of the IHE players or coaches, thank them for their hard work and dedication. Playing on a school sports team is a full time job- and then some.

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.