Greensboro Daily Photo

Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church

Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church is located near Four Seasons Mall, at 3100 Creek Ridge Road. The church continues holding services remotely during this COVID-19 period. Given all of the issues in the news lately, many people report needing their church community more than ever. Given the fact that Mt. Tabor's congregation is largely minority, it will be especially important for congregants to assemble- even if virtually- to pray about all that has happened in the United States, especially in the minority communities.

Christians mark Mt. Tabor as the sight of the transfiguration of Jesus. It is also the place in the Middle East where the Israelite army was victorious over the Canaanites. It would be nice to see battles become obsolete in our lifetime. Perhaps, we can all pray for bringing people closer together, as equals. Happy Sunday and may you have some time to pause and reflect. If you believe in the power of prayer, set aside some time to pray. If you are looking for a church community, log on to Mt. Tabor through Facebook and pray with them. With so many online options, now is the best time ever to learn about church communities.

Exploring Summerfield, formerly Bruce's Crossroads.

Exploring Greensboro and the surrounding communities of Guilford County is something fun to do on the weekend. The above photo features the inside of the old Gordon Hardware Store at the Crossroads of Upper Summerfield. The building is one of the historically significant buildings in the National Register of Historic Places district. Most of the buildings in this area date back to the 19th century. Summerfield, formerly Bruce's Crossroads has been a community since 1768.

When 220 North was built in 1952, travelers no longer needed to cross through Summerfield and many businesses, including Gordon Hardware, closed. After nearly 70 years since being a hardware store, the interior still has strong bones, including beautiful hardwood floors. Even the plaster remains is good condition. With so much growth in Summerfield, hopefully the building will be reincarnated as something special.

Have a great weekend. We hope you find something fun to do. After all, in less than 48 hours it will be June!

Read more about the history of Summerfield here.

Beautiful Thursday Night Sunset

Greensboro has been so rainy lately, but last night we got a respite and the sunset was beautiful. The above photo was taken in northwest Guilford County close to Horse Pen Creek Road. Tonight' sunset in Greensboro will be at 8:29. The sunset literally and symbolically indicates that day is done. We hope you have had a good day and will find a way to enjoy your weekend. As businesses slowly begin to reopen, please use good judgement and practice good care when venturing out.

Today is the 150th day of 2020, with 216 days remaining. It is also the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The 2020 theme is Women in Peacekeeping (read about it here). If there are any women in your life who are peacekeepers, in Greensboro or beyond, please be sure to thank them. Happy Friday!

Tonya, Carrie, and ABBA Design

The person in the center of the above Zoom conference screen is Tonya Anderson of ABBA Design. She is the mastermind behind the giant floral installation in front of Cone Health (Wesley Long Hospital) featured here yesterday. Tonya, originally from Tennessee, moved to Greensboro with her family. In July 2016, she opened ABBA Design, located at 700 Eugene Street. Tonya specializes in floral design work for weddings and other special events. Lately, she has also been doing some daily deliveries for individuals. Tonya, ever passionate about her work, is self-taught and considers it a God-given talent.

Word of mouth, getting on preferred vendors lists, and having breathtaking examples on her website, have helped Tonya's business continue to grow over the past four years. Just talk with her for a few minutes and you will realize just how super-creative, innovative, and energetic she is. New ideas seem to always be coming her way; hence the impromptu, floral installation at Cone Health.

If you notice the top panel from the Zoom call, "yours truly" is caught mid-sentence on the left, interviewing Tonya. In the middle is Carrie Little, the friend of a mutual friend who helped solve the mystery of who showered Greensboro with 25 dozen roses. While Tonya had pulled off the road for our call, Carrie was busily working away at the shop, preparing flowers for an event this weekend. Carrie, a long-time resident of Greensboro, graduated from UNCG, raised her children here, and taught science at Northwest High School. Now that her children are older, she has gone back to work, helping Tonya at ABBA Design. Carrie is the one who arranged the Zoom call and was masterfully able to trim roses and conference with us at the same time.

Getting to the bottom of a good Greensboro mystery and meeting two wonderful people like Tonya and Carrie is what makes Greensboro Daily Photo all worthwhile! And then, of course, there are our readers like YOU!

Happy Thursday!

Floral Installation at Cone Health

Floral designer Lewis Miller has taken NYC by storm with his flash floral installations!*  As you can see in the above photo, Greensboro received its own impromptu, floral installation this past week. Tonya Anderson, owner and passionate designer at ABBA Designs, created the above installation. She said, after seeing Miller's creations, she knew she wanted to design one for Greensboro. Tonya made the arrangement to thank healthcare workers and to simply spark joy during this difficult time. Truly, the act was one of generosity and giving back to the community as Tonya didn't even put up signage to show that the flowers were from her shop.  ABBA is that beautiful little shop, a sort of oasis in the 700 block of Eugene street, not too far from Deep Roots Market.

Together with her assistant, Carrie Little, the duo worked their design magic. They spread 300 roses- that's 25 dozen- around the Cone Health sign at Wesley Long, on the Friendly Avenue side. If you see Tanya or Carrie, be sure to thank them for their generosity. If you need someone to design flowers for a special event, give them a call. See other examples of the ABBA aesthetic, here. Stop back tomorrow, and we'll feature Tonya herself, as seen via our Zoom call! Unfortunately, the installation is no longer there, but the memory will stay with us for a very long time.

 

*see here for some of Miller's floral installations.

 

Shops Opening Back Up

The above photo shows people waiting in line to enter the Spectrum store this past Sunday at Friendly Center. Slowly, stores are opening up. Some people are more diligent then others about wearing masks, but for the most part people were maintaining reasonable physical distance. There was also a line a couple of stores over at Pier 1 as they are going out of business. Several people were inside Barnes and Noble; one woman, purchasing a puzzle, said that was the first store she had been other than a grocery store since mid-March. Another woman was purchasing a book for her book club. 

As the weather warms up and schools come to a close, it will be interesting to see how people spend their time. People seem eager to get out and spend time together... but apart. Happy Tuesday. Happy, almost summer.

Field of Poppies for Memorial Day 2020

This house at 2705 Camden Road was build in 1928 and, according to realtor.com, the last time it sold was in 2001. We're guessing that the current owners created this field of poppies to the left of the house. This photo was taken yesterday so you can see that the poppies are in full bloom, just in time for Memorial Day. Traditionally people wear poppies on their lapel on Memorial Day to honor those who died in war. This Memorial Day tradition to wear poppies comes from Canadian soldier John McCrae's poem, Flanders Fields* and has been a tradition since 1915.

For years and while he was still living, you could count on Congressman Howard Coble  to speak at Forest Lawn Cemetery. ** Regardless of whether you wear a poppy or just have a moment of silent reflection today, please consider doing something to remember the American service people who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. As for this house at 2705 Camden Road, across from Lindley Elementary School, how wonderful that their field of poppies is blooming exactly on Memorial Day. Do you know of any other fields of poppies in Greensboro? 

 

• * read information from the History Chanel, here.
• ** see the last photo we took of Congressman Coble speaking in Greensboro, here.

Cross Current Church

Cross Current Church is located at 212 West Main Street in Gibsonville. They are a church that tries to attract young adults in their 20s and 30s. The church explains that it has fundamentalist/evangelical roots but works hard to remain relevant to young adults of today. The staff members have Baptist training in their backgrounds, but the church does not appear to be affiliated with the Baptist denomination.

This location on Main Street looks like the building was formerly an office building. This just goes to show you that churches come in many shapes and sizes. They don't even need to be "open" to be touching people's lives, because a church is never closed and the work of the church is never done, even when the lights are out and the door is locked. We hope you are having a beautiful Sunday and that your spiritual needs are being met, regardless of your religion. If you are feeling alone or in need of worship, reach out to someone. And to Cross Current, what a great idea being right in the center of a community! Happy Sunday!

Beautiful Farm on Bethel Church Road

Weekends are a great time to explore the back roads of Guilford County. There are still so many beautiful properties here. This farm, owned by the Wright family on Bethel Church Road is no exception. The farm with horses, sunflowers adorning an outbuilding, and a fabulous fence is located between between Bethel Presbyterian Church and Gibsonville. Country living has its challenges, but it also comes with its beautiful aspects. Just look!

Bethel Church Road will get you from Eastern High School into Gibsonville without needing to get back out on Highway 70. It is fun to drive these roads, just to see what people are out doing, what they have in their yards, what color they paint their accent door, and what buildings remain from decades ago. We hope to get to meet the Wrights someday. Indeed, they seem to be living the good live, a good blend between the old time ways and modern living.

Happy Saturday, everyone.

Magnolia Blossom Time in Greensboro

In spite of a week of excessive rain, beautiful things are happening in Greensboro. The air is filled with the scent of honeysuckle and star jasmine. The rains this week have also brought out the magnolia blossoms which smell heavenly. The blossom in the above photo is as large as a dinner plate and the tree itself it over 30' tall. When it is not raining, their lemony fragrance abounds in Greensboro. It is one of those white flowers that help make spring/summer night gardens magical. White flowers seem to glow at night and the scent rises with the cooler evening air. The magnolia is one of the oldest known tree species in the world, so old that it is pollinated by beetles because magnolias were around before bees.

Today is Friday, the weekend is beginning. When the raindrops cease, seek out some magnolias.Tish Hinojosa sings a great song about the magnolia tree (please click here to listen). While Tish is from Texas, she does have friends in Greensboro. Maybe we can get her to come here and give us a concert... underneath a magnolia tree.

Gibsonville, City of Roses, City of Maple View Creamery

Gibsonville, known as the City of Roses, is a community just east of Greensboro on the border of Alamance County. The above photo shows people this past weekend, trying to social distance while enjoying an ice cream from Maple View's County Line Creamery Company. You can see the ice cream shop, in the background, to the left of the tree. This Main Street favorite has a very interesting history leading back to Maine.*

The Maple View Farm is firmly committed to dairy farming and land conservation. One hundred eighty seven of the 400 acres of the farm have been granted to the Triangle Land Conservancy. This designation means that the property will remain for agricultural and open purposes. Everyone involved in the farm, from the land and dairy cows to the end products, is firmly committed to making practices as sustainable and good for the animals as possible. Read the link about the farm, and purchase an ice cream next time you are in the Gibsonville area. Current flavors include, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, butter pecan, honey toasted almond, double chocolate, coffee, cookies and cream, cookie dough, banana, Carolina crunch, and mint chocolate chip. What is your favorite?

 

* read more here.

Rainy Day On Tuesday

Yesterday was an extremely rainy one in Greensboro. The above photo is of a rain barrel, purchased from A&B Seed Farmers Market Garden Center. Unfortunately, it was not installed to get filled with yesterday's rain. Rain barrels are a great way to harvest water to use for watering gardens and other outdoor greenery. 

Yesterday, in Greensboro, it rained 2.31 inches, although it seemed like 10 inches- the way it filled wheel barrows and outdoor containers! Here is a weather tracking website that lets you see weather by day, week, month and location. As an example, yesterday, in Greensboro, the bulk of yesterday's downpour came between 3-6am. The rest of the day was just damp and drizzly. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees yesterday from the low 60s to the low 50s. The rest of the week will be pretty rainy. So, you still have time to purchase a rain barrel.... AND install it. There are several options, from terra cotta, to the flat-back barrel model, to the plainer, more-standard models like the one above. Rain barrels help reduce the fast and furious runoff that comes from large, hard man-made surfaces, like roofs.

Hiking the Farmers Market

This past Saturday, the Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge was very busy. Even with masks, we decided it was better to walk the perimeter for exercise and return to shop during the week, when it isn't quite as busy. While walking back behind AB Farmers Market Garden Center, we found a path we thought was a trail. As seen in the above photo it is so beautiful and natural back there. On into the trail, as it winds toward I-40, there is an old barn. The barn is not safe to enter, but to look at, it is so beautiful. 

Catherine Bishir said that "agricultural old outbuildings are North Carolina's most endangered architectural resource" (shared by Benjamin Briggs, here, 2004). Finding and documenting these old barns was a passion of the late Greensboro photographer Carol Martin. We wish she were still here so that we could see if she every found this one. 

Once we realized that this path was not really a trail, we headed back to the parking lot. If this property is, indeed, part of the farmers market, perhaps the community would be served to add some kind of hiking trail. More and more people are out walking these days. Happy exploring, whether you can get out and physically explore, or remain at home and explore through books and the Internet. May we all find a way to help preserve Greensboro old agricultural outbuildings and our public-access green space.

Picnic at the Robert G. Shaw Piedmont Triad Farmers Market

This past Saturday, the Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge was very busy.The market is named for former state senator and Guilford County commissioner, Bob Shaw. Shaw was a a strong supporter of the farmers market. (Read more, here).

Even though we had masks, we decided to avoid the crowds and simply walk the perimeter of the market. One feature we discovered was a bank of picnic tables between the Moose Cafe and the pavilion. There was a couple picnicking, but there were still several tables, providing plenty of options to eat and keep your distance. 

Even though the Moose Cafe isn't open, there are plenty of food options throughout the market. Alternatively, you could pack a picnic lunch, and head to the market to eat. It is nice to find a way to be among people, while maintaining distance. Look how beautiful the trees are, and they provide plenty of shade for the area. This is yet another example of the beauty of Greensboro.

Have a great week!

Little Free Library and Mini Food Pantry at College Place UMC

Religious communities are more than people and buildings. They are the sense of community and good deeds done, the mitzvah. The little free library is one such good deed, where you take a book and, leave one- optionally. The little free library began in Hudson, Wisconsin in 2009* and spread quickly to other communities, including Greensboro. Currently, there are over 100,000 little free libraries in over 100 countries. The little free food pantry, a completely different initiative, started in 2016. As seen in the above photo, both are available at the corner of Tate and Spring Garden Street at College Place United Methodist Church. 

According to the cornerstone of the church, College Place UMC was erected in 1919, just about the time of the flu pandemic of 1918. Tucked between Greensboro College and UNCG, this church has been doing good deeds, especially for students and staff, for over a century. While two little boxes don't solve all of Greensboro's food insecurities and need for good books in every home, this kind gesture, indeed, helps nourish the body, mind, and heart. It looks like both boxes could use a little restocking. If you get a chance, drive by and leave a book and a grab-and-go snack or two. Especially popular are vienna sausages, cans of tuna, cans of chicken, and cans of fruit cocktail with a pop top lid. Let us all pause and think of a good deed we can do for our respective communities, in Greensboro and beyond.

 

* read more about the little free library, here.and the little free food pantry, here.

Big Sky Over Greensboro

When so many of us have been staying close to home for the last two months, getting out on the road registers as a big change in the brain. From house to grocery store back home is a pretty confined space for those not working outside the home.

The above photo was taken yesterday on West Market Street, just west of where Market meets Friendly Avenue. There isn't much built up around there, and the land is relatively flat, so the sky is visible for miles around. With the clouds lined up, seemingly like soldiers in formation, the scene was breathtaking. Out west in the United States, the land is known as "big sky country." However, yesterday, on a sunny afternoon, on West Market Street, it was as if the sky and and horizon were limitless. Something about this simple photo makes us so happy.

Isn't it wonderful to experience joy in something simple. We hope you have a joyful weekend, regardless of what is (or isn't) on your agenda.

John Neal Books

John Neal has been in the book business since 1981. In addition to selling books, they have materials for bookbinding, calligraphy, and other paper craft.While the store is on Spring Garden Street, they really emphasize that they are an online business. They explain that the books are in stacks, nothing is priced, many things are in bins. They also explain that they may be there by 9am, then again, maybe not. They may close for lunch, or go home early. But, John reminds us that the website, www.johnnealbooks.com is always open. Hats off to them for being upfront about not letting a business be all-consuming. Those of us who are local are just grateful that it is possible to visit and avoid shipping charges- you just need to call ahead. 

This commercial building, at 1835 Spring Garden Street, was built in 1923 and really evokes the look of early 20th century Greensboro. Just imagine, the building will soon be 100 years old. Hopefully there will be some kind of celebration and we can all learn more about the great history of the building and the area. The corner of Chapman and Spring Garden has had many vibrant businesses.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Today, I need to brag a little bit on Mr. Greensboro Daily Photo. He is committed to planting as many edibles as possible. The above plot was at one time a flower garden. However, he took the flower garden and planted vegetables. The edge is lined with marigolds with the hope that they will keep the deer away. In the circular "row" behind the marigolds is filled with kale and chard. It is on the low side now, because we have been harvesting it. Behind that row is the cabbage. To the right of the cabbage is spinach; again, recently harvested. Behind the spinach is broccoli, planted from seed. The blank patch to the right of the broccoli has raddish seed that was just replanted today. The very back row is Brussel sprouts, which should be ready to eat in about a week. We have eaten several times from this small garden.

We hope you can appreciate how lovely and rewarding even a small garden can be. Now, more than ever, people are around to help you if you have questions about gardening. In Greensboro, there are even community gardens through neighborhoods and through churches and other religious communities. In a community garden, there is always someone willing to give advice.  If you don't have a space in the ground for a garden, perhaps you can try container gardening.

We are long overdue in planting our summer vegetables. Maybe we will plant this weekend. Let us know if you put in a garden and how your garden in growing with this cold weather. We'd love to photograph some people in Greensboro working in their gardens. Happy Thursday!

Sustainable Living in an Urban Area

In the side yard of the Proximity United Methodist Church, near Fourth Street and Vine, is a house that appears to be participating in many sustainable practices. They have a greenhouse in the backyard, chickens, and evidence of gardening and composting and recycling, and more. If you have ever tried self-sufficient, and sustainable practices, you know that it involves a lot of hard work. If you look in front of the bright green container on the right, mid-photo, you can see one of the chickens. If you could see beyond the plastic cover, you would see plants thriving. 

We hope to drive by sometime and see someone out to talk to their ideas and goals for their fascinating, backyard efforts. It would also to be interesting to know if they attend the church next door. Actually, they have a church across from them too. Happy Wednesday! 

Blueberries. Blueberries, Blueberries!

Planting edibles gives us beauty and food and they grow well in Greensboro. As we quarantine in place, it is fun to watch the blueberries as they morph from blossoms, to green berries, to blue berries, ripe and ready to pick. Not only the berries, but the mid level height, make blueberry bushes a dream come true for birds. We've got about another month before it is blueberry season. There are a few blueberry farms in Greensboro and Guilford County.

Seeing these blueberries reminds us that Betty Cone, perhaps Greensboro's greatest civic servant, has a blueberry farm. Betty stepped down from her orchestrating of the Festival of Lights and the Fun Fourth Festival to work at Cone's Folly, the family's blueberry farm in Pender County. That was about four years ago. We need to check in with Betty to see if she's got her blueberry jelly marketed yet.*

Happy Tuesday, and remember, plant edibles!

*If you want to read about Betty Cone's journey to growing blueberries read Mary Burritt's article in the Greensboro News & Record from 2016, here.

 

Make Way for Goslings

It is that time of year when the non-migratory Canada geese have their young. Frequently in Greensboro, the adult geese are seen with their babies crossing major roads- like Battleground Avenue. The above gaggle lives in Bur-Mil park near the pond over the hill at the wildlife center. The open field and clear access to the water is a perfect habitat for them. Canada geese are very loyal to mate and family. Both parents are very involved in raising the goslings. Somehow, those goslings are hardwired to stay with their parents.

In the above photo, the male is bringing up the read. He is slightly larger than the female and more vocal. If you look at his beak, you can see that he is honking as we were getting a little too close, These can birds seem like pests, especially because of their droppings. However, the more you learn about their behavior, the more endearing they become. Is the mate gets sick or hurt, the other will remain with it, until the hurt bird gets better or dies. This loyalty is amazing.

Have a great week, dear readers. And please, if you see them on the move, make way for goslings!

Click here to see a really interesting bird website, and to see how vast the sighting of Canada geese is.

Proximity United Methodist Church

Proximity United Methodist Church was built in 1925, among the mill houses and between Revolution and Proximity Mills in east Greensboro. Specifically, Proximity UMC is located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Vine Street, not too far from Summit Avenue. The church is very visible as it is at the top of a small hill and oriented to the corner of two streets. The brickwork, rock entrance stairs, and stained glass windows, and glorious columns make this property a real stand-out. The church is much bigger than the view from this angle. Back behind it to the right, is an education building, built in 1957, as well as a large playground.

Currently, membership is at 106, with an average attendance of 16. The church has so much mill history and as far as we can tell, it is not available online, if it exists at all. If there isn't a history, this would be a great project for a student at one of the local universities. It would be really nice to record a history while there may still be members living who remember some of the early years of the church. Greensboro had so much rich history, especially in the religious communities. Happy Sunday!

Life On Carlson Terrace

Greensboro has some really beautiful neighborhoods, streets, and homes. Today's photo is of a home at Carlson Terrace. Carlson Terrace is a single street neighborhood that parallels Horse Pen Creek Road at Carlson Dairy Road. The homes on this street back up to the Greensboro Country Club- Farm Course. It is as if the golf course is your own yard. If a homeowner were a country club member, golf, tennis, and swimming would be merely a short walk away.The above brick home, painted white with its street-side courtyard, evokes the architectural style of Charleston, South Carolina. The homes in the neighborhood were built in about 2007. 

The Carlson Farms area and country club were developed by Carl Ivan Carlson, Jr.. Mr. Carlson was a philanthropist and lifelong resident of Greensboro. He died in 2013 at the age of 98. Mr. Carlson, lived a few houses down from this property. He left quite a legacy of beautiful properties in the eponymous neighborhood.

Congratulations 2020 Graduates!

Our 2020 graduates are having a year to remember. Living in quarantine is especially hard for high school seniors who were not able to have prom, an awards ceremony, or graduation ceremony. In North Carolina, colleges also finished spring semester remotely. One way to compensate is that schools are providing families with yard cards to recognize their graduates. The above yard in northwest Greensboro has two graduates. Andrew is graduating from Wesleyan Christian Academy, a private K-12 school in High Point. Elizabeth is graduating from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Congratulations to the two of you.

This year will be one to look back on,  and surely, something good will come from your sacrifices. Maybe this situation will help you define your career path. To all of our graduates, and others who are celebrating milestones in quarantine, in Greensboro and beyond, congratulations. If you know someone with a senior or see one of these cards in a yard, perhaps you can find some special gesture to help the graduates feel special. Happy Friday, dear readers!

Unbridled Joy

The above photo features a young Greensboro cyclist riding back and forth on his street. The mullet bike helmet is an outward projection of his fearless attitude. Flowing from the bike handlebar is a long strip of air packing film. This guy felt so independent, even though his parents always kept an eye on him. Earlier, he was seen standing with a sign he made reminding people to wash their hands.

Bike riding and sign making are the very activities that will help children look back on the Spring 2020, COVID-19 time with great memories. Spending more time at home and engaging in arts and crafts are priceless. Yes, joy can be had with something as simple as a bicycle and packaging material. We hope you are able to find joy in these unique times. Happy Thursday!

La Catrina Mural, In the Round, on Cone Boulevard

This mural of La Catrina is painted on the building that formerly housed Hamm's Restaurant on Cone Boulevard. It brightens up a spot that has been empty for several years now. If you ever drive past the back side of Page High School, you have probably seen it. The artist, Raman Bhardwaj moved from India to Greensboro in 2018 and his artwork has been gaining considerable recognition. In 2019, Bhardwaj was one of five Triad artists selected to have his art featured on highway billboards for a year.*

Bhardwaj is very talented in many different mediums of art and is especially adept at using spray paint and painting fast. In his two short years here, in Greensboro, he has painted about two dozen murals. Much of his art incorporates images, styles, and themes of Indian art and culture. Culture and mythology are big themes in Bhardwaj's art. Making meaningful art is important to him. Read more about his artistic journey in this Triad City Beat article.

A big thank you to our friend Rosario Fama Hankins whose photo of this mural prompted us to take a picture of it, en route to the grocery store!

*Read Raman Bhardwaj's artistic statement and see more of his work, here.

Spring Has Arrived to Ridgeway Drive

In the winter, Ridgeway Drive in Sunset Hills wows carloads of people with the lighted, wire balls up in the trees. In the spring, the Christmas decorations are long gone and the lawns are filled with the flowers and foliage. So many people walk on this street because it is so beautiful.

This residential neighborhood west of downtown and beside Friendly Center dates back to the 1920s. There is also a park and community tennis court in the neighborhood. Many houses, when sold, get significant additions. To be sure, the neighborhood has retained its great sense of community and its residential charm. If you are looking for ideas of how to add curb appeal to your yard, this is a great neighborhood to visit to get ideas!

 

Assassin Bugs

Have you heard of assassin bugs? We spotted these in a tree in Greensboro. It is a tiny egg cluster about the size of a  quarter (25¢) and are attached to a tree about 4' off the ground. Assassin bugs have a killer sting to their prey. It is a predator that feeds on insects, including aphids, caterpillars, beetles, and more. Generally they are considered a friend to farmers and gardeners since they eat things that destroy crops. However, do not touch them as their sting is very painful to humans.

Nymphs are hatching now. They molt through several stages and curiously, they seem to stay near the egg cluster, unless when we checked a few hours after taking this photo more were being born. Nature is amazing to watch and definitely provides something fun to do while we are in quarantine. Learn more about Assassin bugs from the NC State Extension Service, here.

Happy Monday! Happy May! 

The First Baptist Church and Lincoln Financial Building

Underneath that glorious sky, two Greensboro institutions peek out at us. In the middle half of the photo, the First Baptist Church of Greensboro is featured prominently. It has been a Greensboro institution since 1859. However, the above facility in the present location was constructed in the middle of the last century.* Today, the expansive church, that does so much for the community, takes up almost a whole city block on the south edge of Westerwood at Friendly Avenue.

The Jefferson Pilot building, now part of Lincoln Financial Group, is the 20 story tower in the middle of the leftmost church building. The JP Building is the iconic beacon that blinks the time and temperature for all to see. On Greensboro Daily Photo, we like to see how many different ways we can capture the JP building and even tag it every time it is in a photo. See here for over 60 other shots, which isn't too excessive, considering we've shared over 4,000 photos of Greensboro since 2009.

If we're counting, First Baptist has been delivering services for 161 years which amounts to over 8,000 Sundays. That is a lot of spiritual guidance. To worship with them today, watch their online sermon, here.

* more church history, here.

Life on Francisco Drive

This contemporary house on Francisco Drive is located on the edge of Lake Higgins in Greensboro, near Summerfield Many people who don't live here think Greensboro is flat. This photo shows the contour of the land. There are definitely hilly parts in the community.  This property actually continues down over the hill to the watershed to the lake. This spring, the plants are healthy, as water has been abundant this spring. 

Look at the beautiful rhododendron (Greek for rose tree) in the foreground. These evergreen members of the azalea family grow well in Greensboro. Also notice the bluebird box in this photo and the bluebirds are abundant in Greensboro this spring. Truly, Greensboro is a beautiful place to live. If you get a chance, head out for a nature walk this weekend!

Happy May 1st

May 1st is celebrated by some as International Labor Day. By others, it is a spring holiday. Some Greensboro Schools, like Jones Elementary, had a tradition of celebrating May Day for years. The Bennett Belles crowned a May Day Queen. May is the last full month of school and the last full month of spring. As we all remain quarantined in place, this May will be very different from the ones we have experienced in the past.

The above photo features a field full of blackberry bushes in northeast Greensboro.Almost all regions of North Carolina have blackberry bushes, and they are definitely found in Greensboro.  They are easy to grow, as long as the soil is well drained. If you are looking to plant this spring, learn about the blackberry from the NC State Extension Service, here. Do be kind and leave some berries for the birds; if only they will leave some for us! If you are home with children today, dance among the brambles or have a little May Day celebration. Start by learning about the holiday, here.