Greensboro Daily Photo

Coneflowers, or Echinacea to Share

Coneflowers are thriving this year and can be seen in many yards and gardens around Greensboro. They are perennials, easy to divide and share with neighbors. You can also save the seeds to plant. The above photo features a light yellow variety of this herbaceous cousin of the daisy. Coneflowers are usually only found in eastern and central North America, and Greensboro is one of the places where they grow well. As you can see from the above photo, the bees like them too.

We hope you have a great Sunday and that you can find a little time to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. Greensboro really is a beautiful place, and, now that we are enjoying the extra hours of daylight of summer, there is even more opportunity to appreciate nature. Many believe that the natural world embodies divinity, sacredness, and spiritual power. Christianity has the parable of the mustard seed and the faith that big things can grow from the tiniest of seeds. The coneflower may not be a mustard plant, but the parable still fits...

Greensboro Community Carousel Quarter

In honor of their 100 year anniversary, the Rotary Club of Greensboro is building a carousel between the Greensboro Science Center and Country Park. The area is enclosed, making it possible for children to ride year round. The above photo features the lead horse with the Rotary symbol alongside a flamingo. As we peeked in, it seemed that no two animals were exactly alike. There is everything from a ladybug to a shark. Imagine a child setting a goal to ride every single animal on the carousel.

In addition to the Rotary Club, several very generous businesses and individuals have donated to this project. At the property, you can see a sign of all the donors. Truly, this project is for the community, by the community. The Battleground Park District, The Greensboro Science Center, and Greensboro, just keep getting better and better. The Carousel will be such a joyful addition to the community. 

Got Mushrooms?

Yesterday's post featured the Balk Eagle Trail at Lake Higgins. Today's photo is an example of the many mushrooms you will find along the trail now. With all of the recent rain, there are many different kinds of mushrooms to see along the way. As feasible, these public trails are left alone, for nature to do what it wants. Human intervention only comes when a tree falls across the path, obstructing the way for walkers and cyclists.

If you do walk the trails, please leave things as you found them. Do consider taking a bag to collect any trash that might have been left behind. As for the mushrooms. it will seem like they are growing before your eyes. If there is a little one in your life, it can be fun to research the names of all the things you will see in the woods.

Bald Eagle Trail

Bald Eagle Trail is located at Lake Higgins. The first leg of the trail, from the Lake Higgins Marina on Hamburg Mill Road to Carlson Dairy Road, is about a mile. It continues along Lewiston and Fleming, totaling about four miles. The trail is very natural and fairly flat. It is maintained by the Piedmont Fat Tire Society. When the ground is dry, bicycles are allowed on the trail. The trail is not very busy and is a great place to enjoy nature. 

The above photo features someone walking on a part of the trail where water tends to collect and flow after a rain. As you can see in the photo, wooden walkways have been added to keep the trail safer for pedestrians, canines, and cyclists. The trails, like Bald Eagle, really make being outdoors enjoyable in Greensboro.

Pinecrest Road

Pinecrest Road is a quiet street just off of Friendly Avenue in Sunset Hills. It is one of the streets on the route for the "Running of the Balls" walk/run in December. The above house, located on Pinecrest, is a beauty. While not all of the homes in the neighborhood are 2+ stories, the trend is for the smaller homes to get additions once they are sold. The location of this neighborhood, the ability to walk around the block, and talk to neighbors along the way, make this a great place to live.

To be so close to shopping and the hospital, the neighborhood is surprisingly quiet and there isn't much traffic, until, that is, the magical month of December, when the streets are glowing with those giant light balls in the trees.

Face Painting

Today, we're featuring another facet of the Greensboro Summer Solstice Festival, one of the face painters. As you can see from her pots of paint and the detail of the butterfly on the painter's own face, there were a lot of options. This face painter was very talented, patient, and kind. Children of all ages had fun getting painted.

Some people came to the festival already decked out in costumes, paint, garland, and fairy hair. Others were able to get decorated along the way. To be sure, fun was had by all. For eight hours on Saturday, the Greensboro Arboretum was simply magic!

Summer Solstice Festival

This past weekend, the Greensboro Summer Solstice event was held in the Greensboro Arboretum in Lindley Park. The event was started in 2005 to promote the beauty of nature and the diversity of Greensboro. The event, held this past Saturday featured a bazaar, entertainment, a parasol parade, a drum circle, and a fire finale. This year, there was an entrance fee of $5. Money collected made it possible to pay the performers. While, on the one hand, that may have prevented some individuals from being able to attend, on the other, it is unreasonable to expect professional performers to work for free. The event, as always, was extremely well orchestrated and fun was had by all. Mark your calendars for next year's event.

As for the beauty in the photo, she represented the spirit of the solstice event, from iridescent wing to delicate toe! Happy Monday!

Spiritual Van Drivers

Sometimes you can tell a lot about people simply by driving down the highway behind them. The Greensboro workers in the above photo are very religious and a Christian. They work in a profession that requires the use of ladders, possibly painting. They are patriotic, as they have an American flag in their rear window.

We're betting that today, Sunday, they are somewhere in a church in Greensboro. Hopefully, they are with family and are able to have the day off, a day of rest. Hopefully, you are having a good day, whether you are in Greensboro or elsewhere.

 

Got Tadpoles?

Today's photo features a cup of tadpoles. Yes, you read correctly, a cup of tadpoles. The above green concoction is actually algae growing in a container of cuttings from a fig tree that we have been trying to get to grow roots this past month. We've had no luck on growing fig trees, but after yesterday's rain and today's sunshine, the green liquid is growing tadpoles. Likely, they are tree frogs. They must be fairly hardy creatures as you can purchase them on eBay. Regardless, we're trying to make sure that they don't get too hot or that the rain doesn't push them over the top so that they can continue to grow.  From the looks of that liquid, they've got plenty to eat!

With over 14 hours of daylight a day now in Greensboro, summer is in full swing. One of the best ways to enjoy summer is to spend time outside and notice, notice, notice.  Come to the Greensboro Summer Solstice Festival today at the Greensboro Arboretum and you will have plenty to see; from people dressed to please Mother Nature to people marveling at the grande finale fire show. In the meantime, check around outside your home and you just may see some marvel of nature. 

Happy Summer Solstice

Happy Sumer Solstice today! In the northern hemisphere, today is the day with the most total hours and minutes of daylight. In Greensboro, the sun rose at 6:02 am and will set at 8:39 pm.  After today, daylight will decrease slightly until December 21st. Greensboro has some fun solstice events. Today, is the 15th Annual WAM Summer Solstice Party at the Weatherspoon Art Museum, beginning at 5:30. Tomorrow, from 2-10, the Greensboro Summer Solstice Festival will be happening at the Greensboro Arboretum. 

Please consider donning an outfit as cheerful as the above sunflower and head out to celebrate, light, nature, and the beauty of life's cycles with other people in Greensboro, or wherever you happen to be! Today, in Greensboro, the sun is out in all its glory, ready to celebrate with us.

Purple Martins on Lake Higgins

This purple martin habitat is located on Lake Higgins. If you notice, the gourd-like nests have slats, specifically designed to only allow entrance for the purple martins. At the 10:00 position, a martin is in position to squeeze into its nest. This nest design is important because, otherwise,  European sparrows invade the nests. The purple martin population has suffered severely over the past century, almost completely diminished by the 1980s. Thanks to great conservation efforts, these birds are making a come-back.

The above cluster of nests is maintained by Don and Trent Taylor, who are members of the Purple Martin Conservation Association. This bird, a member of the swallow family, depends almost exclusively on humans for housing. They spend their winters as far south as Ecuador.

They are renowned for the large quantity of bugs they can eat in a day. No need for mosquito repellent when you have purple martins!

Happy Juneteenth 2019

Happy Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration to commemorate the ending of slavery in United States, after the Civil War.* Today's photo features the bust of Dr. Martin Luther King that Wilbur Mapp originally made out of cement. The photo was taken on the MLK holiday this past January, just prior to the ceremony to rededicate the bust in its current location in Ole Asheboro. See here, for a photo of Mapp's family surrounding the work of art, with Jim Gallucci who cast the bust in bronze so that it would last longer.

Dr. King worked tirelessly for equal rights, civil rights. Let us all do something today to celebrate African-American freedom and achievement. Juneteenth is a day to work to aspire to continuous self-development for all and respect for all cultures.

*reference and more information, here.

Greensboro Science Center

The Greensboro Science Center, located on Lawndale Drive, just keeps getting better and better. The aquarium exhibit has expanded and provides so many different displays of ocean animals. From penguins to a giant octopus to everything in between, the aquarium is a fabulous experience. There are also many other science and animal displays. It is easy to spend an afternoon at the center- especially in summertime.

If you are looking for a gift for a friend or family member, consider a membership to the Science Center. For less than $40, you can purchase a gift that will last all year long. The membership for the local center also gets you a discount to many science centers and zoos throughout the United States. Keep cool and see the many cool exhibits. See more from the Greensboro Science Center throughout the week on GDP. Happy Tuesday!

MUSEP 2019

MUSEP 2019 has been in full swing for a few weeks this year. Greensboro's free concert series, "Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park," has been going strong in Greensboro for forty years. The concerts vary in style of music and location.  Last night's concert was held in Barber Park in East Greensboro; the Philharmonia of Greensboro played Classical Music and Pops. The weather was a little hot, but no rain!

Next Sunday, the concert will be held in Lindley Park at Starmount Dr. and West Market Street. It will be an evening of Americana and Nu Blu (Bluegrass). The concerts are free, but they always appreciate your donations. Even more, they appreciate your attendance, to support these great musicians, many of whom are local. Grab a friend, a chair, picnic snack, and come on out!

 

Friendship Friends Quaker Meeting

The Friendship Friends Quaker Meeting is located in a former private residence at 1103 New Garden Road, directly across the street from the Frank Family Science Building at Guilford College. It is also located in Quaker Acres beside the Friends Home Senior Living Community. On the edge of the property, you can see the little path that has been forged by the senior Quakers who can walk to the meeting house. 

The room where services is held is filled with chairs around the perimeter. In traditional quaker worship, "(a)ttendees are encouraged to speak once "the Spirit finds you", thus meaning one should only speak if the message is good for the community and beneficial to the meeting. A traditional Quaker belief is everyone has "that of God" inside, and everyone's inner light and spirit can be shown."*

There is over 250 years of Quaker presence and influence in Greensboro. Quakers have been a vital part of the local community and were believers in the inherent worth and dignity of all humans and civil rights, from the beginning. They meet at the 1103 New Garden property at 10:30 on Sundays, if you are interested in being a part of this inclusive, spiritual community. Happy Sunday!

*Wikipedia, "Meeting for Worship" visited June 15, 2019.

3D Glasses and Summer Fun

If you are in Greensboro and looking for summer fun, consider going to see a movie, especially one outside of your favorite genre. For even more fun, give yourself a little tour of all the public artwork around the city, especially in Midtown. You can combine both of those activities by heading to Red Cinema where you will find these larger-than-life 3D glasses and some murals to look at through them. 

When the lighting is right, these 3D glasses make a great backdrop for photos, The murals are also photogenic and used by many photographers during photo shoots and by adolescents for social media images. We hope you can carve out some free time this summer to get out and explore Greensboro. Here is the link to a Yes! Weekly article about some of the Midtown artwork.

Patty Tiska: First Day of Summer Vacation

Patty Tiska is one of those people who left the corporate world to teach, and hasn't looked back. She has been teaching in the Guilford County public schools for 14 years. Patty teaches English to students whose dominant/home language is not English. When she starts talking about teaching, her passion for her students comes through loud and clear. 

To stay fit, Patty swims with the Greensboro Community Y Masters' Program. If you notice her t-shirt and license plate, you will see that she is passionate about swimming, too. She first started swimming when she was eight years old. Her sister was her first swim coach. When the masters' nationals were held in Greensboro a few years ago, Patty medaled in backstroke and butterfly. For the senior games, she holds the 50 and 100 yard freestyle records for the State of North Carolina. Patty is a sprinter and her favorite stroke is butterfly.

The above photo was taken yesterday, the first day of summer vacation for GCS teachers. After swim practice, Patty went to the movie "Woman at War." The movie takes place in Iceland, where Patty was an exchange student in 1977. Known for having a global mindset, Patty loves learning about other cultures and languages. Patty is a lifelong learner, so it is not surprising that she did something educational on her first day of summer vacation. Enjoy your summer, Patty!

Barefoot Modern Indie Band

Barefoot Modern is a young, energetic, four-piece band from Greensboro. In the above photo, they are featured playing live and singing, on Tuesday, during the taping of NPR's "The State of Things" at Triad Stage. They played between segments and closed the show.

Lead singer, Tegan Dean, attends Lees-Mcrae College. The other three members are at Appalachian State in Boone. They classify themselves as a indie, with pop and rock mixed in. To be sure, when drummer, Caleb LeJeune and Dean sing, their sound is polished and powerful. LeJeune writes most of the lyrics on the topic of what is happening around them.

Barefoot Modern is getting quite a lot of publicity as well as opportunities to play. If you want to hear them while they are still in the Greensboro area, Barefoot Modern will be playing tonight at the Oak Ridge Town Park Amphitheater at 6:30 pm.

The State of Things

Frank Stasio hosts his National Public Radio show, "The State of Things" for WUNC once a month from Greensboro. The live show is on air on Tuesdays, broadcasted from the 3rd floor space at Triad Stage. Attendance is free, as long as you send in your ticket request and space permitting. The venue is intimate and the cafe seating adds to the charm.

One of the topics addressed on yesterday's show was housing insecurity in Greensboro. In the above photo, Stasio (left) is photographed with Richard Barron, a city reporter for the Greensboro newspaper, The News and Record. They discussed the situation that over 26 thousand people in Greensboro pay more than 30% of their income on rent. When this much of the household income goes to rent, tenants are considered to be rent burdened. Also, there are over ten thousand people in Greensboro waiting for low cost housing. Greensboro has a mere 3-4% housing vacancy, with much of that availability on higher-end properties. 

Attending "The State of Things"  is yet another great way to stay informed about issues, meet people in Greensboro,  and do something fun, for FREE, in Greensboro! Frank is taking some time off this summer, so the next time he broadcasts from Greensboro is Tuesday, August 20th. Bookmark this link, if you are interested in attending later this summer.

 

Golf Course Maintenance

Golf course maintenance is big business in Greensboro because we have so many public and private courses in the area. From the Wyndham Championship, which is a professional tournament on the PGA tour, to high school matches to people out on putting greens, all levels of golf are available in Greensboro. The above photo shows someone smoothing out the sand on one of the sand trap features at the Farm Course of the Greensboro Country Club. This course is located at Carlson Dairy Road. This course has Zeon zoysiagrass which tends to be a little hardier than Bermudagrass.*

As feasible, the bulk of the work on a course is done early in the morning and in the evening, before and after the groups are playing. For people who like to work out of doors, this job can be very rewarding. In addition to working on the grass, greens, and rough areas, the ponds and lakes need attention, too. For higher levels of expertise, many golf associations have agronomist superintendents. If you play golf, know that there are plenty of people working to keep the courses in the best shape possible. Some years, cold and heat are responsible for damage. So far, this year in Greensboro, rain has been a challenge!

* reference and golf-industry article about Greensboro courses, here, if you are interested.

Never Too Late

The Never Too Late Bluegrass Band from Pleasant Garden/Greensboro, NC, was formed in 2001. With a dobro, bass, banjo, guitar, and mandolin, this quintet is known for their fantastic bluegrass picking and performing. They perform regularly in the Piedmont area. This past weekend, they completed and performed in the Bluegrass Band Contest at the Mt. Airy Fiddlers Convention in Surry County, NC.

Greensboro, and the surrounding communities, have so much live music, especially in the summer. While Never Too Late is not on the lineup this summer, MUSEP has started its free concerts in the park and there will be bluegrass at the Sunday, June 23rd concert in Lindley Park. Last we checked, Mt. Airy hadn't posted the competition winners online; however, whether or not Never Too Late placed, they are winners for those in the local community who love Appalachian roots music. Keep on pickin' fellows.

Happy listening and Happy Monday!

St Benedict's Catholic Church

 

St. Benedict's Catholic Church is located on North Elm Street in downtown Greensboro. Built at the end of the 19th century, it is the oldest Catholic church in Greensboro. The sanctuary is small, but oh so beautiful. Recently, it underwent extensive renovation and is absolutely breeathtaking inside. See, here, where we featured the interior last year.

However, this past week, we were driving by and noticed some exterior work being done. Possibly the brick was getting pressure washed. Since St. Benedict's  is just down the street from the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, it is nice that it looks beautiful inside and out. It is a good sign when a community maintains its buildings and builds spaces open to the public. Greensboro is doing just that.

Have a relaxing Sunday!

300 Cornwallis

 

This Old Irving Park house, located at 300 Cornwallis Drive is so full of southern charm. From columns, to topiaries to large front porch, to a great lawn, the property has so much street appeal. It was built in 1961, has over 5,000 square feet of living space, and a full basement. There is no shortage of space indoors and out.

When we feature homes in Greensboro, we often feature bungalow-esque properties or ones that maybe have fallen into disrepair, and may not be long for this world. However, especially to those from elsewhere, we don't want to misrepresent Greensboro. There are some breathtaking homes here. Greensboro residents take great pride in maintaining their green space. Our city comes by its name honestly. The above photo is representative of homes you will see as you enter Old Irving Park. Some are larger, some are smaller, but almost all of them make you want to grab a jug of sweet tea and a homemade pound cake and sit on the porch for the afternoon, chatting with dear friends.

Happy summer!

Old Train Depot

Today's view is from Hamburger Square downtown, looking over at the building at 400 South Elm Street. This building is the Old Southern Railway Passenger Depot. It dates to the late 1800's when it was filled with people and goods coming and going, back when Greensboro was known as the Gate City.

The depot used to have a pointed, chateauesque roof on it.*  The building has not been a passenger depot since 1927, but has been used by Norfolk Southern Railroad as office space. It is a glorious, historic structure that will hopefully get some new windows and be restored to its original glory. Greensboro can be proud with the extent to which original building exteriors have been retained.

*see photo and more information from Preservation Greensboro, here.

Summertime on Katie Drive

Katie Drive is located in northwest Greensboro, accessed from Carlson Dairy Road. The above photo shows a typical house and lot; a midsize-large house of recent vintage; nice landscaping with a woodsy back yard. The wooded areas in the back are a nice buffer from North Battleground Avenue. The neighborhood is filled with families of all ages and stages. Usually there is one house or two for sale, at most,  in this neighborhood located at the entrance to the clubhouse of the Greensboro Country Club, Farm Course.

Most of the houses on Katie Drive have a well-manicured front lawn. The above lawn is mowed with a diamond/ checkerboard pattern. This level of detail, in making a lawn look presentable, is indicative of the pride the residents take in their neighborhood. Yet, families also use their lawns, on these warm summer nights, you see parents out playing with their children, especially playing basketball or riding bikes.

It would be nice to know how Katie Drive got its name. Surely, the developer had a loved one named Katie. If you know, please share the answer in the comments!

Tanger Center

Here you see crew working on the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. The photo was taking last week and, as you can see, they are making great progress. Tickets are now on sale for the general public and they are selling well. This venue will do to the performing arts and indoor performance what nearby LeBauer Park has done for outdoor performing and gatherings. For the Broadway series, the packages are really reasonable considering you get passes for free parking and you get to see such great productions. Locals will no longer need to drive to Durham or Charlotte to see the Broadway performances. 

If you are traveling to an appointment downtown, please allow a little extra time. There is so much construction, you can expect delays. However, be patient. Greensboro just keeps growing and getting more resources.

Happy Wednesday, the day before Thursday- which is the new Friday!

Downtown DGSO Road Repair

The McGee Street bridge is getting repainted and will be closed until June 17th. This is located at Hamburger Square, with Natty Greene's to the left. It is hard to believe that this is one of the main areas of downtown. Without any traffic, it almost looks like a country road. Unless you are a cyclist, you probably haven't noticed that the bike lane goes right down the middle of the road.

The railroad tracks are above the blue tarp and the part being painted. The main inconvenience is when a train crosses South Elm Street; McGee is a main cut through to avoid waiting. Pedestrians and drivers alike often choose the loop under this bridge. Some trains passing through can be very long, so if you drive a lot on South Elm Street, plan accordingly .

 Let's hope all is in good order by the Fun Fourth events.

Lime Scooters in Lindley Park

Lime scooters are back on the streets of Greensboro. The above photo features a young couple navigating the app and preparing to try them out. This collection of scooters is located at the corner of Walker and Elam. They tried them out and they seemed to work perfectly. Fortunately, in this part of town, there are bike lanes your alternative vehicle safety.

The photo was taken from inside Fishbones Restaurant, where you can sit and watch all of the coming and going along the main intersection of Lindley Park. You can also eat some delicious fish and chips. If  you are so inclined, you can visit one of other nearby establishments to hear music and quench your summer thirst.

Here's to a great first week of June, regardless of where you are and what you are doing this week!

College Park Baptist Church at the Corner of Walker Ave. & Josephine Boyd St.

When the morning sun is shining, College Park Baptist Church looks like it is glowing. While its address is officially Walker Avenue, the entrance faces the street that was formerly Aycock and is now Josephine Boyd Street. Josephine Boyd Bradley, who died in 2015, was the first African American student to attend the all-white Greensboro City School, now Grimsley.

The diversity of the congregation, and their belief in social justice, is to be commended. Were she alive today, Dr. Boyd Bradley would be happy to know that this Baptist Church, on the street named for her, is one that welcomes everyone with open arms. 

 

Hamburger Square in Downtown Greensboro

This is a different view of the intersection of South Elm and West McGee Streets, taken with Natty Greene's behind the camera. This area, known as Hamburger Square is a vibrant part of downtown with thriving businesses on three of the four corners and the fourth is green space. It is a fun part of town to explore on foot. If you want to know more about Hamburger Square, read this article archived at the Greensboro Public Library. One interesting fact is that at one time, in the early 1940s, there were eating establishments on all four corners and none was segregated.

Happy Saturday and Happy June 1st. Let summer begin!